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/
Givin' It All Away
Bachman-Turner Overdrive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you went away
We said goodbye
And we're givin' it all away
Givin' it all away
My mind's made up
Nothing left to say
We're on our own
And we're givin' it all away
Givin' it all away
Givin' it all away
Happens everyday
No matter what we say
We're givin' it all away
Givin' it all away
I'm all alone
I've had my day
Didn't work out
And I'm givin' it all away
Givin' it all away
There's no tomorrow
There's no today
Life's lost all meaning
And I'm givin' it all away
Givin' it all away
Givin' it all away
Happens everyday
No matter what we say
We're givin' it all away
Givin' it all away
Givin' it all away
Happens everyday
No matter what we say
We're givin' it all away
Givin' it all away
Givin' it all away
Happens everyday
No matter what we say
We're givin' it all away
Givin' it all away
Not fragile, fragile, fragile
Not fragile, fragile, fragile
Not fragile, fragile, fragile
The lyrics of Bachman-Turner Overdrive's song "Givin' It All Away" speak of heartache and resignation. The first verse describes a relationship that has ended, with the singer feeling that they had given their heart to their former partner who then took it and abandoned them. The chorus emphasizes the idea of "givin' it all away" - that in life we often give everything we have to someone or something, only to end up alone and without anything left. The second verse reinforces this idea of finality, with the singer feeling that there's nothing left to say and that they are truly alone. The third verse expresses a sense of hopelessness, with life having lost all meaning and the only option left being to give everything away.
One possible interpretation of the song is that it speaks to the experience of heartbreak, and the feeling of having given so much to a relationship only to be left with nothing. The repeated phrase "givin' it all away" emphasizes the idea of loss and sacrifice, and the music itself reinforces the emotion with its slow tempo and melancholic tone. Another possible interpretation is that the song speaks to the larger experience of life, and the inevitable process of giving everything we have - time, energy, love, etc. - to the people and things in our lives, only to eventually find ourselves at the end with nothing left. The phrase "givin' it all away" can be seen as a kind of mantra, acknowledging this reality and urging us to make the most of the time and resources we have while we have them.
Line by Line Meaning
You took my heart
You were able to capture and hold the essence of who I am within you
And you went away
You left, taking that with you and causing me to struggle and feel incomplete
We said goodbye
Our relationship or situation was not working, and we agreed to end it
And we're givin' it all away
We are abandoning everything we had, and moving forward with nothing to hold onto
Givin' it all away
The relinquishment of possessions, emotions, and experiences is happening
My mind's made up
I have reached a firm decision regarding what must be done
Nothing left to say
There is no more discussion or reasoning which can change the circumstances surrounding us
We're on our own
There is no one else to rely on; hopelessness and isolation abound
Givin' it all away
We continue to relinquish everything in order to start anew
Givin' it all away
All is being sacrificed, and it is not an uncommon occurrence--it happens regularly
Happens everyday
The giving away of everything we possess or hold dear occurs repeatedly
No matter what we say
Even if we voice our opposition to the lack of control we exhibit, we cannot change what happens
I'm all alone
I have no one else to rely on, and what I once had is now completely gone
I've had my day
I have experienced and accomplished all that I could, and now am left with nothing
Didn't work out
What we had attempted or hoped for was a failure; there is no way to save or change it
And I'm givin' it all away
Because of that failure, I abandon everything and start again from ground zero
There's no tomorrow
There is no future; there is no hope or possibility of something more
There's no today
The present is nothing; there is no substance or purpose
Life's lost all meaning
Existence is devoid of any significance or worth
Givin' it all away
Everything is being sacrificed regardless of its value or meaning
Givin' it all away
Once again expressed how all is being given up to be renewed
Not fragile, fragile, fragile
We may seem resilient and unbreakable, but underneath the surface, we are still fragile and susceptible to damage
Not fragile, fragile, fragile
This warning is spoken twice--asserting that, while we may be strong, we should not be underestimated or dismissed as invincible
Not fragile, fragile, fragile
Our underlying fragility is a critical fact that we must keep in mind
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THORNTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind