He also produced the hugely successful Year Of The Cat album with Al Stewart and two albums with American progressive rock band Ambrosia. In 1975 he met Eric Woolfson who not only became his manager, but joined forces with Alan as a songwriting and performing partner for what became known as The Alan Parsons Project. The APP’s debut album, Tales Of Mystery And Imagination, based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, paved the way for a signing to Clive Davis’ newly launched Arista label and a string of hit albums, namely I Robot (1977), Pyramid (1978), The Turn of a Friendly Card (1980), Eye in the Sky (1982), Ammonia Avenue (1984), Vulture Culture (1985), Stereotomy (1986) and Gaudi (1987). A brief venture into musical theatre resulted in Freudiana in 1990.The show ran for over a year in the historic Theater An Der Wien in Vienna. Eric and Alan then went separate ways. Eric devoted his career to the musical theatre while Parsons felt the need to bring his music to the live concert stage and to continue to record conceptual symphonic rock music. With his long-standing previous APP collaborators, guitarist Ian Bairnson, drummer Stuart Elliott and orchestral arranger Andrew Powell, Alan dropped the "Project" identity for Alan Parsons - Try Anything Once in 1994. The partnership continued for On Air in 1996 and The Time Machine in 1999. During this time the first incarnation of "Alan Parsons Live Project" toured to sell-out audiences throughout the globe.
Following Alan’s relocation to California, a new Live Project band was formed in 2003. The album A Valid Path, Alan’s foray into Electronica was released in 2004 and featured Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, The Crystal Method, Shpongle, Uberzone, PJ Olsson and Alan’s son, Jeremy. 2008 saw the reissue of all the Alan Parsons Project albums in expanded form, containing never-before-heard bonus material and a 2-CD compilation called The Essential Collection. One of the most familiar Project tracks is Sirius, perhaps best known as the Chicago Bulls theme and more recently as walk-on music for The New Orleans Saints at their triumphant Superbowl game in 2010.
Alan’s latest venture is an instructional series about recording called The Art And Science Of Sound Recording. See www.artandscienceofsound.com. All Our Yesterdays, a song written especially for the series, features some of LA’s finest musicians and a rare performance by Alan on lead vocals. Alan lives in Santa Barbara, California with his wife Lisa and her two daughters, Tabitha and Brittni, four dogs, a lop-eared rabbit, and an 18-hand Clydesdale called Dante.
Too Late
Alan Parsons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I was knocking on your door you gave me none
Well I don't make that kind of deal with anybody
And I won't be that kind of fool for anyone
How do you feel when the tables have been turned?
What will you do now the bridges have been burned?
Too late now the magic's lost
Too late now the spell is broken
Too late now to count the cost
Of words that should remain unspoken
When I need you by my side you stand above me
And when I look into your eyes you turn away
Well if that's the best there is then I won't buy it
Well if that's the only game then I won't play
How many danger signs did you ignore?
How many times have you heard it all before?
Cause it's
Too late now the magic's lost
Too late now the spell is broken
Too late now to count the cost
Of words that should remain unspoken
In "Too Late" by Alan Parsons, the theme is about losing the magic in a relationship, the moment when the situation becomes out of one's control, and there's no way to return to the way things were before. The song starts by stating how the singer gave shelter to someone in the rain, but the individual would not offer him the same kind of help. The first verse sets up a sort of unbalanced exchange where one person provides help, and in return, they hope for the same kind of assistance. The singer emphasizes that he won't make that kind of deal with anyone because he won't be anyone's fool. The chorus thus emphasizes the regret that the magic is gone and the spell has broken. These lines reflect how fleeting happiness and positive emotions can be, leaving a vacuum when it fades away.
The second verse is painted with the singer emphasizing how his partner turns away when he is in need. If what is offered is not the best, the singer refuses to buy it, and he refuses to play the game because it won't lead anywhere. The singer seems to have tolerated a lot of ignored danger signs and ignored negative patterns but wants to move past them, and all he experiences now is regret. The chorus repeats the message, but with a stronger punch, saying that "the cost of words that should remain unspoken." These lines reveal how biting the pain of recalling things that should have remained unsaid can be, leading only to regrets.
In summary, "Too Late" is a song that laments the moment where relationships fade and people become aware that what they once shared never to exist again. It is a song about the loss of trust, and how that can lead to individuals closing themselves up into themselves, leading to regret on both sides. The song carries the message that words unspoken can cause a significant issue to erupt and that one should communicate in time when there's still a chance to mend broken relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
When you were standing in the rain I gave you shelter
I helped you in your time of need, but you did not return the favor.
When I was knocking on your door you gave me none
I asked for your help, but you did not offer any assistance.
Well I don't make that kind of deal with anybody
I do not enter into one-sided agreements or relationships.
And I won't be that kind of fool for anyone
I will not compromise my self-respect or dignity for someone else.
How do you feel when the tables have been turned?
How does it feel to be in a situation where you need help, but no one will offer it?
What will you do now the bridges have been burned?
Now that the relationship or connection has been destroyed, what is your next move?
Cause it's
Because the situation is now
Too late now the magic's lost
It is too late to salvage what once made our relationship special.
Too late now the spell is broken
What once held us together has now been shattered beyond repair.
Too late now to count the cost
There is no point in examining the cost of our failure now that it is irreversible.
Of words that should remain unspoken
There were certain things that should have stayed unsaid, but our failure to do so has led us here.
When I need you by my side you stand above me
When I require your support, you instead treat me as inferior.
And when I look into your eyes you turn away
You are not present and engaged in our interactions, even when it matters most.
Well if that's the best there is then I won't buy it
If this is the best you can offer, then I am not interested.
Well if that's the only game then I won't play
If this is the only way you know how to operate, then I refuse to engage in this dynamic.
How many danger signs did you ignore?
How many warning signals did you purposely overlook?
How many times have you heard it all before?
How many times have you been told this same message, yet failed to take action?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALEX ALSTONE, CHARLES AZNAVOUR, GEOFFREY PARSONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
darnoldie
This album is so incredibly rich in talent. It's a shame when Alan tours these days that he doesn't have the people that contributed so much to the "sound" of the Project.
Angel Daniel
Yeah, I agree
Loche
GAUDI IS ONE OF THEBEST ALBUMS EVER CREATED
TubeheadScratch
You have to know the story of Gaudi to understand the meaning of this song. After molding models for the La Sagrada Familia he couldn't obtain any funding and he became despondent and isolated himself. Gaudi was a very religious man and he prayed in isolation for help. The government refused any backing with the accusation that he was always into some exotic project despite having spent so much time on public projects. While crossing a street he was hit by a street trolley and died in hospital. Nobody could recognize when he was admitted to the hospital because he had grown old, weary and with facial hair and stubbles they thought he was a vagrant.
After his passing the society of Mary and Joseph in Italy was able to fund the construction of the building. By that time it was too late, that magic was gone because he had passed away. They had to rely on the molded models to complete the building. That was the heartbreak and essence of this song. The genius of this song lies in the story and incredible orchestration, arrangement and singing. It elicits such emotion toll about regret, unfinished business and what could've but too late.
I've played this on repeats of over 100X and each time Ian Bairnson's measured solos sends me to another dimension and era. This is one of the most incredibly heart-wrenching songs out there by APP. It still remains true to theme. The watery eyes and tears just happen automatically listening to this song being rendered posthumously by Antonio Gaudi himself. We owe him an apology and from above he smiles knowing the church was completed.
Marcus Lindroos
Interesting, I did not know there's an explicit reference to the Gaudi story!
To me the lyrics work well on a general level ... the bitter words of someone who has finally had enough after silently enduring years of neglect/unrequited love/unfulfilled promises in an unhappy relationship.
Daniel Francisco Soto Hernandez
El 9 de octubre del presente tendremos nuevamente al gran Alan Parsons, un lujo para los chilenos adeptos a la buena música.
manuelsandoval
I love The Alan Parsons Project. The best band of Progresive rock for me... Manuel from Monterrey Mexico.
Roberto Di Mario
I really love this album, the sound is magic and make me imagine the wonderful Gaudi's operas anytime I listen the tracks
Ricardo Mayorga
I think Gaudi is one of the best album theme song from Alan parsons Project, because every single theme songs from this album have different kind of instrumental sounds, the authentic talent from Alan Parsons... this theme song with Standing on Higher Ground, the best :)
Nicholas Johnson
Agreed. La Sagrada, Too late, amazing album!