David Gates (guitar, keyboards, bass and vocals) and Jimmy Griffin (guitar and vocals) formed the group in 1968, adding Robb Royer (guitar, bass and vocals of Pleasure Faire) before signing to Elektra Records. Bread, the band's debut album as a trio, was a failure. The band became a quartet beginning with their second album, On The Waters, bringing in Mike Botts as permanent drummer. This time their efforts quickly established Bread as a major act, hitting the mainstream with the #1 hit "Make It With You" in 1970. Bread began touring and recording the 1971 album titled Manna, which included their most enduring hit, "If."
Royer left the group after three albums to pursue other interests. He was replaced by Larry Knechtel (keyboards, bass, guitar, harmonica), a top session player from the Los Angeles scene. Knechtel's credits included records by Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, The Mamas and the Papas, The Monkees, Jan and Dean, Johnny Rivers and Simon & Garfunkel. In 1972 Bread released the highly successful album titled Baby I'm-a Want You, followed by another hit album, Guitar Man. Tensions existed between Gates and Griffin, however. Elektra had been invariably choosing Gates' songs for the A-sides of the singles; Griffin felt that the singles should have been split between the two, however.
By 1973 the band members sensed that they had taken Bread as far as they could, so they disbanded. Gates and Griffin then began solo careers, with mixed results. After reuniting in 1976, Bread released the album Lost Without Your Love in January 1977. The title track was the band's last top-ten hit, peaking at number 9 on the singles chart. The comeback album was also RIAA-certified Gold®.
2. Bread (Joe Kosnow) is a rapper from Portland, ME.
I Say Again
Bread Lyrics
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(James Griffin & Robb Royer)
I say again
You didn't hear me once again
So I'll have to say again
I knew you when
Can you hear my voice at all
Must I have to say it again
I'm filling up the room with all the words I've said
Hoping that one or two will make it through
And get inside your head
I say again
You didn't hear me once again
So I'll have to say again
In the song "I Say Again" by Bread, the lyrics revolve around a person trying to communicate with someone who seems to have built a wall of isolation around themselves. The person singing has known this individual before they retreated behind this wall, and desperately wants to reach out to them. The repetition of the phrase "I say again" throughout the song emphasizes the frustration and futility of trying to communicate with someone who appears to be unreachable.
The singer fills the room with words, hoping that even a few will get through to the person they are trying to reach. The repetition of the phrase "so I'll have to say it again" at the end of each verse emphasizes the lack of progress the singer is making in their attempts, yet they continue to persist in trying to break down the wall and reach the person on the other side. The lyrics create a sense of longing, frustration, and desperation as the singer tries to bridge the gap between themselves and the person who has cut themselves off from the world.
Overall, "I Say Again" is a poignant and relatable song about the struggles of trying to communicate with someone who has withdrawn from the world. The repetition of the phrase "I say again" drives home the sense of helplessness and frustration that can come with this type of situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I say again
Repeating myself once more
You didn't hear me once again
You failed to listen to me once again
So I'll have to say again
I need to repeat it once more
I knew you when
I remember the time when we knew each other
You didn't crawl behind your wall
You weren't guarded or defensive
Can you hear my voice at all
Are you even listening to what I'm saying?
Must I have to say it again
Do I really have to repeat myself?
I'm filling up the room with all the words I've said
I'm saying a lot of things and hoping some of it sticks
Hoping that one or two will make it through
I hope that some of what I'm saying gets through to you
And get inside your head
I want my words to have an impact on the way you think
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hunter Sullivan
on Lost Without Your Love
Lost and all alone
I always thought that I could make it on my own
But since you left I hardly make it through the day
My tears get in the way, and I need you back to stay
I wonder through the night
And search the world for the words to make it right
All I want is the way it used to be
With you here close to me
And I've got to make you see,
That I'm lost with out your love
Life without you isn't worth the trouble of
I'm as helpless as a ship without a wheel,
A touch without a feel
I can't believe its real
And someday soon I'll wake and find my heart won't have to break
Yes, I'm lost with out your love
Life without you isn't worth the trouble of
All I want is just the way it used to be
I need you here with me
Oh darling can't you see,
If we had love before we can have it back once more