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/
Jamaica
Bachman-Turner Overdrive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When will the sun begin to shine
When will I once again be near to you
When will I know for sure you're mine
Dreaming of those Jamaican nights
Longing to hold you
Jamaica take me away
Jamaica, I'm wasting away
Take me away with you
Jamaica take me away
Take me away with you
Jamaica, I'm wasting away
Take me away with you
When will these dark days disappear again
When will I finally see the light
How long must I wait
To have you here my friend
I want to be with you tonight
Dreaming of those Jamaican nights
Longing to hold you
Jamaica take me away
Take me away with you
Jamaica, I'm wasting away
Take me away with you
Jamaica take me away
Take me away with you
Jamaica, I'm wasting away
Take me away with you
The lyrics to Bachman-Turner Overdrive's song "Jamaica" express an intense emotional longing for a distant lover. The opening lines set the tone by expressing a sense of despair and impatience, as the singer asks when the "dark clouds" will disappear and the "sun" will shine again. The first verse goes on to express the singer's deep desire to be reunited with their beloved.
However, the chorus reveals that the true object of the singer's desire is not just the person they long for, but also a specific time and place - Jamaica. The chorus describes the singer "dreaming of those Jamaican nights" and "longing to hold" their lover there. The repeated refrain of "take me away with you" emphasizes the singer's desire to escape to Jamaica, as if it is the only place where they can be truly happy.
The second verse continues in the same vein as the first, with the singer expressing frustration at the "dark days" that obscure their vision and the perceived distance between themselves and their lover. The closing lines reiterate the singer's intense longing for their lover, expressing the desire to be with them "tonight."
Overall, the lyrics to "Jamaica" communicate a sense of yearning and romantic longing that is heightened by the song's upbeat, driving rhythm and catchy melody. The specificity of the setting - Jamaica - adds an exotic, escapist element to the song, and the repeated refrain of "take me away with you" reinforces the sense of desperation and the singer's desire for escape.
Line by Line Meaning
When will these dark clouds disappear from view
When will the problems in my life go away and things become clear
When will the sun begin to shine
When will things start looking up for me
When will I once again be near to you
When will I be able to be with the person I love
When will I know for sure you're mine
When will I have complete confidence that the person I love loves me back
Dreaming of those Jamaican nights
Thinking back on happier times when everything was idyllic
Longing to hold you
Wanting to be close to the person he loves
Jamaica take me away
The singer wants to escape from his problems, imagining a better life in Jamaica
Jamaica, I'm wasting away
He feels trapped, and is struggling to survive day to day
Take me away with you
Desperately wanting to leave his current situation
When will these dark days disappear again
When will things improve and he can see a brighter future ahead
When will I finally see the light
When will he be able to see more clearly and solve his problems
How long must I wait
How much longer will he have to suffer before things get better
To have you here my friend
Wanting to be reunited with the person he loves
I want to be with you tonight
Longing to spend time with the person he loves, and escape his problems
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES DOUGLAS VALLANCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind