Born in Chester, raised in Cambridge, England, Michelle now resides in Holl… Read Full Bio ↴Born in Chester, raised in Cambridge, England, Michelle now resides in Hollywood, California. She began studying piano and composing original music at the age of nine, and hasn't stopped since. She has received awards from the Royal Academy of Music for piano and violin and the Bishops Award for Voice.

After Graduation
Surprisingly, however, Michelle didn't initially intend to pursue a career in music. As an art history major and anthropology minor at West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania, she found herself managing the Walt Disney-Tishman Collection of African Art after graduation[1] in a somewhat frustrating role:

It was heartbreaking in some ways for me because...I had come from the Guggenheim where if somebody sneezed in the general vicinity of a painting...a conservator was there with a little Q-tip...and I was now working for a corporation...that because it wasn't necessarily making them any money, they were a little bit more trepidations in spending money on the collection...it was frustrating mostly at times to work for them because of that reason.

Music As A Career
Fortunately for her fans, after about 18-months at Disney's Imagineering arm, Michelle decided that "corporate America" wasn't for her and made the decision to reconnect with her musical roots while working as a waitress in Southern California. Indeed, it was during one of her waitressing jobs that she just happened to play a few songs on the piano while the scheduled performers were on a break, that the audience's reaction was so overwhelmingly positive that she realized that music was something that she needed to seriously pursue.

It was the most bizarre experience...everybody sat down and was quiet...I played three songs and people were asking me where my album was...

Success
Her songs have garnered attention in both film and television over the past few years. One of her songs "Stay" has been featured on "Alias" for ABC, "Wonderfalls" for Fox and the WB's "One Tree Hill" as well as in several independent film projects with Group 101. Another song, "Over You", was featured on "Smallville" for the WB network and the newly recorded "I'm There Too" played on the premier episode of Aaron Spelling's new drama "Summerland". "Summerland" also used "I Will Be Fine" later in the season and "All That I Want" featured in the premier episode of NBC's "Las Vegas". A recent showcase of the Sundance film festival introduced Michelle to many independent feature film makes some of who are using her music for upcoming projects this summer.
This past year, Michelle has been working on various other music projects in Los Angeles and the UK. "Project PI" by Al West features Michelle singing her song "Please". The album will be release in Europe by the end of this year.

Michelle is an active participant in the singer/songwriter community of Southern California, and has performed at clubs as diverse as the Whiskey A Go Go, the Hotel Cafe, Ghengis Cohen, the Joint and the Temple Bar, to name a few.

She recently recorded a select few songs with producer Evan Biegel of Seasound Studios in North Hollywood and is collaborating on an electronica album, due out early next year. New acoustic recordings are an on going project and a compilation of some of them will be released over the next few months.

Stay
Michelle Featherstone Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I build a wall
A hundred feet tall
Would that keep you in?
If I shackled your feet
So you couldn’t leave
Would you try and run?

If I promise not to fight

At least not tonight
Would you stay the night?
If I wore that little dress
That you like the best
Would you pass my test?

Would you stay?
Would you stay with me?
Would you stay?
Would you stay with me?

If I poured another drink
What would you think
About staying in?
If I was sincere
And whispered my fears
Would you still be here?

Would you stay?
Would you stay with me?
Would you stay?
Would you stay with me?
With me

Would you stay?
Would you stay with me?
Would you stay?
Would you stay with me?

If I build a wall

A hundred feet tall
Would that keep you in?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Michelle Featherstone's song Stay explore the theme of insecurity in a relationship and the desire for the other person to stay with the singer. The opening lines, "If I build a wall, a hundred feet tall, would that keep you in?" indicate a fear of abandonment or rejection. The singer is willing to go to extreme lengths to keep their partner with them, including shackling their feet and pouring another drink to prolong their time together. However, at the same time, they acknowledge the idea of not wanting to fight and wearing a dress that their partner likes in order to keep them interested.

The repetition of the phrase "would you stay?" emphasizes the uncertainty the singer feels about their partner's commitment to the relationship. They are constantly questioning whether their efforts are enough to keep their partner around, and are afraid of being left alone. The final repetition of the lines "If I build a wall, a hundred feet tall, would that keep you in?" signifies a future filled with uncertainty and doubt.

This song speaks to the universal fears and doubts that can arise in romantic relationships. Whether it is through the use of walls or shackles, the singer is trying to hold onto their partner, but ultimately knows that love requires more than physical boundaries. Overall, the lyrics convey a message about the insecurity and fear of losing someone that can often be present in romantic relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

If I build a wall
If I put up barriers

A hundred feet tall
Tall and impossible to cross

Would that keep you in?
Would that prevent you from leaving?

If I shackled your feet
If I hold you back

So you couldn’t leave
So you have no other option than to stay

Would you try and run?
Would you try to escape?

If I promise not to fight
If I agree to let it go

At least not tonight
At least for tonight

Would you stay the night?
Would you choose to spend the night here?

If I wore that little dress
If I put on something that pleases you

That you like the best
That you find attractive