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 itโs 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 Banksโ 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 'Youโve 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
I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Nik Kershaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then to our favorite hobby, searching for an enemy
Here in our paper houses
Stretching for miles and miles
Old men in stripy trousers rule the world with plastic smiles
Good or bad, like it or not
It's the only one we've got
I won't let the sun go down on me
I won't let the sun go down
I won't let the sun go down on me
I won't let the sun go down
Mother nature isn't in it
three hundred million years
Goodbye in just a minute,
gone forever, no more tears
Pinball man, power glutton, vacuum inside his head
Forefinger on the button, is he blue or is he red
Break your silence if you would
Before the sun goes down for good
I won't let the sun go down on me
I won't let the sun go down
I won't let the sun go down on me
I won't let the sun go down
I won't let the sun go down on me
I won't let the sun go down
I won't let the sun go down on me
I won't let the sun go down
I won't let the sun go down on me
I won't let the sun go down
The song "I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" by Nik Kershaw deals with themes of power, control and human destruction of nature. The lyrics depict a bleak future where humanity's obsession with industry and warfare has led to devastation and the demise of earthly beauty. The line "Mother nature isn't in it, three hundred million years, goodbye in just a minute, gone forever, no more tears" paints a picture of the unalterable damage done to the planet in just a tiny fraction of its history.
The song's satirical tone is exemplified in the second verse where Nik Kershaw describes the "Pinball man, power glutton, vacuum inside his head, forefinger on the button, is he blue or is he red". The power-hungry political figure is alluded to as a destructive force, with the pressing of the button signifying the end of the world. The song's powerful message is emphasized in the chorus as Kershaw vows "I won't let the sun go down on me", hoping to preserve the world and maintain hope for the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Forty winks in the lobby, make mine a G&T
Taking a nap in the waiting room, with a Gin and Tonic in hand
Then to our favorite hobby, searching for an enemy
Engaging in a favorite pastime, looking for someone to blame
Here in our paper houses
Living in fragile, artificial structures
Stretching for miles and miles
That extend over large areas
Old men in stripy trousers rule the world with plastic smiles
Elitist leaders, disguised as commonfolk, control the world with fake kindness
Good or bad, like it or not
Regardless of our opinion, whether good or bad
It's the only one we've got
This is the only world we have, for better or for worse
Mother nature isn't in it
Natural environment has no part in the society's problems
three hundred million years
Repeated cycles of evolution and extinction, over a vast period of time
Goodbye in just a minute, gone forever, no more tears
Destruction can happen quickly and irrevocably, bringing an end to everything
Pinball man, power glutton, vacuum inside his head
A person obsessed with accumulating power and status, without any substance
Forefinger on the button, is he blue or is he red
In control of the ultimate weapon, but unable to choose between good or bad
Break your silence if you would
If you have something to say or change, speak up before it's too late
Before the sun goes down for good
Before the world reaches a point of no return, act now
I won't let the sun go down on me
I refuse to let the world crumble and fall without a fight
I won't let the sun go down
I won't accept defeat or give up
I won't let the sun go down on me
I won't let the world deteriorate beyond repair
I won't let the sun go down
I won't relinquish hope or surrender to darkness
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: NIK KERSHAW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hunga224
Forty winks in the lobby, make mine a G&T
Then to our favorite hobby, searching for an enemy
Here in our paper houses, stretching for miles and miles
Old men in stripy trousers rule the world with plastic smiles
Good or bad, like it or not
It's the only one we've got
I won't let the sun go down on me
I won't let the sun go down
I won't let the sun go down on me
I won't let the sun go down
Mother nature isn't in it, three hundred million years
Goodbye in just a minute, gone forever, no more tears
Pinball man, power glutton, vacuum inside his head
Forefinger on the button, is he blue or is he red
Break your silence if you would
Before the sun goes down for good
@josielpontocom
Justin Bieber gets millions of views for the shit he cranks out and this has less than a million. People don't know good music.
@cannabliss6908
Why would you care what other people like? Though i agree Bieber isn't really good music, you sir, just sound salty and jealous. Let people think Kanye West is a nice person, or grandparents play pokemon go for all i care. Opinions are just opinions
@peperes2
most people are shit, so they seek out shit to like
@Schmidtelpunkt
In what way was this song different compared to its time than Bieber is today? At that time songwriting still mattered, today it is much more about production. But in both cases its music tailored to fit a fashion and in both cases it sold like sliced bread. There never was a time when people knew good music, just a time when the output was less optimized to fit what people thought they wanted.
@elaindodds3341
STOP SWEARING! SHUT IT!!!!!
@elaindodds3341
Josiel de Assis NOW!!!
@mayakadan5629
My musician dad and I listened to this song and a few other songs by him today and we came to the conclusion that Nik Kirshaw is a musical genius
@darkmatterisgreyrattlether7348
"The Riddle", is their best hit song for me
@Azzaw1980
And you both are genius for coming to this conclusion too :)
@theman2017inc
If heโs a genius then heโs a underrated one!!!