At the age of eleven, Stockley and her older sister Avryl formed a group, the Stockley Sisters. Later in her life, she moved to London to further pursue her musical career. There, she contributed vocals to several albums, and TV commercials. She sang some songs in African and had some African Instrumental songs in her albums.
During the late eighties and early nineties, Stockley worked as a session singer for the UK song writing and production trio; Stock, Aitken and Waterman. Stockley featured on tracks by the likes of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Sonia. Alongside fellow session singer Mae McKenna, Stockley is credited with being partly responsible for the distinctive Stock, Aitken and Waterman sound of the eighties.
Stockley provided backing vocals for the United Kingdom's Eurovision Song Contest entry on several occasions, most notably with Emma in 1990 and for Katrina and the Waves when they won in Dublin in 1997.
In 1991, Stockley became a part of the dance group Praise whose single "Only You" reached number two on the UK charts. Later, she was the vocalist for Adiemus with Karl Jenkins. In 1992 she performed as a backing vocalist at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, which was broadcast live to 1 billion people worldwide from the Old Wembley Stadium.
Stockley has been featured on several film soundtracks, including her cover of the Rose Royce song "Wishing on a Star", which appears on The 10th Kingdom soundtrack.
Currently, Miriam Stockley joins Richard Gannaway and Jay Oliver as a primary member of the world/new age group, AOMUSIC. She first appeared on their 2009 CD release, "Twirl", which included the song, "On Jai Ya "; composed as theme music for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. She, Gannaway and Oliver composed and produced AOMUSIC's 2011 album "...and Love Rages On". Her vocal technique on AOMUSIC albums is often reminiscent of the style and spirit in her first Adiemus album with Karl Jenkins, "Songs of Sanctuary".
Her song, "Perfect Day", was a theme song for a series of children's films called 'The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends' in 1997, based on the famed stories by Beatrix Potter. The song was written by Colin Towns. She has also appeared as a singer on several BBC school's programmes most notably Look and Read.
In February 2011 Arcturian Gate released the AO Music's third album ...and Love Rages on!, where Stockley's voice is joined by children's choral ensembles from Beijing, Tbilisi, Johannesburg, Asheville and Orlando (charted at No. 2 internationally and awarded Zone Music Reporter's "Best World Album of 2011"). With the release of "...and Love Rages on!", Miriam and AO Music aligned with HavServe under GlobalGiving to build sustainable villages for the children of Haiti who were displaced by an earthquake in 2010.[17] On 28 March 2011, she was invited to give a private performance for the Education Without Borders International conference in Dubai.
In March 2013 the AO Music group released Hokulea, which charted #3 internationally and sustained top 20 ranking (Zone Music Reporter) for five consecutive months. With the release of "Hokulea" AO Music officially established themselves as 100% non-profit through AO Foundation International, supporting several world organizations that attend to disadvantaged children. Stockley was also credited on the Hokulea co-producer.
Solo albums
Miriam Stockley (1979)
Miriam (1999)
Second Nature (2006)
Eternal (2007)
Band/ensemble albums
Adiemus I: Songs of Sanctuary (1995)
Adiemus II: Cantata Mundi (1996)
Adiemus III: Dances of Time (1998)
AO Music – Twirl (2009)
AO Music – ...and Love Rages On! (2011)
AO Music – Hokulea (2013)
AO Music – Asha (2017)
AO Music – Kutumba (2021)
Backing vocals and guest appearances
Hanoi Rocks – Back to Mystery City (1983; backing vocals on "Until I Get You")
Nik Kershaw – Radio Musicola (1986)
Roger Daltrey – Can't Wait to See the Movie (1987)
Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé – Barcelona (1988; backing vocals on "The Golden Boy")
Elaine Paige – The Queen Album (1988)
Alphaville – Romeos (1989)
Sonia – Can't Forget You (1989)
Brian May – Back to the Light (1992)
Eloy – The Tides Return Forever (1994; backing vocals on "Company of Angels")
Queen – Made in Heaven (1995)
Mike Oldfield – The Art in Heaven Concert (2000; backing vocals; lead vocal on "Moonlight Shadow")
Atlantis vs Avatar – "Fiji" (2000; lead vocals)
The Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack (2001; choir member)[5]
Queen: The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert DVD (2002)
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (video game, 2011)
Bonnie Tyler – Between the Earth and the Stars (2019)
Bonnie Tyler – The Best Is Yet to Come (2021)
Mercy Street
Miriam Stockley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are the dreams all made solid, are the dreams made
real
All of the buildings, all of the cars
Were once just a dream in somebody's head
She pictures the broken glass, pictures the steam
She pictures the soul with no leak at the seam
Lets take the boat out, wait until darkness comes
Nowhere in the corridors of pale green and grey
Nowhere in the suburbs in the cold light of day
There in the midst of it so alive and alone
Words support like bone
Chorus:
Dreaming of Mercy Street
Wear your inside out, dreaming of mercy
In your daddy's arms again
Dreaming of Mercy Street
Swear they moved that sign, dreaming of mercy
In your daddy's arms
Pulling out the papers from drawers that slide smooth
Tugging at the darkness, word upon word
Confessing all the secret things in the warm velvet
box
To the priest, he's the doctor, he can handle the
shocks
Dreaming of the tenderness, the tremble in the hips
Of kissing Mary's lips
Chorus
Piedade, piedade (a procura de piedade)
Piedade
Onde estão as crianças?
Onde estão as crianças?
Anne with her father is out in the boat
Riding the water, riding the waves on the sea.
*by zildis*
The lyrics to Miriam Stockley's song Mercy Street tell a story of someone who is reflecting on their surroundings and dreaming of a better life. The first verse paints a picture of empty streets, yet the singer sees the potential for those empty buildings and cars to be something more. It's a reminder that everything we see around us was once just an idea in someone's head. She then pictures broken glass and steam, leading to the imagery of a soul with no leak at the seam, suggesting a desire for inner strength and resilience.
The second verse talks about being alive and alone, with words as the only support. The chorus reveals the singer's longing for mercy, a desire to wear her inside out and be held by her father again. The papers being pulled out of drawers suggest a confession and a release of secret things to a trusted figure - a priest who is also a doctor and can handle the shocks. Finally, the Portuguese phrase "piedade" is repeated, meaning "mercy" and adding to the theme of seeking forgiveness and compassion.
Overall, the lyrics of Mercy Street evoke a sense of longing for something more, a desire for mercy and forgiveness, and a reflection on the power of words and ideas.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking out on empty streets all she can see
Are the dreams all made solid, are the dreams made
real
She gazes upon desolate streets, and wonders if the aspirations conceptualized in minds have come to fruition, if they have become a palpable reality.
All of the buildings, all of the cars
Were once just a dream in somebody's head
Every establishment and car, that seem palpable, were once mere fantasies within someone's mind.
She pictures the broken glass, pictures the steam
She pictures the soul with no leak at the seam
She envisions shattered glass and fumes, and an unblemished soul, free of flaws.
Lets take the boat out, wait until darkness
Lets take the boat out, wait until darkness comes
They plan to embark on a journey, sail through the waters, and await the nightfall.
Nowhere in the corridors of pale green and grey
Nowhere in the suburbs in the cold light of day
There in the midst of it so alive and alone
Words support like bone
Neither in the pale ambiance of the corridors, nor in the mundane suburbs under the sun, does she feel alive or withstand the isolation, but her words provide her with unwavering support.
Chorus:
Dreaming of Mercy Street
Wear your inside out, dreaming of mercy
In your daddy's arms again
Dreaming of Mercy Street
Swear they moved that sign, dreaming of mercy
In your daddy's arms
She aspires for the street of mercifulness, where she can be open and honest, cradled by the loving arms of her father, who she yearns to reunite with, and despite the altering of the sign, she keeps imagining this street.
Pulling out the papers from drawers that slide smooth
Tugging at the darkness, word upon word
Confessing all the secret things in the warm velvet
box
To the priest, he's the doctor, he can handle the
shocks
Dreaming of the tenderness, the tremble in the hips
Of kissing Mary's lips
She extracts documents from drawers that open seamlessly, attempting to overcome the obscurity of her emotions, conveying everything to the priest, who she perceives as an adept in managing her emotions, and envisages the gentle and exciting sensations of kissing a female, named Mary.
Piedade, piedade (a procura de piedade)
Piedade
Onde estão as crianças?
Onde estão as crianças?
She utters 'Mercy, mercy' and seeks it. She also wonders 'Where are the children?'
Anne with her father is out in the boat
Riding the water, riding the waves on the sea.
Anne is sailing with her father, relishing the undulating waves of the sea.
Writer(s): Peter Gabriel Copyright: Real World Music Ltd.
Contributed by Mila O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.