Autograph formed in 1983 with vocalist/guitarist Steve Plunkett joining up with guitarist Steve Lynch, bassist Randy Rand, keyboard player Steven Isham, and drummer Keni Richards. The band seemed to have it all: a fine commercial hard rock debut in 1984's 'Sign in Please', good looks, and great hair. Still, it wasn't enough, and by the time they released the following year's disappointing 'That's the Stuff' the 80s rock audience had moved on. Their 1987 single "Loud and Clear" got a bit of attention, thanks to Ozzy Osbourne's cameo in their video, but it all arrived too late to save the band, which split up in 1989. A posthumous collection of outtakes called 'Missing Pieces' was released about a decade later.
Despite scoring a massive MTV hit with their very first single, "Turn Up the Radio", which continues to be a classic rock staple, Autograph's songs got lost in the shuffle of the thriving Los Angeles pop metal scene. Still, interest in their first big hit continues, with the song featured in a variety of places such as the popular 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City' video game. In 2003, Steve Plunkett put out a reunion album of sorts: an all-new material album entitled 'Buzz', which retained their 80s sound. They've also released the odds and sods album 'More Missing Pieces'.
Reunion (2013–present)
In late 2013, original members Steve Lynch, Randy Rand, and Keni Richards got back together for a reunion. Due to Plunkett not being interested in doing the reunion, they have replaced him with Jailhouse, Agent X, Flood, 1RKO, solo artist singer/songwriter/guitarist Simon Daniels.
Since 2014, by which time Richards had been replaced by Mark Wieland on drums, the band has played the Monsters of Rock Cruise, M3 Rock Festival, The Moondance Jam, The Halfway Jam, Firefest UK, Rockin the Rivers, The Iowa State Fair along with other festivals, theaters and worldwide touring.
On January 15, 2015, they released their first single, "You Are Us, We Are You," on iTunes. On April 21, they released their 2nd single, "I Lost My Mind in America," which made the Top 10 download of the charts. In July, the band was featured in USA Today NEWS after playing the famous Halfway Jam Rock Festival. On September 23, the band released their 3rd single "Every Generation" and is featured as track of the week on Classic Rock Magazine. On January 7, 2016, the new 5 song EP 'Louder', with 4 original new singles and a live version of "Turn up the Radio", was released and is available on the official website.
On January 10, 2017, the band completed the recordings for the new full album which was released as 'Get Off Your Ass' on OCTOBER 6 after signing with EMP Label Group owned by David Ellefson.
On April 8, 2017, Keni Richards died at the age of 60.
On July 24, 2019, Steve Lynch decided to move on to other projects so the band added a new guitarist on August 27, 2019. Jimi Bell previously played in the House of Lords and Maxx Explosion. Bell appeared in the 1986 film, Light Of Day, where he was both a performer in the movie and played on the soundtrack album. He is an official endorsee of GHS Strings, Marshall Amps (Europe), Ovation Guitars, Roberts Guitars, Viper Guitars, Charvel Guitars and PVX Guitars.
Autograph‘s long-time bassist Randy Rand passed away in April 2022. Rand was in Autograph from 1983 to 1989 and again from 2013 onwards. He was the lone remaining original member in the band. Three of the five original Autograph band members have now passed away with Rand in 2022, keyboardist Steven Isham in 2008 and drummer Keni Richards in 2017.
Love Comes Easy
Autograph Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lonely highway for so long
Just waited for the
Right one to come along
Too many nights sittin' all alone
Without a reason why
I tell a friend that there's
Nothing wrong but I know it's a lie
I've done time
Trying to make it right
I found out there's
No need to fight
Love comes easy, yeah
Love takes control
Love comes easy, yeah
Love only knows
I know the sound of an
Empty heartbeat, it's so clear
I know the dream of a
Thousand nights, I feel it so near
No one knows
How to make it right
You can try
But you just can't fight
Love comes easy, yeah
Love takes control
Love comes easy, yeah
Love only knows
I was waiting so patiently
And when I least expected
Love came 'round for me
Love only knows, yeah
Love takes control, oh oh
Love comes easy, yeah
Love only knows
Love comes easy, yeah
Love takes control, yeah
Love comes easy, yeah
Love only knows, oh oh
Love comes easy, yeah
Love takes control, yeah
Love only knows, oh
Love takes control, yeah
Love only knows, oh
The lyrics of Autograph's song "Love Comes Easy" describe a journey on a lonely highway, searching for someone to come along and fill the emptiness that has been felt for so long. The singer has spent too many nights alone and tries to convince their friends that everything is fine, but deep down, they know it's a lie. The singer has done their time, tried to make things right, and realized that there's no need to fight for love.
The chorus emphasizes the ease and control that love brings. Love takes over, and there's no need to resist or put up a fight. The second verse acknowledges the pain of an empty heartbeat and the longing for companionship, but no one knows how to fix it. The singer has been waiting patiently and when they least expect it, love comes around for them.
Overall, the lyrics exude a hopeful tone that love will eventually come and fill the void. The message carries a universal appeal that anyone who has felt lonely, yearned for love or companionship can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Been drivin' down that lonely highway for so long
I've been feeling lost and alone for a while now, just searching for someone to come into my life and make it better.
Just waited for the right one to come along
I've been hoping that I'll find someone that I can connect with and build a relationship with.
Too many nights sittin' all alone without a reason why
I've been feeling lonely lately, without any real explanation why I feel this way.
I tell a friend that there's nothing wrong but I know it's a lie
I pretend like everything is fine and I am not struggling, but deep down I know that's not true.
I've done time trying to make it right
I've spent a lot of time and effort trying to make things better for myself, but nothing seems to work.
I found out there's no need to fight
I came to the realization that sometimes it's better to stop fighting and let things happen naturally.
Love comes easy, yeah
Love is not always a difficult thing to find or experience, it can be something that happens easily.
Love takes control
Love can take over our lives and dictate our actions and feelings.
I know the sound of an empty heartbeat, it's so clear
I'm familiar with the feeling of emptiness and a lack of emotion in myself that comes from not having love in my life.
I know the dream of a thousand nights, I feel it so near
I often dream of finding love and having a meaningful relationship, and it feels like it's so close, but just out of reach.
No one knows how to make it right
Nobody really knows how to find love and make a relationship work, it's often a confusing and difficult process.
You can try but you just can't fight
You can try to force love, but ultimately it's not something you can control or make happen on your own.
I was waiting so patiently and when I least expected, love came 'round for me
I was waiting and hoping for love to come into my life, and when I stopped searching so hard, it finally happened.
Love only knows, yeah
Love is a mysterious and powerful force, that operates outside of our control or understanding.
Love comes easy, yeah, love only knows
Love can be something that comes into our lives easily, and it's often hard to understand why or how it happens.
Love takes control, yeah
Love can become the most important thing in our lives and take over our thoughts and actions.
Contributed by Makayla W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@fabriciogoncalvesdasilva1553
Essa música é muito linda que Deus abençoe essa banda
@Pmetal62
These guys accomplished my youth. Now I'm 51 Y.o: and still love'em. Stll waitin' for a come back. One of the best and underrated band of the 80's. Thanks dudes!Thanks Steve! Greetings from italy and...play it always LOUD AND CLEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@GlamMetalRebel
I am really digging this song, I love Autograph.
@metalcore7186
autograph forever
@calebpreston1557
This band is sooooooooooo underated. -_-
@MRkallek91
nice, good for an evening cruise in a muscle car. "smooth sailin´ trough the streets."
@alexmustata4089
Summer breeze.. Nighttime.. Convertible mustang.. Empty roads.. Cheers
@ari2004ful
Actually, i did some research, and what happened was RCA failed to promote them enough. So blame RCA records
@user-kj5hp2wy2i
Ну теперь то мы знаем кого винить!)