Once the frontwoman of UK band Blue Zone, which saw modest success with their single "Jackie", she became a major international star beginning with her guest vocal stint on Coldcut's record People Hold On.
Stansfield is probably best known for her first UK #1 single, All Around the World (1989), which also peaked at #3 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 the following year. Other worldwide hits from her debut solo album Affection include This is the Right Time (featuring a house music-styled production by Coldcut with Mark Saunders), Live Together, What Did I Do To You? and You Can't Deny It. "All Around the World" was the second song by a white female soloist to hit #1 on the Billboard R&B chart (the first being "Ooo La La La" by Teena Marie in 1988). "You Can't Deny It" also topped that chart. Affection went platinum in the U.S., and sold a total of five million copies worldwide.
In 1990, Stansfield was among a handful of high-profile artists to participate in the Red Hot + Blue charity album, which honored the songwriting career of Cole Porter, and benefitted AIDS research at a time when funding from government agencies was insufficient for those in need. She was given the chance to show her swing and jazz chops on the song "Down in the Depths" (video), which was one of a few throwback renditions to appear on the album. This likely won her the female lead in the independent film Swing (1999), for which soundtrack she also performed most of the songs. Thus began an illustrious and respected tradition of Stansfield offering jazz and torch songs to outside projects (she also sang I've Got the World on a String in the original movie soundtrack of 2003's Mona Lisa Smile).
In 1992, Stansfield won a BRIT Award as best British female solo artist. Her second album Real Love did not quite live up to the success of Affection, despite selling very well. However, it did spawn four Top 40 singles on the European charts: Change, All Woman, Time to Make You Mine and Set Your Loving Free. "Change" has since become one of her signature classics, and still receives regular air-play to this day. "All Woman" became Stansfield's third #1 single on the Billboard R&B chart, and due to the success of that song, the album went gold in the U.S. Filled with pathos and emotion, it is "kitchen sink soul", from the viewpoint of a woman taken for granted. Like "All Around the World", many critics initially believed that it had been performed by a black singer.
Stansfield continued recording disco-influenced soul throughout the 1990s. Her third album So Natural (1993) spawned three Top 40 European singles including the title track So Natural, In All the Right Places and Little Bit of Heaven, but the album was never released in the U.S. She had continued success throughout Europe, but her popularity in America had diminished.
sidenote: "In All The Right Places" was featured on the soundtrack of the movie Indecent Proposal (1993), for which Stansfield was shortlisted as the lead that eventually went to Demi Moore. You can catch her talking about it in this YouTube interview clip (@ 1:30).
Her self-titled fourth album Lisa Stansfield (1997) was a hit in Europe with two Top Ten singles - People Hold On (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Mix) (a re-released dance mix by The Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and The Real Thing, and the Top 40 track Never, Never Gonna Give You Up (a remake of the late Barry White's 1973 hit). Upon being released in the U.S., the album scored some mainstream attention, but fared much better in the dance clubs where remixes were very successful; an astonishing four singles - "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up", Never Gonna Fall, I'm Leavin', and "People Hold On" reached #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. It charted modestly, peaking at #30 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #55 on the Billboard 200. Subsequently, The Remix Album was released due to revived interest in Stansfield within the dance community. The music video for "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" (video) was an eye-catcher featuring her strolling nude down a city street, acquiring a few items of clothing along the way. VH1 featured the clip and even gave it the Pop-Up Video treatment. During the promotion for the single, Stansfield appeared on the RuPaul Show, but inexplicably, did not sing the song (or any others, for that matter).
Her 2001 album Face Up was less successful, barely charting through a lack of publicity, but featured the singles Let's Just Call It Love and 8-3-1, which found her experimenting with newer styles of R&B such as 2-step while continuing with her established sound. Stansfield's husband, Ian Devaney, delivered an arrangement for the ballad How Could You?, which displayed his love of Burt Bacharach's legacy. Only one single was officially released in the UK.
Following the release of Face Up, a 2-CD greatest hits collection titled Biography: The Greatest Hits was released in 2003, which sold well in the UK and Europe. Stansfield then parted ways with Arista/BMG, ending an 18-year association with the label.
Stansfield signed with ZTT Records from the UK, and her 2004 release The Moment was produced by Trevor Horn, well-known for his work with Seal, Grace Jones, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, among others. The album was distributed in Europe by Edel, featuring the singles Treat Me Like a Woman (released as a double A-side with Easier) and If I Hadn't Got You, a song written by Chris Braide with ex-Squeeze songwriter Chris Difford. The album found her exploring more pop-oriented material, and focusing on lush ballads.
Despite this, as with her previous release, the album and supporting singles were not a success. At the time of the project's release, ZTT was directing large amounts of its resources into re-marketing its back catalogue, and producing the Trevor Horn concert for The Prince's Trust and its accompanying double CD Produced by Trevor Horn. The release of "Treat Me Like a Woman" was twice delayed, and the label eventually paired it with "Easier". While ZTT did erect a billboard to advertise the album in Stansfield's home area of Greater Manchester, print advertising and in-store displays were reportedly absent. Later that year ZTT dropped her from their label.
Stansfield's talents also extended into acting; she starred in the 1999 film Swing with actor Hugo Speer, and recorded covers of swing classics and a few original songs written in the style for the soundtrack. She later appeared on a London stage in The Vagina Monologues. In 2006, she guest-starred in the series Goldplated. In 2007, she starred in an episode of Marple: Ordeal by Innocence, and later joined the cast of The Edge of Love.
On June 2012, Lisa told the UK newspaper, The Sunday Mirror that she's working on her seventh studio album, her first in nine years, and that it is going to be released in spring 2013. Lisa announced in November 2012 that the album will be titled 'Seven'.
Official website: http://www.lisa-stansfield.com
Lay Me Down
Lisa Stansfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweeter than caramel
The way he weaves his madness
And it puts me in a spell
He twists me 'round his finger
And I enjoy it so
Hold me in his tender arms
And never let me go
Never let me go
Never let me go
Do, down, lay me down
Do, down, lay me down
Do, down, lay me down
Do, down, lay me down
There's never complication
He'll never compromise
His kisses never ending
And they send me to the sky
He's understanding
And he'll never let me down
He fills me up with passion
And he'll always be around
He'll always be around
He'll always be around
Always be, he will always be around
Do, down, lay me down
Do, down, lay me down
You hear what I say
Do, down, lay me down
Do, down, lay me down
Do, down, lay me down
He'll never let me down
Do, down, lay me down
Do you know what it means to me
Do, down, lay me down
And he's everything, oh baby
He'll always be around
He'll always be around
He'll always be around
He'll always be, he'll always be around
The song Lay Me Down by Lisa Stansfield is a slow ballad which describes a relationship where the singer is completely in love with her partner. The opening line, "He's warmer than the radiator, sweeter than caramel," compares her partner to two things that are typically associated with warmth, comfort, and sweetness, indicating that he brings her happiness, comfort, and safety. The singer appreciates the way her partner can manipulate and control her in a way that is not overpowering but more a spell, and she enjoys being wrapped around his finger.
The chorus, "Do, down, lay me down," acts as a comforting, repetitive phrase and brings a sense of security and safety as she sings about how her partner will never let her down and he will always be around. The singer feels complete and content with the stability and simplicity of the relationship, as there are no complications or arguments with her partner. She describes his kisses as being never-ending and exhilarating, taking her to the sky, indicating that she is completely and utterly in love with this person.
Overall, the song is about the feeling of comfort and contentment that comes with being in a loving relationship, where the partner is reliable and brings happiness with even the simplest of actions.
Line by Line Meaning
He's warmer than the radiator
He is an extremely affectionate and caring person
Sweeter than caramel
His love is incredibly sweet and enjoyable
The way he weaves his madness
His charm is all-consuming and infectious
And it puts me in a spell
His behavior has a mesmerizing effect on me
He twists me 'round his finger
He has complete control and influence over me
And I enjoy it so
I don't mind being under his influence because it feels good
Hold me in his tender arms
His touch is gentle and comforting
And never let me go
I don't want him to ever stop holding me
He'll never let me go
He promises to never let me go
There's never complication
Our relationship is simple and uncomplicated
He'll never compromise
He will never make me feel uncomfortable or betrayed
His kisses never ending
His love and passion for me is infinite
And they send me to the sky
His kisses make me feel euphoric and blissful
He's understanding
He is empathetic and supportive
And he'll never let me down
He is reliable and trustworthy
He fills me up with passion
His love and intimacy make me feel fulfilled and alive
And he'll always be around
He promises to always be there for me
Do, down, lay me down
Request to be held and comforted by him
You hear what I say
He needs to understand how important he is to her
Do you know what it means to me
Expressing the depth of her feelings to him
And he's everything, oh baby
He is the most important thing in her life
He'll always be around
He will always be present and loyal to her
He'll always be around
Reiterating that he will never leave her
He'll always be, he'll always be around
He will always be by her side, no matter what happens
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN EDWARD BEDGGOOD, ANDREW MORRIS, SIMON JOE NUGENT, BEN PHILIP SALTER, DANNY MARSDEN S WIDDICOMBE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind