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.
Lady Stardust
Midge Ure Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace
The boy in the bright blue jeans
Jumped up on the stage
And Lady Stardust sang his songs
Of darkness and disgrace
And he was alright, the band was altogether
And he was awful nice
Really quite out of sight
And he sang all night long
Femme fatales emerged from shadows
To watch this creature fair
Boys stood upon their chairs
To make their point of view
I smiled sadly for a love I could not obey
And Lady Stardust sang his songs
Of darkness and dismay
And he was alright, the band was altogether
Yes he was alright, the song went on forever
ANd he was awful nice
Really quite paradise
And he sang all night long
Oh how I sighed when they asked if I knew his name
The lyrics of Midge Ure's song Lady Stardust describe a scene of a flamboyant performer who captures the audience's attention with his ostentatious style and captivating music. The song portrays the singer's admiration for this enigmatic performer, who is known as Lady Stardust, and his ability to create a sense of mystique and allure around himself. The opening lines "People stared at the makeup on his face, laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace" depict Lady Stardust as a unique individual, with his unusual appearance and his ability to move gracefully, capturing everyone's attention.
As Lady Stardust jumps on the stage, he sings his songs of darkness and disgrace, which is a source of fascination for the audience. The following lines, "Femme fatales emerged from shadows to watch this creature fair, boys stood upon their chairs to make their point of view," illustrate how the performer attracts all types of people, including those who are enchanted by his charisma and charm. The singer, struck by Lady Stardust's brilliance, is filled with melancholy, knowing he can never have him. Lady Stardust's performance is described as magnificent, and the song, which lasted all night, went on and on like a timeless classic.
In summary, Midge Ure's Lady Stardust speaks of a remarkable performer who captivates his audience through his extraordinary style and music. The song is a tribute to the mystery and enchantment of performers who can move people with their creativity, charisma, and style.
Line by Line Meaning
People stared at the makeup on his face
The crowd gawked at the eccentric makeup that graced his face
Laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace
The audience jeered at his long hair and the way he moved like an animal
The boy in the bright blue jeans
There was a young man on stage wearing bright blue jeans
Jumped up on the stage
He made an energetic entrance onto the stage
And Lady Stardust sang his songs
A performer known as Lady Stardust sang the young man's songs
Of darkness and disgrace
The songs were about melancholy and shameful subjects
And he was alright, the band was altogether
The young man and the band were in sync, the performance was going well
Yes, he was alright, the song went on forever
The young man was doing a great job, the song seemed like it would never end
And he was awful nice
The young man seemed very pleasant
Really quite out of sight
The singer was exceptional, above and beyond what was expected
And he sang all night long
The singer sang tirelessly throughout the night
Femme fatales emerged from shadows
Dangerous and alluring women stepped out of the darkness
To watch this creature fair
They watched the enchanting performer on stage
Boys stood upon their chairs
The male members of the audience stood up to get a better look at the singer and show their support
To make their point of view
They wanted to express their admiration for the singer
I smiled sadly for a love I could not obey
The artist felt regretful that they couldn't act on their affection for the singer
And Lady Stardust sang his songs
The Lady Stardust continued to perform the young man's music
Of darkness and dismay
The songs were sorrowful and filled with despair
And he was alright, the band was altogether
The singer and the band were still in harmony, the show was going well
Yes he was alright, the song went on forever
The singer continued to perform well and the song didn't seem to have an end
ANd he was awful nice
Again, the singer was very pleasant
Really quite paradise
The performer was truly amazing, almost like being in paradise
And he sang all night long
The singer never stopped for the whole night
Oh how I sighed when they asked if I knew his name
The artist felt wistful when others asked if they knew the singer's name
Contributed by Thomas M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.