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
Made in Heaven
Nik Kershaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With southern fries and a salad dressed
Or, better still, undressed
And she'll come microwaved and hot
Loving all the things you've got
And you will be everything you're not
When she's around
In heaven, they said
That she'll be made in heaven,
Forever in your head
You can keep it if you want, or throw it away
She comes free with metallic paint and a three
Year warantee
You can pull her on like a pair of jeans or
Drink her down like the real thing
And she'll have a mind to call your own
And she won't wait to get you home
To get you home
And she'll be made in heaven,
In heaven, they said
That she'll be made in heaven,
Forever in your head
She'll make you fly, she'll take you deep
When she comes walking in your sleep
But they made you a promise they
Couldn't keep
When they told you
she was made in heaven
The lyrics to Nik Kershaw's song Made in Heaven appear to be satirical and critical of consumerism and the commodification of human relationships. Kershaw talks about a woman who is packaged like fast food, ready to be consumed by the man who wants her. He talks about how the woman will come undressed, as if she were an object to be dressed up or down depending on the man's preference. This objectification of women and relationships reflects a wider culture where women's bodies are often objectified and devalued.
Kershaw also talks about how this woman will be made in heaven, as if she represents the perfect female ideal that men desire. She comes with a warranty, like any other product, and can be discarded when no longer needed. The lyrics suggest that the woman is not a real person with her own thoughts and feelings, but rather a product that exists solely for the man's pleasure. This is further emphasized in the line, "And she won't wait to get you home, to get you home," which implies that the woman is eager to please the man in any way she can, even if it means sacrificing her own desires and needs.
Overall, the message of this song is that we should be wary of treating people like objects to be consumed and discarded. Instead, we should value and respect each other as individuals with our own unique thoughts and feelings. The lyrics suggest that true love cannot be packaged and sold like a product, but rather must be nurtured and grown over time.
Line by Line Meaning
You can have it if you want, it's on a plate
The woman is available to you, and it's effortless to get her.
With southern fries and a salad dressed
She's presented to you in a tempting manner, as if she's a meal you can order.
Or, better still, undressed
Maybe you'll enjoy her more when she's not pretending to be someone else.
And she'll come microwaved and hot
She's almost like a commodity, easy to obtain and quickly satisfying.
Loving all the things you've got
She'll probably never have an opinion of her own, agreeing with everything you say.
And you will be everything you're not
She'll make you feel like the person you want to be, even if that's not who you truly are.
When she's around
She has the power to influence your behavior and sense of self.
And she'll be made in heaven,
This woman will seem like the perfect match, someone made just for you.
In heaven, they said
The notion of a perfect match seems to be an expectation set by society.
That she'll be made in heaven,
The concept of the ideal mate is overly romanticized.
Forever in your head
Even once you realize the woman is not perfect, the idea of her will stay in your mind.
You can keep it if you want, or throw it away
The woman is not a real object, it's just an idea.
She comes free with metallic paint and a three
If you buy into the concept of the perfect woman, you'll get some superficial benefits.
Year warantee
The idea of the perfect woman may hold up for a little while, but it's not built to last.
You can pull her on like a pair of jeans or
The notion of a perfect partner is so ingrained in our culture that it's treated like an article of clothing.
Drink her down like the real thing
People consume the idea of an ideal partner like they would a thirst-quenching drink.
And she'll have a mind to call your own
The idea of perfection permeates so deeply that even the partner's thoughts are assumed to be aligned with their mate's.
And she won't wait to get you home
The stereotypical instant gratification of such a relationship is highlighted here.
To get you home
The ultimate goal of the perfect relationship is getting together, but it's not clear if it will last.
She'll make you fly, she'll take you deep
The height and depth of emotions are promised, but it's impossible to reach those heights without facing the lows.
When she comes walking in your sleep
The idea of perfection haunts us, even in our dreams.
But they made you a promise they
Society's promise of the perfect relationship cannot be fulfilled, but people still buy into the idea.
Couldn't keep
The truth is, nobody can perfectly match someone else's idea of perfection.
When they told you she's made in heaven
The concept of the ideal mate is just a fantasy, yet we keep searching for it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NIK KERSHAW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kanno Yoichi
on The Riddle
I got two strong arms
Blessings of Babylon
With time to carry on
And try for sins
And false alarms
So to america the brave
Wise men save
僕は二つの強い武器を知ってる
バビロンの恵み(文明の力の比喩)を
行使する力と
その罪業や
誤った警告を行使する力だ
アメリカの勇敢なる
賢者がやっているようにね
[chorus]
Near a tree by a river
There's a hole in the ground
Where an old man of Erin
Goes around and around
And his mind is a beacon
In the veil of the night
For a strange kind of fashion
There's a wrong and a right
But he'll never, never fight over you
川沿いに木があり
地面に穴のあいた土地があり
年老いたエール(アイルランド)人の男が
うろうろしている
彼の心は夜を照らす
灯台のようだ
似合っているかどうかはともかく
彼は変な格好をしている
でも彼は君と争いはしないだろう
I got plans for us
Nights in the scullery
And days instead of me
I only know what to discuss
Of for anything but light
Wise men fighting over you
僕はひらめいたことがある
洗い流したいような夜と
昼を僕が背負おうかと
ただ僕は話し合うことがあればいい
光のこと以外ならね
賢者達が君と争うと言うのならね
It's not me you see
Pieces of valentine
With just a song of mine
To keep from burning history
Seasons of gasoline and gold
Wise men fold
君が見てるのは僕じゃないさ
バレンタインの欠片かな
そうそれは僕の歌の中さ
戦火の歴史からもガソリンや
金の暴騰からも避けられるようにとね
賢者達は避けずにいくだろうがね
[chorus repeat]
I got time to kill
Sly looks in corridors
Without a plan of yours
A blackbird sings on bluebird hill
thanks to the calling of the wild
Wise mens child
暇つぶしの時間があったのさ
予定外の行動をする君を
こっそりと見に廊下に出たのさ
ブラックバードが幸せの青い鳥の丘でさえずってる
荒々しい賢者の子供を呼んでくれて有難うとね
[chorus repeat (2x)]
..But he'll never, never fight over you
でも彼は君と争いはしないだろう