As a part of the Spice Girls, Geri released two studio albums, Spice (1996) and Spiceworld (1997) (sales combined are around thirty-five million), a box-office hit film, Spiceworld:The Movie (1997), and performed with the group on the early leg of The Spiceworld Tour (1998).
On May 30, 1998, just before the end of the European tour, Halliwell left the Spice Girls to pursue a solo career. The first official confirmation was an announcement to the media by her solicitor on 31st May.
In 1999, Halliwell released her debut solo album Schizophonic, with lead single "Look at Me". The single reached number two in the UK, going on to sell over 1 million copies worldwide. Further singles from the album, "Mi Chico Latino" and "Lift Me Up", became UK number ones with the latter outselling Halliwell's former bandmate Emma Bunton. The fourth single, "Bag It Up", also reached number one.
In 2001 Halliwell followed up with her second album, Scream If You Wanna Go Faster. It also included her cover version of the Weather Girls' 1983 hit, "It's Raining Men", used on the Bridget Jones's Diary film soundtrack. The song became a huge hit, selling over 4 million copies worldwide, in the United World Chart it hit number two (behind "Lady Marmalade" by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink) based on Sales, Airplay and Votes, it became the second best selling single of 2001. The follow-up singles were "Scream If You Wanna Go Faster" (number eight) and "Calling" (number seven).
In late 2004, Halliwell made a return to music with the single "Ride It", which reached no. 4 on the UK charts and no. 1 on the dance charts. This was the first single from her third album, Passion, which was at that stage slated for a spring release after a second single. Eventually a new single, "Desire", was released on May 30, 2005. After the release of Passion she stated that she had no plans to continue with her solo singing career.
On April 12, 2007, it was announced that Halliwell had signed a six book deal with Macmillan Children's Books. The books are set to feature nine year old Ugenia Lavender, Halliwell's own creation. In the stories, Ugenia will be accompanied by characters loosely based on Halliwell's celebrity friends, including Victoria Beckham and Gordon Ramsey. The books are scheduled to be released in May, 2008.
On June 28, 2007, Halliwell announced she was joining her former colleagues for "The Return of the Spice Girls", a global tour that would see all five original members of the Spice Girls together on stage for the first time since Halliwell walked out mid-tour in 1998. Part of the setlist of the reunion tour features Halliwell performing solo, singing her hit single 'It's Raining Men'. On 1 February 2008, it was announced that due to personal and family commitments their tour would come to an end in Toronto on 26 February 2008, meaning that tour dates in Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires were cancelled.
In 2010, Halliwell, announced through her official website she was back in the studio and recording.
In February 2012, Halliwell announced that the fourth album was being mastered. In August 2012, she reunited with the Spice Girls to perform at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in London. In 2010, Halliwell stood in for Dannii Minogue as a guest judge on The X Factor at the Glasgow auditions alongside Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Cheryl Cole, and she returned again in 2012 as a guest judge at the Liverpool auditions alongside Walsh, Gary Barlow and Tulisa Contostavlos. In October 2012, Halliwell made her first solo performance in seven years at the Breast Cancer Care, debutting a new track, called "Phenomenal Woman". In January 2013, Halliwell claimed that she had decided to shelve the album that was ready and continue writing and recording, moving in a different style direction. In March 2013, a demo version of a song titled "Putting On The Bling" from the old recording sessions was leaked. In April 2013, the Nine Network announced that she would become the fourth judge on Australia's Got Talent.
On 5 September 2013, it was confirmed by Channel 9's NRL Footy Show (one of the longest running shows in Australia) that Geri Halliwell would be performing a world exclusive of "Half of Me", her first solo single in nearly eight years, at its Grand Final Show. The performance took place on 3 October 2013, exactly one year after her last exhibition with new material at the Breast Cancer Care Show. On 12 September 2013, it was announced that the song "Half of Me" would be released exclusively in Australia, as part of a new deal with Sony Music Australia. The single was released on 25 October 2013 and reached a dismal number 281 in the Australian charts. Halliwell then took to her official blog to write about her upsetting experience back in the music business and hinted of possibly retiring for good. On the grand final of Australia's Got Talent, she performed an acoustic version of the Spice Girl's hit single Wannabe.
I Was Made That Way
Geri Halliwell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I learned to make you cry
I'm hanging my guilty conscience
Drying on the line
Love's hangover is drifting away
I'm good and ready for love
'Cause I know it's a Saturday
Heaven should help me
You are my weekend lover
Just my plaything
When it's raining
I'm just like the weather
Never the same
I can't help it
I was made that way
I guess you're a bad boy
Fooled around for years
I'm making my mind up, Baby
A change is good my dear
Love's hangover is drifting away
I'm good and ready for love
'Cause I know it's a Saturday
Heaven should help me
You are my weekend lover
Just my plaything
When it's raining
I'm just like the weather
Never the same
I can't help it
I was made that way
Heaven should help you
You better run for cover
I'm sunshine and thunder
It's a wonder
And when I say good bye
I want you to stay
I can't help it
I was made that way
Heaven should help me
You are my weekend lover
Just my plaything
When it's raining
I'm just like the weather
Never the same
I can't help it
I was made that way
Heaven should help you
You better run for cover
I'm sunshine and thunder
It's a wonder
And when I say goodbye
I want you to stay
I can't help it
I was made that way
I was made that way
And I'm here to stay, Baby
I was made that way
And I'm here to stay, Baby
The lyrics of Geri Halliwell's "I Was Made That Way" describe a woman who is proud of who she is, despite being labeled as a "bad girl". She accepts herself for her flaws and knows that she has the power to make people feel emotions, which she demonstrates through making her lover cry. However, she is also a victim of love and has experienced its hangover, which is drifting away. But now, she is ready for love because she knows it's a Saturday, a day of possibilities and freedom. She sees her lover as a weekend lover, just there for her amusement and pleasure, even when it's raining, she is just like the weather, never the same. She knows she can't help it, she was made that way.
The song's chorus consists of "Heaven should help me, You are my weekend lover, Just my plaything, When it's raining, I'm just like the weather, Never the same, I can't help it, I was made that way." She sees herself as a force of nature, just like the weather, uncontrollable and unpredictable. Her lover should run for cover when she is ready for a change, but at the same time, when she says goodbye, she wants him to stay.
Overall, "I Was Made That Way" is a song about acceptance, self-love, and empowerment. It is about owning one's flaws and uniqueness and embracing them fully because they are part of who we are. The song illustrates the idea that we cannot control the way we were made, but we can control how we feel about ourselves and how we choose to live our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I guess I'm a bad girl
I have a reputation as a mischievous woman
I learned to make you cry
I have caused emotional pain to my romantic interests in the past
I'm hanging my guilty conscience Drying on the line
I feel remorseful about my past actions and am trying to atone for them
Love's hangover is drifting away
The negative effects of my past relationships are fading
I'm good and ready for love
I am open to and seeking new love in my life
'Cause I know it's a Saturday
The weekend is a time for fun and romance
Heaven should help me
I need all the help I can get in matters of the heart
You are my weekend lover
Our relationship is only casual and confined to weekends
Just my plaything When it's raining
I only seek out this person for entertainment when I'm feeling down
I'm just like the weather Never the same
My moods and feelings are constantly changing
I can't help it I was made that way
My personality and behavior are ingrained in me and out of my control
I guess you're a bad boy
You have a reputation as a rebellious or troublesome man
Fooled around for years
You have engaged in noncommittal or promiscuous behavior for an extended period of time
I'm making my mind up, Baby A change is good my dear
I am trying to decide whether or not to pursue a serious relationship with you, and think a change in my own behavior would be beneficial
Heaven should help you You better run for cover
My behavior and unpredictability may be dangerous or harmful to you
I'm sunshine and thunder It's a wonder
My personality can be both bright and cheerful, as well as stormy and destructive
And when I say good bye I want you to stay I can't help it I was made that way
My mixed signals and confusing behavior are not intentional, but rather a result of my inherent personality
I was made that way And I'm here to stay, Baby
My personality and behavior are a part of me and will not change, but I am still seeking love and connection
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GERI HALLIWELL, PETER VETTESE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind