In late 1968, Chappell and Lovich went to London, England to attend art school. It was there that Lovich first tied her hair into the plaits that later became a visual trademark, though at first she did it to keep her hair out of the clay when studying sculpture. Expressing a variety of artistic interests, she sought to find the best outlets for her work.
Over the following decade, Lovich attended several art schools, busked around the London Underground and appeared in cabaret clubs as an "Oriental" dancer. She also travelled to Spain, where she visited Salvador Dalí in his home. She played acoustic rock music around London, sang in the mass choir of a show called Quintessence at the Royal Albert Hall, played a soldier in Arthur Brown's show, worked as a "go-go" dancer with the Radio One Roadshow, toured Italy with a West Indian soul band, and played saxophone for Bob Flag's Balloon and Banana Band and for an all-girl cabaret trio, The Sensations. She recorded screams for horror films, adapted lyrics for French disco star Cerrone (including the sci-fi dance smash "Supernature," later recorded by Lovich in her own version) and worked with various fringe theatre groups. She was also one of thousands of people in the audience at the 1972 Lanchester Arts Festival when Chuck Berry recorded the risqué "My Ding-a-Ling" for Chess Records. As the audience was encouraged to sing-a-long technically this could be described as her first appearance on record. The record was a No. 1 hit in the U.K. and the U.S.A.
In 1975, Lene joined The Diversions, a funk group that put out five singles and an album on Polydor Records without success. In 1978, disc jockey and author Charlie Gillett presented her to Stiff Records boss, Dave Robinson, who quickly signed her to a contract. Her first single for Stiff was "I Think We're Alone Now", a cover of a song originally performed by Tommy James & The Shondells.
Invited to join the Be Stiff Route 78 Tour on 1978, Lovich quickly recorded her first album for Stiff, Stateless, which spawned the remixed hit singles "Lucky Number" and "Say When." Lovich's musical style combined ethnic influences with then current punk rock and new wave.
Maintaining her long term writing partnership with Les Chappell, Lovich recorded the albums Flex and No-Man's-Land for Stiff over the next few years, as well as an EP titled New Toy, the title cut penned by touring band member Thomas Dolby. She also recorded vocals for the track 'Picnic Boy' by The Residents. Following her departure from Stiff, Lovich released "Don't Kill The Animals," a single with Nina Hagen, with whom she had previously appeared in Cha Cha, a film that also starred Herman Brood; together, the three created the film's soundtrack.
In 1989, after an absence of several years, she recorded the album, March which was only moderately successful and was not released until nearly a year after the album's single "Wonderland" had been issued and become an American dance hit. Lovich continues to perform in much the same style she did back in the 1970s and 1980s, with Les Chappell still at her side. In 2005 she appeared on Hawkwind's Take Me to Your Leader CD, as well as appearing occasionally on stage with them.
Lovich's first album since March, entitled Shadows and Dust received a limited release on Mike Thorne's Stereo Society label on September 13, 2005.
Hold On To Love
Lene Lovich Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steal away in the dead of the night
Take a trip on a twisted knife
Who will care if you live or die
Hold on to Love
This world was made for you and me
Hold on to Love
Hold on to Love
Love gives us all the energy
One by one, we belong to the man
Kingdom come and the law of the land
Voodoo jive with a magical plan
So much said that you can't understand
Hold on to Love
This world was made for you and me
Hold on to Love
And we can be what we want to be
Hold on to Love
Love gives us all the energy
One by one, we believe in the lie
Making fun of the things that are right
Blow your mind—it's a sign of the times
Hit and run, and the strong will survive
Hold on to Love
This world was made for you and me
Hold on to Love
And we can be what we want to be
Hold on to Love
Love gives us all the energy
The lyrics of Lene Lovich’s “Hold On To Love” are about the importance and the power of holding onto love in a world that can be difficult and unfair. The opening lines suggest a sense of danger and urgency: turning out the lights and taking off in the middle of the night like escaping from something. The next line “take a trip on a twisted knife” could refer to the dangers of living in the world, but it can also be interpreted as a metaphor for taking risks in life. The line “Who will care if you live or die” highlights the idea that in a world where everyone is pursuing their own interests, the only thing that really matters is love.
The chorus interjects with a message of hope and unity. “Hold on to Love/ This world was made for you and me/ Hold on to Love/ And we can be what we want to be/ Hold on to Love/ Love gives us all the energy” reminds us that love is the one thing that can bring us together, and that in a world that seems so divided and chaotic, it's important to hold onto the power of love. The second verse continues to explore the theme of chaos in the world, featuring lines like “Voodoo jive with a magical plan” and “So much said that you can't understand." The bridge is about the dangers of believing in lies, making fun of things that are right, and choosing to live a life full of hedonistic pursuits. The chorus repeats, reiterating the importance of holding onto love.
Line by Line Meaning
One by one, we will turn out the light
Gradually, we will extinguish the lights and disappear into the darkness
Steal away in the dead of the night
Quietly and secretly leave under the cover of night
Take a trip on a twisted knife
Go on a dangerous and intense journey
Who will care if you live or die
No one will have concern for your survival or demise
Hold on to Love
Don't let go of love
This world was made for you and me
The world exists for everyone to share and enjoy
And we can be what we want to be
We have the power to become anything we desire
Love gives us all the energy
Love provides us with the strength and ability to accomplish our goals
One by one, we belong to the man
Individuals ultimately answer to authority figures or those in power
Kingdom come and the law of the land
The ultimate rule of the land is the law, and the ruler has almost god-like power
Voodoo jive with a magical plan
Strange and mysterious plans and rituals are happening
So much said that you can't understand
There is a lot of talk or information that is difficult to comprehend
One by one, we believe in the lie
Individually, we accept falsehoods or deceptions as truth
Making fun of the things that are right
We mock or ridicule things that are good and just
Blow your mind—it's a sign of the times
Something is happening that is so incredible that it is hard to believe
Hit and run, and the strong will survive
Fleeing quickly from trouble is the best way to survive, and strength is necessary to persevere
Contributed by Kayla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Beata Spiewak Jonsson
Love Lene ❤️
Great song
Wish you the best 💛
Onyl Lindoro
Loved it
ColdWindsBlow
Thanks for uploading it! Too bad she didn't make a video for such wonderful tune...
Kyach Distent
Probably wasn't allowed. You know the attitude of record labels back then. If you weren't slagdonna the vile, boring lennox and turner and houston, plus collins, sting, weller, cure and all the new crap of the shit 90s, then you were obselete and out of date and unwanted. Which is what THEY are of course, but that's it. No money to spend on it and very little promotion of the album.
Larry Ressler
The only music video from "March" was for the song, "Wonderland". I have not seen it since its debut on MTV in 1989.