After learning guitar at the age of 12, Scaggs met Steve Miller at St. Mark's School of Texas in Dallas. In 1959, he became the vocalist for Miller's band The Marksmen. The pair later attended the University of Wisconsin together, playing in blues bands like The Ardells and The Fabulous Knight Trains. Leaving school, Scaggs briefly left Texas to join the burgeoning rhythm and blues scene in London. After singing in bands such as The Wigs and Mother Earth, he recorded his first solo album Boz in 1965, which was not a commercial success. He traveled to Sweden as a solo performer and did a brief stint with the band The Other Side with fellow American Jack Downing and Brit Mac MacLeod.
Returning to the US, Scaggs promptly headed for the booming psychedelic music center of San Francisco in 1967. Linking up with Steve Miller again, he appeared on the Steve Miller Band's first two albums Children of the Future and Sailor, which won over critical reviews. After being spotted by Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, Scaggs secured a solo contract with Atlantic Records in 1968. Despite good reviews, his first Atlantic album was met with lukewarm sales, as were followup albums on Columbia Records. In 1976, he linked up with session musicians who would later form Toto and recorded his smash album Silk Degrees. The album reached number 2 on the US charts and number 1 in a number of countries across the world, spawning three hit singles: "Lowdown", "Lido Shuffle", and "What Can I Say", as well as the MOR standard "We're All Alone", later a hit for Rita Coolidge. A sellout world tour followed, but his follow-up album, the 1977 Down Two Then Left, lacked the cohesion of Silk Degrees.
Scaggs' 1980 album Middle Man would spawn two top 20 hits, "Breakdown Dead Ahead" and "Jojo," and Scaggs would enjoy two more hits over 1980 and 1981 ("Look What You've Done to Me" from the Urban Cowboy soundtrack, and "Miss Sun" from a greatest hits set).
Scaggs continued to record and tour sporadically throughout the 1980s and 1990s, although he semi-retired from the music business and turned owner of the San Francisco nightclub Slim's. His lengthy hiatus from the music industry slowed his chart career down dramatically.
Scaggs recorded Other Roads in 1988, took another hiatus, and then came back in 1994 with Some Change. In the late 190s he released Come On Home, an album of blues, and My Time, an anthology. He garnered good reviews with Dig, although the CD, which was released on September 11, 2001, was lost in the post-911 melΓ©e. In May, 2003, Scaggs released But Beautiful, a collection of jazz standards that debuted at number 1 on the jazz charts.
In 2013 he released the album Memphis
On The Beach
Boz Scaggs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hope it don't turn away
The world is turnin'
I hope it don't turn away
All my pictures are fallin'
From the wall where I placed them yesterday
The world is turnin'
I need a crowd of people
But I can't face them day to day
I need a crowd of people
But I can't face them day to day
Though my problems are meaningless
That don't make them go away
I need a crowd of people
But I can't face them day to day
I went to the radio interview
But I ended up all alone at the microphone
I went to the radio interview
But I ended up all alone at the microphone
Now I'm livin' out here on the beach
But those seagulls are still out of reach
I went to the radio interview
But I ended up all alone at the microphone
Get out of town, I think I'll get out of town
Get out of town, I think I'll get out of town
I head for the sticks with my bus and friends
I'd follow the road till I don't know where it ends
Get out of town, I think I'll get out of town
The world is turnin'
I hope it don't turn away
The lyrics to Boz Scaggs's song "On The Beach" convey a sense of detachment and isolation from the world. The repetition of the line "The world is turnin', I hope it don't turn away" reflects the singer's fear of being left behind or forgotten. This line can be interpreted as a plea to remain connected and relevant in a rapidly changing world.
The mention of pictures falling from the wall suggests a loss or disintegration of stability and familiarity. It symbolizes the singer's struggle to maintain a sense of normalcy and identity in the face of uncertainty. The desire for a "crowd of people" indicates a longing for companionship and human connection, yet the singer feels unable to face them day to day. This could imply a sense of social anxiety or a feeling of being overwhelmed by the demands of a social life.
The mention of a failed radio interview further emphasizes the theme of isolation. The singer finds themselves alone at the microphone, highlighting their feelings of being unheard or overlooked. The decision to live on the beach portrays a sense of escapism, a desire to retreat from the pressures and expectations of the outside world. However, even in this new environment, the seagulls are "still out of reach," suggesting that the singer's sense of longing and disconnection persists.
Line by Line Meaning
The world is turnin'
The world is constantly changing and evolving
I hope it don't turn away
I hope it doesn't lose its positive essence or direction
All my pictures are fallin'
All the things that I held dear or valued are losing their significance
From the wall where I placed them yesterday
They are losing their importance or relevance in my life
I need a crowd of people
I crave the presence and interaction of others
But I can't face them day to day
However, I find it difficult to be around people on a regular basis
Though my problems are meaningless
Even though my issues may lack significance or importance
That don't make them go away
They still persist and have an impact on me
I went to the radio interview
I attended a radio interview
But I ended up all alone at the microphone
But I found myself isolated and alone, unable to connect with others
Now I'm livin' out here on the beach
Currently, I am residing in a beach area
But those seagulls are still out of reach
But I still feel distant and disconnected from the world around me
Get out of town, I think I'll get out of town
I feel the need to escape or leave my current location
I head for the sticks with my bus and friends
I embark on a journey to a remote or rural area with my companions
I'd follow the road till I don't know where it ends
I would continue traveling without a clear destination in mind
The world is turnin'
The world is constantly changing and evolving
I hope it don't turn away
I hope it doesn't lose its positive essence or direction
Lyrics Β© Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: William R Royce Scaggs
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeff Kelly
Possibly his greatest vocal performance ever. He made it his own. Headphones take it to another level. Perfect vocals that only an experienced artist could pull off. What a gift. Thank you Mr. Scaggs
peerman2006
He did not make it own. It's Neil's song. I love this cover, though.
whitepearl
But is only from me but idont care all is free uxme bye......
Howlin' Donster
Freakin' amazing which if you think about it I'd expect nothing less from Boz Skaggs.. Every thing he touches is gold..
Oppothumbs M
I was never much into this particular Neil Young song, but Boz does it well. Love Neil and Boz.
Casey Brzostowski
Awesome music. Blues speak to me from generations past. Relaxing is an understatement
Francisco Perea
La perfecta madurez de un intΓ©rprete genial, gracias Boz
Sandra
Gorgeous! Boz Scaggs has given my life so much pleasure and joy.
This album is stunning. The concerts are delicious!!! And yes, those long handsome longs legs are a bonus.
You are phenomenal Boz Scaggs!
Jeffrey Lujan
FREAKING AWESOME BOZ!πΈπ€πΆππ€πΈπΌπΈπ
Robert McAngus
From the very first note, the first beat on the drum, my world was turning, recalling Boz Scaggs music from the past, the Texas born blues singer that impressed me back in 1963, that I must confess impresses more more today, the voice rich with life, the music filled with moodiness, I imagine driving south, along the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to who know where..