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.
Strong
Midge Ure Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To tumble down to a cold and heartless place
I need to be someone
I need to be someone better
Choose the bitter pill
Offer up my sacrifice until
I can be someone
After all
We all must fall
No saint or savior
Nothing better than most every man I know
Could ahve been something
Should have been someting
No shining star
No guiding light
To resist all temptation, oh
I would have been something to you
Should have been something to you
Strong, strong
I can be someone
I can be someone better
Communication with the soul is what´s required
Contamination of a life that´s just grown tiered
I need to be someone
I need to be someone better
No shining star
No guiding light
To resist all temptation, oh
I would have been something to you
Should have been something to you
Strong, strong
Should have been strong enough to stay strong
Big enough to realise that I could get it all so wrong
I would have been something to you
should have been something to you
I would have been something to you
Strong, strong.
In the song "Strong" by Midge Ure, the lyrics are reflective of a person's journey to becoming a better version of themselves. The first verse talks about preparing for a fall from grace and how the singer wants to be a better person. The second verse follows a similar theme, with the singer choosing to take the bitter pill and sacrifice until they can be someone better. The chorus emphasizes the fact that everyone falls and that there is no shining star or guiding light to resist temptation, but the singer wants to be strong and better for themselves and for someone they should have been something to.
The bridge delves deeper into the idea of the soul and how communication with it is required to become better. The last line reiterates the desire to be someone better. The final verse emphasizes the importance of being strong enough to stay strong and realizing when one has made mistakes. The chorus is repeated once again to drive home the message that the singer could have been something to someone, but they strive to be strong.
Overall, the song explores the idea of self-improvement and the desire to become a better person. The lyrics are reflective and introspective, with the singer acknowledging their shortcomings and wanting to rectify them.
Line by Line Meaning
Prepare myself for a man to fall from grace
I am mentally preparing myself for someone to suffer a moral or social decline
To tumble down to a cold and heartless place
Their downfall will be to a dark and unforgiving environment
I need to be someone
I feel the urge to improve myself
I need to be someone better
I aspire to be a better version of myself
Choose the bitter pill
I am willing to endure hardship and accept unpleasant truths
Offer up my sacrifice until
I am prepared to make sacrifices until I achieve my goal
After all
In the end
We all must fall
We all experience adversity and disappointment
No saint or savior
I am not seeking divine intervention or salvation
Nothing better than most every man I know
I consider myself no more exceptional than the average person
Could have been something
I had the potential to achieve greatness
Should have been something
I regret not fulfilling my potential
No shining star
I am not a standout or exceptional person
No guiding light
I lack direction and clarity in my life
To resist all temptation, oh
I struggle to resist temptation and avoid destructive behavior
I would have been something to you
I believe I had the potential to be significant to someone
Should have been something to you
I regret not being significant to someone
Strong, strong
I desire to be mentally and emotionally strong
I can be someone
I have the ability to improve and change
Communication with the soul is what´s required
I need a deeper, more meaningful connection with myself
Contamination of a life that´s just grown tired
My life has become mundane and uninspiring
Should have been strong enough to stay strong
I wish I had the mental fortitude to remain resilient
Big enough to realize that I could get it all so wrong
I have the maturity to acknowledge my fallibility
Contributed by Ethan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.