After completing a high-school education at the Stockholm music school Södra Latin, Swedish producer Peter Cartriers heard of Stephens talent in 1995 and invited him to his studio in Stockholm where they made a demo that first attracted the attention of a Swedish indie label and then secured a record deal with the UK major label Parlophone/EMI Music as well as Priority Records in the US. Stephen wrote and Peter produced Stephens first critically acclaimed and 5 times Grammy nominated album "Alone" (the album was re-mixed and re-named "Spirit Tales" for his UK and US release) and Stephen Simmonds had his breakthrough in 1997 with the hit "Tears Never Dry" a duet with Swedish superstar Lisa Nilsson that quickly became the most played track on radio that year.
Since then his talent has brought him to the US and the UK where he has collaborated with renowned artists such as Raphael Saadiq, Masters At Work and Mica Paris. His US release "Spirit Tales" was highly recommended by Prince and the New Power Generation on their official website.
He has performed for Stevie Wonder and Amnesty and he is the only Swedish artist who has been reviewed in the Quincy Jones founded Soul and R&B bible Vibe Magazine.
Stephen is now 31 years of age and for the release of his third album "This Must Be Ground" he has started his own label For Father Recordings and through a leading distributor got the album out in Scandinavia during 2004/early 2005.
"This Must Be Ground" is a strong album lyrically and musically. With songs such as "Goodwill", "Mother Mary" and "Killing & Religion" the goal was to blend Stephens strong world conscious lyrics and music with creative and genre transcending production by Sweden's finest.
To achieve this Stephen has worked with the young, up and coming Swedish producer Alex Papakonstantinou as well as childhood friend Arnthor Birgisson ( Alongside Max Martin and Rami he is one of Sweden's and the worlds top producers and he has worked with Westlife, J Lo, Celine Dion and Ricky Martin among others.)
"This Must Be Ground" is an album unique with its blend of daringly personal ballads and furiously dance driven up tempo tracks.
All The People
Stephen Simmonds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the crazy people in this world
All the problems we create
All the prejudice and all the hate
But I refuse so he must be
If you kneel to love it sets you free
Life is bound to be a bore
The young await their present fate
Violence show what we can't say I've been around
And I don't like what I found
Staying high above the real
With chemicals, but they conceal you from the core
And you're lost forever more
Remind yourself when you are sad
All you love is all you'll ever have
Keep your brother like it's you
And repell the fake until they're true
Anyone could be your friend
Trust and they will trust you back again
Watch the stars and understand
The Creator's got a masterplan
The young await their present fate
Violence show what we can't say I've been around
And I don't like what I found
Staying high above the real
With chemicals, but they conceal you from the core
And you're lost forever more
Remind yourself when you are sad
All you love is all you'll ever have
Keep your brother like it's you
And repell the fake until they're true
The lyrics to Stephen Simmonds's song, "All The People", reflect on the complications and challenges of our world. Simmonds starts by acknowledging that there are problems in the world caused by the actions of people. The second line reinforces this idea by recognizing that even those people who are deemed “crazy” play a role. And our own prejudices and hate further compound these issues. Simmonds, however, chooses to go against this status quo, choosing not to hate and instead to love, which he suggests sets you free. This perspective allows Simmonds to remain committed to fight for things he loves, even if he acknowledges that life may be boring without that fight. In the chorus, Simmonds suggests that the world is a complicated place and there are many factors that contribute to the issues that arise. Simmonds sees how the young face a difficult future, and the violence reflects the frustration at not being heard.
Simmonds acknowledges that drugs can provide an escape from reality, but only temporarily, and in the end, one is left lost forever more. Instead, he offers a solution that we should remind ourselves that all we love is all that we’ll ever have, and we should keep our bonds with our loved ones just as strong as the one we have with ourselves. It is essential to stand up to those that are fake, and we can all choose to trust one another. By looking into the stars, Simmonds seems to suggest that we can find hope in the grand scheme of things, and there is ultimately a plan that we may not know about, but that exists.
Overall, Stephen Simmonds's song "All The People" is an introspective and thoughtful perspective on the state of our world. While it acknowledges the issues and challenges we face, it also promotes a message of hope that we can find a way forward if we choose to love and stand up for what we believe in.
Line by Line Meaning
All the boys and all the girls
Every person, regardless of gender or age
All the crazy people in this world
All those eccentric or unconventional individuals around us
All the problems we create
All the issues that arise because of our actions and decisions
All the prejudice and all the hate
All the discrimination and animosity that exists within society
But I refuse so he must be
I reject it so it cannot be true; personal disbelief
If you kneel to love it sets you free
Loving without reservation or expectation, liberates and frees the heart
Life is bound to be a bore
Life can be tedious and uninteresting
If there's nothing left worth fighting for
When there's nothing important left to struggle for
The young await their present fate
The youthful look forward to what's in store for them
Violence show what we can't say I've been around
Aggression demonstrates what we can't say with words; observation from experience
And I don't like what I found
I encountered something that I don't approve of
Staying high above the real
Living in a separate reality, detached from actual life
With chemicals, but they conceal you from the core
Using substances to mask the true self
And you're lost forever more
Once obscured, becomes lost forever
Remind yourself when you are sad
Recall that in moments of grief
All you love is all you'll ever have
Love is the most valuable possession
Keep your brother like it's you
Treat others as you would want them to treat you
And repell the fake until they're true
Rejecting those who are insincere until they prove themselves authentic
Anyone could be your friend
Anyone has the potential to be a companion
Trust and they will trust you back again
Believing in someone will allow them to believe in you
Watch the stars and understand
Observe the universe and gain insight
The Creator's got a masterplan
The universe has a deliberate purpose dictated by a higher power
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEPHEN SIMMONDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind