After Dire Straits disbanded, John had retired from music and moved to rural Hampshire with his family to focus on his other passion, painting. He bought a local pub, the East End Arms, and The George Hotel on the Isle of Wight, and began exhibiting his art around the world.
Everything changed when he met the Irish rock group Cunla in a pub in Leicestershire. This was in March 2005, when Greg Pearle was their singer, and the vibe was so intense that John took to the stage for the first time since 1993, joining the band to play a couple of Dire Straits' numbers. John recalls: "I was asked to play a few tunes with them. I liked their attitude and the fact that despite the large quantities of Guinness that had been consumed they could all play very well."
To coincide with an exhibition of his art in Les Baux de Provence, John was asked to perform some Dire Straits songs.
"The Mayor of the town asked me and it's not done in France to refuse the Mayor. I asked Cunla if they could learn some Dire Straits songs and it turned out that Greg was a big fan and knew a lot of the songs already".
John and Cunla played at the Festival des Alpilles, performing to 1300 people in the Cathedral D'Image in Les Baux de Provence. The show was recorded and John was "pleasantly surprised" by the results. "I initially wanted the band to have a record of their French experience but several people heard it and encouraged us to release it," wrote John. The album Live In Les Baux de Provence was released in 2007.
John and Greg became friends and John discovered that Greg was a songwriter. John wrote "We spent some time knocking his songs into shape then began recording them in Mark Knopfler's fabulous studio in Hammersmith. Wait 'til you hear them. Greg writes brilliant songs and has an amazing voice." This collaboration resulted in the 2008 album Beautiful You.
May 17th 2010 saw the release of Streets Of Heaven, John’s first solo studio album since leaving Dire Straits. With 11 tracks in total and recorded at British Grove studios, it sees old friends including Mark Knopfler contributing to some of the tracks along with John on guitar and lead vocals.
John's website www.johnillsley.com has all his latest news.
I Love You Still
John Illsley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Next to me you began to glow
The rain was hard didn't bother me
It was getting late way past 3
The music stopped and I could see
My future in front of me
Chorus
I was ready for this moment that much is true Crept up from behind with a how do you do
You knew my house the house of blue Every morning you were passing through Then one day you knocked on my door My head was sweet with your memory You looked so fine and I could see My future in front of me
Chorus
I love you still - Guess I always will
I love you still
Try as we might nothing stays the same The plans we made still they remain
I don't need to climb that hill
It's a strange thing the passage of time Some of its yours and some of its mine I loved you then I love you still Chorus
I love you still - Guess I always will
I love you still - Guess I always will
In John Illsey's song "I Love You Still," the lyrics portray a story of two people falling in love over time. The first verse describes a moment in time where the singer was in a difficult situation ("out on a limb") and the person beside him or her began to stand out ("began to glow"). Despite the difficult circumstances ("the rain was hard"), it didn't seem to affect the singer's mood ("didn't bother me"). The music stopped, and in that moment, they could see their future together.
The second verse indicates that the two people had been acquaintances for some time ("you knew my house"), but one day they took the step to become more than just friends ("then one day you knocked on my door"). The singer seems to have been thinking about this person often and fondly ("my head was sweet with your memory"). Once again, the singer could see their future with this person.
The chorus reinforces the idea that the singer's love for this person will never fade ("I love you still - guess I always will"). Finally, the bridge discusses the fleeting nature of time and how things change, but the love they share remains constant ("some of its yours and some of its mine/I loved you then, I love you still"). Overall, the lyrics can be interpreted as a tribute to enduring, unconditional love.
Line by Line Meaning
I was out on a limb I did not know
I was in a difficult, uncertain situation that I was not familiar with
Next to me you began to glow
You brought light and positivity to my life and situation
The rain was hard didn't bother me
Despite the difficulties I was facing, I remained strong and resilient
It was getting late way past 3
Time was passing by and the situation was becoming more urgent
The music stopped and I could see
Once the distraction and background noise had ceased, I was able to really see and focus on what was important
My future in front of me
I was finally able to clearly see and envision a positive future for myself
I was ready for this moment that much is true
I had prepared myself both mentally and physically for the opportunity and moment that presented itself
Crept up from behind with a how do you do
You appeared unexpectedly but with a friendly greeting
You knew my house the house of blue
You were familiar with my home, which was a symbol of my life and my identity
Every morning you were passing through
You were a consistent and frequent presence in my life
Then one day you knocked on my door
You made a deliberate and purposeful effort to enter into my life more deeply
My head was sweet with your memory
I was filled with happy memories and thoughts of you
You looked so fine and I could see
You were physically attractive and also had qualities that I admired and valued
I don't need to climb that hill
I no longer need to struggle or work hard to achieve what I already have with you
It's a strange thing the passage of time
The way time moves and changes is complex and often surprising
Some of its yours and some of its mine
Both of us have been a part of each other's lives for a shared amount of time
I loved you then I love you still
My love for you has remained constant and unwavering over time
I love you still - Guess I always will
My love for you is a deep, enduring emotion that will never fade away
I love you still
I continue to love you with all my heart
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: John Illsley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheRollingStoness
Very good one Mr. Illsley....please get with Mark , David and Pick , just for one evening..thanks
@anacristinabraga3451
Também gostaria muito! ❤️🎸🇧🇷🇬🇧
@jorgeramirezcamarena4904
Hopefully. Greetings Rolling. ✌️
@ejc8017
That would be great, to see the original dire straits
@elietepascoaldeoliveira3744
Quem tá ouvindo John Illsley agora. Meu horário ptedileto. Te amo .
@teresakopka4535
Zauroczyłam się Johnem słuchając tego utworu .Pozdrowienia z Polski !!
@effiebalass9469
Beautifully sang by John, what a voice, one can listen to him all day and never get bored with such great artist!!
@waldemarrothkegel4373
Super wykonanie.
Pozdrawiam serdecznie z Polski 🇵🇱.
@julieswiss1
💜
The old days of all passions.
@susanroycroft89
Just ole Don here from Hamilton NZ, that was simply quite beautiful, Very Good backing, AND the vocal harmonies Magical, great performance, Ya'all take care 😮😊😊