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)
Hard Rain
Melanie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where have you been, my darling young one?
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard
And it's a hard rain's gonna fall
Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin'
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin'
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.
And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?
I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin'
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world
I Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin'
Heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin'
Heard one person starve,
I heard ten people laughin'
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, hard
And it's a hard rain's gonna fall.
(Oh, who did you meet, my blue-eyed son?
Who did you meet, my darling young one?
I met a young child beside a dead pony
I met a white man who walked a black dog
I met a young woman whose body was burning
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow
I met one man who was wounded in love
I met another man who was wounded with hatred
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's gonna fall)
Oh, what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what'll you do now, my darling young one?
I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin'
I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
Where the executioner's face is always well hidden
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten
Where black is the color, where none is the number
And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin'
But I'll know my song well before I start singin'
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's gonna fall
"Hard Rain" by Melanie Safka is a cover of Bob Dylan's song that focuses on the difficulties and hardships of life. The song asks the question of where someone has been, what they have seen, and what they have heard, and the answer is a range of dark and troubling images that depict a world in chaos. The singer has traveled extensively and encountered a variety of disturbing scenarios that paint a bleak picture of the world's future.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of impending doom, echoed in the repeated refrain, "It's a hard rain's gonna fall." The metaphorical rain symbolizes the struggles, hardships, and strife that are to come, and it falls relentlessly on all, regardless of their innocence or guilt, and there is no escaping it. The song's final verse carries a message of hope that even in the face of destruction, there is a chance for redemption. The singer vows to spread the message about what they have seen, thought, and felt, hoping others will see the truth and work to bring about a more just and equitable world.
Line by Line Meaning
Where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
What have you experienced and where have you travelled, my child?
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I have travelled through difficult terrains of twelve mountains with unclear pathways.
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways
I have journeyed through six paths of dishonesty and injustice.
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I've stood witness to the gloom and darkness in the midst of seven heart-wrenching forests.
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I have mourned over the loss of life and end of possibilities at twelve oceans devoid of vitality.
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
I have seen and felt the struggle and despair of ten thousand lives in the clutches of death.
And it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard
It is tough and it's going to be a challenge.
And it's a hard rain's gonna fall
A difficult period awaits us.
Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
What else have you seen, my dear?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I have seen the innocence of a child being threatened by the world's harshness.
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I have seen the emptiness in a path that is deemed precious and valuable.
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin'
I have encountered the evidence of life and soul being drained from a branch.
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin'
I witnessed the grueling and futile work of men, who relentlessly continue to partake in labor that scars them.
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
I found a metaphorical ladder that was submerged underwater, meaningless and difficult to climb.
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken
I encountered those who love to talk but are unable to articulate, express, or communicate their dreams.
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children
I bore witness to the tragedy of violence, fighting, and war being handed down to the youth.
And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
What else did you hear, my dear?
I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin'
I have heard the voice of nature speaking to us, warning us about the impending disaster.
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world
I was shaken by the sound of a wave that can wash away, destroy, and ravage everything and everyone.
I Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin'
I witnessed the energetic and passionate spirit of one hundred drummers who used their hand to create music, to impact, to roar.
Heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin'
I have heard the whispers of the unheard and the marginalized, whose voice has been ignored and muted by the powerful.
Heard one person starve,
I heard the sound of hunger and its painful, devastating impact on an individual.
I heard ten people laughin'
I also encountered those who continue to find joy in spite of the chaos and destruction around them.
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter
I bear witness to the tragedy of beautiful expressions being silenced to the dust.
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley
I felt the pain and gut-wrenching sadness of a clown who despite the laughter his profession brought, knows what it's like to be forgotten.
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, hard
It is tough and challenging.
And it's a hard rain's gonna fall.
We're in for an extended challenging time.
(Oh, who did you meet, my blue-eyed son?
(Who else did you meet, my dear?)
I met a young child beside a dead pony
I encountered a child who has lost their innocence, growth and vibrant life, standing beside despair and death.
I met a white man who walked a black dog
I encountered an individual walking along with a seemingly different companion but eventually realized that both of them were shadowed by their faults and biases.
I met a young woman whose body was burning
I came face to face with a woman being consumed by pain, both physically and emotionally.
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow
I have encountered a child with a pure spirit that despite the world's darkness, can offer us hope and color.
I met one man who was wounded in love
I have seen an individual with the painful signs of heartbreak, impacted by love that didn't work out.
I met another man who was wounded with hatred
I met another individual carrying deep pain and anger, carrying a wound that is hard to heal.
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
This isn't going to be easy.
It's a hard rain's gonna fall)
We're in for a challenging period.
Oh, what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
What will you do now, my dear?
I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin'
I am ready to go back outside before the difficult phase arrives.
I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest
I will be brave enough to walk through the darkness and uncertainty to get to where I need to be.
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty
I will visit the place where people are numerous but lack fulfillment and depth.
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
I will go to where the symbols of pain and sickness are destroying what sustains life, water and all its forms.
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
I will step into the intersection of two extremes, where a house and a prison merge into one being.
Where the executioner's face is always well hidden
I will witness the acts of punishment and vengeance that society hides and shuns away from.
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten
I will stand in the metropolis of hunger, where people are left to starve and souls are easily discarded and ignored.
Where black is the color, where none is the number
I will enter a place where there isn't any diversity, where everybody is the same and feel a disquieting sense of powerlessness.
And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it
I will disseminate my story and my experiences, thinking about it, vocalizing it and acting on it, encompassing all elements of my being.
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
I will reflect and convey my story from an elevated position so that it is visible to all the souls out there.
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin'
I will place myself on the vast majority that is the ocean and challenge myself to stay afloat and persist despite the odds.
But I'll know my song well before I start singin'
I will be prepared and recall my identity, knowing the story I ought to tell before I start singing it.
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
This isn't going to be easy.
It's a hard rain's gonna fall.
A challenging time awaits us.
Writer(s): Bob Dylan Copyright: Special Rider Music
Contributed by Caleb M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Jumbofreddy
very original version! singing and music!
@groovyguru5314
I'm tripping !
@IanWalkerMelmanian
Great stuff, all round, and I can't keep still, this video is a winner! So COOL, in the original sense of that exhausted word. Your use of that old footage of Melanie from '68 is masterful, Sky. One classy creation, this. And Bobby looks like he's dug it at the end too...
@vibesinthesky
Thanks Ian, I loved fitting a bit of Bobo into the proceedings. And of course Bob thought it was cool, who wouldn't when Melanie sings it with such passion and puts a dance beat into a folk protest song!
@sfdungeon
really well done ..once again.
@jorgeaguilar2064
Hermoso canta w tecuerdos
@MrJenniferwahl8
love this
@Alsatiagent
It was apropos but I did not expect the footage from Leni Riefenstahl.
@vibesinthesky
Thanks. Yes I thought long & hard before including that footage, but after having seen the movie "Race" where LR called out Goebbels (whether that is true fact I don't know), and because of the nature of the song being about how war, whatever form it comes in, may bring about the end of mankind, I thought it was as you say apropos.
@victors1689
Superbly comical and tragic