There are at least 2 artists who use this name:

1)Paul Nederveen - a… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least 2 artists who use this name:

1)Paul Nederveen - a Dutch dj
2)Paul Petersen

1)Paul Nederveen, St. Paul, is a Dutch dj.

2)Born Paul Petersen in Minneapolis, MN, the artist later known as St. Paul was encouraged by his mother, who was an accomplished pianist. At 17, Petersen became one of a number of artists to come under the tutelage of Prince, joining the act the Time as keyboardist. In addition to appearing in the film Purple Rain as a member of that act, he also played keyboards on 1984's Ice Cream Castle. The group disbanded not long after that platinum-selling record, but Petersen was tapped by Prince to be a member of a new group, the Family, and changed his stage name to St. Paul. Signed to Prince's fledgling Paisley Park imprint, the act also included ex-Time mates Jellybean Johnson on drums and Jerome Benton on percussion. With lead singer Susannah Melvoin (sister of the Revolution's Wendy Melvoin) and Eric Leeds adding saxophone, the Family issued a self-titled debut in 1985, earning more than a smattering of critical accolades. The Family spawned two R&B hits with "High Fashion" and "The Screams of Passion," the latter going Top Ten and also making a dent in the pop charts. The group also performed the Prince-penned "Nothing Compares 2 U," which would later be popularized by Sinéad O'Connor. The Family was a short-lived entity, though, and the following year, after the Family's split, St. Paul released his solo debut. Like the Family, St. Paul's critical appeal outstripped commercial success, although "Rich Man" did become an R&B hit. His second solo outing, 1990's Down to the Wire, yielded another hit, "Stranger to Love," which managed to crossover onto the pop charts and reaching number 52. Blue Cadillac arrived in 1996 to less success, as well as a stint with the Minneapolis Allstars on 1998's Live at the Quest. St. Paul also charted out a path as an in-demand session player, contributing to albums by Jonny Lang, the Spice Girls, and Anita Baker (to name but a few). In the late '90s, he added two years of playing bass on the Donny & Marie Show to his resumé and penned material for artists including BBMak and Youngstown. In 2001, he joined Donny Osmond for the singer's first solo tour in more than a decade as musical director, working with legendary producer Phil Ramone. With a list of credits that is impressive to say the least, Petersen has proven to have more longevity and success than most of the acts in Prince's stable during the mid-'80s.

Every Time I Close My Eyes
St. Paul Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When another day has ended
And everything's been said and done
And the lights across the valley
All go out one by one

I close my eyes, I close my eyes and think of you
I close my heavy eyes and that's all I need to do

Sometimes when I get a moment
In the middle of the day
And nothing else needs my attention
I take my chance and slip away

I close my eyes, I close my eyes and think of you
I close my heavy eyes and that's all I need to do

I hear the big trucks changing gears
As they go rolling by my door
The driver counts his days 'til he gets home
If I could only count my days
But I just don't know what's in store
I've been so long on my own

I know there's a singing river
I've heard about the golden shore
But I would pass by all that beauty
Just to be with you once more

I close my eyes, I close my eyes and think of you

I close my heavy eyes and that's all I need to do
I close my weary eyes and that's when I think of you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to St. Paul's song Every Time I Close My Eyes tell the story of someone who is longing for a person they love. When everything around them has come to an end, and the lights go out one by one, they close their eyes and think of their loved one. The person in the song describes how they sometimes take a moment in the middle of the day to slip away from their reality and think of the person they miss. As they hear the big trucks rolling by their door, they wish they could count their days until they see their loved one again, but they are unsure of what the future holds. The person in the song would pass by all the beauty of the world just to be with their loved one again, and they close their eyes, weary and heavy, to think of them.

Line by Line Meaning

When another day has ended
At the end of a day

And everything's been said and done
After everything has been accomplished

And the lights across the valley
When the lights in the valley

All go out one by one
Gradually turn off

I close my eyes, I close my eyes and think of you
In my thoughts, I am thinking of you

I close my heavy eyes and that's all I need to do
All it takes is closing my eyes to feel your presence

Sometimes when I get a moment
When I find a spare moment

In the middle of the day
During the day

And nothing else needs my attention
When there are no other demands on my time

I take my chance and slip away
I take the opportunity to escape

I hear the big trucks changing gears
I hear the trucks shifting gears