For her performance in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar as Mary Magdalene, Chisholm won Best Supporting Actress in a musical at the Whatsonstage.com Awards.
Melanie also has co-written 11 UK Number 1s - more than any other female artist independently or as part of a duo, quartet or quintet, being surpassed by Madonna in 2006.
Melanie started her music career in 1996 as one fifth of the world's biggest girl group, Spice Girls. During their reign of the 1990s, the girls scored nine number 1 singles in the UK, sold over 40 million albums worldwide and made their distinctive mark on pop culture. By 2000, that figure rose to 53 million and preceded the groups’ eventual disbandment as well as Melanie’s burgeoning solo career.
Embracing a new creative direction, her first solo endeavour was the Bryan Adams duet ‘When You’re Gone’, which reached the UK Top 3 and became a huge European hit. Setting the tone for her first ever debut solo album, ‘Northern Star’ followed in 1999 and peaked at Number 4. Spawning 2 Number 1 singles, it was certified triple platinum in the United Kingdom, Gold in Australia and platinum in Europe.
Her second solo album, the Top 5 hit ‘Reason’, followed in March 2003. Containing tracks produced by former New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander and Marius De Vries (Madonna, Rufus Wainright), it boasted a vibrant, coesive sound of increasing musical maturity and rapidly went Gold after the lead Top Ten single ‘Here It Comes Again’.
In early 2004, Melanie founded her own independent label Red Girl Records. So-called after her beloved Liverpool Football Club and propensity to blush easily, it provided undiluted artistic freedom and saw the release of ‘Beautiful Intentions’, Melanie’s third solo LP.
Songs were previewed before fans at a series a Barfly gigs in the summer of 2004 as Melanie became eager to encapsulate the 'live' feel of her new tracks and one such previewed track, Next Best Superstar , was decided as the first single. It scored a top ten hit for Melanie at the start of 2005 and second single Better Alone was released as a download and through the official online shop.
In late 2005, Melanie was asked to record the theme tune to German soap opera 'Julia'. The track, written by Guy Chambers and Enrique Iglesias entitled First Day Of My Life, was then released in Germany where it topped the charts and was certified platinum after selling a massive 400,000 copies. But its success didn't stop there, going on to be number 1 in Spain, Portugal and Austria, it became one of the biggest hits of the year. The huge success of the single reflected on album sales as Beautiful Intentions became certified gold in Germany and platinum in Portugal, where it stayed at number 1 for nine weeks.
In October 2006 Melanie released her first ever Live Hits DVD. Recorded before a sold-out audience at London’s The Bridge, it featured 19 blistering hit singles and showcased her talent as both a writer and live performer.
Fast forward to now and Melanie kicks off 2007 with the challenge of 2 new singles prior to the album release. In Europe, the lead single is ‘The Moment You Believe’ – a beautiful love song written with long-term collaborator Peter Vettese that’s already powering its way up many European airplay charts. "This Time" also features writing and production credits from Guy Chambers, Cathy Dennis, Steve Mac, Stephen Hague, Jill Jackson and two of her own band members Paul Gendler and Greg Hatwell. Melanie played many festivals across Europe during the summer, including the sold out Isle of Wight Festival.
Here, the UK single is a stellar reinvigoration of the 1982 hit ‘I Want Candy’. Produced by Stephen Hague (whose previous credits include New Order, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Robbie Williams) it’s taken from the British film of the same name, which was heralded by Empire as “Fresh and funny a British American Pie”.
The videos for both singles were directed by Tim Royes and have attracted considerable attention. ‘The Moment You Believe’ was filmed in one continuos shot, while ‘I Want Candy’ sees Melanie dancing for the first time since the Spice Girls. As a result, it was the No.1 viewed video on You Tube the day it was added, gaining over 200,000 views.
In November 2007, Chisholm reunited with the Spice Girls for a Greatest Hits album release and a four-months world tour. When the tour reached its first two-day break, Chisholm performed an acoustic solo set at The Mint in Los Angeles on 6 December and another one in The Grand Ballroom in New York City. On the last show of the tour, Chisholm did her famous "Sporty Spice" backflip as a surprise to the fans, as well as the other Spice Girls. In February 2008 Chisholm returned to her solo career. She released her fourth album "This Time" in Canada on April 8 2008, followed by a full Canadian tour in May 2008. The first single was Carolyna. "Understand" was released as a second single in Canada on July 25th. The video was filmed largely in Toronto, but several live clips were included from her various Canadian performances as well.
On 22 August 2008, Melanie announced on her offical website she was pregnant and would start writing songs for her fifth studio-album.
In September 2011, she released her fifth solo album "The Sea". In September 2012, she released her sixth solo album "Stages", a collection of song covers from various musical theatre shows and films. In October 2016, she released her seventh solo album "Version of Me".
Take Your Pleasure
Melanie C Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That will not be necessary
Here's the reason why
Because your dreams of my premature demise will be overshadowed
By the truth you cannot hide
It seems simple to me that revenge ain't so sweet
Twisted turned you so ugly
You take your pleasure from my pain
I expect your delusion is part of you hating yourself
So take your pleasure from my pain
Your desire to obliterate my world isn't gonna happen
That's not what I deserve
With the belief that you bullied out of me
Did it satisfy you? Did it make you feel complete?
I would rather be free, keep my integrity
There's no price that's the bottom line
You take your pleasure from my pain
Inflict your damage
I expect your delusion is part of you hating yourself
So take your pleasure from my pain
Inflict your damage
I expect your delusion is part of you hating yourself
So take your pleasure from my pain
Say what you want, it's all in vain
It will be falling on deaf ears again
Say what you like this is my life
You don't understand what I need to survive
You take your pleasure from my pain
Inflict your damage
I expect your delusion is part of you hating yourself
So take your pleasure from my pain
You take your pleasure from my pain
Inflict your damage
I expect your delusion is part of you hating yourself
So take your pleasure from my pain
So take your pleasure from my pain
So take your pleasure from my pain
So take your pleasure from my pain
In the song "Take Your Pleasure," Melanie C addresses someone who has been causing her pain and inflicting damage on her life. The person wants to see her suffer and take pleasure in her pain, but she tells them that their desire for revenge is not going to satisfy them. She calls them out for hating themselves and tells them that she would rather be free and keep her integrity, even if it means enduring pain.
The lyrics are a powerful message about resilience in the face of adversity. Melanie C's use of strong, declarative language emphasizes her determination to overcome the obstacles in her life. She speaks directly to her tormentor, refusing to let them have the satisfaction of seeing her break. By taking control of the situation, she denies her antagonist the power they crave, asserting her own agency and strength.
Overall, "Take Your Pleasure" is a song about standing up for oneself, asserting one's boundaries, and refusing to be defined by the negative actions of others. Its themes of resilience and empowerment resonate with listeners who have experienced similar struggles in their own lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you feel I should say goodbye?
Do you think it's necessary for me to leave?
That will not be necessary
There's no need for me to leave.
Here's the reason why
Let me explain why I'm staying.
Because your dreams of my premature demise will be overshadowed
Your desire for me to fail won't come true.
By the truth you cannot hide
The facts speak for themselves and can't be hidden.
It seems simple to me that revenge ain't so sweet
Seeking revenge won't bring satisfaction.
Twisted turned you so ugly
Your desire for revenge has corrupted you.
You take your pleasure from my pain
You enjoy causing me pain and suffering.
Inflict your damage
You intentionally harm me.
I expect your delusion is part of you hating yourself
Your desire to hurt me stems from your own self-hatred.
So take your pleasure from my pain
Go ahead and enjoy my misery.
Your desire to obliterate my world isn't gonna happen
You won't succeed in destroying my life.
That's not what I deserve
I don't deserve to be hurt by you.
With the belief that you bullied out of me
You've tried to make me doubt myself.
Did it satisfy you? Did it make you feel complete?
Were you happy when you made me feel small and helpless?
I would rather be free, keep my integrity
I value my freedom and integrity more than revenge.
There's no price that's the bottom line
I won't compromise my values for revenge.
Say what you want, it's all in vain
Your words won't affect me anymore.
It will be falling on deaf ears again
I won't listen to your lies and insults.
Say what you like this is my life
I'll live my life the way I want.
You don't understand what I need to survive
You don't know what it takes for me to get by.
So take your pleasure from my pain
If hurting me makes you happy, go ahead.
So take your pleasure from my pain
Once again, enjoy my misery.
So take your pleasure from my pain
One more time, find joy in my suffering.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: PAUL RICHARD BODDY, MELANIE CHISHOLM, DELE LADIMEJI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind