Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised with gospel music. In her youth her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth.
Adams started her career in 1980 with two self-financed albums which had limited success. In 1985, she was discovered by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, founders of the famous English pop band Tears for Fears whilst performing in a Kansas City, Missouri bar. They invited her to join their band as a singer to their next album The Seeds of Love.
In 1989, the LP was released and the single "Woman In Chains" - sung as a duet by Adams and Orzabal and with Phil Collins on drums - became her real first hit. Oleta started her solo career in 1990 assisted by Orzabal who did the production. Her debut album Circle of One received much critical acclaim and she scored her biggest hit to date in 1991 with her cover of Brenda Russell's "Get Here". 1991 also saw Oleta contribute to the Elton John/Bernie Taupin tribute album, Two Rooms, on which appeared her version of John's 1974 hit "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me".
Her next album Evolution was also a commercial success. Her 1995 release, Moving On, saw Oleta move more in the direction of R&B. Two years later she released the Christian themed Come Walk With Me.
Adams' smooth sumptuous contralto voice has become the vanguard in an R&B jazz segment that was largely vacant during Anita Baker's hiatus.
In 2001, Adams released her sixth album, All The Love, a return to an R&B/Adult contemporary sound. The album was re-released in 2004 in Germany with a different title I Can't Live a Day without You.
In 2004, Adams reunited with Tears for Fears once again as she made a surprise guest appearance onstage at their Kansas City concert, performing "Woman in Chains".
Adams released her first Christmas album on 3 October 2006, entitled Christmas Time with Oleta.
A secular album entitled Let's Stay Here, was released on April 21, 2009.
Circle of One
Oleta Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you came into my life
Like a story returned everyday
And my heart gave a warning
And it stopped for a moment
And I thought I would never get well
But the poison and passion and action of love
The fighting and hiding your hating and love
Until you could set me free
I was caught in the middle of a rock and a hard place and
I needed a soft place to fall
Then you showed me the reason to rely on my feelings
I had nothing to fear at all
I'll never go back to that circle of one
That circle of loneliness yeah
I'll never go back to that circle of one
One (ooh)
I was looking for someway
To escape to a new life
Far away from this merry go round
Then you set us in motion
With love and devotion
And I hope that we never come down
I'll never go back to that circle of one
That circle of loneliness yeah
I'll never go back to that circle of one
That circle of empty-emptiness baby
I'll never go back to that circle of one
Circle of
Circle of
Circle of
One (ooh)
The simple addition of a love in my life
The failing of a endless void
It came out of nowhere and
Stucky like a knife
It was something to fear in your heart
Do you, do you, do you, do you, do you, do
I'll never go back to that circle of one
That circle of loneliness yeah
I'll never go back to that circle of one
That circle of empty-emptiness baby
I'll never go back to that circle of one
Never never go back no
Never never go back no
I'll never go back to that circle of one
Circle of
Circle of
Circle of
One
The lyrics to Oleta Adams's song Circle of One are about the transformative power of love and the hope it brings to someone who has been trapped in a cycle of loneliness and despair. The singer describes how she was looking the wrong way when love came into her life, and how it took hold of her with its power and passion. She is amazed and grateful that the love she has found has given her a reason to rely on her feelings and has allowed her to break free of the cycle of loneliness that she had been trapped in. The singer declares that she will never go back to that place of emptiness and despair, that circle of one.
The song's meaning is clear: it speaks of the transformative power of love, which can take us from a place of darkness and despair to one of hope and joy. It is a song of celebration, a song of hope, and a reminder that even in our darkest moments, there is always the possibility of finding a way out. With its soulful melody and haunting lyrics, Circle of One is a song that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt trapped or alone, and who has longed for the hope that only love can bring.
Line by Line Meaning
I was looking the wrong way
I didn't realize you were coming into my life
When you came into my life
When you appeared unexpectedly
Like a story returned everyday
Like a repeated tale
And my heart gave a warning
I felt nervous about this new person
And it stopped for a moment
I hesitated for a bit
And I thought I would never get well
I didn't think I could handle it
But the poison and passion and action of love
Love is both dangerous and exciting
Running away with me huh
Taking over my thoughts and emotions
The fighting and hiding your hating and love
Struggling with your mixed feelings
Until you could set me free
Until you were able to help me overcome my fears
I was caught in the middle of a rock and a hard place and
I was in a difficult situation
I needed a soft place to fall
I needed someone to support and comfort me
Then you showed me the reason to rely on my feelings
Then you helped me trust my instincts
I had nothing to fear at all
I realized I had no reason to be scared
I'll never go back to that circle of one
I will never be alone again
That circle of loneliness yeah
That lonely place I used to be in
One (ooh)
The single state I was once in
I was looking for someway
I was searching for a new beginning
To escape to a new life
To start fresh and leave my old life behind
Far away from this merry go round
Far from this cycle of repetitive experiences
Then you set us in motion
Then you helped us move forward together
With love and devotion
With passion and dedication
And I hope that we never come down
And I hope our happiness never fades
The simple addition of a love in my life
Having someone to love made all the difference
The failing of a endless void
The emptiness in my heart went away
It came out of nowhere and
It was unexpected
Stucky like a knife
Piercing deep into my heart
It was something to fear in your heart
It was something that initially frightened me
Do you, do you, do you, do you, do you, do
Repeating questions, wondering if you feel the same way
Never never go back no
I will never return to my old ways
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Oleta Adams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind