He has been active in the 00s and since, touring both as a single artist and as a member of the rotating supergroup 'Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band'. Before fronting the band titled in his name, Squire was the frontman of the power pop group Piper. Said band had some underground fame in the 70s before Squire left for bigger things.
Squier started off his solo career with May 1980's 'The Tale of the Tape'. Although a commercial breakthrough eluded him, the release spent three months on Billboard's album chart and gained a large fan response. Working with songwriter impresario Desmond Child and Kiss co-guitarist Bruce Kulick, his album also brought him praising critical reviews, noting his talent for meeting catchy pop hooks with aggressive guitars and vocals.
His 1981 follow-up, 'Don't Say No', shot his career into the stratosphere. It hit the Top Five on the Billboard album chart and remained on the chart for over two years (a total of 111 weeks). Getting RIAA certified as triple-platinum, singles such as "Lonely Is The Night" and "The Stroke" became staples of arena rock radio. His music from this album has popped up in variety of places such as in the comedy film 'Blades of Glory' and in the popular Guitar Hero video game series.
Squier's third album, 'Emotions in Motion', also picked up both critical praise, with Allmusic calling it a "slice of AOR heaven", and commercial acclaim. The album itself peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 chart while singles such as "Everybody Wants You" and "Learn How To Live" achieved top 40 rock stardom. Squier also achieved notability both for his album cover, devised by famous artist Andy Warhol, and for his popular music videos, played often on MTV.
Massively successful touring with artists such as Queen had Squier labeled as one of the best hard rock artists of the decade. Still, 'what goes up, must come down', as the saying goes, and his next album would spell his downfall. 1984's 'Signs of Life' came out with initial good press, viewed as perhaps lacking the rock crunch of his previous affairs but still involving some catchy tunes. Single "Rock Me Tonite", released in June 1984 as the lead single, became his highest charting U.S. song, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hitting the Top 10 on the Cash Box singles chart. It also returned him to #1 on the Top Rock Tracks chart in August of 1984.
Nevertheless, the music video for the song was the beginning of the end for this part of Squier's career. Popularly regarded as one of the worst ever music videos ever made, if not the worst, it shows Squier putting on a pink tank top and making effeminate dance moves around a bed with pastel-colored satin sheets while badly miming to the song, rolling around on the floor in several parts. Many viewers who saw it thought that it depicted the singer on drugs or pretending to be flamboyantly gay. It was directed by Kenny Ortega, who was the third director to be considered for the job.
After an acrimonious break from his label and also making other changes, Squier re-grouped and released 'Enough Is Enough' on September 27, 1986. Signed to Capitol Records, he achieved some success, with the album having peaked at #61 on the Billboard album chart, but failed to meet expectations. Some critics charged that the stress that he had been put under took its toll on his songwriting. Future releases over the next few years failed to change things as his popularity slid downwards, and he ultimately quit the music industry for several years in the 90s.
As stated before, he has been active in the 00s and since, touring both as a single artist and as a member of the rotating supergroup 'Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band'. More recently, a few live albums have come out featuring his music. He also has had several low-key tours.
Break the Silence
Billy Squier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The world in changes got you under the knife
It don't turn easy...no matter what you say
You go 'round crazy...you throw it all away
Lost in action...torn and tired
Cool talkin' when your face is on fire
Scarred romances...cast away
Break the silence
Send a message...a message of love
Lost through the ages back in your mind
You know what's yours...can you tell me what's mine
Old man trouble come knockin' at your door
He run you in circles...throw you down on the floor
Crimes of passion...paranoid
Showdown...now it's search and destroy
Close relations...bound and gagged
Share the news...don't turn away
Break the silence
Send a message...a message of love
Heads and shoulders...ball and chain
Don't charge me when I try to explain
Reputations...modern jivers
Gentle souls...all break the silence
Break the silence
Send a message...a message of love
In Billy Squier's song Break The Silence, the lyrics urge us to look back through our lives and recognize the changes the world has gone through, which seem to have put us under the knife. The song suggests that it is tough to adapt to the changing world, no matter what people say. The singer of the song seems to be going through a tough time in his life, which has scarred his romances and made him feel cast away. The lyrics suggest that the singer is lost in action, and despite his talk, his face is on fire. Furthermore, the lyrics suggest that he is rolling stoned and throwing everything away.
The lyrics further suggest that in this tough time, where we are shown no mercy by the world, it is essential to break the silence and send a message of love to the world. The song talks about how crimes of passion and paranoia can lead to one being cast away, and close relations can lead to being bound and gagged. Thus, the song urges us to break the silence and share the news with the world. The lyrics suggest that we should not turn away from this change and instead embrace it by sending a message of love, which is the only way to break the silence.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn through the pages back in your life
Look back on your past experiences
The world in changes got you under the knife
You feel like the world is changing too fast and is having a negative impact on you
It don't turn easy...no matter what you say
Things aren't going to change quickly, no matter what you do or say
You go 'round crazy...you throw it all away
You're acting irrational and self-destructive
Lost in action...torn and tired
Feeling overwhelmed and exhausted
Cool talkin' when your face is on fire
Acting like everything's okay when you're really struggling
Scarred romances...cast away
Failed relationships that you've moved on from
Rollin' stoned...don't turn away
Ignoring your problems won't solve them
Break the silence
Speak up and take action
Send a message...a message of love
Take action with kindness and compassion
Lost through the ages back in your mind
Memories from the past resurface
You know what's yours...can you tell me what's mine
You know your own experiences, but can't fully understand someone else's without communicating
Old man trouble come knockin' at your door
Problems arise
He run you in circles...throw you down on the floor
Problems can be overwhelming and knock you down
Crimes of passion...paranoid
Love can lead to irrational actions and thoughts
Showdown...now it's search and destroy
A confrontation or conflict has escalated to a point of destruction
Close relations...bound and gagged
Feeling restricted or confined by those closest to you
Share the news...don't turn away
Communicate with others and don't ignore problems
Heads and shoulders...ball and chain
Feeling trapped by a situation or responsibility
Don't charge me when I try to explain
Don't judge me when I'm trying to communicate and be honest
Reputations...modern jivers
People care too much about their image and can be fake or dishonest
Gentle souls...all break the silence
Even the kindest, quietest people can speak up and take action when necessary
Break the silence
Take action and speak up
Send a message...a message of love
Take action with kindness and compassion
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Written by: BILLY SQUIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind