Perry and Hamilton, originally in a band together called the Jam Band, met up with Tyler, Kramer, and guitarist Ray Tabano, and formed Aerosmith; in 1971, Tabano was replaced by Whitford. They released a string of multi-platinum albums starting with their eponymous debut in 1973, followed by Get Your Wings in 1974. The band broke into the mainstream with Toys in the Attic (1975) and Rocks (1976). Draw the Line and Night in the Ruts followed in 1977 and 1979. Throughout the 1970s, the band toured extensively and charted a dozen Hot 100 singles, including their first Top 40 hit "Sweet Emotion" and the Top 10 hits "Dream On" and "Walk This Way". By the end of the decade, they were among the most popular hard rock bands in the world and developed a following of fans, often referred to as the "Blue Army". Drug addiction and internal conflict led to the departures of Perry and Whitford in 1979 and 1981. The band did not fare well and the album Rock in a Hard Place (1982) failed to match previous successes.
Perry and Whitford returned to Aerosmith in 1984. After a comeback tour, they recorded Done with Mirrors (1985), which did not meet commercial expectations. It was not until a 1986 collaboration with rap group Run-D.M.C. on a remake of "Walk This Way", and the 1987 multi-platinum release, Permanent Vacation, that they regained their previous level of popularity. In the late 1980s and 1990s, the band won numerous awards for music from the multi-platinum albums Pump (1989), Get a Grip (1993), and Nine Lives (1997), while they embarked on their most extensive concert tours to date. Their biggest hits during this period included "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)", "Angel", "Rag Doll", "Love in an Elevator", "Janie's Got a Gun", "What it Takes", "Livin' on the Edge", "Cryin'", and "Crazy". The band also filmed popular music videos and made notable appearances in television, film, and video games. In 1998, they achieved their first number-one hit with "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" from Armageddon's soundtrack and the following year, their roller coaster attraction opened at Walt Disney World. Their comeback has been described as one of the most remarkable and spectacular in rock history. Additional albums Just Push Play (which included the hit "Jaded"), Honkin' on Bobo (a collection of blues covers), and Music from Another Dimension! followed in 2001, 2004, and 2012. In 2008, they released Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, which is considered to be the best-selling band-centric video game. After five decades, the band continues to tour and record music. From 2019–2022, the band had a concert residency in Las Vegas, which was interrupted from 2020–2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aerosmith is the best-selling American hard rock band of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide, including over 85 million records in the United States. With 25 gold, 18 platinum, and 12 multi-platinum albums, they hold the record for the most total certifications by an American group and are tied for the most multi-platinum albums by an American group. They have achieved twenty-one Top 40 hits on the US Hot 100, nine number-one Mainstream Rock hits, four Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, and ten MTV Video Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and were ranked number 57 and 30, respectively, on Rolling Stone's and VH1's lists of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2013, Tyler and Perry were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2020, the band received the MusiCares Person of the Year award.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerosmith
Studio albums
Aerosmith (1973)
Get Your Wings (1974)
Toys in the Attic (1975)
Rocks (1976)
Draw the Line (1977)
Night in the Ruts (1979)
Rock in a Hard Place (1982)
Done with Mirrors (1985)
Permanent Vacation (1987)
Pump (1989)
Get a Grip (1993)
Nine Lives (1997)
Just Push Play (2001)
Honkin' on Bobo (2004)
Music from Another Dimension! (2012)
Street Jesus
Aerosmith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somebody stole my shoes
And I could smell the booze
How indiscreet
And though I had a plan
After that thief outran
Into another man
Who had no feet
I swear to God that day
That guy with no feet say
“You got to walk my way”
“That’s how it’s planned”
That’s when I thought, “good grief”
J-Just ain’t my belief
Until I saw the holes
Inside his hand
Street Jesus
Street Jesus
Come on, come on, what you think about life?
Demon in heaven gotta carry a knife
You said to me, “no, that ain’t the plan”
With a smile on his face and the holes in his hand
Wise man tell ya what they’re reading from a scroll
But things kinda change when the story gets told
They tell it like it is to everybody they meet
Just to sing it in the church what they’re preaching in the street
Placate and vacate your mind
Too late to make hate you’ll find
Streeeeeeeet Jeesuuuus
Streeeeeeeet Jeesuuuus
Good God Almighty, s’posed to be about love
You must’ve wished upon me by kissing the glove
I’m a high-stepping lover, sharp as a knife
I’m a pink flamingo on a great long life
A wise man, poor man, beggar man too
You bet your bottom dollar but whatcha gonna do?
I can make up daylight jealous of the night
I try to play the game but I never get it right!
Placate and vacate your mind
Too late to make hate you’ll find
When you wonder what’s up
With your half empty cup
Say tell him “don’t give up,
“Reach for the stars”
You think you’re so street wise
Just pray and close your eyes
Until we colonize
The moon and stars
But wouldn’t it be great
If we could wipe the slate
When we all live in hate
And all this fear
So please don’t call me “sir”
If you’re whole life’s a blur
And Mr. Bartender
Another beer
Sometimes it’s hard trying to keep up the pace
The train kept a rollin’ when you’re trying to win the race
If you don’t believe me, wanna stay in the game
You gotta know who from the heavens came
They tell it like it is to everybody they meet
'Cause they’re singing in the church what they’re preaching in the street
If you wanna give ‘em hell then you tell it from the steeple
But I’d rather be a priest so I can scream it to the people
Placate and vacate your mind
Too late to make hate you’ll find
You won’t get too many tries
Love is the love of my life
Streeeeeeeet Jeesuuuus
Streeeeeeeet Jeesuuuus
Streeeeeeeet Jeesuuuus
Streeeeeeeet Jeesuuuus
Streeeeeeeet Jeesuuuus
Streeeeeeeet Jeesuuuus
The song Street Jesus by Aerosmith is a commentary on the contradictions and hypocrisies of modern society, using the figure of a street preacher to illustrate the point. The song begins with the singer lamenting the theft of his shoes and encountering a man without feet, whom he calls "Street Jesus." The encounter prompts him to reflect on the meaning of life and the nature of faith. He contrasts the messages of "wise men" who preach from books and the words of Street Jesus, who advocates for love and compassion.
Throughout the song, the singer grapples with deep questions about faith and society, calling into question the roles of religion and authority in our lives. He reflects on the difficulties of keeping up with the pace of society and dealing with the pressures of living up to expectations. Ultimately, he concludes that love is the most important thing in life and encourages listeners to embrace it.
The song's chorus, with its repeated chant of "Street Jesus," serves as a kind of mantra, highlighting the contrast between the flashy, superficial aspects of modern life and the simple, authentic message of Street Jesus.
Overall, Street Jesus is a thought-provoking and challenging song that encourages listeners to reflect on their values and priorities in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey have you heard the news?
Did you hear what happened?
Somebody stole my shoes
Someone took my shoes
And I could smell the booze
And the person had been drinking alcohol
How indiscreet
How careless and inappropriate
And though I had a plan
Even though I had an idea of what to do
After that thief outran
After the thief ran away
Into another man
The thief collided with another person
Who had no feet
The other person was an amputee
I swear to God that day
I promise you, that day
That guy with no feet say
The man with no feet said
“You got to walk my way”
You have to walk in my direction/path
“That’s how it’s planned”
That's how it was meant to be
That’s when I thought, “good grief”
That's when I felt frustrated or annoyed
J-Just ain’t my belief
It's just not something I believe in
Until I saw the holes
But then I noticed the wounds
Inside his hand
In his palms
Come on, come on, what you think about life?
What are your thoughts on life?
Demon in heaven gotta carry a knife
Even in a place like heaven, there can be dangers
You said to me, “no, that ain’t the plan”
You told me that's not how things are meant to be
With a smile on his face and the holes in his hand
But the man smiled and showed me his wounds
Wise man tell ya what they’re reading from a scroll
Wise people tell you what's written in a document
But things kinda change when the story gets told
But the meaning can change when the story is retold
They tell it like it is to everybody they meet
They tell the truth to everyone they encounter
Just to sing it in the church what they’re preaching in the street
They say the same message in church and on the streets
Placate and vacate your mind
Calm down and empty your thoughts
Too late to make hate you’ll find
It's too late to feel angry or hateful
Good God Almighty, s’posed to be about love
God is supposed to represent love
You must’ve wished upon me by kissing the glove
You must have made a wish while kissing the boxing gloves
I’m a high-stepping lover, sharp as a knife
I am confident and skilled when it comes to love
I’m a pink flamingo on a great long life
I am unique and distinctive in my long life
A wise man, poor man, beggar man too
People from all walks of life
You bet your bottom dollar but whatcha gonna do?
You can be sure about it, but what can you do?
I can make up daylight jealous of the night
I can create such an atmosphere that daylight would envy the night
I try to play the game but I never get it right!
I try my best, but I always fail at this game
When you wonder what’s up
When you're confused or curious
With your half empty cup
When you have something, but it's not enough
Say tell him “don’t give up,
Tell the person to not lose hope
“Reach for the stars”
Aim and strive for something great
You think you’re so street wise
You think you know everything about the streets
Just pray and close your eyes
Just pray and hope for the best
Until we colonize
Until we establish a colony
The moon and stars
On celestial bodies
But wouldn’t it be great
Wouldn't it be wonderful
If we could wipe the slate
If we could start over and forget the past
When we all live in hate
When we are all filled with hate
And all this fear
And consumed by fear
So please don’t call me “sir”
Please don't use such formalities with me
If you’re whole life’s a blur
If your life feels chaotic or confusing
And Mr. Bartender
And bartender
Another beer
Please give me another drink
Sometimes it’s hard trying to keep up the pace
Sometimes it's tough to keep moving forward
The train kept a rollin’ when you’re trying to win the race
The competition remains fierce even when you try to stay focused and win
If you don’t believe me, wanna stay in the game
If you don't think it's true and still want to stay in the competition
You gotta know who from the heavens came
You need to know who came from heaven
If you wanna give ‘em hell then you tell it from the steeple
If you want to challenge them, you should speak from a position of authority
But I’d rather be a priest so I can scream it to the people
But I'd prefer to be a priest so I can speak loudly to the people
You won’t get too many tries
You won't have many opportunities
Love is the love of my life
Love is the most important thing in my life
Streeeeeeeet Jeesuuuus
Street Jesus
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STEVEN (SELDAK MUSIC CORP.) TYLER, BRAD E WHITFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind