She studied songwriting at New York University with Paul Simon. Manchester then appeared on the Manhattan club scene, where she was discovered by Bette Midler and Barry Manilow, who took her on as a backup singer in 1971.
Her debut album, Home to Myself, was released in 1973; Manchester co-wrote many of its songs with Carole Bayer Sager. Two years later Manchester's album Melissa produced her first top ten hit, "Midnight Blue". Manchester collaborated with Kenny Loggins to co-write Loggin's 1978 hit duet with Stevie Nicks, "Whenever I Call You Friend". At this time, she guest-starred on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow to teach a main character, who was a singer-songwriter, the essentials of the craft. In 1979 Manchester made the top ten with her version of Peter Allen's "Don't Cry Out Loud", for which she received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance.
In 1980 Manchester became the first singer to have two movie themes nominated for an Academy Award—"Through The Eyes Of Love" from the film Ice Castles and "I'll Never Say Goodbye" from the film The Promise'.
Two years later she had her biggest hit "You Should Hear How She Talks About You", which won a Grammy for Best Female Vocal Performance. It was her last Top 40 Pop hit, but Manchester did well on the Adult Contemporary charts the rest of the 1980s. Her most recent big Adult Contemporary hit was a 1989 updating of Dionne Warwick's "Walk On By".
Through the 1980s and 1990s Manchester alternated recording with acting, appearing with Bette Midler in the film For the Boys and on the television series Blossom.
Melissa also wrote and starred in the musical I Sent A Letter To My Love based on the Bernice Rubens novel of the same name.
In spring 2004, Manchester returned with her first album in 10 years: When I Look Down That Road.
Just One Lifetime
Melissa Manchester Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there's not enough to hang on to
And the ones you would count on to call
They all fall down all around you
Then you've got to believe there's more
It is the reason we're put here for
It's just you and I
When the legend's over - and we have just begun
Just you and I
When a miracle's long overdue
And there's no one who's gonna come to guide you
So you keep looking up to the sky - wondering why
The clouds won't hide you
At the times when you're most afraid
That is the reason why dreams are made
It's just you and I
When the legend's over - and we have just begun
We can look to each other to see us through
Just you and I
In Melissa Manchester's song Just You And I, the lyrics speak of times when everything seems to be falling apart and there is no one to count on. The song is a reminder that in moments of difficulty, there is always someone who can provide comfort and support. The opening lines, "When your heroes go up in a puff, And there's not enough to hang on to" paint a picture of disappointment and disillusionment. It's a moment when things seem bleak, and the people we thought were going to be there for us have let us down. In this state of despair, it's easy to lose hope and to feel alone.
The song encourages listeners to keep looking for a way forward, to keep believing that there is more to life. The line "Then you've got to believe there's more, It is the reason we're put here for" suggests that there is a purpose to our existence and that, although it may seem difficult at times, we are meant to keep pushing through.
The song's chorus, "When the legend's over - and we have just begun, We can look to each other to see us through, Just you and I" provides hope that in moments of trouble, there is always someone who can be counted on. The song suggests that we don't need a lot of people in our lives; we just need that one person who will be there for us, no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
When your heroes go up in a puff,
When the people you look up to disappoint you,
And there's not enough to hang on to
And you don't have anything solid to hold onto,
And the ones you would count on to call
And the people you would normally rely on,
They all fall down all around you
Let you down when you need them most.
Then you've got to believe there's more
When everything falls apart, you need to believe there is still something positive to hold onto,
It is the reason we're put here for
Because that's what life is about,
It's just you and I
It's up to us to keep going and support each other,
When the legend's over - and we have just begun
When it feels like everything is over and we're starting anew,
We can look to each other to see us through
We can depend on each other to get through tough times,
Just you and I
We're in this together, and that's all we need.
When a miracle's long overdue
When something amazing should have happened but hasn't,
And there's no one who's gonna come to guide you
And there's no one there to help you through it,
So you keep looking up to the sky - wondering why
You keep searching for answers and questioning why things are the way they are,
The clouds won't hide you
But you can't find them,
At the times when you're most afraid
When you're feeling the most scared,
That is the reason why dreams are made
That's why it's important to have dreams, to give yourself something to strive for and a sense of hope.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CAROLE BAYER SAGER, MELISSA MANCHESTER, MELISSA TONI MANCHESTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
victoria asuncion
Only a high standard music person know this song.. I love it..
Michael Re
Saw Melissa in concert when she was on tour back in 1985. She was promoting her album called Mathematics. This song was performed by her at that time & she was given a standing ovation at the end of the song.
Hyper Boy Tkl 107
Strangely enough, when I’m feeling depressed, hopeless, or serious, I can hear this song playing in my head. Very sad rhythmic approach to me. especially at about the end of the song. For reasons I cannot explain.
glo sarmiento
my favorite song just one lifetime😍😘
Edith Liggayu Maniago
Beautifu!
Mari the shih-tzu
for you mahal..