Since July 2000 he has been part of the live line-up of UK/Brazilian outfit Da Lata, playing keyboards, percussion and providing backing vocals, who have been performing from clubs to festivals in the UK & Europe, USA & Canada, Japan, South Africa and China.
In 2006 he rejoined Level 42, replacing Lyndon Connah, for touring appearances and the recording of the album Retroglide.
Desire
Mike Lindup Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the way you move is worth a thousand words
To resist
Is a choice you've taken out of my control
Driven to desire (to desire)
Someone who will fill my need for love
Baby, if the music's right
You exist
With a look that takes a stronger man than I
To resist
For behind such beauty danger of ten lies
Driven to desire (to desire)
Someone who will fill my need for love
Baby, if the music's right
May tonight last forever
Someday my princess will come
All will fade before her
Why can I not wait until that day
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh
To my shame
I can only feel desire when I see you
You're the flame
But the fire that will burn may soon burn through
I'm searching for someone
Someone who will fill my need for love
Baby, if the music's right
May tonight be just me and you
Me and you
Someone who will fill my need for love
Mirror my desire (my desire)
Be someone who fills my need for love
Driven to desire (to desire)
Someone who will fill my need for love
Mirror my desire (my desire)
Be someone who fills my need for love
Driven to desire (to desire)
Someone who will fill my need for love
Mirror my desire (my desire)
Be someone who fills my need for love
To desire
My desire
Ooh, my desire
My desire
The lyrics of Mike Lindup's song Desire speak of his intense attraction towards a specific person, who he believes is worth a thousand words in the way they move. Endlessly willing to have them in his life, the writer sings of his feelings of longing for a person that he is finding impossibly difficult to resist. They are driven to desire, someone who can fill their need for love, and hopes that the night might just be theirs alone. But the person in question is as dangerous as they are beautiful, and the writer knows that their relationship has the potential to go down in flames. Perhaps in a moment of remorse, the writer wishes for a day to come, where they will be able to wait for their true love to enter their life, until then, they are constantly searching for someone to fill the void.
The song Desire captures the desperation of someone who has been searching for a meaningful and deep relationship, yet is still entranced by someone who sparks only physical attraction. The intense longing and desire that the writer is expressing is portrayed in the melody through its catchy yet repetitive chord progression. The lyrics speak of how it is difficult to resist someone's seductive charm, especially when their movements are so alluring that it becomes impossible to hold back one's attraction. It is also worth considering that the singer does not seem to feel particularly good about allowing their desires to get the better of them, given the mood of longing and the self-reflection in the chorus.
Line by Line Meaning
You exist
You are present and alive
And the way you move is worth a thousand words
Your movements communicate a lot of meaning and significance
To resist
To refrain from giving in to temptation
Is a choice you've taken out of my control
You have taken away my ability to choose not to give in to my desire
Driven to desire (to desire)
Compelled to experience strong feelings of longing and wanting
Someone who will fill my need for love
Looking for a person who can provide emotional fulfillment
Baby, if the music's right
Referring to a romantic atmosphere that can enhance the experience of being together
May tonight be just me and you
Hopeful that the present moment will be spent exclusively with the person being addressed
With a look that takes a stronger man than I
Your appearance can affect even those with greater willpower than me
For behind such beauty danger of ten lies
Behind your beauty there may be hidden dangers
Someday my princess will come
Expecting a perfect romantic partner to arrive in the future
All will fade before her
Other attractions will pale in comparison to the aforementioned perfect partner
Why can I not wait until that day
Questioning his inability to wait for the perfect partner, instead of giving into desire
To my shame
Admitting that he feels embarrassed about his strong desires
I can only feel desire when I see you
You are the sole person who evokes strong desire in me
You're the flame
You are the source of the desire and passion that burns within me
But the fire that will burn may soon burn through
The intense emotions may not last forever and could eventually fade away
I'm searching for someone
Persistently seeking a person who can satisfy emotional needs
Me and you
Emphasizing the importance of being together with the person being addressed
Mirror my desire (my desire)
Wanting the other person to share in his strong feelings of passion and longing
Be someone who fills my need for love
Desiring emotional fulfillment from the other person
To desire
Experiencing a strong feeling of longing or wanting
My desire
The specific feeling of strong longing and wanting being referred to throughout the song
Contributed by Ryan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
FabSprout
INTRO / VERSE / SOLO
Dm7 C/D Bbmaj7 Am7 x2
CHORUS
Gmaj9 Gm7/C Am7/D x2
Gmaj9 Ebmaj7 F
Dbmaj7 Eb Gm7 F/A
BRIDGE
Gm9 C Gm9 C
Gm9 C Fmaj7
Gadd2 Fadd2 G/A
REFRAIN / ENDING (repeat)
Gmaj9 Gm7/C Am7/D x3
Gmaj9 Ebmaj9 Fmaj9
Navidain
One of those little gems that almost no one knows about. Pure class.
Kidwaryod Production
Recently Mike re-released it 🙂
Gavin Heaphy
So true
Jonathan Harrington
Fell in love with this song the moment I heard
the key change complimented by Mike's lyrics
"Driven To Desire". Class
Giovanni Gilberto
Another Masterpiece from Mike!!!
Best falsetto in the galaxy...!
Ian Snyder
Wow, it's amazing to hear how big Mike's contribution to Level 42 hearing his solo work for the first time. The core four members all had a special magic together for sure. Interesting that three of the four members were Pisces! Those Pisces ( or with a strong Pisces influence in their horoscopes)musicians really have this beautiful, magical and transcendent way of interpreting and creating music. ie...James Taylor, Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell ( Moon in Pisces), Boon Gould, Phil Gould, Bon Jovi, Karen Carpenter....
Gabonzo
One of the best choruses I think I've ever heard from anyone. Ridiculously smooth - almost makes you giddy as he leans more and more into the high notes as the song bounces along.
Jerry Vivanco
Beautiful tune from an EXTREMELY Xcellent album, and talented artist!
Adrian Smith
The last track I played on my final season 3 Jazz, Coffee & Conversation Sunday morning show on Southampton's Fiesta 95FM earlier in 2020. Pure delight.
Lanii Duran
His voice is just 👌🏻🤤