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
Special Girl
America Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me tell you, a fortune like that once was mine
She was a special girl
She meant the world to me
I gave her everything
When I found her I'd been looking everywhere
She was a special girl
She meant the world to me
I gave her everything
Dreams are hard to take (dreams are hard to take)
Could it be I loved her too much
Oo, a special girl
Oo, a special girl
She was a special girl
She was a special girl
She meant the world to me
I gave her everything
Bottom line is, she was fine in every way
And it's not with hesitation that I say
She was a special girl
She meant the world to me
And I gave her everything
Dreams they come and go (dreams they come and go)
But thoughts of her are like a floor show
Oo, a special girl
Oo, a special girl
She was a special girl
She was a special girl
She meant the world to me
I gave her everything
The lyrics of America's song "Special Girl" present the tale of a man who has found and loved a woman who was truly special to him. The song starts with the line "Into each life a little sunlight wants to shine," which describes that every person wants to experience happiness, and the singer believes that he had once found it. He states that he was fortunate enough to have experienced love with a special girl who truly meant the world to him, and he gave her everything he had.
The verse "Dreams are hard to take (dreams are hard to take) could it be I loved her too much" implies that the singer may have loved her too deeply that it is hard for him to move on from the breakup. He refers to the girl as "a floor show" that is always present in his mind despite being gone. The singer admits that he lost her, and he has been lost beyond despair. Despite the heartache, he can't help but remember just how special she was.
The chorus of the song, "Oo, a special girl... She was a special girl" relays the high importance of what he had found in her. It can be interpreted that the special girl is unforgettable, and the memories of their love will remain forever. The song's message is that lovers might come and go, but the remembrance of those who have been special is held forever in one's heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Into each life a little sunlight wants to shine
Everyone deserves to have some happiness and light in their life.
Let me tell you, a fortune like that once was mine
I was lucky enough to have that happiness and light in the form of a special girl.
She was a special girl
The girl I was with was unique and important to me.
She meant the world to me
I loved her deeply and she was incredibly important to me.
I gave her everything
I gave her all of my love and affection, as well as anything else I could to make her happy.
When I found her I'd been looking everywhere
I had been searching for someone like her for a long time, and felt lucky to have finally found her.
When I lost her I was lost beyond despair
Losing her was devastating to me and I felt completely lost without her.
Dreams are hard to take (dreams are hard to take)
It can be difficult to deal with the loss of something you dreamed of and hoped for.
Could it be I loved her too much
Perhaps my intense love for her contributed to the pain I felt when she was gone.
Bottom line is, she was fine in every way
Ultimately, there was nothing wrong with her - she was perfect to me.
And it's not with hesitation that I say
I say this with complete sincerity and without any hesitation.
Dreams they come and go (dreams they come and go)
Dreams can be fleeting, and change over time.
But thoughts of her are like a floor show
But my thoughts of her remain constant and are always present, like a show that is always being performed.
Oo, a special girl
She was truly unique and special to me.
Oo, a special girl
She will always have a special place in my heart.
She was a special girl
Through these lyrics, I want to emphasize how much she meant to me.
She meant the world to me
She was one of the most important people in my life.
I gave her everything
I truly gave her my all, and everything that I had to offer.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID TYSON, EDWARD SCHWARTZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind