Her first break in the music world was at the age of sixteen when her parents (with mixed feelings) entered her for a singing contest in Sydney. It was organized by TVB with the winner to be offered a recording contract with one of the big music companies in Hong Kong. She won the competition and was sent back to Hong Kong and met with the TVB producers who wanted her to sign with one of the music labels. After much deliberation she finally decided that it wasn’t right for her at that time and instead returned to Australia to study at University. She pretty much just settled back into life at Uni and put aside any dreams of a music career.
After graduating from University she returned to Hong Kong in 1997 to help run her family’s accounting business and gained CPA certification. Despite her relatively settled career Susan was thinking, “is that all there is in life”. One of the students who she was teaching piano was working for a Hong Kong independent label, and she asked the boss if they wanted a singer. Susan says “I really wanted to record the English songs that I loved. We agreed to make an album and I just went into the studio feeling really relaxed with no stress or pressure and had a fun time recording my ‘Close To You’ album.” When the album came out it in 2002 it was widely acclaimed and quickly became a favourite of music stores to play and the album was soon climbing up the sales charts in countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. The four album release’s since, ‘Close To You’ have also enjoyed wide critical and commercial success establishing Susan as probably the No.1 selling English language female singer of her genre throughout S.E.Asia.
In early 2007 Susan Wong signed a new recording agreement with Hong Kong based Evolution Limited and pre-production is currently underway for her new album that will be recorded in the USA in May. As Susan explains her motivation behind the new album, “Musically I wanted a new challenge and new musical chemistry to give me a different lift and to move on to another stage. Not everyone has opportunity to work with such high calibre musicians and producers like those I’m working with on the new album”.
Someone Like You (2007)
In early 2007, Susan Wong signed a new recording agreement with Hong Kong based Evolution Limited and released her first album under Evolution in August 2007.
The first release under this agreement, Someone Like You, was recorded in Nashville, USA and was quick to win critical and commercial success throughout S. E. Asia. The success of the SACD version in particular bore testament to the fine production, vocal performance and mastering by Grammy award winning engineer Doug Sax. The album was domestically released in Japan in September 2008.
511 (2008)
In Summer 2008 a newly invigorated Susan, began working on fresh ideas for her follow-up album. In September 2008 Susan travelled to Geneva, Switzerland to work on demos with producer Adrien Z. As Susan explained “He brought my music ideas to life. He was able to transform the songs I want to sing into the styling which I dare tried.” The album recording was completed in February/March 2009.
In her blog Susan said of the album; “I guess I took a "more hands on" approach with this album, more than any of the previous ones, as I felt the need to voice out my persona, be more individualistic and independent for my work.” Susan’s bossa nova inspired version of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean received a lot of attention and radio play and the album sold widely across the region.
Step Into My Dreams (2009)
Inspired by the positive feedback to 511, Susan was anxious to start working on her next album and within months of the release of 511 she was forming ideas for new recordings, choosing to again work with producer Adrien Zerbini and arranger Ignacio Lamas. With songs for the albums mostly coming from the late 1960’s/early 1970’s Susan and her band worked on a relaxed, natural acoustic pop feel lead by Ignacio’s skilled guitar style. With some fine performances and some radically rearranged interpretations of well known classics the new album, Step Into My Dreams soon became Susan Wong’s bestselling title and a fan’s favorite.
‘Best Recording Yet’: My LIVE Stories (2013)
After 5 years, Susan Wong returned to Nashville in June 2012 to record her next masterpiece. This masterpiece called My LIVE Stories was recorded live over two days in the world famous Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, USA which Susan described was her ‘best recording yet’. With an ensemble of top notch session musicians and a first class recording environment inside a 100 year old converted church Susan performed a selection of her favourite songs from her previous albums along with new songs.
Highlights include the bossa nova influenced Billie Jean, the blues tinged Cry Me A River, an up tempo Perfect and a spine tingling performance of Desperado. The studio recording was filmed in full HD and released in DVD and Blu-ray formats in December 2012.
Tribute to Female Vocal: Woman In Love (2014) & SusanWongVEVO
From the time when My LIVE Stories was being recorded, the idea for Woman In Love was already in conception. 2 ½ years in the making, recorded over 8 studios in 3 continents – Woman In Love was released worldwide December 1st, 2014. Woman In Love is Susan’s tribute to great women singers before her who made their fame with sensuous and endearing love songs. The album features romantic love songs old and new from Olivia Newton-John’s I Honestly Love You, Barbra Streisand’s classic Woman in Love to Rihanna’s hit Stay and Adele’s Make You Feel My Love.
For Woman In Love, Susan crafted a rare original song Can’t You See (I’m Falling In Love) to be included in the album.
Susan took her rendition of Mary Macgregor’s Torn Between Two Lovers to the big screen where the music video was released in full HD live on SusanWongVEVO. Susan Wong’s VEVO channel now holds a dear collection of Susan Wong’s best and most popular music.
For Once In My Life
Susan Wong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Orlando Murden Ronald Miller
OP: Stone Diamond Music Corp Jobete Music Co Inc.
SP: EMI Music Publishing Hong Kong
Susan Wong Vocals Ignacio Lamas Guitars
Mimmo Pisino Double Bass Steve Grant Drums
Daniel Perrin Rhodes Chloé Lévy Backing vocals
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
Someone I've needed so long
For once, unafraid, I can go where life leads me
Somehow I know I'll be strong
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Someone warm like you
Would make my dreams come true
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me
Not like it hurt me before
For once, I have something I know won't desert me
I'm not alone anymore
For once, I can say, this is mine, you can't take it
As long as I know I have love, I can make it
For once in my life, I have someone who needs me
The lyrics of Susan Wong's song For Once in My Life are an expression of joy and relief at finally finding love, and how it has given her strength to face the uncertainties of life. The opening line conveys a newfound sense of purpose and belonging, as she revels in the fact that she has someone who needs her. This may indicate that she has had a difficult past and has longed for someone to care for her.
The second line suggests that this relationship has been a long time coming – Susan has needed someone like this for a very long time. The next two lines speak of a newfound courage and a willingness to take risks, which is again perhaps an effect of the security that comes with being loved. She feels that she can now take on the challenges of life with renewed optimism and energy.
The chorus repeats the idea that she is now able to fulfill her heart's desires, which she had only previously dreamed of. She now has someone to share her dreams with, and that is what is making them come true. The final lines of the chorus underline the sense of security and protection that she feels, knowing that she has someone who truly cares for her, and that she is not alone anymore.
The final verse is an affirmation of the fact that she has overcome the pain of the past – the pain of abandonment, or unrequited love, or whatever it may have been. She now has something that she knows will not desert her, which is a stark contrast to her past experiences. The last two lines of the song speak of her resolve to hold onto this love, and how it is this love that will give her the strength to face whatever else life may bring.
Overall, the lyrics of For Once in My Life are a beautiful tribute to the power of love in transforming one's life, and how it can give one the strength to face the challenges that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
I have finally found someone who relies on me.
Someone I've needed so long
I have been longing for someone like you for a very long time.
For once, unafraid, I can go where life leads me
I am no longer afraid of what the journey might bring and I am free to make my own path.
Somehow I know I'll be strong
Having you by my side makes me feel like I can overcome any obstacle.
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
You have made my wildest dreams come true.
Long before I knew Someone warm like you Would make my dreams come true
I never even knew that someone like you existed, someone who could make my dreams a reality.
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me
I will not allow myself to be hurt by sadness like I have in the past.
Not like it hurt me before
The pain I've experienced in the past will not be repeated.
For once, I have something I know won't desert me
I am certain that you will always be here for me and will never leave me.
I'm not alone anymore
I no longer feel the emptiness and loneliness that I once felt.
For once, I can say, this is mine, you can't take it
I finally have something that I can call my own, something that can not be taken away from me.
As long as I know I have love, I can make it
Your love is my source of strength and I know that I can overcome any obstacle with it.
For once in my life, I have someone who needs me
Having someone who depends on me has given my life a newfound sense of purpose.
Contributed by Nathaniel A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Anonymous
on Imagine
Imagine - Susan Wong - Lyrics
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
Musical Interlude
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
Nothing to kill or stifle
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one