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)
Center Of The Circle
Melanie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got some time so hold me mister
You've got what's been on my mind
Keep on holding me
Hold me I need everybody
Keep me while I look around
You've got what I haven't found
Keep on holding me
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo;
doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo;
doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo;
La la la la la la la la la la.
La la la la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la la
I wish I lived a blessed life
Home grown food and Christ on Sunday
In another life time one day
That is where I'll be
Oh, hold me I need everybody
Keep me in your light, light sun
Until I'm center of your circle
Keep me hangin' on
Until I'm center of your circle
Keep me hangin' on
Well I was born between the signs
Got some time so hold me mister
You've got what's been on my mind
Keep on holding me
Hold me I need everybody
Keep me while I'm feeling down
You've got what I haven't found
Keep on holding me
Oh, hold me I need everybody
Keep me in your light light sun
Until I'm center of your circle
Keep me hangin' on.
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo;
doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo;
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo;
doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
La la la la
Da da da da da da da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da da da da
La la la la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la la
The lyrics of "Center of the Circle" by Melanie express her desire to feel connected to others and to feel a sense of belonging in the world. She was born between the signs, which could refer to her astrological signs or simply the circumstances of her birth. Regardless, she feels like she needs everyone to hold her and keep her company while she tries to find her place. She speaks of wishing for a blessed life, where she can have homegrown food and attend church on Sundays. She longs for this type of life even if it may be in another lifetime.
Melanie's lyrics capture the sense of displacement and longing felt by many people, especially those who may feel like they don't belong. She is asking for people to keep her in their light and hold on to her until she becomes the center of their circle. The repetition of the doo-doo-doo's and the la-la-la's makes the song feel dreamlike and even more reflective of Melanie's desire for a different reality. Overall, the song suggests a deep sense of wanting to feel connected and loved, even if only for a moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I was born between the signs
I was born in between two astrological signs
I got some time so hold me mister
I have some time, so please hold me
You've got what's been on my mind
You have what's been occupying my thoughts
Keep on holding me
Please continue to hold me
Hold me I need everybody
I need everyone to hold me
Keep me while I look around
Please hold me while I take a look at my surroundings
You've got what I haven't found
You possess something that I haven't discovered yet
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo;
doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo;
doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo;
La la la la la la la la la la.
La la la la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la la
Instrumental break
I wish I lived a blessed life
I desire to live a blessed life
Home grown food and Christ on Sunday
Eating home grown food and going to church every Sunday
In another life time one day
In a hypothetical future life
That is where I'll be
I will be there
Oh, hold me I need everybody
Oh, please hold me, I need everyone
Keep me in your light, light sun
Keep me in your warm and caring light
Until I'm center of your circle
Until I become the focus of your attention
Keep me hangin' on
Keep me supported and uplifted
Well I was born between the signs
I was born in between two astrological signs
Got some time so hold me mister
I have some time, so please hold me
You've got what's been on my mind
You have what's been occupying my thoughts
Keep on holding me
Please continue to hold me
Hold me I need everybody
I need everyone to hold me
Keep me while I'm feeling down
Please hold me while I'm feeling sad
You've got what I haven't found
You possess something that I haven't discovered yet
Keep on holding me
Please continue to hold me
Oh, hold me I need everybody
Oh, please hold me, I need everyone
Keep me in your light light sun
Keep me in your warm and caring light
Until I'm center of your circle
Until I become the focus of your attention
Keep me hangin' on.
Keep me supported and uplifted
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo;
doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo;
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo;
doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
La la la la
da da da da da da da da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da da da da
La la la la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la la
Instrumental break
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MELANIE SAFKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind