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
One World
Nik Kershaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All these numbers into my machine
A number for every little thing I see
I execute and they come dancing in dresses black and green
I recognize the number shining out at me
Telling me
One world, one love, one reason why
Many a good man stops to reason and pause for a while
Many a big man doesn't even try
And those who should know better
Love the word in praise and letter
They wonder how and when
When I just wonder why I wonder
One world, one love, one reason why
One hope, one dream, one reason why
One world, one love, one reason why
One hope, one dream, one reason why
One reason why
They're crying in future tenses
Tearing down the walls and fences
No matter how I count
It still comes to the same amount
It's one world, one love, one reason why
One hope, one dream, one reason why
One world, one love, one reason why
One hope, one dream, one reason why
One world, one love, one reason why
One hope, one dream, one reason why
One world
The lyrics of Nik Kershaw's song "One World" offer a commentary on the current state of the world from the viewpoint of a person who is "feeding all these numbers into my machine" and executing whatever comes up. This person seems to be working for a system that values numbers over human lives, and the dresses black and green that the people are wearing suggest that they might be in mourning or representing powerful institutions. Kershaw then switches to a more general commentary on humanity and how "Many a good man stops to reason and pause for a while / Many a big man doesn't even try," suggesting that even those who are aware of the problems facing humanity often fail to do anything to address them. Furthermore, the aspect of love is mentioned, suggesting that even those who claim to have love for humanity are limited by their restriction to just words, being unable to transcend them and come together to solve these issues.
Taking a more optimistic tone, the final verses suggest that many people are crying in future tenses, tearing down the walls and fences and working towards building the unity that humanity needs. This hopeful message is reinforced by the final repetition of "One world, one love, one reason why / One hope, one dream, one reason why," indicating that while there are certainly obstacles to be overcome, the ultimate goal of global unity and cooperation is achievable.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting here feeding
I am using my machine to input a lot of data
All these numbers into my machine
I am specifically using numbers to input data
A number for every little thing I see
I am assigning a number to every detail I observe
I execute and they come dancing in dresses black and green
When I input the numbers, I get a specific result that I expect
I recognize the number shining out at me
I can identify and understand the output that I receive
Telling me
One world, one love, one reason why
One hope, one dream, one reason why, one reason why
The output is telling me that there is one world and one love that is the reason for everything. There is also one hope and one dream that are reasons for everything
Many a good man stops to reason and pause for a while
Good people may take a moment to analyze and think deeply
Many a big man doesn't even try
Important people may not make an effort to think or analyze
And those who should know better
Love the word in praise and letter
People who have knowledge shouldn't blindly follow superficial actions or words, but they do anyway
They wonder how and when
When I just wonder why I wonder
Others may wonder about the specifics, but I am questioning the underlying reason for it all
They're crying in future tenses
Tearing down the walls and fences
People are looking towards the future and breaking down barriers and boundaries
No matter how I count
It still comes to the same amount
Regardless of how I think about it, the end result is always the same
One world, one love, one reason why
One hope, one dream, one reason why
This is the reaffirmation of the idea that there is only one world, one love, one hope and one dream that holds a reason for everything
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Nik Kershaw, Peter F. Wolf
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