Olivia Newton-John AC DBE (born in Cambridge on 26 September 1948; died 8 A… Read Full Bio ↴Olivia Newton-John AC DBE (born in Cambridge on 26 September 1948; died 8 August 2022) was a British-born Australian-raised singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included five number-one hits and another ten top-ten hits on the US Billboard Hot 100, and two Billboard 200 number-one albums, If You Love Me, Let Me Know (1974) and Have You Never Been Mellow (1975). Eleven of her singles (including two Platinum) and 14 of her albums (including two Platinum and four 2× Platinum) have been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). With global sales of more than 100 million records, Newton-John is one of the best-selling music artists from the second half of the 20th century to the present.

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

Part of Your World
Olivia Newton-John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl,
The girl who has everything?
Look at this trove, treasures untold
How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Lookin' around here you'd think
Sure, she's got everything

I've got gadgets and gizmos aplenty
I've got whooz-its and whatz-its galore
You want thingamabobs?
I got twenty
But who cares?
No big deal
I want more

I want to be where the people are
I want to see
want to see 'em dancing
Walking around on those
Whadd'ya call 'em? oh- feet
Flipping your fins you don't get too far
Legs are required for jumping, dancing
Strolling along down a
What's that word again? Street

Up where they walk
Up where they run
Up where they stay all day in the sun
Wandering free
Wish I could be
Part of that world

What would I give
If I could live
Out of these waters?
What would I pay
To spend a day
Warm on the sand?
Betcha on land
They understand
That they don't reprimand their daughters
Bright young women
Sick of swimming
Ready to stand

And ready to know what the people know
Ask 'em my questions
And get some answers
What's a fire and why does it
What's the word? burn?

When's it my turn?
Wouldn't I love
Love to explore that shore above?
Out of the sea

Wish I could be
Part of that world

Overall Meaning

In the song "Part of Your World," the singer (sung by Olivia Newton-John) is expressing her fascination with the human world and her desire to be a part of it. She shows off her collection of gadgets and treasures that she has gathered while living in the ocean, but despite all that, she still feels unfulfilled and longs for something more. She dreams of walking on land, exploring, and interacting with humans. She feels trapped in her underwater world and longs to break free from it.

The song captures the universal feeling of wanting more than what one already has. Despite having a collection of possessions, the singer still feels like there is something missing in her life. Throughout the song, she expresses her desire to be a part of the human world and experience everything that it has to offer. The final lines of the song, "Out of the sea, wish I could be part of that world," express her longing to leave her current life behind and start a new one on land.

Line by Line Meaning

Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?
I have a collection of various objects that I want to show you, do you find it interesting?

Wouldn't you think my collection’s complete?
Don't you think I have collected everything anyone could want?

Wouldn't you think I'm the girl, The girl who has everything?
Do you think I am the girl who has everything that anyone could ever want?

Look at this trove, treasures untold How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Have a look at all the amazing things that are here, who knows how many more wonders lie here.

Lookin' around here you'd think Sure, she's got everything
By looking at what I have collected, you might think that I have everything.

I've got gadgets and gizmos aplenty
I have numerous mechanical and electronic devices.

I've got whooz-its and whatz-its galore
I have a lot of miscellaneous items that I cannot even name.

You want thingamabobs? I got twenty
If you are looking for items with peculiar functions, I have twenty of them.

But who cares? No big deal I want more
These items are not that important, I just want to keep on collecting more and more things.

I want to be where the people are
I want to be among the humans.

I want to see want to see 'em dancing
I want to watch them dance and mingle.

Walking around on those Whadd'ya call 'em? oh- feet
I want to see them walking on their feet, and I cannot remember what feet are called.

Flipping your fins you don't get too far Legs are required for jumping, dancing
Swimming using fins is not as impressive as walking and dancing on feet.

Strolling along down a What's that word again? Street
I want to take a walk on the street among humans, but I cannot remember what a street is.

Up where they walk Up where they run Up where they stay all day in the sun Wandering free Wish I could be Part of that world
Humans can walk, run and relax in the sun. I wish I could be with them and experience their world.

What would I give If I could live Out of these waters?
I would sacrifice anything to live outside the water, among humans.

What would I pay To spend a day Warm on the sand?
I would be willing to pay any price to experience warmth while lying on the sand.

Betcha on land They understand That they don't reprimand their daughters Bright young women Sick of swimming Ready to stand
I believe that humans on land understand the value of freedom and don't limit their daughters, unlike some cultures under the sea.

And ready to know what the people know Ask 'em my questions And get some answers What's a fire and why does it What's the word? burn?
I am curious about human life and want to ask them about various things like fire, which I have only heard of.

When's it my turn?
I am eager and waiting for my chance to experience the human world.

Wouldn't I love Love to explore that shore above?
I would love to explore the shore above and discover the world on the other side of the ocean.

Out of the sea Wish I could be Part of that world
I want to leave the sea and be a part of the world on land.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Howard Elliott Ashman, Alan Menken

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS