In November 2003, at the age of 19, Melua released her first album, Call off the Search, which reached the top of the United Kingdom album charts and sold 1.8 million copies in its first five months of release. Her second album, Piece by Piece, was released in September 2005 and to date has gone platinum four times. Melua released her third studio album Pictures in October 2007, which has been announced to be the last of her albums in collaboration with Mike Batt. According to the Sunday Times Rich List 2008, Melua has a fortune of £18 million, making her the seventh richest British musician under thirty.
In the summer of 2003, aged just 18 and still studying at the Brit School of Performing Arts in leafy Surrey, no-one, least of all Katie, would have predicted what the next few years would hold for the teenager. Four years later, Katie has sold more than 7.5 million albums becoming, in 2006, the year’s best selling British female in the world along the way.
Georgian born Katie relocated from Tbilisi to Belfast at the age of 8 due to her father’s profession as a heart surgeon and 5 years later moved to South East London. After her GCSEs Katie joined the Brit School for Performing Arts where she undertook a BTEC and Music A-level and discovered different styles of music including Queen, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Irish folk music and Indian music. On hearing an Eva Cassidy song Katie was blown away and when she discovered that Eva was no longer alive wrote the song ‘Faraway Voice’ as a tribute to her. It was this song that attracted the attention of the composer and producer Mike Batt. Katie signed to Batt’s record label Dramatico but stayed at the Brit School to complete her studies – she graduated with distinction in July 2003.
During the summer of 2003 her debut single, ‘The Closest Thing To Crazy’, attracted the attention of British station BBC Radio 2 and upon its release entered the charts at number 10. Released in November, Katie’s debut album ‘Call Off The Search’ hit the UK number 1 spot in January 2004 and has subsequently scored top 10 positions throughout Europe. The album has since been certified gold in Holland, Hong Kong and Switzerland, platinum in Denmark, New Zealand and Australia, 2 x platinum in Germany, Ireland, Norway and South Africa and received the IFPI Double Platinum Award for 2 million European Sales. In March 2005 ‘Call Off The Search’ hit the number 1 spot in Denmark, a year after its initial release and became a top five album in Japan. Katie was awarded Best International Newcomer at Germany’s ECHO Awards in April 2005. In Britain, Katie was the highest selling female artist in 2004 – ‘Call Off The Search’ has now sold 1.8 million copies and is 6 x platinum (in Britain alone) and worldwide sales exceed 3.5 million.
Katie joined the line up for the Band Aid 20 single to record a new version of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’. As an ambassador for Save The Children this was particularly poignant for Katie. In March 2005 Katie was invited by Nelson Mandela to perform at his 46664 concert in aid of Mandela’s AIDS foundation. In addition to performing a full live set, Katie joined Queen on stage to perform a moving version of ‘Too Much Love Will Kill You’. Katie flew from South Africa to Sri Lanka where she experienced the work that is being done by Save The Children, particularly with child soldiers.
In August 2005 Katie and her family swore allegiance to The Queen and became British Citizens following a ceremony in Surrey, England. Katie was asked to perform at the Royal Wedding of Prince Pieter-Christiaan in Holland and at the Norwegian Royal Gala Concert in the presence of the Crown Prince Of Norway. Continuing the royal theme, the American TV show ‘Good Morning America’ broadcast live from Buckingham Palace and Katie was invited by the show to perform ‘Nine Million Bicycles’ and ‘The Closest Thing To Crazy’. Katie performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Norway.
In between her overseas travel Katie recorded her new album, ‘Piece By Piece’, which was released in Europe on September 26th 2005. The album comprises more self-penned songs including the title track as well as a cover of the 1987 Cure hit ‘Just Like Heaven’ that Katie recorded for a new DreamWorks film starring Reese Witherspoon. The first single, ‘Nine Million Bicycles’, preceded the album release and gave Katie her highest UK single chart entry at number 5. One week later and Katie entered the UK album charts at number 1 and Europe swiftly followed with the album reaching #1 in Norway, Denmark and Holland, #2 in Ireland, #2 in Iceland, #3 in South Africa, #4 in Poland and #2 in Germany giving an overall chart position of #2 on the Billboard European Top 100 Chart.
Katie was nominated for two Brit Awards in the “Best Female” and “Pop” categories, for the “Best International Female” at the Edison Awards in Holland and was awarded “Best International Female (Rock & Pop)” at the Echo Awards in Germany. Once again Katie was pronounced the highest selling female artist in Britain in 2005 selling more than 1 million albums.
It is fair to say that 2006 was yet another extraordinary year for 22 year old Katie. In addition to the awards nominations, Katie had a Dutch tulip named in her honour, toured America coast to coast, raced at 160mph round Grand Prix circuit Silverstone, flew a plane, launched Save The Children’s ‘Rewrite The Future’ campaign, made the headlines with a Guinness World Record for the deepest concert when she performed 303 meters beneath the North Sea in the leg of a gas rig and was awarded the World Music Award for Britain’s Biggest Selling Female. Whilst in 2004 and 2005, Katie was the greatest selling female artist in Britain, in 2006 Katie was the highest selling European female artist in the world selling more than 3 million copies of her second album ‘Piece By Piece’.
Awarded the Golden Camera Award for International Pop Artist at the start of 2007, Katie was presented with the Echo Award for International Female Artist in March 2007.
October 2007 saw the release of Katie’s third album ‘Pictures’ – a record which has delighted her legions of fans, confirmed Katie’s status as a unique and remarkable vocalist, and revealed the third chapter in what is destined to be a long musical career.
Katie’s fourth album, “The Katie Melua Collection”, is a musical summary of the 24 year old’s journey so far and is being released to coincide with Katie’s arena tour in October and November 2008.
www.katiemelua.com/
Tiny Alien
Katie Melua Lyrics
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Why do you love to hide
Who are you my tiny alien
What can you see inside
I won't make a sound
I won't shoot you down
With my science, and reliance on everything I thought I knew
When you're not of this earth
You won't know what you're worth
You've just got to take the pressure together
Or you'll never survive in this world
Tiny alien
Who are you my tiny alien
What are you here to do
Who are you my tiny alien
How can I talk to you
What's my DNA
Can you make it change
So I can gain new insight and take flight
And never feel any pain
When you're not of this earth
You won't know what you're worth
You've just got to take the pressure together
Or you'll never survive in this world
Just how far can you fall
When you still feel so small
Will you love me through the sorrows tomorrows
Whatever the future will bring
Tiny alien
Who are you my tiny alien
We are just skin and bones
Who are you my tiny alien
Why are we so alone
When you're not of this earth
You won't know what you're worth
You've just got to take the pressure together
Or you'll never survive in this world
Just how far can you fall
When you still feel so small
Will you love me through the sorrows tomorrows
Whatever the future will bring
Tiny alien
Who are you my tiny alien
Who are you my tiny alien
Who are you my tiny alien
Who are you my tiny alien
Who are you my tiny alien
Who are you my tiny alien
The lyrics of Katie Melua's "Tiny Alien" explore the notion of being an outsider or feeling alienated from the world around us. The "tiny alien" is a metaphor for anyone who feels different and doesn't quite fit in. Melua poses a series of questions throughout the song, trying to understand this mysterious creature that is so unlike anything else on this planet. The lyrics are filled with a sense of wonder and curiosity, as Melua tries to unravel the secrets of this elusive being.
The first verse introduces the idea of the tiny alien hiding and asks who they are and what they can see inside. Melua sings about not wanting to hurt the creature with science or anything she thinks she knows. The second verse asks if the tiny alien can make our DNA change or help us gain new insight to take flight and never feel pain. Melua also acknowledges that being different comes with its own set of challenges - "You've just got to take the pressure together, or you'll never survive in this world."
The third verse is perhaps the most poignant, as Melua sings about the loneliness and isolation that comes from feeling different. She wonders why, as skin and bones, we are still so alone. The song ends with a repetition of the question "Who are you, my tiny alien?" as if suggesting that we may never fully understand the mysteries of those who don't fit in.
Overall, "Tiny Alien" is a beautiful and thought-provoking song that encourages understanding and empathy towards those who may seem different. It celebrates the beauty of diversity, while also acknowledging the struggles of those who feel like they don't belong.
Line by Line Meaning
Who are you my tiny alien
The singer is curious about the identity of the little creature who appears to have an interest in hiding away.
Why do you love to hide
The creature is mysterious in nature and enjoys keeping to itself.
What can you see inside
Katie wonders if the being has any special insight, which could provide her with new knowledge or perception.
I won't make a sound
The singer is reassuring the creature that it is safe in her presence.
I won't shoot you down
Katie promises to not harm or deter the creature, even if it behaves differently from what she expects.
With my science, and reliance on everything I thought I knew
Despite what she might know through science or knowledge, she still needs to learn more about this new creature.
When you're not of this earth
The creature is not native to Earth and therefore, is difficult to interact with.
You won't know what you're worth
The creature might not be aware of its potential value or purpose to Katie.
You've just got to take the pressure together
Both Katie and the creature need to work together to overcome any challenges they may encounter.
Or you'll never survive in this world
Without working together, they may not be able to handle the harsh realities of the world.
What are you here to do
Katie is curious about the creature's purpose for visiting her and wants to understand its intentions better.
How can I talk to you
The creature and Katie are struggling to communicate properly.
Can you make it change
Katie is asking the creature if it has the ability to change her DNA or enhance it so she can learn new things.
So I can gain new insight and take flight
She wants to apply any new knowledge she might gain to explore new horizons or achieve new goals.
And never feel any pain
She hopes that by gaining knowledge, she can avoid hardships or negative experiences in the future.
Just how far can you fall
Even the creature, with its otherworldly abilities, can be vulnerable or fragile.
When you still feel so small
The fact that the creature is tiny or unassuming might make it more difficult to navigate life on Earth.
Will you love me through the sorrows tomorrows Whatever the future will bring
The singer is hoping to build a deep emotional connection with the creature, in which they can support each other through any challenges they might face together.
We are just skin and bones
The singer recognizes how vulnerable human beings are, even with all of our knowledge and experiences.
Why are we so alone
Katie is questioning why human beings sometimes feel isolated, despite our shared experiences and emotions.
Who are you my tiny alien
The singer is still unsure of the creature's true identity or purpose in her life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Guy Chambers, Katie Melua
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind