Lesley Duncan was born in Stockton-on-Tees, a market town in north east England, leaving school at fourteen; she would later reminisce about her childhood troubles in her song, "Wooden Spoon". At age 19, she and her brother Jimmy were placed on weekly retainers by a music publisher. Within a year, Lesley Duncan had signed with major label EMI, and appeared in the film What a Crazy World. Starting in 1963, Duncan recorded a number of pop singles throughout the '60s, none of which were able to grab the attention of record buyers at large.
All throughout her career as an active solo performer and beyond, Duncan appeared as a vocalist on numerous recordings by other artists, including Donovan, Ringo Starr, and The Alan Parsons Project. She also appeared on the first original cast recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar. A complete list of Duncan's contributions has yet to be compiled; in her own words, "it would be easier to list the albums on which [she does] not appear."
Duncan was first introduced to Elton John when they were both relatively unknown session workers. In 1970, John covered Duncan's composition "Love Song" for his breakthrough album Tumbleweed Connection; Duncan played guitar and provided vocals on John's version. Duncan's new-found form of understated songwriting was noted by ecstatic critics, leading some to dub her "the British Carole King." Duncan's 1971 debut album, Sing Children Sing, featured amongst others Elton John and Peter Frampton as guest musicians. Despite favorable reviews and radio play, Duncan failed to attract the attention of record buyers.
Her lacf commercial success would haunt her until the release of her last album, Maybe It's Lost (1977), despite a gradual increase in commercial pop sensibility for every album released. Much of the blame for this lack of success could, by Duncan's own admission, be shouldered on her stage fright, which resulted in only a handful of live appearances throughout her career; however, one of these performances were at the 1973 Reading Festival, which was released on a live compilation LP. She continued to release sporadic singles for another decade; in 1979, a re-recorded version of "Sing Children Sing" (b/w "Rainbow Games"), whose proceeds were donated to the foundation for the International Year of the Child, became her biggest UK chart success at the #76 spot. Her recording career concluded in 1986 with a final single release, "Tomorrow" (b/w "Paper Highways").
Duncan retired to the Isle of Mull in Scotland, where she would spend the rest of her life with her family. In 2010, Duncan died of cerebrovascular disease, following an extended period of illness. At her funeral were flower arrangements from David Bowie and Elton John, members of the community in attendance only now realizing her true identity, which she had reportedly seldom brought up. Duncan's legacy remains, as "Love Song" continues to be covered by hundreds of artists, and albums on which she appeared continuing to be heard by unquantifiable numbers of listeners around the world.
Love Song
Lesley Duncan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
May well be simple but they're true
Until you give your love
there's nothing more that we can do
Love is the opening door
Love is what we came here for
No-one could offer you more
Have your eyes really seen
You say it's very hard
To leave behind the life we knew
But there's no other way
And now it's really up to you
Love is the key we must turn
Truth is the flame we must burn
Freedom the lesson we must learn
Do you know what I mean?
Have your eyes really seen?
The song Love Song by Lesley Duncan is a perfect encapsulation of the complexities and depth of love. The opening lines of the song speak to the truth that love is simple, yet so crucial to life. She states that until we give our love, there is nothing more we can do, emphasizing the power of love and how it can change our lives. Love is the key to unlock happiness, joy, and fulfillment.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of love in our lives. Love is the opening door, it is what we are meant to seek, and nothing could offer us more. Duncan emphasizes that love is the ultimate goal and it is essential to life. The ending lines of the chorus ask the listener if they truly know what love is and if they have seen it with their own eyes. The second verse of the song focuses on the difficulties of leaving our old life and embracing change. Duncan acknowledges that it is difficult to leave behind what we know, but in order to find true love, we must take a leap of faith. Love is the key we must turn, truth is the flame we must burn, and freedom the lesson we must learn. These lyrics are powerful and urge the listener to take risks in the pursuit of love and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
The words I have to say
My message is not complex
May well be simple but they're true
But it is truthful
Until you give your love
But unless you offer your affections,
there's nothing more that we can do
there’s nothing more I can take action on
Love is the opening door
Love is an opportunity for growth
Love is what we came here for
A reason for our existence is love
No-one could offer you more
No one could propose anything better
Do you know what I mean
Do you fully comprehend
Have your eyes really seen
Have you truly perceived
You say it's very hard
You stated that it's, in fact, challenging
To leave behind the life we knew
To abandon our past and move forward
But there's no other way
But there's no other option
And now it's really up to you
You are responsible for your own choices
Love is the key we must turn
Expressing love is necessary
Truth is the flame we must burn
Honesty is crucial
Freedom the lesson we must learn
The indispensable lesson is liberation
Do you know what I mean?
Do you fully understand?
Have your eyes really seen?
Did you genuinely perceive it?
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Lesley Duncan, BURT F BACHARACH, LESLIE DUNCAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AsherSchmutz129
Just watched the trailer for Men and IMMEDIATELY went to search this song the minute I heard it.
@kikitata2985
Sameee
@BakeHarn
Same here!!!!!
@Lizardman5565
Lol I was just wondering how many people have searched this song after hearing it. I love it.
@lost5ymbol646
Same heree , i never pulled out shazam so fast in my life
@ryanmoreau4569
Yump
@SahilTanna
Here from the movie “men”. A CAPTIVATING and stunning piece of art. This song just reminds me of walking through an enchanted forest during a rainy and cloudy afternoon, trying to escape your troubles. This song MADE the movie, a scene-stealer.
@boomah47
As a long time Lesley and Elton John fan, the minute I heard this song in the trailer I knew it was an instant watch when it came out. It was a solid film but like you said this song carried it to something beyond that.
@skyfryer1223
there's nothing better than when a film can use a song's vibe to juxtapose what we're experiencing. The song just turns into a haunting melody when you reflect on the entity that pursues her.
@PK1982_
Great song, not so great movie 👍