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
Till the Sun Comes up Again
America Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got a feeling it might take a long time
Singin' it over again, I can't recall just how it used to be
Voices across the sea
Mm, mm, mm
Will she come to me, to keep me company
Won't know till the sun comes up again
Gotta take the good with the bad
Sometimes I wish I never had my say
Always goes that way, or is it just the way I feel today?
Voices across the way
Mm, mm, mm
Will she come to me, to keep me company
Won't know till the sun comes up again
Won't know till the sun comes up again
Won't know till the sun comes up again
Won't know till the sun comes up again
Won't know till the sun comes up again
Won't know till the sun comes up again
In America's song "Till the Sun Comes Up Again," the singer is experiencing a feeling of uncertainty and longing for companionship. The lyrics express the idea that the future is unpredictable, and it's impossible to know what will happen until the day breaks again. The singer appears to be in a reflective mood, reminiscing on how things used to be and wishing they could be that way once more.
The first verse suggests the singer is searching for a new direction in life. They have a sense that they need to "write a different song," but they're not sure what that song might be. It feels like it will take a long time to figure it out, and they're struggling to recall how things used to be when life was simpler. The "voices across the sea" add to the sense that there's a distance between the singer and the rest of the world, as if they're disconnected from something vital.
In the second verse, the singer reflects on the ups and downs of life. Sometimes they wish they could take their words back, but they can't change the past. The voices "across the way" suggest that the singer feels separated from people who they once had a connection to. But in the end, the singer doesn't know what the future holds, and all they can do is wait and hope that someone will come to keep them company.
Line by Line Meaning
Think I'll write a different song
I'm considering changing my approach to something new
Got a feeling it might take a long time
I suspect that this new approach will not be easy
Singin' it over again, I can't recall just how it used to be
As I reflect on my past efforts, I can't quite remember what I did
Voices across the sea
There are others out there who are doing the same thing as me
Will she come to me, to keep me company
I hope to find someone to share this experience with
Won't know till the sun comes up again
I don't know if my hopes will be fulfilled until a new day begins
Gotta take the good with the bad
I have to be prepared for both positive and negative outcomes
Sometimes I wish I never had my say
Occasionally, I regret expressing my thoughts and opinions
Always goes that way, or is it just the way I feel today?
I wonder if things will always turn out like this, or if I'm just feeling down
Voices across the way
There are others who have experienced similar regrets and doubts
Won't know till the sun comes up again
The outcome of my situation is uncertain until a new day dawns
Won't know till the sun comes up again
I must wait patiently to see what the future holds
Won't know till the sun comes up again
The resolution to my uncertainty will come only with the dawn of a new day
Won't know till the sun comes up again
Even when all seems dark, hope will return with the light of a new day
Won't know till the sun comes up again
It is impossible to predict the future, but I will keep moving forward
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GERRY BECKLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind