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.
Great Expectations
Eric Carmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gettin' harder pressed
To find a reason to shave
Watchin' the hours
Just slippin' away
No motivation to get out of bed
And carry on the charade
Caught in a dream that's goin' astray
Oh, all those great expectations
Seems they never work out, never work out
The way that I plan
All those great expectations
Why they never work out, never work out
I can't understand
And just when I think
That things are goin' right
I get a call from l.a.
Sorry to say "we're changin' your song"
I try to reason
But I can't get through
They're gonna do it their way
What can I say
They've never been wrong
Oh, all those great expectations
Seems they never work out, never work out
The way that I plan
All those great expectations
Why they never work out, never work out
I can't understand
Life is just a game of chance
I think somebody said so
Sometimes you get a hula hoop
Sometimes you get an Edsel
Oh, all those great expectations
Seems they never work out, never work out
The way that I plan
All those great expectations
Why they never work out, never work out
I can't understand
The lyrics in Eric Carmen's song "Great Expectations" convey a sense of disappointment and frustration towards life's unpredictability. The first verse starts with the singer feeling unmotivated to do anything, with even the simple task of shaving feeling like a chore. He watches time slip away without any reason to get out of bed and continue pretending that everything's okay. The line "Caught in a dream that's going astray" showcases how the singer feels like he's losing grip of the life he thought he had control over.
The chorus emphasizes the central theme of the song, that great expectations never seem to work out. The singer has made plans and has set expectations for himself, but they always get shattered in some way. The line "Why they never work out, I can't understand" shows how the singer is bewildered and cannot come to terms with why things don't go as he planned.
The second verse describes how just when things seem to be going right, he gets a call that his song is being changed in LA. He tries to reason with them, but they refuse and do it their way. The line "They've never been wrong" implies that this is not the first time this has happened, and the singer feels helpless in changing the situation.
Overall, the song highlights how life is unpredictable, and despite making plans and having great expectations, things do not go as planned. It is a relatable message that many of us can connect with in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Seems everyday I'm gettin' harder pressed
It feels like every day, life is getting harder and harder for me.
To find a reason to shave
Even the simplest of tasks, like shaving, feel pointless and meaningless.
Watchin' the hours Just slippin' away
Time is moving too quickly and I'm not doing anything meaningful with it.
No motivation to get out of bed And carry on the charade
I feel like everything I do is just a show and it's exhausting to keep pretending.
Caught in a dream that's goin' astray
I feel like my life isn't going the way I thought it would and I'm lost in this dream that's not coming true.
Oh, all those great expectations Seems they never work out, never work out The way that I plan
My hopes and dreams never seem to come true in the way I expected them to.
Why they never work out, never work out I can't understand
I don't understand why things don't work out the way I want them to.
And just when I think That things are goin' right
Sometimes, just when I start to feel like things are getting better, something happens to ruin it.
I get a call from l.a. Sorry to say "we're changin' your song"
Even when things seem to be going well, something or someone can come and change it all without warning.
I try to reason But I can't get through They're gonna do it their way What can I say They've never been wrong
Even if I try to fight it or reason with people, they'll still do what they want because they think they're always right.
Life is just a game of chance I think somebody said so
Someone once told me that life is unpredictable and full of chance.
Sometimes you get a hula hoop Sometimes you get an Edsel
Sometimes life gives you something great, like a hula hoop, and sometimes life gives you something terrible, like an Edsel car.
Oh, all those great expectations Seems they never work out, never work out The way that I plan
My hopes and dreams never seem to come true in the way I expected them to.
Why they never work out, never work out I can't understand
I don't understand why things don't work out the way I want them to.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ERIC CARMEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind