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".
Wonderland
Melanie C Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It isn't fair, there is no other way
Still I walk on
And I walk on
With a blade against my back for me to fall on
Time is not a friend to me
Dragging weighs me down
Used to be a wonderland
Stable as a castle made of sand
And I reclaim
Mistakes that I made
And the scratches on my back that read out your name
Time is not a friend to me
Dragging weighs me down
Pulling me in danger
Time will never heal the pain
Blameless, you are not the same
Shameless, you are not a friend of mine
Time is not a friend to me
Dragging weighs me down
Pulling me in danger
Time is not a friend to me
Dragging weighs me down
Pulling me in danger
Time, is not a friend to me
Seems so hard to understand
I can't escape, escape the memory
Help me spin back through the years
To find a place that I once knew as wonderland
Wonderland
Wonderland
Wonderland
The lyrics to Melanie C's song "Wonderland" portray a sense of loss and longing for a time in the past that was once magical and full of wonder. The first verse speaks to a struggle with memory loss and a feeling of unfairness, as if time has left the singer behind. Despite this, she continues to walk on, even with a potential danger looming behind her. The chorus repeats the idea that time is not a friend but rather a weight that drags her down and pulls her towards danger.
The second verse adds more detail to the idea of a lost wonderland, describing it as once being stable like a castle made of sand. The singer takes responsibility for past mistakes but also notes the marks left behind by another person, as if an outside force helped contribute to the loss of wonder. The bridge repeats the idea that time cannot heal the pain, and the refrain emphasizes the difficulty in understanding time's seemingly arbitrary passage.
Taken as a whole, "Wonderland" speaks to a universal nostalgia for a past that cannot be reclaimed. Despite the sadness in the lyrics, there is a sense of hopefulness in the singer's determination to keep moving forward and find a sense of wonder once again.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't remember yesterday
I am unable to recall my past experiences and memories.
It isn't fair, there is no other way
The situation that I find myself in is not just and there are no alternatives.
Still I walk on
Despite facing difficulties, I continue to move forward.
And I walk on
I keep moving on, not giving up hope.
With a blade against my back for me to fall on
I am in a vulnerable position where I could be hurt or taken advantage of.
Time is not a friend to me
The passage of time has not been kind to me.
Dragging weighs me down
Time feels like a burden that is holding me back.
Pulling me in danger
Time is putting me in risky or harmful situations.
Used to be a wonderland
The past was once a magical and happy place.
Stable as a castle made of sand
The past seemed solid and sturdy, but it was actually fragile and delicate.
And I reclaim
I take back control and ownership of my past actions.
Mistakes that I made
I acknowledge my past errors and regrets.
And the scratches on my back that read out your name
My past relationships and experiences have left scars on me that still hurt.
Time will never heal the pain
The passage of time will never entirely erase the pain and hurt that I feel.
Blameless, you are not the same
You are not innocent and are responsible for your actions.
Shameless, you are not a friend of mine
You have acted without remorse or regret and are no longer welcome in my life.
Seems so hard to understand
I am struggling to comprehend my situation.
I can't escape, escape the memory
I am haunted by certain memories that I cannot escape from.
Help me spin back through the years
I wish to go back in time and revisit the places and people that once brought me joy.
To find a place that I once knew as wonderland
I want to rediscover the happiness and magic that was once present in my life.
Wonderland
A metaphor for the joyful and carefree times of my past.
Contributed by Katherine J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ahzrahechi
I used to hate this song back in Reason era, but now I think it's brilliant! Although it's very sad.. she longs for a place and time where she was happy and no longer believes it will happen again. It's so sad!
@AliceLdn
This is such a powerful song. I am so puzzled why this track is not on Spotify. SO POWERFUL!
@andrewturvill7145
Her b sides are amazing
@Noahide
Powerful track.
@kylerowe9552
The scratches on my back that read out your name
@anigerleao7435
Seria um maravilhoso tema de James Bond. Arranjo maravilhoso!
@MidnightMrSukii
Omg yes
@jasonmcdonald3528
“Time is not a friend to me”
@miriamsteinhauser2544
😍
@armandowho
asi es