William Michael Albert Broad, known professionally as Billy Idol, is a Brit… Read Full Bio ↴William Michael Albert Broad, known professionally as Billy Idol, is a British singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He also holds United States citizenship. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer of the group Generation X. Subsequently, he embarked on a solo career which led to international recognition and made Idol a lead artist during the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" in the US. The name "Billy Idol" was inspired by a schoolteacher's description of him as "idle".

Idol began his music career in late 1976 as a guitarist in the punk rock band Chelsea. However, he soon left the group. With his former bandmate Tony James, Idol formed Generation X. With Idol as lead singer, the band achieved success in the United Kingdom and released three studio albums on Chrysalis Records, then disbanded. In 1981, Idol moved to New York City to pursue his solo career in collaboration with guitarist Steve Stevens. His debut studio album, Billy Idol (1982), was a commercial success. With music videos for singles "Dancing with Myself" and "White Wedding" Idol soon became a staple of then newly-established MTV.

Idol's second studio album, Rebel Yell (1983), was a major commercial success, featuring hit singles "Rebel Yell" and "Eyes Without a Face". The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of two million copies in the US. In 1986, he released Whiplash Smile. Having accumulated three UK top 10 singles ("Rebel Yell", "White Wedding" and "Mony Mony"), Idol released a 1988 greatest hits album titled Idol Songs: 11 of the Best; the album went platinum in the United Kingdom. Idol then released Charmed Life (1990) and the concept album Cyberpunk (1993).

Idol spent the second half of the 1990s focusing on his personal life out of the public eye. He made a musical comeback with the release of Devil's Playground (2005) and again with Kings & Queens of the Underground (2014).

Mother Dawn
Billy Idol Lyrics

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Hold me, hold me
Breathe the light into me
Hold me, hold me
Mother dawn
Mother dawn

Dancing 'round the fire
Circling the flame

Listen to the shadows calling out my name

They say
Rock me like a baby
Cradle me in the light
Bathe me in a rainbow
Sun restore my sight

Hold me, hold me
Breathe the light into me
Hold me, hold me
Mother dawn (All night long yeah)

Hold me, hold me
Breathe the light into me (All night long yeah)
Hold me, hold me
Mother dawn

Look into the light

Come and take a journey through the land of night
Darkness strokes the face and
Steals away the sight
Night is all around me
Stars are in my hair
I feel them tangled in the secrets we'll
Find hidden there all right
Reaching through the madness
To the other side
Where the sun is rising
With her arms held wide

Hold me, hold me
Breathe the light into me
Hold me, hold me
Mother dawn (All night long yeah)
(Till the dawn light comes)

Hold me, hold me
Breathe the light into me (All night long yeah)
Hold me, hold me
Mother dawn (All night long)
(I know you're gonna love me)
(I know you're gonna love me)

One star flew against the tapestry of the night
And the earth revolved in perfect symmetry
To a symphony of sun
The moon danced its final bow
As the birth of day
Exploded
In my eyes

Reaching through the madness
To the other side
Where the sun is rising
With her arms held wide

Rock me like a baby
Cradle me in light
You're gonna bathe me in a rainbow
And the sun restore my sight

Hold me, hold me
Breathe the light into me
Hold me, hold me
Mother dawn

Hold me, hold me (All night long yeah)
Breathe the light into me
(Till the dawn light comes yeah)
Hold me, hold me (All night long yeah)
Mother dawn (I know you're gonna love me yeah)
I know you're
Gonna love me
All night long yeah
Till the dawn light comes
All night long yeah
I know you're gonna love me love me
All night long yeah
Till the dawn light comes
All night long yeah

I know you're gonna love me love me
Mother dawn

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Billy Idol's "Mother Dawn" describe a journey through the darkness and into the light of a new day with the help of a maternal and nurturing figure named "Mother Dawn." The singer circles a fire and listens to the shadows calling out his name, seeking solace and comfort from the darkness that surrounds him. He implores Mother Dawn to "hold me, hold me, breathe the light into me," and to "rock me like a baby, cradle me in light," indicating a need to be renewed and reborn through her care. As the night gives way to day, he reaches through the madness and into the "other side," where the sun rises with its arms held wide, and he is once again embraced by Mother Dawn.

The lyrics of "Mother Dawn" can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, from a spiritual rebirth to a psychedelic trip. The maternal theme of the song can be seen as representative of the Jungian concept of the "Great Mother," or the principle of nurturing and creation in the universe. The lyrics also reference themes of renewal, rebirth, and the cyclical nature of life and death.

Line by Line Meaning

Hold me, hold me
I need your comfort and embrace

Breathe the light into me
Enlighten me, bring me peace

Mother dawn
The source of all creation and light

Dancing 'round the fire
Connecting to primal energy and instincts

Circling the flame
Repeating patterns in life

Listen to the shadows calling out my name
Hearing the echoes of my subconscious

They say
Voices from the darkness

Rock me like a baby
Nurture me, care for me

Cradle me in the light
Protect and guide me towards the truth

Bathe me in a rainbow
Surround me with beauty and hope

Sun restore my sight
Help me see clearly, bring me clarity

Look into the light
Face the truth, embrace enlightenment

Come and take a journey through the land of night
Explore the unknown, confront fears

Darkness strokes the face and
Night captures and enchants me

Steals away the sight
Blinds me to distractions and illusions

Night is all around me
I am immersed in darkness

Stars are in my hair
The universe is part of me

I feel them tangled in the secrets we'll find hidden there all right
The mysteries of existence are waiting to be discovered

Reaching through the madnessto the other side
Breaking through confusion and chaos towards clarity

Where the sun is risingwith her arms held wide
At the dawn of a new truth and understanding

One star flew against the tapestry of the night
A revelation brings light to the darkness

And the earth revolved in perfect symmetryto a symphony of sun
A cosmic dance of balance and harmony

The moon danced its final bowas the birth of dayexplodedin my eyes
The end of illusions brings forth new beginnings

I know you're gonna love me
Belief in the power of Mother Dawn

(Till the dawn light comes)
Through the journey towards the morning light

All night long yeah
Through the darkness, staying true

Till the dawn light comes
Towards the awakening of understanding

Mother dawn
The light of hope and wisdom

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARTIN GLOVER, PAMELA CAROL MCBROOM

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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