In 1975, Rabbitt signed on with Elektra Records, who had recently created a country music division. His early pieces were strongly C&W, such as "Two Dollars in the Jukebox." Later, his music began to be influenced by R&B and pop. He scored some of his biggest hits with tunes such as "Drinkin' My Baby Off My Mind" (1976), "You Don't Love Me Anymore" (1978), "I Love a Rainy Night" (1980), "Drivin' My Life Away" (1980), "Step by Step" (1981), and a duet with Crystal Gayle, "You and I" (1982) which broke over into the adult contemporary charts. He was also well-known for writing and recording the theme song for the 1978 Clint Eastwood movie "Every Which Way But Loose."
During the late 1980s, Rabbitt was one of many pop-influenced country stars who lost ground on the charts to more traditional-sounding artists. He recorded very little during the 1990s, in part because of the illness and subsequent death of his young son. After his son died, Rabbitt became active in raising money for organizations that aid sick children. Rabbitt himself died of lung cancer at the age of 56.
During his career, Rabbitt scored 26 #1 hits on the country charts, and had 8 Top 40 pop hits. He was named the Top New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music in 1977, and he won an American Music Award for Best Pop Male Vocalist in 1981.
Eddie Rabbitt is interred in Calvary Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.
Years After You
Eddie Rabbitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause there's really nothing different at all
The sun still burns
The earth still tuns
And the winter still follows the fall
I knew that it wouldn't be easy
For my heart to find somebody new
But I never thought
These years after you
They tell me time is a natural healer
It kinda smooths the pain away
But this hurtin' within
Hasn't yet given in
And it seems like a million days
I still remember the taste of your kisses
And your eyes that were beautifully blue
And I can still hear the sound of your voice
When you said we were through
Years after you
[Chorus]
Years after years after you
I'm still cryin'
Tears after years after you
I'm still tryin' to make it through
These years after you
There've been mornings when I couldn't wake up
There've been evenings when I couldn't sleep
Oh, my life will be fine for months at a time
Then I'll break down and cry for a week
Cause when I told you I'd love you forever
I know you didn't think it was true
But forever is nothing
Compared to some nights I've been through
These years after you
[Chorus: x2]
I'll never get over you
[Chorus]
The song "Years After You" by Eddie Rabbitt is a deeply emotional track that explores the lingering pain and heartbreak that follows a breakup. The singer reflects on the passing of time and how it has not healed the hurt that remains after the relationship has ended. He acknowledges that the world around him has remained the same, with the sun still burning and the earth still turning, but his heart remains broken. The lyrics express how difficult it is for the singer to move on and find someone new, even though he knows he must.
The track explores the physical and emotional toll a breakup can take, with the singer describing moments of overwhelming sadness and the struggles to function in day-to-day life. He speaks of struggling to wake up in the morning and finding it hard to sleep at night, while also acknowledging that there are times when he feels fine for months at a time. The chorus of the song repeats the lyrics "Years after years after you, I'm still crying" and "Tears after tears after you, I'm still trying to make it through" which reinforces the idea of the continuous pain he feels, even as time passes. The poignant ending of the song, "I'll never get over you", drives home the lasting effects of heartbreak and the difficulty of moving on from someone you truly loved.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know if I can explain it
I don't know if I can describe how I feel
Cause there's really nothing different at all
Despite time passing, nothing has changed in my life
The sun still burns
The sun still rises and sets every day
The earth still turns
The earth still rotates around its axis
And the winter still follows the fall
The seasons still come and go in the same order
I knew that it wouldn't be easy
I was aware that moving on would be difficult
For my heart to find somebody new
For me to love someone else as deeply as I loved you
But I never thought
I never expected
It still would be broken in two
To still feel heartbroken even after so much time has passed
These years after you
The time since you left me
They tell me time is a natural healer
People say that time can heal emotional pain
It kinda smooths the pain away
It gradually reduces the intensity of the pain
But this hurtin' within
But the pain I feel inside
Hasn't yet given in
Hasn't yet diminished
And it seems like a million days
And it feels like an eternity
I still remember the taste of your kisses
I still vividly remember your sweet kisses
And your eyes that were beautifully blue
And your stunning, blue eyes
And I can still hear the sound of your voice
I can still recall the sound of your voice
When you said we were through
When you broke up with me
Years after you
Many years after you left me
Years after years after you
Many, many years after you
I'm still cryin'
I still cry over you
Tears after years after you
I cry for you every year that goes by
I'm still tryin' to make it through
I'm still trying to live my life without you
There've been mornings when I couldn't wake up
There were times when I found it hard to get out of bed
There've been evenings when I couldn't sleep
There were times when I struggled to fall asleep
Oh, my life will be fine for months at a time
Sometimes I feel okay for long stretches of time
Then I'll break down and cry for a week
But then I'll suddenly get overwhelmed with grief and cry for days
Cause when I told you I'd love you forever
When I promised to love you forever
I know you didn't think it was true
I know you didn't believe me
But forever is nothing
But the concept of forever is meaningless
Compared to some nights I've been through
Compared to the suffering and heartache I've experienced
These years after you
The time since you left me
I'll never get over you
I'll never fully move on from our relationship
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THOM SCHUYLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joseph Amari
on Gotta Have You
These are the correct lyrics for Gotta Have You Eddie Rabbitt
Standing at the window
Waiting for the light
Staring down the barrel
Of a rainy night
Mister Walker, help me kill the pain
'Cause red is his color
And John is his name
Help me kill the pain
I gotta have you
Nothing's ever gonna be right
If I don't have you
Another string of these lonely nights
Ain't never gonna do
When I let you get away from me
I was a fool in the first degree
And I gotta have you
I used to listen to your heartbeat every night
It was such a good love, and it felt so right
And I still don't know what made me stray
But I took you for granted, and I gave you away
I just gave you away
I gotta have you
Nothing's ever gonna be right
If I don't have you
Another string of these lonely nights
Ain't never gonna do
When I let you get away from me
I was a fool in the first degree
And I gotta have you, you
I feel like I'm living on borrowed time
I've got a damn good reason for walking the line
I keep praying for the ringing of the telephone
I'm gonna hope these tears will bring you home
Won't you please come home, yeah
'Cause I gotta have you
Nothing's ever gonna be right
If I don't have you
Another string of these lonely nights
Ain't never gonna do
When I let you get away from me
I was a fool in the first degree
And I gotta have you
Nothing's ever gonna be right
If I don't have you
Another string of these lonely nights
Ain't never gonna do
When I let you get away from me
I was a fool in the first degree
And I gotta have you
Nothing's ever gonna be right
If I don't have you
Another string of these lonely nights
Ain't never gonna do