Born in London in 1983, Ebony Alleyne was signed to Sony M… Read Full Bio ↴Biography
Born in London in 1983, Ebony Alleyne was signed to Sony Music at the age of only 19 years. At first wanting to be a singer-songwriter, she found that the label didn't think this was the right approach for her. She was passed on to producers Ian Levine and Clive Scott who both felt they should aim for a Dionne Warrick-Burt Bacharach approach - the three-some penned the song "Walk Away and Never Look Back" which pleased Sony so much that they were granted a £150,000 budget to produce an album with a full orchestra (sixty strings, thirty brass). Alleyne sneak-previewed the song at a Togetherness soul weekend in 2002 and caused a great deal of excitement - three 7" vinyl singles were pressed in a limited edition on the old soul label Okeh Records ... but the much awaited album didn't happen.
In 2003, just as the album was ready to go into press, the chairman at Sony had a serious fall-out with Ebony's manager and she was dumped, much to everyone's disappointment, and for a while it looked as if one and a half years' work had gone to waste. One track "All the Love in the World" cropped up on Levine's Northern Soul 2004.
In early 2007, however, Expansion Records bought the rights to the album, and Levine and Scott took Alleyne to the studio to record one new track "You Caught Me Off Guard" and add it to the track listing. The album Never Look Back was finally released in June 2007 and launched at a release party at the Jazz Café in Camden Town. The album was released in Japan late September with five bonus tracks, including a remix of "You Caught Me Off Guard". Alleyne recorded three new tracks - including a duet with Noel McKoy - for Levine's album Northern Soul 2007 and another track for Disco 2008.
Additional info
One of Alleyne's unreleased songs, "Like a Lady" (scheduled for inclusion on the 2003 album) was re-recorded with The X Factor artists Voices With Soul for Northern Soul 2007 and became a hit on Youtube with more than 40,000 views and subsequently released a download single on iTunes.
You Caught Me Off Guard
Ebony Alleyne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
why'a pas d'opale autour de mes doigts
Ni cathedrale ou cacher mes prieres
Juste un peu d'or autour de ma voix
Je vais les routes et je vais les frontieres
Je sens, j'ecoute, et j'apprends, je vois
Le temps s'egoutte au long des fuseaux horaires
*Tel est mon destin
Je vais mon chemin
Ainsi passent mes heures
Au rythme entetant des battements de mon coeur
Des feux d'ete je vole aux sombres hivers
Des pluies d'automne aux etes indiens [1]
Terres gelees aux plus arides deserts
Je vais je viens, ce monde est le mien
*
Je vais les routes et je vais les frontieres
Je sens, j'ecoute, et j'apprends, je vois
Le temps s'egoutte au long des fuseaux horaires
Je prends, je donne, avais-je le choix?
*
Je prends le blues aux signaux des repondeurs
Je prends la peine aux aeroports
Je vis l'amour a des kilometres ailleurs
Et le bonheur a mon telephone
The lyrics of "You Caught Me Off Guard" by Ebony Alleyne reflect the theme of being a wanderer and living a life of nomadism. The first verse talks about the absences of material possessions that signify stability, such as "voiles aux volets de mes freres" (curtains on my brothers' windows) and "opale autour de mes doigts" (opal on my fingers) and instead, the presence of "un peu d'or autour de ma voix" (a little bit of gold around my voice) that displays a contrast between tangible and intangible belongings. The singer then goes on to describe their travel experiences, suggesting that they are a foreigner in an unknown territory, yet they learn and adapt along the way. The singer expresses their fate as to wander and continue their journey, taking whatever life offers through taking and giving.
The chorus, "Tel est mon destin, Je vais mon chemin, Ainsi passent mes heures, Au rythme entetant des battements de mon coeur" (Such is my destiny, I go my way, Thus pass my hours, To the enthralling rhythm of my heartbeat) maintains the narrative of the singer's nomadic lifestyle. The singer's perception of their journey is seen as a natural aspect of life, nothing out of the ordinary, and the "rythme entetant" suggests that it is a driving force that keeps them going. The second verse picks up from where the first one left off, emphasizing the singer's restlessness and how they move between different seasons and climates. The stanza also confirms the notion that the world is the singer's playground, and they are free to move as they please without restriction. The final lines reveal the singer's source of joy, love, and happiness, which are not confined to a physical space but through phone calls and other methods of communication.
Overall, the song's lyrics promote the idea of self-discovery and the beauty of the journey rather than the destination. The singer is content with the process of exploration and learning, accepting that fate has brought them on this path.
Line by Line Meaning
why'a pas de voiles aux volets de mes freres
My family don't have fancy things, like curtains on the windows.
why'a pas d'opale autour de mes doigts
I don't wear expensive jewelry, like opal rings.
Ni cathedrale ou cacher mes prieres
I don't have a grand cathedral to pray in.
Juste un peu d'or autour de ma voix
But I have the golden gift of singing.
Je vais les routes et je vais les frontieres
I travel the world and explore new places.
Je sens, j'ecoute, et j'apprends, je vois
I use my senses to learn and experience new things.
Le temps s'egoutte au long des fuseaux horaires
Time passes by as I cross different time zones.
Je prends, je donne, avais-je le choix?
I take and give, because it's my destiny.
Tel est mon destin
This is my fate.
Je vais mon chemin
I'm following my own path.
Ainsi passent mes heures
My hours pass by this way.
Au rythme entetant des battements de mon coeur
To the beat of my own heart.
Des feux d'ete je vole aux sombres hivers
I go from summer adventures to winter explorations.
Des pluies d'automne aux etes indiens
I experience autumn rains and Indian summers.
Terres gelees aux plus arides deserts
I see frozen lands and the most barren deserts.
Je vais je viens, ce monde est le mien
I come and go, taking ownership of the world.
Je prends le blues aux signaux des repondeurs
I feel the blues when I get messages on my answering machine.
Je prends la peine aux aeroports
I take on the pain of saying goodbye at airports.
Je vis l'amour a des kilometres ailleurs
I live love from afar.
Et le bonheur a mon telephone
And happiness is just a phone call away.
Writer(s): Ian Geoffrey Levine Copyright: Peermusic (Uk) Ltd.
Contributed by Jasmine M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
robert Waddicar
I absolutely love this record. I got the album, but this is my favourite, thanks Ian for the great tunes you have introduced me too over the years. Including the Mecca stuff.
David Taylor
robert Waddicar for me levine is a another name for soul music
john thompson
this lady has a great voice and released a great modern soul album with touches of Bev Knight and Mica Paris. UK still has some talent <3
Carlos de Souza Teixeira
This video shows high quality and a kind of sound that move people to their own soul. It is very good composition and work!
BarbraAlejandro
The Album Is SOOOO Fabulous And Ebony Is One Of The Best Singers I've Heard In Years!!! I Can Never Thank You Enough Ian, You Are The BEST!!! Love To You & Ebony-David
angst
Those eyes ... you could lose yourself in them forever. She has a great voice.
IanLevine
If nearly ten thousand people have watched and enjoyed this, why have only two thousand people bought her album so far ???? If you love her stuff, PLEASE GO OUT RIGHT NOW AND BUY THE ALBUM, or at least order it from Amazon or Play
Billy Lake
This chic has a strong presence.splendid song for her.
BarbraAlejandro
Fabulous Singer!!!! Great Voice And A Great Groove!!!!!
BarbraAlejandro
I Am Still LOVING Her!!!!!!!!!!! I Simply Can't Wait To Hear What The Future Brings!! Much Thanks & Love To Ebony, Ian & Co.