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
Magdalene
Boston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's easy to see I want to be a believer
And fly right through the air
Now I'm wide awake
I want you to take me there
The things that you told me
I don't know if I was dreaming
And dreams aren't enough
I need someone to believe in
Are you in love?
Can't you see that's everything to me
That's enough
Magdalene, let me hear it said so I am sure
Answer me, can't you see that's all I'm waitin' for?
Here I am on my knees once more
Magdalene
Time must lead you somewhere
I don't want to wait
I know you can take me there
The way that you hold me
I don't know if I was dreaming
And dreams aren't enough
Life is so lonely
I need someone to believe in
Someone to love
Can't you see that's everything to me
That's enough
Magdalene let me hear it said so I am sure
Answer me, can't you see that's all I'm waiting for?
Here I am on my knees
Oh, I'm begging you please
Magdalene
Magdalene
Magdalene
Magdalene
In the song "Magdalene" by Boston, the singer expresses his desire to believe in something greater than himself and to find someone to believe in. The lyrics suggest that he has been dreaming of a higher power, possibly Magdalene, and he wants to be sure that she is real. The lyrics also convey a sense of loneliness and a need for human connection. The singer is on his knees, begging for Magdalene to answer him, to give him something to believe in.
The song has a dreamy quality to it, with the singer expressing a desire to fly through the air and be taken somewhere by Magdalene. The lyrics are somewhat ambiguous, leaving room for interpretation by the listener. It's possible that Magdalene represents a higher power or a spiritual guide, or could simply be a metaphor for finding meaning and purpose in life.
Overall, "Magdalene" is a song about the human need for connection and belief, and the search for something greater than oneself. Through the dreamy lyrics and soaring melodies, Boston captures this desire and invites the listener to join in the search for meaning and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
I, I know I'm a dreamer
I am aware that I have many dreams and aspirations
It's easy to see I want to be a believer
My desires and beliefs are obvious
And fly right through the air
I want to achieve great things easily and without limitations
Now I'm wide awake
I am now conscious or aware of something important
I want you to take me there
I want someone or something to help me achieve my dreams
The things that you told me
I am referencing something specific that was said to me
I don't know if I was dreaming
I am unsure if what was said to me was true
And dreams aren't enough
I can't rely on dreams or wishes alone to fulfill my aspirations
Life is so lonely
I am feeling disconnected or isolated from others
I need someone to believe in
I am searching for someone to support my goals and dreams
Are you in love?
I am wondering if the person I am referring to has feelings of love for me
Can't you see that's everything to me
My desire for love is extremely important to me
That's enough
Love is the only thing I need to fulfill my dreams
Magdalene, let me hear it said so I am sure
I am addressing someone specifically named 'Magdalene' and want to be certain of their feelings
Answer me, can't you see that's all I'm waitin' for?
I am asking 'Magdalene' to give me an answer to confirm their love for me
Here I am on my knees once more
I am showing my willingness to plead or beg for the love I desire
Time must lead you somewhere
I believe that time will take us to someplace better
I don't want to wait
I am impatient and do not wish to delay my dreams
I know you can take me there
I trust that 'Magdalene' can help me achieve my goals
The way that you hold me
I am referencing physical touch or embrace from 'Magdalene'
I don't know if I was dreaming
Again, I am unsure of the sincerity of 'Magdalene's' affection
And dreams aren't enough
I once again acknowledge that aspirations alone cannot sustain me
Life is so lonely
I remain disconnected from those around me
I need someone to believe in
My need for support and love have not changed
Someone to love
I am actively searching for love and support from someone
Magdalene let me hear it said so I am sure
I repeat my plea for 'Magdalene' to validate their affection
Answer me, can't you see that's all I'm waiting for?
Once again, I ask for confirmation of 'Magdalene's' love
Here I am on my knees
I show my willingness to beg and plead for love and support from 'Magdalene'
Oh, I'm begging you please
My desperation for love and support is evident
Magdalene
The song concludes with the repetition of 'Magdalene'
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID ARTHUR SIKES, RUSTY T. JR. FOULKE, TOM SCHOLZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind