Born Norman Alexander Milne in Liverpool in 1924, Michael Holliday was, wit… Read Full Bio ↴Born Norman Alexander Milne in Liverpool in 1924, Michael Holliday was, without doubt, a crooner. Often called Britain's Bing his relaxed style was also similar to Perry Como and Val Doonican.

He began his working life as a sailor in the Merchant Navy and, while on leave in New York, entered a talent contest at the famous Radio City Music Hall. He won and after he left the navy tried his hand as a singer in the dance halls of his native Liverpool.

His break came when he joined the Eric Winstone Orchestra and obtained a solo recording contract with Columbia.

He had a string of hits, often covers of American originals, but his career petered out in the early 60s.

He died, possibly of a drugs overdose, in October 1963.

His Grave is located at Anfield Cemetary Liverpool

Skylark
Michael Holliday Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Skylark
Have you anything to say to me?
Won't you tell me where my love can be?
Is there a meadow in the mist
Where someone's waiting to be kissed?

Skylark
Have you seen a valley green with spring?

Where my heart can go a journeying
Over the shadows and the rain
To a blossom covered lane

And in your lonely flight
Haven't you heard the music in the night?
Wonderful music, faint as a will o' the wisp
Crazy as a loon, sad as a gypsy serenading the moon

Oh skylark
I don't know if you can find these things
But my heart is riding on your wings
So if you see them anywhere
Won't you lead me there?

Oh skylark
I don't know if you can find these things
But my heart is riding on your wings

So if you see them anywhere
Won't you lead me there?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Michael Holliday's song "Skylark" paint a picture of a speaker seeking guidance from a bird, the Skylark, to find their lost love. The bird is almost humanized, as if it has knowledge of the location of where this love may be found. The singer asks if the Skylark has heard music in the night and if it has seen a valley green with spring, which depicts a idyllic and romanticized destination. The lyrics suggest that the Skylark is a spiritual guide, a "sign" or "omen" that could lead the singer to this place where their love may be.

The singer's emotions are expressed clearly as yearning, loneliness, and a deep longing to find their beloved. The Skylark is used as a symbol of hope, like a beacon of light in the dark. The Skylark is also portrayed as having its own emotional connection to the music it hears, which is compared to a “will-o’-the-wisp,’” described as whimsical and dreamlike, and is also portrayed as being as frenzied and passionate as a “loon”, while conveying a sadness like a gypsy serenading the moon. In essence, the song is a poetic manifestation of the singer’s desperation, capturing feelings of loss and nostalgia, while also depicting an ethereal quality that stimulates the senses of the listener.

Line by Line Meaning

Skylark
Addressing the bird, the singer is trying to communicate with it.

Have you anything to say to me?
Asking the bird if it has any information about the singer's love.

Won't you tell me where my love can be?
Urging the bird to share any knowledge about the whereabouts of the singer's love.

Is there a meadow in the mist
Questioning the bird if there's a hidden meadow enveloped in fog.

Where someone's waiting to be kissed?
Asking if there's a person in the meadow who is waiting to be kissed.

Have you seen a valley green with spring?
Inquiring if the bird has seen a lush green spring valley.

Where my heart can go a journeying
Aspiring to visit the valley and expressing an emotional connection to it.

Over the shadows and the rain
Describing the journey to the valley as going over dark clouds and rain.

To a blossom covered lane
Reaching the valley with a poetic imagery of a lane covered in flowers.

And in your lonely flight
Referring to the bird's flight as being lonely.

Haven't you heard the music in the night?
Enquiring if the bird witnessed or heard music during the night time.

Wonderful music, faint as a will o' the wisp
Describing the music with an analogy of a faintly glowing light in the dark countryside.

Crazy as a loon, sad as a gypsy serenading the moon
Comparing the music's mood to a crazy bird's call and a sad gypsy playing a serenade.

Oh Skylark
A repetition of the address to the bird, Skylark.

I don't know if you can find these things
Uncertain if the bird is capable of finding what the singer desires.

But my heart is riding on your wings
Expressing hope and trust in the bird to lead the way to seek the artist's desires.

So if you see them anywhere
Providing the bird with an invitation to lead the way to the desired locations.

Won't you lead me there?
Finishing with an invite to the bird to guide the singer to the desired locations.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOAGY CARMICHAEL, JOHNNY MERCER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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