Blood, Sweat & Tears is a Canadian-American jazz-rock music group originall… Read Full Bio ↴Blood, Sweat & Tears is a Canadian-American jazz-rock music group originally formed in 1967 in New York City by Al Kooper, Jim Fielder, Fred Lipsius, Randy Brecker, Jerry Weiss, Dick Halligan, Steve Katz and Bobby Colomby.

Founder Al Kooper conceived Blood, Sweat and Tears as an experiment in expanding the size and scope of the rock band with touches of jazz , blues , classical , and folk music. When Kooper was forced out of the band soon after its eclectic debut, Child Is Father to the Man, BS&T became increasingly identified as a "jazz-rock" group, although its music was essentially easy-listening rhythm and blues or rock with the addition of brass.

Kooper formed BS&T after leaving the Blues Project in 1967. The nucleus of the original band was Steve Katz, also of the Blues Project; Jim Fielder, who had played with the Mothers of Invention and Buffalo Springfield; and Bobby Colomby, who had drummed behind folksingers Odetta and Eric Andersen. The horn players were recruited from New York jazz and studio bands. Child Is Father featured songs by Harry Nilsson, Tim Buckley, Randy Newman, Gerry Goffin, and Carole King, along with Kooper originals and arrangements by Fred Lipsius for brass, strings, and studio effects. The band nearly broke up when Kooper, Randy Brecker, and Jerry Weiss left (Brecker to join The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra). Regrouping under Katz and Colomby, and fronted by David Clayton-Thomas (who had sung with a Canadian blues band, The Bossmen), BS&T entered a period of immense popularity. Blood, Sweat & Tears featured arrangements of music by French composer Erik Satie and jazz singer Billie Holiday, as well as by Laura Nyro, Steve Winwood, and others. It was the #1 album for seven weeks in 1969, sold over 3 million copies, and spawned three gold singles: “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” “Spinning Wheel,” and “And When I Die,” each of which hit #2.

In 1970 the U.S. State Department sent the band on a goodwill tour of Yugoslavia, Romania, and Poland. Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 duplicated the Blood, Sweat & Tears mix of styles and was almost as popular. The album went to #1, and two singles, “Hi-De-Ho” and “Lucretia MacEvil,” hit the Top 30. But interest in the group began to wane, and 4, which contained almost all original material, barely made the Top 10. In 1971 “Go Down Gamblin’” was its last hit. By the time Clayton-Thomas left for a solo career in 1972, BS&T’s place on the charts had been filled by similarly styled bands such as Chicago, Chase, and Ides of March. Katz left the next year, first to join the short-lived American Flyer and then to an A&R position at Mercury Records.

BS&T became regulars in Las Vegas, with ever-changing personnel recruited largely from big bands like Maynard Ferguson’s, Woody Herman’s, and Doc Severinsen’s. Vocalist Jerry LaCroix appeared between his tenures with Edgar Winter’s White Trash and Rare Earth, while guitarist Mike Stern later played with Miles Davis’ early-’80s band. Clayton-Thomas’ return in 1974 briefly boosted BS&T’s popularity, but Columbia dropped the group, and Colomby, the last original member, left in 1976. He continued to influence BS&T as producer of Brand New Day and, with Clayton-Thomas, as co-owner of the band’s name and catalogue. He then moved on to a career in A&R for several labels, as well as TV reporting. Since 1975 the live act has been billed as Blood, Sweat and Tears Featuring David Clayton-Thomas. [from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001)
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bloodsweatandtears/biography

In late 2005, the band returned to touring. The year 2007 witnessed the band's first world tour in a decade. From 2008 through 2010, Steve Katz returned to appear at BS&T's shows as a special guest.

From 2013 till 2018, Blood Sweat and Tears was fronted by Bo Bice, who was the runner-up against Carrie Underwood in the fourth season of American Idol.

In 2018, the group decided to replace Bice with former Tower of Power singer Tom Bowes, who had previously done a brief stint with BS&T back in July through November 2012.

In 2019 Keith Paluso, from the reality TV show The Voice, was chosen as BS&T's new singer.

House in the Country
Blood Sweat & Tears Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

No need to worry
Folks in a hurry
leave them behind you
no one can find you
House in the country
House in the country
All the relaxin'
Will soon fill the cracks in

Good for your head too
If you are led to
House in the country
House in the country
Green surrounding
Love abounding
You won't find a manhole there
Yes, yes I need you
Come let me feed you
I've never tried to
Come let me hide you
House in the country
House in the country
I have never brought anybody there
Bring your own chair to sleep in
When we arrive, after the drive
Then you can shower, and talk for an hour
Then sleep in your chair

Sleep on the floor there
Don't ask for more there
Sun wakes you up too
Glad you came up to
House in the country
House in the country
La la la la la
House in the country
House in the country

House in the country
House in the country

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Blood Sweat & Tears's "House in the Country" paint a picture of an idyllic haven far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. With lyricism like "no need to worry," "all the relaxin' will soon fill the cracks in," and "green surrounding, love abounding," the song invites the listener to imagine a peaceful existence in the countryside. This serene retreat is described as a place where one can leave their worries behind and bask in nature's beauty without interruption. The chorus repeats the titular phrase, driving home the song's central theme of the healing power of a peaceful home in natural surroundings.

The song also hints at a sense of isolation and secrecy. The phrase "I have never brought anybody there" and the suggestion to "bring your own chair to sleep in" hint at a desire for privacy and a reluctance to share the serene setting with others. There is also a tone of invitation and enticement in the lyrics that suggests a yearning for companionship and someone to share in the joys of an existence devoid of stress.

Overall, "House in the Country" is a hymn to the restorative qualities of a home that is away from the noise of the world, surrounded by the beauty and tranquility of nature.

Line by Line Meaning

No need to worry
Don't worry about anything

Folks in a hurry
People in a rush

leave them behind you
Forget those people and move on

no one can find you
Can be away from everyone and everything

House in the country
A house situated in a rural area

All the relaxin'
Relaxation is all that matters

Will soon fill the cracks in
Will heal your wounds

Good for your head too
Good for your mental health

If you are led to
If you feel inclined

Green surrounding
The surroundings are green

Love abounding
Love is in abundance here