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
Someone
Boston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know things could never be the same
But whenever I call your number
You're not at home, don't hear the phone
Whenever I start to wonder
Are you alone, are you alone
Someone is gonna hurt inside
They say you receive the love you give
Someday you'll believe it's how I live
But when ever I call your number
I'm all alone and on my own
Whenever I start to wonder
The things you said, the words I read
Someone won't go to sleep tonight
Someone is gonna hurt inside
Someone like me, someone like me, like me
Someone won't go to sleep tonight
Someone is gonna hurt inside
Someone won't go to sleep tonight
Someone is gonna hurt inside.
The lyrics of Boston's song "Someone" express the frustration and sadness of a person who is trying to reconnect with someone they care about on a deeper level but without success. The opening lines "I hear you won't even say my name; I know things could never be the same" capture the feeling of being ignored by someone who used to be close to them. The singer of the song is aware that things have changed and that there is no going back to the way things used to be but they still crave for some kind of connection.
The chorus "Someone won't go to sleep tonight; someone is gonna hurt inside" is a powerful statement of how the lack of communication affects both parties. The repetition of the line "someone won't go to sleep tonight" is a reminder that we all carry our emotional baggage with us, and it's impossible to ignore it.
The second verse shifts to a more introspective mode with the line "they say you receive the love you give." It's a moment of clarity where the singer acknowledges that maybe they haven't been giving enough love themselves. The lines "whenever I start to wonder; the things you said, the words I read" show that the pain of not being able to connect is still fresh.
In summary, "Someone" is a song about the frustration of trying to connect with someone who used to be close but who now seems out of reach. It's a reminder that communication is vital in any relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear you won't even say my name
I've noticed that you refuse to utter my name and acknowledge my existence.
I know things could never be the same
I am fully aware that our relationship can never be the way it was before.
But whenever I call your number
Despite knowing that things are different, I still try to reach out to you by calling your phone.
You're not at home, don't hear the phone
However, you are not at home and are not picking up the phone to talk to me.
Whenever I start to wonder
In those moments of uncertainty, when I begin to question what's really happening.
Are you alone, are you alone
I wonder if you're by yourself, if you're feeling the same way I am.
They say you receive the love you give
It's been said that the love you put out into the world is the love you'll receive in return.
Someday you'll believe it's how I live
I believe that one day, you'll see that the love I have for you is genuine and true.
But when ever I call your number
Despite my conviction, I am still trying to call you, hoping that you'll answer this time.
I'm all alone and on my own
However, I am left feeling isolated and helpless, as you continue to ignore me.
Whenever I start to wonder
Again, in moments of doubt and uncertainty...
The things you said, the words I read
...I am haunted by the words that you said to me, the promises that you made.
Someone won't go to sleep tonight
Tonight, someone - perhaps myself - won't be able to fall asleep due to heartache and longing.
Someone is gonna hurt inside
Someone's insides are going to ache with the pain of unrequited love and loneliness.
Someone like me, someone like me, like me
That someone is me; someone who is searching for love and acceptance, despite being rejected.
Someone won't go to sleep tonight
Again, tonight - like so many nights before - someone won't be able to find rest due to their lovesickness.
Someone is gonna hurt inside
Once again, someone's heart is going to ache with longing and sadness.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TOM SCHOLZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
howlingwolf125y
Underrated, underappreciated, virtually unknown song from Boston.. Excellent song that not very many people know about.
babybluesnowden
what a great song, love brads vocals, miss him
alaskiss
What a melody. Brad's voice soars. Just awesome!
Anthony Crnkovich
This is such a great, overlooked Boston song.
Daniel Pete
this is what i call inspiration!! Rock on Boston, Rock on!!
michman5614
I love the Harmony that starts up just before the chorus the best!! It just sounds like gold.
Robert H
michman5614 valdy
lenny moses
2 59 to 3 22... classic boston guitar..gives me chills everytime...
GodChristLord
To me, the best song on the album since Brad rules it and with that 'Boston' sound. ...And, honestly, putting this side-by-side with anything released today, THIS IS THE ONLY MUSIC.
J Rock
Love it!! Thanks! Great sound!!