Julian has made many outstanding recordings including his Brit-Award winning Elgar Concerto conducted by Yehudi Menuhin (chosen as the finest ever version by BBC Music Magazine) the Dvorak Concerto with Vaclav Neumann and the Czech Philharmonic, Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations with the London Symphony under Maxim Shostakovich and a coupling of Britten's Cello Symphony and Walton's Concerto with Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, which was described by Gramophone magazine as "beyond any rival". Julian has also recorded several highly successful CD's of short pieces for Universal Classics including Made In England, Cello Moods, and Cradle Song: "It would be difficult to find better performances of this kind of repertoire anywhere on records of today or yesterday" - Gramophone.
Julian has given more than fifty works their premiere recordings and has inspired new compositions for cello from composers as diverse as Malcolm Arnold and Joaquin Rodrigo to James MacMillan and Philip Glass. Recent concert performances have included three further works composed for Julian - Michael Nyman's Double Concerto for Cello and Saxophone on BBC Television, Gavin Bryars' Concerto in Suntory Hall, Tokyo and Philip Glass's Concerto at the Beijing International Festival. Julian's recording of the Glass concerto with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic conducted by Gerard Schwarz was released on the Orange Mountain label in September 2004.
Julian’s most recent recording, Phantasia, is based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera and features violinist, Sarah Chang. This is available on EMI and is the first of several planned recordings that Julian will be making for EMI Classics. His new EMI disc, Unexpected Songs, featuring 21 tracks, including collaborations with harpist Catrin Finch and singer Michael Ball will be released in June this year.
Julian Lloyd Webber plays the ‘Barjansky’ Stradivarius cello of c.1690.
www.julianlloydwebber.com
Starlight Express: Starlight Express
Julian Lloyd Webber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you are lying in bed
With the covers pulled up tight
And though you count every sheep
You get the feeling that sleep
Is gonna stay away tonight
That's when you hear it coming
Of the midnight train
Here again
Can't explain that midnight train
That midnight train
Starlight express, starlight express
Are you real? Yes or no?
Starlight express, answer me yes
I don't want you to go
Come try to take me away
But bring me back before day
Light and fill the time between
Take me to everywhere
But don't abandon me there
Just want to say I've been
I believe in you completely
Though I may be dreaming sweetly
Of the
Starlight express, starlight express
Are you real? Yes, or no?
Starlight express, answer me yes
I don't want you to go
And if your there
And if you know
Then show me which way
I should go
Starlight express, starlight express
Are you real? Yes, or no?
Starlight express, answer me yes
I don't want you to go
Starlight express, starlight express
Are you real? Yes, or no?
Starlight express, answer me yes
I need you to be here
The lyrics of Julian Lloyd Webber's song "Starlight Express" convey a sense of longing and yearning for something or someone elusive, represented by the metaphor of a midnight train. The song starts with the singer lying in bed, unable to fall asleep despite trying various methods, suggesting a restlessness within. The midnight train is described as a mysterious and captivating presence, its humming providing an almost otherworldly charm.
The repetition of the question "Starlight express, are you real? Yes or no?" reflects the singer's uncertainty and desire for confirmation of the train's existence. It conveys a longing for something tangible and meaningful, someone or something to hold onto. The singer pleads for an answer, expressing their reluctance to let go of this potentially transformative experience that the starlight express represents.
In the second verse, the singer expresses a willingness to be taken away by the starlight express, discovering new places and experiences. However, there is also a fear of abandonment, a desire to be brought back before the light of day, hinting at a fear of losing touch with reality. The singer wants to be able to say that they have truly experienced this journey, even if it might be just a dream.
The reaffirmation of belief in the starlight express, despite the possibility of it being a sweet dream, shows the singer's devotion and desire for it to be real. The closing lines reiterate the plea for the starlight express to stay, highlighting the deep need and dependence the singer feels for its presence.
Overall, the lyrics of "Starlight Express" can be interpreted as a metaphor for a longing for something magical, transformative, and possibly intangible. It captures the complex emotions of desire, uncertainty, and the fear of loss, ultimately expressing the need for this elusive presence to be by the singer's side.
Line by Line Meaning
When your good nights have been said
After you have said your good nights
And you are lying in bed
And you are in your bed
With the covers pulled up tight
With the covers tightly pulled up
And though you count every sheep
And despite counting every sheep
You get the feeling that sleep
You have the feeling that sleep
Is gonna stay away tonight
Will stay away tonight
That's when you hear it coming
That's when you start hearing it coming
That is when you hear the humming
That is when you hear the sound of humming
Of the midnight train
Of the train that runs at midnight
Here again
It is here again
Can't explain that midnight train
Cannot explain that train that runs at midnight
That midnight train
That train that runs at midnight
Starlight express, starlight express
Oh, Starlight Express!
Are you real? Yes or no?
Are you actually real? Please answer
Starlight express, answer me yes
Starlight Express, please answer with a yes
I don't want you to go
I don't want you to leave
Come try to take me away
Come and try to take me away
But bring me back before day
But please bring me back before daylight
Light and fill the time between
Illuminate and occupy the time in between
Take me to everywhere
Take me to all possible places
But don't abandon me there
But do not leave me there alone
Just want to say I've been
I just want to say that I have been
I believe in you completely
I have complete belief in you
Though I may be dreaming sweetly
Despite the fact that I may be sweetly dreaming
Of the
Of the Starlight Express
And if your there
And if you are there
And if you know
And if you know
Then show me which way
Then guide me in the direction
I should go
That I should go
Starlight express, starlight express
Oh, Starlight Express!
Are you real? Yes, or no?
Are you really real? Please answer
Starlight express, answer me yes
Starlight Express, please answer with a yes
I don't want you to go
I don't want you to leave
Starlight express, starlight express
Oh, Starlight Express!
Are you real? Yes, or no?
Are you truly real? Please answer
Starlight express, answer me yes
Starlight Express, please answer with a yes
I need you to be here
I need you to be present
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER, RICHARD STILGOE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind