Their debut album Mind Fruit produced the track "It's a Fine Day," a cover of a 1983 single by Jane & Barton, which topped the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1992 and reached number five on the UK singles chart.
The song, now considered a house music classic, is the basis of Orbital's 1993 track, "Halcyon + On + On", found on their second eponymous album (the "la la la" section of the "It's A Fine Day" chorus was backmasked and sampled throughout the song). Norwegian artist Erlend Øye also covered the song on his album that was part of the DJ-Kicks series.
Interestingly enough, Hawkshaw, impressed with the Orbital track, returned the favor by appearing in the video for "Halycon + On + On" playing a housewife who was 'under the influence' (even though she looked like she was daydreaming, but that could be disputed). The other single release from "Mind Fruit", was "I Talk To The Wind". This was not a big chart success in the UK, only reaching number 52.
Opus III's second album Guru Mother surfaced in 1994 and produced another number-one dance song "When You Made the Mountain". A third U.S. dance chart entry, "Hand in Hand (Looking for Sweet Inspiration)" hit number 14.
The group disbanded after their second album. Hawkshaw is still a major presence in dance music, lending her vocals to a number of electronic and dance music artists and tracks well into the 21st century.
Dreaming of Now
Opus III Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
dreaming of now
we float through skies
golden in the gaze of the sun
dreaming of now
we float through skies
shoes left on the earth
moving closer to the sun
dreaming of now we
now we float
now we float through skies
closer
The lyrics of Opus III's Dreaming of Now song are open to interpretation, but a common interpretation is that the song is about living in the moment and chasing one's dreams. The repeated lines, "dreaming of now" highlight the importance of living in the present and making the most out of every moment. The line "we float through skies" could represent the freedom one feels when they chase their dreams and the line "golden in the gaze of the sun" could represent the joy that comes with achieving one's dreams.
The second verse suggests that the singer has left their shoes on the earth and given their clothes to the wind, symbolically representing a detachment from material possessions and societal expectations. This could imply that pursuing one's dreams requires leaving behind certain comforts and norms. The final line "moving closer to the sun" could represent the progression and success that comes with hard work.
Overall, Dreaming of Now is an uplifting song that encourages listeners to embrace the present, chase their dreams, and let go of societal norms and material possessions that may hold them back.
Line by Line Meaning
dreaming of now
Meditating on the present moment
dreaming of now
Focusing on the here and now
we float through skies
We feel weightless in our thoughts
golden in the gaze of the sun
Basking in the warmth and light of positivity
dreaming of now
Meditating on the present moment
we float through skies
We are unburdened and free
shoes left on the earth
We have left our past behind
we gave our clothes to the wind
We have shed our physical and mental attachments
moving closer to the sun
We are approaching enlightenment
dreaming of now we
Meditating on the present moment and our unity
now we float
We are weightless and free in our thoughts
now we float through skies
We are unbound by worldly concerns
closer
Approaching a state of peace and enlightenment
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frank Schalk
Very enigmatic how opus iii never broke through to span the rest of the 90s and the new millenium. This album, and the sublime Mind Fruit before it, were light years ahead of anyone else in the house/trance scene
X Ennial
People are mostly dumb and don't want stuff that's too far ahead
Twisted Hops Adv
I've often thought the same thing.
Zach Rigby
Always loved this track, in fact the whole album, I can't understand why Opus 3 were not much bigger than they were. They were sort of overlooked at the time, I have yet to play any of their tunes to people who did not love them as soon as they hear them.
X Ennial
Most stuff from the second half of gen X gets overlooked
TheRealGhutts
I got sick of hearing them while rolling my face off at huge parties. you just weren't there. but hey you prolly didn't put holes in your brain either.
Art TV
I love this - so beautiful and calming. Kirsty Hawkshaw's voice is so beautiful - she has such a beautiful soul.
breaks0
My fave Opus track. Why was this never released as a single? It shoulda been the trance track of 94.
Matthew Williamson
They recently released a folk track of The Wind. Ben watt plays it on spin cycle
Lis Engel
It has a very beautifull melodic feeling to the voice - but I think the rhythms could be a bit more behind the melodies- but I like the gennerel atmosphere and eg closee to the heart of the sun - ver beautifull indeed.
I would like to dance to this kind of music