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
When A Heart Beats
Nik Kershaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Same as anyone the same as any other day.
We seek eternity in all the things we buy
Not top priority but it sure figures very high.
Who steals the real world
fooling us all as it goes
And who gets to heaven - heaven knows.
When our time sleeps you can be forever
be forever.
Meanwhile in Cuckoo Land
a most delightful place
We look no further
than the nose in front of our face.
No wood anywhere
we can see only trees
Last train for material refugees.
When a heart beats you can see forever
When our time sleeps you can be forever.
When a heart beats you can see forever
When our time sleeps you can be forever
be forever.
Don't concern yourself with matters
past and future
Just put your mind to where they meet.
But when a heart beats fooling us all as it goes
And who gets to heaven - heaven knows.
When a heart beats you can see forever
When our time sleeps you can be forever
be forever - be forever - be forever -
be forever - be forever -
Heart beats heart beats - be forever -
Heart beats heart beats - be forever -
be forever.
The lyrics of Nik Kershaw’s song “When A Heart Beats” are full of philosophical musings about the nature of time and the human desire for eternity. The opening lines suggest that the singer is caught between two worlds – the mundane and the transcendent – and is seeking something beyond the ordinary. The repeated refrain “When a heart beats you can see forever” emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment and being open to its infinite possibilities. In contrast, the verses describe a world that is often deceptive and illusory, where people are distracted by material possessions and superficial pleasures. The line “No wood anywhere we can see only trees” suggests that people are often unable to see the big picture and are too focused on the details of their lives.
However, the song does not offer a definitive answer to the question of how to find eternity or transcend the limitations of time. Instead, it suggests that we should not be too concerned with the past or future, but rather focus on the present and live each moment to the fullest. The final lines of the song, “Heart beats heart beats – be forever,” suggest that the key to eternal life is found within ourselves, in the beating of our own hearts. By living in the moment and following our own hearts, we can find a sense of infinity and transcendence within ourselves.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was released as a single in 1985, the same year as Nik Kershaw’s biggest hit, “The Riddle.” Although “When A Heart Beats” was not as commercially successful as “The Riddle,” it has become a fan favorite and is considered one of Kershaw’s best songs. Another interesting fact is that the song features a guest appearance by Hugh Cornwell, the former lead singer of the punk band The Stranglers. Cornwell lends his distinctive snarl to the lines “Who steals the real world” and “Last train for material refugees.”
Line by Line Meaning
Half-way to paradise or so it seems that way
We are always seeking happiness and fulfillment, but it often feels like we are only halfway there.
Same as anyone the same as any other day.
Our daily routines and struggles are similar to those of other people.
We seek eternity in all the things we buy
We try to find eternal happiness through material possessions.
Not top priority but it sure figures very high.
Although it's not our main priority, material possessions still play a significant role in our lives.
Who steals the real world fooling us all as it goes
We get so caught up in the artificial world created by materialism that we forget what truly matters.
And who gets to heaven - heaven knows.
It's impossible to know who will achieve true happiness and fulfillment in life.
When a heart beats you can see forever
Love allows us to feel a sense of eternal happiness and fulfillment.
When our time sleeps you can be forever
Even when we sleep, love and our emotions continue to influence us.
Meanwhile in Cuckoo Land a most delightful place
We often choose to remain ignorant and blissful towards our problems instead of confronting them.
We look no further than the nose in front of our face.
We focus only on what's immediately in front of us instead of taking a broader perspective.
No wood anywhere we can see only trees
We get so caught up in the details that we miss the bigger picture.
Last train for material refugees.
Our focus on material possessions can be a refuge, but it's not a sustainable source of happiness.
Don't concern yourself with matters past and future
We should focus on the present and not dwell on the past or worry too much about the future.
Just put your mind to where they meet.
We should focus on the present moment, where the past and future converge.
But when a heart beats fooling us all as it goes
Even when it feels like we are in control of our emotions, they can still deceive us.
And who gets to heaven - heaven knows.
It's impossible to know who will achieve true happiness and fulfillment in life.
Heart beats heart beats - be forever -
Love and our emotions are eternal and ever-present.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NIK KERSHAW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@janestudd6414
Just love this track and the whole Radio Musicola album. Classic!❤
@CarlosGonzalez-mg5kr
Sería muy bueno que regresará la música de calidad la muy buena música
@rolfengel9316
Thank you for these great remastered songs and videos - I really enjoyed it!
@th6225
O trabalho artístico é incrível ! Canos de PVC?
@johnnymfan5065
awesome guitar playing Nik!
@HoneyHolliebee
I saw him in October and waited for a couple hours to meet him and asked if I could give him a kiss on the cheek and he said yes!!! And then he said after I kissed him I don’t think my wife will be happy 😂. But he is such a lovely man and really cares about his fans. My mum brung her mixtape she has from when she was a kid and very tearful that he signed it for her. She was so made up and happy and checked a goal of her bucket list. She saw him for the e first time that night and met him. It choked me up seeing her that happy. ❤
@srdjanjapanmusic5817
Than so much Nik!! You are a truly Music and Art Legend !! Keep On Rockin` !!! ))
@CarlosGonzalez-mg5kr
Gracias Nik kersaw por compartir tu genial talento.
@carmencanete6103
Si que eres hermoso 😻😻🙏🏼 gracias recuerdos inolvidables.te Amooooo bendiciones.
@bublegumjp
Magistral, de esos cantantes que merecian bastante mas popularidad de la que tuvieron