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)
Ring The Living Bell
Melanie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ring the living bell
Shine the living light
Shine the living light
Ring the living bell
Ring the living bell
RING THE LIVING BELL
Been celebrating 'way too long
'n' I've been drinkin', I'm ashamed to tell
Still feel thirsty
God I want to drink the water from the well
Still feel thirsty
God I want to drink and ring the living bell
Ring the bell, ah
Ring the living bell
Still feel thirsty
God, I want to give and ring the living bell
I'm not a magic lady
But I want to sing to help the light
Descend on the earth today
Because it's gonna get dark tonight
Sing the light, ah
Sing the living light
Still feel weak, but God,
I want to give and shine the living light
Still feel weak, but God,
I want to give and shine the living light
Been walking down the street all night
'n' I been feeling kinda cold
Still feel naked
God I wanna be warm before I get old and I'm cold
Ah, an' I'm feeling cold
Still feel hungry
God I want to give and ring the living bell
Still feel hungry
God I want to live and ring the living bell
Been celebrating 'way too long 'n' I have eaten much too well
Still feel hungry
God I want to give and ring the living bell
Ring the bell, ah
Ring the living bell
Still feel hungry
God I want to give and ring the living bell
Still feel hungry
God I want to give and ring the living bell
Still feel hungry
God I want to give and ring the living bell
Ring the living bell
SHINE THE LIVING LIGHT (Reprise)
Ring the living bell, ring the living bell
Shine the living light, shine the living light
Ring the living bell, ring the living bell
Shine the living light, shine the living light
Ring the living bell, ring the living bell
Shine the living light, shine the living light
Ring the living bell, ring the living bell
Shine the living light, shine the living light
Ring the living bell, shine the living light
Shine the living light, shine the living light
Ring the living bell, ring the living bell
Shine the living light, shine the living light
The song "Ring The Living Bell" by Melanie Safka is a plea to ring a bell and shine a light in order to bring goodness into life. The lyrics begin with the repetition of the phrase "Ring the living bell" and "Shine the living light" multiple times in order to reinforce the message. The singer admits to their shortcomings, particularly in drinking excessively, and expresses a desire for spiritual fulfillment. She wants to drink the water from the well, which is likely a metaphor for finding deeper meaning in life. Throughout the song, she expresses a yearning to give and to live, indicating a desire to be of service to others and to experience life to the fullest.
The song progresses to explain the singer's desire to sing and bring light to the earth. She recognizes that darkness is coming, but she wants to do her part to bring light to the world. She expresses feeling naked and cold, but hopes to find warmth before growing old. She continues to express her hunger and thirst, both literally and figuratively, hoping to find fulfillment through giving and ringing the bell. Ultimately, the song concludes with a reprise of the chorus, emphasizing the importance of ringing the bell and shining the light.
Overall, "Ring The Living Bell" is a powerful message of hope and redemption, encouraging listeners to address their shortcomings and seek deeper meaning in life. The repeated calls to ring the bell and shine the light serve as reminders to actively pursue goodness and to be of service to others.
Line by Line Meaning
Ring the living bell
Expresses the need for change and action
Shine the living light
Reinforces the need for action and the importance of light in guiding the way
Been celebrating 'way too long
Acknowledges the excess and indulgence in celebration and desires for a change
'n' I've been drinkin', I'm ashamed to tell
Shows the negative effects of the excess, leading to shame and acknowledgement of mistakes
Still feel thirsty
Desires for more in life and the metaphorical thirst for more experiences
God I want to drink the water from the well
Longing for spiritual nourishment and guidance
God, I want to give and ring the living bell
Expressing the desire to give back to the community and create positive change
I'm not a magic lady
Acknowledges that the singer cannot solve everything alone, but can still make a difference
But I want to sing to help the light
Using her voice to spread a positive message and maintain hope in dark times
Because it's gonna get dark tonight
Emphasizes the need for hope and light in the midst of difficult times
Been walking down the street all night
Represents the journey and struggles faced in life
'n' I been feeling kinda cold
Represents the hardships faced that can make a person feel cold and alone
God I wanna be warm before I get old and I'm cold
Desires for comfort and warmth in life, and to not waste time in achieving them
Still feel hungry
Desires for more in life and hunger for new experiences
God I want to give and ring the living bell
Expressing the need to give back and create positive change in the world
Been celebrating 'way too long 'n' I have eaten much too well
Acknowledges the excess and indulgence in life, leading to a lack of satisfaction
Ring the living bell, shine the living light
Reinforcing the need for action and the importance of spreading hope and positivity
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind