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)
Where Or When
Bryan Ferry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We looked at each other in the same way then
But I can't remember where or when
The clothes you're wearing are the clothes you wore
The smile you are smiling you were smiling then
But I can't remember where or when
Seem to be happening again
And so it seems that we have met before
And that we laughed before, also loved before
But who knows where or when
The lyrics of Bryan Ferry's song Where Or When speaks of a familiar feeling of meeting someone you've met before, but no one can remember where or when. It seems that they stood and talked like this before, and looked at each other the same way then, but nobody can remember the specifics of the encounter. The singer talks of the clothes the other person is wearing and the smile they had then but can't place the memory accurately.
The lyrics then go on to say that some things seem to be happening again, even if it's the first time it's happened. It may feel like a déjà vu feeling. The person reflects on the possibility that they may have met before, laughed before, and even loved before, but nobody knows when or where. The song is all about the concept of meeting someone in a different lifetime, not knowing why certain things seem familiar, but knowing that there is a past between them.
Overall, the song's theme revolves around the idea of reincarnation or meeting someone from the past, and how some things repeat themselves. The lyrics evoke a beautiful, dreamlike feeling about potentially discovering a past love or meeting someone from another lifetime.
Line by Line Meaning
It seems we stood and talked like this, before
It feels like we've had this conversation and stood in this same position before.
We looked at each other in the same way then
We met each other's gaze with the same intensity and emotion as we are right now.
But I can't remember where or when
Despite the familiarity, I can't remember the exact time or place that we've met before.
The clothes you're wearing are the clothes you wore
You are wearing the same clothes as you did in the past, adding to the sense of déjà vu.
The smile you are smiling you were smiling then
Your smile is the same as it was in the past, confirming the sense of familiarity.
But I can't remember where or when
Again, I cannot recollect the precise time and location of our previous encounter.
Some things that happened for the first time
Experiences that were novel at the time may be occurring again.
Seem to be happening again
It appears that these experiences are repeating themselves.
And so it seems that we have met before
This series of familiar experiences leads me to believe that we have previously met.
And that we laughed before, also loved before
It's possible that we had shared moments of happiness and love in the past.
But who knows where or when
Despite these strong feelings of familiarity, it's impossible to determine the exact details of our previous meeting.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind