Dennis achieved her first success as a vocalist with Dancin' Danny D's dance project D Mob, when their single "C'mon and Get My Love" reached #15 in the UK Singles Chart and #10 in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990. Originally, it had only reached #93 (UK). It is regarded as an underground classic in the dance music field, and a second collaboration with D Mob, "That's The Way Of The World," was also a major dance hit. It was followed by Dennis' debut album, Move to This.
She subsequently scored three solo Top 20 UK / Top 10 U.S. hits and had considerable success in Japan in the early 1990s with "Just Another Dream" (#13 UK, #9 U.S., #14 Australia), "Touch Me (All Night Long)" (#5 UK, #2 U.S., #16 Australia), which is probably her most remembered hit to date, and "Too Many Walls" (#17 UK, #8 U.S., #57 Australia).
Subsequent releases were only minor hits. Her final Top 40 hit in the U.S. was "You Lied to Me" in 1992, and her final Top 40 hit in the UK was "Waterloo Sunset", which made #11 during 1997. That same year her last solo single "When Your Dreams Turn To Dust", peaked in the UK at #43.
"Touch Me (All Night Long)" stayed at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, and was kept out of the #1 spot by Hi-Five's "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)" the first week and Mariah Carey's "I Don't Wanna Cry" the second week. The song was a cover of a 1985 single by Wish featuring Fonda Rae, which had hit #70 on the U.S. R&B chart that year. "Touch Me" did reach #1 on the U.S. Dance chart, and its follow-up, "Too Many Walls," which Dennis co-wrote with Anne Dudley of Art of Noise, was a #1 Adult Contemporary hit. It was around this time Dennis agreed to join MTV Club's first tour, booked for six weeks. She dropped out on the third date, later publicly accussing one of Milli Vanilli's members (the tour's headline act) of sexual harassment.
Dennis released her second album, Into The Skyline, in December 1992 written with an aim toward the U.S. market. The album featured the singles "You Lied To Me", "Irresistible", "Falling" and "Why [D Mob with Cathy Dennis]". The album got to #8 in the UK, whilst in the U.S., "You Lied to Me" was a Top 40 hit and "Irresistible" made the Adult Contemporary Top Ten; however, the album descended the chart rapidly. Dennis experienced a brief peak of fame, making a cameo in Beverly Hills 90210 singing the song "Moments of Love" (a minor U.S. AC chart hit), "Why" and "Touch Me (All Night Long)". In Japan the album was called Into the Skyline +1, and featured three extra tracks, "Nothing Moves Me", a previous b-side, and two tracks that were both released as singles, "It's My Style" and "Love's a Cradle."
Dennis started to record her third album Inspiration. The title track was recorded with Todd Terry, along with another song "Is There Life After You", plus other songs as yet unknown. She decided to stop recording this album and only two songs have ever been released, "Find the Key to Your Life" with David Morales for the then-popular movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and "SOS", which can be found on the Beverley Hills 90210, The College Years soundtrack.
Dennis made her first attempt at co-writing a song for Dannii Minogue called "Love's on Every Corner".
In 1996 Dennis changed musical track away from the dance-pop sound of previous releases, to a more traditional singer-songwriter approach. The resulting album Am I the Kind of Girl? was more in keeping with the Britpop sound of bands such as Blur and performers such as Stephen Duffy, and featured collaborations with Guy Chambers of The Lemon Trees and Andy Partridge of XTC. However, even though a couple of singles charted in the UK (including a Number 11 cover of Ray Davies' "Waterloo Sunset"), the album failed to make much inroads into the album charts.
Dennis' last release appeared on the OST Robin Hood Men in Tights singing "Marian (Duet Version) - Cathy Dennis & Lance Ellington".
In recent years, her greatest success has come as a songwriter: in 1996 she co-wrote "Bumper to Bumper", which was the B-Side to Spice Girls' first hit single "Wannabe". Five of her compositions have reached number one in Britain. "Never Had a Dream Come True" and "Have You Ever" (both recorded by S Club 7), "Anything Is Possible" (recorded by Will Young), and "Toxic" (recorded by Britney Spears) all reached number one, with "Toxic" and "Never Had a Dream Come True" also hitting the Top 10 in the United States. Her highest-selling composition, "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (recorded by Kylie Minogue), spent four weeks at number one in Britain, rekindled interest in Minogue in America, where it hit #7 on the Hot 100, and sold over three million copies worldwide to become the world's second highest selling single in 2001. "Can't Get You Out of My Head" also won Dennis an Ivor Novello Award for the year's most performed composition. She also won this award two years later for "Anything Is Possible" (Cathy Dennis, Chris Braide).
She co-wrote the Pop Idol theme for the television series, and in Britain and the United States contestants Will Young, Gareth Gates, Kelly Clarkson, and Clay Aiken have recorded her songs as their first singles. Other artists who have recorded her songs include Dannii Minogue, Delta Goodrem, Céline Dion, Spice Girls, Emma Bunton, Ronan Keating, Rachel Stevens, Hear'Say, S Club Juniors, P!nk, Janet Jackson, Brooke Hogan, Michelle McManus, Hooverphonic, Jentina, Thalia, Katy Perry, Rosin Murphy, Heidi Montag, David Cook, Le Toya Lucket.
She has recently collaborated with the British singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and song-writer Greg Kurstin, on a track called "Catch You". Ellis-Bextor's album entitled Trip the Light Fantastic is set to be released in early 2007 through Fascination Records.
According to news reports, Dennis was working on a new album under the name Sexcassettes which she planned for a 2008 release. The albums' first single, "Killer Love" was also to be released before the end of 2008. There is currently no news information avaliable about this project.
That's The Way Of The World
Cathy Dennis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing really matters till in the end
The world still turns and life you learn
Nothing really matters in the end
That's the way of the world
You sure about this baby
Cos I been feeling down for a while now
That's the way of the world
I better do something real soon
That's the way of the world
I want out of this life
Maybe even commit suicide
Nothing really matters till you make it
All right all right
Nothing really matters till you say
The love's all gone but I keep headstrong
And nothing really matters in the end
That's the way of the world
I don't think that's me baby
I just feeling down boy
That's the way of the world
Got no friends in my life boy what's goin' on here
That's the way of the world
Things had better change for me and they have to change fast
Nothing really matters till you show it
Nothing really matters till you say
I tell you now when you let me down
Nothing really matters in the end
That's the way of the world
I needed you but you could not be found
That's the way of the world
Strolling through problems a dozen or down (?)
That's the way of the world
Trying to solve of these troubles within
That's the way of the world
Stuck in the middle of life it's a shame
That's the way of the world
That's the way of the world
I hope what you saying to me is real true baby
Bout time we should get on
That's the way of the world
Things had better change for me and they have to change fast
Nothing really matters till you make it
Right on
Nothing really matters in the end
The world still turns and life you learn
But nothing really matters in the end
That's the way of the world
Nothing really matters in the end
That's the way of the world
The end
The end
Right OK baby
The end
That's the way of the world
It's about time we jammed a little right
The end
End
That's the way of the world
The end
OK baby
Yeah
If you've got a problem in the back of your mind
Express your feelings you never know what you'll find
Whether it be your mother your lover or a friend
Let them help you through to the end
End
End
End
That's the way of the world
Don't worry bout a thing
That's the way of the world
Still in love as it begins
That's the way of the world
The way of the world
That's the way of the world
That's the way of the world
Don't worry bout a thing
That's the way of the world
Still in love as it begins
That's the way of the world
The way of the world
That's the way of the world
That's the way of the world
Don't worry bout a thing
Still in love as it begins
That's the way of the world
The way of the world
That's the way of the world
Cathy Dennis's song That's the way of the world is about the struggles and challenges of life. The chorus of the song highlights the message that nothing really matters until you make it matter. This suggests that we have the power to control our lives and our perceptions of the world. The verse talks about difficulties and problems in life that can lead to feeling down, lonely, and even suicidal. However, the song suggests that expressing one's feeling and seeking help from friends, family, or lovers can make a difference in the end. The repetition of the phrase "That's the way of the world" throughout the song implies that life is full of ups and downs, but we must carry on.
The song's verses emphasize the singer's feelings of despair and loneliness. The singer feels that life has become too hard to bear and that nothing is going right. The chorus, on the other hand, provides hope that things can change if we take action and make them matter. The song's message is that we should not give up on life and should seek help and support when we need it.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing really matters till you make it
Your problems won't change until you actively work to change them
Nothing really matters till in the end
At the end of your life, your problems won't matter
The world still turns and life you learn
Life goes on regardless of your problems, and you can learn from your experiences
That's the way of the world
This is how life works, and there's not much you can do about it
You sure about this baby
Do you really believe that?
Cos I been feeling down for a while now
I've been struggling with my problems for a long time
I better do something real soon
I need to take action to change my situation before it's too late
I want out of this life
I'm so unhappy that I want to end my life
Maybe even commit suicide
I'm considering ending my life
All right all right
I understand what you're saying
Nothing really matters till you say
You have to acknowledge your problems and vocalize them to start making changes
The love's all gone but I keep headstrong
I've lost love in my life, but I'm trying to stay strong
I don't think that's me baby
I don't think I'm the problem
Got no friends in my life boy what's goin' on here
I don't have any friends and I don't understand why
Things had better change for me and they have to change fast
I need my situation to change quickly or else I don't know what I'll do
Nothing really matters till you show it
Your actions speak louder than words when it comes to changing your problems
I tell you now when you let me down
You disappointed me
I needed you but you could not be found
I needed someone's help but it wasn't there
Strolling through problems a dozen or down (?)
I'm facing many problems at once
Trying to solve of these troubles within
I'm trying to fix the problems myself
Stuck in the middle of life it's a shame
I feel like I'm at a standstill in my life and I'm disappointed
It's about time we jammed a little right
It's time to let loose and have some fun
If you've got a problem in the back of your mind
If you're struggling internally with a problem
Express your feelings you never know what you'll find
You might be surprised by the support you receive if you talk about your problems
Whether it be your mother your lover or a friend
Any close relationship could be there to help you through your problems
Let them help you through to the end
Allow your relationships to offer you support
Don't worry bout a thing
Don't stress about it
Still in love as it begins
Love can be found at any point in life
The way of the world
This is how life works
Contributed by Juliana R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.