The group first formed in the mind of Tom Scholz, who had long expressed interest in melodic rock and the fine particulars of recording technology. Even as a child, he tinkered with just about anything mechanical or electronic that he could get his hands on. Prior to his musical career, Scholz received both a bachelor's degree, in 1969, and a master's degree, in 1970, in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He then began working for the Polaroid Corporation as a senior product design engineer. Scholz would then reside in Boston.
Creating demos in his own home, inspired by contemporary 70s progressive rock and what came to be known as "album oriented rock" ("aor"), Scholz attracted the interest of Epic Records, who signed Scholz to a recording contract. Vocalist Brad Delp, who was born in Peabody, Massachusetts in 1951 (Scholz is about four years older) to French-Canadian immigrants and was inspired to sing after seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, served as a sort of not-so secret weapon for Scholz's project. Delp's "golden voice" has inspired numerous later rock artists to take up the microphone.
Scholz believed that his demos were good enough to be the released album but Epic told him to rerecord them. Most of the guitar, bass, and keyboards were performed by Scholz, although other players were involved sporadically throughout the recording of the album. Epic did not want the album recorded entirely in Scholz's home as Scholz intended (they suggested using a recording studio), but most of what ended up on the album was ultimately recorded by Scholz in his basement.
'Boston' was first released by Epic Records on August 25, 1976. Few industry insiders thought a guitar-heavy rock record could make much of a dent in the charts as disco ruled the airwaves at the time. The album broke out of Cleveland first, and the following week it had been added at 392 stations. Scholz, then 29, still worked at Polaroid during the first few weeks of the record's success and felt wary, changing his mind when the album quickly sold 200,000 copies. Critical praise also came to the band; for example, Rolling Stone wrote that Boston's "affinity for heavy rock & roll provides a sense of dynamics that coheres magnetically with sophisticated progressive structures."
The album was certified gold just two months after its release, and it sold another 500,000 copies within 30 days, going platinum for the first time in November 1976. With songs that became rock anthems such as the evergreen "More Than a Feeling", 'Boston' is the second best-selling debut album of all time in the United States, falling just short of Guns N' Roses' 'Appetite for Destruction'. Many critics have named it as one of the best American albums of all time. Its popularity was not only huge, but also durable: into the 2000s it was believed to be the only 1970s album that still had every single track in regular rotation on classic rock radio.
With a touring unit coming together around the line-up of Barry Goudreau, Tom Scholz, Sib Hashian, Brad Delp, and Fran Sheehan, the band played to a wide variety of crowds big and small, receiving strong fan support. Feeling an essentially unbearable amount of pressure to come up with another commercial mega-hit, Scholz still desired to experiment with his sound and had a growing sense of perfectionism. 'Don't Look Back' came out on August 2, 1978, viewed by Scholz as a hurried effort but picking up widespread success. It's been certified as multi-platinum, and its title track has become a classic rock staple.
Acrimonious fighting with label Epic Records, which soon became a long, drawn-out legal fight, left the future of the band stalled. Their next work, 'Third Stage' , came out in September 23, 1986, quite a while after their sophomore work. Bad luck and ill-will seemed to trail the group, with floods and power failures halting many studio sessions. Still, the album went to #1 on the Billboard 200, where it stayed for four weeks.
In addition, 'Third Stage' was only the second album to ever be certified triple-platinum in its first month of release, in November of 1986. As stated before, the first was Lionel Richie's 'Dancing On The Ceiling', which did it one month earlier. Nonetheless, Boston seemed to have gotten stuck.
On March 9th, 2007, Brad Delp (vocals) committed suicide at his home in Atkinson, New Hampshire. He was 55. Delp sang all the lead and harmony vocals on Boston's first three albums. Though well known for his "golden" voice with soaring vocals and range, Delp was also a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, harmonica and keyboards. Additionally he wrote or co-wrote several songs for Boston and many other artists.
More than 10 years in the making, Boston came out with a new studio album, "Life, Love & Hope" in 2013. Founding member, Tom Scholz stated, "These are songs from the heart, each of them taking many months of effort to write, arrange, perform and record, always up to the demands of Boston's harshest critic, me. They have all been meticulously recorded to analog tape on the same machines and equipment used for Boston's hits for the past 35 years."
The band, with Scholz and a new lineup, toured extensively in 2016-2017.
Boston's web site is at www.bandboston.com
Don't Be Afraid
Boston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Been thinkin' you should hide away
Girl I think it's wrong
You just try to be strong now babe
Listen to what I've got to say
I know the feelin' that you feel today
But don't be afraid of love
Love
Love
Love
Oh oh oh
Love
Love
Love
Love
Oh oh oh
Tell you how I feel about you
Tell you what you want to hear
Tell you that it's true
But it's all up to you now babe
Don't let your love disappear
Hey
Can't believe that I'll be stayin' here
But don't be afraid of love
Love
Love
Love
Oh oh oh
Love
Love
Love
Love
Oh oh oh
Alright
Alright now listen here
Baby don't you know good love is hard to find
Don't you think I know what's runnin' through your mind
One man left you cryin' so you shut the door
Just let me inside that's what my love is for
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Tell you how I feel about you
Tell you what you want to hear
Tell you that it's true
But it's all up to you now babe
Don't let your love fade away
Can't you believe that I'll be here to stay
But don't be afraid of love
Love
Love
Love
Oh oh oh
Love
Love
Love
Love
Oh oh oh
Love
Love
Love
Love
Oh oh oh
Love
Love
Love
Love
Hey
Alright
Boston's song Don't be afraid is a classic rock ballad that offers listeners hope and reassurance about love. The song opens with a verse that addresses those who may be experiencing heartbreak over a lost love, telling them that they shouldn't hide away or feel ashamed or afraid. The main point of the song is to encourage people to embrace love and all the good things it can bring, even after experiencing pain or disappointment from previous relationships. The chorus repeats the word "Love" over and over again with a catchy melody that is easy to sing along to. The second verse is more assertive, with the singer telling the listener that he knows what she needs to hear and that his love is genuine.
The song's lyrics offer a few important takeaways for listeners. First, it's okay to feel hurt or disappointed by love, but that doesn't mean you should give up on it entirely. Second, there are people out there who are willing and able to offer genuine love and support, and it's important to keep an open mind and heart so you can find them. Finally, the song reminds us that love is one of the most powerful and positive forces in life, and that it's worth pursuing even if it doesn't always come easily.
Overall, Boston's Don't Be Afraid is a catchy and uplifting song that encourages listeners to take a chance on love and not be afraid of the risks that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Now if you're thinkin' 'bout a love that's left ya
If you're dwelling on past failed relationships
Been thinkin' you should hide away
Considering avoiding relationships altogether
Girl I think it's wrong
I disagree with you
You just try to be strong now babe
Don't give up or let past experiences define you
Listen to what I've got to say
Hear me out
I know the feelin' that you feel today
I understand how you're feeling
But don't be afraid of love
Don't let fear keep you from love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Tell you how I feel about you
Sharing my feelings with you
Tell you what you want to hear
Telling you what you expect to hear
Tell you that it's true
Assuring you of my sincerity
But it's all up to you now babe
The decision is yours
Don't let your love disappear
Don't let your feelings end
Hey
Hey
Can't believe that I'll be stayin' here
I'll be here for you
Alright
Alright
Alright now listen here
Let me speak
Baby don't you know good love is hard to find
Good love is rare
Don't you think I know what's runnin' through your mind
I understand your thoughts
One man left you cryin' so you shut the door
You were hurt by one person and closed yourself off
Just let me inside that's what my love is for
Let me show you my love
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Don't let your love fade away
Don't let your feelings wane
Can't you believe that I'll be here to stay
I'll be here for the long haul
But don't be afraid of love
Don't be scared of love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Hey
Hey
Alright
Alright
Lyrics © UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUB GROUP
Written by: T. SCHOLZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maria Diaz
Now if you're thinkin' 'bout a love that left you
Thinkin' you should hide away
Girl I think it's wrong
You just try to be strong now babe
Listen to what I've got to say
I know the feelin' that you feel today
But don't be afraid of love
Tell you how I feel about you
Tell you what you want to hear
Tell you that it's true
But it's all up to you now babe
Don't let your love disappear
Can't believe that I'll be stayin' here
But don't be afraid of love
Baby don't you know good love is hard to find
Don't you think I know what's goin' through your mind
One man left you cryin' so you shut the door
Just let me inside that's what my love is for
Tell you how I feel about you
Tell you what you want to hear
Tell you that it's true
But it's all up to you now babe
Don't let your love fade away
Can't you believe that I'll be here to stay
But don't be afraid of love
yeshie
This album (and the first) are probably the only albums that I could put them both on and listen to all of tracks without wanting to skip a single one.
Purgatory Boy
such an underrated song
Lejon Brames
god I wish these guys made about 10 more albums like this and their first one
dante segovia
Impresionante intro de guitarras!!! y sigue con una calidad de lo mejor!
James P
This is like the best album ever. I feel like doing ninja kicks.
Ryan Ward
this and the first boston album are by far the best two albums ive ever heard
DBKetch
Anyone who thumbs down any Boston song surely does not know real rock music
Gary Brice
This song and this whole album SHREDS!!
Geo Mora
Marvelous, ageless músic, true talent.
Martin Whalley
Top shelf rock. RIP Brad Delp. I grew up with their first 3 albums. Don't look back, Hitch a ride and It's Easy are my top 3 faves.