She is the only person to have received Grammy nominations in the jazz, popular and classical music awards.
Laine was born in a London suburb to a Jamaican father and English mother who sent her to singing and dancing lessons at an early age. She did not take up singing seriously until her mid-twenties, however. She auditioned successfully for a band led by musician John Dankworth, with which she performed until 1958, when she and Dankworth married.
She then began her career as a singer and actress. She played the lead in a new play at London's famous Royal Court Theatre, home of the new wave of playwrights of the 1950s: Harold Pinter and the like. This led to other stage performances such as the musical Valmouth in 1959, the play A Time to Laugh (with Robert Morley and Ruth Gordon) in 1962, and eventually to her show stopping Julie in the Wendy Toye production of Showboat at the Adelphi Theatre in London in 1971.
During this period she had two major recording successes. You'll Answer to Me reached the British Top 10 while Laine was 'prima donna' in the 1961 Edinburgh Festival production of Kurt Weill's opera/ballet The Seven Deadly Sins. In 1964 her Shakespeare and All that Jazz album with Dankworth received widespread critical acclaim, and to this day remains an important milestone in her identification with the more unusual aspects of a singer's repertoire.
1972 marked the start of Laine's international activities, with a successful first tour of Australia. Shortly afterwards, her career in the United States was launched with a concert at New York's Lincoln Center, followed in 1973 by the first of many Carnegie Hall appearances. Coast-to-coast tours of the U.S. and Canada soon followed, and with them a succession of record albums and television appearances. This led, after several nominations, to Cleo's first Grammy award, in recognition of the live recording of her 1983 Carnegie concert.
Laine colaborated with many great classical musicians including James Galway, Nigel Kennedy, Julian Lloyd Webber and John Williams.
Other important recordings during that time were duet albums with Ray Charles (Porgy and Bess) and Mel Tormé (see Nothing Without You), as well as Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire which won Laine a classical Grammy nomination.
Laine's relationship with the musical theatre, started in Britain, continued in the United States with starring performances in Sondheim's A Little Night Music and The Merry Widow (Michigan Opera). In 1985 she originated the role of Princess Puffer in the Broadway hit musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood, for which she received a Tony nomination, and in 1989 she received the Los Angeles critics' acclaim for her portrayal of the Witch in Sondheim's Into the Woods.
In the 2006 New Years Honours list, her husband John Dankworth was made a knight bachelor, becoming Sir John Dankworth. As his wife, she is entitled to be known as "Lady Dankworth," however, she uses her own professional name.
One More Night
Cleo Laine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been trying ooh so long to let you know
Let you know how I feel
And if I stumble if I fall, just help me back
So I can make you see
Please give me one more night, give me one more night
One more night cos I can't wait forever
Oh one more night cos I can't wait forever
I've been sitting here so long
Wasting time, just staring at the phone
And I was wondering should I call you
Then I thought maybe you're not alone
Please give me one more night, give me just one more night
Oh one more night, cos I can't wait forever
Please give me one more night, ooh just one more night
Oh one more night, cos I can't wait forever
Give me one more night, give me just one more night
Ooh one more night, cos I can't wait forever
Like a river to the sea
I will always be with you
And if you sail away
I will follow you
Give me one more night, give me just one more night
Oh one more night, cos I can't wait forever
I know there'll never be a time you'll ever feel the same
And I know it's only words
But if you change your mind you know that I'll be here
And maybe we both can learn
Give me just one more night, give me just one more night
Ooh one more night, cos I can't wait forever
Give me just one more night, give me just one more night
Ooh one more night, cos I can't wait forever
The song "One More Night" by Cleo Laine is a heartfelt plea for one more chance at love. The singer has been trying for a long time to express their feelings to someone, but they haven't been able to get through. They ask for one more night to try to make the other person understand how they feel. The singer is willing to try over and over again, to stumble and fall, but to keep picking themselves back up until they can make the other person see.
The first verse of the song talks about the singer's desire to communicate their feelings to the other person. They have been holding back and struggling for a long time, but they need just one more chance to try. The second verse suggests that the singer has been staring at the phone, wondering whether or not to call the other person. They have hesitated in the past, but this time they feel like they need to try one more time. The bridge of the song uses imagery of a river leading to the sea to illustrate the singer's commitment to the other person. They will always be with them, even if they sail away.
In the final verse, the singer acknowledges that they may never get the response they are hoping for, but they are still willing to try. They understand that their words may not be enough to change the other person's mind, but they are willing to be patient and wait. Ultimately, the song is about the power of persistence and the importance of trying, even in the face of uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
One more night, one more night
The artist pleads for one more night with their loved one.
I've been trying ooh so long to let you know
The artist has been struggling to express their feelings to their loved one for a long time.
Let you know how I feel
The artist wants to share their emotions with their loved one.
And if I stumble if I fall, just help me back
The artist fears rejection, but asks their loved one for support in case of any setbacks.
So I can make you see
The artist hopes that with one more night, they can make their loved one understand their feelings.
Please give me one more night, give me one more night
The artist repeats their plea for one more night with their loved one.
One more night cos I can't wait forever
The artist's desperation for one more night with their loved one is because they cannot wait indefinitely.
I've been sitting here so long
The artist has been waiting for their loved one for a long time.
Wasting time, just staring at the phone
The artist has been futilely waiting for their loved one's call.
And I was wondering should I call you
The artist is contemplating calling their loved one, but is unsure.
Then I thought maybe you're not alone
The artist speculates that their loved one might not be single.
Like a river to the sea
The artist compares their unconditional love for their loved one to how a river flows into a sea.
I will always be with you
The artist promises to always stand by their loved one.
And if you sail away
The artist acknowledges the possibility that their loved one may leave them.
I will follow you
The artist declares their loyalty to their loved one and their willingness to follow them anywhere.
I know there'll never be a time you'll ever feel the same
The artist accepts that their loved one may not reciprocate their feelings.
And I know it's only words
The artist acknowledges that their plea for one more night may be seen as mere words by their loved one.
But if you change your mind you know that I'll be here
The artist assures their loved one that they will always be available if they change their mind.
And maybe we both can learn
The artist hopes that they and their loved one can learn from each other if they have one more night together.
Lyrics © Tratore
Written by: Phil Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Jagger
on Sunday
Those lyrics above bear no relation to the song ‘Sunday’ on the album ‘Born on a Friday’
John
on Born on a Friday
No lyrics for the song Born on a Friday? These lyrics are very hard to find. It would be nice to see because of a British expression that's used in the song that I'm not sure what the meaning is.