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
Hitch A Ride
Boston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Smoke, like water, runs inside
Steel idle trees to pity
Every living thing that's died
Gonna hitch a ride
Head for the other side
Leave it all behind
Gonna sail away
Sun lights another day
Freedom on my mind
Carry me away for the last time
Oh yeah
Life is like the coldest winter
People freeze the tears I cry
Words of hail their minds are into
I've got to crack this ice and fly
Gonna hitch a ride
Head for the other side
Leave it all behind
Never change my mind
Gonna sail away
Sun lights another day
Freedom on my mind
Carry me away for the last time
Gonna hitch a ride
Head for the other side
Leave it all behind
Never change my mind
Gonna sail away
Sun lights another day
Freedom on my mind
Carry me away for the last time
The lyrics to Boston's "Hitch A Ride" are about leaving behind the darkness and negativity of city life and seeking freedom and light. The first verse describes the bleakness of New York City, with its polluted air and empty streets. The singer is filled with pity for all the living things that have died in this environment. However, instead of succumbing to this darkness, the singer decides to leave it all behind and "hitch a ride" to the "other side." The second verse continues this theme, comparing life to "the coldest winter" and people to ice that must be cracked. The singer must break free from this frozen state and "fly" to find true freedom.
The chorus repeats the idea of leaving everything behind and sailing away to a new and better life. The sun represents the hope and light that the singer is seeking, and this freedom is always on their mind. The lyrics carry a message of personal empowerment and the desire to break free from constraints and find something better.
Overall, "Hitch A Ride" is a song about seeking freedom and breaking free from negativity. The lyrics are about leaving behind the darkness of the city and finding a better life, symbolized by the light of the sun. The message is one of personal empowerment and the desire to break free from constraints and find something better.
Line by Line Meaning
Day is night in New York City
The city is full of darkness, confusion, and chaos that makes everything seem confusing and challenging.
Smoke, like water, runs inside
The pollution, cigarette smoke, and smog in the city are so dense that they seem to flow like water and are inescapable.
Steel idle trees to pity
The city is full of tall, gray buildings that make it feel dead and lifeless, making one feel sorry for everything that has to exist in such an environment.
Every living thing that's died
The city atmosphere is so toxic that everything living struggles to survive and any existing beauty is fading away.
Gonna hitch a ride
The singer is eager to get out of the toxic and chaotic city environment by catching a ride with someone who is leaving.
Head for the other side
The singer is looking to escape to the opposite side of the environment, probably a more refreshing and life-supporting location far away from the city.
Leave it all behind
The singer is looking to leave everything that has been damaging behind in the hope of starting fresh in a healthier place.
Never change my mind
The singer is determined to make this move and is not backing down or second-guessing this decision.
Gonna sail away
The singer wants to travel by boat, perhaps to a nearby destination or to a further place, with the hope of growing as an individual and improving their situation.
Sun lights another day
The new environment that the singer hopes to arrive in has a hopeful and brighter outlook for them, letting the sun light up a new day.
Freedom on my mind
The singer feels trapped and restricted by their current situation, and the thought of being free is the driving force behind their decision to make the move.
Carry me away for the last time
The singer is not planning on returning to the same environment and this move is intended to be final
Life is like the coldest winter
The singer likens their life to the harsh and cold aspect of winter, something to be then endured and hopefully rose out of.
People freeze the tears I cry
Others would rather ignore and disregard the difficulties the singer faces, appearing to be cold-hearted towards them.
Words of hail their minds are into
The people the singer has to interact with feel like their words are begrudgingly stabbing, icy hail, further adding to the harshness of the situation.
I've got to crack this ice and fly
The singer is determined to break free from their situation and rise like a bird that breaks free from a layer of ice, to make a go at rising above the life they have known.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: T. SCHOLZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@garygleeson4683
I'm 63 yes old, had a heart attack last Monday. And had 2 stints put into my ❤. Was released from hosp last Thursday and readmitted last Friday. Went into ❤ failure Monday morning. To make a long story short, when I was feeling close to the end, I pulled up this song and played it as loud as I could because I was ready to head for the other side. I could vision myself swiftly moving through the clouds towards my final destination on the purest of sunlight beyond belief. My daughter has strict orders to play this song at my funeral and for nobody to cry for me. But be happy for me that I'm on my way home. JAMMIN!!! BOSTON ROCKS
@hsyb2286
Hope you’re well. I would like a version of this played at mine too. ❤
@dallisb1047
Nice story my guy. I am 56. Triple bypass in August 23. Lots of complications afterwards. I am doing better now. I am so thankful for the Internet and earbuds. Music soothes my soul. May peace and good health be apon you.
@John-zp9mw
Hope your all ok!
@cjo2007camhyb
The other side?? You need to know Jesus.....otherwise the other side may be your worst nightmare that will last for eternity ❤
@86luisex
May god bless u and ur family and keep u around longer!!! Just by reading this i can tell ur a down to earth guy and i have faith ull get through it 👍🏻💪🏽
@mikefiorentini3050
My father just passed away and listening to this song gives me the strength to carry on....Love you always dad.
@Peanutfarmer
I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my hero as well, and miss him everyday!
@anthonybelliveau6572
MUCH love BROTHER
@mikeshaffer4912
My condolences and much love to you at your father's passing.