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.

The Maker
Midge Ure Lyrics

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The last day rushes by
And the moon looks so sad
No tears tonight
It's the best we've ever had
And the air's filled with voices
And loudspeaker calls
And we just waltz
As we're waiting

For the Maker
For the Maker

And in the far distant sky
Rose a black evil cloud
Come to feed on the lives
Of the fools who allowed
Stupid men fight their wars
With empty words in hallowed halls
And leave us waltz
As we waited

For the Maker
For the Maker

'Round and around and around and around
For the Maker
For the Maker

For the Maker
For the Maker

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Midge Ure's song "The Maker" describes an impending apocalypse and the singer's contemplation of the end of the world. The first verse mentions the last day, the moon looks sad, and there are no tears left to shed as humanity has already seen the best of times. The air is filled with voices and loudspeaker calls, while the people just waltz aimlessly, waiting for something to happen. The chorus highlights this waiting as being for 'the Maker.'

The second verse portrays a black evil cloud looming in the far distant sky, ready to swallow up the lives of those who allowed foolish men to fight their wars with empty words in hallowed halls. This verse is an obvious criticism of the political leaders and governments who send soldiers to war while they sit in the safety of their offices. The song concludes with the final four lines of the chorus that are repeated over and over again, putting emphasis on the inevitability of this apocalypse.

Overall, The Maker is a powerful song that reflects on humanity's destructive tendencies and warns about the consequences of unchecked greed and violence. The lyrics are sufficiently vague to enable the listener to interpret the song in their own way, but its underlying message is clear: we must take responsibility for our actions and work towards a better future.

Line by Line Meaning

The last day rushes by
The end is near and time moves quickly

And the moon looks so sad
The moon, a symbol of romanticism, appears melancholic

No tears tonight
This moment is too surreal, too perfect to cry

It's the best we've ever had
This moment is peak happiness, the epitome of joy

And the air's filled with voices
There is a buzz of excitement and energy surrounding us

And loudspeaker calls
There are public announcements being made with urgency

And we just waltz
Despite the chaos around us, we dance carelessly

As we're waiting for the Maker
We are anticipating something great and powerful

And in the far distant sky
Something ominous is approaching from afar

Rose a black evil cloud
The approaching threat is dark and malevolent

Come to feed on the lives of the fools who allowed
The evil cloud preys on those who have failed to prevent its arrival