Jo Lawry was raised on an almond farm in South Australia. She studied jazz at Adelaide University and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. In 2004, she reached the semi-finals in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, and the following year got second in the National Jazz Awards of Australia. In New York City, she met jazz pianist Fred Hersch and became a member of his Pocket Orchestra. She was also a member of James Shipp's Nos Novo, a jazz quartet for which she sang and played fiddle, mandolin, and melodica.
In 2009, Lawry began working with Sting after winning an audition to tour with him. She appeared on his DVD A Winter's Night... Live from Durham Cathedral and toured with him through 2015. She sang on the Live in Berlin album and DVD and on The Last Ship album and DVD. On her first album, I Want to Be Happy (2008), she sang a cover version of his song "Until". They performed a duet on "Impossiblé" from her second album, Taking Pictures. Their collaboration on the song "Practical Arrangement" appeared on Sting's Duets album in 2021.
Lawry is featured in the documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom.
She is married to Will Vinson, a saxophonist from London.
Until
Jo Lawry Lyrics
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And everything was still beneath the moon
Without your love would it shine for me?
If I was smart as Aristotle
And understood the rings around the moon
What would it all matter if you love me?
Here in your arms where the world is impossibly still
With a million dreams to fulfill
Here in your arms when everything seems to be clear
Not a solitary thing would I fear
Except when this moment comes near the dancing's end.
If I caught the world in an hourglass
Saddled up the moon so we could ride
Until the stars grew dim
Until...
One day you'll meet a stranger
And all the noise is silenced in the room
You'll feel that you're close to some mystery.
In the moonlight when everything's shadows
You'll feel as if you've known her all your life
The world's oldest lesson in history.
Here in your arms where the world is impossibly still
With a million dreams to fulfill
And a matter of moments until the dancing ends.
Here in your arms when everything seems to be clear
Not a solitary thing do I fear
Except when this moment comes near the dancing's end
Oh if I caught the world in an hourglass
Saddled up the moon so we could ride
Until the stars grew dim
Until the time that time stands still
Until...
The song "Until" by Jo Lawry revolves around the theme of love and the importance of it in the world. The lyrics use imagery and metaphors like "caught the world in a bottle" and "hourglass" to convey the idea that even if someone has all the wonders and knowledge of the world, without love, it would all be meaningless. The song talks about how being in love makes everything feel still and clear, and how it can fulfill one's million dreams in a matter of moments.
The lyrics also talk about the fear of losing love, which is conveyed through phrases like "except when this moment comes near the dancing's end" and "until the stars grew dim." The fear of losing something so precious is evident, and the song ends on a hopeful note with the mention of time standing still until eternity.
Overall, the song's message is that love is the most significant thing in the world, and without it, everything else would be insignificant.
Line by Line Meaning
If I caught the world in a bottle
If I had complete control over the world
And everything was still beneath the moon
And everything was quiet under the moonlight
Without your love would it shine for me?
Would life hold meaning without your love?
If I was smart as Aristotle
If I were the most intelligent person ever
And understood the rings around the moon
And understood the mysteries of the cosmos
What would it all matter if you love me?
What would all accomplishments matter without your love?
Here in your arms where the world is impossibly still
With you, everything is peaceful and still
With a million dreams to fulfill
With endless possibilities and dreams to achieve
And a matter of moments until the dancing ends.
But those moments are fleeting, and the happiness might end soon.
Here in your arms when everything seems to be clear
With you, everything makes sense and is clear
Not a solitary thing would I fear
I would have no fears if I'm with you
Except when this moment comes near the dancing's end.
The only fear is when the happiness is about to end.
If I caught the world in an hourglass
If I had absolute power over time
Saddled up the moon so we could ride
And could use it to explore the unknown
Until the stars grew dim
Until the end of time itself
Until...
Until the final moment, whenever that may be
One day you'll meet a stranger
Someday, you'll have a chance encounter with someone new
And all the noise is silenced in the room
And all other sounds fade into the background
You'll feel that you're close to some mystery.
You will feel a deep connection with this person, and it will be both exciting and mysterious
In the moonlight when everything's shadows
Under the mystical light of the moon's shadows
You'll feel as if you've known her all your life
You will feel an immediate connection with this person, as if you've known them all your life.
The world's oldest lesson in history.
The oldest lesson in the world is the power of human connection.
Contributed by Isabelle H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lara
on I Said No (Amazing Sessions)
fridgid