Foster & Allen began back in the seventies when Mick and Tony were playing in Country Music bands around Ireland. In 1975 they formed a small group and went over to the UK to work the Irish music venues on a short tour.
Mick & Tony had at this stage the idea of working together as a duo, playing ‘easy listening’ music with a touch of traditional Irish instrumentals. When their UK tour finished they decided to let the band return to Ireland whilst they stayed behind to try and break into the public eye. They played several venues in the London area and the reaction was very favourable; so much so, they decided to remain as a duo and Foster and Allen was formed.
It was difficult at the beginning and after a time working around the circuit in the UK and Ireland, they released their first single record The Rambles of Spring. This made a good impact on the Irish market and Foster and Allen were soon in demand for cabaret venues all over Ireland and to a lesser extent the UK At the end of 1978 Foster and Allen released the single A Bunch Of Thyme in Ireland, which entered the Irish charts and became their first top-selling No. 1 single.
It was not until 1982 that this single was released in the UK. It was played by all the radio stations in Britain and was soon in the pop charts. It climbed rapidly to number 18 in the UK Singles Chart. At the time, Mick & Tony were in the U.S. on a tour. They were contacted and told to fly back to Britain immediately as they were required to appear on television’s Top of the Pops.
Demand for Foster and Allen's services at venues all over Ireland and the UK increased at this point. They released another single "Old Flames" which also made its way into the UK Charts. They did their first concert tour of the UK in 1983 and this tour was boosted even more by the release of another single Maggie. This reached number 27 in the UK singles chart and, along with A Bunch Of Thyme, these became the signature tunes for the duo. Since then they have toured the UK twice each year.
In addition to the UK tours, Foster and Allen have toured the U.S.A, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. They had five No. 1 Hits in Australia/New Zealand. They have also appeared on numerous TV shows in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales as well as Australia, USA and Canada, and they have had their own TV series on RTE Television in Ireland.
In the early days Mick & Tony performed on stage as a duo, but in 1982 (when the concert tours started) they added a band to their show thus giving a much fuller sound to their program. On the recording front, Foster and Allen have to date released a total of 27 albums, all of which have gone into the British charts. This is a great achievement for a middle-of-the-road ‘easy listening’ act.
As well as the albums, they have released thirteen videos, again all of which have entered the British charts. The video "Souvenirs and Memories" reached No. 3 in the British charts around Christmas 1991, the "By Request" video went straight into the No. 1 spot in 1993 and their latest DVD/Video release "After All These Years" was a Top 10 Chart Release in the UK. To date Foster and Allen have achieved album and video sales in excess of 19 million worldwide.
Foster and Allen celebrated their 30th Anniversary together in the music industry with the release of their new album "Foster & Allen Sing The No. 1’s" which was a Top 30 Chart hit in the UK during Christmas 2005 bringing the sales of their last three albums in the UK and Ireland to over 500,000 units.
The duo recently completed their “World Concert Tour – 2005/2006” which took them on tour to the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, U.S.A., Australia and Ireland.
Mona Lisa
Foster & Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sou jy verras wees wat ek werklik van jou dink
Want as my hart n kunsmuseum was
En jy geverf op doek
Sou jy die een wees Lisa
Wie ek oor en oor sal soek
Lisa jys die Mona-Lisa
Daars net een soos jy
Lisa
Jys die pot vol goud aan die einde van die reenboog
Jou waarde is prysloos
En my wins is hoog
As my hart n kunsmuseum was
En jy geverf op doek
Sou jy die een wees Lisa
Wie ek oor en oor sal soek
Lisa jys die Mona-Lisa
Teen die muur van my hart
Daars net een soos jy
Lisa jys die Mona-Lisa
In die gallery van my hart
Daars net een soos jy
Lisa
Daars net een soos jy vir my
Een soos jy vir my
Daars net een soos jy jys die skildery binne my
Jys die skildery binne my
Lisa jys die Mona-Lisa
Teen die muur van my hart
Daars net een soos jy
Daars net een soos jy
Lisa jys die Mona-lisa
Teen die muur van my hart
Daars net een soos jy
Lisa jys die Mona-Lisa
In die gallery van my hart
Daars net een soos jy
Lisa
Oh Lisa
The lyrics to Foster & Allen's song Mona Lisa express love and admiration for the subject of the song, referred to as Lisa, comparing her to the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. The singer imagines that if their heart were a museum, Lisa would be the painting that they would search for repeatedly. They describe Lisa as priceless and irreplaceable, referencing her as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The song emphasizes the uniqueness and value of the subject, reinforcing their importance in the singer's heart.
The reference to the Mona Lisa, a painting considered as a masterpiece of Western art, is interesting as it portrays the subject of the song in a similar light. The name Lisa itself has become synonymous with the painting; the subject is believed to be named Lisa del Giocondo, and the painting offers an intriguing and enigmatic image of her which has intrigued viewers for centuries. The lyrics evoke the power of art to inspire and capture the imagination.
Interestingly, the song was originally performed in Afrikaans by South African artist Bobby Angel, before being translated into English and recorded by Foster & Allen in 1983. The song was a big hit and reached the top of the Irish charts for four weeks. The song has gone on to be covered by several other artists in different languages, including Dutch, Danish, and German.
Line by Line Meaning
As jy my ooit sou vra hoekom ek by jou is
If you ever asked me why I am with you
Sou jy verras wees wat ek werklik van jou dink
You would be surprised to know what I truly think of you
Want as my hart n kunsmuseum was
Because if my heart was an art museum
En jy geverf op doek
And you were painted on a canvas
Sou jy die een wees Lisa
You would be the one, Lisa
Wie ek oor en oor sal soek
That I would search for over and over again
Lisa jys die Mona-Lisa
Lisa, you are the Mona Lisa
Teen die muur van my hart
Against the wall of my heart
Daars net een soos jy
There is only one like you
Jys die pot vol goud aan die einde van die reenboog
You are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow
Jou waarde is prysloos
Your value is priceless
En my wins is hoog
And my gain is great
In die gallery van my hart
In the gallery of my heart
Daars net een soos jy vir my
There is only one like you for me
Jys die skildery binne my
You are the painting within me
Contributed by Parker Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.