Toyah (born Toyah Ann Willcox on 18 May 1958 in King's Heath, Birmingham, E… Read Full Bio ↴Toyah (born Toyah Ann Willcox on 18 May 1958 in King's Heath, Birmingham, England) is an English actress and singer. In a career spanning more than thirty years, Toyah has had 13 Top 40 singles, released 22 studio albums, written two books, appeared in over forty stage plays and ten feature films, and voiced and presented numerous television shows, including Brum, Watchdog and Songs of Praise.

She attended Edgbaston C of E College where she gained a GCE pass in music and trained as an actress at the Old Rep Drama School in her home town of Birmingham. Toyah's father ran successful joinery businesses.

She first became well-known during the punk rock era, her appearances in Derek Jarman's 1977 film Jubilee and 1979's Who album-inspired Quadrophenia launching her as a provocative and anti-establishment figure, an image she eventually abandoned.

Fronting a band known as Toyah, her singing career was slow to take off and the band released six singles in the UK before finally hitting the charts in 1981, with "It's A Mystery" and "I Want To Be Free". These singles were also successful on an international level. In 1982, she was voted Best Female Singer at the British Rock and Pop Awards — since restyled as The BRIT Awards, or "BRITs" — and in 1986 she married UK guitarist Robert Fripp. She was one of the first acts to score regularly in the UK Singles Chart with EPs. Also in 1986, Willcox sang lead on the Tony Banks track "Lion of Symmetry". In 1987 she made the top fifty with her version of "Echo Beach".

Since then, she has become a well-known (and more conventional) face on television and in the theatre. She has played straight roles, including in Quatermass (1979) and in Shakespeare plays, and appeared as a presenter of programmes such as Songs of Praise, Holiday (BBC), and Good Sex Guide Late. In 1999, she took the lead in the children's television series, Barmy Aunt Boomerang. She also provides the voiceover for the children's television programmes, the Teletubbies and Brum. More recently, she appeared in the reality television series I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! and I'm Famous and Frightened!.

Following her 2000 autobiography Living Out Loud, Toyah had a further autobiographical book published in 2005 documenting her experience of cosmetic surgery, Diary of a Facelift.

She has appeared on radio including the 2002 BBC Radio 4 series The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

She continues to perform with her band, releasing a live DVD in 2005, and has a busy schedule with theatre commitments, including appearing on stage in London's West End performing the title role of Calamity Jane at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 2003.

She is currently appearing in the musical 'Vampire's Rock' in theatres across the UK.

Deadly As A Woman
Toyah Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Deadly as a woman can be purgatory in motion
Sweet tastes of death drips from my dress
I'm a liar, I'm trouble
If something's going on
There I will be
Ticking like a time-bomb
Sentinel of your dreams
Burning intensly

I cradle you with fire
I'm as deadly as a woman can be.

Your trust in me makes me feel cruel to see you so reassured
I'm breaking every rule
I'm a liar, I promote pain
If something's going on
There I will be
Ticking like a time-bomb
Sentinel of your dreams
I hold you up when you could no longer stand
I'm as deadly as a woman can be.

Deadly like a woman can be no motivation like jealousy
Politics of truth and lies all in one
I'm a liar, I promote pain
If something's going on

There I will be
Ticking like a time-bomb.

Overall Meaning

The song "Deadly As A Woman" by Toyah is a powerful statement about the destructive potential of female power. The lyrics suggest that the female protagonist is a force to be reckoned with, embodying both danger and beauty. The line "Deadly as a woman can be purgatory in motion" sets the tone for the song, with its ominous suggestion that the singer is capable of unleashing hell on anyone who crosses her path.

The imagery of "Sweet tastes of death drips from my dress" is a potent metaphor for the seductive power of the character. She is aware of her ability to mesmerize and manipulate those around her, and takes pleasure in the sense of control she has over them. However, the character is also aware of the consequences of her actions, and acknowledges that she is capable of causing pain and chaos.

The chorus makes it clear that the character is not to be underestimated: "Ticking like a time-bomb / Sentinel of your dreams / Burning intensely / I cradle you with fire / I'm as deadly as a woman can be." The repetition of the phrase "I'm a liar, I promote pain" further reinforces the idea that the character is not to be trusted.

Overall, the song captures the complexity of female power and the potential for both destruction and liberation that it represents.

Line by Line Meaning

Deadly as a woman can be purgatory in motion
I am an unstoppable force of danger and chaos, constantly moving forward with the power of purgatory itself.

Sweet tastes of death drips from my dress
I am so deadly that even the very fabric of my clothing drips with the sweet flavors of death and destruction.

I'm a liar, I'm trouble
I deceive and cause harm, always looking to stir up chaos and mayhem.

If something's going on There I will be
I am always present where there is trouble or danger, ready to wreak havoc and destruction.

Ticking like a time-bomb Sentinel of your dreams Burning intensly
I am a ticking time-bomb, relentlessly burning with fiery passion, watching and waiting for the perfect moment to strike and fulfill your desires.

I cradle you with fire
I hold you close and protect you with the burning intensity of my passion and my deadly power.

Your trust in me makes me feel cruel to see you so reassured I'm breaking every rule
Your reliance on me fills me with a cruel pleasure, as I break all societal conventions and rules to achieve my deadly goals.

I promote pain
I actively encourage and promote the cause of pain and suffering, relishing in the chaos and destruction I cause.

I hold you up when you could no longer stand
I sustain and uplift you in your moments of weakness and vulnerability, using your trust in me to further my own agenda.

Deadly like a woman can be no motivation like jealousy Politics of truth and lies all in one
My motivations are driven by the most powerful and destructive force of all - jealousy - leading me to weave complex webs of truth and lies to achieve my ultimate goals.

If something's going on There I will be Ticking like a time-bomb.
Once again, I am an ever-present force, ticking like a time-bomb, always ready to detonate and unleash my full deadly potential.

Contributed by Kennedy D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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