Michael Ball (born Michael Ashley Ball, on 27 June 1962 in Bromsgrove, England) is a British actor and singer, best known for musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, and Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Although born in England, Michael Ball is half Welsh, and says jokingly that he considers himself "Wenglish" and proud to be British [1]. He studied Drama at the Guildford School of Acting and graduated in 1984. His first major break was a star part in the production of The Pirates of Penzance at the Opera House, Manchester. Next came a brief stint in Rep. Cameron Mackintosh saw him and cast him as Marius in Les Misérables. Next came Raoul in the second casting of Phantom of the Opera, and Alex in Aspects of Love, both in London and on Broadway, and Giorgio in Stephen Sondheim's London production of Passion. Alone Together was Michael's one man show first performed at The Donmar Warehouse (which was reprised in 2004 for the Singular Sensations season at the Haymarket). In 2002 Michael took on the role of Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which was largely considered his comeback role. In 2005, at 10 days' notice, he replaced Michael Crawford, who had to leave the show due to ill health, as Count Fosco in The Woman in White, and gave a popular and critically-acclaimed performance.
Other performances include singing at the BBC's St David's Day concert, at the Les Misérables Tenth Anniversary Concert in 1995, and the fiftieth birthday party of Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1998. He is a dramatic baritone known for his range, expression and power.
Michael is an accomplished concert artist and tours frequently around the UK. He has also performed concerts in Australia and America. Since reaching the top of the British charts with "Love Changes Everything" (from Aspects of Love) Michael had small successes with follow up singles but in the main he has concentrated on releasing albums, all of which achieved Gold status within weeks, and in the case of The Movies album in 1998, Platinium in 7 weeks{was released Oct 26th confirmed Platinium status in interview on 12 Dec}. Michael represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 1992, singing the song "One Step Out of Time", which finished second.
Michael has also turned his hand to presenting both on TV and radio and has presented The National lottery, Children in Need and This Morning, and had his own series on TV and radio (Ball over Broadway on BBC Radio 2) (which is in its fourth season), The Greenroom, and several specials for BBC Radio 2 on subjects such as Nat King Cole, Cameron Mackintosh, and Cy Coleman.
In September 2005, Michael made his NYC Opera debut as Reginald Bunthorne in Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience with the New York City Opera.
In October 2005 Michael released his latest album "Music". The album went into the UK charts at number 11, and spent 10 weeks in the top 75. The album finished the year the 99th best selling album of 2005.
In November, 2005, Michael returned to Broadway as Count Fosco in The Woman in White, which transferred from London's West End. However, he was forced to leave the show due to a reported viral infection caused by the fat suit required for the role, which reportedly raised Ball's body temperature by several degrees during the show. The suit is also thought to have been the cause of Michael Crawford's premature departure from the show in London. The show closed early, in part due to the health problems of Ball and leading lady Maria Friedman.
Michael spent the first quarter of 2006 on complete vocal rest, following the illness that caused him the leave Woman In White on Broadway. By the middle of July, Michael had taken part in the Royals Court's celebratory performance of The Rocky Horror Show, recorded a new album (called "One Voice", due for release on 30 October 2006) and made a guest appearance on Julian Lloyd Webber's album "Unexpected song". Then came the summer concerts at Aberdeen, Bath, Southport, Oakley Hall and Cardiff. In August, Michael sat in for Michael Parkinson on his Radio 2 show. He was interviewed for Radio 3's "Stage and Screen" programme, and recorded a tribute to Anthony Newley at Hackney Empire, also for Radio 2. Michael then took part in 'Proms in the Park' in Singleton Park, Swansea. He sang two tracks from his forthcoming album, 'One Voice'; the title song and 'Hero'. Michael also sung show stoppers, 'This is the Moment', 'Anthem' and 'Love Changes Everything'. In November, Michael will be releasing a new DVD containing all the best songs from his 'Live in Concert' DVDs. They will be split into five sections: Musicals, Love Songs, Personal Favourites, Party Time and Unplugged. The DVD will also include a brand new "Unplugged" session which Michael has recorded with just 4 other musicians in the studio especially for this DVD. It will be released on November 20 2006. Six days later he will join Petula Clark in concert at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London. (In 2004, he co-starred with her in a production of Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard at the Cork Opera House in the Republic of Ireland, which was later broadcast by the BBC. Michael has lots of promotional activities coming up at the end of the year with the release of his new album 'One Voice'.
It has been announced that Ball will be taking the lead role in Kismet in June/July 2007 for the ENOdetails can be found on the English National Opera website.There will also be a tour but exact dates are not known yet{Michael confirmed this during his Stage and screen interview}.
He is currently sitting in for Johnnie Walker on his Sunday afternoon BBC Radio 2 show.
Leave A Light On
Michael Ball Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Settled in for the long ride home
The radio is trying its best
But it sounds like the signal's gone
Thoughts of you rush into my head
They tease me for a moment or two
Trying to fill the hours ahead
Leave a light on, leave a light on
Help me find my way back into your arms
Leave a light on, soon I will be there
Keep it shining and I'll be along
There's just one place in this world where I belong
And I'll keep right on driving till I get home
So leave a light on
I can almost see you there
Like a dream with your hair falling down
The room is filled with whispers of love
Could there ever be a sweeter sound
Underneath the cover of night
I feel your body so close to mine
(And we'll be) On our way to heaven again
And make up for lost time
Leave a light on, leave a light on
Help me find my way back into your arms
Leave a light on, till you see me there
Keep it burning, long as it takes
I'll be there before the morning breaks
Back into your arms, that's where I belong
Leave a light on, leave a light on
Help me find my way back into your arms
Leave a light on soon I'll be there....
Keep it shining and I'll be along
There's just one place in this world where I belong
I'll keep on driving till I get home
So leave a light on
Leave a light on, leave a light on
Help me find my way back into your arms
Leave a light on soon I'll be there....
The lyrics of Michael Ball's song "Leave A Light On" tell a story of a long drive, filled with thoughts of a loved one, and the desire to be reunited with them. The singer is on a journey, seemingly back to their partner, after being away from them for some time. The lyrics reference the night, with the singer driving under the cover of darkness while imagining the love of their life waiting for them at the end of their journey. The image of a light being left on is used metaphorically as a symbol of hope and a guide that will lead the singer home, back into the arms of their loved one.
The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and they evoke a sense of longing and desire. They speak to the universal human experience of love and the deep longing that comes with separation. The song speaks to the idea of home being connected to the people we love, which is a sentiment that many people can relate to. The idea of a light being left on as a symbol of hope and love is something that resonates with people at a fundamental level.
In conclusion, "Leave A Light On" is a powerful love song that captures the universal human experience of longing and desire. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a journey home, filled with thoughts of a loved one, and the image of a light being left on as a beacon of hope and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Coffee black and headlights on
Starting the long journey home with a cup of black coffee and the headlights lighting the way
Settled in for the long ride home
Prepared to spend a lot of time travelling to reach home
The radio is trying its best
The radio is on but the signal is weak
But it sounds like the signal's gone
The signal is so bad that the music barely gets through
Thoughts of you rush into my head
Memories of the person he loves occupy his thoughts
They tease me for a moment or two
He is briefly taken away from the present moment by thoughts of his love
Trying to fill the hours ahead
He is attempting to find something to occupy his time during the long journey
Until I'm beside you
He is focused on reaching his loved one's side
Leave a light on, leave a light on
He asks his loved one to keep a light on for him
Help me find my way back into your arms
He wants the light to guide him to his loved one's embrace
Leave a light on, soon I will be there
He suggests that he will be home soon if the light is kept on
Keep it shining and I'll be along
If the light stays on, he will be with his loved one soon
There's just one place in this world where I belong
He feels that he belongs with his loved one
And I'll keep right on driving till I get home
He won't stop driving until he reaches his loved one's home
I can almost see you there
He can envision his loved one waiting for him
Like a dream with your hair falling down
He imagines his loved one's appearance as dream-like
The room is filled with whispers of love
He anticipates being surrounded by love and affection when he arrives
Could there ever be a sweeter sound
He is overwhelmed by how sweet and romantic the atmosphere will be
Underneath the cover of night
It is nighttime and he is approaching his loved one's home
I feel your body so close to mine
He anticipates being reunited physically with his loved one
On our way to heaven again
For him, being with his loved one feels like being in heaven
And make up for lost time
They will spend time together to make up for the time they were apart
Till you see me there
He asks that the light be left on until he arrives
Keep it burning, long as it takes
He wants the light to be kept on no matter how long it takes him to get there
I'll be there before the morning breaks
He expects to arrive before dawn
Back into your arms, that's where I belong
He feels that he belongs in the comfort and embrace of his loved one
Leave a light on soon I'll be there....
He reiterates that he will be home soon with the help of the light
Leave a light on, leave a light on
He repeats his request to leave a light on
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, CARLIN AMERICA INC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brock Walsh, Jonathan G Lind, Roderick Allen Gammons
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Maguire
on Wherever You Are
This song was probably written by Graham Gouldman and Andrew Gold