Things kicked into high gear when he replaced John Foxx as the singer of the famous electronic music group Ultravox in 1979. Shortly afterwards, the New Wave band had a huge U.K. hit with "Vienna", and it became one of Britain's most popular groups for several years. As well, later that year, Ure also formed the band Visage. In 1980, Ure and Thin Lizzy leader Phil Lynott co-wrote Lynott's biggest solo hit, titled "Yellow Pearl". A re-recording of the song done in 1981 was used as the theme for 'Top of the Pops', a music-centered television series.
In 1984, Ure co-wrote, with Bob Geldof, the Band Aid hit, "Do They Know It's Christmas?". He was one of the few featured stars who did not sing solo on the recording. The following year, Ure scored his one and only solo U.K. number one single with "If I Was", a wistful track that's since been considered his 'signature song'. This was followed by an album titled 'The Gift'. With Ure's mind clearly on other matters, Ultravox took second place and soon dissolved.
Ure's solo career continued into the 90s with sporadic success. However, "Breathe" was an international hit single, helped by its inclusion in a TV advertising campaign for Swatch watches. Ultravox songs with his work remained popular among many electronic music fans.
Ure more recently organized the Live 8 concerts with Bob Geldof with the aim of pressuring G8 leaders into following his recipe for ending world poverty. In 2005 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to music and charity.
Ure has been married twice: to actress and writer Annabel Giles (with whom he has one daughter, Molly) and to Sheridan Ure (with whom he has three daughters, Kitty, Ruby and Flossie).
His daughter Molly has followed her father into the music industry, as the guitarist and vocalist of all-girl group The Faders.
All Stood Still
Midge Ure Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The clocks all stopped (It can't be true).
The program's wrong (What can we do?).
The printout's blocked (It relied on you).
The turbine cracked up.
The buildings froze up.
The system choked up.
Please remember to mention me,
In tapes you leave behind.
Chorus :
We stood still.
We all stood still.
Still stood still.
We're standing still.
The screen shut down (There's no reply).
The lifts all fall (A siren cries).
And the radar fades (A pilot sighs).
As the countdowns stall (The readout lies).
The turbines cracked up.
The buildings froze up.
The system choked up.
What can we do?
Please remember to mention me,
In tapes you leave behind.
(Chorus)
The black box failed (The codes got crossed).
And the jails decayed (The keys got lost).
Everyone kissed (We breathe exhaust).
In the new arcade (Of the holocaust).
The turbine cracked up.
The buildings froze up.
The system choked up.
What can we do?
Plese remember to mention me,
In tapes you might leave behind.
(Chorus - Repeat 2 times).
"All Stood Still" is a haunting and powerful song by Midge Ure and Ultravox that describes the breakdown of a society and the chaos that ensues when technology fails. The song's lyrics paint a vivid picture of a world where all the systems we rely on have broken down, leaving people in a state of confusion and helplessness. The darkness and uncertainty are reflected in the powerful vocals and the haunting synthesizer sounds that dominate the track.
The first verse depicts the sudden collapse of all the devices we rely on, including the lights, clocks, and computer systems. The sense of desperation is palpable as people struggle to make sense of what is happening. The second verse takes this further, describing the breakdown of the transportation and communication systems that we take for granted. The chorus emphasises the sense of stillness and stagnation that results from this societal breakdown, with the repetition of the phrase "we all stood still."
The final verse is particularly poignant, focusing on the loss of humanity and the breakdown of interpersonal relationships in this dystopian world. The imagery of people "breathing exhaust" and "kissing" in a new "holocaust" is particularly chilling. The song ends with a sombre plea to be remembered, underscoring the sense of loss that permeates the entire track.
Line by Line Meaning
The lights went out (The last fuse blew).
Electricity has been cut off due to a blown fuse.
The clocks all stopped (It can't be true).
Time has stopped, and it doesn't seem realistic.
The program's wrong (What can we do?).
The computer program is malfunctioning, and there seems to be no solution.
The printout's blocked (It relied on you).
The printer's paper is jammed, and it is your fault because you relied on it.
The turbine cracked up.
The turbine has broken down.
The buildings froze up.
The buildings have stopped functioning or moving.
The system choked up.
The system has become overloaded and isn't working correctly.
What can we do?
We don't know how to fix the current situation.
Please remember to mention me,
In tapes you leave behind.
Don't forget to include me in the recordings that you might leave behind in this catastrophic moment.
We stood still.
We all stood still.
Still stood still.
We're standing still.
We are all afraid and paralyzed by this situation, not knowing what to do, and hence we stay still.
The screen shut down (There's no reply).
The computer display has turned off, and there is no response.
The lifts all fall (A siren cries).
The elevators are falling, and an alarm is ringing.
And the radar fades (A pilot sighs).
The radar has stopped working, and a pilot is disappointed.
As the countdowns stall (The readout lies).
The countdown clocks have stopped, and the display is incorrect.
The black box failed (The codes got crossed).
The flight data recorder has stopped working due to a technical error.
And the jails decayed (The keys got lost).
The prisons have become obsolete because the keys have gone missing.
Everyone kissed (We breathe exhaust).
People are dying from pollution and carbon monoxide emissions.
In the new arcade (Of the holocaust).
People are dying on a massive scale in a new type of war.
Please remember to mention me,
In tapes you might leave behind.
Don't forget to include me in the recordings that you might leave behind in this catastrophic moment.
(Chorus - Repeat 2 times).
We are all still standing, stuck in this disastrous moment without any direction or hope for resolution.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER THOMAS ALLEN, MIDGE URE, WARREN REGINALD CANN, WILLIAM CURRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PeterJCimino
So many great memories of the 80's are all tied together with my love of Ultravox! Because of the electronic sound I loved technology and now that I am in my 50's I can't get enough of listening to this amazing music! I just saw Midge Ure here in Buffalo NY last week and I am still in the afterglow of his presence!! Thank you Ultravox!!
@arseniolupin8851
one of the best things about 50 years old,is the fact that i lived my teenage years in the 80's that is priceless and i am grateful !!!
@Boppinabe
You are invited to come aboard my time machine(when I perfect it) to go back and enjoy some cool music and good times!
@kevind7422
One of the best things abou being 15 years older than you is that I had the great privilege to play/write (outta radio by then) about this music for you and countless others in clubs n pub(lication)s. I wasn't alone, but we weren't legion. We thank you for listening. Here's where I do my Mr. Burns 'Excellent!' hand rub. Lol. Seriously. We knew, just had to spread the gospel. Takes time. Your turn to turn those you love onto what you love. Oh! Total strangers are totally fair game, too. Even more insidious and everlasting. Trust me.
@philipsleddenhouston6764
Yep exactly.
Im 52 .
Worked hard and now mortgage free debt free and own everything ive worked for.
Being an 80s music fan its helped me through life .
Non of this modern shit
@Boppinabe
@Philip Sleddenhouston OMG I'M 52, TOO! And mostly debt free(that'll be tomorrow) and a little mortgage left, but that's my sister's. You"re invited aboard my time machine to return to the 80s.
@williamfisher5749
Amen brother
@jurgentreue1200
The entire Vienna album is still brilliant after all these years.
@brianmittoo
This man is one of the silence Geniuses of Band-Aid. Totally unrecognized, thank you for your contributions. We love you
@boodleboy
He also wrote "Do they know it's Christmas". Didn't age particularly well, but still a complete icon of a song.