The Communards formed in 1985 after singer Jimmy Somerville left his earlie… Read Full Bio ↴The Communards formed in 1985 after singer Jimmy Somerville left his earlier band Bronski Beat to team up with classically-trained musician Richard Coles. Though mainly a pianist, Coles played a number of instruments and had been seen previously performing the clarinet solos on the Bronski Beat hit "It Ain't Necessarily So". They were joined by bass player Dave Renwick who had also played with Bronski Beat. Somerville was well-known for his falsetto singing style, and that he was openly gay during a period of increasing socio-political debate and conflict in the UK regarding homosexuality.

The band had their first UK Top 30 hit in 1985 with the piano-based #30 single "You Are My World". The following year they had their biggest hit with an energetic cover version of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes' soul classic "Don't Leave Me This Way" (in a version inspired by Thelma Houston's cover) which spent four weeks at number one and became the UK's biggest selling single of 1986. It also made the US Top 40. It featured Sarah Jane Morris as co-vocalist, taking advantage of the contrast between Morris' deep and rounded contralto and Somerville's soaring falsetto. Morris performed both backing and co-lead vocals on many of the Communards' other recordings, and appeared in group photos as an unofficial third member.

Later that year The Communards had another UK Top 10 hit with the single "So Cold the Night," which reached number 8. In 1987, they released an album titled Red, which was partly produced by Stephen Hague. Red featured a cover version of the Jackson 5's hit "Never Can Say Goodbye" (in a version inspired by Gloria Gaynor's cover), which the Communards took to Number 4. Their last released single was "There's More to Love Than Boy Meets Girl" in 1988, which reached Number 20 and was, consequently, their final Top 20 hit.

They split in 1988 and Somerville began a solo career. Coles followed his Christian leanings and, after periods as a journalist for the Times Literary Supplement and Catholic Herald, he was ordained in the Church of England, spending time as the curate of St Botolph's (The Stump) in Boston, Lincolnshire. He is now the assistant priest at St Paul's Knightsbridge and Chaplain to the Royal College of Music and is a frequent contributor to BBC Radio 4.

Heavens Above
The Communards Lyrics

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Oh well he's got a hold on my heart,
my lust and my everything
He's thrown it around and around and
I'm screaming, don't bring me down

Oh well I took control of his fire
And it kept me warm all night long
Now I find it hard to control the desire

To keep it burning on

Oh well his love is strong as strong can be
Oh well his love is strong enough for me
I've got an angel
I've got an angel
I've got an angel
I've got an angel

Oh well I took control of his fire
And it kept me warm all night long
Now I find it hard to control the desire
To keep it burning on

Oh well his love is strong as strong can be
Oh well his love is strong enough for me
Oh well his love is strong enough for me
Oh well his love is strong enough for me

Heavens above no I can't get enough
Heavens above no I can't get enough
Heavens above no I can't get enough
Heavens above no I can't get enough

Oh well his love...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the Communards' song "Heavens Above" suggest a passionate and intense romantic relationship. At the start of the song, the singer confesses that her lover "has a hold on [her] heart" and her "lust and everything," implying that the relationship has a powerful hold on her. It appears that the relationship is a tumultuous one, as she describes her lover throwing her around and her screaming to not be brought down. However, she later admits that she took control of her lover's "fire" and that it kept her "warm all night long." Despite her struggle to control her passion for him, she admits that his love is "strong enough for me." The repeated phrase "I've got an angel" suggests that the singer may see her lover as heavenly or even divine.

Overall, the song presents a conflicted view of a passionate romantic relationship. The singer is both drawn to and fearful of the intense feelings she experiences with her lover but ultimately seems to embrace them.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh well he's got a hold on my heart,
He has complete control over me emotionally and spiritually.

my lust and my everything
He has a hold on all of my desires and needs.

He's thrown it around and around and
He's playing with my emotions continuously.

I'm screaming, don't bring me down
I don't want him to disappoint me and make me feel low.

Oh well I took control of his fire
I owned and controlled his passion.

And it kept me warm all night long
It gave me comfort and pleasure throughout the night.

Now I find it hard to control the desire
I struggle to manage and limit my craving for him.

To keep it burning on
I want to maintain the intensity of our passion.

Oh well his love is strong as strong can be
His love is exceptionally powerful and overwhelming.

Oh well his love is strong enough for me
I'm content with his love being all-encompassing.

I've got an angel
He's my savior; he rescues me from loneliness and despair.