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/
Hey You
Bachman-Turner Overdrive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's alright, with me there's no regret
It's my turn, the circle game has brought me here
And I won't let down 'til every song is set
You realize now
You should have tried now, ooh
The music's gone now
You lost it somehow
Hey you, sha-la-la-la
Hey you, sha-la-la-la
Whoo, sha-la-la-la
Whoo, sha-la-la-la
Hey you, you say the race is much too fast
It's okay, with me I'm keeping pace
It's my game, the music is inside my head
For every one on top there's one who can't replace
You realize now
You should have tried now, ooh,ooh
The music's gone now, you'll find out
You lost it somehow
Hey you, sha-la-la-la
Hey you, sha-la-la-la
Whoo, sha-la-la-la
Whoo, sha-la-la-la
You realize now, ooh
You should have tried now, ooh
The music's gone now
You lost it somehow
Hey you, hey you, sha-la-la-la
Hey you, sha-la-la-la
Whoo, sha-la-la-la
Whoo, sha-la-la-la
Sha-la-la-la, hey you, hey you, hey you (whoo)
Sha-la-la-la, ba-ba-ba-baby it's true, babe (whoo)
Sha-la-la-la, no time, no time left, no time (whoo)
Sha-la-la-la, don't let me down, don't let me down (whoo)
Sha-la-la-la, you gotta learn to take it easy, baby (whoo)
Sha-la-la-la, music's over, it's over (whoo)
Sha-la-la-la, too late, too late (whoo)
Sha-la-la-la, I should have realized it a lot sooner than this (whoo)
Sha-la-la-la, hey you
In "Hey You," Bachman-Turner Overdrive sings about the singer's determination to pursue their music career and their aspirations to change the world through it. The singer says that they have no regrets about their choice and will continue to strive until every song is perfect. But the lyrics also suggest that time is running out, and the singer has lost some of the music's magic. The song encourages the listener not to give up despite the odds or the pressure to conform, and as the chorus repeats the phrase "Hey you," the singer is urging the listener to take note of their message.
In the verses, the lyrics make use of the circle game metaphor, which suggests that everything is connected like a circle where everything comes back around. The singer sees that the circle has brought them to their current position and that it is their turn to take up the mantle of being a musician. Their resolve is unbreakable, as indicated by the line "And I won't let down 'til every song is set," even though they know the music industry is cutthroat competition. The "Sha-la-la-la" in the background vocals is added for emphasis and offers a sense of positivity and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey you, you say you want to change the world
You're expressing your desire to make the world a better place
It's alright, with me there's no regret
I have no objections, and I don't regret anything
It's my turn, the circle game has brought me here
I feel like it's my moment to shine, and life has led me to this point
And I won't let down 'til every song is set
I'm committed to achieving my goals and won't stop until I've accomplished them all
You realize now
You finally understand
You should have tried now, ooh
You should've made an effort earlier
The music's gone now
The magic is lost
You lost it somehow
You've somehow messed it up
Hey you, you say the race is much too fast
You feel overwhelmed by the pace of life
It's okay, with me I'm keeping pace
I'm able to keep up and stay on track
It's my game, the music is inside my head
I'm in control, and I have a vision for where I want to go with my music
For every one on top there's one who can't replace
There are always those who succeed and those who don't in the music industry
Sha-la-la-la, hey you, hey you, hey you (whoo)
A series of repeated meaningless sounds
Ba-ba-ba-baby it's true, babe (whoo)
Another repeated meaningless sound
No time, no time left, no time (whoo)
I'm running out of time to achieve my goals
Don't let me down, don't let me down (whoo)
I'm counting on you to support me and not disappoint me
You gotta learn to take it easy, baby (whoo)
You need to learn to relax and not stress out so much
Music's over, it's over (whoo)
The music scene has changed, and my time has passed
Too late, too late (whoo)
It's too late to do anything now
I should have realized it a lot sooner than this (whoo)
I should've been aware of this earlier
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Randolf Charles Bachman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind