Midge Ure OBE (born James Ure on October 10, 1953 in Cambuslang, Lanarkshir… Read Full Bio ↴Midge Ure OBE (born James Ure on October 10, 1953 in Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland) is a pop and rock and roll musician from Scotland, known for his particular success as a guitarist and singer-songwriter in the 70s and 80s. His stage name, "Midge", is a phonetic reversal of his real name, "Jim". Beginning his career in the pop rock band Slik, he would go on to play for power poppers Rich Kids and temporarily for Thin Lizzy.

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.

My Minds Eye
Midge Ure Lyrics

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I’m seeking everyday
Looking at the sky
ever wondering why
I dream my dream’s away
And I’m living for today
In my mind’s eye

Things are clearer than before

Showing me the way
Asking me to stay
I’ll never close the door
To all this things and more
In my mind’s eye

Everybody I know
Saids I’ve changed
Laughing behind their hands
I thing their strange

People running everywhere
Running through my life
I couldn’t give a care
Because I couldn’t see
All that I can see
In my mind’s eye

In my mind’s eye

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Midge Ure's song "My Mind's Eye" are about the power of imagination and perspective. Ure sings about seeking every day, looking at the sky, and wondering why, while dreaming away. He is living for today, but in his mind's eye, he sees things more clearly than before and they are showing him the way. He is open to all these things and more, and he'll never close the door. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "In my mind's eye", which emphasizes the idea that our perceptions and thoughts are powerful and can shape how we experience life.

The second verse of the song speaks to how other people perceive us when we change and grow. Ure sings about how the people he knows say he's changed and laugh behind their hands, but he thinks that they're strange. He doesn't care about the people running through his life because he can only see all that he can see in his mind's eye.

Overall, the lyrics of "My Mind's Eye" encourage listeners to trust their instincts and the power of their thoughts. The song highlights how our perspectives shape our experiences and how staying true to our own vision is important, even when others may not understand.

Line by Line Meaning

I’m seeking everyday
I search for something new every day

Looking at the sky
I gaze at the sky above me

ever wondering why
pondering on the purpose of it all

I dream my dreams away
I lose myself in my fantasies

And I’m living for today
but I try to embrace the present moment

In my mind’s eye
by visualizing my future aspirations in my imagination

Things are clearer than before
Now it's all becoming clearer

Showing me the way
I'm beginning to see the path I should take

Asking me to stay
And it's calling me to continue on it

I’ll never close the door
I won't shut off the possibilities

To all these things and more
I keep an open mind to whatever comes my way