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)
I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
Melanie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't look at it like it's forever
Between you and me, I could honestly say
That things can only get better
And while I'm away
Dust out the demons inside
And it won't be long before you and me run
And I guess that's why they call it the blues
Time on my hands could be time spent with you
Laughing like children, living like lovers
Rolling like thunder under the covers
And I guess that's why they call it the blues
Just stare into space
Picture my face in your hands
Live for each second without hesitation
And never forget I'm your man
Wait on me, girl
Cry in the night if it helps
But more than ever I simply love you
More than I love life itself
And I guess that's why they call it the blues
Time on my hands could be time spent with you
Laughing like children, living like lovers
Rolling like thunder under the covers
And I guess that's why they call it the blues
Wait on me, girl
Cry in the night if it helps
But more than ever I simply love you
More than I love life itself
And I guess that's why they call it the blues
Time on my hands could be time spent with you
Laughing like children, living like lovers
Rolling like thunder under the covers
And I guess that's why they call it the blues
(Laughing like children, living like lovers)
And I guess that's why they call it the blues
(Laughing like children, living like lovers)
And I guess that's why they call it the blues
And I guess that's why they call it the blues
The lyrics of Melanie's song "I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues" express the idea that although things may be tough and difficult in the present, as long as you have someone you love to hold onto, things will get better. The song is a love letter from the singer to their partner, reassuring them that they will return and that they should hold onto hope for the future. The line "don't look at it like it's forever" resonates with anyone who has gone through a tough time in life, reminding listeners that the hard times may seem endless, but they will eventually come to an end.
The chorus of the song serves as a reminder to the listener that love and laughter can conquer all. The line "time on my hands could be time spent with you" illustrates the importance of spending time with loved ones, especially during difficult times. The imagery of "laughing like children, living like lovers, rolling like thunder under the covers" conjures a feeling of comfort and connection, emphasizing that despite hardships, love brings joy and peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't wish it away
Don't hope to skip past the difficult moments in life
Don't look at it like it's forever
Don't view the struggles you face as permanent fixtures
Between you and me, I could honestly say
As someone who cares for you, I can say with sincerity
That things can only get better
That the future holds promise and improvement
And while I'm away
During the times when we're separated
Dust out the demons inside
Confront and challenge your inner demons and struggles
And it won't be long before you and me run
And soon enough, we'll be together again
To the place in our hearts where we hide
To the emotional refuge we find within one another
And I guess that's why they call it the blues
Perhaps this emotional pain is labeled 'the blues' for this very reason
Time on my hands could be time spent with you
I wish to spend any free time I have with you
Laughing like children, living like lovers
Embracing joy and passion like carefree children in love
Rolling like thunder under the covers
Engaging in passionate intimacy and connection
Just stare into space
Get lost in your thoughts
Picture my face in your hands
Visualize my image as a comfort or refuge
Live for each second without hesitation
Embrace every passing moment without reservation
And never forget I'm your man
Remember that I am always here for you
Wait on me, girl
Be patient for my return
Cry in the night if it helps
Release your emotions and let yourself grieve if necessary
But more than ever I simply love you
Know that my love for you grows ever stronger
More than I love life itself
My love for you is the most important thing in my life
(Laughing like children, living like lovers)
(Embracing joy and passion like carefree children in love)
(Laughing like children, living like lovers)
(Embracing joy and passion like carefree children in love)
And I guess that's why they call it the blues
This emotional pain is labeled 'the blues' because it's often tied to love and loss
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bernie Taupin, Davey Johnstone, Elton John
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind