His eponymous debut album from 1982 is said to have provided a blueprint for the hard rock of the '80s. During the '80s and '90s, he worked with fellow hard rockers Lita Ford and Jon Bon Jovi -- he contributed heavily to the latter's 1990 solo debut Blaze of Glory -- as mainstream rock began to adapt his innovations. Nova found his greatest commercial success as a songwriter and producer for Celine Dion, earning a Grammy for her 1996 album Falling Into You. This success allowed Nova to be picky with his projects, but he eventually returned to his own recording career in 2018 with the release of 2.0.
Nova learned guitar when he was 15 years old, inspired equally by Jimi Hendrix and jazz. While he cut his teeth in local clubs, he also played George Harrison in a production of Beatlemania, spending his extra hours working as a studio engineer. Eventually, he landed a publishing deal, which led to a 1982 contract with Portrait Records.
Portrait allowed Nova to produce his own 1982 debut, which resulted in the album sounding unlike most other hard rock on the radio at that time. "Fantasy" hit at precisely the right moment, burning up the AOR rock charts but also receiving heavy play on MTV. This helped "Fantasy" reach the Billboard Top 40, climbing to number 23 while making it all the way to three on their Mainstream Rock chart. The album's second single, the power ballad "Fooling Yourself," reached 65 on the Hot 100, but Aldo Nova had legs, earning its first platinum certification in 1989 and a second in 1994.
Nova had a difficult time capitalizing on this success. On his 1983 sequel Subject…Aldo Nova, the guitarist ratcheted up the synthesizers and tied together the songs with a vague concept, conceits that made the album feel vaguely New Wave. "Monkey on Your Back," the album's lead single, went to 12 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, but "Always Be Mine" couldn't get past 107. The album nevertheless managed to earn Gold certification in 1994. The record label intervened during the recording of 1985's Twitch to help steer him back onto the charts but it didn't help: the album stiffed upon its release. After its commercial failure, Nova asked to be let out of his contract with Portrait; his time with the label would be wrapped up with the release of the 1991 compilation, A Portrait of Aldo Nova.
At that point, Nova decided to recede from the spotlight. He chose to work as a session musician, producer, and professional songwriter, areas where he was experienced. During his ascent on the charts, he appeared on records by Michael Bolton and Blue Oyster Cult, but by 1984, he also was working on records by Lita Ford and Bon Jovi. The latter proved to be a crucial connection. In 1990, he played on Jon Bon Jovi's solo debut, Blaze of Glory, where he helped come up with the title track's lead riff. Bon Jovi had a history with Nova -- Nova appears on the 1984 debut by Jon's band -- and the rocker paid it forward six years later, signing Nova to his Jambco imprint and releasing Blood on the Bricks, but the record didn't go anywhere commercially, nor did the 1997 album Nova's Dream.
Of greater importance to Nova in the late 1990s was his collaboration with Celine Dion. He worked with the singer on some of her first albums, co-writing the song "A New Day Has Come," and the collaboration continued through her 1996 album Falling Into You. He produced part of the album, taking home a Grammy Award when it won Album of the Year in 1996. Another Grammy arrived when he worked with Latin rock group La Ley on Uno, which won the Grammy for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album in 2001. In 2003, he co-wrote "This Is the Night," which became a hit for Clay Aiken after he won American Idol.
Nova was firmly a behind-the-scenes artist by the 2000s, working as a producer and songwriter, toiling away on a rock opera called The Life and Times of Eddie Gage for the better part of a decade. Instead of releasing that, Nova mounted a comeback in 2018 with 2.0, an album where he offered new versions of his old hits.
His album "The Life and Times of Eddie Gage" was released in 2022.
Heartless
Aldo Nova Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Another night just listening to the radio
This ain't the first time that you left me on my own
But it's gotta be a frozen heart
That leaves another in the dark and all alone
If you can't see what you're doing to me
Yeah you gotta be without a soul
You gotta be heartless
You gotta be (ooh) stone cold
How many times do you say the lines
And not mean the words you say
How many hearts can you tear apart
'Til the feeling gets in the way
Why should I believe it's gonna be any different now
When anything you say and do is so unfair and so untrue?
You always let me down
If you can't see what you're doing to me
You gotta be heartless
Yeah you gotta be without a soul
You gotta be heartless
You gotta be (ooh) stone cold
Yeah, you gotta be
If you can't see what you're doing to me
You gotta be heartless
Yeah you gotta be without a soul
You gotta be heartless
You gotta be (ooh) stone cold
You gotta be heartless
The lyrics of Aldo Nova's song "Heartless" depict a sense of frustration and heartbreak caused by a partner's consistent disregard and betrayal. The singer is sitting alone, waiting by the telephone and listening to the radio, highlighting his feelings of loneliness. This is not the first time this has happened, but it hurts deeply, emphasizing the coldness and lack of empathy exhibited by the partner. The repeated abandonment and mistreatment lead the singer to conclude that it takes a person with a frozen heart to leave someone in the darkness and isolation.
The second verse questions the sincerity of their partner's words and actions. The singer wonders how many times the partner speaks empty promises without truly meaning them and how many hearts they have broken without considering the emotional consequences. Despite the hope for a change, they doubt that anything will be different because the partner consistently treats them unfairly and dishonestly, resulting in repeated disappointments. The chorus expresses the singer's belief that the partner must be heartless and soulless to inflict such pain and depicts them as cold and uncaring.
Overall, the lyrics of "Heartless" convey the emotional turmoil caused by a partner who repeatedly abandons and mistreats the singer. The song captures the feelings of being let down and the realization that the partner lacks empathy and compassion.
Line by Line Meaning
Again I sit, I'm waiting at the telephone
Once again, I find myself sitting and waiting by the phone, anticipating your call.
Another night just listening to the radio
Another lonely evening spent listening to the radio, hoping for some kind of connection or distraction.
This ain't the first time that you left me on my own
This is not the first occasion where you have abandoned me and left me to fend for myself.
But it's gotta be a frozen heart
But there must be a heart so cold and unfeeling
That leaves another in the dark and all alone
That causes someone else to be left in utter darkness and utter loneliness.
If you can't see what you're doing to me
If you are unable to comprehend the pain and suffering you are causing me.
You gotta be heartless
You must possess a complete absence of compassion and empathy.
Yeah you gotta be without a soul
Yes, you must be devoid of any semblance of humanity or morality.
You gotta be heartless
You must exhibit a cruel and callous nature.
You gotta be (ooh) stone cold
You must have a heart as cold and unfeeling as a stone.
How many times do you say the lines
How often do you speak empty words and false promises
And not mean the words you say
And lack any sincerity or intention behind those words
How many hearts can you tear apart
How many souls can you shatter into pieces
'Til the feeling gets in the way
Until genuine emotions start interfering with your actions
Why should I believe it's gonna be any different now
Why should I have any hope that things will change for the better this time
When anything you say and do is so unfair and so untrue?
Especially when everything you say and do is unjust and filled with falsehoods
You always let me down
You consistently disappoint and betray my trust
You gotta be heartless
You must possess a complete absence of compassion and empathy.
Yeah you gotta be without a soul
Yes, you must be devoid of any semblance of humanity or morality.
You gotta be heartless
You must exhibit a cruel and callous nature.
You gotta be (ooh) stone cold
You must have a heart as cold and unfeeling as a stone.
You gotta be heartless
You must possess a complete absence of compassion and empathy.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Myles William Hunter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind