Brightman has received over 180 Gold and Platinum sales awards in over 40 different countries around the world and is the only artist to hold #1 spots on the Billboard Classical and Dance charts simultaneously, her other achievements feature her ranking by the Recording Industry Association of America as the best-selling female classical artist of the twenty-first century and a Guinness World Record for the success of “Time to Say Goodbye,” the best-selling single in German recording history.
She has established herself as the world's biggest selling soprano of all time, She has sold 78 million albums worldwide, including 40 million copies of the soundtrack of The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical), 26 million albums, over two million DVDs and 10 million copies of the single " Time to Say Goodbye "as a soloist.
She made her debut as a dancer in troupes such as Hot Gossip and later released a string of disco singles. She was a musical theatre performer and partner of theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom she originated roles including Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera.
After her divorce, Brightman became a crossover artist with former Enigma producer Frank Peterson. Her style, a blend of classical vocals and pop-inspired instrumentation and arrangement, earned her further success.
She is often cited as the woman who paved the way for other international success stories such as Il Divo, Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban. She is said to be worth as much as £30m (about US$49m).
Folk Song Arrangements: Sweet Polly Oliver
Sarah Brightman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A sudden strange fancy came into her head.
"Nor father nor mother shall make me false prove,
I'll 'list as a soldier, and follow my love."
So early next morning she softly arose,
And dressed herself up in her dead brother's clothes.
She cut her hair close, and she stained her face brown,
Then up spoke the sergeant one day at his drill,
"Now who's good for nursing? A captain, he's ill."
"I'm ready," said Polly. To nurse him she's gone,
And finds it's her true love all wasted and wan.
The first week the docter kept shaking his head,
"No nursing, young fellow, can save him," he said.
But when Pooly Oliver had nursed him back to life
He cried, "You have cherished him as if you were his wife".
O then Polly Oliver, whe burst into tears
And told the good doctor her hopes and her fears,
And very shortly after, for better or for worse,
The captain took joyfully his pretty soldier nurse.
The lyrics to Sarah Brightman's "Sweet Polly Oliver" tell a story of a young woman named Polly who refuses to be made false by her parents and decides to disguise herself as a soldier to follow her lover. She wakes up early one morning and dresses in her dead brother's clothes, cuts her hair short, and dyes her face brown to blend in with the other soldiers. Polly goes to fair London Town where she meets the sergeant, who asks if anyone is good at nursing since the captain is ill. Polly volunteers and finds out that the captain is her lover. She nurses him back to health, and he tells her she has cherished him as if she were his wife. Polly then bursts into tears and tells the doctor her hopes and fears, and in the end, the captain joyfully accepts her as his pretty soldier nurse.
The lyrics of "Sweet Polly Oliver" convey the social norms and expectations of the time in which the song was written (17th century), where women were relegated to domestic roles and not considered fit for military service. Polly's decision to disguise herself as a soldier shows her willingness to defy the gender roles and expectations of her time and follow her heart's desires, even at the cost of her own safety.
Line by Line Meaning
As sweet Polly Oliver lay musing in bed,
Polly Oliver was in bed, deep in thought.
A sudden strange fancy came into her head.
She had a sudden and strange idea.
"Nor father nor mother shall make me false prove,
Polly will not let her parents down.
I'll 'list as a soldier, and follow my love."
She will join the army and follow her lover.
So early next morning she softly arose,
The next morning she woke up early.
And dressed herself up in her dead brother's clothes.
She put on her dead brother's clothing.
She cut her hair close, and she stained her face brown,
She cut her hair short and darkened her face.
And went for a soldier to fair London Town.
She went to London to join the army.
Then up spoke the sergeant one day at his drill,
The sergeant spoke during drill one day.
"Now who's good for nursing? A captain, he's ill."
The captain was sick and needed a nurse.
"I'm ready," said Polly. To nurse him she's gone,
Polly volunteered to nurse the captain.
And finds it's her true love all wasted and wan.
She discovers that the captain is her true love and is very ill.
The first week the doctor kept shaking his head,
The doctor was pessimistic during the first week.
"No nursing, young fellow, can save him," he said.
The doctor said that no nurse could save him.
But when Polly Oliver had nursed him back to life
Polly Oliver nursed him back to health.
He cried, "You have cherished him as if you were his wife".
He said that Polly had cared for him like a wife would.
O then Polly Oliver, whe burst into tears
Polly broke down in tears.
And told the good doctor her hopes and her fears,
She told the doctor her worries and desires.
And very shortly after, for better or for worse,
Not long after, things changed for better or worse.
The captain took joyfully his pretty soldier nurse.
The captain was happy to have Polly as his nurse.
Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC
Written by: BENJAMIN BRITTEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind