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/
Second Hand
Bachman-Turner Overdrive Lyrics
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But I feel a change blowin' in the wind
Everythin's filled with confusion
So let's start the world over again
And get it second hand, slightly used, soiled
Get it second hand, carelessly abused, spoiled
I see you're looking to find new horizons
And somebody else has been asunder
The sunshine has wilted and crawls?
I'll get it second hand, I'm dazed and confused
Turn back the second hand, I pay all my dues
I got rid of my dues and I'm all fixed up
Watch me talk about it, wooo
Second hand, yeah used, second hand
I got it second hand, all used up
Second hand
Second hand
The lyrics of Bachman-Turner Overdrive's song Second Hand describe a feeling of uncertainty and confusion that the world seems to be experiencing. The singer suggests that starting over again might be the solution, but not with brand new things. Instead, they suggest getting everything "second hand" - slightly used, soiled, carelessly abused, and spoiled. The second verse implies that searching for something new and fresh might not be the solution to the confusion, as someone else has been there before, and the sunshine has wilted. The singer decides to "turn back the second hand" and pay their dues, implying that they are willing to take responsibility for their mistakes and possibly learn from them.
The meaning of the lyrics can be interpreted in different ways. It could be a commentary on the consumerist culture, suggesting that we don't always need brand new things to be happy. We could also interpret the lyrics as referring to the feeling of déjà vu, the sensation that we have been here before, and that what is happening now has already happened in the past. The message might be that we should embrace the past in order to move forward, and that there is value in the experiences we have already had.
Line by Line Meaning
No reason to get excited
There's nothing noteworthy happening at the moment
But I feel a change blowin' in the wind
But I have a sense that something is about to change in the near future
Everythin's filled with confusion
Everything seems like it's in chaos or disorder
So let's start the world over again
Let's reset everything and begin anew
And get it second hand, slightly used, soiled
Let's acquire things that have already been used or are less than perfect
Get it second hand, carelessly abused, spoiled
Acquire things that may have been mistreated or damaged
I see you're looking to find new horizons
You seem to be searching for something different or better
But there are footsteps everywhere you go
But it seems like someone has already been down the path you're exploring
And somebody else has been asunder
And someone else has already experienced a similar and difficult situation
The sunshine has wilted and crawls?
The optimistic outlook has faded to something less hopeful
I'll get it second hand, I'm dazed and confused
I'll acquire it after someone else has used it, even though I'm unsure of what's going on
Turn back the second hand, I pay all my dues
I'll go back in time and pay off my debts if I could
I got rid of my dues and I'm all fixed up
I paid off what I owed and I'm feeling better now
Watch me talk about it, wooo
I'm excited to share my experience and thoughts on this
Second hand, yeah used, second hand
Referring to acquiring things that have already been used
I got it second hand, all used up
Referring to acquiring something that has been completely used or exhausted
Second hand
Referring to acquiring things that have already been used
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BACHMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind