1) Tony Lewis … Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) Tony Lewis is an American singer-songwriter based in Switzerland.
2) Tony Lewis (born 21 December 1957; died 19 October 2020) was an English singer-songwriter/musician and long-time member of the band The Outfield who released his first solo album, Out of the Darkness, in 2018.
1) Tony Lewis is an American singer-songwriter based in Switzerland. He is mainly known as a Country artist, but has made successful forays into other musical genres, including Jazz and Latin.
Lewis was born and raised in Orange County, California, and spent part of his youth in Hawaii. From a very young age music was his deepest passion, and by the time he was 11 he had taught himself piano and guitar. As musical influences from that time, Lewis cites the Beatles, Dylan and Motown as well as Sinatra and Nat King Cole. Summers visiting his grandparents in the rural Owens Valley of California exposed him to Folk and Country Western.
Lewis left home at age 15 citing a deep curiosity to see the world. While on a backpacking and hitchhiking tour of Europe in 1975, he was robbed and left on the side of the road with literally nothing more than the shirt on his back. This event was pivotal. He borrowed a guitar and for survival began playing on the street for coins. Soon he found himself playing in small clubs and abandoned busking in favor of a more advantageous performing environment.
During the next 18 years, Lewis travelled the globe performing in venues as diverse as a luxury hotel in Hawaii to a backwater pub in New Zealand. He also did some studio work with Lee Hallyday in Paris and spent a year and a half performing in Latin America as Cultural Ambassador for the US Government. During this time, he performed in some 30 countries on 4 continents.
Lewis decided to take up residency in Switzerland, and to record an album of original songs. “Wanted Man” was released in 1993, followed by his first Nashville-produced album “Another Country” in 1995 and the blues-edged “Dancin’ On The Edge” in 1998. On these CDs, Lewis pushed the limits of the genre by mixing styles as diverse as Blues and Jazz in with his Country compositions, often earning condemnation from purists.
After the 1999 release of a compilation entitled “Portrait”, Lewis changed direction and produced a solo album entitled “Naked”, playing all instruments and keeping things minimalist. His stated goal was “to rely on the songs for power, not on the production”.
Between 1993 and 2002, Lewis was also touring with his band “The Shooters”, regularly performing at major festivals in Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain and Scandinavia. He stopped touring in 2003 after a series of unrelated tragedies decimated his band. In a year and a half period, he lost pedal steel guitarist Helmut Schöni, guitarist Tom Wilson, and bassist Turi Rensch.
Lewis moved back to the US for some years, running a small vineyard in New Mexico. In 2008 Lewis returned to Switzerland and began reforming his band under that name “Tuff Love”. Working together with Canadian choreographer Guylaine Bourdages, he released in 2010 both a CD and CD/DVD package of Country songs especially created for Line Dance choreography. The project was lanced in Paris on Valentine’s Day, 2010.
2) Tony Lewis (born in the East End of London on 21 December 1957; died 19 October 2020) was an English singer-songwriter/musician, and long-time member of the band The Outfield, who released his first solo album, Out of the Darkness, in the spring of 2018.
It was in secondary school that Lewis (on bass) formed his first band with Alan Jackman (on drums). A few years later the two joined up with guitar player John Spinks and formed a progressive rock band they called Sirius B.
After a while apart, the three re-formed as the power-pop band they called the Baseball Boys.
Changing their name to The Outfield, they released their first album, Play Deep, in 1985.
Play Deep became a multi-platinum selling album and reached the Top 10 in the U.S. album charts. The single "Your Love" made it to number 6 on the US Billboard charts and remains a worldwide phenomenon.
Lewis decided to take a break from music after the death in 2014 of John Spinks.
In 2018, his solo album , Out of the Darkness, was released featuring his debut single "Into the Light". On the new album, Lewis plays all the instruments, as well as producing and recording everything on his own.
Into the Light
Tony Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who can I turn to?
No one understands me
Like you do
When I'm unhappy
Who is gonna love me?
When all roads in my life
Lead to you
So take me out of the darkness
And into the light
Don't give up on our love
Without a fight
When everything is falling apart
Just hold me tight
And take out of the darkness
And into the light
When I am lonely
Who's going to hold me?
Dry all my tears
Be my home
When I am crying
Whose hand will I touch?
Afraid and all alone
Love you so much
So take me out of the darkness
And into the light
Don't give up on our love
Without a fight
When everything is falling apart
Just hold me tight
And take me out of the darkness
And into the light
What can I do?
Why can't you see?
All the changes you've made in me
Scratch the surface and then you'll see
Someone you never thought I could be
When I'm in trouble
Who can I turn to?
No one understands me
Like you do
So take me out of the darkness
And into the light
Don't give up on our love
Without a fight
When everything is falling apart
Just hold me tight
And take me out of the darkness
And into the light
Tony Lewis's song "Into the Light" is a touching ballad about the power of love and finding hope in troubled times. The lyrics speak to the idea that when life gets tough and there seems to be no one to turn to, true love is always there to light the way. The singer is grappling with feelings of isolation and loneliness and looks to their significant other for comfort and support. The lines "No one understands me like you do" and "Love you so much" express the depth of their emotional connection and the bond that keeps them together.
The chorus of the song, which repeats the lines "So take me out of the darkness and into the light" underscores the theme of searching for hope in the midst of despair. The repeated plea for their loved one to hold them tight and not give up on their love emphasizes the idea that even when things seem hopeless, it's important to stay committed to the people and relationships that matter most.
The bridge of the song takes a slightly different tone, with the singer asking "What can I do? Why can't you see?" This moment of vulnerability highlights the fact that even in a loving relationship, there can still be times of struggle and conflict. However, the final lines of the song remind us that true love can overcome any obstacle, even when we can't see a way forward.
Overall, "Into the Light" is a moving testament to the power of love and the importance of staying connected to those who matter most in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
When I'm in trouble
When I face difficulties or problems
Who can I turn to?
Who can I rely on or seek help from?
No one understands me
No one comprehends me deeply
Like you do
Except for you, who knows how I feel
When I'm unhappy
When I feel sad or miserable
Who is gonna love me?
Who will continue to love and care for me?
When all roads in my life
When every path I take
Lead to you
Leads me to you, my love
So take me out of the darkness
Bring me out of the dim, dismal or unhappy situation
And into the light
Lead me towards happiness or positivity
Don't give up on our love
Do not abandon or lose faith in our relationship
Without a fight
Without trying or making an effort
When everything is falling apart
When all things are disintegrating or going wrong
Just hold me tight
Embrace me tightly
And take out of the darkness
Bring me out of the gloom or unhappiness
When I am lonely
When I feel alone or isolated
Who's going to hold me?
Who will I turn to for comfort?
Dry all my tears
Wipe away all my sadness or grief
Be my home
Provide me with a sense of comfort or belonging
When I am crying
When I am weeping or shedding tears
Whose hand will I touch?
Whose support or touch will I need?
Afraid and all alone
Feeling fear and isolation
Love you so much
Love and cherish you deeply
What can I do?
What actions can I take?
Why can't you see?
Why is it difficult for you to understand or realize?
All the changes you've made in me
All the positive effects you have had on me
Scratch the surface and then you'll see
Look deeper or investigate further for the truth
Someone you never thought I could be
A person that you would never have expected me to become
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DOMINIC LEWIS, HENRY PRYCE JACKMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mattvoigt2275
Really good song that would have been a huge hit back in 86 or 87, easily. Shame that great music like this isn’t appreciated today like it should be. Makes me sad. RIP Tony Lewis.
@rustyanchor60
When I was learning to play bass back in the '70's I had Doug Stegmeyer and a host of other great bassists to learn from and then came Tony. He was and still is one of my favorite bass guitarists. RIH with Spinks Tony! Much love.
@breatheliveandthrive7404
RIP Tony and John! You guys are my musical heros even to this day!😢
@Zindoriffic
RIP Tony. Hopefully you and John will have made more great music by the time we join you on the other side.
@davehenry7262
Man, I loved The Outfield when I was in college in the late 1980's. Just hearing this song (which is great) takes me back to the beach on spring break. So glad I found this song.
@jtwjtw83
The world lost an incredible talent today. Excellent songs. Amazing voice. RIP Mr. Lewis.
@Retroscoop
Yep, said something similar on the welcome page of my website, even if it isn't a music website. Just thought the world with its short attention span should be informed about that !
@rambo8218
Tony is gone... This album is the last of his beautiful voice .... Imagine if John's deep vocals had accompanied these new songs!!!??
The song with Tony alone are awesome but John singing along and plug on the drums would have been epic...
Rest in piece Tony and John....long live the sounds of THE OUTFIELD!!!!!!
@Jimmythepin
Good bye Tony. Thank you so much for the decades of great music. I will fondly remember you & John as I continue to listen and thoroughly enjoy your music and your iconic voice.
@dantealighieri5464
a true great artist, icon, and a soul of a real human being. making good songs that have a soul.