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
Hello World
Nik Kershaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What if a little bit rubs off on me
Soak up the pictures til I'm gone
Dreams for the dreamers, food for fantasy
Yey, I'm hanging by the pool
And I'm looking like a fool
But I don't mind
Easy life
Hello world, looking good
In leopard skin and polished wood
I'd be happy if I could be there with you
Hello world, the trouble is
I've got nothing much to give
But I'd give it all to live within your pages
I make like everything's alright
I live in colour, talk in black and white
Here's the Rembrandt that I bought
Here's the marlin that I caught
Here's the wife looking like my daughter
I don't mind
Easy life
Hello world, looking good
In leopard skin and polished wood
I'd be happy if I could be there with you
Hello world, the trouble is
I've got nothing much to give
But I'd give it all to live within your pages
My glamorous friends, how they dazzle and shine
I can always pretend that it's mine all mine
The clothes I wear are shiny new
They match the three piece and the children too
Hello world
In Nik Kershaw's song "Hello World," he describes the life of someone living in a superficial world where materialistic things such as pictures, clothes, and possessions are valued more than genuine feelings or relationships. The lyrics depict a character thumbing through the pages of a magazine, admiring the images and stories, and wondering if they could absorb some of the glamour depicted in the pages. The character wants to be a part of that world, even though they admit to having nothing to offer except for their desire to be a part of it.
Kershaw also touches on the idea that appearances can be deceiving, as the character boasts about hunting a marlin and having a young-looking wife who could pass for his daughter. Still, they admit to living an "easy life" and not minding their shallow existence, where they pretend everything is alright and live in a world of shiny new clothes and possessions.
Overall, "Hello World" highlights the dangers and emptiness of a life solely focused on material possessions and superficial relationships, suggesting that true happiness comes from genuine connections.
Line by Line Meaning
I thumb the pages one by one
I carefully turn the pages of a magazine, hoping to absorb something from it
What if a little bit rubs off on me
I wonder if the glamour and success of the people in the magazine can have an impact on my own life
Soak up the pictures til I'm gone
I immerse myself in the photos within the pages until I lose track of time
Dreams for the dreamers, food for fantasy
The magazine provides content that fuels imagination and makes people believe in possibilities
Yey, I'm hanging by the pool
I'm indulging in a life of leisure and luxury
And I'm looking like a fool
I don't care about how I look or how others perceive me
But I don't mind
I am content with my easy life and don't worry about things too much
Easy life
I am living a life of comfort and convenience, and I enjoy it
Hello world, looking good
The glossy world presented in the magazine appears glamorous and alluring
In leopard skin and polished wood
The people and objects within the pages are presented as expensive and high-end
I'd be happy if I could be there with you
I desire to be a part of this world of luxury and glamour presented in the magazine
Hello world, the trouble is
The problem is that reality is different from this idealized world of the magazine
I've got nothing much to give
I lack the resources and possessions to attain such a life of luxury
But I'd give it all to live within your pages
I would trade everything I have to be a part of the magazine's glossy world, even if it's only in my imagination
I make like everything's alright
I pretend that my life is perfect and that I am content
I live in colour, talk in black and white
I use vivid language and expressions to make my life sound more exciting than it really is
Here's the Rembrandt that I bought
I show off my possessions to impress others
Here's the marlin that I caught
I boast about my accomplishments to make myself seem more interesting or impressive
Here's the wife looking like my daughter
I am proud of my attractive partner and show her off as a status symbol
My glamorous friends, how they dazzle and shine
The people I associate with are wealthy and visually impressive, adding to my own prestige
I can always pretend that it's mine all mine
I can create a fantasy in which the objects and people within the magazine's pages are a part of my own life
The clothes I wear are shiny new
I make a point to dress in fashionable, expensive clothing to project an image of success
They match the three piece and the children too
I coordinate my clothing with that of my family, adding to the image of a perfect, cohesive unit
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NIK KERSHAW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jameswasil
// Leave it to Nik Kershaw to turn a C program into an awesome song. :)
include <kershaw.n>
#include <youtube.h>
static world hello (world) {
return looking_good;
}
// add leopard skin and polished wood to make happy.
mich0008
He is an amazing composer/arranger, instrumentist & singer. I think he is too much underrated, some people never heard of him.
Kidéro's Lowchen
Yey, found more of this undervalued album. I think I've played this song about 10 times the last week :) Great you shared it! Thanks!!
Shelli
As I'm learning to code, this song keeps playing in my head..."Hello world!"
tassherb
This song should have been the lead single off the album.
Dandomz
I love this. watching this 2020 from the Philippines.
Kidéro's Lowchen
In this album and in this title Frank is also a name.
RiddleRiddle1000
@VittellaY I read somewhere he named his album after an imaginary person he called Frank, after he finally learnt how to overcome "Frank"
Stroya
@VittellaY If you mean the Frank in 'To be frank' then it's not a name. To be frank is an idiom. 'To be frank' means 'to be honest' :)
Niknutter
Rare photos - naw - ive seen them all :)
Niknutter
I don't think his ex would be impressed with her photo on there - have some respect