'Congratulations' was a global hit as it became a much bigger hit than 'La, La, La', which beat Cliff in the 1968 Eurovision song contest. Shortly after 'Congratulations', which was one of his solo efforts, Cliff recorded his last single with The Shadows. Again in 1973, with 'Power to All Our Friends', he entered the Eurovision song contest--this time reaching 3rd place.
The most sold artist in British Pop history - with over 40 top hits.
Worked with Stock Aitken Waterman in 1989 and the single "I Just Don't Have The Heart".
Sixty appearances at Wembley, plus sellout tour to celebrate 50 years in the business.
First hit: Move It, 1958, first no. 1: Living Doll
As big as he is in the UK, he has only had 3 Top 10 hits in the USA with the biggest still being his breakthrough 1976 single "Devil Woman" which made it all the way to #6.
Has also worked with Elton John, Mark Knopfler, Julian Lennon, Freddie Mercury, Stevie Wonder, Phil Everly, Janet Jackson, Sheila Walsh, Van Morrison, and Olivia Newton-John.
Up In The World
Cliff Richard Lyrics
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And it's all to your credit
You made something of your life
Like you always said you would
But whatever happened to the girl I used to know
And all those halcyon days of love
You've come up in the world
And it's such a shame
But it seems so empty now
With your weak excuses and
Your condescending ways
And all to frequent nights alone
I've come down in the world
And it's all to your credit
You made something of my life
But you've thrown it all away
For your books and your fancy talk
Your new-found friends and all
Your theories on mankind and society
The lyrics of “Up in the World” by Cliff Richard represent a melancholy reminiscing about a past love that has moved on to success and fame, while the singer has fallen from grace. The opening verse congratulates the subject of the song for succeeding in life and fulfilling their dreams. However, it quickly becomes clear that this success has come at a cost, as the singer reflects on the loss of their previous connection, love and a past that is no more. As the song progresses, the sense of regret turns into bitterness as the singer accuses the former lover of being condescending and making weak excuses for their distance. The singer laments that they have ‘come down in the world’ while their former lover has excelled, and that this past love now prefers books, theories, and society as opposed to the love that they used to share.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of disappointment and unsatisfied love, as the singer finds themselves unable to recognize the person their former lover has become. The song highlights the sacrifices necessary for individuals to achieve success, as well as the emotional toll it can have on relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
You've come up in the world
You have achieved success and bettered your condition in life.
And it's all to your credit
You deserve all the praise and admiration for your hard work.
You made something of your life
You have accomplished a lot and made something worthwhile of your life.
Like you always said you would
Just as you always promised and planned for yourself.
But whatever happened to the girl I used to know
I wonder what happened to the person I used to know and love.
And all those halcyon days of love
And all those happy and carefree days of our past relationship.
You've come up in the world
You have achieved success and bettered your condition in life.
And it's such a shame
It is regretful that your success has come at a price.
You made a success of a dream
You have successfully fulfilled a long-held aspiration or ambition.
But it seems so empty now
Unfortunately, your success does not bring you happiness or fulfillment anymore.
With your weak excuses and
With your flimsy and poor justifications and explanations...
Your condescending ways
...coupled with your arrogant and patronizing demeanor...
And all too frequent nights alone
...leaves you with frequent and pervasive loneliness.
I've come down in the world
I have regressed in status and success in life.
And it's all to your credit
It's all thanks to you, and your actions that contributed to it.
You made something of my life
You had a significant hand in shaping my life and future.
But you've thrown it all away
But unfortunately, you have ruined or destroyed it completely.
For your books and your fancy talk
For your literary or academic pursuits and pretentious speech...
Your new-found friends and all
...and your newfound companions, as well as...
Your theories on mankind and society
... your opinions, hypotheses, and musings on societal issues and human behavior.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CLIFFORD THOMAS WARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind