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
Elisabeth
Nik Kershaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From jail and a Bible vow
But fear and fury were my judge and
Jury so here I am now
There was a letter
A hundred letters
I wrote a letter
It said "Hi! Mr. President I hope
And I hope you'll give me every
Chance to live because they done me wrong
My hope lies in Elisabeth's eyes
Love I will never have known
My hope lies in Elisabeth's eyes
Alone
Still reeling I detect a feeling that I'm here to stay
Somebody locked me up
Somebody threw my key away
I got a letter
A single letter
I read the letter
It said "Hang in there boy
I am fighting for you still"
It was then I knew I really loved her too
I guess I always will
(Chorus)
Another letter
The last letter
I wrote a letter
It said "Don't cry lady, you really shouldn't care"
Tuesday at seven I will find my heaven
And I'll see you there
(Chorus 2x)
The song "Elisabeth's Eyes" by Nik Kershaw tells the story of a man who has been wrongfully accused and imprisoned. He expresses his frustration with the justice system and the role fear and fury play in determining his fate. The man sends letters, hoping for a chance to live, and finds hope in the eyes of a woman named Elisabeth. He receives a letter of support from her and realizes he loves her. Despite feeling alone, he is resigned to his fate, feeling that he is there to stay. In the end, he writes one final letter to Elisabeth, telling her not to cry for him and that he will find his heaven on Tuesday at seven.
The lyrics in "Elisabeth's Eyes" are poignant and evoke strong emotions. The man's story of injustice and loss, as well as his connection with Elisabeth, is relatable to many people. They can empathize with his struggle and his hope for a better life. The lyrics also reflect the theme of love and hope, which is a recurring theme in Nik Kershaw's music.
Overall, "Elisabeth's Eyes" is a moving and powerful song that showcases Nik Kershaw's songwriting skills and his ability to connect with his listeners. The song is a testament to the enduring nature of love and hope, even in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
I told my tale with some words
I narrated my story using some words.
From jail and a Bible vow
From jail, where I took the Bible vow.
But fear and fury were my judge and Jury so here I am now
As a result, fear and fury became my judge and jury, and that's why I am here now.
There was a letter
A letter existed.
A hundred letters
In fact, there were one hundred letters.
I wrote a letter
I composed a letter.
It said "Hi! Mr. President I hope You're fit and strong"
The content was a greeting to the President while wishing him well-being.
And I hope you'll give me every Chance to live because they done me wrong
Additionally, I pleaded for a chance to live since they falsely accused me.
My hope lies in Elisabeth's eyes
My aspirations are tied to Elisabeth's eyes.
Love I will never have known
I have never experienced such love before.
My hope lies in Elisabeth's eyes
Consequently, my hopes depend on Elisabeth's eyes.
Alone
But I am alone in that.
Still reeling I detect a feeling that I'm here to stay
Despite the situation, I sense that I will remain here.
Somebody locked me up Somebody threw my key away
Nonetheless, someone imprisoned me and discarded my key.
I got a letter
Then, I received a letter.
A single letter
It was a solitary letter.
I read the letter
After that, I perused the letter.
It said "Hang in there boy I am fighting for you still"
And it encouraged me, promising to continue fighting for me.
It was then I knew I really loved her too I guess I always will
That's when I realized that I also loved Elisabeth, and I probably always will.
(Chorus)
The repeating part of the song.
Another letter
Following that, I got another letter.
The last letter
It happened to be my final letter.
I wrote a letter
I pen down one last message.
It said "Don't cry lady, you really shouldn't care"
I advised Elisabeth not to cry; she shouldn't worry.
Tuesday at seven I will find my heaven And I'll see you there
I assured her that I would find my happiness at exactly 7 PM on Tuesday, and I'd see her then.
(Chorus 2x)
The chorus repeats twice more.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Charlotte-hq3xh
Lyrics:
I told my tale with some words
From jail and a Bible vow
But fear and fury were my judge and
Jury so here I am now
There was a letter
A hundred letters
I wrote a letter
It said "Hey! Mr. President I hope
You're fit and strong"
And I hope you'll give me every
Chance to live because they've done me wrong
My hope lies in Elisabeth's eyes
Love I will never have known
My hope lies in Elisabeth's eyes
Alone
Still reeling I detect a feeling that I'm here to stay
Somebody locked me up
Somebody threw my key away
I got a letter
A single letter
I read the letter
It said "Hang in there boy
We are fighting for you still"
It was then I knew I really loved her too
I guess I always will
My hope lies in Elisabeth's eyes
Love I will never have known
My hope lies in Elisabeth's eyes
Alone
▪◇Music interlude◇▪
Another letter
The last letter
I wrote a letter
It said "Don't cry lady, you really shouldn't care"
Tuesday at seven I will find my heaven and I'll see you there
My hope lies in Elisabeth's eyes
Love I will never have known
My hope lies in Elisabeth's eyes
Alone
{My hope lies in Elizabeths eyes chorus repeats till the end}
@davebayliss8903
Going through a huge Nik Kershaw phase right now in 2022 brilliant music and better than all the crap music today!!!!
@elizabethgilardo189
Same here!
@brentcrude8565
Wasn't as successful as his more well-known chart hits, but this is a beautiful, beautiful song.
One of my favourite songwriters of all time. Been a huge fan since his debut.
@jmsessn
nik you've definitely aged gracefully mang, i loved your music back then when i was in junior high and i still enjoy it to the fullest after 30 and whatnot years, it's damn good to see you alive, well and kickin' <3
@marzenanoel
Nik! Come and make a concert in america please ! I want to go really bad ! I love all your music ! Thanks for sharing your talent with the world !;)
@citysilence2241
With great respect, an old fan of you from budapest-Hungary.
@prakashchandran7910
sooooo....glad came across this song..it's so good,just can't get enough of it
@elizabethrobertson7359
Never thought i would find this song again!!! just love it Thank you
@stefanie_s
I love that song so much! Even if I'm really young I counted 29 songs in my music library
@bds5149
Hey Nick, thanks for posting this and thanks for choosing such a clear sounding version: I can really hear the voices/voicings and drums very clearly. Incredible tune! Incredible chords!!!