Following the disbandment of Eurythmics in 1991, vocalist Annie Lennox began a solo career that rivaled Eurythmics' in terms of crossover popularity.
Born and raised in Aberdeen, Scotland, Annie Lennox began playing music as child, learning how to play both the piano and flute. In her late teens, she won a scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Music but she dropped out of the school before she took her finals. For the next several years, she worked around London, performing various jobs during the day and singing at night. In the late '70s, she met guitarist Dave Stewart through a friend. Stewart, who had previously played with Longdancer, asked Lennox to join a new band he was forming with a songwriter named Peet Coombes. The band was named the Tourists, and they released three albums between 1979 and 1980 and scored a number four U.K. hit with a cover of Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want to Be With You."
While they were collaborating together in the Tourists, Lennox and Stewart became lovers. Soon, tensions within the band grew and by 1980, the pair had left the band to begin Eurythmics. During the early '80s, the sleek synth pop of Eurythmics became one of the most popular sounds of new wave, racking up a number of hits in both the U.S. and U.K., including "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," "Love Is a Stranger," "Who's That Girl," and "Here Comes the Rain Again." Midway through their career, Eurythmics began pursuing a harder, more straightforward rock & roll sound.
In 1990, following the release of Eurythmics' commercial disappointment We Too Are One, Lennox announced that she was taking a two-year sabbatical to have a child. During this time, the group quietly dissolved, Lennox had a baby, and she began working on her first solo album. Diva, her solo debut, arrived in 1992 and showcased a calmer, more mature vocalist designed to cross over into the adult contemporary audience. On the strength of the singles "Walking on Broken Glass" (number 14) and "Why" (number 34), Diva sold over two million copies in the U.S. alone; the album was also nominated for three Grammy awards.
Annie Lennox delivered her second solo album, a covers collection entitled Medusa, in 1995. Peaking at number 11, Medusa spawned the hit single "No More I Love You's," and went platinum by the end of 1995.
I used to be lunatic from the gracious days
I used to be woebegone and so restless nights
My aching heart would bleed for you to see
Oh but now...
(I don't find myself bouncing home whistling buttonhole tunes to make me cry)
No more "I love you's"
The language is leaving me
No more "I love you's"
Changes are shifting outside the word
(The lover speaks about the monsters)
I used to have demons in my room at night
Desire, despair, desire... SOOO MANY MONSTERS!
Oh but now...
(I don't find myself bouncing home whistling buttonhole tunes to make me cry)
No more "I love you's"
The language is leaving me
No more "I love you's"
The language is leaving me in silence
No more "I love you's"
Changes are shifting outside the word
(They were being really c 353u207d razy
They were on the come.
And you know what mummy?
Everybody was being really crazy.
Uh huh. The monsters are crazy.
There are monsters outside.)
No more "I love you's"
The language is leaving me
No more "I love you's"
The language is leaving me in silence
No more "I love you's"
Changes are shifting outside the word
Outside the word
"Walking On
Broken Glass"
You were the sweetest thing that I ever knew
But I don't care for sugar honey if I can't have you
Since you've abandoned me
My whole life has crashed
Won't you pick the pieces up
'cause it feels just like I'm walking on broken glass
Walking on walking on broken glass
The sun's still shining in the big blue sky
But it don't mean nothing to me
Oh let the rain come down
Let the wind blow through me
I'm living in an empty room
With all the windows smashed
And I've got so little left to lose
That it feels just like I'm walking on broken glass
Walking on walking on broken glass
And if you're trying to cut me down
You know that I might bleed
Cause if you're trying to cut me down
I know that you'll succeed
And if you want to hurt me
There's nothing left to fear
Cause if you want to hurt me
You're doing really well my dear
Now everyone of us was made to suffer
Everyone of us was made to weep
But we've been hurting one another
And now the pain has cut too deep...
So take me from the wreckage
Save me from the blast
Lift me up and take me back
Don't let me keep on walking...
Walking on broken glass
Walking on walking on broken glass
"Cold"
Come to me
Do and be done with me
(Cold cold cold)
Don't I exist for you
Don't I still live for you
(Cold cold cold)
Everything I possess
Given with tenderness
Wrapped in a ribbon of glass
Time it may take us but God only knows
How I've paid for those things in the past
Dying is easy it's living that scares me to death
I could be so content hearing the sound of your breath
Cold is the colour of crystal the snowlight
That falls from the heavenly skies
Catch me and let me dive under
For I want to swim in the pools of your eyes
I want to be with you baby
Slip me inside of your heart
Don't I belong to you baby
Don't you know that nothing can tear us apart
Come on now come on now come on now
Telling you that
I loved you right from the start...
But the more I want you the less I get
Ain't that just the way things are...
Winter has frozen us
Let love take hold of us
(Cold cold cold)
Now we are shivering
Blue ice is glittering
(Cold cold cold)
Cold is the colour of crystal the snowlight
That falls from the heavenly skies
Catch me and let me dive under
For I want to swim in the pools of your eyes
"Don't Let It
Bring You Down"
Old man lyin' by the side of the road
Where the lorries rollin' by
Blue moon sinkin' from the weight of the load
And the buildings scrape the sky
Cold wind rippin' on the valley at dawn
And the morning paper flies
Dead man lyin' by the side of the road
With the daylight in his eyes
Don't let it bring you down
It's only castle's burning
Find someone who's turning
And you will come around
Blind man runnin' through the light of the night
With an answer in his hand
Come on down to the river of sight
And you can really understand
Red lights flashin' through the window in the rain
Can you hear the sirence moan
White cane lyin' in a gutter in the lane
And you're walkin' home alone
Don't let it bring you down
It's only castle's burning
Find someone who's turning
And you will come around
You will come around
"Little
Bird"
I look up to the little bird
That glides across the sky
He sings the clearest melody
It makes me want to cry
It makes me want to sit right down
and cry cry cry
I walk along the city streets
So dark with rage and fear
And I...
I wish that I could be that bird
And fly away from here
I wish I had the wings to fly away from here
But my my I feel so low
My my where do I go ?
My my what do I know ?
My my we reap what we sow
They always said that you knew best
But this little bird's fallen out of that nest now
I've got a feeling that it might have been blessed
So I've just got to put these wings to test
For I am just a troubled soul
Who's weighted...
Weighted to the ground
Give me the strength to carry on
Till I can lay this burden down
Give me the strength to lay this burden down down down yeah
Give me the strength to lay it down
But my my I feel so low
My my where do I go ?
My my what do I know ?
My my we reap what we sow
They always said that you knew best
But this little bird's fallen out of that nest now
I've got a feeling that it might have been blessed
So I've just got to put these wings to test
"Take Me To The
River"
I don't know why I love you like I do
All the changes you put me through
Take my money, my cigarettes
I haven't seen the worst of it yet
I wanna know, can you tell me
I'd really like to stay
Take me to the river
Drop me in the water
Take me to the river
Dip me in the water
Wash me down, wash me down
Wash me down, wash me down
I don't know why you treat me so bad
Think of all the things that we could have had
Love is an ocean
And I can't forget my sweet sixteen I'll never fret
I wanna know, can you tell me
I'd really like to stay
Take me to the river
Drop me in the water
Take me to the river
Dip me in the water
Love me, squeeze me
Love me, tease me
Till I can't, till I can't
Till I can't, till I can't
I don't know why I love you like I do
All the trouble you put me through
Sixteen candles blowin' on the wall
And here I am the bigg'st fool of all
I wanna know, can you tell me
I'd really like to stay
Take me to the river
Drop me in the water - come on, come on, come on yea...
Dip me in the water
Drop me in the river - come on, come on...
Dip me in the water
Drop me in the river
Push me in the water...
"Train In
Vain"
They say you stand by your man
Tell me something I don't understand
You said you loved me and that's a fact
And then you left me said you felt trapped
Well, some things you can explain away
But the heartache's with me till this day
Did you stand by me?
No, not at all.
Did you stand by me?
No way.
All the times that we were close
I remember these things the most
I've seen all my dreams come tumblin' down
I can't be happy without you around
So alone I keep the wolves a bay
And there's only one thing I can say
You didn't stand by me
No, not at all.
You didn't stand by me
No way.
You must explain
Why this must be
Did you lie
When you spoke to me?
Did you stand by me?
No, not at all.
Now I got a job but it don't pay
I need new clothes I need somewhere to stay
But without all these things I can do
Without your love (- LOVE!) I won't make it through
(Without you love I won't make it through)
But you don't understand my point of view
I suppose there's nothing I can do
(You) didn't stand by me
No, not at all.
You didn't stand by me
No way.
You must explain
Why this must be
Did you lie
When you spoke to me?
Stand by me, no way
Stand by me, not at all
Stand by me, no way
Stand by me, not at all
Stand by me, no way
There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)
No-one
on earth could feel like this.
I'm thrown and overblown with bliss.
There must be an angel
Playing with my heart.
I walk into an empty room
And suddenly my heart goes "boom"!
It's an orchestra of angels
And they're playing with my heart.
(Must be talking to an angel)
No-one
on earth could feel like this.
I'm thrown and overblown with bliss.
There must be an angel
Playing with my heart.
And when I think that I'm alone
It seems there's more of us at home.
It's a multitude of angels
And they're playing with my heart.
Chorus repeats.
I
must be hallucinating
Watching angels celebrating.
Could this be reactivating
All my senses dislocating?
This must be a strange deception
By celestial intervention.
Leavin' me the recollection
Of your heavenly connection
Sweet Dreams
Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
Travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused
Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
Travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused
I wanna use you and abuse you
I wanna know what's inside you
(Whispering) Hold your head up, movin' on
Keep your head up, movin' on
Hold your head up, movin' on
Keep your head up, movin' on
Hold your head up, movin' on
Keep your head up, movin' on Movin' on!
Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
Travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused
I'm gonna use you and abuse you
I'm gonna know what's inside
Gonna use you and abuse you
I'm gonna know what's inside you
Love Is A Stranger
Love is a stranger
In an open car
To tempt you in
And drive you far away
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you so
It's an obsession
Love is a danger
Of a different kind
To take you away
And leave you far behind
And love love love
Is a dangerous drug
You have to receive it
And you still can't
Get enough of the stuff
It's savage and it's
cruel
And it shines like destruction
Comes in like the flood
And it seems like religion
It's noble and it's brutal
It distorts and deranges
And it wrenches you up
And you're left like a zombie
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you so
It's an obsession
It's guilt edged
Glamorous and sleek by design
You know it's jealous by nature
False and unkind
It's hard and restrained
And it's totally cool
It touches and it teases
As you stumble in the debris
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you so
It's an obsession
I Saved The World
Today
Monday finds you like a bomb
That's been left ticking there too long
You're bleeding
Some days there's nothing left to learn
From the point of no return
You're leaving
Hey hey I saved the world today
Everybody's happy now
The bad things gone away
And everybody's happy now
The good thing's here to stay
Please let it stay
There's a million mouths to feed
And I've got everything i need
I'm breathing
And there's a hurting thing inside
But I've got everything to hide
I'm grieving
Hey hey I saved the world today
Everybody's happy now
The bad things gone away
And everybody's happy now
The good thing's here to stay
Please let it stay
Doo doo doo doo doo the good thing
Hey hey I saved the world today
Everybody's happy now
The bad things gone away
And everybody's happy now
The good thing's here to stay
Please let it stay
Everybody's happy now
"A Whiter Shade
Of Pale"
We skipped the light fandango
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kind of seasick
The crowd called out for more
And the room was hummin' harder
As the ceiling flew away
And when we called outfor another drink
But the waiter brought a tray
And so it was later
As the miller told his tale
That her face at first just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of pale.
You said: "There is no reason,
And the truth is plain to see."
But I wander through my playin' cards
Would not let him be
One of the sixteen vestal virgins
Who were leaving for the coast
And although my eyes were open
They might just as well been closed
And so it was later
As the miller told his tale
That her face at first just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of pale.
A whiter shade of pale
Turned a whiter shade of pale
A whiter shade of pale
"Why"
How many times do I have to try to tell you
That I'm sorry for the things I've done
But when I start to try to tell you
That's when you have to tell me
Hey... this kind of trouble's only just begun
I tell myself too many times
Why don't you ever learn to keep your big mouth shut
That's why it hurts so bad to hear the words
That keep on falling from your mouth
Falling from your mouth
Falling from your mouth
Tell me...
Why
Why
I may be mad
I may be blind
I may be viciously unkind
But I can still read what you're thinking
And I've heard is said too many times
That you'd be better off
Besides...
Why can't you see this boat is sinking
(this boat is sinking this boat is sinking)
Let's go down to the water's edge
And we can cast away those doubts
Some things are better left unsaid
But they still turn me inside out
Turning inside out turning inside out
Tell me...
Why
Tell me...
Why
This is the book I never read
These are the words I never said
This is the path I'll never tread
These are the dreams I'll dream instead
This is the joy that's seldom spread
These are the tears...
The tears we shed
This is the fear
This is the dread
These are the contents of my head
And these are the years that we have spent
And this is what they represent
And this is how I feel
Do you know how I feel ?
'cause i don't think you know how I feel
I don't think you know what I feel
I don't think you know what I feel
You don't know what I feel
"Precious"
Precious little angel
Take a look at what you've done
Well I thought my time was over
But it's only just begun
Precious little angel
You're my own sweet turtle dove
Won't you stay with us for ever
In a bundle full of love
I was lost until you came
Precious little angel
Won't you spread your light on me
I was locked up in the darkness
Now you've come to set me free
I was covered up with sadness
I was drowned in my own tears
I've been cynical and twisted
I've been bitter all these years
I was lost until you came
I was lost until you came
And wouldn't I run a thousand miles
To be with you
And wouldn't I run a thousand miles
To be with you
Precious little angel
Tell me how can it be true
That such a gift from heaven
Has been sent for me and you
Precious little angel
Don't you worry don't you cry
When this bad old world has crumbled
I'll be standing at your side
I was lost until you came
Here Comes the Rain Again
Here comes the rain
again
Falling on my head like a memory
Falling on my head like a new emotion
I want to walk in the open wind
I want to talk like lovers do
I want to dive into your ocean
Is it raining with you
So baby talk to me
Like lovers do
Walk with me
Like lovers do
Talk to me
Like lovers do
Here comes the rain
again
Raining in my head like a tragedy
Tearing me apart like a new emotion
Oooooh
I want to breathe in the open wind
I want to kiss like lovers do
I want to dive into your ocean
Is it raining with you
So baby talk to me
Like lovers do
Here comes the rain
again
Falling on my head like a memory
Falling on my head like a new emotion
(Here it comes again, here it comes again)
I want to walk in the open wind
I want to talk like lovers do
I want to dive into your ocean
Is it raining with you
Right By Your Side
Give me two strong
arms
To protect myself
Give me so much love
That I forget myself
I need to swing from limb to limb
To relieve this mess I'm in
'Cause when depression starts to win
I need to be right by your side
No one seems to touch
me
In the way you do
Nothing seems to hurt me
When I'm close to you
I'm so full of desire
When you set my head on fire
I need to be right by your side
Every single one of
us needs
Love, love, love
Everybody needs to give and receive love
Every single day can drag us
Down, down, down
But there's nothing left to fear
When love gets into town
I'm so full of desire
When you set my head on fire
I need to be right by your side
Who's That Girl?
Who's that girl?
The language of love
Slips from my lover's tongue
Cooler than ice cream
And warmer than the sun
Dumb hearts get broken
Just like china cups
The language of love
Has left me broken on the rocks
But there's just one
thing
(Just one thing)
But there's just one thing
And I really wannna know
Who's that girl
Running around with you?
Tell me
Who's that girl
Running around with you?
The language of love
Has left me stony grey
Tongue tied and twisted
At the price I've had to pay
Your careless notions
Have silenced these emotions
Look at all the foolishness
Your lover's talk has done
It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)
It's alright - baby's
coming back
And I don't really care where he's been.
It's alright - baby's coming back
And I won't turn him around this time.
I'll be your cliff
(you can fall down from me).
I'll be your ledge (you can lean upon me).
I'll be your bridge, your flowering tree
You can still depend on me...
And I'll be (the ticking of your clock).
And I'll be (the numbers on your watch).
And I'll be (your hands to stop the time).
I'll even be your danger sign.
Chorus repeats.
And I'll be (your
grace your dignity).
And I'll be (your night your destiny).
And I'll be (your comfort and your ease).
I will be your storm at seas...
And I'll be (your sharp intake of breath).
And I'll be (your work I'll take no rest).
And when the world falls to decline
I'll be yours and you'll be mine.
Chorus repeats...
(Make it easy on
yourself tonight).
Missionary Man
Well I was born an
original sinner.
I was borne from original sin.
And if I had a dollar bill
For all the things I've done
There'd be a mountain of money
Piled up to my chin...
My mother told me
good
My mother told me strong.
She said "be true to yourself
And you can't go wrong."
"But there's just one thing
That you must understand."
"You can fool with your brother -
But don't mess with a missionary man."
Don't mess with a
missionary man.
Don't mess with a missionary man.
Well the missionary
man
He's got God on his side.
He's got the saints and apostles
Backin' up from behind.
Black eyed looks from those Bible books.
He's a man with a mission
Got a serious mind.
There was a woman in the jungle
And a monkey on a tree.
The missionary man he was followin' me.
He said "stop what you're doing."
"Get down upon your knees."
"I've got a message for you that you better believe."
(Chorus repeats...)
Thorn In My Side
You gave me such a
bad time
tried to hurt me, but now I know...
Thorn in my side.
You know that's all you ever were.
A bundle of lies.
You know that's all that it was worth...
I should have known better
But I trusted you at first.
I should have known better
But I got what I deserved...
To run away from you
Was all that I could do.
To run away from you
Was all that I could do.
Thorn in my side.
You know that's all you'll ever be.
So don't think you know better
'Cause that's what you mean to me...
I was feeling complicated.
I was feeling low.
Now everytime I think of you
I shiver to the bone...
(Chorus repeats...)
When Tomorrow Comes
Lennox/Stewart/Seymour
Underneath your
dreamlit eyes
Shades of sleep have driven you away.
The moon is pale outside
And you are far from here.
Breathing shifts your careless head
Untroubled by the chaos of our lives.
Another day - another night
Has taken you again my dear.
And you know that I'm gonna be the one
Who'll be there
When you need someone to depend upon
When tomorrow comes...
When tomorrow comes...
Wait till tomorrow
comes - yea yea...
Wait till tomorrow comes - yea yea...
Last night while you
were
Lying in my arms
And I was wondering where you were
You know you looked just like a baby
Fast asleep in this dangerous world.
Every star was shining brightly
Just like a million years before.
And we were feeling very small
Underneath the universe.
And you know that I'm gonna be the one
Who'll be there when you need
Someone to depend upon
When tomorrow comes...
When tomorrow comes...
You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart
Take me to the desert
Where there's got to be
A whole heap of nothing
For you and me
Take me to the desert
Take me to the sand
Show me the colour of your right hand.
Love is a temple
Love is a shrine
Buy some love at the five and dime
A little bit of love
From the counter store
Get it on credit if you need some more.
I'll be the figure of your disgrace
A criss cross pattern upon your face
A woman's just too tired to think
About the dirty old dishes in the kitchen sink.
I wish I was
invisible
So I could climb through the telephone
When it hurts my ear
And it hurts my brain
And it makes me feel too much
Too much too much too much.
Don't cut me down
When I'm talking to you
'Cause I'm much too tall
To feel that small.
Love is a temple
Love is a shrine
Love is pure
And love is blind
Love is a religious sign
I'm gonna leave this love behind.
Love is hot and love is cold
I've been bought and I've been sold
Love is rock and love is roll
I just want someone to hold.
The Miracle Of Love
How many sorrows
Do you try to hide
In a world of illusion
That's covering your mind?
I'll show you something good
Oh I'll show you something good.
When you open your mind
You'll discover the sign
That there's something
You're longing to find...
The miracle of love
Will take away your pain
When the miracle of love
Comes your way again.
Cruel is the night
That covers up your fears.
Tender is the one
That wipes away your tears.
There must be a bitter breeze
To make you sting so viciously -
They say the greatest coward
Can hurt the most ferociously.
But I'll show you something good.
Oh I'll show you something good.
If you open your heart
You can make a new start
When your crumbling world falls apart.
(Chorus repeats...)
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