Sons of American fathers and British mothers, their fathers being military personnel stationed at the West Ruislip USAF base in London, all three attended London Central High in Bushey, Hertfordshire in the mid-60s where they met while playing in two different bands.
They eventually got together and formed the rock band America, honoring the name of the homeland they had hardly even seen during their several travels around the world. They played their first gigs in pubs and clubs in the London area, including some highlights at the Roundhouse, where Pink Floyd had been playing at the beginning of their own career.
Their first LP was recorded at Trident and Morgan studios in London and produced by Ian "Sammy" Samwell, who was known for the hits he had written for Cliff Richard, with the assistance of Jeff Dexter.
The album was initially released in Europe with only moderate success and without the breakout hit "A Horse With No Name." Samwell helped the group to record and persuaded the Warner Brothers label to release the new song on an EP which was highly popular in the United States as well as in Europe.
America the album was re-released with "Horse", and quickly went platinum with the other favorites "I Need You," "Sandman," and "Riverside." Their second album, appropriately named Homecoming, saw the band moving back to the United States to record. The most notable song was "Ventura Highway."
The group's fourth album Holiday had them with George Martin (former producer for The Beatles), who worked with them through Silent Letter in 1979 with much success. The next album, Hearts, featured "Sister Golden Hair" and "Daisy Jane."
Peek left the group after recording Harbor in 1977. The remaining duo produced many more albums and had one more significant radio hit, "You Can Do Magic," reaching #8 on the pop charts in 1982. Their last top-40 hit was "The Border," which went to #33 on the pop charts (and #4 on the adult contemporary charts) the next year.
America continued with consistent live work and sporadic recordings following their departure from Capitol Records in the mid-80s.
In 1982 America provided the soundtrack for the magical anime film The Last Unicorn. Although officially produced by an American company, the film is an important transitional work in the development of Japanese anime, since most of its animation was subcontracted to the Japanese company Topcraft. The music was composed by Jimmy Webb, though performed by America, and the title song was covered many times later on. The tone is wistful and the themes are of loss.
Beckley released a solo set - "Van Go Gan" - in 1999.
Later, in his post-America career, Peek became a born-again Christian and released some highly-successful Contemporary Christian albums. His autobiography "An American Band" chronicles America's most successful period and his own spiritual journey.
Members include:
Gerry Beckley (1970-present) - lead and backing vocals, keyboards, guitars, bass, harmonica
Dewey Bunnell (1970-present) - lead and backing vocals, guitars
Dan Peek (1970-1977) - lead and backing vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, harmonica
All Night
America Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something begins
When your heart aches
Do you give in?
I heard that you were lonely
One careful look shows you're lonely
All night you'll fight
After lights out, don't make a sound
Apple blossoms, come fallin' down
Black and white sun shining brightly
Shelter your eyes, hold on tightly
All night you'll fight
With your mind, with your mind
Love thy neighbor
You will understand
Coffee flavor, yours or any brand
I heard that you were lonely
Nothing is real when you're lonely
All night you'll fight
With your mind, with your mind
The lyrics of America's song "All Night" touch upon themes of loneliness and fighting with one's inner demons. The song starts with the line "When the day breaks, something begins", which may suggest that as soon as the new day starts, a new cycle of struggles and challenges starts as well. This is further emphasized in the next line, "When your heart aches, do you give in?", which questions whether one gives up or fights on when faced with emotional pain.
The chorus of the song, "All night you'll fight with your mind, with your mind", repeats several times throughout the song and serves as a reminder of the internal battle individuals have to face when feeling lonely or overwhelmed. The second verse of the song provides additional imagery to illustrate this struggle, with lines like "After lights out, don't make a sound" and "Shelter your eyes, hold on tightly".
The bridge of the song injects a bit of positivity into the otherwise gloomy lyrics, with the line "Love thy neighbor, you will understand" and the mention of the comfort of coffee. However, the lyrics quickly return to the theme of loneliness, with the line "Nothing is real when you're lonely".
Line by Line Meaning
When the day breaks
As soon as daylight arrives
Something begins
A new opportunity or event starts to unfold
When your heart aches
When you feel emotional pain or sadness
Do you give in?
Do you let your emotions take control of your actions?
I heard that you were lonely
I was told that you are feeling isolated and without companionship
One careful look shows you're lonely
A closer observation reveals the signs of loneliness
All night you'll fight
You will struggle and resist
With your mind, with your mind
Against your own thoughts or doubts
After lights out, don't make a sound
Once it's dark, be quiet and still
Apple blossoms, come fallin' down
Flower petals dropping from the trees
Black and white sun shining brightly
The sun is strong and glaring
Shelter your eyes, hold on tightly
Protect your vision and grasp firmly
Love thy neighbor
Show kindness and compassion to others
You will understand
Greater understanding and empathy can be achieved through loving others
Coffee flavor, yours or any brand
Choose the coffee you prefer, or any available option
Nothing is real when you're lonely
Loneliness can make everything feel less genuine or important
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Lee Bunnell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind