Armatrading has mixed eclectic musical styles over decades of recording and performing. She has had several British hit singles, the biggest of which were "Love & Affection", "Me Myself I", and "Drop the Pilot". Her music is generally pop, with forays into rock, folk, jazz, and even reggae. Her popularity is primarily as an album artist.
She gained a new audience following her writing and performing "The Flight of the Wild Geese", which was used during the opening and end titles for the 1978 film The Wild Geese.
Armatrading first performed in a concert at Birmingham University for her brother at the age of about 16 (circa 1966). She only knew her own songs, but her brother asked her to perform something that would be familiar to the audience; she chose "The Sound of Silence".[9] She then performed her own songs around the local area with a friend from school, and played bass and rhythm guitar at local clubs.
The Shouting Stage
Joan Armatrading Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But your mind's played
A trick on me
I thought that I'd be with you
All the time
And I'd be fine
Yeah I'd be fine
Under thought control
I know you've taken
Such a hold on me
I'm thinking more and more
Of what we had before
Before we lost it
At the shouting stage
Before the days we'd sit there
Side by side
Without a word
And how that hurt
How could eternal love
Made above
We were so in love
We were joined up at the sides
How could two people
Be as one
As one
Blind from the same light
Be out of love with love
In no time
I thought we had it made
But my mind's played
This trick on me
I thought that I would see you
All the time
And I'd be fine
Mmm I'd be fine
I swear you have no feelings
Or you'd call me home
I know there's no one else
There's no one else
Is there
I'm thinking more and more
Of what we had before
We lost it
At the shouting stage
Before we lost it
At the shouting stage
In the lyrics of "Living For You," Joan Armatrading explores the aftermath of a lost love that she thought was eternal. She believed that she and her partner had a perfect relationship, but now realizes that her mind played tricks on her. The song touches on themes of heartbreak, loneliness, and reflection. Armatrading's confusion and misery over the loss of love pours through her soulful vocals, as she reminisces about the happy times they had together while also expressing deep frustration and bitterness towards her former flame.
The first few stanzas suggest that there is a rift that separates the couple. Joan seems to be the one struggling to reconcile the past with the present, feeling that the memories of their love together were not enough to keep the relationship alive. She questions how two people who were united in love could suddenly be out of love with each other. Later, she posits that perhaps the reason that the relationship has fallen apart was because of the "shouting stage" - a distinct point in the relationship where the couple had stopped talking and had given up on trying to make things work between them. Overall, "Living For You" is a deeply emotive and introspective song that delves into the bittersweet nature of heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought we had it sweet
I believed we had a great relationship
But your mind's played
But you changed your mind about us
A trick on me
And it has affected me negatively
I thought that I'd be with you
I expected to always be with you
All the time
Every day, every moment
And I'd be fine
And I would be happy
Yeah I'd be fine
Yes, I would be satisfied
I'll swear you have my feelings
I am sure that you control my emotions
Under thought control
You manipulate my feelings with your thoughts
I know you've taken
I am aware that you have taken
Such a hold on me
You have a strong influence over me
I'm thinking more and more
I am increasingly contemplating
Of what we had before
About the good times we used to have
Before we lost it
Before our relationship went downhill
At the shouting stage
When we started arguing and fighting
Before the days we'd sit there
Before the times when we would be next to each other
Side by side
Next to each other
Without a word
Without talking or communicating
And how that hurt
And how painful that was
How could eternal love
How is it possible for undying love
Made above
Created by a higher power
We were so in love
We had a deep and strong love
We were joined up at the sides
We were very close and inseparable
How could two people
How is it possible for two individuals
Be as one
To be united as a single entity
As one
Together and inseparable
Blind from the same light
Sharing the same perspective or view
Be out of love with love
Falling out of love with each other
In no time
Very quickly
I'll swear you have no feelings
I am convinced that you don't have emotions
Or you'd call me home
Otherwise, you would contact me
There's no one else
I am certain that there is no one else
- Is there
Is that true?
We lost it
Our relationship deteriorated
At the shouting stage
When we started arguing and fighting
Before we lost it
Before our relationship went downhill
At the shouting stage
When we started arguing and fighting
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steve Chick
I thought we had it sweet
But your mind's played
A trick on me
I thought that I'd be with you
All the time
And I'd be fine
Yeah I'd be fine
I'll swear you have my feelings
Under thought control
I know you've taken
Such a hold on me
I'm thinking more and more
Of what we had before
Before we lost it
At the shouting stage
Before the days we'd sit there
Side by side
Without a word
And how that hurt
How could eternal love
Made above
We were so in love
We were joined up at the sides
How could two people
Be as one
As one
Blind from the same light
Be out of love with love
In no time
I thought we had it made
But my mind's played
This trick on me
I thought that I…
Chuck Gordon
An incredible moving song. The voice, the bass finished off by the guitar at the end - I just close my eyes and absorb it all. Thank you Ms. Armatrading for sharing this song.
196Stefan2
@Mac J Yes, Mark Knopfler on guitar & Pino Palladino on bass.
Mac J
And who's playing the guitar? Mark Knopfler!
Khumo April
Music like this does not fall on your lap. Its either, part of a legacy or an adventure or n enduring love story. Life gives you songs like these.
Steve Chick
I thought we had it sweet
But your mind's played
A trick on me
I thought that I'd be with you
All the time
And I'd be fine
Yeah I'd be fine
I'll swear you have my feelings
Under thought control
I know you've taken
Such a hold on me
I'm thinking more and more
Of what we had before
Before we lost it
At the shouting stage
Before the days we'd sit there
Side by side
Without a word
And how that hurt
How could eternal love
Made above
We were so in love
We were joined up at the sides
How could two people
Be as one
As one
Blind from the same light
Be out of love with love
In no time
I thought we had it made
But my mind's played
This trick on me
I thought that I…
Chronic Stitcher
An extremely under-rated musician. Discovered you in the 80's and been a fan ever since.
Tshepo Motlaesi
What a voice, a message....thank you Joan Amatrading for a nice song....
jack golden
Just going through my Joan craze only now. I am blown away I must say
Space Alchemy
Magnificent song.
Sheila Ferguson
Joan at her most moving, most emorional. Wonderful. Her very best.💕