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).
Little Sir William
Sarah Brightman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of all days of the year,
And all the little schoolfellows went out to play
But Sir William was not there.
Mamma went to the School wife house
And knocked at the ring,
Saying, "Little Sir William, if you are there,
The School wife open'd the door and said:
"He is not here today.
He is with the little schoolfellows out on the green
Playing some pretty play."
Mamma went to the Boyne water
That is so wide and deep,
Saying, "Little Sir William, if you are there,
Oh pity your mother's weep."
"How can I pity your weep, mother,
And I so long in pain?
For the little pen knife sticks close to my heart
And the School wife hath me slain.
"Go home, go home, my mother dear,
And prepare my winding sheet,
For tomorrow morning before eight o'clock,
You with my body shall meet.
"And lay my Prayer Book at my head,
And my grammar at my feet,
That all the little schoolfellows as they pass by
May read them for my sake."
The song "Little Sir William" by Sarah Brightman is a haunting ballad about a mother who goes to look for her son, Sir William who has gone missing on Easter day. All the other children are out playing but he is nowhere to be found. His mother goes to his school, but he is not there. She then goes to the Boyne water where she finally finds him. However, the heartbreaking truth is that he has been murdered. Sir William reveals to his mother that he has been stabbed and killed by the School wife. He tells his mother to go home and prepare his funeral, laying his grammar book at his feet and his prayer book at his head. He wants all the other school children to read them as they pass by, as a final message from him.
The lyrics of the song are loaded with powerful emotions. The gentle melody enhances the tragic tale of Sir William's untimely death. The mother's agony and the son's acceptance of his fate are all portrayed in a moving and tender manner. The song's closing lines evoke a haunting image of children reading Sir William's books as a final tribute to the young victim.
Overall, "Little Sir William" is a powerful song that deals with the themes of loss, grief, and tragedy. It highlights the fragility of human life, and the devastating impact of sudden and unexpected death.
Line by Line Meaning
Easter day was a holiday
The day of Easter was a day of celebration
Of all days of the year,
Out of all the days in a year, Easter has a special significance
And all the little schoolfellows went out to play
All the young students went outside to enjoy themselves
But Sir William was not there.
One of the students named Sir William was missing and not playing with the others
Mamma went to the School wife house
Sir William's mother went to the house of the person who runs the school
And knocked at the ring,
She knocked on the door
Saying, "Little Sir William, if you are there,
She called out for Sir William
Pray let your mother in."
Asking her son to allow her to enter
The School wife open'd the door and said:
The person who runs the school opened the door and responded
"He is not here today.
Sir William is not present today
He is with the little schoolfellows out on the green
He is playing with the other students outside
Playing some pretty play."
Engaged in some fun activities with the other students
Mamma went to the Boyne water
Sir William's mother went to the river called the Boyne
That is so wide and deep,
A river that is very wide and deep
Saying, "Little Sir William, if you are there,
She called out for her son again
Oh pity your mother's weep."
She pleaded with him to feel sorry for her sadness and tears
"How can I pity your weep, mother,
Sir William responded that he was unable to ease her sadness
And I so long in pain?
Since Sir William was in a lot of pain
For the little pen knife sticks close to my heart
He had been stabbed with a small knife, which was still in his chest
And the School wife hath me slain.
The person who runs the school had killed Sir William
"Go home, go home, my mother dear,
Sir William told his mother to go back home
And prepare my winding sheet,
He instructed her to get ready to prepare his burial shroud
For tomorrow morning before eight o'clock,
This needed to be done by tomorrow morning, before eight o'clock
You with my body shall meet.
She would see his dead body at that time
And lay my Prayer Book at my head,
He asked that his prayer book be placed at his head
And my grammar at my feet,
And that his grammar book be placed at his feet
That all the little schoolfellows as they pass by
So that all the other students passing by would see it
May read them for my sake."
They could read those books in his honor.
Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC
Written by: BENJAMIN BRITTEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind