After a spell as a catwalk model, she scored a number of club hits after recording with group, Biz, in 1983. Her first commercial success came in early 1988, when she supplied the vocals on Coldcut's "Doctorin' the House". She soon launched a solo career on Big Life records, a label set up by her future husband Jazz Summers, releasing her debut single "The Only Way Is Up" in the summer of 1988. It went on to spend five weeks at the top of the chart, eventually becoming the biggest selling UK single of the year. Suddenly one of Britain's biggest pop acts, her follow up was another big hit, whilst her debut album went top ten.
She continued to have hits into 1989 but has since recorded only sporadically, releasing one single during 1990 and not releasing another until 1992. She returned to the charts in 1993, performing with Aswad on the top 40 hit "How Long". She continued to release singles well into the 1990s, including a cover version of The Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye". In 1997 she recorded the album Natural Life, which was only released in some parts of Europe and Asia.
Contents [hide]
1 Discography
1.1 Albums
1.2 Singles
2 Sources
[edit]
Discography
[edit]
Albums
Wanted (1988) UK #3, AUS #43
The Wanted Remixes (1989) UK #53
One On One (1994)
Natural Life (1997)
At Her Very Best (2001) UK #166
[edit]
Singles
"Doctorin' the House" (with Coldcut) (1988) UK #6, Ger # 11
"The Only Way Is Up" (1988) UK #1, US #96, AUS #2, NZ #1, Ger # 3
"Stand Up For Your Love Rights" (1988) UK #2, AUS #22, NZ #8, Ger # 10
"Fine Time" (1989) UK #9, NZ #18, Ger # 32
"Where Has All The Love Gone" (1989) UK #16, Ger # 40
"Treat Me Good" (1990) UK #20, AUS #100, Ger # 55
"One True Woman" (1992) UK #60
"How Long" (with Aswad) (1993) UK #31, Ger # 52
"Have Mercy" (1994) UK #42, Ger # 86
"Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime" (1994) UK #56
"Good Thing Going" (1996) UK #53
"Never Can Say Goodbye" (1997) UK #61
"Abandon Me" (1998) UK #79
Only Way Is Up
Yazz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the lowest turn
Bein' on the bottom line
Sure ain't no fun
But if we should be evicted
Huh, from our homes
We'll just move somewhere else
Oh
(Hold on) hold on
(Hold on) hold on
Ooh, aah, baby
(Hold on) hold on
(Hold on) ooh ooh aah
The only way is up, baby
For you and me now
The only way is up, baby
For you and me now
Aah
Now we may not know, huh
Where our next meal is coming from
But with you by my side
I'll face what is to come
Aah, boy I want to thank you
Yeah, for loving me this way
Things may be a little hard now
But we'll find a brighter day
Oh, yeah
(Hold on) hold on
(Hold on) hold on
Ooh, ooh ooh
(Hold on) hold on
(Hold on) won't be long
Ooh, yeah
The only way is up, baby
For you and me now
The only way is up, baby
For you and me now
Ooh ooh ooh
Talk about the only way is up, baby
Talk about the only way
Talk about the only way is up, baby
Talk about the only way
Talk about the only way is up, baby
(Hold on) hold on
(Hold on) hold on
Hey
(Hold on) hold on
(Hold on) won't be long
No no no
The only way is up, baby
For you and me now
The only way is up, baby
For you and me now
The only way is up, baby
For you and me now
The only way is up, baby
For you and me now
The only way is up
For you and me now
The only way is up, baby
For you and me now
The only way is up
For you and me now
The only way is up
For you and me now
The only way is up
For you and me now
The only way is up
For you and me now
The lyrics of Yazz's song "Only Way Is Up" speak about perseverance and hope amidst difficult circumstances. The opening lines describe a situation of hitting rock bottom - "We've been broken down to the lowest turn." Being "on the bottom line" is difficult and unpleasant. However, the song urges listeners to hold on and look forward to the future with optimism. Even if they were to lose their homes and be evicted, they will "just move somewhere else and still carry on." The refrain drives home the message - "The only way is up, baby, for you and me now." The lyrics acknowledge that the future may be uncertain and difficult, but it implores us to stay strong and overcome our obstacles.
The second verse speaks about the importance of companionship in the face of hardship. "Now we may not know where our next meal is coming from, but with you by my side, I'll face what is to come." The song then shows appreciation for a partner's love and support, "...for loving me this way." The final lines echo the sentiment of the refrain, promising a better future: "Things may be a little hard now, but we'll find a brighter day."
"Only Way Is Up" was written by George Jackson and Johnny Henderson and was first recorded by Otis Clay in 1980. However, it was the British pop singer Yazz who made it a smash hit in 1988. The song rose to number one on the UK Singles Chart and stayed on the charts for sixteen weeks. The song was also a hit in Germany, where it reached number three on the charts.
Line by Line Meaning
We’ve been broken down
We have faced numerous failures in our journey so far.
To the lowest turn
We have reached the point of greatest difficulty in our lives.
Bein' on the bottom line
We have hit rock bottom in our financial, emotional or mental state.
Sure ain't no fun
It is a very tough situation to be in.
But if we should be evicted
Even if we are thrown out of our homes and have nowhere to go.
Huh, from our homes
From the place where we have been living our lives till now.
We'll just move somewhere else
We will find another place to live.
And still carry on
And continue to live our lives with hope and optimism.
The only way is up, baby
The only path left for us now is to go up in life.
For you and me now
For both of us, together.
Now we may not know, huh
We are not sure about our future, what it holds for us.
Where our next meal is coming from
We are uncertain if we will have enough to eat in the near future.
But with you by my side
As long as we are together, we can face anything that comes our way.
I'll face what is to come
I am ready to confront whatever lies ahead.
Boy, I want to thank you
I want to express my gratitude to you.
Yeah, for loving me this way
For loving me unconditionally and standing by me through tough times.
Things may be a little hard now
Life may be challenging at the moment.
But we'll find a brighter day
We will keep hoping for a better future.
Won't be long
Our current situation will not last forever.
Talk about the only way is up, baby
We need to focus on moving forward and overcoming our struggles.
Hey
An expression of positivity and encouragement.
No no no
An expression of denial, rejecting any negative thoughts or vibes.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GEORGE HENRY JACKSON, JOHNNY RAY HENDERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marciox2010
Rapaz...e aqueles tempos fantásticos dos anos 70 80 90 é pra nos fazer chorar.
Essa aí eu tinha meus 18 anos.
Exatamente há 34 anos atrás tocava essa canção e já começava então o ritmo house, eurodance e flash dance.
Noel, Rick Wesley, Sônia,Snap,Tecnotronic,information society e tantos outros q fizeram desses tempos.... inesquecíveis e saudosos.
Hj,aos 52 anos,relembrar no YouTube e nas playlists canções memoráveis como essa da Yazz, é sorrir com nostalgia,viajarno passado e sentir o coração feliz palpitando no soar dessas músicas maravilhosas de um tempo q eu posso dizer com certeza por mim e por muitos outros: foram anos incríveis.
Meu DEUS....que saudades sem fim !!!!
São Paulo SP Brás/ 31-01-2023. 20:04 h terça feira.
E lá se foi janeiro.
Alguém dessa época pra dar um joinha ou comentar algo?
Um 2023 repleto de bençãos a todos.
Vai curintia.....
@jmmbuthia
I'm 49, living at my mum's, lost everything and I have to start all over again. But there's only one way and the only way is up. Keep your head up wherever you are and whatever you're goin through, the only way is up
@PBAncello-yl3kf
Stay strong, my friend.
You'll build yourself back even better.
Trust me.
🙏✨💗✨🙏
💪
@NicholaLashmar
I'm going thru a shit time and like u say the only way is up we'll get there! Don't give up! Love to u x
@zoec3582
Right attitude ❤
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@LittleJ-hr1mc
Same here my friend left with my 3 kids back to my mums to escape domestic violence.never been lower but the only way is up ❤️
@janeevans1309
My wonderful Mum passed away last week and this was one of her all time faves, we’ll be playing it at her funeral, she’ll be dancing her way up 💗
@peterbynon2332
Lové to your mum forever never forget
@janeevans1309
Peter Bynon 💗🖤
@peterbynon2332
Still listening Pete new to my phone sorry