Kershaw played guitar and sang in a number of underground bands from about 1976 before deciding on a career as a songwriter. However, he ended up performing his own songs rather than giving them to others, and signed a deal with MCA Records in 1983, which spawned a debut single, "I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", which just missed out on the UK Top 40. At the beginning of 1984, he made his breakthrough when "Wouldn't It Be Good", featuring a video of Kershaw as a chromakey-suited alien, reached Number 4 in the UK charts. He enjoyed three more Top 20 hits from debut album Human Racing , including the title track and a successful re-issue of his debut single, which ultimately proved his biggest hit as a performer when it got to Number 2 in the UK.
Despite winning awards, attracting admirers for his writing such as Elton John & Eric Clapton. He gainied a huge teenage fanbase, Kershaw was not without his critics. Some complained that he did too much onstage when he had a competent backing band called the Krew to play all the required guitar and keyboard parts of his songs.
Kershaw, who was married to long-time love and backing singer Sheri, then released a single called "The Riddle", which would send fans, journalists and linguists into overdrive, as each tried to establish what the meaning was behind the strange set of circumstances and clues which Kershaw put in the verses and chorus (though it in fact later turned out to be hastily created nonsense). Another major hit, it was also the title track of his second album, which also spawned two more UK Top 10 hits, "Wide Boy" and "Don Quixote".
In July 1985 Kershaw was among performers at Live Aid, Wembley Stadium. His star began to wane soon afterwards and he enjoyed only one more UK Top 40 hit, the debut single from his third album, Radio Musicola. Radio Musicola, despite receiving critical acclaim, was a flop in the UK charts. After this, Kershaw teamed up with 'We Built This City' producer Peter Wolf for his fourth album, The Works. After neither Kershaw or Wolf were happy with the results, Kershaw re-recorded the album with producer Julian Mendelsohn. The Works failed to chart in the UK, but it’s debut single, One Step Ahead, charted at No. 55. The albums failure led to him being dropped by MCA Records.
After The Works, Kershaw retired from recording music in favour of his original career path as a songwriter. His prowess as a songwriter served him well in 1991 when his song The One And Only, appeared on the soundtrack to the Brittish movie Buddy's Song and in the American film "Doc Hollywood", and provided a UK Number 1 single for the star of the film, Chesney Hawkes (son of the Tremeloes' Chip Hawkes). In 1993 The Hollies had a minor hit with another of his songs, The Woman I Love. Kershaw featured prominently as a vocalist on Tony Banks’ album Still, along with penning some of the tracks.
1999 saw the release of the Britpop-styled 15 Minutes, a collection of songs that are generally more personal and mature, and that he could not envisage being recorded by other artists. Both this and the more commercial To Be Frank (2001) are stylistically different from his earlier work by being underpinned by acoustic guitar rather than synthesiser.
These were followed by 'You’ve Got To Laugh', another collection of acoustic-led songs and 'EI8HT', a commercial MOR pop album brought on by the 80s revival and also led to the return of synthesisers in his music. Kershaw released his latest album, Oxymoron, in 2020 and is in the process of releasing a series of EPs, Songs from a Shelf. He still performs regularly.
For more information visit the official site at http://www.nikkershaw.net
Cloud Nine
Nik Kershaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I float without a sound
Paradise found
I can see a lilac field
A blue and crimson sky
How lucky am I
And sunlight makes it alright
Makes me shine
Miss you
Doing fine
But even though the view is ours
The pleasure is all mine
Living on cloud nine
High above a crowded street
A little bird of prey
Sings have a nice day
I can hear the falling rain
The crushing ocean wave
And Dagenham Dave
And music makes me lose it
Makes me shine
When he sings
Oh my darling, Clementine
But even though the song is ours
The pleasure is all mine
Living on cloud nine
I own my world
I own my world
And all that's in it
As far as I can see
I own my world
I own my world
And all that's in it
It all belongs to me
I would love to share my love with you
But you don't see this beauty like I do
And even though the world is ours
The pleasure is all mine
Living on cloud
Get off my cloud nine
Get off my cloud nine
Get off my cloud nine
In Nik Kershaw's song "Cloud Nine," he sings about a place where he feels free from the chaos and noise of the world around him. He describes floating high above the hustle and bustle and feeling lucky to witness the beauty of lilac fields and blue and crimson skies. He expresses how music and the sound of the little bird of prey singing "have a nice day" can make him lose himself and shine. However, Kershaw acknowledges that even though this view and these sounds are shared, the pleasure he feels is all his own. He envisions himself as the sole proprietor of the world he sees and all that's in it. He longs to share it with someone he loves, but he knows they don't experience the same beauty as he does.
The song encapsulates the human experience of wanting to share moments of joy and beauty with others but feeling disheartened when others don't see things the way you do. Kershaw's lyrics remind us that sometimes it's essential to enjoy moments all for ourselves and recognize that the pleasure we feel is valid, even if others don't understand it. The song's title, "Cloud Nine," references the idea of being on a high, and Kershaw compares his experience to living on Cloud Nine, a place of euphoria and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
High above the push and shove
I am above the chaos of the world
I float without a sound
I am weightless and without any burden
Paradise found
I have discovered a perfect place
I can see a lilac field
I can see a beautiful field of flowers
A blue and crimson sky
The sky is painted with beautiful shades of blue and red
How lucky am I
I am fortunate to witness this beauty
And sunlight makes it alright
The sunlight adds to the beauty and makes it perfect
Makes me shine
I feel good and cheerful because of it
I watch you watching
I see you observing me
Miss you
I feel the absence of someone special
Doing fine
I am doing fine regardless of the absence
But even though the view is ours
Even though we are in this beautiful place together
The pleasure is all mine
I am experiencing the joy and beauty at a personal level
Living on cloud nine
I am living in a state of bliss and perfect happiness
High above a crowded street
I am above a busy street
A little bird of prey
A small bird that hunts for prey
Sings have a nice day
The bird is singing a cheerful song
I can hear the falling rain
I can hear the sound of rain
The crushing ocean wave
The sound of waves crashing into the shore
And Dagenham Dave
A person named Dagenham Dave
And music makes me lose it
Music makes me lose myself in the moment
When he sings
During the moment he sings
Oh my darling, Clementine
A song that he loves to listen to
I own my world
I have control over my own world
And all that's in it
Everything that is there
As far as I can see
Everything that is visible to me is mine
I would love to share my love with you
I wish to share my happiness and joy with someone special
But you don't see this beauty like I do
The other person does not value this beauty as much as I do
And even though the world is ours
Even though we share the world together
The pleasure is all mine
The happiness and joy is still personal to me
Living on cloud
Living in a state of perfect happiness and bliss
Get off my cloud nine
Someone is disturbing his state of happiness and he is asking them to leave
Contributed by Riley O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Robert Newton
I can't understand why this song is not heard by the whole world for the true classic that it is! Listen to the beautiful melody, the feel of the lyrics and the fantastic drumming! A beautiful track by a true artist who matures like wine - what a song
Kat Newton
my dad wrote this comment (who died a few months ago suddenly) and i came across this tonight. (completely broken me) however he loved Nik Kershaw and what he created in terms of song writing and production and he loved this. xx
k1ra
@Kat Newton aw im so sorry. im glad he was able to enjoy this treasure - his comment put a smile on my face:)
ALGERNONSENCE
This man's instinct for the craft of songwriting is incredible. Simple as.
Inner City Unit
Exactly.
Allan Blankstrom
It's 2018 . I'm finding this gem today ashamed I'm so late for the party. Amazing songwriter. Purest perfect pitch singer. He always has perfect delivery .
Can't stop singing this .along with other posts. America has few like this guy. Thanks for sharing UK. He's amazing
pecede45
This touches my heart, just like most of Nik's music
Chris Jones
I have paid for everything you have ever done Nik. I appreciate the fact that you filled my Soul with your Music. Many Thanks. CJ from Kansas.
Bunnypompom 3
love love love nik kershaws creativity he hits you write in the heart with his songs and that's a talent 1 in a trilonth you lucky man wish I could create like you.
Ms Cheryl B
I’ve only just come across this tune, it’s December 2018. I’ve been a Nik Kershaw fan since the 80s and By goodness what s talented person.