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)
No Time To Smell The Flowers
Melanie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rushing through life
Takin' no time to smell the flowers
Years pass like hours
The seasons rush by
There's a song in the wind
And I feel it again
Blind eyes to the colours
The seasons rush by
There's no time to regret
No time for cryin'
There's a way to forget
But it dulls the senses
I want to live
With all my powers
Asking for this
Could be askin' for trouble
And I really don't like
Rushing through life
Takin' no time to take no chances
Danger in the dancing
The seasons rush by
There's a song in the wind
And I feel it again
They'll be no time to smell the flowers
Tears pass like hours
The seasons rush by
There's a wolf in disguise
Makes us pay our brothers
He puts fear in our eyes
And he dulls the senses
We want to live
With all our powers
Askin' for this
Could be askin' for trouble
The lyrics to Melanie's song "No Time To Smell The Flowers" are an observation on the fast-paced nature of life and how people often prioritize productivity over taking a moment to appreciate the beauty around them. The singer expresses her dislike for rushing through life without taking the time to enjoy little pleasures such as smelling flowers. The line "years pass like hours" implies that time moves quickly and people often don't realize how much of it they've let slip away. Seasons, which are used metaphorically, are rushed by, suggesting that people tend to take advantage of time moving fast and leave no room for reflection or taking chances.
The singer acknowledges that life is short and regrets and crying about past mistakes take up valuable time. It's better to forget and move on than dwell. However, forgetting dulls the senses, which is a reminder that in the race to achieve goals, it's essential to experience the things that make us human fully. The line "danger in the dancing" suggests that taking risks and chances is part of making the most of life, but rushing through it can be dangerous. Thus, the singer wants to live with all of her powers, acknowledge risk-taking as a fundamental part of life, but also appreciate the little things that help people savor each moment.
Line by Line Meaning
And I really don't like
The singer is expressing dislike towards rushing through life.
Rushing through life
Describing how the singer dislikes hurrying through life.
Takin' no time to smell the flowers
The singer does not take the time to enjoy beautiful moments of life.
Years pass like hours
Describing how time quickly goes by without enjoyable moments.
The seasons rush by
Time goes by fast without the ability to embrace seasons.
There's a song in the wind
The singer feels an uplifting and peaceful atmosphere sounds carried by the wind.
And I feel it again
After a long time without feeling the song in the wind, the singer feels it again.
They'll be no time to smell the flowers
The artist predicts there won't be any time to enjoy life's moments.
Blind eyes to the colours
The artist is unable to perceive life's beauty because of the rushed speed of life.
The seasons rush by
Time goes by quickly without the ability to appreciate seasons' scenery.
There's no time to regret
The singer believes there is not much time to be wasted in regretting past actions.
No time for cryin'
The artist believes there is no use in wasting time crying.
There's a way to forget
An alternative to feeling regret might be to forget past actions altogether.
But it dulls the senses
The side effect of forgetting is losing the ability to detect and distinguish things.
I want to live
The singer desires to live fully.
With all my powers
The artist wants to live to the best of their abilities.
Asking for this
Living to the fullest comes with challenges.
Could be askin' for trouble
There can be potential problems involved with the idea of living to the fullest.
Takin' no time to take no chances
The singer avoids taking risks in life.
Danger in the dancing
The artist may find risks in taking opportunities presented in life.
Tears pass like hours
Sorrowful times may seem long and impacting.
There's a wolf in disguise
Describing an deceitful and malevolent force that exists.
Makes us pay our brothers
The malevolent force exploits people to harm each other.
He puts fear in our eyes
The malevolent force creates fear and anxiety in individuals.
And he dulls the senses
The malevolent force has an effect on dulling people's senses and ability to distinguish things.
We want to live
The singer advocates for living to the fullest.
With all our powers
The singer supports living to the best of one's ability.
Askin' for this
Living to the fullest comes with certain risks.
Could be askin' for trouble
Living to the fullest involves potential issues that might arise.
Contributed by Alice Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.