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
Life Love & Hope
Boston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They say they're looking out for you, but you know they won't
Can't you see I believe I'm living on faith
On my knees, and I can see the promise I can make
And life has taken me so far from shore
And I, I'm breaking free, I see what life is for
You take a little time for love but don't give in
Can't you see I survive just living on faith
On my knees but I'll arrive, and stand by your side
'Cause love has taken me, it's opened the door
And I, I'm breaking free, I see what love is for
Oh, I see what love is for
And I'm not afraid anymore
People searching for the truth they can't find
And everybody looks at you, but they're so blind
They're all lining up behind a door, they can't get in
They send another soul to war, it's such a sin
Can't you see I survive just living on faith?
On my knees but I'll arrive to stand by your side
And hope has taken me, it's opened the door
And I, I'm breaking free, I see what hope is for
I see what hope is for
No I'm not afraid anymore
The lyrics to Boston's song Life Love & Hope are a reflection of the struggle and perseverance required to maintain a positive outlook on life. The opening lines, "Everybody says they do, but you know they don't, They say they're looking out for you, but you know they won't", speak to the idea that while people may claim to have your best interests at heart, ultimately it is up to you to believe in yourself and live your life according to your own values. The repetition of the phrase "living on faith" emphasizes the importance of holding on to hope and staying true to oneself in the face of adversity.
The lyrics also touch on the theme of love, with the line "You take a little time for love but don't give in, And never open up the door, how can you win?" suggesting that vulnerability and openness are necessary for true connection and fulfillment in life. The final verse speaks to the larger societal issues of war and blindness to the truth, but maintains the message of hope and perseverance: "Can't you see I survive just living on faith? On my knees but I'll arrive to stand by your side, And hope has taken me, it's opened the door, And I, I'm breaking free, I see what hope is for, I see what hope is for, No I'm not afraid anymore".
Overall, the lyrics to Boston's Life Love & Hope encourage listeners to hold on to hope and faith, stay true to oneself and one's values, and remain open to love and connection with others. The song provides a message of resilience and perseverance in the face of a world that can often feel chaotic and uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody says they do, but you know they don't
People often say they look out for one another, but they don't always follow through on their words.
They say they're looking out for you, but you know they won't
Individuals talk about concern for others, but they lack the willingness to aid in a person's difficulties.
Can't you see I believe I'm living on faith
The singer has faith that things will work out in his life.
On my knees, and I can see the promise I can make
The artist is investing time in prayer, so he can see where he is headed in his life.
And life has taken me so far from shore
The different experiences in life have led the artist to uncharted territories.
And I, I'm breaking free, I see what life is for
The singer has gained insight into life's meaning and is becoming free from obstacles.
You take a little time for love but don't give in
It is important to allocate time and participate in loving relationships, but one must not lose their independence.
And never open up the door, how can you win? Yeah,
One cannot succeed if they avoid opportunities or refuse to take risks.
Can't you see I survive just living on faith
The artist remained hopeful and optimistic during tough times and overcame trials.
On my knees but I'll arrive, and stand by your side
The artist will persevere and support those important to him.
'Cause love has taken me, it's opened the door
Love has helped the singer see what life has to offer and has presented him with new opportunities.
And hope has taken me, it's opened the door
Hope has given the artist the courage and reason to pursue his aspirations.
And I, I'm breaking free, I see what love is for
The singer now understands the significant role that love plays in life.
People searching for the truth they can't find
Individuals often look for answers, but they may not always come easy.
And everybody looks at you, but they're so blind
People may observe a situation, but they may not have a complete comprehension of it.
They're all lining up behind a door, they can't get in
People may attempt to join a cause or organization, but may not be allowed in due to factors outside of their control.
They send another soul to war, it's such a sin
When society places individuals in situations of harm, it is an unfortunate occurrence.
I see what hope is for
The singer understands what hope represents in his life.
No I'm not afraid anymore
The singer has gained strength and is no longer fearful of what may come next.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TOM SCHOLZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind