Miles was a member of groups "The Influence", which also included Paul Thompson, later drummer with Roxy Music and Vic Malcolm, later vocalist with Geordie and "The John Miles Set," before starting his solo career in 1971. During the 1970s he issued 18 singles and four albums, including "Rebel" (1976), "Stranger In The City" (1977), and "Zaragon" (1978). He had most success with singles; in addition to Music, he also charted with "Highfly" (1975), "Remember Yesterday" (1976), and "Slow Down" (1977). Most of his songs were co-written with his bassist Bob Marshall.
Miles has toured with Tina Turner, often filling in for Bryan Adams when the latter was unavailable to join her on tour for their duet. Miles is also a frequent guest vocalist on albums by The Alan Parsons Project.
In the 1980s he continued to record and tour. In 1983 a new radio station in the south of England, Radio Mercury, used parts from the song "Music" for their link jingles. The actual song itself also received extensive airplay on the station, leading one to speculate this was perhaps part of a deal for the usage in their jingles.
A list of Miles album releases from the 1980s and 1990s is as follows:
Sympathy (1980)
Miles High (1981)
John Miles' Music (1982)
Play On (1983)
Transition (1985)
John Miles Live In Concert (1992)
Anthology (1993)
Upfront (1993)
Master Series (1998)
Tom and Catherine (1999)
Millennium Edition (1999)
Throughout the late 80s and into the 90s John Miles was musical director to Tina Turner on her various tours, and played on several of her albums. He also played Hammond organ on Joe Cocker's album "Night Calls"(1992).
In 2002 he issued the DVD "John Miles - Live In Concert." In 2007, Miles performed in Gelsenkirchen, Germany with German band Pur and sang two songs. One of those songs, "Abenteuerland", Miles sang with Pur in German. The concert is available on the DVD, Pur-Friends-Live-Schalke-2007. In October 2008, Miles began touring once again with Tina Turner until May 2009.
In 2017, Miles was awarded an outstanding contribution to music award at the Progressive Rock awards.
Stand Up
John Miles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If the world is what you need.
Take me round in circles.
I'll follow where you lead.
Go anywhere
If it's where you want to go.
It used to be for something
But lately I don't know.
All the people say.
You're the price I pay,
Blame me.
Leave you far behind,
Search until I find.
I could lose my mind,
Shame me,
Tame me.
I'll play the game,
No matter what they say.
Holding on to pieces,
I'll follow anyway
Be anyone.
If it's who you want to be
Someday soon my day will come
And you can set me free.
Stand up and give me a reason,
I can't go on livin' a lie.
You're hiding behind so many faces.
It's more than I need to get by.
Stand up and give me a reason.
You don't even ask me to stay.
You think I'll be back here tomorrow,
But you've seen me for the last time today.
The lyrics of John Miles's song "Stand Up" are about the singer's willingness to follow the person they love anywhere and be anyone, even if it means losing themselves or playing a game. The singer is willing to give everything they have to this person because they are the price they pay. However, the singer starts to doubt the genuineness of their love, and they feel like they're living a lie because the other person is hiding behind so many faces. The singer begs the other person to give them a reason to stay because they can't go on like this. The song is a plea to be loved genuinely and not as a game or a prize to be won.
The song reflects the uncertainty and confusion of a person who is in a one-sided relationship. The singer wants to be loved and valued by the other person, but they feel like they're not getting what they deserve. The lyrics are full of emotion and express the pain caused by the other person's indifference. The song's message is that love cannot be a game, and genuine feelings cannot be faked. The singer is ready to let go of the toxic relationship and move on to find real love, even though it's scary.
Line by Line Meaning
You can have the world
You can have all the material possessions and wealth that the world has to offer
If the world is what you need.
If acquiring the material possessions and wealth of the world is what you truly desire
Take me round in circles.
Lead me on a circuitous path, I will follow without question
I'll follow where you lead.
I will go wherever you go and do whatever you want me to do
Go anywhere
Travel to any location
If it's where you want to go.
As long as it's the destination that you desire to travel to
It used to be for something
There was a time when all of this had some purpose or meaning
But lately I don't know.
But recently that is no longer clear to me
"Take me far away",
"Take me to a distant place"
All the people say.
This is what all people seem to desire, to escape the everyday life
You're the price I pay,
You are the person I am sacrificing and paying for this so-called escape
Blame me.
If things go wrong, blame it all on me
Leave you far behind,
I will distance myself from you
Search until I find.
I will continue to search for something until I discover it
I could lose my mind,
The frustration of not being able to find what I am looking for could drive me insane
Shame me,
Feel free to criticize and shame me
Tame me.
Please control me, dominate me, or make me more manageable
I'll play the game,
I will participate in the game or follow the rules that you set
No matter what they say.
I will do this even if others disapprove or criticize me for it
Holding on to pieces,
I am barely hanging on to the fragments of my life
I'll follow anyway
Nevertheless, I will still follow you
Be anyone.
I will try to transform myself into any kind of person
If it's who you want to be
As long as it is the person that you prefer me to be
Someday soon my day will come
One of these days I will have my time to shine and succeed
And you can set me free.
And it will be you who will give me the freedom I need to be my true self
Stand up and give me a reason,
Please rise and offer an explanation for your actions
I can't go on livin' a lie.
I cannot continue living in a state of deception or falsehood
You're hiding behind so many faces.
You are concealing your true identity behind so many different masks
It's more than I need to get by.
It is something I cannot tolerate and is beyond what I require to survive
You don't even ask me to stay.
You do not even bother to request that I remain with you
You think I'll be back here tomorrow,
You believe that I will still return to you, but
But you've seen me for the last time today.
You have seen the last of me today and I am not coming back
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROBERT MARSHALL, JOHN (GB 1) MILES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@allenpitchamazingentertainment
Just love John and his music. Saw him on tour this year when living in Los Angeles at both the LA Forum as opening act for Supertramp and he headlinted the Whiskey A Go Go on Sunset strip and he and his band were sensational on both nights!