Bachman–Turner Overdrive (frequently known as BTO) is a Canadian rock group… Read Full Bio ↴Bachman–Turner Overdrive (frequently known as BTO) is a Canadian rock group from Winnipeg, Manitoba that's best known for its series of five Top 40 albums and six Top 40 singles in the 1970s, selling over 7 million albums in that decade alone. Overall, the band has sold nearly 30 million albums worldwide. Many of their songs, including "Let It Ride", "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", "Takin' Care of Business", "Hey You" and "Roll On Down the Highway", still receive play on classic rock radio stations. BTO fans are affectionately known as "gearheads" (derived from the band's gear-shaped logo).

The precursor to BTO was the band Brave Belt, which was formed in 1970 by Randy Bachman and Chad Allan (both of The Guess Who), Robbie Bachman and Fred Turner. An original form of the group included musician Keith Emerson of The Nice (and later of Emerson, Lake & Palmer), but he was dropped due to illness. After two moderately successful Brave Belt albums came out, Allan was replaced by Tim Bachman, the third of the Bachman brothers, and the band changed its name to Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

Hailing from Winnipeg, Canada as stated before, BTO released their first album under that name in the spring of 1973. Their second album was Bachman-Turner Overdrive II, and it became a massive hit in the US and their native Canada. It also yielded their best-remembered single, "Takin' Care of Business" written by Randy Bachman. BTO were one of the early hard rock bands which opted for songs backed by catchy melodies and powerful riffing. The band also promoted a strait-laced lifestyle due to the Mormon religious beliefs of Randy Bachman.

Tim Bachman left because of limited performance skills and personal lifestyle issues, and was replaced by Blair Thornton. The first album with the modified lineup, 1974's Not Fragile became a hit, including the #1 single "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet". The band continued to steadily produce successful albums through the mid-1970s including Four Wheel Drive and Head On (both 1975).

After the release of Freeways in 1977, Randy Bachman left the group for a solo career and another band, Ironhorse. Randy was replaced by Jim Clench, formerly of April Wine, and BTO released a pair of albums before breaking up in 1979. They reunited in 1983, leading to a lawsuit between the brothers, as one group, led by Randy, toured as Bachman-Turner Overdrive and another, led by Robbie, toured as BTO (Robbie Bachman, Fred Turner, Blair Thornton, and Randy Murray). Interestingly enough, in 1984 the line up for Bachman-Turner's first studio LP in 5 years consisted of Randy and Tim Bachman, Fred Turner and Garry Peterson on drums. In 1986 they were the opening band for the newly reformed Van Halen. By that time Fred Turner had left the band, probably to join the "other" BTO. Robbie Bachman's BTO toured and performed until early 2005.

Musicians Randy Bachman and Fred Turner reunited in 2010 for a tour and collaboration on new songs. In 2010, they notably played the half-time show at the Grey Cup in Edmonton, AB.

Website: http://www.bachmanandturner.com/

Can We All Come Together
Bachman-Turner Overdrive Lyrics

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Can We All Come Together
You are what you are
I am what I am
Can we all come together
With some kind of plan

I want you to laugh
But you want me to cry

Can we all come together
Hey, why don't we try

Can we all come together
Can we reach across the sea
There are worlds in between us
The sky is all we see
So let's all come together
Let's all come together

Why do we like different things
And we live different ways
Can we come together
For happier days

I want you to smile
But you let me down
Can we come together
Let's do it right now

I see you live for the sun
I live for the rain
Can we come together
Can we be the same

I want to settle down
But you want to run

Can we come together
Can we be like one

Overall Meaning

The song "Can We All Come Together" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive is an appeal for unity and understanding between people who may have different beliefs, values, and lifestyles. The lyrics suggest that the key to overcoming these differences is to find common ground and work towards a shared goal. The opening lines "You are what you are, I am what I am" acknowledge the fact that individuals have unique identities that cannot be changed, but they can still work together to achieve something positive.

The lyrics also highlight the importance of communication, with lines such as "I want you to laugh, but you want me to cry" and "I want you to smile, but you let me down" suggesting that misunderstandings and miscommunications can occur even between people who share common goals. The chorus of the song asks whether it's possible for people from different backgrounds to come together and connect, and the song ends with the hopeful suggestion that individuals can find commonalities even in their different ways of living.

Overall, "Can We All Come Together" is a call for cooperation and understanding between people who may have differences, but who are ultimately working towards the same goal of a happier, more harmonious world.

Line by Line Meaning

You are what you are
Accept me for who I am

I am what I am
I am who I am

Can we all come together
Can we unite

With some kind of plan
With a strategy

I want you to laugh
I want to see you happy

But you want me to cry
But sometimes you enjoy seeing me suffer

Hey, why don't we try
Let's attempt it

Can we reach across the sea
Can we overcome our differences and connect

There are worlds in between us
We are vastly different

The sky is all we see
We all exist under the same sky

So let's all come together
Therefore, let's unite