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
To Be A Man
Boston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What does it take to see
It's all heart and soul
A gentle hand
So easy to want and so hard to give
How can you be a man
'Til you see beyond the life you live?
Oh, what does it take to be a man?
We can be blind, but a man tries to see
It takes tenderness
For a man to be what he can be
And what does it mean
If you're weak or strong?
A gentle feelin'
can make it right or make it wrong
What does it take to be a man?
The will to give and not receive
The strength to say what you believe
The heart to feel what others feel inside
To see what they can see
A man is somethin' that's real
It's not what you are
It's what you can feel
It can't be too late
To look through the hate and see
I know that's what a man can be
"To Be a Man" by Boston is a song that delves into the complex question of what it truly means to be a man. The lyrics ask the listener to consider what qualities make up a man, and if it's possible to possess these qualities without a deep self-awareness and sense of empathy. The song opens with the repeated question, "What does it take to be a man?" suggesting that this is a question many people are struggling with, and it's not an easy one to answer.
The lyrics suggest that being a man requires "heart and soul" and "a gentle hand", qualities typically associated with compassion and kindness. The song argues that it's easy to want these things, but much harder to actually give them. The second verse emphasizes the importance of seeing beyond our own lives and experiencing tenderness in order to truly be a man. The chorus repeats the question, punctuating its relevance and importance.
The third verse highlights some of the key attributes of a true man, including a willingness to give without expecting anything in return, the strength to stand up for what one believes in, and the ability to empathize with others. The song then suggests that this definition of manhood is something that we can aspire to achieve through personal growth and reflection, encouraging the listener that it's never too late to become a true man.
Line by Line Meaning
What does it take to be a man?
What qualities and characteristics does one need in order to be considered a man?
What does it take to see
What does it take to have an enlightened understanding of what it means to be a man?
It's all heart and soul
Being a man is about showing emotional depth and understanding.
A gentle hand
Being a man is also about gentleness and care in interacting with others.
So easy to want and so hard to give
Although we might admire these traits in others, it can be difficult to embody them ourselves.
How can you be a man
What must one do in order to live up to society's standards of manhood?
'Til you see beyond the life you live?
In order to become a true man, one must have an understanding of something greater than oneself.
We can be blind, but a man tries to see
While it is easy to be oblivious to our own shortcomings, a true man works to overcome this tendency and become more self-aware.
It takes tenderness
In order to connect with others and show empathy and understanding, tenderness is required.
For a man to be what he can be
In order to fulfill his potential as a man, tenderness is a necessary quality.
And what does it mean
What is the significance of the qualities that define a man?
If you're weak or strong?
There is no clear answer to what makes a man, as it is not simply about physical strength.
A gentle feelin'
Being kind and empathetic is an important aspect of being a man.
can make it right or make it wrong
This gentle feeling can result in either positive or negative outcomes, depending on one's actions.
The will to give and not receive
A true man is selfless and giving, rather than selfish and greedy.
The strength to say what you believe
Being courageous enough to stand up for one's beliefs is an important part of masculinity.
The heart to feel what others feel inside
Empathizing and feeling the emotions of others is a necessary quality in a true man.
To see what they can see
Having an understanding of different perspectives is important in order to connect with others.
A man is somethin' that's real
Being a man is not just a theoretical concept, but something that can be lived out in reality.
It's not what you are
Being a man is not just about superficial qualities such as appearance or wealth.
It's what you can feel
Being a true man is more about the emotional depth and the way one is able to connect with others.
It can't be too late
It is never too late to start embodying these qualities and becoming a true man.
To look through the hate and see
One must be able to look beyond the negative aspects of life and find positivity and connection.
I know that's what a man can be
These are the qualities that define a true man.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TOM SCHOLZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind