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.
Sympathy
Toyah Lyrics
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When you climb into your bed tonight
When you lock and bolt the door
Just think of those out in the cold and dark
Cause there's not enough love to go round
And sympathy is all you need my friend
And sympathy is all you need
And sympathy is all you need my friend
Not enough love to go round
Half the world hates the other half
And half the world has all the food
And half the world lies down and quietly starves
Cause there's not enough love to go round
And sympathy is all you need my friend
And sympathy is all you need
And sympathy is all you need my friend
Cause there's not enough love to go round
Not enough love to go round
Toyah Willcox - vocals
Strings arranged by Richard Hewson
The lyrics of Toyah's song "Sympathy" address the theme of love and empathy. The song starts with an invitation to the listener to think about those who have less than they do, those who are "out in the cold and dark." This line is metaphorical, referring to people who are struggling in life, facing hardship and poverty. The lyrics suggest that there is not enough love to go around, meaning that people are not showing enough compassion and understanding to those in need.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "sympathy is all you need my friend," emphasizing the importance of empathy in a world that is often cruel and unfair. The lyrics describe a world that is divided between those who have more and those who have less, with half the world hating the other half and half the world starving quietly. The song suggests that the solution to this inequality and division is simply to show more sympathy and love to one another.
Overall, the lyrics of "Sympathy" are a call to action, urging listeners to think beyond themselves and their own needs and to show compassion to those who are less fortunate. The song suggests that if we all showed a little more kindness and empathy, we could create a world that is more just and equitable.
Line by Line Meaning
When you climb into your bed tonight
As you rest comfortably in your bed tonight
When you lock and bolt the door
Securing your safety as you sleep
Just think of those out in the cold and dark
Consider the less fortunate who are exposed to the elements of nature in the cold and dark
Cause there's not enough love to go round
Because there is an insufficient amount of love to be shared among all people
And sympathy is all you need my friend
Sympathy or compassion is what is necessary to alleviate their suffering
And sympathy is all you need
Empathy is what is necessary to show basic human kindness and support to others
Not enough love to go round
There is not enough generosity and goodwill in the world to meet everyone's needs
Half the world hates the other half
There is a great divide between different people and groups of the world based on their differences such as race, gender, religion, and so on
And half the world has all the food
Half of the world's population is fortunate enough to have enough food to eat
And half the world lies down and quietly starves
The other half of the world's population is suffering from hunger and malnutrition
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jon Bon Jovi, Richard Sambora
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind