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
Monster
America Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Burning his face as he ran through the town
Hoping the patrons just don't hear a sound
Heart, court and harmony just ain't the same
My black and their green playing some games
I've got all these pictures I just need the frames
Feeding the wife on the phone
And there you are, all on your own
Red and blue, I want to like a hole in the head
It slopes in the middle and is stopping them dead
I'd like to help them; I've already said
These are the things that you'll never do
Running away from your home
And there you are, all on your own
Mm, mm. Mm, mm.
The lyrics to "Monster" by America are cryptic and open to interpretation. At first glance, the song appears to be about a monster that has just emerged from underground and is causing harm as it runs through the town. However, on a deeper level, the song may be about the disconnection and lack of understanding between individuals.
The line, "Heart, court, and harmony just ain't the same" may be referring to the idea that people are not connecting emotionally and socially as they should. The reference to "black" and "green" playing games with each other could also symbolize the struggle between different races or classes. The line "I've got all these pictures I just need the frames" may represent the idea that people have ideas and thoughts, but they need to put them into a coherent framework before they can be understood.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that there are certain things that people will never do or understand. The line "Feeding the wife on the phone" suggests a lack of connection or intimacy in a marriage. The line "Running away from your home" could represent the idea that people often feel lost or disconnected from their own lives.
Overall, "Monster" seems to be a commentary on the disconnect that exists between people and the difficulties of understanding and connecting with each other.
Line by Line Meaning
The monster exposed himself from underground
The problem became known and visible
Burning his face as he ran through the town
The problem caused destruction and harm
Hoping the patrons just don't hear a sound
The problem may go unnoticed or ignored
Heart, court and harmony just ain't the same
The situation is now different and challenging
My black and their green playing some games
Conflicting interests and priorities causing problems
I've got all these pictures I just need the frames
The necessary resources are available but not yet utilized
These are the things that you'll never do
The actions needed to solve the problem are not taken
Feeding the wife on the phone
Neglecting important responsibilities and relationships
And there you are, all on your own
Facing the consequences of your actions alone
Red and blue, I want to like a hole in the head
The situation is frustrating and undesirable
It slopes in the middle and is stopping them dead
The problem is creating an obstacle or barrier
I'd like to help them; I've already said
A desire to solve the problem and offer assistance
Running away from your home
Escaping or avoiding the problem
And there you are, all on your own
Facing the consequences of your actions alone
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GERRY BECKLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BrysonYinglingUKR
after this, I'm going to need a Snow Wife x Ashnikko collab
@kpopdrama_6969
Yessss❤❤
@kileeastman27
Agreed
@celiaparks
Also chinchilla
@sabrinanite
hear me out: Ashnikko, ZAND and Snow Wife
@jaywolstenholme377
Totally agree
@allan6398
okay but the support dancers are KILLING it!!!
@user-mg9tg3kp1m
О6шнлиопрлркдц🎉❤❤🎉❤🎉🎉❤❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤❤🎉😢❤😮😅😮❤😂😢😮❤😮❤😊😮😂😊😊
@user-mg9tg3kp1m
У₽₽₽₽₽₽₽₽₽₽₽₽₽₽₽%₽₽₽₽%%%%%%₽₽₽₽₽₽₽$
@smallsmirk
I’ve rewatched several times just to watch the support dancers.