A talented singer and bass guitarist, trained in classical piano and percussion, she joined her sisters in the 60s Detroit garage rock group The Pleasure Seekers whilst still in her teens and never looked back. By the early 70s, Suzi went off to England to work with producer Mickie Most, while her sister Patti joined the all-woman rock band Fanny. An underground following spread around Suzi's charisma and powerful singing.
Suzi found herself singing the material of songwriting duo Chinn & Chapman, musicians who were also having hits with Sweet. Combining shades of bubblegum pop with a hard rock spirit, similar to the power pop ethos of the era, Suzi embraced the glam sound. Under their tutelage, she had four top ten rock hits in the U.K., but she remained mostly unknown in the U.S.
However, her U.K. fame expanded through the 70s, with Suzi becoming a successful solo singer, bassist, and songwriter with a string of charting hits. Her appeal extended into the 80s while many of her contempoaries broke up. Notable songs of his period include "Can The Can", "Devil Gate Drive", "Tear Me Apart", and "The Wild One", among many others.
Suzi extended her career to television in 1979 when she guest starred for three seasons on the hit television series 'Happy Days'. She played the character Leather Tuscadero, who was the younger sister of Fonzie's love interest, Pinky Tuscadero. In 1979, at the height of the disco era, she finally made the U.S. Top Five with the track "Stumblin' In", a duet with Chris Norman.
In her musical career she has had 16 hit singles, sold over 45 million records and toured since 1964. She has also had guest appearances in the Runaways documentary "Edgeplay" and various UK television shows including Minder, Dempsey And Makepeace and Absolutely Fabulous.
In 1990, Suzi trod the boards in London's West End playing the lead in the musical Annie Get Your Gun and wrote and starred in a musical about Talullah Bankhead.
Suzi continues to write, perform and record her own original material and has a forthcoming new album Naked Under Leather. She also hosts an excellent show on BBC Radio 2.
Quatro's first single "Rolling Stone" did not achieve popularity anywhere except Portugal, where it made number one. Most introduced Quatro to the songwriting and production team Nicky Chinn/Mike Chapman. Her second single "Can the Can" (1973) was a number one hit throughout Europe and in Australia. It was followed up by three further hits: "48 Crash" (1973), "Daytona Demon" (1973) and "Devil Gate Drive" (1974) on RAK Records. Her first two albums were also European and Australian successes.
These recordings, however, met little success in her native U.S., despite tours in the mid-1970s supporting Alice Cooper, and, except in Australia, the popularity of Quatro's rocking glam rock declined from 1975. In the interim, she did enjoy success as a session player.
Quatro's fortunes did not change until 1978 when "If You Can't Give Me Love" became a hit in the UK and Australia. This did nothing to prompt Stateside success, but "Stumblin' In", a duet recorded that same year for RSO Records with Chris Norman of Smokie secured a #4 peak in the U.S. Both tracks featured on the "If You Knew Suzi" album. A year later, Quatro released "Suzi... And Other Four Letter Words". She called it her favourite album. This featured singles, such as "She's In Love With You", which made number 11 in the UK , "Mama's Boy" (34) and "I've Never Been In Love" (56). In 1980, her song "Rock Hard" was featured on the soundtrack of the cult film Times Square, along with some punk and new wave bands like Talking Heads, Ramones, XTC and The Pretenders. This success period proved brief however, and her last UK hit was "Heart of Stone" in late 1982. In 1985 Quatro collaborated with Bronski Beat and members of The Kinks, Eddie and the Hot Rods, and Dr Feelgood on the Mark Cunningham-produced version of David Bowie's classic "Heroes", released the following year as the 1986 BBC "Children In Need" single.
In December 2005, a documentary chronicling Quatro's life, "Naked under leather" directed by former Runaway Victory Tischler Blue appeared. In February 2006, Quatro released "Back To the Drive", produced by Sweet guitarist Andy Scott. The album's title track was penned by her former collaborator Mike Chapman.
March 2007 saw Quatro release a version of The Eagles' "Desperado", followed by the publication of her autobiography, "Unzipped".
Suzi Quatro has sold over 45 million records.
http://www.suziquatro.com
Can the Can
Suzi Quatro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we all know you are lying
And your boyfriend's name is eagle
And he lives up in the sky (high high)
Watch out the tiger don't go claw the eagle's eye
But let the eagle take the tiger by surprise
Scratch out her eyes
So make a stand for your man, honey
Try to can the can
Put your man in the can, honey
Get him while you can
Can the can
Can the can
If you can
Well can the can
Well your sister's got the feline touch, she touches up your mind
And your eagle lover likes his little bit of evil loving all the time
Don't let the cat get into the eagle's nest at night
Because the eagle could say "yes" without a fight
Scratch out her eyes
So make a stand for your man, honey
Try to can the can
Put your man in the can, honey
Get him while you can
Can the can Can the can
If you can
Well can the can
Ooh can the can (Can the can honey)
Ooh can the can (Can the can honey)
Uh uh can the can (Can the can honey)
Ooh can the can (Can the can honey)
Ooh can the can (Can the can honey)
Ooh can the can (Can the can honey)
AAAAH!
Honey, honey
Honey, honey, honey
Make a stand for your man, honey
Try to can the can
Put your man in the can, honey
Get him while you can
Can the can
Can the can
If you can
Make a stand for your man, honey
Try to can the can
Put your man in the can, honey
Get him while you can
Can the can
Can the can
If you can
Aah!
Make a stand for your man
The song "Can the Can" by Suzi Quatro was released in 1973, and its lyrics are centered around relationships and power dynamics. The song begins by addressing someone who is lying about their toughness and loyalty, specifically pointing out their fake nickname ("tiger") and their boyfriend's high-flying name ("eagle"). The singer warns the tiger not to attack the eagle's eyes and suggests that the eagle may be a better match for the tiger. These animal analogies make a statement about the portrayal of strength and vulnerability in relationships. It could also be interpreted that the song encourages women to take control of their romantic situations and put their significant others in their place when necessary.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "can the can", suggesting that individuals should attempt to contain or control their lovers. Suzi Quatro sings about the importance of standing up for one's man and taking advantage of the opportunity to "get him while you can". This section of the song seems to encourage women to not let their partners slip away and to assert themselves in the relationship dynamic.
Overall, the lyrics of "Can the Can" are playful and tongue-in-cheek, with a clear focus on female empowerment and the promotion of self-confidence and control within romantic relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Well you call your mamma tiger
The person being addressed is lying by pretending to be a tiger when they call their mother.
And we all know you are lying
The singer knows that the person being addressed is lying.
And your boyfriend's name is eagle
The person being addressed is pretending that their boyfriend's name is Eagle.
And he lives up in the sky (high high)
The person being addressed is pretending that their boyfriend lives in the sky.
Watch out the tiger don't go claw the eagle's eye
The artist warns the person being addressed to avoid causing harm to their imaginary boyfriend.
But let the eagle take the tiger by surprise
The singer suggests that the imaginary boyfriend should have the upper hand in their relationship.
Scratch out her eyes
The singer is threatening to harm the person being addressed.
So make a stand for your man, honey
The artist advises the person being addressed to stand up for their imaginary boyfriend.
Try to can the can
The artist suggests that the person being addressed should try to control their emotions.
Put your man in the can, honey
The artist advises the person being addressed to keep their imaginary boyfriend under control.
Get him while you can
The singer suggests that the person being addressed should take advantage of their imaginary boyfriend while they can.
Can the can
The artist repeats their advice to control emotions and keep the imaginary boyfriend under control.
Ooh can the can (Can the can honey)
The singer repeats their previous advice in a more enthusiastic manner.
AAAAH! Honey, honey Honey, honey, honey
The singer expresses their emotions to the person being addressed.
Make a stand for your man, honey
The singer advises the person being addressed to stand up for their imaginary boyfriend.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MICHAEL DONALD CHAPMAN, NICHOLAS BARRY CHINN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind