He joined his first band, The Legends, at the age of 13, with his brother Dave. Hartman played keyboards and wrote much of the band's music. The band released several records but none were hits. He joined The Edgar Winter Group and played on three of their albums; Dan wrote the band's second biggest pop hit Free Ride in 1972. He launched a solo career in 1976.
In 1978 Hartman reached number-one on the Dance chart with the single "Instant Replay", which crossed over to #29 on Billboard's Hot 100; musicians Hartman worked with on the associated album include Vinnie Vincent and G.E. Smith. This was followed by his second chart topper on the Dance charts with "Relight My Fire" (1979). Both tracks are considered by many to be anthems of the disco era. There was also a cover version of Instant Replay which was a one-hit wonder for a boy duo called Yell! (Paul Varney and Daniel James) in January 1990.
He was back in the charts yet again with the top-10 single "I Can Dream About You" from the Streets of Fire soundtrack in 1984. Hartman was not featured in the video for the track, which received heavy rotation on MTV; instead, his vocals were convincingly lip-synched by Stoney Jackson,an African-American actor. Hartman then scored a third number 1 single on the Dance charts, "We Are The Young." During the next decade he worked as a songwriter and producer, and collaborated with such artists as Tina Turner, Dusty Springfield, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Young, James Brown, Nona Hendryx and Steve Winwood.
He died at age 43 in Westport, Connecticut from a brain tumor caused by AIDS. At the time of his death, Hartman's music was enjoying a revival; a cover version of his song "Relight My Fire" became a British number-one hit for Take That and Lulu. Sales of Hartman's solo recordings, group efforts, production, songwriting and compilation inclusions exceed 50 million records worldwide.
More information can be found at www.danhartman.com
Living In America
Dan Hartman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the trans continental overload; just slide behind the wheel
How does it feel when there's no destination that's too far
And somewhere on the way you might find out who you are?
Living in America, eye to eye, station to station
Living in America, hand to hand across the nation
Living in America, got to have a celebration!
I live in America
I live in America
You may not be looking for the promised land
But you might find it anyway
Under one of those old familiar names, like
New Orleans
Dallas
Detroit City
Pittsburgh, P.A.
New Orleans
Dallas
Detroit City
Pittsburgh, P.A.
New York City
Atlanta
Kansas City
New York City
Atlanta
Kansas City
Chicago and L.A.
Living in America, eye to eye, station to station
Living in America, hand to hand across the nation
Living in America, got to have a celebration!
The lyrics of Dan Hartman's song "Living in America" celebrate the freedom and endless possibilities of life in America. The first verse talks about how easy it is to travel and explore the country thanks to the widespread system of superhighways. The singer marvels at the feeling of being behind the wheel with nowhere to go, and the excitement of possibly discovering something new along the way.
The chorus repeats the title phrase, emphasizing the pride and joy of living in America. The "eye to eye, station to station" and "hand to hand across the nation" lines suggest a sense of unity and shared experience among Americans, regardless of where they live or their background. The final line urging everyone to "have a celebration" reinforces the theme of positivity and communal happiness.
On deeper analysis, the song can also be seen as a representation of the American dream, where the promise of success and happiness is available to anyone who is willing to work hard and chase their goals. The reference to various cities represents the diversity of America and the many different paths that people can take to achieve their dreams. The upbeat, vibrant music and lyrics reflect the energy and optimism that is so often associated with America.
Line by Line Meaning
Super highways coast to coast just easy to get anywhere
Travelling to any part of the country is stress-free thanks to the interconnected highways
On the transcontinental overload; just slide behind the wheel
In this age of high-speed transportation, embarking on long cross-country drives is effortless
How does it feel when there's no destination that's too far
It's a liberating experience when you can go anywhere without feeling like the journey is too long
And somewhere on the way you might find out who you are?
Journeys where the destination is not the priority can be transformative and an opportunity for a journey of self-discovery
Living in America, eye to eye, station to station
Here, life is shared intimately with the people around us, from neighbors at our doorstep to people we share the same train station with
Living in America, hand to hand across the nation
Americans are united in beauty and struggle, through mountains and rivers, cities and farms
Living in America, got to have a celebration!
We take pride in the diverse cultures that coexist in America, and our differences are celebrated as we come together in unity
I live in America
America is my home and I am proud to live here
You may not be looking for the promised land
You may not be aware of it, but what you're looking for might be right in front of you
But you might find it anyway
You could still discover your aspiration even if you weren't aware of it before
Under one of those old familiar names, like...
The classic cities of America have a lot of history and culture to offer that may surprise you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charlie Midnight, Dan Hartman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
WONG WEI
First time hearing this. Had no idea Dan Hartman wrote this. A true musician.
Fancy Ray McCloney
I -NEVER- heard this version before... WOW - It's FANTASTIC!!!
Martin Tõnumaa
Dan Hartman is really underrated. His name comes up all over the place when you check song credits and collaborations. Relight My Fire, Living In America, We Are The Young, Instant Replay, Love Sensation. You can feel his joy in the music
Jessi Brunson
I like Dan singing this better than James. It was his song and he was a genius! RIP Dan ❣❣
Tapio Mäkeläinen
Dan was a good man. I saw him with Winter 1973 in Los Angeles. I was seventeen and first time overseas from Finland. Nobody can't understand how big a deal it was.
Paul London
Great track. Am glad James Brown did the film version though. The skit in the film wouldn't have had the same feel without him. James and Dan.. two great talents.. RIP you two legends!
Jason Nadle
If they did a music video, sure they can keep the other band members, but Dan (decked in leather) would be strutting the stage.
Flynn's Arcade
Dan was one of the masters of pop. He was like a white Prince in that he could sing and write in just about any genre.
TheDoormat2u
This music just gets inside my soul. I want to lose myself in the music and let my body and soul do the talking. I mean the dancing. Thanks God for music.
Macca Mcdonagh
Dan Hartman. Still sorely missed x