Finding his voice in a school choir, Crawford began his professional career still a teenager. Having some luck on the London stage in the early 60s, he then found his way onto the BBC and starred in various programmes such as 'Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'. He also had film roles in 'The War Lover', 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'. and 'How I Won the War' (which brought him into the same work as John Lennon).
Andrew Lloyd Webber's casting of him opposite Sarah Brightman and Steve Barton as the Phantom in 1986 shot his career into high gear. Winning a Tony Award for his role, Crawford also had the aforementioned tune, "The Music Of The Night", reach the British Top Ten. He has released several studio albums such as 'A Touch of Music in the Night' and 'On Eagle's Wings' among others.
Wishing You Were Somehow Here
Michael Crawford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were all that mattered
You were once a friend and father
Then my world was shattered
Wishing you were somehow here again
Wishing you were somehow near
Sometimes it seemed
Somehow you would be here
Wishing I could hear your voice again
Knowing that I never would
Dreaming of you won't help me to do
All that you dreamed I could
Passing bells and sculpted angels
Cold and monumental
Seem for you the wrong companions
You were warm and gentle
Too many years fighting back tears
Why can't the past just die?
Wishing you were somehow here again
Knowing we must say goodbye
Try to forgive, teach me to live
Give me the strength to try
No more memories, no more silent tears
No more gazing across the wasted years
Help me say goodbye
Help me say goodbye
In this poignant song, Michael Crawford expresses his deep sense of loss and longing for someone who was once his closest friend and father figure. He reflects on how this person used to be his one companion and the only thing that mattered to him. However, his world was shattered when this person passed away or left his life, and he is left with a profound ache and emptiness.
The chorus of the song highlights Crawford's intense desire for this person to be somehow here again, to be near enough to comfort him and offer him solace. He wishes he could hear their voice again knowing it won't happen while he acknowledges that dreaming of this person won't help him to do all that they had believed he could do. The passing bells and sculpted angels that he mentions seem like the wrong companions for this person who was warm and gentle, and he wonders why the past can't just die. The song concludes with Crawford acknowledging that he must say goodbye, even though it feels like an impossible task. He asks for strength and forgiveness and seeks to learn to live again, while also acknowledging that there will be no more memories and no more silent tears.
Line by Line Meaning
You were once my one companion
Once, you were the only one that I needed by my side.
You were all that mattered
You were the most important thing in my life.
You were once a friend and father
You used to be both my friend and father.
Then my world was shattered
But then my world fell apart.
Wishing you were somehow here again
I desire for you to come back to me, though I know it's impossible.
Wishing you were somehow near
I wish you could be close to me once more.
Sometimes it seemed
There were times when I thought that
If I just dreamed
if I just dreamed about you
Somehow you would be here
maybe you would come back to life.
Wishing I could hear your voice again
I wish I could hear your voice once again.
Knowing that I never would
But I know that it's impossible to do so.
Dreaming of you won't help me to do
Daydreaming about you won't help me to
All that you dreamed I could
become everything you dreamed I could be.
Passing bells and sculpted angels
The ringing of church bells, statues of angels
Cold and monumental
may seem cold and lifeless to you.
Seem for you the wrong companions
They may appear to be the opposite of your warm, gentle nature.
Too many years fighting back tears
For too long, I’ve been hiding my tears.
Why can't the past just die?
I wish the past could just disappear.
Knowing we must say goodbye
I’m aware that we must say farewell to each other.
Try to forgive, teach me to live
Please forgive me and teach me how to live without you.
Give me the strength to try
I need your help to give me the strength to carry on.
No more memories, no more silent tears
I want to put the memories and the silent crying behind me.
No more gazing across the wasted years
I don't want to look back anymore.
Help me say goodbye
Assist me in saying goodbye.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, Richard Stilgoe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind