The youngest of three sons, Dan was born in Peoria, Illinois, the son of Margaret (née Irvine), a classically-trained pianist, and Lawrence Peter Fogelberg, a high school band director, who spent most of his career at Peoria Woodruff High School and Pekin High School. Dan Fogelberg's mother was a Scottish immigrant and his father was of Swedish descent. His father would later be the inspiration for the song Leader of the Band. Using a Mel Bay course book, Dan taught himself to play a Hawaiian slide guitar his grandfather gave to him; he also learned to play the piano. He started his music career at age 14 when he joined his first band, The Clan, which paid homage to The Beatles. His second band was another cover combo, The Coachmen, which in 1967 released two singles on Ledger Records: "Maybe Time Will Let Me Forget" and "Don't Want To Lose Her." Another was the blues band, Frankie and the Aliens, who toured regionally during the 1980s covering songs by Cream and Muddy Waters, among others.
After graduating from Woodruff High School in 1969, he studied theater arts and painting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and began performing as a solo acoustic player in area coffeehouses including the Red Herring Coffeehouse where he made his first solo recordings as part of a folk festival recording in 1971. There, he was discovered in 1971 by Irving Azoff. Fogelberg and Azoff – who started his music-management career promoting another Champaign-Urbana act, REO Speedwagon – moved to California to seek their fortunes. Fogelberg became a session musician who played with pop-folk artists like Van Morrison. In 1972, he released his debut album Home Free to lukewarm response. His second effort was much more successful: the 1974 Joe Walsh-produced album Souvenirs and its hit song "Part of the Plan" made him a major star.
Following Souvenirs, Fogelberg released a string of gold and platinum albums, including Captured Angel (1975) and Nether Lands (1977), and found commercial success with songs like "The Power of Gold." His 1978 Twin Sons of Different Mothers was the first of two collaborations with jazz flutist Tim Weisberg. 1979's Phoenix reached the Top 10, with "Longer" becoming a #2 hit and wedding standard in winter 1980. This was followed by his Top 20 hit "Heart Hotels."
The Innocent Age, released in October 1981, was Fogelberg's critical and commercial peak. This double album song cycle included four of his biggest hits: "Leader of the Band," "Hard To Say," "Run for the Roses", and "Same Old Lang Syne," based on a real-life accidental meeting with a former girlfriend (Jill Anderson). In 1984, he rocked a little again with the album Windows And Walls.
later years:
Fogelberg released High Country Snows in 1985. Recorded in Nashville, it showcased his (and some of the industry's best) talent in the bluegrass genre. Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Doc Watson, Jerry Douglas, David Grisman, Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen were among those who contributed to the record. In a world defined by "life in the fast lane" Fogelberg described the music as "life in the off-ramp." 1987 heralded a return to rock with Exiles, while 1990's The Wild Places was a tribute to Earth preservation. In 1991, he released the live album Greetings from the West.
River of Souls, released in 1993, was Fogelberg's last studio album for Sony Records. In 1997, Portrait encompassed his career with four discs, each highlighting a different facet of his music: "Ballads," "Rock and Roll," "Tales and Travels" (which displayed his talents as a narrative songwriter) and "Hits." In 1999 he fulfilled a career-long dream of creating a Christmas album called First Christmas Morning, and in 2003, Full Circle showcased a return to the folk-influenced, 1970s soft rock-style of music for which he and other singer-songwriters from his era had gained popular recognition.
Fogelberg also used his music to address social issues, including peace and Native American concerns. He was particularly outspoken about his commitment to the environment and to finding alternatives to nuclear power. To that end, Fogelberg included "Face the Fire" on the Phoenix album and performed at a number of the Musicians United for Safe Energy "No Nukes" concerts in 1979 and 1980.
His live concerts won acclaim across the nation over the years. Fogelberg said one of his proudest moments came in 1979 when he played New York City's Carnegie Hall for an audience including his mother and father. Most summers, Fogelberg would perform with full band or in solo acoustic setting; the formats allowed him to show the breadth and depth of his talent as a singer, guitarist, pianist and bandleader. In 2002, fans showed their appreciation by choosing Fogelberg to be one of the first 10 inductees into the Performers Hall of Fame at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado.
In May 2004, Fogelberg was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. He underwent therapy and achieved a partial remission, which did not eliminate his cancer but reduced it and stopped its spread. On August 13, 2005, his 54th birthday, Fogelberg announced the success of his cancer treatments and he thanked fans for their support. He said that he had no immediate plans to return to making music but was keeping his options open and enjoying spending time with his wife, musician Jean Fogelberg.
Fogelberg maintained residences in Deer Isle, Maine and at Mountain Bird Ranch, a 610-acre property near Pagosa Springs, Colorado that he bought in 1982. The ranch was put up for sale in 2005.
After battling prostate cancer for three years, Fogelberg died on December 16, 2007 at his home in Maine with his wife Jean by his side.
Soon after his death, Fogelberg's wife, Jean, announced that a song written and recorded for her by Fogelberg for Valentine's Day 2005, Sometimes a Song, would be sold on the Internet and all proceeds would go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The song was released on Valentine's Day 2008. She further announced that this song would be included in a collection of eleven previously unrecorded songs (nine originals) to be released on a CD provisionally entitled "Love In Time".
The Innocent Age
Dan Fogelberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Carry the day
Stay with the chase
As long as you may
Follow the dreamer,
The fool, and the sage
Back to the days of
The innocent age.
Storybook endings
Never appear
They`re just someone`s way of
Leading us here
Waiting for wisdom
To open the cage
We forged in the fires of
The innocent age.
Back at the start
It was easy to see
No one to own to
Nowhere to be
Deep in the heartlands
A sad memory
Calls to me.
(Calls to me)
Fretful horizons
Worrisome skies
Tearful misgivings
Burning your eyes
Yearnings unanswered
Reckon the wage you
Pay to recapture the innocent age.
Back at the start
It was easy to see
No one to own to
Nowhere to be
Deep in the heartlands
A sad memory
Calls to me.
(Calls to me)
Fretful horizons
Worrisome skies
Tearful misgivings
Burning your eyes
Yearnings unanswered
Reckon the wage you
Pay to recapture the innocent age.
The song "The Innocent Age" by Dan Fogelberg is a reflection on the loss of childlike innocence and the desire to go back to a simpler time. The song begins by urging the listener to seize the moment and follow their dreams without hesitation. The lines "Follow the dreamer, The fool, and the sage, Back to the days of The innocent age" suggest that the innocence of childhood is something to be admired and maybe even envied.
However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that this innocence is something that cannot be recaptured. The lyrics "Storybook endings Never appear, They're just someone's way of Leading us here, Waiting for wisdom To open the cage" suggest that the idea of a happy ending is just an illusion, and that the painful process of growing up is something that we must experience. The lines "Yearnings unanswered Reckon the wage you Pay to recapture the innocent age" highlight the idea that the desire to go back to childhood is a futile effort that ultimately costs us a great deal.
The song's poignant message is conveyed through Fogelberg's gentle acoustic guitar and emotive vocals. The simplicity of the arrangement allows the lyrics to take center stage, and the result is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that captures the bittersweet nature of growing up.
Line by Line Meaning
Capture the moment
Seize the opportunity to experience life to its fullest extent at that time.
Carry the day
Make the most of the present day by focusing on the positive aspects of life.
Stay with the chase
Continue pursuing your dreams, even when faced with obstacles or setbacks.
As long as you may
Pursue your dreams for as long as you can, seizing every opportunity to make them a reality.
Follow the dreamer,
Emulate those who have a clear vision of what they want to accomplish.
The fool, and the sage
Learn from both the humorous mistakes and the wisdom of others.
Back to the days of
Return to a time when life was simpler and more carefree.
The innocent age.
A nostalgic longing for a time of innocence, freedom, and a lack of responsibility.
Storybook endings
Happy endings that only exist in fiction and not in real life.
Never appear
The idealized happy ending is an unattainable fantasy.
They`re just someone`s way of
The fabricated happy ending is a means of controlling people's hopes and desires.
Leading us here
Causing people to have unrealistic expectations and disappointment in reality.
Waiting for wisdom
Anticipating gaining knowledge and insight into the complexities of life.
To open the cage
To unburden oneself from the responsibilities and stresses of reality.
We forged in the fires of
The difficulties and struggles of growing up.
The innocent age.
Reflecting on a time in life when problems and responsibilities seemed distant and out of reach.
Back at the start
Recalling the beginning of life, prior to being burdened with real world responsibilities.
It was easy to see
Realities and complexities of life were not yet evident at that time.
No one to own to
Living without anyone to be accountable to or to hold responsibilities.
Nowhere to be
Without responsibilities or obligations, being able to simply exist without a sense of purpose or direction.
Deep in the heartlands
A sentimental attachment to a particular place or memory, reminiscent of the innocence of youth.
A sad memory
Recalling negative experiences of the past or a particular time when life seemed simpler and innocent.
Calls to me.
Longing for the time when life seemed simpler, more authentic, and free of the pressures of the real world.
Fretful horizons
The uncertainties and unknowns of the future, causing anxiety and unease.
Worrisome skies
A metaphorical representation of the clouds of uncertainty and anxiety that hang over one's head.
Tearful misgivings
Guilt, regrets, or anxieties that cause one to cry and feel shame or self-doubt.
Burning your eyes
Causing discomfort, pain, or distress by the tears shed or the emotion experienced.
Yearnings unanswered
Desires that have yet to be fulfilled, leaving one feeling unfulfilled or incomplete.
Reckon the wage you
Realize the cost or consequence of trying to recapture a time of innocence and freedom.
Pay to recapture the innocent age.
The toll or sacrifice one must make in order to try to rekindle the happiness and freedom of youth.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAN FOGELBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind