Following her departure from Wham!, Lee released her first solo single, "Selina Wow Wow", in 1983. Despite considerable airplay, the single failed to reach the top 40. In 1984, she then worked with The Style Council and appeared on their debut album Café Bleu (released as My Ever Changing Moods in North America). Lee can be heard on the tracks "Headstart for Happiness," "It Didn't Matter," "The Lodgers," "Walls Come Tumbling Down," and "Shout to the Top." Lee continued to record solo material during this time, but singles "Yippee Yi Yay!" and "Don't Do It Baby" failed to chart.
In 1985, after the release of the second Style Council album Our Favourite Shop (which reached no.1) and a stint working with the band Animal Nightlife, Lee released another solo single; the self-penned ballad "See the Day". The single became a UK hit and peaked at no.2 in December 1985, selling a quarter of a million copies in the UK alone, and earning Lee a silver disc. Twenty years later, the song was covered by Girls Aloud, their version peaking at no.9 on the UK Singles Chart in December 2005.
Lee's follow-up singles, a cover of Judie Tzuke's "Come Hell Or Waters High" and "Hold On" failed to make the UK Top 40. All tracks were featured on her 1986 album, Shrine.
Throughout the rest of the 1980s, Lee continued to work with The Style Council on their albums The Cost of Loving (1987) and Confessions of a Pop Group (1988). She also worked with the band on their 1989 recording Modernism: A New Decade, but this album was rejected by the band's label, Polydor, and did not see a release until almost ten years later, when it was included in the boxed set, The Complete Adventures of The Style Council.
Between 1989 and 1991, Lee teamed up with Robert Howard of The Blow Monkeys to form Slam Slam. They achieved a number of minor UK club hits including "Move (Dance All Night)" and "Free Your Feelings", the latter produced by Young Disciples. In 1993, Lee later collaborated with Gang Starr frontman Guru (rapper) née Keith Alam, on a single from his solo project Jazzmatazz called "No Time to Play" on which also featured Ronny Jordan. Later in the 1990s, Lee released two further solo albums; Things Will Be Sweeter (1994) and Smiles (1998).
In 2006, Lee had a small part as a pop star in the comedy film Rabbit Fever. In September 2007, Lee performed her hit "See The Day" on ITV1's Loose Women show. In September 2007, she also performed at a charity event in aid of domestic violence a cause close to her heart.
Lee also played the part of Preaching Nut-Nut in a 2008 short film, The Town that Boars Me. It tells the tale of a Pig Boy created by the lonely town butcher. The Pig Boy, now banished from the town, returns at nightfall to torment the local women and satisfy his insatiable fetish for high-heeled shoes. It also starred Kelly Osbourne, Sadie Frost, Lee's son Natt Weller, Zandra Rhodes and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The film was released in London on 28 August 2008.
On 31 May 2009, Lee joined ex-Level 42 musicians, Mike Lindup and Phil Gould, to play a comeback gig with a collective called 'Favoured Nations'. The gig took place at Ginglik, Shepherd's Bush, London. On 11 October 2009, she played a gig at Dingwalls in Camden Town.
Dee played 2 concerts in 2010 - The 1st was on 30 April 2010, at Pizza on the Park, Hyde Park Corner, London and the second on 31 December at Shades of Soul, New Year's Eve Extravaganza, Live Funk and Soul at The Pheasantry. This was a night featuring Dee, Louise (Funk Affair) and Nathan Watson. Billed as “A night of unforgettable Funk and Soul Classics."
The setlist was:- Things Will be Sweeter, See The Day, Walk Away From the Floor, It's Gonna Be Alright, No Time To Play, Set Your Spirit Free and Come Hell or Waters High.
January 2011 - Dee is currently getting a band together and is holding auditions. No album release date is yet known.
He's Gone
Dee C. Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just to tell me he's gone
And the weight of his voice falls so heavy
On my mind
When he was a child
I promised him that I would be strong
Well I don't know if I'll succeed
But I'll try
I don't know where the wind will take him
And I don't know if this world will break him
Oh still it's so plain to see
That this boy depends on me
To set him free
So I
Oh I believe
That my love will be redeemed
And he will be there for me
When I ride
All the way
To the end
Early in the evening I wake up
And I am alone
With the freedom that I only dreamed of
For so long
But a house with one lonely old soul
Is it still a home
Or does it all just fade away
Now that he is gone
I don't know where the wind will take me
But I know that these days won't break me
As long as I keep a light
Shining out into the night
For him to see
So I
Oh I believe
That my love will be redeemed
And he will be there for me
When I ride
All the way
To the end
The lyrics to Dee C. Lee's song "He's Gone" delve into a deeply emotional and heartfelt narrative of a mother's love and the challenges she faces when her child leaves. The song captures the poignant moments of the mother's journey as she grapples with the weight of her son's departure and her unwavering commitment to supporting him.
The opening lines set a melancholic tone as the mother receives an early morning call from her son, notifying her of his departure. The heaviness in his voice becomes a burden on her mind, emphasizing the emotional toll it takes on her. In the next verse, the song delves into their past, where the mother made a promise to her son, assuring him that she would remain strong. However, she questions her ability to fulfill that promise, acknowledging her uncertainties but still vowing to try.
The chorus reflects the mother's uncertainty about her son's future. She doesn't know where life will take him or if the world will break him, but it remains evident that her son relies on her for his emotional liberation. The mother believes that her love will ultimately be redeemed and that her son will be there for her when she embarks on her journey to the end.
In the final verse, the focus shifts to the mother's own feelings of loneliness and liberation. As she wakes up in the evening, the realization dawns on her that she is alone, finally experiencing the freedom she had longed for. However, she questions whether a house with only a solitary old soul can truly be called a home or if everything fades away without her son's presence. Despite her newfound freedom, she acknowledges the void his absence creates.
The song concludes with the mother's resolve to persevere. She doesn't know where life will take her either, but she knows that these challenging days won't break her as long as she keeps a light shining into the night for her son to find his way back. The lyrics express her unwavering belief that her love will be redeemed and that her son will be there for her in the end.
Overall, "He's Gone" is a powerful exploration of a mother's love, capturing the complex emotions and struggles she faces when her child leaves. It highlights the deep bond between a parent and child and the resilience that love can provide in the face of uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Early in the morning he calls
At the start of each day, he calls me
Just to tell me he's gone
Just to inform me that he has left
And the weight of his voice falls so heavy
And the heaviness of his voice lingers
On my mind
On my thoughts and emotions
When he was a child
When he was young
I promised him that I would be strong
I made a vow to be resilient
Well I don't know if I'll succeed
I am unsure if I can fulfill that promise
But I'll try
But I will attempt to do so
I don't know where the wind will take him
I have no idea where his path will lead him
And I don't know if this world will break him
And I do not know if he will be emotionally harmed by the world
Oh still it's so plain to see
Still, it is evident
That this boy depends on me
That this young man relies on me
To set him free
To allow him to be independent and find his own way
So I
Therefore, I
Oh I believe
I have faith
That my love will be redeemed
That my affection will be reciprocated
And he will be there for me
And he will support me
When I ride
When I journey
All the way
The entire distance
To the end
To the final destination
Early in the evening I wake up
At the beginning of the night, I awaken
And I am alone
And I am by myself
With the freedom that I only dreamed of
With the liberty that I had only imagined
For so long
For such a substantial period
But a house with one lonely old soul
However, a residence with one solitary elderly individual
Is it still a home
Is it still a place of warmth and comfort
Or does it all just fade away
Or does it all become dim
Now that he is gone
Since he is no longer present
I don't know where the wind will take me
I am unknown of which direction life carries me
But I know that these days won't break me
But I am certain that these days won't make me lose my resolve
As long as I keep a light
As long as I preserve a gleam
Shining out into the night
Glowing in the darkness
For him to see
So that he can observe it
So I
Therefore, I
Oh I believe
I have faith
That my love will be redeemed
That my affection will be repaid
And he will be there for me
And he will be by my side
When I ride
When I travel
All the way
For the entire voyage
To the end
Until the very conclusion
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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