Eric Carmen (born Eric Howard Carmen in Cleveland, Ohio, on 11 August 1949;… Read Full Bio ↴Eric Carmen (born Eric Howard Carmen in Cleveland, Ohio, on 11 August 1949; died 8 March 2024) was an American guitarist and keyboardist remembered as the lead vocalist of The Raspberries and for the numerous hit songs he had in the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of The Raspberries (who had a million-selling single with "Go All the Way") and then with his solo career that included hits such as All By Myself" (released in 1976), "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It", "Hungry Eyes" (written by J. DeNicola and F. Previte for the iconic 'Dirty Dancing' soundtrack, and "Make Me Lose Control".

Carmen's first solo single "All By Myself" was penned by Carmen based on a classical theme by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It was subsequently covered by Celine Dion and also used in the opening scene of the movie 'Bridget Jones' Diary'.

Besides his successful solo career, Carmen is remembered as one of the rock'n'rollers behind the Cleveland, Ohio-based band The Raspberries. As lead vocalist and co-songwriter, he helped the group gain big popularity in the 70s through arena-ready hits such as "Go All the Way" and "Tonight", with the band becoming a cult figure among power pop fans. Carmen reunited with Raspberries producer Jimmy Ienner to be a part of the 'Dirty Dancing' soundtrack, a commercial juggernaut that achieved massive success and was RIAA certified multi-platinum. Carmen's song "Hungry Eyes" reached the top 40 charts in Canada, Germany, the U.S., and elsewhere while attracting critical acclaim. Over the years, Carmen's work has been praised by many of his fellow musicians including Bruce Springsteen and Ringo Starr among others.

On 24 December 2013, the first new recording in over 15 years by Carmen titled "Brand New Year" was released.

Everything
Eric Carmen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You just strap on that guitar
And you can make yourself a star
And look at everything
With a jaded nonchalance
You've got money, you've got fame
You've got coast to coast acclaim
You've got everything
That a man could ever want

Everything

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Eric Carmen's song Everything depict the story of a man who has achieved everything he ever wanted in life. He has got money, fame, and a coast-to-coast acclaim, yet he exudes a jaded nonchalance towards everything around him. The song discusses how success and fame can easily get to one's head and make them lose perspective of things that truly matter in life. By talking about a guitar and becoming a star, the song may also imply how materialistic success can be attained by pursuing artistic careers like music.

The lyrics of Everything sheds light on the ultimate message of the song which is, "money can't buy everything." Even though the singer in the song has achieved everything he ever wanted, it still feels like something is missing. Perhaps it's the realization that success and material possession can't bring true happiness and satisfaction in life. The line, "look at everything with jaded nonchalance," suggests that everything has become too mundane and repetitive for him, and he no longer finds excitement in his achievements.

Line by Line Meaning

You just strap on that guitar
All you have to do is pick up that instrument and you'll instantly become successful.

And you can make yourself a star
Playing music will allow you to achieve the status of a celebrity.

And look at everything
From your position of success, you can survey the world around you.

With a jaded nonchalance
Your success has left you indifferent and unenthusiastic toward everything.

You've got money, you've got fame
You're wealthy and renowned thanks to your success in music.

You've got coast to coast acclaim
You're revered throughout the entire country.

You've got everything
You have all the material possessions and accolades that one could possibly desire.

That a man could ever want
This level of success would satisfy any man's ambitions and aspirations.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ERIC CARMEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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