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).
MEMORY
Sarah Brightman Lyrics
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Not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her mem'ry?
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight
The withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
Life was beautiful then
I remember
The time I knew what happiness was
Let the mem'ry live again
Ev'ry street lamp
Seems to beat
A fatalistic warning
Someone mutters
And a street lamp gutters
And soon it will be morning
Daylight
I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn't give in
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new life will begin
Burnt out ends of smokey days
The stale cold smell of morning
The street lamp dies
Another night is over
Another day is dawning
Touch me
It's so easy to leave me
All alone with my mem'ry
Of my days in the sun
If you touch me
You'll understand what happiness is
Look a new day has begun ..
The lyrics of Sarah Brightman's song Memory describe a moment of introspection and melancholy, as the singer reflects on the past and the fleeting nature of moments of happiness. The scene is set at night, with the singer walking alone on a deserted street, where the only sound is the wind and the rustling of leaves. The moon appears to be smiling, but its presence throws the singer into further reverie, as she contemplates whether the moon has lost its own memory. The tone of the song is wistful, as the singer recalls the old days when life was beautiful and she knew what happiness was.
The second verse develops the theme of nostalgia and the transience of life, as the singer contemplates the fatalistic warning of the streetlamps, which seem to be counting down the moments of the night before the sunrise signals a new day. The lyrics suggest that the singer is at a crossroads in her life, where she must think of a new life and not give in to despair. The final verse brings the song to a close with a series of images that suggest the passing of time and the cyclical nature of life. The dawn heralds a new day, which means a new life will begin, but the memories of the past will always be present.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight
The start of a night.
Not a sound from the pavement
The streets are quiet and empty.
Has the moon lost her mem'ry?
The singer questions if the moon remembers the past.
She is smiling alone
The moon is bright and looks happy by itself.
In the lamplight
The light from the street lamps gives a lonely feeling.
The withered leaves collect at my feet
The ground is filled with leaves that have fallen off trees.
And the wind begins to moan
The wind makes a sad, low noise.
Mem'ry
The artist is remembering the past.
All alone in the moonlight
The artist is by themselves and can see the moon clearly.
I can smile at the old days
The artist is happy when they think about their past.
Life was beautiful then
The singer is remembering a time when life was perfect.
I remember
The artist is reminiscing about a specific moment.
The time I knew what happiness was
The singer is remembering a moment when they were truly happy.
Let the mem'ry live again
The singer wants to keep the happy memory alive.
Ev'ry street lamp
The street lights are on and illuminating the area.
Seems to beat
The artist is personifying the street lamps as if they are alive.
A fatalistic warning
The artist feels like the street lamps are giving a message of impending doom.
Someone mutters
The singer can hear someone talking, but cannot make out what they are saying.
And a street lamp gutters
The flickering of the streetlamp catches the singer's attention.
And soon it will be morning
The night is almost over and a new day is about to begin.
Daylight
The sun has risen and it is daytime.
I must wait for the sunrise
The artist must wait for the sun to rise before they can start their day.
I must think of a new life
The singer knows that they need to find a new path for their life.
And I mustn't give in
The artist knows they need to stay strong and persevere.
When the dawn comes
The singer knows they need to wait for the new day to start.
Tonight will be a memory too
The current night is also a memory the singer will hold on to.
And a new life will begin
The singer is ready to start a new chapter of their life.
Burnt out ends of smokey days
The artist is describing a time when things were harder than they are now.
The stale cold smell of morning
The smell of morning is stale and doesn't feel revitalizing.
The street lamp dies
The street lamp goes out and the area is dark.
Another night is over
The current night has ended.
Another day is dawning
A new day is starting and the artist must be ready.
Touch me
The artist is asking someone to touch them.
It's so easy to leave me
The artist is afraid that people will always leave them easily.
All alone with my mem'ry
The singer is by themselves and only has their memories.
Of my days in the sun
The artist is remembering happier times when they were in the sun.
If you touch me
If the person touches the singer, they will understand them better.
You'll understand what happiness is
The singer believes happiness can be found in others.
Look a new day has begun
The singer is hopeful about the new day and what it will bring.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Trevor Nunn, T.S. Eliot, Zdenek Hruby
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind