Conway was born in Bristol, England. He had no formal piano training and sp… Read Full Bio ↴Conway was born in Bristol, England. He had no formal piano training and spent his early adulthood in the Navy. Conway was talent-spotted while playing in a London club, signed to Columbia Records and spent the mid 1950s providing backing for their artists including Gracie Fields and Joan Regan. However, the commercial potential of Conway's unique percussive piano style (which he attributed to a missing fingertip he had severed many years previously with a bread slicer) was too great for him to remain in the background for long. Conway recorded his first solo single in 1957, a novelty instrumental medley of pop standards.

1959 was Conway's annus mirabilis, with a cumulative total of 83 weeks on the UK Singles Chart. This included two self-penned number one instrumentals, "Side Saddle" and "Roulette", the latter deposing Elvis Presley's "A Fool Such As I".

Conway maintained a chart presence in the early 1960s, and was a fixture on light entertainment TV shows and radio for many years afterwards thanks to his instantly recognisable piano style. For some years his career was blighted by ill-health, and his later life was notable for charity work. He founded in 1990, along with his friend writer and broadcaster Richard Hope-Hawkins, the Russ Conway Cancer Fund and they staged in major theatre's charity gala shows that raised thousands of pounds and was donated to numerous cancer charities. Russ, who never married, died on 2000-11-16 [1]. Richard Hope Hawkins gave the main address at Russ's funeral held at the historic St Mary Redcliffe Church, Bristol. Elton John sent a wreath. In 2001 Richard devised, staged and directed a tribute to Russ at the Colston Hall, Bristol with an all-star cast. The money raised which was £18,000 was donated to St Peter's Hospice, Bristol.

The World Outside
Russ Conway Lyrics

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The world outside
Belongs to me
Since you are mine
I rule the night
I own the moon
I tell the stars
When to shine
Each time we touch

I can't control
The dreams that start
The world outside
Will never know
How much you mean
To my heart

Each time we touch
I can't control
The dreams that start
The world outside
Will never know

How much you mean
To my heart

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Russ Conway's "The World Outside" express a sense of ownership and control that the singer feels within their romantic relationship. As the song begins, the singer declares that the world outside of their relationship "belongs" to them since they possess each other. This feeling of ownership is extended to various elements of nature, as the singer claims to "rule the night" and "own the moon." The ambition of the singer even extends to commanding the stars to shine.

However, the singer's sense of control is challenged by the intensity of their emotions, as they confess their inability to "control the dreams that start" each time they touch their partner. Though the singer may feel like they have domination over their environment, their emotional state is beyond their authority. The singer concludes by acknowledging the depth of their love for their partner, yet revealing that the world outside will never comprehend the extent of their emotions.

Overall, the lyrics of "The World Outside" are a poetic expression of the complex interplay between power, control, and emotion within a romantic relationship. The singer seems to suggest that while they may rule the world around them, their feelings for their partner are a force that they cannot contain or govern.

Line by Line Meaning

The world outside
I am separate from society

Belongs to me
I am in control of my surroundings

Since you are mine
My love gives me power

I rule the night
I have power over darkness

I own the moon
Metaphorically, I have influence over celestial bodies

I tell the stars
I control the universe

When to shine
I dictate the timing of events

Each time we touch
When we are together

I can't control
My emotions overwhelm me

The dreams that start
I can't help but get lost in fantasies

The world outside
Other people are unaware