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
Solidarity
Little Steven Lyrics
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Everybody wants a happy end
They just want to see the game on Saturday
They wanna be somebody's friend
Everybody wants to work for a living
Everybody wants to keep their children warm
Everybody just wants to be forgiven
Look at me I ain't your enemy
Why can't we walk on common ground
We don't need to be fighting each other
What we need, what we need is solidarity
Nobody likes to ask for money
Nobody likes to play the clown
Nobody likes waiting in the long lines
Nobody likes being pushed around
Everybody wants their family protected
They only want to express themselves
Everybody wants to live forever
Everybody wants to be somebody else
Look at me I ain't your enemy
Don't believe everything you hear
This is no time to be fighting each other
What we need, what we need is solidarity
The song Solidarity by Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul speaks to the universal desire of every human being for happiness, friendship, security, and recognition. It acknowledges that we may have different backgrounds, interests or opinions, but deep down, we all crave similar things. The song highlights how, despite our common goals, we still allow ourselves to be divided by our differences, especially in difficult times. The lyrics encourage people to look beyond their prejudices, to find common ground, to overcome their fears, and to come together in solidarity.
The lyrics of Solidarity reflect the political and social climate of the 1980s, particularly in America, where the song was written. At the time, the country was experiencing high levels of unemployment, social unrest, and political polarization. The song was intended to be an anthem of unity and inspiration for the American labor movement and other social justice movements, calling for collective action and solidarity in the face of adversity.
The song's chorus, "What we need, what we need is solidarity," is a clear call to action for people to unite and work towards a common goal. The song acknowledges that social and economic justice cannot be achieved by individuals acting alone but instead require a collective effort. The song Solidarity remains relevant today and calls on people to stand in solidarity in the face of injustice, inequality, and division.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody wants the same things don't they
Everyone has similar desires and wants in life
Everybody wants a happy end
Everyone wants a positive outcome for themselves
They just want to see the game on Saturday
People want the simple pleasures of life
They wanna be somebody's friend
People desire companionship and connection
Everybody wants to work for a living
Everyone wants to have a job and earn a living
Everybody wants to keep their children warm
Parents want to ensure their children's well-being
Everybody just wants to be forgiven
People desire forgiveness and second chances
Everyone wants shelter from the storm
Everyone wants safety and protection
Look at me I ain't your enemy
I am not your adversary
Why can't we walk on common ground
Why can't we find commonalities and work together
We don't need to be fighting each other
We can resolve our issues without resorting to conflict
What we need, what we need is solidarity
We need unity, togetherness and support
Nobody likes to ask for money
People feel uncomfortable asking for financial assistance
Nobody likes to play the clown
People don't want to be seen as silly or foolish
Nobody likes waiting in the long lines
People don't like standing in queues for long periods
Nobody likes being pushed around
People don't want to be bullied or mistreated
Everybody wants their family protected
Everyone wants their loved ones to feel safe and secure
They only want to express themselves
People desire to freely express their thoughts and feelings
Everybody wants to live forever
People want to avoid death and live a long, fulfilling life
Everybody wants to be somebody else
People sometimes feel dissatisfied with themselves and fantasize about being someone else
Don't believe everything you hear
Be discerning and don't trust everything blindly
This is no time to be fighting each other
We need to unite and work towards a common goal
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELTON JOHN, LEE HALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind