His debut album entitled The Voice followed in May 2001, a mixture of operatic arias and covers of pop songs, topping the UK classical music charts and eventually reaching number five in the UK album charts. Later when released in the United States the album took the number one spot and made history as the first time a British artist has held both the US and UK classical number one. The album featured a duet with Cleo of girlgroup Cleopatra (band) on the song 'Someone like You'. Cleo also did a duet with Russell on his third album 'Reprise' on the song 'The Best That Love Can Be' Cleo.
Prior to the formation of Velvet Revolver, Russell Watson was asked by Slash (former guitarist of Guns n' Roses and currently in Velvet Revolver) whether he would be their singer, however he rejected; on grounds of continuing his solo career, at least for the time being.
Also in 2001, Watson sang the opening theme of Star Trek: Enterprise, "Where My Heart Will Take Me" (written by Diane Warren), originally sung by Rod Stewart for Patch Adams. The song was remixed to be more upbeat in 2003. Watson also sang it live at the Commonwealth games opening ceremony in England in 2002.
In late 2002, he released the single "Nothing Sacred - A Song For Kirsty" to raise money for the Francis House children's hospice in Didsbury, Manchester. Their campaign to raise £5 million was fronted by Kirsty Howard, a seven-year-old girl with a serious heart defect. The song reached number 17 in the UK singles chart. [2]
Watson won the Album of the Year at the Classical Brit Awards in both 2001[3] and 2002[4], also collecting Best-Selling Debut Album (2001) and Best-Selling Album (2002). He recently played Parson Nathaniel in the stage adaptation of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds which toured the UK in early 2006.
Perhaps Watson’s most unusual collaboration to date is with former Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder on Watson’s first album The Voice. Ryder lends his vocals to the Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé song "Barcelona".
Love On The Rocks
Russell Watson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't no surprise
Pour me a drink
And I'll tell you some lies
Got nothing to lose
So you just sing the blues all the time
Gave you my heart
You left me alone here
With nothing to hold
Yesterday's gone
Now all I want is a smile
First, they say they want you
How they really need you
Suddenly you find you're out there
Walking in the storm
When they know they have you
Then they really have you
Nothing you can do or say
You've got to leave, just get away
We all know the song
You need what you need
You can say what you want
Not much you can do
When the feeling is gone
May be blue skies above
But it's cold when you're love's on the rocks
First, they say they want you
How they really need you
Suddenly you find you're out there
Walking in the storm
When they know they have you
Then they really have you
Nothing you can do or say
You've got to leave, just get away
We all know the song
Love on the rocks
Ain't no surprise
Pour me a drink
And I'll tell you some lies
Yesterday's gone
And now all I want is a smile
The song Love On The Rocks by Russell Watson has complex lyrics that revolve around the themes of heartbreak, betrayal, and loss of love. The first verse indicates that the singer has lost everything but has no regrets as he believes that there was nothing to lose in the first place. The second verse is more divergent and delves deep into the emptiness that one feels when they have given themselves completely to a situation or a relationship only to be left with nothing in the end. The third verse talks of a storm that symbolizes the turmoil of emotions that a person goes through when they are trapped in a toxic relationship. The last verse, "Love on the rocks ain't no surprise, pour me a drink and I'll tell you some lies. Yesterday's gone and now all I want is a smile," summarizes that the singer has come to terms with the loss and is ready to move on.
The chorus of the song is where the title derives, and the lyrics suggest that even with blue skies above, when love is on the rocks, everything is cold. The bridge further emphasizes that when someone finally has you, they have you, leaving you powerless to walk away. Overall, the song is about losing trust in someone and the feeling of being betrayed in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Love on the rocks
Being in a relationship that is in a difficult and dangerous situation
Ain't no surprise
Being unsurprised by the difficult and dangerous situation of the relationship
Pour me a drink / And I'll tell you some lies
Using alcohol to cope with the pain of the failed relationship and possibly lying to oneself or others about the situation
Got nothing to lose / So you just sing the blues all the time
Feeling like there is nothing left to lose and being constantly sad and depressed as a result
Gave you my heart / Gave you my soul / You left me alone here / With nothing to hold
Putting everything into the relationship and being left empty-handed when the other person leaves
Yesterday's gone / Now all I want is a smile
Acknowledging that the past cannot be changed and hoping for a simple gesture of kindness to ease the pain
First, they say they want you / How they really need you / Suddenly you find you're out there / Walking in the storm / When they know they have you / Then they really have you / Nothing you can do or say / You've got to leave, just get away / We all know the song
Describing the cycle of being desired and then abandoned by someone and feeling trapped in the relationship until finally breaking free, a common experience for many people
You need what you need / You can say what you want / Not much you can do / When the feeling is gone / May be blue skies above / But it's cold when you're love's on the rocks
Acknowledging that despite wanting or saying certain things, when the love is gone, the situation is cold and difficult even if there may be positive external circumstances
Writer(s): Neil Diamond, Bruce Anthony Johannesson, Bret Michaels, Bobby Dall, Gilbert Becaud, Rikki Rocket Copyright: Stonebridge Music, Sweet Sixteen Music Inc., Cyanide Publishing
Contributed by Penelope F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.