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.
She Was My Lady
Bread Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(David Gates)
No one has heard
No one has seem her
Nobody else
Carin' but me
She was a child
When she was here
She was my lady
Never before
Was I dependin'
Then she came on
Filled in my life
She kept me on
My best behavior
She was my lord
She was my savior
She became my sanctuary
Some place I could lay me down
She would always help to carry
All the things that weigh me down
Nobody knew
How much I loved her
Not even her
Not even me
She was my queen
She was my lover
When she was here
There was no other
She Was My Lady by Bread is a love song that speaks of a woman who was everything to the singer. The lyrics reveal a level of devotion that was highly personal and exclusive to him. No one knew or saw her, but she was everything to him. She was a child and a woman, perhaps signifying the various dimensions of the love they shared. Her coming into his life changed everything, and he became dependent on her. She kept him on his best behavior and was his lord and savior.
The singer talks of this woman being his sanctuary, a place where he could go to lay down his burdens. She was always there to help carry the load, and no one knew how much he loved her, even her. She was his queen and lover, and there was no other when she was around. The lyrics paint a picture of a love that was intense, deep, and meaningful to the singer.
The song is timeless and speaks to the universality of love, how it can transform a person's life, and the depths one can go to express their feelings. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and the instrumentation is subtle enough to let the words take center stage. In today's world, where love seems fleeting and relationships disposable, this song is a reminder of the kind of love that endures.
* David Gates wrote "She Was My Lady," and it was released in 1980 under Elektra/Asylum Records.
* The song is from Bread's album "The Sound of Bread."
* The album was released in 1977 but was repackaged and re-released in 1980.
* The album also includes other notable hits like "Make It With You" and "Baby, I'm-a Want You."
* "The Sound of Bread" has sold over a million copies in the US alone.
* Bread was a soft rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1968.
* The band was known for their soft melodies and intimate love songs.
* David Gates was the band's lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter.
* "She Was My Lady" was one of the last songs David Gates wrote for Bread.
* The band disbanded in 1977, but the music they produced has endured over the years.
Chords (Key of F):
Verse:
F / / / Em / / / F / / / Gm / / /
F / / / Em / / / F / / / Gm / / /
Chorus:
Bb / / / C / / / F / / / Bb / / /
Bb / / / C / / / F - Gm7 / C - F / / /
Line by Line Meaning
No one has heard
There is nobody around who has heard or knows about her existence
No one has seem her
Nobody has seen her around
Nobody else
No other person or entity had any concern or care for her
Carin' but me
I was the only person who cared or had feelings for her
She was a child
She was young and innocent
She was a woman
She had grown up and become a mature woman
When she was here
When she was alive or in my life
She was my lady
She was my significant other who I loved and cherished
Never before
I have never had these feelings and emotions before
Was I dependin'
I never depended on someone else for support or love
Then she came on
Then she came into my life
Filled in my life
She made my life complete by filling it with love and happiness
She kept me on
She motivated and encouraged me to be my best self
My best behavior
She brought out the best in me by causing me to act in the most exemplary manner
She was my lord
She held a position of great importance and authority in my life
She was my savior
She rescued me and saved me from a life of loneliness and despair
She became my sanctuary
She became a place of refuge and safety for me
Some place I could lay me down
A place where I could relax and be at ease
She would always help to carry
She would assist me with my burdens and support me in my struggles
All the things that weigh me down
All the difficulties and challenges that were making my life difficult and heavy
Nobody knew
Nobody else was aware of the depth of my love for her
How much I loved her
The intensity and strength of my affection and attachment to her
Not even her
Even she herself did not know how much I loved her
Not even me
I was not even aware of the extent of my love for her
She was my queen
She was the ruler of my heart and soul
She was my lover
She was my romantic partner and intimate companion
When she was here
When she was alive or present in my life
There was no other
She was the only person who mattered and the only one who held my attention and affection
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GATES
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