Kamen was first brought to the public's attention in 1984 when Ray Petri featured him on the front cover of The Face. The cover showed him wearing a ski-hat, orange roll-neck sweater and aviator sunglasses.
He was most remembered, in the UK, for his 1985 beefcake performance in Levi's "Launderette" television commercial, where he strips down in order to stone-wash his blue jeans in a 1950s style public laundromat while he waits clad only in his boxer shorts, which dramatically increased their popularity. It was selected for, and came fourth, in "The 100 Greatest TV Ads of All Time" in 2000.
His first single was the 1986 UK #5 hit "Each Time You Break My Heart" from his self-titled debut album. Written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray, it also cracked both the U.S. dance chart (remix by Shep Pettibone) and the Top 50 in Canada. Madonna also sang the backing vocals. Her original demo remains one of many Unreleased Madonna Songs. Kamen also had a #16 follow-up in the UK with the second single, "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever", although his later singles were less-commercially successful in the UK but more so in the rest of Europe, particularly Italy, France, Germany and Spain.
He appeared on UK television, singing, on Top of the Pops (12 March 1987 and 18 October 1990), This Morning (9 April 1990), Night Network (15 April 1987, 19 August 1987 and 1988) and The Tube (31 October 1986 and 21 November 1986).
Kamen's second album Us (1989) was produced by Patrick Leonard. Madonna again made an appearance as a backing vocalist on the song "Tell Me", this time without contributing to the songwriting or production.
In 1989 Kamen performed the song "Turn It Up" on the soundtrack to Walt Disney's film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
A new dance remix of his self-penned 1990 song, "I Promised Myself", and his biggest hit, was featured on a 2004 various artists collection in Europe and three years later, in 2007, the Spanish singer José Galisteo recorded his own version of the song. Kamen's own version was the fourth highest played record in Europe in 1990 and reached No 1 in eight European countries.
Win Your Love
Nick Kamen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How happy I would be
If some miracle could win your love for me
If some miracle could win your love for me
Win your love for me
Win your love for me
Wo oh oh oh oh oh oh win your love for me
Many's the day I've longed for you,
To hold you in my arms
Many's the night I've cried for you,
For your many charms
If you'd only come to me,
My heart wouldn't be full of sorrow
But not all I can do is hope and pray
That you'll come to me tomorrow
Win your love for me
Win your love for me
Wo oh oh oh oh oh oh win your love for me
To me you are so beautiful, beautiful as a song
And whenever I look at you,
My heart beat like a tom-tom
If you'd only come to me
This torch I wouldn't have to carry
And if everything goes right,
To the church we will go to marry
Win your love for me
Win your love for me
Wo oh oh oh oh oh oh win your love for me
The song "Win Your Love" is a beautiful and emotional plea of a man who is desperately in love with a woman who is seemingly unattainable. The first two lines of the song set the tone and emotions of the song, expressing the desire and longing that the singer feels for the woman he loves. He wishes for a miracle that would allow him to win her love.
The next stanza of the song reveals the depth of the man's feelings. He talks about how he has spent many days and nights longing and crying for her. The woman possesses many charms that have captured his heart, and his sorrow is because she is not with him. The singer hopes and prays that the woman will come to him tomorrow, so he can express his love to her and end his sorrow.
The third stanza highlights the beauty of the woman in the eyes of the singer. He sees her as beautiful as a song and describes his heart beating like a tom-tom whenever he looks at her. He expresses that he is carrying a torch for her and wants her to come to him, so he can release her from her own torch. If everything goes well, he hopes to marry her.
Overall, "Win Your Love" is a romantic song that expresses the feelings of a man who is deeply in love with a woman who he hopes to win over.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa oh oh oh little girl
Addressing the girl he longs for, acknowledging her youth and endearing her as a child.
How happy I would be
If some miracle could win your love for me
Expressing his desire and hope for her love and recognition of how difficult it would be for her to reciprocate.
Win your love for me
Repeating his desire for her love, acknowledging it as the ultimate prize.
Many's the day I've longed for you,
To hold you in my arms
Many's the night I've cried for you,
For your many charms
If you'd only come to me,
My heart wouldn't be full of sorrow
But not all I can do is hope and pray
That you'll come to me tomorrow
Detailing his pining for her, his longing for physical closeness and appreciation of her charms, and his sorrow and hope that she will return his feelings.
To me you are so beautiful, beautiful as a song
And whenever I look at you,
My heart beat like a tom-tom
Complimenting her beauty and comparing her to a beautiful melody, as well as revealing his intense reaction to her presence.
If you'd only come to me
This torch I wouldn't have to carry
And if everything goes right,
To the church we will go to marry
Expressing that if she were to reciprocate his feelings, he would no longer have to carry the weight of unrequited love and indicating his desire for a permanent commitment with her.
Contributed by Natalie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.