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.
Love's Unkind
Toyah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the schoolbell rings
And when he passes in the hallway
Well he doesn't seem to notice me
He's got a crush on my best friend
But she don't care, 'cause she loves someone else
I'm standing on the outside, no the inside where I wanna be
Love's unkind, love's unkind
Cause he's not mine
Just the other day I was hoping he wouldd give me a chance
Hoping he would choose me for his partner
For the high school dance
I was standing outside the class
But it wasn't me, but my best friend, he asked
I went running back inside teary-eyed
And left the two of them behind
Love's unkind
Love's unkind, love's unkind
Cause he's not mine
Love's unkind...
The lyrics to Toyah's "Love's Unkind" tell the story of unrequited love. The singer sees the person she has feelings for every day at school but he seems to only have eyes for her best friend. She longs to be noticed and chosen for the high school dance but is left heartbroken when her crush chooses her best friend instead. The chorus repeats the phrase "Love's unkind" emphasizing the painful reality of the situation.
The verses set the scene of the school and the singer's longing looks, while the chorus hammers in the disappointment of the unreciprocated feelings. The song captures the feeling of being on the outside looking in, wishing for something that seems just out of reach. The lyrics, along with Toyah's emotive performance, create a poignant tale of lovesickness and rejection that resonates with many listeners.
Overall, "Love's Unkind" is a relatable and bittersweet song that perfectly captures the experience of unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I seem him every morning in the schoolyard
Every morning I see him in the schoolyard
When the schoolbell rings
It's during school hours when I see him
And when he passes in the hallway
I see him when he passes by me in the hallway
Well he doesn't seem to notice me
He doesn't seem to acknowledge my presence
He's got a crush on my best friend
He has developed romantic feelings for my best friend
But she don't care, 'cause she loves someone else
My best friend does not reciprocate his feelings because she is in love with someone else
I'm standing on the outside, not the inside where I wanna be
I feel excluded as I stand on the outside of their relationship, wishing to be on the inside
Just the other day I was hoping he would give me a chance
Recently, I had hoped that he would consider giving me a chance
Hoping he would choose me for his partner
I was hoping that he would choose me to be his partner
For the high school dance
I wished to be his date for the upcoming high school dance
I was standing outside the class
I stood outside the classroom
But it wasn't me, but my best friend, he asked
Unfortunately, he asked my best friend to be his dance partner and not me
I went running back inside teary-eyed
I ran back inside the classroom with tears in my eyes
And left the two of them behind
I left them both behind and walked away feeling hurt
Love's unkind
Love can often be cruel and unfair
Love's unkind, love's unkind
Love can be unkind and painful
Cause he's not mine
It hurts because he does not belong to me
Contributed by Aria M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.