The youngest of three sons, Dan was born in Peoria, Illinois, the son of Margaret (née Irvine), a classically-trained pianist, and Lawrence Peter Fogelberg, a high school band director, who spent most of his career at Peoria Woodruff High School and Pekin High School. Dan Fogelberg's mother was a Scottish immigrant and his father was of Swedish descent. His father would later be the inspiration for the song Leader of the Band. Using a Mel Bay course book, Dan taught himself to play a Hawaiian slide guitar his grandfather gave to him; he also learned to play the piano. He started his music career at age 14 when he joined his first band, The Clan, which paid homage to The Beatles. His second band was another cover combo, The Coachmen, which in 1967 released two singles on Ledger Records: "Maybe Time Will Let Me Forget" and "Don't Want To Lose Her." Another was the blues band, Frankie and the Aliens, who toured regionally during the 1980s covering songs by Cream and Muddy Waters, among others.
After graduating from Woodruff High School in 1969, he studied theater arts and painting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and began performing as a solo acoustic player in area coffeehouses including the Red Herring Coffeehouse where he made his first solo recordings as part of a folk festival recording in 1971. There, he was discovered in 1971 by Irving Azoff. Fogelberg and Azoff – who started his music-management career promoting another Champaign-Urbana act, REO Speedwagon – moved to California to seek their fortunes. Fogelberg became a session musician who played with pop-folk artists like Van Morrison. In 1972, he released his debut album Home Free to lukewarm response. His second effort was much more successful: the 1974 Joe Walsh-produced album Souvenirs and its hit song "Part of the Plan" made him a major star.
Following Souvenirs, Fogelberg released a string of gold and platinum albums, including Captured Angel (1975) and Nether Lands (1977), and found commercial success with songs like "The Power of Gold." His 1978 Twin Sons of Different Mothers was the first of two collaborations with jazz flutist Tim Weisberg. 1979's Phoenix reached the Top 10, with "Longer" becoming a #2 hit and wedding standard in winter 1980. This was followed by his Top 20 hit "Heart Hotels."
The Innocent Age, released in October 1981, was Fogelberg's critical and commercial peak. This double album song cycle included four of his biggest hits: "Leader of the Band," "Hard To Say," "Run for the Roses", and "Same Old Lang Syne," based on a real-life accidental meeting with a former girlfriend (Jill Anderson). In 1984, he rocked a little again with the album Windows And Walls.
later years:
Fogelberg released High Country Snows in 1985. Recorded in Nashville, it showcased his (and some of the industry's best) talent in the bluegrass genre. Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Doc Watson, Jerry Douglas, David Grisman, Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen were among those who contributed to the record. In a world defined by "life in the fast lane" Fogelberg described the music as "life in the off-ramp." 1987 heralded a return to rock with Exiles, while 1990's The Wild Places was a tribute to Earth preservation. In 1991, he released the live album Greetings from the West.
River of Souls, released in 1993, was Fogelberg's last studio album for Sony Records. In 1997, Portrait encompassed his career with four discs, each highlighting a different facet of his music: "Ballads," "Rock and Roll," "Tales and Travels" (which displayed his talents as a narrative songwriter) and "Hits." In 1999 he fulfilled a career-long dream of creating a Christmas album called First Christmas Morning, and in 2003, Full Circle showcased a return to the folk-influenced, 1970s soft rock-style of music for which he and other singer-songwriters from his era had gained popular recognition.
Fogelberg also used his music to address social issues, including peace and Native American concerns. He was particularly outspoken about his commitment to the environment and to finding alternatives to nuclear power. To that end, Fogelberg included "Face the Fire" on the Phoenix album and performed at a number of the Musicians United for Safe Energy "No Nukes" concerts in 1979 and 1980.
His live concerts won acclaim across the nation over the years. Fogelberg said one of his proudest moments came in 1979 when he played New York City's Carnegie Hall for an audience including his mother and father. Most summers, Fogelberg would perform with full band or in solo acoustic setting; the formats allowed him to show the breadth and depth of his talent as a singer, guitarist, pianist and bandleader. In 2002, fans showed their appreciation by choosing Fogelberg to be one of the first 10 inductees into the Performers Hall of Fame at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado.
In May 2004, Fogelberg was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. He underwent therapy and achieved a partial remission, which did not eliminate his cancer but reduced it and stopped its spread. On August 13, 2005, his 54th birthday, Fogelberg announced the success of his cancer treatments and he thanked fans for their support. He said that he had no immediate plans to return to making music but was keeping his options open and enjoying spending time with his wife, musician Jean Fogelberg.
Fogelberg maintained residences in Deer Isle, Maine and at Mountain Bird Ranch, a 610-acre property near Pagosa Springs, Colorado that he bought in 1982. The ranch was put up for sale in 2005.
After battling prostate cancer for three years, Fogelberg died on December 16, 2007 at his home in Maine with his wife Jean by his side.
Soon after his death, Fogelberg's wife, Jean, announced that a song written and recorded for her by Fogelberg for Valentine's Day 2005, Sometimes a Song, would be sold on the Internet and all proceeds would go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The song was released on Valentine's Day 2008. She further announced that this song would be included in a collection of eleven previously unrecorded songs (nine originals) to be released on a CD provisionally entitled "Love In Time".
Longer
Dan Fogelberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you
Stronger than any mountain cathedral
Truer than any tree ever grew
Deeper than any forest primeval
I am in love with you
I'll bring fire in the winters'
You'll send showers in the springs
We'll fly through the falls and summers with love on our wings
Through the years as the fire starts to mellow
Burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks
And the pages start to yellow
I'll be in love with you
I'll be in love with you
Longer than ther've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you
I am in love with you
In the song "Longer" by Dan Fogelberg, the lyrics express a profound and enduring love that has withstood the test of time. The opening lines suggest an incredible length of love that has been present since the beginning of time itself, with the singer saying he has been in love with his partner for longer than there have been fishes in the ocean, higher than any bird has ever flown, and longer than there have been stars in the heavens.
The following verses continue to express and reinforce the depth and strength of the singer's love for his partner. He uses powerful imagery to convey the enduring quality of their love, describing it as "stronger than any mountain cathedral," "truer than any tree ever grew", and "deeper than any forest primeval". The final verse offers a glimpse into their future, expressing their commitment to each other through all the seasons of life, from fire in the winters to showers in the springs.
Overall, the song's lyrics portray an unbreakable bond between two people who have shared a love that has endured the passage of time and adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean
My love for you has been around for longer than there have been fishes in the ocean.
Higher than any bird ever flew
My love for you reaches greater heights than any bird has ever flown.
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
My love for you has been longer than the existence of stars in the sky.
I've been in love with you
I have loved you for all this time.
Stronger than any mountain cathedral
The strength of my love is mightier than any mountain cathedral.
Truer than any tree ever grew
My love for you is more genuine than the growth of any tree.
Deeper than any forest primeval
The depth of my love for you surpasses even that of ancient forests.
I am in love with you
My feelings of love for you are present and true.
I'll bring fire in the winters'
During the cold winters, I will bring warmth and passion to our relationship.
You'll send showers in the springs
In the spring, you will bring growth and renewal to our love.
We'll fly through the falls and summers with love on our wings
With love as our guide, we will smoothly navigate the changing seasons of life together.
Through the years as the fire starts to mellow
As time passes, our passion and intensity may decrease.
Burning lines in the book of our lives
However, our love will continue to leave lasting imprints on the story of our lives.
Though the binding cracks
Even if our relationship may experience wear and tear over time,
And the pages start to yellow
We will preserve our love and memories, like a book whose pages have yellowed with age.
I'll be in love with you
I will continue to love you through it all.
I'll be in love with you
My love for you is an everlasting sentiment.
Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean
My love for you will continue to endure, just as the ocean's existence has stretched for eons.
Higher than any bird ever flew
My love for you transcends any physical boundaries or limits.
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
Our love is timeless and infinite.
I am in love with you
My love for you is not bound by time or circumstance.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dan Fogelberg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind