His career:
At the age of nineteen, he earned an ARCT in classical piano performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music, in Toronto. Upon graduation, he enjoyed modest local success with the band Rhinegold in 1976.
After Rhinegold broke up in 1981, Lawrence Gowan began a successful solo career under his surname, "Gowan", releasing his self titled debut on Columbia Records in 1982. This album Gowan contained his first singles "Victory" and "Keep Up The Fight". His 1985 album Strange Animal was his first real Canadian commercial breakthrough, spawning the hit singles "A Criminal Mind", "(You're A) Strange Animal" and "Cosmetics". The album was produced by David Tickle (Prince, Split Enz, Sting, U2 ) and featured Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel) on bass / Chapman stick, and Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel) on drums. His 1987 follow up Great Dirty World was also produced by Tickle and again featured Tony Levin on bass but had session percussionist Nigel Olsson (Elton John) on drums. This album's arrangements were assisted by Bob Ezrin (Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel) and gave him another breaking hit single, "Moonlight Desires," which featured Jon Anderson (Yes) on backing vocals.
1990's Lost Brotherhood featured Rush's Alex Lifeson on guitar', however, it was a commercial disappointment, and Gowan elected to pursue a change in his musical direction. Taking a more subdued, acoustic approach, he released an adult contemporary album ...but you can call me Larry in 1993, using his full name for the first time, and Lawrence Gowan returned to the Canadian charts with three strong singles: "When There's Time For Love", "Soul's Road", and "Dancing On My Own Ground". Gowan subsequently released critically acclaimed The Good Catches Up in 1995, which was produced by Eddie Schwartz (The Doobie Brothers, Paul Carrack), but the album did not generate singles or radio airplay. In 1997, Gowan released two live CDs: Sololive - No Kilt Tonight containing a strong rendition of Ragtime's classic "King Chanteclerc Rag", and Au Québec with an evocative cover of Harmonium's "Pour Un Instant", as well as his first French song, "Stéphanie", which was dedicated to his supportive Quebec fan base.
In 1997, Gowan released "Healing Waters" as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales after her death. However, despite what many believe, this song was not originally written for this purpose. It was, in fact, used in its original form in the 1995 soundtrack for the movie 'When The Bullet Hits The Bone' (starring Jeff Wincott), which was two years prior to the infamous accident that killed Diana. Although this song is not actually listed in the movie's credits, it plays a significant role within the film. After the Princess' death, the lyrics were modified by Gowan into the version that fans have come to know.
Gowan's classic "A Criminal Mind" was covered in 2005 by Canadian hip-hop artist Maestro; and Gowan appears in the song's video with his vocals sampled on the recording.
In February 2006, Lawrence Gowan did four orchestra accompanied concerts in London, Ontario and Kitchener, Ontario. On March 23rd, 2010, The Return of the Strange Animal was released by Linus Entertainment featuring remastered versions of the original recordings packaged alongside a documentary on the making of his breakthrough CD at Tittenhurst Park with Peter Gabriel's band mates. The disc features some of the original demo recordings, two new songs, and full resolution videos, including an animated cartoon entitled "The Checkmate: Ominous Spiritus 2010". The disc closes with a Live recording of "Criminal Mind" featuring his current band, Styx.
Gowan has guest-starred on the Canadian animated comedy series Chilly Beach, and he has also displayed a passionate love for ice hockey by playing for The Rock & Roll All-Stars, a celebrity team that participates in charity events across Canada.
All The Lovers In The World
Gowan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We excited
A fire so hot
Two lives were ignited
Now I'm left here on my own
But I'll never be alone
Down forbidden streets I talk with
Every single step I walk with
Though the lonely night's returning
I can feel the flame that's burning
All the lovers in the world
Virgin lips I have tasted
Love so pure, not a drop was wasted
Paradise we shared together
Lives inside of me forever
Down forbidden streets I talk with
Every single step I walk with
All the lovers in the world (all the lovers in the world)
Though the lonely night's returning
I can feel the flame that's burning
All the lovers in the world (all the lovers in the world)
Since you touched me
I can't be free
This is every lover's destiny
Down forbidden streets I talk with
Every single step I walk with
All the lovers in the world (all the lovers in the world)
Though the lonely night's returning
I can feel the flame that's burning
All the lovers in the world (all the lovers in the world)
Down forbidden streets I talk with
Every single step I walk with
All the lovers in the world (all the lovers in the world)
The lyrics to Gowan's "All The Lovers In The World" describe the intensity and passion of a romantic relationship. The first verse describes how two people came together and ignited a passionate flame. The singer laments being left alone, but finds solace in the fact that they still have memories of the intense love they shared. The second verse describes the purity and perfection of the love they experienced, with the line "Love so pure, not a drop was wasted" highlighting that every moment was treasured.
The chorus speaks to the universality of love and how the singer feels a connection to all the lovers in the world. Despite feeling lonely, they know that they are not truly alone in their experience of love. The final verse captures the idea that once someone has experienced this level of love, they can never truly be free from its hold. The singer walks down "forbidden streets" and carries the memories and feelings of their past love with them, feeling the presence of all the lovers in the world around them.
Overall, the lyrics to "All The Lovers In The World" describe a passionate and intense love that leaves a lasting impact on the singer, who feels connected to all the other lovers in the world through their shared experiences of love and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
With urgent hands
With a sense of desperation
We excited
We felt intense passion
A fire so hot
A love so intense
Two lives were ignited
Our love created a new spark of life within each of us
Now I'm left here on my own
I am now alone without you
But I'll never be alone
Despite my physical solitude, I still feel the presence of all the past lovers in my heart
Down forbidden streets I talk with
As I walk through unknown places, I converse with my memories
Every single step I walk with
Every movement is filled with a feeling of their presence
All the lovers in the world (all the lovers in the world)
All the people in the world who have loved at one point or another
Though the lonely night's returning
Even though I may feel alone again
I can feel the flame that's burning
I still feel the passion and intensity of the love that was once shared
Virgin lips I have tasted
I have kissed someone for the first time
Love so pure, not a drop was wasted
Our love was pure and untainted by any external factors
Paradise we shared together
We experienced a heaven on earth together
Lives inside of me forever
Our memories and our love will live with me forever
Since you touched me
Since I met you
I can't be free
I cannot let go of the memories and feelings I have for you
This is every lover's destiny
This is a feeling that every person who has loved will experience
Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Janet Stewart
Lyrics
With urgent hands
We excited
A fire so hot
Two lives were ignited
Now I'm left here on my own
But I'll never be alone
Down forbidden streets I talk with
Every single step I walk with
All the lovers in the world (all the lovers in the world)
Though the lonely night's returning
I can feel the flame that's burning
All the lovers in the world
Virgin lips I have tasted
Love so pure, not a drop was wasted
Paradise we shared together
Lives inside of me forever
Down forbidden streets I talk with
Every single step I walk with
All the lovers in the world (all the lovers in the world)
Though the lonely night's returning
I can feel the flame that's burning
All the lovers in the world (all the lovers in the world)
Since you touched me
I can't be free
This is every lover's destiny
Down forbidden streets I talk with
Every single step I walk with
All the lovers in the world (all the lovers in the world)
Though the lonely night's returning
I can feel the flame that's burning
All the lovers in the world (all the lovers in the world)
Down forbidden streets I talk with
Every single step I walk with
All the lovers in the world (all the lovers in the world)
Greg Sauer
I had forgotten about this song - it sounds great so many years later.
Kasia Misiek
Me too! I forgot how great the video was. I saw Gowan live 2 days ago in Guelph. He was fenomenal! His son plays the drums and his brother bass guitar in his band. Gowan's voice is still exactly the same!
Eric Alguire
A timeless classic ! Crank up the volume !
Travel Teez
Gowan was my favorite when I was growing up. I haven't listened to him in years, but listening again brings back memories! Still amazing music.
Bat Man
Same, and had done well showcasing some of these songs as he tours with Styx
Tim Gallant
What a wonderful album. One of my definite faves from those years.
S
Gowan is amazing. I'm sorry that Canadian musicians do not get much air play in the US. What a shame. We are missing out on so much talent
D R
I never knew til recently that Lawrence Gowan was the key boardest from Stix... all the great artists from the '80's kicked ass 👌
Michael Mercy
A classic! And it's never looked better!
David Spence
Gowan was amazing and still is. One of Canada's best. Thank you Lawrence