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).
Gloomy Sunday
Sarah Brightman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My hours are slumber less
Dearest the shadows
I live with are numberless
Little white flowers
Will never awaken you
Not where the black coach
Of sorrow has taken you
Of ever returning you
Would they be angry
If I thought of joining you
Gloomy Sunday
Sunday is gloomy
With shadows I spend it all
My heart and I have decided
To end it all
Soon there'll be flowers and prayers
That are said I know
But let them not weep
Let them know
That I'm glad to go
Death is no dream
For in death I'm caressing you
With the last breath of my soul
I'll be blessing you
Gloomy Sunday
Dreaming
I was only dreaming
I wake and I find you asleep
In the deep of my heart dear
Darling I hope
That my dream never haunted you
My heart is telling you
How much I wanted you
Gloomy Sunday
Gloomy Sunday
The opening lines of Sarah Brightman's Gloomy Sunday set a dark and melancholic tone to this powerful song. The singer reveals her despair and inability to sleep as she is haunted by shadows that surround her. The lyrics speak of a tragic loss that the singer is struggling to come to terms with, as she is unable to bring her beloved back to life. The tone then changes as the singer contemplates ending her life to be with her lost love. She speaks of death as a release and finds comfort in the thought of reuniting with her beloved in the afterlife.
The yearning, mournful melody of the song perfectly captures the pain and sadness that the singer is experiencing. The lyrics are evocative and moving, stirring up powerful emotions in listeners. They touch on themes of love, loss, and ultimately, the emotional struggle of coming to terms with death. In many ways, the song is a timeless ode to the human experience of grief and the human desire for connection with those we have lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunday is gloomy
The singer feels that Sundays are depressing
My hours are slumber less
The singer is unable to sleep and spends their time awake
Dearest the shadows
The singer is surrounded by shadows or darkness that they feel very close to
I live with are numberless
The number of shadows or dark thoughts that the artist has seems endless and overwhelming
Little white flowers
Flowers are a symbol of life, but the artist knows they won't bring back someone who has died
Will never awaken you
The flowers won't be able to revive the person who has passed away
Not where the black coach
The person who died was taken by a funeral hearse, and won't return
Of sorrow has taken you
The hearse symbolizes the sadness and loss that the artist feels
Angels have no thought
Angels don't think about bringing someone back from the dead
Of ever returning you
The person who has died won't come back, even with help from angels
Would they be angry
The singer wonders if the angels would be upset if they were to join the person who has passed away
If I thought of joining you
The artist is contemplating suicide to be with the person who has died
Sunday is gloomy
The sadness of Sundays is overwhelming for the singer
With shadows I spend it all
The singer is consumed by the darkness and sorrow they feel
My heart and I have decided
The singer's heart and mind are both set on ending their life
To end it all
The artist is planning to commit suicide
Soon there'll be flowers and prayers
The artist knows that after they die, there will be traditional funeral customs
That are said I know
The singer is aware that others will say prayers and mourn their passing
But let them not weep
The singer doesn't want those left behind to be sad
Let them know
Instead of mourning, the artist wants those left behind to understand their desire to end their life
That I'm glad to go
The artist is at peace with their decision to die
Death is no dream
The artist is sure that death is not a dream or fantasy
For in death I'm caressing you
The singer believes that in death they will be reunited with the person they love
With the last breath of my soul
The artist is willing to give everything for their decision to end their life
I'll be blessing you
The singer believes that their death is a blessing for themselves and the person they love
Dreaming
The singer was imagining or dreaming
I was only dreaming
The singer realizes that their thoughts were only imaginary
I wake and I find you asleep
The artist knows that the person they love is really gone and can't return
In the deep of my heart dear
The artist is acknowledging how much they love the person who has passed away
Darling I hope
The singer wishes for the person they loved to rest in peace
That my dream never haunted you
The singer is worried that their thoughts about suicide might trouble the person they love
My heart is telling you
The artist's feelings of love are strong and true
How much I wanted you
The artist's love for the person who has passed away can never be diminished
Gloomy Sunday
The song is called 'Gloomy Sunday', emphasizing the theme of despair throughout the entire song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Laszlo Javor, Rezso Seress, Sam M. Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind