Actively involved in the Liverpool punk rock/new wave scene, Johnson played bass with Big in Japan and released several solo singles on the Eric's label, before finding fame as the lead singer and lyricist of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who enjoyed considerable controversy and commercial success during their heyday in the early 1980s.
Holly left the group in 1987 after growing increasingly unhappy with their musical direction, but was immediately the subject of an injunction from the group's record company, ZTT Records, which cited his prior recording agreement and effectively barred him from releasing solo material with new label MCA Records.
Johnson famously embarked on a protracted legal battle with ZTT, the case finally being settled in Johnson's favour in 1989, the judge ruling that ZTT's original contract had constituted an unreasonable restraint of trade. The result represented a landmark legal outcome within the music business. Johnson's relationship with ZTT owners Trevor Horn and Jill Sinclair apparently broke down irretrievably due to the court case.
Johnson finally released his first solo album, Blast, which reached number one in the UK and spawned three hit singles. However, relations with MCA cooled over dissatisfaction with promotional budgets for his second solo album, Dreams That Money Can't Buy, released in 1991 after Johnson had left the label.
In November of that year, Johnson discovered he was HIV positive. This triggered a temporary withdrawal from the music business and public life in general. His condition was made public in April 1993. In 1994 his critically acclaimed autobiography, A Bone In My Flute, was published.
Since the mid 1990s, Johnson has worked primarily as a successful painter. His works have been exhibited at the Tate Liverpool, and The Royal Academy. He has contributed to Modern Painters magazine and the Paul Smith sponsored CARLOS magazine. He has continued to make music via his own Pleasuredome label, such as 1999's Soulstream, an album that includes a re-recording of "The Power Of Love", Johnson's de facto signature song.
Holly's 3 MCA albums have now been released on itunes via Universal.
Heaven's Here
Holly Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No matter what time of life
There's wonder in the air if you stop to care.
Look at heaven
It's kissing clouds
Everybody's living
Everybody's proud.
Sweet dreams tonight and forever
Feel warm inside
This is your time
Peace
Harmony and love divine.
Heaven's here
Heaven's here
We're playing gods and angels
Heaven's here
Heaven's here.
Summer rain on your face
You're touched by grace
Blue skies
White lies and cherry pies.
Lay me down and love me
Leave the light so I can see.
Angel mine
Let's dream together
Sacred hearts that love forever
Feel warm inside
This is your time
Peace
Harmony and love divine.
Heaven's here
Heaven's here
Why waste your time in a living hell ?
You can live in cloudland just as well !
Sweet dreams tonight and forever
Heaven's here
Heaven's here
In the song "Heaven's Here" by Holly Johnson, the lyrics highlight the idea that every individual has an opportunity in their lifetime to experience wonder and joy, and that heaven is present all around us. The first stanza makes a case for wonder being found in the air, if we are willing to stop and take a moment to appreciate it. The second stanza refers to a sense of pride and belonging that comes from the idea of living in heaven. The chorus repeats "Heaven's here" numerous times, reinforcing the idea that this sense of peace, harmony, and love divine is present in this world, and not limited to an afterlife.
The third stanza describes a moment of peace during a summer rain, with the singer feeling touched by grace. The following lines describe an intimate moment of "lay me down and love me," which is balanced by the need for light to see. The fourth and final stanza emphasizes the ideas of dreaming together and of love lasting forever. The song's ultimately uplifting message is that we have the opportunity to live in a heavenly state in our lifetime, and that it is up to us to recognize and appreciate it.
Line by Line Meaning
This is your lifetime
You only have one shot at life and it's important to make the best of it.
No matter what time of life
It doesn't matter at what stage of life you are, there is always beauty and awe to be experienced.
There's wonder in the air if you stop to care.
If you take the time to pay attention to the world around you, you will find beauty in the small things.
Look at heaven
Just take a moment to look up at the world and everything in it.
It's kissing clouds
The sky is full of wonder and can be seen as an ethereal entity.
Everybody's living
Everyone has their own unique experiences in life, and no two are the same.
Everybody's proud.
We should all take pride in who we are and the life we've lived.
Sweet dreams tonight and forever
May you always have beautiful dreams, both in the short and long term.
Secret lives we live together
Everyone has their own inner life, and we should respect and embrace the differences between us.
Feel warm inside
You should feel happiness and positivity within yourself.
This is your time
Take advantage of the life you've been given and make the most of every chance.
Peace
Find inner peace within yourself and let that light radiate throughout the world.
Harmony and love divine.
Strive for a life filled with harmony and love, and you will find true happiness.
Heaven's here
Heaven can be found in the world around us, if only we open our hearts and minds to it.
We're playing gods and angels
Through our actions and deeds, we have the power to create or destroy, much like gods and angels.
Summer rain on your face
Even in something as mundane as rain, there is beauty to be found in the world.
You're touched by grace
You are blessed with grace and positivity in your life, never take it for granted.
Blue skies
The sky can represent hope and positivity, and it's always there for us to enjoy.
White lies and cherry pies.
Not everything in life is as amazing as it appears to be, sometimes it takes effort to find the true beauty.
Lay me down and love me
We should all strive to live a life that is filled with love and positivity, both for ourselves and others.
Leave the light so I can see.
Even in dark times, if we leave a light on, there is always the chance for hope and positivity to shine through.
Angel mine
We are all blessed in life in our own way, and we are all a blessing to others as well.
Let's dream together
We should embrace the differences between us and work together to make the world a better place.
Sacred hearts that love forever
Love is a powerful force that can be felt throughout the ages, and it's something we should all strive to have in our lives.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOLLY JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@em6577
Loved this album soooo much. Bringing back some lovely memories❤
@FulhamsEvo10
A classic NEVER EVER gets old
Tour again soon, Holly 🙏
@Willow-xp9le
All the songs on Blast I loved The 80s were the best 🎵❤
@darren5942
Spooky I was playing this last night, great song, great vocal. Great video, love this HD remastered video. Cheers.🎵🙏🏼🕊🎸
@iscariot666
Bought this album first day!
@delboy5561
Should have been the fourth Top 20 hit off the brilliant 'Blast' album. Sadly, didn't make the Top 40! That album was packed with brilliant songs, this being one of the best
@djmylesmatisse
GORGEOUS!!!
@keithismymate
Brilliant
@robertonunesoliveira
❤❤❤❤
@RETROJAM500X123
I hope that they will upload Love Train in HD.