Last learned how to play piano as child, switching to bass as a teenager. He joined Hans-Gunther Oesterreich's Radio Bremen Dance Orchestra in 1946, when he was 17 years old. In 1948, he became the leader of the Becker-Last Ensemble, which performed for seven years. During that time, he was voted as the best bassist in the country by a German jazz poll for three consecutive years, from 1950-1952. After the disbandment of the Becker-Last Ensemble, he became the in-house arranger for Polydor Records, as well as for a number of European radio stations. For the next decade, he helped arrange hits for artists like Helmut Zacharias and Caterina Valente.
Last released his first album "Non-Stop Dancing" in 1965. The record of brief renditions of popular songs, all tied together by an insistent dance beat and joyous crowd noises. It was a hit and helped make him a major European star. Over the next four decades, Last has released over 190 records, including several more volumes of Non-Stop Dancing. On these records, he varies his formula by adding different songs from different countries and genres, as well as guest performers like Richard Clayderman and Astrud Gilberto.
Though his concerts and albums are consistently successful — especially in England, where he had 52 hit albums between 1967-1986, which made him second to Elvis Presley in terms of number of charting records — he has only had two hit singles with "The Seduction," the theme from American Gigolo (1980) and Biscaya from the album "Biscaya".
He has won numerous polls and prizes, for example Billboard magazine's "Star of the year" trophy in 1976, and has been honored for his lifework with the German ECHO prize in 1994.
The song "The Lonely Shepherd", written by Last and performed by Gheorghe Zamfir and the James Last Orchestra, was featured in the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's film "Kill Bill Vol. 1" (2003).
Personally, he divides his time between Florida and Germany. He gives much credit to his wife and son, who helps with the music.
Across the Universe of Time
James Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As the light sinks low, will I see you any more?
As the rain falls from the sky
Can I bring you back, from a distant lullaby?
Show me your vision, the story begun
Two lights are rising and burning as one
Shine the millions of stars and my spirit burning bright,
Spinning on, into the sun, flying higher
Now my journey's begun
And the
Cold, cold wind, it blows me away
The feeling all over is a black black day
But I know that I'll see you again
And I know that you're near me
There's a star, calling my name
Its echo is true and the song is not the same
Take my hand and lead me away
Bring me back to you in your arms I'm going to stay
Show me your vision, the story begun
Two lights are rising and burning as one
All those years drifting in space
I have known you well, yet I've never seen your face
You turn around, looking at me, laughter in your eyes
And now I can see
And the cold, cold wind, it blows me away
The feeling all over is a black black day
But I know that I'll see you again
And I know that you're near me
And the cold, cold wind, it blows me away
The feeling all over is a black black day
Now I know that I'll see you again
Now I know that you're near me
The song "Across the Universe of Time" by James Last is a beautiful and poetic exploration of love and the journey of the soul. The opening verse sets the tone for the song, as we hear of a potentially tragic scenario – the sea falling from the shore, and the light sinking low, leaving the songwriter questioning if they will see their loved one again. The chorus serves as a plea to the beloved to reveal their vision and to show the songwriter the story they have begun together, with two lights rising and burning as one.
Moving forward, the lyrics speak of celestial beauty, with millions of stars shining in the deep blue of the night, and the songwriter's spirit burning bright. The idea of a journey is also explored, with the songwriter flying higher, into the sun, as their journey begins. Despite this soaring journey, however, the songwriter is also aware of the challenges they face, with a cold wind blowing them away and a feeling of darkness looming over them.
The song's emotional climax comes in the final verse, as the songwriter speaks of knowing their beloved for years, despite never having seen their face. This is followed by the revelation that the beloved was there all along, with laughter in their eyes. The final chorus repeats the earlier lines, with the songwriter now confident that they will indeed see their beloved again, and that they are near. It is a beautiful and powerful ending to a deeply emotive song.
Line by Line Meaning
When the sea falls from the shore
As the tide retreats from the beach, leaving behind the sand, I wonder if I will ever see you again.
As the light sinks low, will I see you any more?
As the sun sets, leaving behind the darkness, I worry if I will ever see you again.
As the rain falls from the sky
As tears fall from my eyes,
Can I bring you back, from a distant lullaby?
Can I bring you back to the present, from our distant memories.
Show me your vision, the story begun
Tell me your dreams and hopes, and let's create our story together.
Two lights are rising and burning as one
Our love is growing stronger and stronger every day.
In the deep blue of the night
In the darkness of the night sky,
Shine the millions of stars and my spirit burning bright,
I am full of hope and love, gazing up at the sparkling stars.
Spinning on, into the sun, flying higher
I am heading towards a bright future, filled with hope and positivity.
Now my journey's begun
I am starting a new chapter in my life, with endless possibilities.
And the cold, cold wind, it blows me away
I feel alone and isolated, as if the wind is pushing me away.
The feeling all over is a black black day
I feel sadness and despair, as if everything around me is dark and gloomy.
But I know that I'll see you again
I have faith that we will be reunited once again, no matter how far apart we are.
And I know that you're near me
I feel your presence beside me, even when we are physically apart.
There's a star, calling my name
I feel a sense of destiny, as if a star in the sky is leading me towards my true path.
Its echo is true and the song is not the same
I feel a connection with this star, as if it is singing a unique melody just for me.
Take my hand and lead me away
Guide me towards the path that we are meant to follow together.
Bring me back to you in your arms I'm going to stay
Reunite me with my love, and never let me go.
All those years drifting in space
I have spent so much time alone, searching for my place in the universe.
I have known you well, yet I've never seen your face
I have a deep connection with you, even though we have never met in person.
You turn around, looking at me, laughter in your eyes
Finally, we have been reunited, and we share a moment of joy and happiness together.
And now I can see
I can finally see the face of the one I love, and it is worth all of the time and effort.
Now I know that I'll see you again
I have faith that we will be together again, no matter what obstacles come our way.
Now I know that you're near me
I feel your presence beside me, and I am at peace knowing that we are never truly apart.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: SARAH CLASS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David S
@rur0un1x(in case you're still wondering after these years :-)):
Host: have you heard of Hansi (etc...) your grandparents in New Zealand?
Hayley: yes my grandmother
host: you speak a little bit of German?
Hayley: yes a little bit
Host: do you learn it at school?
Hayley: yes I learn German at school for 2 years but I've forgotten everything
host: but it's going well!
hayley: thank you
host: you understand me, right?
hayley: yes yes yes
host: where do you come from in New Zealand?
host: what is the name of the place where you come from?
host: the city...........
Nini Kusumo
Hayley's voice is angelically soprano 👆👏🎼🎤
actioncomet
This is a fun version of this song. Love it. Music must grow and develop and change to stay alive.. It is on the album THEY CALL ME HANSI by JAMES LAST where James collaborates with with many younger singers. What a beautiful voice Hayley has , even when she is just messing around.. wonderful
songbirdvideos
Do you think Hayley should do more stuff like this? She was a lot poppier during her 'Pure' era.
jin37uk
i wasn't sure what to make of this at first but i REALLY like the rock remix, she should do more songs like this!
lovelycelticopera
great performance. very interesting version of one of my favorite Hayley songs. I really like it! I'd like to get a copy of the recording if I can find it. very fun- yet short- interview as well.
songbirdvideos
I suppose, but if you look at her recent Japanese albums, they're all completely pop -- it wouldn't be too far of a stretch. I've got a feeling that Hayley's next album will have a lot more original material than her previous ones and could even be pop or folk.
writer1986
I think she purposefully repeated the first piece of the first verse. You know how she is, mixing up her performances compared to what's on her CDs. I'm sure this is her way of keeping the same song from being to same-old, same-old. It's a great yet old performance, by the way. Love this song.
popinfresh
Great video, thanks for posting.
Mandipolo
Here because of BookBird1497. Amazing song. (And any Hetalia fans out there look her up. Her fanfics are amazing.)
elizabeth de vera
Singer Angelwoman Voice Soprano Hayley Westenra !!! Universe.