His family was in the cinema business, but it was during his National Service that he began performing as a musician. After taking a correspondence course and arranging for some of the bands of the day, he formed The John Barry Seven. Barry then met Adam Faith, and composed songs and film scores on the singer's behalf.
It was this notoriety that caught the attention of the producers of Dr. No, who were dissatisfied with the score given to them by Monty Norman. Barry and the JB7 were hired and their recording of Norman's "James Bond Theme" would go on to be one of the most famous signature tunes in film history.
This would be the turning point for Barry, as he would go on to become one of the most celebrated film composers of modern times, winning five Academy Awards and four Grammys, with such memorable scores as The Lion in Winter, Midnight Cowboy, Out of Africa, and Dances with Wolves.
Barry is often cited as having had a distinct style which concentrated on lush strings and extensive use of brass. However, he was also an innovator, being one of the first to employ synthesizers in a film score (On Her Majesty's Secret Service), and to make wide use of pop artists and original songs in Midnight Cowboy.
Living in his native England until the mid 1970s, Barry spent some time in Spain (for tax purposes) before spending much of his life in the United States, mainly in Oyster Bay, outside of New York.
Barry died of a heart attack on 30 January 2011, at his Oyster Bay home, aged 77 years.
That Fatal Kiss
John Barry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Face to face in secret places, feel the chill
Nightfall covers me, but you know the plans I'm making
Still overseas, could it be the whole Earth opening wide
A sacred why, a mystery gaping inside
A week is why, until we
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
The choice for you is the view to a kill
Between the shades assassination standing still
Earth's crystal tears, the fall of snowflakes on your body
First time in years to drench your skin in lover's rosy stain
A chance to find the phoenix for the flame
A chance to die, but can we
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
When all we see is the view to a kill
"That Fatal Kiss" is a song by John Barry that was featured as the theme song for the 1985 James Bond film, "A View to a Kill." The lyrics of the song speak of two individuals meeting in secret places with the intention of carrying out an assassination plan. Even as nightfall covers the activities of the individuals, they proceed with their scheme, with the knowledge that it might lead to their ultimate downfall. The song is essentially a love song and suggests that the two individuals recognize that they might meet their end but are prepared to do so, entwined in each other's embrace.
The lyrics suggest that the two individuals have a deep understanding of their predicament as well as a sense of acceptance of their fate. The reference to the sacred why and mystery gaping inside indicates that they are aware of the deeper significance of their actions. The lines "The choice for you is the view to a kill/Between the shades assassination standing still" suggest that they view this situation as a necessary sacrifice in the larger scheme of things.
Overall, "That Fatal Kiss" is a powerful song whose lyrics and dramatic orchestration are perfectly suited for a James Bond movie. The song is memorable not only for its haunting melody but for the emotions that the lyrics evoke.
Line by Line Meaning
Meeting you with a view to a kill
I'm meeting you, but this meeting may lead to your death
Face to face in secret places, feel the chill
We're meeting in secret and it's giving me chills
Nightfall covers me, but you know the plans I'm making
It's nighttime, but I'm still making plans to kill you
Still overseas, could it be the whole Earth opening wide
I'm still overseas, wondering if my plan to kill you will cause chaos
A sacred why, a mystery gaping inside
I have a sacred reason for wanting you dead, but it's a mystery
A week is why, until we
I have to wait a week until we meet again
Dance into the fire
Let's dance together, even though your death is imminent
That fatal kiss is all we need
Our kiss will be the last thing you feel before you die
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
The music we're dancing to represents shattered hopes and futures
The choice for you is the view to a kill
You have a choice between facing certain death or cooperating with me
Between the shades assassination standing still
No one will see us commit the assassination in the shadows
Earth's crystal tears, the fall of snowflakes on your body
Snowflakes falling on your dead body will look like Earth's tears
First time in years to drench your skin in lover's rosy stain
This is the first time you've been kissed passionately in years
A chance to find the phoenix for the flame
This is a chance for me to rise from the ashes and start a new life
A chance to die, but can we
There's a chance that one or both of us will die, but can we take that risk?
Lyrics © EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING LTD
Written by: ANDREW TAYLOR, JOHN NIGEL TAYLOR, NICHOLAS JAMES BATES, ROGER ANDREW TAYLOR, SIMON JOHN LEBON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind