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/
Freeways
Bachman-Turner Overdrive Lyrics
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The highway is long but we've come so far
Two thousand miles from home
We got to find someplace that we can belong
But, we know, the freeways in life are all pointing us home
Don't you know, nothing in this life could mean anymore
Freeways, freeways
Headin' out into the sun
We've been to the stars, and we've only begun
Nothin's gonna change our mind
There's songs to be sung, but we've left them behind
The opening lines of Bachman-Turner Overdrive's song "Freeways" describe a journey by car, driven by the singer who seems to be struggling with life, looking for a place of belonging, and seeking meaning. The highways are long, and they have traveled over 2000 miles from home, yet they are still searching for a place to belong. The journey is metaphorical, reflecting the struggles one faces in life where the road is often long and difficult, and we must keep driving forward even if we don't always know the destination.
The chorus of the song suggests that sometimes in life, we are directed towards certain paths that lead us back home. The freeways are a metaphor for the different paths and struggles in life that we must overcome. As the song says, "But we know, the freeways in life are all pointing us home." The singer understands that sometimes in life, we must take certain routes that lead us back to where we belong. The song also implies that nothing in life matters more than the journey itself, and that the road we traverse defines us as people.
In the second verse, the singer talks about leaving the past behind and heading toward the sun, with a sense of hope and optimism. Despite the challenges that life may throw at us, and the roads we must travel, nothing will change their mind. They have dreams to fulfill and songs to be sung, and they refuse to let the challenges of life hold them back. Ultimately, the song is about the journey, the struggles we go through, and the meaning we derive from life's ups and downs. It's about finding our way on the freeways of life, and coming back home to the place where we belong.
Line by Line Meaning
Drivin' in a beat up car
Traveling in a rundown vehicle
The highway is long but we've come so far
Even though the road is lengthy, we've traveled great distances
Two thousand miles from home
Far from the place we call home
We got to find someplace that we can belong
We need to discover a place where we fit in
But, we know, the freeways in life are all pointing us home
The different paths we take in life eventually lead us back to our origin
Don't you know, nothing in this life could mean anymore
There is nothing else that could be more significant in life
Freeways, freeways
The many routes we take to find our way back home
Headin' out into the sun
We are making progress and moving towards our goal
We've been to the stars, and we've only begun
We've accomplished great things and have so much more to explore
Nothin's gonna change our mind
Our determination remains unchanged
There's songs to be sung, but we've left them behind
We have let go of some of the things that used to matter to us
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHARLES TURNER, RANDY BACHMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind