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
Wish On Me
Lisa Stansfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I'll always be there in your mind
We've had our time, so let's not cry
Whenever you wander, never wonder why
And I hope that sometimes, you'll look back and see
Wish on me
And I will be the best that I can be
And all the very best that you can do
And if they never come
If they never come
Wish on me
Let me look at your face
So I can remember its grace
Hold me close, hold me tight
Never forget all the love we made
And no matter how far, you're here in my heart
Wish on me
And I will be the best that I can be
And I'll wish on you
And all the very best that you can do
And if they never come
If they never come true
Never give up on the thought of me
Never let go of your hopes and dreams
I'm with you every step you take
So hold on for God's sake
Remember me when all your hope is gone
I'll give you reason to carry on
Maybe my hand won't be there to hold
But you'll never feel the cold
If you wish on me
These lyrics appear to be a farewell message from one person to another. The singer acknowledges that it is time to part ways, but reassures the other person that their memory will always be present. It is a bittersweet moment, as they have had their time together and it is now time to move on, but the singer encourages them not to cry and to never wonder why they crossed paths. The sentiment is that everything happens for a reason and to trust in their journey.
The chorus is the heart of the song, as both parties pledge to wish the other only the best. The singer notes that they want to be the best they can be, and wishes the other all the very best that they can do. There is a sense of mutual respect and admiration here, as both parties are cheered on to chase their dreams and succeed. Even if things do not go according to plan, the singer implores the other to not give up on the thought of them and to hold onto their hopes and dreams. They promise to be there in spirit, and stand as a source of strength and comfort.
Line by Line Meaning
Now it's time to say goodbye
It's time to part ways
But I'll always be there in your mind
I will linger in your thoughts
We've had our time, so let's not cry
We spent a beautiful time, so let's not be sad
Whenever you wander, never wonder why
Whenever you roam, don't question why
And I hope that sometimes, you'll look back and see
I hope sometimes you'll reflect and see
Wish on me
Desire for my company
And I will be the best that I can be
I will try to be the best for you
And I'll wish on you
I will hope the best for you
And all the very best that you can do
And all the best you can achieve
And if they never come
And if they don't materialize
If they never come
If they never become a reality
Wish on me
Hope for my presence
Let me look at your face
Let me see your smile
So I can remember its grace
So I can treasure its elegance
Hold me close, hold me tight
Embrace me firmly
Never forget all the love we made
Always recollect the love we shared
And no matter how far, you're here in my heart
No matter the distance, you're in my heart
Wish on me
Yearn for my companionship
And I will be the best that I can be
I'll strive to be the best I can
And I'll wish on you
And I'll hope the best for you
And all the very best that you can do
And all the best you can achieve
And if they never come true
And if they never come into existence
Never give up on the thought of me
Never abandon the idea of me
Never let go of your hopes and dreams
Never relinquish your aspirations
I'm with you every step you take
I'm with you every stride you make
So hold on for God's sake
So keep holding on
Remember me when all your hope is gone
Recall me when you lose hope
I'll give you reason to carry on
I'll give you motivation to continue
Maybe my hand won't be there to hold
Perhaps I won't be able to hold your hand
But you'll never feel the cold
But you'll never feel lonely
If you wish on me
If you long for my presence
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RICHARD DARBYSHIRE, IAN OWEN DEVANEY, LISA JANE STANSFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind