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
Never Set Me Free
Lisa Stansfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For what I have done?
Babe, I'm ashamed
Didn't mean to cause you pain
And I hurt too for hurting you
And I won't let you go
And I didn't mean the things I said last night
I flew off the handle and had too much wine
And I'm sorry for the hurt I've caused you
Never set me free, no
Don't wanna know just how sad I can be
Never set me free
'cause baby that's the last thing
That I wanna be
Baby, don't you let me go
Now I apologize
Can you forgive me the lies?
'cause I want so to let you know
That I won't let you go
'cause I, I don't wanna say, goodbye
And I didn't mean the things I said last night
And by tomorrow I still wanna be with you
Be with you forever more
Never set me free, no
Don't wanna know just how sad I can be
Never set me free
'cause baby that's the last thing
That I wanna be
I don't wanna be without you
Let's stay sweet
I don't wanna be without you
Just keep me with you
Baby, baby, baby
Never set me free
Just get me with you, baby, babe, yeah
Never let go, 'cause I know, this more
Can you forgive me? Baby
Never set me free, no
Don't wanna know how loveless life can be
Never set me free
'cause baby that's the last thing, baby
Never set me free
Come on, baby stay with me
Can you forgive me?
Never set me free
Oh, oh baby, stay with me
Don't set me free
Hold me, hold me, hold me, baby
Never set me free, baby
“Never Set Me Free” is a song by British singer Lisa Stansfield. The song talks about regret, forgiveness, and not giving up on love. Stansfield is pleading with her partner not to let her go after a fight that happened between them. She is apologizing for the things she said and did the night before, stating that she didn’t mean it and that she doesn’t want to say goodbye. Stansfield mentions that she’s hurt too for hurting her partner and it seems as though she’s taking ownership for the pain caused. She wants them to work things out and stay together, as she does not want to be set free.
Throughout the song, Stansfield repeats the phrase “Never set me free” as if it’s her mantra. It’s like she’s scared to be without her partner and wants to hold onto the relationship at all costs. She promises to behave and stay sweet as long as they both can stay together. The song's lyrics show how love can be complicated, but it's worth fighting for. Stansfield's voice, as always, is incredible, and the emotion in her delivery conveys the message effectively.
Overall, “Never Set Me Free” is a beautiful ballad that speaks to the hearts of many who are in love. It's a song that inspires listeners to work through their relationship issues, stay together, and commit to making things better.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you forgive me?
Asking if the listener can forgive the singer for their wrongdoing.
For what I have done?
Asking specifically what the singer did wrong and seeking forgiveness for it.
Babe, I'm ashamed
The singer is expressing their feelings of shame for their actions.
Didn't mean to cause you pain
The artist did not intend to hurt the listener with their actions.
And I hurt too for hurting you
The artist is acknowledging that they are also feeling pain for causing the listener pain.
And I won't let you go
The singer is promising to not let the listener go, to remain in the relationship and work through the issues.
And I, I don't wanna say, goodbye
The singer does not want to end things with the listener.
And I didn't mean the things I said last night
The artist is apologizing for things they said while upset or under the influence that they did not mean.
I flew off the handle and had too much wine
The artist is explaining what led them to say hurtful things - reacting emotionally and poor judgment due to intoxication.
And I'm sorry for the hurt I've caused you
The artist is apologizing for causing the listener pain.
Never set me free, no
The singer is begging the listener to never end the relationship, to not let them go.
Don't wanna know just how sad I can be
The artist is expressing that if the relationship ends, they will be extremely sad and do not want to face that reality.
'cause baby that's the last thing
That I wanna be
Being sad and alone is the last thing the singer wants to experience.
Now I apologize
The singer is reiterating their apology for their actions.
Can you forgive me the lies?
The singer is specifically asking for forgiveness for lying to the listener.
'cause I want so to let you know
That I won't let you go
The artist is expressing their desire to stay together and rebuild the relationship.
And by tomorrow I still wanna be with you
Be with you forever more
The artist is expressing their commitment to the relationship and a desire to be together long-term.
I don't wanna be without you
Let's stay sweet
The singer wants to remain close and keep the relationship positive.
Just keep me with you
Baby, baby, baby
The singer is asking to be kept close to the listener, using endearments to emphasize their emotional connection.
Don't wanna know how loveless life can be
The artist is expressing their fear of living without the love of the listener.
Never set me free
Come on, baby stay with me
The artist is making one final plea to the listener to not end the relationship.
Oh, oh baby, stay with me
Don't set me free
Hold me, hold me, hold me, baby
Never set me free, baby
The artist is expressing their desperation to remain in the relationship, begging to be held and never to be let go.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IAN OWEN DEVANEY, LISA JANE STANSFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind