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.
Rock Me Tonight
Billy Squier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna find me some trouble - gonna grab my share
I want ya tonite - I want ya with me
Make me guilty of love in the first degree
You want it all right... we're goin' in style
Say you walk right - you talk right - and your hair's so wild
Snow-white - hey that's not what I mean
Moonlight in the city brings the magic to your eyes
Freezin' a moment - leave me paralyzed
Breathe an emotion - set it dancin' in my ear
Bring on the rhythm when I hold you near
[Chorus]
Take me in your arms - roll me through the night
Take me to your heart - rock me tonight
You do it all right - you're passion to see
You been schooled in the art of romancin' me
Hold tight - you're in for a ride
Can you feel the blood poundin' way down inside
No one's stoppin' us now -
We go down, down where the music's loud
If it's all night - hey that's all right by me
Go and play on my love - play it all for me
Life's never easy - we can make it if we try
Takin' our chances - face 'em side by side
Live for the moment - on that we can agree
Come and take me where I long to be
[Chorus]
A time for all... and all in time
To slip beyond the border line
Of who we are and where we long to be...
When every night you hear the sound
Of wakin' up and breakin' down
You find a chance and heave it all away
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Billy Squier's song "Rock Me Tonight" are about the desire for love, passion, and excitement. The singer expresses his desire to walk on air and find trouble. He wants to be guilty of love in the first degree and wants to experience everything in style. He is attracted to his partner's wild hair and free spirit. The moonlight in the city adds magic to their encounters, and the singer wants to be held close while he feels the rhythm of the night. He wants to be taken to his partner's heart, rolled through the night, and rocked.
The chorus emphasizes the passion and excitement between two lovers, and how they can stay united despite life's difficulties. The lyrics describe how they can take risks and live for the moment, slipping beyond the border lines of who they are and where they want to be. The song's overall theme is about seizing the moment, enjoying the excitement of life, and finding passion in the most unlikely places.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm rockin' tonite - I'm walkin' on air
I'm feeling great tonight and light on my feet
Gonna find me some trouble - gonna grab my share
I'm looking for excitement and I won't shy away from it
I want ya tonite - I want ya with me
I desire your company tonight
Make me guilty of love in the first degree
Let me love you passionately and without shame
You want it all right... we're goin' in style
You want it to be perfect, so let's enjoy it fully
Say you walk right - you talk right - and your hair's so wild
You have all the qualities I desire and you look great
Snow-white - hey that's not what I mean
I didn't mean that literally, but you're still beautiful
We go down in the shadows and crawl between
We'll sneak away and have some private time together
Moonlight in the city brings the magic to your eyes
The city at night looks enchanting and you're captivated
Freezin' a moment - leave me paralyzed
This moment is so perfect that I'm momentarily stunned
Breathe an emotion - set it dancin' in my ear
Express your feelings to me and let me hear them
Bring on the rhythm when I hold you near
Let's dance close and feel the music in our bodies
Take me in your arms - roll me through the night
Hold me tight and let's enjoy the night together
Take me to your heart - rock me tonight
Let's be close and share our love for each other
You do it all right - you're passion to see
You're doing everything perfectly, and I'm enchanted
You been schooled in the art of romancin' me
You know how to make me feel loved and appreciated
Hold tight - you're in for a ride
Hang on tight, things are about to get wild
Can you feel the blood poundin' way down inside
I'm so excited that I feel it in every part of my body
No one's stoppin' us now -
No one can stand in the way of our love
We go down, down where the music's loud
Let's find a place where we can dance to loud music
If it's all night - hey that's all right by me
I'm up for a night-long adventure with you
Go and play on my love - play it all for me
Express your love for me and I'll love it
Life's never easy - we can make it if we try
Life can be tough, but we can overcome it together
Takin' our chances - face 'em side by side
Let's take risks together and face any challenge as a team
Live for the moment - on that we can agree
Let's enjoy the present and not worry about the future
Come and take me where I long to be
Take me to a place where I feel most at home
A time for all... and all in time
There's a time for everything, and everything in its time
To slip beyond the border line
To take a risk and cross a boundary
Of who we are and where we long to be...
Of discovering who we truly are and where we belong
When every night you hear the sound
When every night you feel the same way
Of wakin' up and breakin' down
Of feeling both energized and fatigued
You find a chance and heave it all away
You take a chance and let everything else go
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CURTIS BALDWIN, KIYAMMA R GRIFFIN, IKE LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind