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)
Extraordinary
Melanie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I choose my words more carefully than you might choose to hear
And I love you so much, so there, I've said it
And how I wish you loved me to
But what I feel will fill my life
Some of my dreams came true
I count my blessings as I curse my fate and plight
A least not in this life
You fill an emptiness
And I'm thankful for just knowing you
And as I soar in poet's flight
Though you are far from touch and sight
What I feel is all beautiful and light
Some of my dreams came true
Sweep over me
Sweep over me
Leading me on my journey
Sweep over me
Sweep over me
Leading me on my way
You are extraordinary, magnificent and rare
And if I never sang this song
I'd leave it hanging in the air
Some small part of me has gone to places that can't be gotten to
And as I soar in poet's flight
What I feel some people do
Where it's all beautiful and light
Some of my dreams came true
Extraordinary
by Melanie is a heartfelt song that captures the feeling of loving someone who may not reciprocate those same feelings. The main chorus repeats the line, "You are extraordinary, magnificent, and rare," indicating the singer's high regard for the person they're addressing. However, the chorus also implies that the singer is fully aware of how their words may not be perceived as they intend them to be. They state that they choose their words carefully, acknowledging that the object of their affection may not feel the same way about them. Despite this, the singer loves this person deeply and wishes for their love in return.
The second verse highlights the struggle that the singer faces in coming to terms with their unrequited love. They express how they feel blessed to have this person in their life, even if they cannot have them in the way that they desire. The singer sees the positive in their situation, despite their suffering. The third and final verse emphasizes the beauty of the singer's feelings, even though they cannot fully act on them. The words in this verse indicate that love has the power to transcend physical boundaries, and one can experience beautiful sensations and emotions even without physical touch.
Overall, Melanie's song Extraordinary expresses the complicated emotions that come with loving someone who may not return that love. It is a beautiful tribute to the complexities of human emotion and the power of love, even when it is not reciprocated.
Line by Line Meaning
You are extraordinary, magnificent and rare
You are an exceptional and rare person, possessing qualities that make you stand out from others.
I choose my words more carefully than you might choose to hear
I am being cautious with my words because I am unsure of how you will receive them.
And I love you so much, so there, I've said it
I am expressing my deep love for you, despite any potential consequences or rejection.
And how I wish you loved me too
I desire for you to reciprocate my feelings of love.
But what I feel will fill my life
Despite the lack of reciprocation of feelings, my own love will bring plenty of happiness and fulfillment to my life.
Some of my dreams came true
Some of my dreams have been fulfilled, despite the limitations of reality.
I count my blessings as I curse my fate and plight
Although I may feel frustrated with the circumstances of my life, I also acknowledge the positive aspects and things to be grateful for.
Though you'll never be the one
Despite my love for you, I understand that you may never reciprocate those feelings.
At least not in this life
There may be hope for future connections and relationships, but not in the current state of things.
You fill an emptiness
You bring joy and fulfillment to my life, filling a void that was previously there.
And I'm thankful for just knowing you
I am grateful for the relationship we have, even if it is not exactly as I hoped it would be.
And as I soar in poet's flight
As I express my emotions through the art of poetry, I experience a sense of freedom and release.
Though you are far from touch and sight
Even though we may be physically distant, my feelings for you continue to thrive.
What I feel is all beautiful and light
My emotions are positive and uplifting, despite any potential heartache or sadness.
Sweep over me, Sweep over me, Leading me on my journey
I am asking for guidance and support as I navigate my life's journey.
And if I never sang this song, I'd leave it hanging in the air
This song is a representation of my feelings for you, and if I never expressed them through music, they would be left unsaid.
Some small part of me has gone to places that can't be gotten to
My emotions have taken me to unreachable places, experiencing a depth of feeling that cannot be fully explained.
And as I soar in poet's flight, What I feel some people do
As a poet, I am able to express a sense of emotion that many people experience.
Where it's all beautiful and light
The emotions I experience are positive and uplifting, bringing lightness to my life.
Some of my dreams came true
Despite any challenges or limitations, some of my dreams have been fulfilled.
Contributed by Landon R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
goatdennis
absolutely beautiful and she is in great voice. have seen her close with this and is one of my favorites !
benjihoney
I love this song - and thanks for sharing this wonderful concert from Austria. Can you tell me where in Austria this was please. I noticed there is no '09' has this been missed? - many thanks Terry.
warren herman
Beautiful . Mom and son. Thanks
melmussoc
@benjihoney The concert took place in Horsching, Austria, October 30th, 2004. 09 was a performance of a Beau-Jarred unfinished work, not suitable/available for publication.