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.
Writing On The Wall
Lene Lovich Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm sorry that I never called
I, I never phoned
or wrote to you
It's silly 'cause
I wanted to
Oh yes, the subway wall
It's my mistake, I know that now
a bit too late to cry...
You're somewhere else
with someone else
and here am I, all by myself
An empty wall, and empty me
I write the things that should've been
I tell the world how much I care
and miss the one
that isn't there
OH - The writing on the wall
OH - The writing on the wall
OH - The writing on the wall
OH - The writing on the wall....
The writing's on the subway wall
and give or take a year or so
someone will come
and rub it out
delete the words
that hurt my heart
Oh yes, there will remain
a little hurt, a little stain
the memory can still be read
upon the wall
inside my head
OH - The writing on the wall
(right on)
Oh - The writing on the wall
OH - The writing on the wall
(write on)
Oh - The writing on the wall
OH - The writing on the wall....
Lene Lovich's song "Writing on the Wall" is a lament for the way communication has failed between two people. The singer is expressing regret for not maintaining contact with a loved one, and now they have moved on with someone else. The "writing on the subway wall" refers to graffiti, which connotes transience, and the idea that we must leave our mark on the world while we can. The singer knows that this graffiti is only temporary, and that it will soon be erased, but she nevertheless wants to express her feelings while she can.
The song portrays a sense of loss and regret over a missed opportunity for love. The singer is writing on the wall, expressing her feelings of love for someone who is no longer there. She describes the pain she feels, knowing that the memories of her love on this wall will also fade away, eventually. She reminisces about the times she had with this person but has come to the realization that, it is too late to start again or alter the past. The song, thus, creates a sense of melancholy, capturing the sadness that accompanies lost love.
Overall, "Writing on the Wall" is a powerful and emotive song that showcases the pain of lost love and the memories that remain. Despite the transience of graffiti and the eventual erasure of the memories on the wall, the singer's love for this person remains for eternity.
Line by Line Meaning
The writing's on the subway wall
Sadly, the message I'm trying to convey is already written on this public wall.
I'm sorry that I never called
I regret not contacting you sooner.
I, I never phoned
I should have taken the time to call.
or wrote to you
I didn't even send you a letter.
It's silly 'cause I wanted to
I understand how foolish my actions were, considering how much I wanted to talk to you.
You're somewhere else with someone else and here am I, all by myself
You've moved on with someone else, while I'm here alone.
An empty wall, and empty me
I'm feeling empty, like the blank wall in front of me.
I write the things that should've been
I'm expressing the things I wish I had said to you.
I tell the world how much I care and miss the one that isn't there
I'm letting everyone know how much I still care about you and how much I miss you, even though you're not around.
OH - The writing on the wall
This message is all around me, and I can't escape it.
and give or take a year or so
Maybe in a year or so, things will change.
someone will come and rub it out
Someone will eventually erase this message from the wall.
delete the words that hurt my heart
The words that are painful to me will be removed.
there will remain a little hurt, a little stain
Even after it's removed, there will still be some hurt and damage left behind.
the memory can still be read upon the wall inside my head
The memory will always stay with me, even if it's no longer written on the wall, it's forever etched in my mind.
OH - The writing on the wall (right on)
This message is clear and impossible to ignore.
Oh - The writing on the wall
This message has a profound impact on me.
OH - The writing on the wall (write on)
This message is worth sharing and reiterating.
Oh - The writing on the wall
This message resonates with me deeply.
OH - The writing on the wall....
This message is here to stay, and I can't ignore it.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: CHAPPELL LOVICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind