van Zandt was born as Steven Lento in Winthrop, Massachusetts. His mother, Mary Lento, remarried when he was young and Steven took the last name of his stepfather, William Van Zandt. The family moved from Massachusetts to Middletown Township, New Jersey when he was seven.
Van Zandt subsequently became a songwriter and producer for fellow Jersey shore act Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes in the mid- to late-1970s, penning their signature song "I Don't Wanna Go Home", co-writing other songs for them with Springsteen, and producing their most-acclaimed record, Hearts of Stone. As such, Van Zandt became a key contributor to the Jersey Shore sound. Van Zandt then went on to share production credits on the classic Springsteen albums Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River, and Born in the U.S.A..
Van Zandt has produced a number of other records, including an uncredited effort on the Iron City Houserockers' Have A Good Time (But Get Out Alive). Less successful was his work on Lone Justice's second album Shelter, which was a career-ending flop for the Los Angeles cowpunk band.
In 2004, he contributed the song "Baby Please Don't Go" to Nancy Sinatra's self-titled album
Van Zandt officially left the E Street Band in 1984 (Springsteen's song "Bobby Jean" is said to be inspired by the split) and has been involved in numerous solo musical projects and collaborations since then, ranging from soul music to hard rock to world music. In particular, he released four albums in the 1980s and one in 1999, sometimes fronting an on-and-off group known as Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. Van Zandt has written that these albums are each elements in a five-part concept cycle. The first of them, 1982's white soul Men Without Women, earned the most critical praise (Jay Cocks of TIME magazine dubbed it one of the ten best albums of the year), while its follow-up, 1984's Voice of America, did the best on the U.S. albums chart, although none of them were much of a commercial success. With Voice of America, his music became explicitly political, with the central theme being opposition to Ronald Reagan-era American foreign policy.
Continuing his involvement in issues of the day, in 1985 he created the music-industry activist group Artists United Against Apartheid as an action against the Sun City resort in South Africa. Forty-nine top recording artists, including Springsteen, U2, Bob Dylan and Run DMC, collaborated on a song called "Sun City" in which they pledged they would never perform at the resort. The effort was modestly successful. In 1987 he released the album Freedom - No Compromise, which continued the political messaging in an even more strident fashion. Some U.S. appearances in that year as opening act for U2's arena-and-stadium Joshua Tree Tour continued in the same vein – Oliver North was labelled a "criminal motherfucker" – but were not well-received by audiences, who found the sound overbearing and the performances lacking musicality. Both the record and his concerts were more popular in Europe, however. Little Steven's fourth album, 1989's Revolution, attracted little attention.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Van_Zandt
Out Of The Darkness
Little Steven Lyrics
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There are words we're too afraid to say
The things that I thought would last forever
Are changing every day
There's a hunger that can't be satisfied
And the streets are filled with rage
It's time to dig deep inside ourselves
And face the life we've made
It's gonna take the two of us
I just can't do it all on my own
I see the day gettin' brighter
Hold me a little bit tighter
Out of the darkness and hand in hand
Baby together we will make our stand
Reach out and touch me we can win somehow
I know there's nothin' that can stop us now
Oh baby, come with me out of the darkness
I've lived my life trapped with trouble
Now it's time to make a new start
I thought the only justice in this world
Came from an angry heart
Now I know there's got to be love to protect us
But we can't wait for it to come
I know there's more to life than black and white
The sooner we learn, the sooner we've won
It's gonna take the two of us
I just can't make it all on my own
If you are a fighter
Hold me a little bit tighter
Little Steven's "Out of the Darkness" is a song about the struggles and challenges faced in life. The lyrics speak to the sadness and fear that surrounds us, and the need to confront difficult situations head-on. The things we once thought would last forever are changing, and there is a hunger inside that can't be satisfied.
The song encourages us to look deep within ourselves and face the life we've made, even if it's not what we had hoped for. It's a call to action to reach out to others and work together to make things better. The chorus speaks to the power of unity and the importance of having someone to lean on during hard times. "Out of the darkness and hand in hand, baby together we will make our stand, reach out and touch me we can win somehow, I know there's nothing that can stop us now."
The verses touch on themes of justice, love, and the gray areas of life. The singer has lived a life "trapped with trouble" but recognizes that anger is not the only answer. They understand that love and connection are what will protect and save us in the end. The refrain repeats the need for someone to hold onto during tough times, emphasizing the importance of unity and partnership in overcoming life's obstacles.
Overall, "Out of the Darkness" is a powerful and emotional song that encourages listeners to confront their fears and challenges head-on, while also recognizing the power of love and connection in overcoming adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a sadness all around us
Many people are feeling sad in the world.
There are words we're too afraid to say
We are not speaking up about the things that matter to us because we are scared.
The things that I thought would last forever
The things that I believed would never change are now becoming different.
Are changing every day
Every day there are new changes happening in our lives.
There's a hunger that can't be satisfied
We have a desire that cannot be fulfilled.
And the streets are filled with rage
There is a lot of anger and frustration in our society.
It's time to dig deep inside ourselves
We need to search within ourselves to find the courage and strength to overcome our challenges.
And face the life we've made
We need to confront the reality of the life we have created for ourselves.
It's gonna take the two of us
We need to work together to make a positive change.
I just can't do it all on my own
I need your help to achieve our goals.
I see the day gettin' brighter
I am hopeful for a better future.
Hold me a little bit tighter
I need your support during this difficult time.
Out of the darkness and hand in hand
We will overcome our challenges together and emerge into the light.
Baby together we will make our stand
We will take a stand against the issues that are important to us.
Reach out and touch me we can win somehow
By supporting each other, we can achieve our goals and be successful.
I know there's nothin' that can stop us now
We are determined to succeed and nothing can stand in our way.
Oh baby, come with me out of the darkness
Let's leave behind our troubles and step into a brighter future together.
I've lived my life trapped with trouble
For a long time, I have been stuck in difficult situations.
Now it's time to make a new start
I am ready to move on and start fresh.
I thought the only justice in this world
I used to believe that the only way to solve problems was through anger and aggression.
Came from an angry heart
I thought that being angry was the only way to achieve justice.
Now I know there's got to be love to protect us
I have learned that love and compassion can be powerful tools for change.
But we can't wait for it to come
We need to take action now to create a better world.
I know there's more to life than black and white
I understand that life is more complex than just right and wrong, good and bad.
The sooner we learn, the sooner we've won
The faster we can learn and adapt, the more successful we will be in achieving our goals.
If you are a fighter
If you are someone who is willing to stand up for what's right,
Hold me a little bit tighter
Please support me during this tough time.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: STEVEN VAN ZANDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind