Born to a working-class family, Ferry studied fine art and taught at a secondary school before pursuing a career in music. In 1970 he began to assemble the rock band Roxy Music with a group of friends and acquaintances in London, and took the role of lead singer and main songwriter. The band achieved immediate international success with the release of their eponymous debut album in 1972, containing a rich multitude of sounds, which reflected Ferry's interest in exploring different genres of music. Their second album, For Your Pleasure (1973), further cultivated the band's unique sound and visual image that would establish Ferry as a leading cultural icon over the next decade.
Ferry began a parallel solo career in 1973 by releasing These Foolish Things, which popularized for the first time the concept of a contemporary musician releasing an album covering standard songs and was a drastic departure from his ongoing work with Roxy Music. His second album, Another Time, Another Place (1974), featured as its cover image Ferry posing by a pool in a white dinner jacket and represented one of his most impactful fashion statements. Over the next two years, Roxy Music released a trilogy of albums, Stranded (1973), Country Life (1974) and Siren (1975), which broadened the band's appeal internationally and saw Ferry take greater interest in the role of a live performer, reinventing himself in stage costumes ranging from gaucho to military uniforms.
Ferry disbanded Roxy Music following the release of their best-selling album Avalon in 1982 to concentrate on his solo career, releasing further singles such as "Slave to Love" and "Don't Stop the Dance" and the UK no. 1 album Boys and Girls in 1985. Including his work with Roxy Music, Ferry has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
As well as being a prolific songwriter, Ferry has recorded many cover versions, including standards from the Great American Songbook, in albums such as These Foolish Things (1973), Another Time, Another Place (1974), Let's Stick Together (1976), Taxi (1993) and As Time Goes By (1999), as well as Dylanesque (2007), an album of Bob Dylan covers. In 2019, Ferry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Roxy Music.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Ferry
Studio albums
These Foolish Things (1973)
Another Time, Another Place (1974)
Let's Stick Together (1976)
In Your Mind (1977)
The Bride Stripped Bare (1978)
Boys and Girls (1985)
Bête Noire (1987)
Taxi (1993)
Mamouna (1994)
As Time Goes By (1999)
Frantic (2002)
Dylanesque (2007)
Olympia (2010)
The Jazz Age (2012)
Avonmore (2014)
Bitter-Sweet (2018)
Soldier of Fortune
Bryan Ferry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An ambassador of pain
I had the world on a string
Then I threw it all away
I'm a prince of illusions
All spinning around in my brain
There's a mockingbird calling
Girl stop rockin'
You're driving me insane
I'm going out of my mind
And I won't be back again
I was driving down the street
And I saw you in the rain
Now it's breaking my heart
And I want you back again
I was stirred and shaken
Had a miracle in mind
In the heat of the night
I left it all behind
Girl stop rockin'
You're driving me insane
I'm going out of my mind
And I won't be back again
I'm a soldier of fortune
An ambassador of pain
I had the world on a string
And I threw it all away
Girl stop rockin'
You're driving me insane
I'm going out of my mind
And I won't be back again
Girl stop rockin'
You're driving me insane
I'm going out of my mind
And I won't be back again
Girl stop rockin'
You're driving me insane
I'm going out of my mind
And I won't be back again
I won't be back again
The lyrics to Bryan Ferry's song, Soldier of Fortune, can be interpreted in a few different ways, but one interpretation is that the singer is reflecting on his past mistakes and missed opportunities. He refers to himself as a "soldier of fortune" and an "ambassador of pain," possibly indicating that he was someone who pursued wealth and success at any cost, even if it meant causing pain to others. He then laments that he "had the world on a string," meaning that he had everything he wanted, but he "threw it all away," suggesting that he made poor choices that caused him to lose everything.
The singer also describes himself as a "prince of illusions" and mentions a "mockingbird," which could represent the voice in his head that tells him to keep chasing his dreams, even if they are unrealistic or harmful. He then addresses a girl, telling her to "stop rockin'" because she is driving him insane, which could mean that her presence is causing him to question his choices and regret the past.
The second half of the song describes the singer's attempts to move on from his mistakes and win back the girl. He mentions seeing her in the rain and realizing that he wants her back, but also acknowledges that he "left it all behind" in the past. The repetition of the line "girl stop rockin'" emphasizes the singer's desperation and emotional turmoil, and his final declaration that he won't be back again suggests that he is ready to move on and make better choices in the future.
Overall, Soldier of Fortune is a complex and introspective song that explores themes of regret, desire, and self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a soldier of fortune
I am a person who goes where there is war in order to make money off of it.
An ambassador of pain
I represent the harsh and painful realities of the world.
I had the world on a string
I had everything I wanted within my grasp.
Then I threw it all away
I intentionally let go of everything that I had worked for.
I'm a prince of illusions
I believe in the things that are not real and tend to deceive myself with false hopes.
All spinning around in my brain
My ideas and thoughts are all tangled up and confusing.
There's a mockingbird calling
There is a bird that is mimicking or ridiculing me.
And this is what he's saying
I am hearing a message from the bird that is bothering me.
Girl stop rockin'
Please stop moving or acting in a way that is causing me distress.
You're driving me insane
Your behavior is making me feel angry or crazy.
I'm going out of my mind
I am becoming overwhelmed with distress or anger.
And I won't be back again
I will leave this situation and not return.
I was driving down the street
I was in a car, moving along a paved road.
And I saw you in the rain
I noticed you, standing in the falling water.
Now it's breaking my heart
Your actions or presence are causing me emotional pain.
And I want you back again
I desire to have you back in my life.
I was stirred and shaken
I was very alarmed or agitated.
Had a miracle in mind
I had an impossible or magical idea that I hoped would come true.
In the heat of the night
During a time of passion or intensity.
I left it all behind
I abandoned my hopes and ideas.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRYAN FERRY, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind