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)
Birthday Of The Sun
Melanie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm the one
I found the birthday of the sun
But all things change
And I think it's the birthday of the rain
If I never said goodbye
To all that I've known
But still I will not cry
I'm not finished yet, boy
So wipe the smile from your eyes
Because if I were to hang my head
I'd miss all the rainbows
And I'd drown in raindrops instead.
I'm the one
I found the birthday of the sun
And all things change
And I'm sure it's the birthday of the rain.
If I never said goodbye
To all that I've known
I would never be alone
But still I'm win
I'm not finished yet, world
So wipe the smirk from your chin
Because if I were to hang my head
I'd miss all the rainbows
And I'd drown in raindrops instead
But I'm the one
I found the birthday of the sun
And all things change
And now I'm sure it's the birthday of the rain
And all things change
And now I think it's the birthday of the rain
And all things change
And now I know it's the birthday of the rain
And all things change
And now I'm sure it's the birthday of the rain
And all things change
And now I'm sure it's the birthday of the rain
All things change
Happy Birthday to the rain
The lyrics of Melanie's song "Birthday of the Sun" are full of imagery, metaphors and contrasts, which make them open to different interpretations. The first stanza sets the tone for the song with the lines "I'm the one I found the birthday of the sun/ But all things change/ And I think it's the birthday of the rain". This could be read as a reflection on the nature of life, which is always in flux, always changing, and which requires an ability to adapt to new situations. The image of the birthday, usually associated with happiness and celebration, is used to convey the idea that change can be both positive and negative, depending on how we perceive it and respond to it.
The second stanza adds a layer of personal reflection with the lines "If I never said goodbye/ To all that I've known/ I would never be alone/But still I will not cry". Here, the singer seems to be acknowledging the difficulty of letting go of the past, but also affirming her resilience and determination to keep going. The repeated line "I'm not finished yet" reinforces this sense of agency and purpose, while the warning to "wipe the smile from your eyes" suggests that the singer is aware of the challenges ahead and does not want to deceive herself or others with false optimism.
Overall, the song can be interpreted as a tribute to the power of change, the capacity of humans to adapt, and the importance of embracing the present moment without losing sight of the past or the future.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm the one
I am the discoverer and bringer of something new
I found the birthday of the sun
I have discovered the origin and essence of something powerful and positive
But all things change
Nothing remains the same forever; everything is in constant flux
And I think it's the birthday of the rain
I have come to realize that something else, perhaps less celebrated, has taken precedence over what I once revered
If I never said goodbye
To all that I've known
I would never be alone
If I had never parted from my familiar ways and clung to the past, I would not be experiencing the solitude and independence that I now revel in
But still I will not cry
Even with the uncertainty and challenges that come with change, I will remain stoic and unemotional
I'm not finished yet, boy
I still have much to accomplish and achieve; there is no time to rest or cease growing
So wipe the smile from your eyes
Do not underestimate me or take my goals less seriously because of my youthful appearance or demeanor
Because if I were to hang my head
I'd miss all the rainbows
And I'd drown in raindrops instead.
If I were to wallow in despair or regret, I would overlook the beauty and potential for growth that exists even in dark times
And I'm sure it's the birthday of the rain.
I now have complete confidence that the emergence and presence of change and growth in my life is symbolized by rain rather than the sun
But still I'm win
Despite the ongoing challenges and obstacles, I still have the upper hand and am succeeding
I'm not finished yet, world
There is still much to explore, learn and give to others, and I refuse to let external factors prevent me from achieving my goals
So wipe the smirk from your chin
Do not doubt my abilities or look down on me because of my gender, race or background
And all things change
Happy Birthday to the rain
Change is inevitable; therefore, it is important to celebrate and embrace it as part of the richness and complexity of life itself
Contributed by Adam V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.