Originally David Richard Solberg, he was born the son of a Lutheran minister. His father, Dr. Richard Solberg, was a senior representative for Lutheran World Relief during the reconstruction of Germany after World War II, and the family moved frequently while Soul was growing up. Soul's brother is a Lutheran minister and social activist.
Soul first gained attention as the mysterious "Covered Man" on several appearances on The Merv Griffin Show in 1967 in which he sang while wearing a ski mask and explained, "My name is David Soul, and I want to be known for my music".
Soul then appeared as level-headed Joshua Bolt on the television program Here Come the Brides, and later Arthur Hill's law partner on, "Owen Marshal: Counselor At Law". Superstar status came when he portrayed Detective Hutchinson on Starsky and Hutch. He has also made guest appearances on shows such as I Dream of Jeannie, McMillan and Wife, Cannon, Gunsmoke, World War III (miniseries), Star Trek, and The Streets of San Francisco. His best known film appearance was opposite Clint Eastwood in Magnum Force (1973). Soul also appeared in the mini-series based on Stephen King's horror classic "Salem's Lot" (1978).
After a successful singing career, including hits such as "Don't Give Up on Us" and "Silver Lady", Soul fell into relative obscurity during the 1980s, fought a long battle with alcoholism, although frequently made guest appearances in various US television series, with the occasional small film role.
In the 1990s, Soul moved to London, and forged a new career on the West End stage. He also notably participated in the successful 1997 election campaign of Martin Bell. In September 2004, he became a British citizen, but has kept his US citizenship and ties with the US. He is a big fan of English football (soccer) and is an Arsenal supporter. He has been married four times, three of those marriages have been to actresses: Karen Carlson, Patty Sherman, and Julia Nickson-Soul. He has six children: five sons and one daughter. His brother, Daniel Solberg, is pastor of St. Paulus Lutheran Church in San Francisco, California.
On July 12, 2004, he took over playing the role of Jerry Springer in Jerry Springer: The Opera at the Cambridge Theatre in London, televised by the BBC in 2005. He returned to the West End in 2006, playing Mack in a new production of Jerry Herman's musical Mack and Mabel at the Criterion Theatre. The production co-starred Janie Dee and was directed by John Doyle. He also appeared in the TV series Dalziel & Pascoe (Game of Soldiers). He had a brief cameo in the 2004 movie version of Starsky & Hutch, alongside original co-star Paul Michael Glaser.
In August 2008, Soul appeared in the reality TV talent show-themed television series Maestro on BBC Two mentored by Natalia Luis-Bassa.
He appeared with Fred Ward and Willem Dafoe in the film Farewell directed by Christian Carion, which received its U.S. release in 2010.
In June 2012, Soul made a one-week appearance with Jerry Hall at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, in a reprise of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated play by A. R. Gurney, Love Letters. On July 29, 2012, he appeared in an episode of the British television detective drama series Lewis, playing a murder victim. He was also featured in the hit album by Fosseytango, singing on the track "Landlord". In 2013, Soul appeared in a cameo role in the Scottish film Filth lip-syncing his own recording of "Silver Lady". In 2014, Soul appeared in a British television commercial for National Express singing "Silver Lady" while driving a coach.
Soul died on January 4, 2024, at the age of 80.
Can't We Just Sit Down and Talk It Over
David Soul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A car rolls up outside on time,
A moment from your call
A hand-shake seems more fitting than a kiss
It's such a shame that you and I should have to end like this
Can't we just sit down and talk it over?
Surely you can ask the man to wait
And I'm the one
Who said last night that it was all too late
Can't we just sit down and talk it over?
Who knows maybe in a little while
We'll forget our pride and the things
We said last night and maybe you and I can talk it out
Tonight stay somewhere warm, they say it's gonna freeze
You may not find a place at all so be sure to take your keys
I can almost taste the silence now
Does it really matter still, who was wrong who let who down
Can't we just sit down and talk it over?
Who knows maybe in a little while
We'll forget our pride
And the things we said last night
And maybe you and I can talk it out
Hold on, hold on
Surely you and I can talk it out
The lyrics of David Soul's song "Can't We Just Sit Down and Talk It Over" portray the desperate attempts of a heartbroken lover to stop their significant other from leaving. The song is about a relationship that is nearing its end, and the singer is left with a last-ditch effort to save it. The opening lines suggest that the singer has been waiting for this one night where their lover doesn't have to leave, yet they receive an unexpected visitor outside their door. The singer is desperately pleading with their beloved to stay, to not leave and to just have a conversation to work things out. They implore the love interest to "sit down and talk it over", with the repeated chorus throughout the song.
The lyrics also touch on themes of pride, hurt feelings, regret, and the power of communication in resolving issues. Lines like "It's strange that you're the one so set on leaving / And I'm the one who said last night that it was all too late" touch on the idea that sometimes we get caught up in emotions, and we don't know how to express ourselves in the best way possible. In the end, the singer hopes that they can overcome their differences and work things out eventually. The song is ultimately an emotional plea for communication and understanding between two people in a relationship for the sake of the love that they share.
Line by Line Meaning
The one and only night you don't need to go at all
It's surprising that on this particular night, when you don't have to go, a car arrives to pick you up just moments before you could've called.
A car rolls up outside on time,
A car arrives outside at the perfect time.
A moment from your call
The car arrived so quickly it's like it was waiting for you to call.
A hand-shake seems more fitting than a kiss
You feel that a handshake is more appropriate than a kiss given the current state of your relationship.
It's such a shame that you and I should have to end like this
It's regrettable that our relationship has come to this point where it's ending.
Can't we just sit down and talk it over?
Why don't we take the time to sit down and have a proper conversation to try and resolve our issues?
Surely you can ask the man to wait
Can't you ask the driver of the car to wait for a little while longer?
It's strange that you're the one so set on leaving
It's unusual that you're the one determined to leave our relationship.
And I'm the one who said last night that it was all too late
It's ironic that I was the one who last night declared that it was already too late to fix our relationship.
Who knows maybe in a little while
There's a chance that if we wait a little while longer, things may improve between us.
We'll forget our pride and the things we said last night
Hopefully, in time, we will be able to put our egos aside and forget the hurtful words that were spoken.
And maybe you and I can talk it out
By having a conversation, you and I can attempt to work through our relationship problems.
Tonight stay somewhere warm, they say it's gonna freeze
As it's predicted to get cold tonight, make sure to stay in a warm place.
You may not find a place at all so be sure to take your keys
It's possible you may not find a place to stay, so make sure you have your keys with you in case you need to return home.
I can almost taste the silence now
The silence between us is almost palpable.
Does it really matter still, who was wrong who let who down
At this point in our relationship, does it really matter who was at fault or who caused the problems?
Hold on, hold on
Let's not rush to end things, let's try and work through our issues first.
Surely you and I can talk it out
There's a good chance that you and I can come to a resolution if we sit down and have an honest conversation.
Contributed by Aaron W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.