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.
River
Billy Squier Lyrics
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It's comin' on twilight, and all the world's at ease
They're pullin' down the curtains, sailin' off to sweet release
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
But me I'm not so quiet - I'm restless and I'm mean
I won't let you know I'm bleedin', that I'm crawlin on my knees
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
I wish I had a river I could skate away on
I made my baby cry
I tried hard to help her, let her do as she pleased
And I loved her so naughty - made her weak in the knees
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
We're so hard to handle - we're selfish and we're sad
And we throw away those precious things we work so hard to have
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so deep I would swim away from time
I wish I had a river I could skate away on
Do we have to say goodbye
It's comin' on daybreak, and everyone's at peace
They're dreamin' bout deliverance from the wounds that will not cease
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
But me I'm not so lucky - I'm anxious and I'm lean
I've made a tone of money but I can't buy out this scene
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long I would teach my feet to fly
I wish I had a river I skate away on
I have to say goodbye
The lyrics of Billy Squier's song River paint a picture of restlessness and longing for escape. Squier wishes for a river he could skate away on, a way to leave the stresses and pain of life behind. He acknowledges his own restlessness and meanness, but he resists showing vulnerability by hiding his bleeding and crawling on his knees. Despite this, he longs for a way out, a river long enough to teach his feet to fly, so he can leave it all behind. He reflects on a failed relationship, where he loved the woman so naughty and made her weak in the knees, but ultimately made her cry. He wishes they could handle things better and not throw away the precious things they worked so hard to have. As the dawn approaches and everyone else is at peace, Squier laments his own anxious and lean state, despite having made a ton of money. He still wishes for that river, that escape from the scene he can't buy his way out of.
The song addresses universal themes of restlessness, longing, and the desire to escape, all set to a haunting melody that perfectly complements the lyrics. The river serves as both a symbol of escape and a reminder of the power of nature that we cannot control. Squier's lyrics are masterfully crafted, with vivid imagery and emotional honesty that allows listeners to connect with his words.
Line by Line Meaning
It's comin' on twilight, and all the world's at ease
The evening is approaching, and everything seems to be peaceful
They're pullin' down the curtains, sailin' off to sweet release
People are closing the curtains in their homes and leaving for a peaceful night's sleep
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
The singer wishes for an escape from their current situation
But me I'm not so quiet - I'm restless and I'm mean
The artist is not calm and peaceful, but instead agitated and aggressive
I won't let you know I'm bleedin', that I'm crawlin on my knees
The artist is suffering and in pain, but they are hiding it from others
I wish I had a river so long I would teach my feet to fly
The singer wishes for a way to escape and start fresh
I made my baby cry
The singer caused emotional distress for their significant other
I tried hard to help her, let her do as she pleased
The artist attempted to be supportive of their significant other's decisions
And I loved her so naughty - made her weak in the knees
The artist was in a passionate and intense romantic relationship with their significant other
We're so hard to handle - we're selfish and we're sad
People can be difficult to manage due to selfishness and emotional pain
And we throw away those precious things we work so hard to have
People often don't appreciate the valuable things they have and discard them
I wish I had a river so deep I would swim away from time
The artist wishes for an escape from the passage of time and its associated problems
Do we have to say goodbye
The singer is questioning the inevitability of parting ways
It's comin' on daybreak, and everyone's at peace
Morning is approaching, and everyone is peaceful
They're dreamin' bout deliverance from the wounds that will not cease
People are hoping to be freed from long-lasting emotional pain
But me I'm not so lucky - I'm anxious and I'm lean
The artist is not fortunate and is in a state of anxiety and nervousness
I've made a tone of money but I can't buy out this scene
The artist has had financial success, but their current situation cannot be solved with money
I wish I had a river so long I would teach my feet to fly
The singer reiterates their desire for a fresh start and escape from their troubles
I have to say goodbye
The singer has come to terms with the inevitability of parting ways
Contributed by Sydney O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.