2. Melanie: Midwest Auckland emo four piece Melanie released their full length album 42 Losers in May 2020 and have been playing a fine selection of gigs and house parties since
1. Born on the 3rd February 1947 in Astoria, New York deceased 23rd January 2024, Melanie made her first recording, "Gimme a Little Kiss", when she was five.
She first found chart success in Europe. Her 1969 song "Bobo's Party" reached number one in France. Later that year she had a hit in the Netherlands with "Beautiful People" before performing at Woodstock. Apparently, she was inspired to write "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" by the audience lighting candles during her set; the song became a hit in both Europe and the USA. Her biggest hit in the USA was "Brand New Key", also known as "The Roller Skate Song". She has been awarded three gold albums.
Three of Melanie's compositions were hits for The New Seekers: "Look What They've Done to My Song Ma", "Beautiful People", and "The Nickel Song".
With one exception her albums have been produced by her husband, Peter Schekeryk. Her three children - Leilah, Jeordie and Beau-Jarred -are also musicians. Beau-Jarred is a guitarist and accompanies his mother on The 2003 Australian hip-hop track "The Nosebleed Section" by The Hilltop Hoods sampled Melanie's "People in the Front Row".
In 2004 Melanie released Paled by Dimmer Light, which is co-produced by Peter and Beau-Jarred Schekeryk.
In 2010 the last album co- produced by her now late husband Peter Schekeryj and their son Beau Jarred Schekeryk was released: Ever Since You Never Heard Of Me
Melanie, who became the voice of an era in one magical instant onstage at Woodstock, has been putting the pieces in order.
Pieces of a career, scattered by the winds of experience and assembled again by the force of love into the most personal and brilliant moments of her musical journey.
Melanie is poised to enlighten new generations about what it means to sing with both passion and eloquence, to write at once with intelligence and emotion, and to inspire through song… and nobody does this better than Melanie.
Others learned this that night at Woodstock, where as a New York kid barely known outside of the coffeehouse circuit in Greenwich Village, she sang her song "Beautiful People" and inspired the first panorama of candles and cigarette lighters ever raised at a concert event. That, in turn, moved the young singer to write "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain"), which sold more than one million copies in 1970 and
prompted Billboard, Cashbox, Melody Maker, Record World, and Bravo to anoint her
as female vocalist of the year. Her single "Brand New Key," an infectious romp about
freedom and roller skates, topped the charts in 1971.
And so her story began.
With guitar in hand and a talent that combined amazing vocal equipment, disarming
humor, and a vibrant engagement with life, she was booked as the first solo pop/rock
artist ever to appear from the Royal Albert Hall to Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan
Opera House, and later opened the New Metropolitan Opera House in New York, the
Sydney Opera House, and in the General Assembly of the United Nations, where she
was invited to perform on many occasions as delegates greeted her performances
with standing ovations.
The top television hosts of all time -- Ed Sullivan, Johnny Carson, and Dick Cavett --
battled to book her. (After her stunning performance on his show, Sullivan goggled
that he had not seen such a "dedicated and responsive audience since ElvisPresley.")
Accolades rolled in, from critics ("Melanie's cult has long been famous, but it's a cult
that's responding to something genuine and powerful -- which is maybe another way
of saying that this writer counts himself as part of the cult too," wrote John Rockwell
in The New York Times) as well as peers ("Melanie," insisted jazz piano virtuoso
Roger Kellaway, "is extraordinary to the point that she could be sitting in front of us in
this room and sing something like 'Momma Momma' right to us, and it would just go
right through your entire being.")
In the years that followed Melanie continued to record, continued to tour.
UNICEF made her its spokesperson; Jimi Hendrix's father introduced her to the
multitude assembled for the twentieth anniversary of Woodstock. Her records
continued to sell -- more than eighty million to date. She's had her songs covered by
singers as diverse as Cher, Dolly Parton, and Macy Gray. She's raised a family, won
an Emmy, opened a restaurant, written a musical about Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity
Jane…
She has, in short, lived a rare life. But all of it was just a prelude to what's about to
come.
"For the first time, I'm not afraid to voice exactly what I feel. I used to feel that I didn't
want to say too much, but now I can say anything. I feel like a person who's never
been heard. Maybe people think they've heard me, but they never really have. I'm a
new artist who is having so much fun with my voice -- a person shouldn't be allowed
to have so much fun. I'm the woman I wanted to be when I was sixteen and going for
Edith Piaf. It's me -- I'm back."
(Written by Robert L. Doerschuk)
Actress
Melanie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You see she is the actress who plays the part of snow
And when they ask her to play Jesus well she turned down the role
And when they ask her to play sunlight she gave it a try
And when they ask her to play music she'll sing till she dies
Well she wouldn't die of pleasure, she wouldn't die from pain
And some say she whiles away her life in the lights that change her
She will not live for friends she'll die of strangers
She will not live for friends she's gonna die of strangers
And all her young men told her they liked the songs they heard
They loved the melodies but they didn't understand the words
And some say she whiles away her life in the lights that change her
She will not live for friends she's gonna die of strangers
She wouldn't live for friends she'll die of strangers
Won't you lay down children, won't you lay and take you rest
Won't you lay your head on you dear Saviour's breast
Well I love you but Jesus loves you best
And I bid you good night, good night, good night
And I bid you good night, good night, good night, good night, good night
They're gonna eat up all the children when they wouldn't be good
Good night, good night, good night
You see she was the actress who played the part of snow
And when they ask her to play Jesus well she turned down the role
And when they ask her to play sunlight she gave it a try
And when they ask her to play music, her own sweet music
Now they asked her to play music and she sang till she died
Well I love you but Jesus loves you the best
And I bid you good night, good night, good night
In Melanie's song "Actress", she sings about a woman who is an actress and is constantly playing different roles in her life. The lyrics suggest that she is a talented, versatile performer who can seemingly play any part, but she refuses to play the role of Jesus. She is also depicted as living for herself, not for her friends, and accepting of whatever life brings her way.
The first stanza sets the stage for the song’s theme, with the actress being asked to play different roles, but refusing to take on the role of Jesus. This could be interpreted as her not wanting to be held to a certain standard religiously, but also refusing to be pigeonholed into any one category. The second stanza shows the actress’ acceptance of the unpredictability of life. She won't be held down by pleasure or pain or even starshine, and she isn’t afraid of strangers or the unknown. She is willing to live her life as she wants to, even if it shows that she is a bit of a loner. The third and final stanza is a call to rest - rest in the love of Jesus. The actress may have refused to take on the role, but Melanie is still putting faith and love at the center of the song.
Overall, "Actress" is a melancholic reflection on the life of a talented performer, who is keen to keep moving forward and embracing new challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
You see she is the actress who plays the part of snow
She lives her life as an actress, portraying something beautiful yet ephemeral.
And when they ask her to play Jesus well she turned down the role
She does not want to take on a role that is sacred to many.
And when they ask her to play sunlight she gave it a try
She is willing to experiment with different personas, but only on her own terms.
And when they ask her to play music she'll sing till she dies
She is passionate about making music, and will devote herself to it completely.
Well she wouldn't die of pleasure, she wouldn't die from pain
She is not looking for extremes of pleasure or pain in her life.
She wouldn't die of starshine and she'll forgive the rain
She won't let fame or success get to her head, and will accept the setbacks life throws at her.
And some say she whiles away her life in the lights that change her
Some believe that she is consumed by the superficial and transient aspects of her career.
She will not live for friends she'll die of strangers
She is not interested in living for others, and would rather die for something meaningful and worthwhile.
And all her young men told her they liked the songs they heard
Her lovers were enamored with her music, but did not fully appreciate what it represented.
They loved the melodies but they didn't understand the words
They appreciated the surface-level appeal of her music, but failed to grasp its deeper meaning.
Won't you lay down children, won't you lay and take you rest
She is urging others to take a break and find peace in life.
Won't you lay your head on you dear Saviour's breast
She is suggesting that true comfort can be found in spiritual faith.
Well I love you but Jesus loves you best
She cares for others, but recognizes that true love and compassion comes from a higher power.
And I bid you good night, good night, good night
She is saying goodbye, perhaps forever.
They're gonna eat up all the children when they wouldn't be good
She is warning of the consequences of ignorance and apathy in society.
You see she was the actress who played the part of snow
She has always lived her life as a performer, embodying fleeting yet beautiful things.
And when they ask her to play Jesus well she turned down the role
She will not compromise her own beliefs and values, even for the sake of fame or fortune.
And when they ask her to play sunlight she gave it a try
She is open to exploring different aspects of her acting persona, as long as it aligns with her own sense of self.
And when they ask her to play music, her own sweet music
She fully embraces her musical identity, and will champion her own unique sound and vision.
Now they asked her to play music and she sang till she died
She remained devoted to her craft until the very end, regardless of the challenges or obstacles she faced.
And I bid you good night, good night, good night
She is bidding farewell, and expressing hope that others will find peace and comfort in their own lives.
Contributed by Mia A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.