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.
When The Winds Blow
Midge Ure Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Information's giving quite a grand illusion
Hearts are beating, keeping time to meet a deadline
Faces pressed against the pane to watch a headline
When the winds blow I will call
When the winds blow I will call
When the winds blow I will call you
All our ships are sailing blindly under one sun
Sending signals, calling kindly, reaching no-one
Echoes sound the shifting air of empires calling
Hold my hand, the shifting sand of empires falling
When the winds blow I will call
When the winds blow I will call
When the winds blow I will call you
We will stand and watch them fall
Oh, we'll stand and watch them fall
We confided, then decided not to follow
All the slogans, taunts and charges, sound so hollow
With open minds across the border, we have waited
But keeping place within this race is complicated
When the winds blow I will call
When the winds blow I will call
When the winds blow I will call you
We will stand and watch them
When the winds blow I will call
When the winds blow I will call
When the winds blow I will call you
We will stand and watch them fall
Oh, we'll stand and watch them fall
The song "When the Winds Blow" by Midge Ure is a commentary on the struggle of common people to make sense of the information they receive in a world full of confusion. The lyrics refer to the illusions created by the media and the pressure felt by individuals to meet deadlines imposed by society. The lines "Faces pressed against the pane to watch a headline" highlight the obsession with news and the extent to which people are willing to go to stay informed.
The chorus "When the winds blow I will call" is a declaration of unity, a promise to stand together and support each other when times get tough. The reference to "watching them fall" is ambiguous and may refer to the fall of empires, governments, or even people falling out of favor with each other. The image of ships sailing blindly under one sun is a metaphor for the lack of direction and purpose in modern society.
The second verse speaks to the emptiness of communication in today's world. Despite the many ways in which people try to communicate with each other, there is a disconnect and no one is actually listening. The line "echoes sound the shifting air of empires calling" is a poetic way of saying that history repeats itself and the same mistakes are made over and over again.
The final verse speaks to the difficulty of staying true to oneself in a world full of conflicting messages. The reference to "slogans, taunts, and charges" is a nod to the political climate of the time, and the sentiment expressed is that it's important to keep an open mind and not blindly follow any one ideology. The song ends with a call to stand together and watch as the old ways fall away.
Line by Line Meaning
Common people living quietly in confusion
Ordinary individuals living with uncertainty and ambiguity
Information's giving quite a grand illusion
The availability of information creates a misleading impression
Hearts are beating, keeping time to meet a deadline
People are racing against time, feeling the pressure to meet deadlines
Faces pressed against the pane to watch a headline
People are eagerly looking out for the latest news
When the winds blow I will call
I will reach out to you when difficult times arise
We will stand and watch them fall
We will witness the collapse of things beyond our control
All our ships are sailing blindly under one sun
We are all following a common path without true guidance or direction
Sending signals, calling kindly, reaching no-one
Although attempting to make contact, we are not able to communicate effectively
Echoes sound the shifting air of empires calling
The remnants of empires can still be felt echoing throughout society
Hold my hand, the shifting sand of empires falling
Let us support each other as we experience the rapid changes in society
We confided, then decided not to follow
We shared our thoughts but chose to reject the popular opinion
All the slogans, taunts and charges, sound so hollow
The words and actions of others lack depth or significance
With open minds across the border, we have waited
We have patiently waited while keeping an open mind towards those with different views and backgrounds
But keeping place within this race is complicated
Attempting to stay relevant or ahead in society is challenging and confusing
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANIEL MITCHELL, MIDGE URE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind