The youngest child of Professor Brin Newton-John and Irene, daughter of Nobel Prize winning physicist, Max Born, Newton-John moved to Melbourne, Australia, with her family when she was five. By the age of fifteen, she had formed an all-girl group called Sol Four. Later that year she won a talent contest on the popular TV show, “Sing, Sing, Sing,” which earned her a trip to London. By 1963, Newton-John was appearing on local daytime TV shows and weekly pop music programs in Australia. She cut her first single for Decca Records in 1966, a version of Jackie DeShannon’s "Till You Say You’ll Be Mine." In 1971, she recorded a cover of Bob Dylan’s "If Not For You," co-produced by John Farrar, with whom she continued to collaborate.
Her 1973 U.S. album debut, "Let Me Be There," produced her first top ten single of the same name, with Newton-John being honored by the Academy Of Country Music as Most Promising Female Vocalist and a Grammy Award as Best Country Vocalist. This proved to be only the beginning of a very exciting career. Her countless successes include three more Grammys, numerous Country Music Awards, American Music Awards and Peoples Choice Awards, five 1 hits including “Physical,” which topped the charts for ten consecutive weeks, and 15 top 10 singles.
In 1978, her co-starring role with John Travolta in “Grease” catapulted Newton-John into super-stardom. This film led to the production of the most successful movie musical soundtrack in history, featuring the duets "You’re The One That I Want" and "Summer Nights," with Travolta, as well as her mega-hit, "Hopelessly Devoted To You." The film was re-released worldwide in 1998 in celebration of its 20th anniversary to even more acclaim, a true testament to the film’s timeless quality. Her other film credits include “Xanadu,” “Two Of A Kind,” “It’s My Party,” and “Sordid Lives.” She followed that success, by co-starring with her daughter, Chloe, in the Showtime movie, “The Wilde Girls.” Clearly following in her mother’s footsteps, Chloe has recently signed her first record label contract.
Newton-John appeal was boundless. With a career spanning more than three decades she was adored by fans across the world. Throughout her career, the much-loved star, who danced with Gene Kelly in “Xanadu,” hosted the popular internationally syndicated “Wild Life” television show, was bestowed an O.B.E. (Order Of The British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth in 1979, has held many humanitarian causes close to her heart, particularly since the birth of her daughter Chloe in 1986. She served as Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Environment Programme and in 1991, the Colette Chuda Environmental Fund/CHEC (Children’s Health Environ-mental Coalition) was founded after the tragic death of Chloe’s best friend from a rare childhood cancer, with Olivia serving as National Spokesperson for ten years. Newton-John’s devotion and shared commitment to CHEC’s mission and goals enabled the organization to receive worldwide attention and support. (For more information visit www.CHECnet.org.)
Her charmed life has not been without its share of upset. In the 90s, Newton-John successfully overcame her own battle with breast cancer, which inspired her self-penned and produced album, “GAIA,” her most personal album reflecting upon her experiences with cancer. She used these experiences to gain greater self-awareness and became a positive inspiration to millions of people battling cancer. As a breast cancer survivor, Newton-John became increasingly well known and respected for talking openly about her battle with breast cancer and for promoting public awareness of the importance of early detection. Her personal victory against cancer led her to announce her partnership with the Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre and the creation of the “Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre” (ONJCC) on the Austin Campus in her hometown, Melbourne, Australia. The ONJCC will provide a comprehensive range of services and facilities for cancer treatment, education, training and research. (For more information visit www.armc.org.au.)
Newton-John was acknowledged many times by charitable and environmental organizations for her ongoing efforts, among them: the American Red Cross, the Environmental Media Association, the Women’s Guild of Cedar’s Sinai Medical Center, the Rainforest Alliance and Concept Cure. Olivia promotes breast health awareness and has introduced the “Olivia Breast Self-Exam Kit,” an aid to help women perform self-exams with more ease and confidence (www.liv.com).
In the 2000's, her interational recognition continued to grow. She was invited by the Vatican on behalf of Pope John Paul II to perform at the Jubilee Celebration for the Sick and Healthcare Workers. Olivia was thrilled to perform at the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics to an estimated global viewing audience of four billion people. Adding to this Olympic experience is what Olivia feels is one of her most memorable moments – the honor of carrying the Olympic Torch during the Olympic Torch Relay. Her passion for Australia was ignited again when Olivia reunited with friend and business partner, Pat Farrar, to promote the Koala Blue brand with distinctly Australian wines to proudly bring “the taste of Australia” to the rest of the world. Her healing spirit also led to the opening of the GAIA Retreat & Spa in her homeland of Australia (www.GaiaRetreat.com.au).
In 1999, her album, "Back With A Heart," garnered her an Emmy Award for her songwriting. In 2000/2001, Olivia released her only live album, "One Woman’s Live Journey," followed by “Magic - The Very Best of Olivia Newton-John,” which celebrated thirty years of recording. And if that wasn’t enough, she also released her first holiday album, “The Christmas Collection.” In 2002, a CD of duets simply titled, “2,” was recorded in Australia and features a host of talented Ozzies along with a couple of her American friends, followed by “Indigo: Women of Song,” a tribute to some of her favorite female performers.
The CD “Stronger Than Before,” release in 2005, features songs of inspiration, courage and hope that relate to the complex emotions cancer patients and their loved ones experience. A portion of the CD’s proceeds benefit cancer research.
Her recording, “Grace and Gratitude,” a CD for relaxation to promote spiritual balance and physical and emotional healing, was released in September 2006 and coincided with the launch of Newton-John's wellness products for women.
In 2002, Newton-John was inducted into the prestigious Australian Music Hall Of Fame at the 16th Annual Aria Awards. Her latest honors include receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award by friend John Travolta at the G’Day L.A. Ball in 2006.
Newton-John was also appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia by the Queen for her “service to the entertainment industry as a singer and actor, and to the community through organizations supporting breast cancer treatment, education and training research, and the environment.”
Wesite www.OliviaNewton-John.com
Carried Away
Olivia Newton-John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shiny as a morning star
It's a figure of speech
But you're still out of reach
You never told me loving you could be so wrong and right
And it's gonna be a lonely night
I turn to you
You turn away
And here am I
Loving you more and more
We've got an open door, my love
Oh let it be just a state of mind
And suddenly you appear
[Chorus]
I'm carried away
I'm carried away
To be carried away
I'm carried away
To be carried away
I'm carried away
See'est la vie
So you want to play another part
Can you say goodbye
Can you live a lie
She'll never give you what I gave you was my breaking heart
Better than I ever knew
And if you can live without my love
You're really gonna be alone
And here am I
Walking against the crowd
Calling your name out loud, my love
Oh let it be just a state of mind
And suddenly you appear
[Chorus]
Carried away
Baby there ain't no final word
I'll be yours again
I got a world of tenderness
Yours until the end
[Chorus: Repeats]
The lyrics of Olivia Newton-John's song "Carried Away" center around the theme of unrequited love. The singer is in love with someone who doesn't reciprocate her feelings, but she continues to love this person more and more. The opening verse describes the person she loves as shiny as a morning star, but out of reach. She never imagined loving anyone could feel so right and wrong simultaneously, and now it is going to be a lonely night. The singer acknowledges this love will probably never come to fruition: "you're looking at someone else, and here am I, loving you more and more. We've got an open door, my love, so let it be just a state of mind." However, suddenly the person of her affections appears and she is carried away.
The chorus is a culmination of the longing and desperation for the person she can't seem to get enough of. She's carried away and she feels it so deeply that she repeats it three times, emphasizing her need to be swept off her feet. The next verse warns the person she loves that if they can't live without her love, they're going to end up alone. Like the previous verse, this one also acknowledges her unreturned feelings. The lyric, "she'll never give you what I gave you was my breaking heart/better than I ever knew" indicates that despite the pain it has brought her, her love for this person is still real and a part of her. The verse almost sounds like a goodbye but comes back around with, "Oh let it be just a state of mind, and suddenly you appear," leaving the song open-ended and unresolved.
Line by Line Meaning
There you are
I see you standing in front of me
Shiny as a morning star
You look beautiful and bright, like a star in the morning sky
It's a figure of speech
I'm using a common expression to describe you
But you're still out of reach
Despite your proximity to me, I can't have you the way I want to
You never told me loving you could be so wrong and right
Being in love with you is confusing and conflicting
And it's gonna be a lonely night
I know I'm going to be alone tonight
I turn to you
I look to you for comfort and support
You turn away
You reject me and turn your attention elsewhere
You're looking at someone else
You're interested in another person
And here am I
Meanwhile, I'm still here with feelings for you
Loving you more and more
My love for you grows stronger with each passing day
We've got an open door, my love
We have a chance to be together if we choose to take it
Oh let it be just a state of mind
I hope that our problems are all in our heads and not real issues
And suddenly you appear
You come back into my life unexpectedly
I'm carried away
I am overcome with emotion
To be carried away
To feel swept up in a moment
See'est la vie
That's life
So you want to play another part
You want to try something different
Can you say goodbye
Can you move on from what we had?
Can you live a lie
Could you pretend that everything between us was okay?
She'll never give you what I gave you was my breaking heart
The love I gave you came with pain and heartbreak
Better than I ever knew
Despite my struggles, my love for you is stronger than ever before
And if you can live without my love
If you can be happy without me
You're really gonna be alone
Then you'll be alone in the end
Walking against the crowd
I am fighting for our love, even when others doubt it
Calling your name out loud, my love
I am crying out to you to come back to me
Baby there ain't no final word
Our story is not over yet
I'll be yours again
I am willing to give our relationship another chance
I got a world of tenderness
I have endless love and affection for you
Yours until the end
I will love you forever
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALBHY GALUTEN, BARRY GIBB, BARRY ALAN GIBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@angc1456
RIP Olivia . This song is Timeless. You will always live in our hearts . We love you💜💜💜
@tammybamba
RIP Olivia, thank you for all the wonderful music.
@rowanchandler6841
RIP. She was a wonderful person with a lovely voice.
@shaneyule2749
My God I love this song... 2019 and still going strong. Olivia you're amazing.
@javierherasmartin2368
Hasta siempre Olivia. Gracias por tu voz y por hacernos soñar y emocionarnos
@user-dk7yk7mz9k
My favorite song♡
Really sweet voice💖
@Dampferin1
Can't stop crying ...R.I P. Olivia 😭💔
@teacher19304985
The same here!!!
@kellysnyder1405
I'm 51 and she has been with me all my life. I had hoped to hug her one day....💔
@fluorcyl6112
Absolutely awesome! This woman is beyond Epic!