Virginia Astley was born in Garston, Hertfordshire, England. Virginia began learning piano at the age of six and flute at 14. After leaving school, she studied at the Guildhall School Of Music. Her first professional appearance in public was as a busker outside South Kensington tube station. In 1980, she auditioned for a new band from Clapham, the Victims of Pleasure. Astley, playing keyboards, worked with them for a short while playing in clubs and pubs around London. The band released three singles between 1980 and 1982 before splitting up.
Afterward, Astley wrote, arranged and performed music with Skids frontman Richard Jobson for the album The Ballad Of Etiquette. Their collaboration continued when Jobson moved to Belgian label Les Disques Du Crépuscule, and Astley contributed to the Crépuscule compilation The Fruit of the Original Sin. She also contributed as part of The Dream Makers (in collaboration with filmmaker Jean Paul Goude) for a cover version of "La Chanson d'Helene" (Helen's Song), showcasing an early example of her distinctive vocal style.
It was during this early period that Astley started to give serious consideration to releasing her own material; however, nothing immediately came of these plans. Then in 1981, she signed to the small UK label Why-Fi and recorded a series of songs. A school friend, Jo Wells (Kissing the Pink) and a university friend Nicky Holland both contributed as did Tony Butler, Mark Brzezicki and Peter Hope-Evans. Astley then received an offer from another Why-Fi artist, Troy Tate, for a supporting band position with The Teardrop Explodes. In the 1990s, finding that her musical style was popular in Japan, she went on to collaborate with Asian artists.
A Father
Virginia Astley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And never, no never
Shall I see you again
But will haunt you forever
In your sleep, in your dreams
We'll always be there
You'll be far away
But we'll always care
Should you return
Which you won't
So there's no use
In saying these words
Should you think of it
Please know this
That a father isn't blood
That a father is love
And if you've no love in you
There's no place here for you
To run to when you're lonely
And scared and alone
There's no place here for someone
Who has no heart in him
Relationships
Are not born, they are formed
Through days that are bad
In all of the storms
The smiles and the laughter
The love through the years
The rows and the fights
Then all of the tears
But an unknown man
A lying trickster
Has no place in my heart
No place in hers too
For a father isn't blood
For a father is love
And if you've no love in you
There is no place here for you
You've run away
And never, no never
Shall I see you again
But will haunt you forever
In your sleep, in your dreams
We'll always be there
You'll be far away
But we'll always care
Far, far away
No guilt will you feel
I love you still
I set this seal
These lyrics depict a narrative of abandonment, as the singer laments the absence of their father. The first stanza paints a bleak picture of the situation, stating that the father is gone and will not come back. However, the singer notes that the father will never truly leave their mind, as they will always "haunt" their thoughts and dreams. The singer offers a sense of care for their absentee father, despite the distance between them.
The second stanza offers conflicting emotions towards the father's return. On the one hand, the singer offers a message of forgiveness, stating that love is what makes a father, not just blood. However, the singer goes on to say that if the father has no love within them, then there is no place for them. The final line of the stanza offers solemn acceptance of the situation, noting that there is no place for someone without heart and love.
The final stanza concludes the piece with a sense of finality. The father is still gone and will remain so, but the singer still loves and cares for them. Despite the distance, the singer will always be a part of the father's life, even if the father is not a part of theirs.
Overall, this piece is a poignant reflection on the complexities of family relationships and the lasting impact of abandonment. It speaks to the importance of love and emotional connection in relationships, regardless of blood ties.
Line by Line Meaning
You've run away
You have left and are not coming back
And never, no never
There is no chance of you returning
Shall I see you again
I will never see you again
But will haunt you forever
You will always be on my mind in a negative way
In your sleep, in your dreams
You will be reminded of me in your subconscious
We'll always be there
I will always be watching you
You'll be far away
You will be physically distant
But we'll always care
I will always have concern for you
Should you return
If you come back
Which you won't
It's unlikely that you will return
So there's no use
It's pointless
In saying these words
To say these words is a waste of time
Should you think of it
If you happen to consider it
Please know this
Understand that
That a father isn't blood
Being a father is not just about biology
That a father is love
Being a father is about showing love
And if you've no love in you
If you do not have love in your heart
There's no place here for you
You are not welcome here
To run to when you're lonely
To come to for comfort when you are feeling alone
And scared and alone
When you are afraid and in solitude
There's no place here for someone
This is not the place for someone
Who has no heart in him
Someone who lacks compassion and care
Relationships
Connection between individuals
Are not born, they are formed
Relationships develop over time
Through days that are bad
During difficult times
In all of the storms
Through challenges
The smiles and the laughter
Enjoying moments of happiness
The love through the years
Deep affection over a long time
The rows and the fights
Disagreements and arguments
Then all of the tears
Crying due to emotional situations
But an unknown man
Some stranger I don't know
A lying trickster
Someone who deceives and lies
Has no place in my heart
I have no affection for them
No place in hers too
My loved one also feels the same
Far, far away
Very distant
No guilt will you feel
You won't feel remorse
I love you still
I still have love for you
I set this seal
I have accepted the situation and moved on
Writer(s): Virginia Alice Astley
Contributed by Gavin A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cape Heart
Love this. It’s pure Midsummer nights dream magic for me.
Ron D
Isn't Ryuichi Sakamoto's orchestrations and arrangements so wonderful on this song? This and "Tree-Top Club" are my favorites from it, but the entire album is EXCELLENT!
Anne Stephenson
Virginia 's dad Ted Astley did the arrangement gor this one!!
captainjupiterbella
Such a beautiful song.
1354867
Virginia is one of my very talented cousins
Corey Lascaris
If you ever see or talk to her, tell her i am enjoying listening to this on the first day of fall and still loving it many decades later.
1f2r3a4n5k
Amazing
Robert Stirewalt
Pioneer of orchestration. 30 years ago.
Anne Stephenson
Ted Astley fid the arrangement on this one
BadDreamFancyDress
We put all her stuff on eBay but wish we'd kept it now