His achievements include selling 53 million albums, eight top ten albums, two number one singles on the Billboard charts, and awards from both the American Music Awards and Grammy Awards.
Michael Bolton had an extensive, though not very successful, career under his real name, Michael Bolotin, before emerging in the mid-'80s as a major soft rock balladeer. Bolton began recording in 1975. This first album was self-titled using his original surname, Bolotin. Early in his musical career, he focused on hard rock. His band, Blackjack, once toured with heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne. He turned up on RCA Records in the mid-'70s singing in a gruff, Joe Cocker-like voice both his own blue-eyed soul songs and cover tunes. Neither record buyers nor critics were much interested by the result. He then became the lead singer in Blackjack, a heavy metal band that made two albums for Polydor at the end of the '70s and the start of the '80s. In 1983, he changed his name to Michael Bolton, signed to Columbia Records as a solo act, and relaunched his career.
Michael Bolton was released in April 1983, and made the Top 100 bestsellers, as did its single, "Fools Game." At the same time, "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," which Bolton had co-written, became a Top 40 hit for Laura Branigan. Nevertheless, Bolton's second Columbia album, Everybody's Crazy (1985), was a commercial flop. His breakthrough came with his third album, The Hunger, released in September 1987. On this album, Bolton abandoned the more hard rock aspects of his style to concentrate on blue-eyed soul singing: both on his own songs, such as "That's What Love Is All About," and on covers like Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." Those two songs became Top 40 hits.
Soul Provider, released in July 1989, turned Bolton into a superstar, reaching the Top Ten, selling four million copies, and spawning five Top 40 singles, including Bolton's number one version of "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," and the Top Ten hits "How Can We Be Lovers" and "When I'm Back on My Feet Again." "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" won Bolton a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Time, Love & Tenderness, released in April 1991, was even more successful, hitting number one, selling six million copies, and featuring four Top 40 hits, including the chart-topping cover of Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman," and the Top Ten hits "Love Is a Wonderful Thing" (later the subject of a successful plagiarism suit brought against Bolton by the Isley Brothers) and "Time, Love and Tenderness."
Bolton won another Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, for "When a Man Loves a Woman," but he had to put up with abuse from two camps of detractors at the February 1992 ceremony. Just after Bolton had performed, pre-rock songwriter Irving Gordon won the Song of the Year award for "Unforgettable" and pointedly attacked songs that "scream, yell, and have a nervous breakdown" and singers who "have a hernia" when they sing. Then, backstage, Bolton faced a hostile press corps of critics unhappy with his tendency to copy great soul singers like Redding, Ray Charles, and Sledge. Bolton suggested they apply their lips to a certain part of his anatomy. He further responded with Timeless: The Classics in September 1992, an album made up entirely of cover songs. It went to number one, sold three million copies, and featured a Top 40 hit in Bolton's version of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody." Bolton's next album of original material, The One Thing, came in November 1993. It hit the Top Ten, sold three million copies, and featured the Top Ten hit "Said I Loved You...But I Lied." Bolton released Greatest Hits 1985-1995 in the fall of 1995, which debuted in the Top Ten. The following year, This Is the Time: Christmas Album appeared.
Bolton returned with All That Matters, his first album of new material since 1993's The One Thing, in the fall of 1997. Instead of continuing his success, it was a surprise flop. Not only did it not generate a hit single, it barely cracked the Top 40 and fell out of the charts after 15 weeks. Its lack of success didn't stop Bolton from turning his attention to My Secret Passion, a collection of opera and arias that he released in January 1998. By classical standards, the album was a hit, and the record received a great deal of press and surprisingly good reviews. He supported the two albums with a summer tour which were co-headlined with Wynonna Judd. He voluntarily stepped back for almost four years, disappearing from the public eye until the spring of 2002 when he began promoting Only a Woman Like You, his first album on Jive Records. After a brief sabbatical, he returned with Til the End of Forever, a hybrid new album of seven new recordings and a live greatest-hits concert. In 2006 he released Bolton Swings Sinatra, a 12-song tribute to Ol' Blue Eyes that included a duet with fiancée/actress Nicolette Sheridan.
It would be worth mentioning "Can I Touch You There" proved to be one of the all-time hit love songs from Micheal Bolton from the album Greatest Hits.
www.michaelbolton.com/
Like A Rolling Stone
Michael Bolton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People called said, ?Beware doll, you're bound to fall?
But you thought they were all just kidding you
You used to laugh about everybody that was hanging out
And now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
How does it feel? How does it feel?
To be on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, just like a rolling stone
Oh, you never turned around to see the frowns
On the jugglers and the clowns when they did their tricks for you
You never understood it ain't no good
Shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you, oh
You used to ride on a chrome horse with a diplomat
Carried on his shoulder, siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discovered that he really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal
How does it feel? How does it feel?
To be on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, just like a rolling stone
Princess on the steeple, all the pretty people
Drinking, thinking that they've got it made
Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things
Better lift your diamond ring, you better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to loose
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal
How does it feel? How does it feel?
To be on your own and no direction home
Like a complete unknown, just like a rolling stone
Just like a rolling stone
(Oh, how does it feel?)
Just like a rolling stone
(Oh, how does it feel?)
How does it feel?
(Oh, how does it feel?)
Rolling stone
(Oh, how does it feel?)
How does it feel?
(Oh, how does it feel?)
How does it feel?
(Oh, how does it feel?)
(Oh, how does it feel?)
(Oh, how does it feel?)
The lyrics to Michael Bolton's "Like A Rolling Stone" are a commentary on the rise and fall of a privileged individual who becomes destitute and lonely, left to scrounge for their next meal. The song describes how this individual once lived lavishly, throwing money at those less fortunate and looking down on those who weren't as fortunate. However, as time goes on, they lose everything they once had, including their pride and direction in life. The singer asks the individual how it feels to be alone and without direction, comparing them to a "complete unknown" or a "rolling stone."
The lyrics also touch on themes of social class, materialism, and the emptiness that can come with it. The singer ignores the struggle of those around them, instead consuming everything they can, from luxury goods to other people's time and energy. But when this wealth and status crumbles, they're left with nothing and have to face the reality of their actions. In the end, they become invisible to society and left with nothing.
Overall, "Like A Rolling Stone" is a poignant and powerful commentary on how privilege and success can sometimes come at a cost. Bolton's version of the song retains the spirit of Bob Dylan's original while adding his own soulful vocal stylings to the mix.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time you dressed so fine
Back in the day, you were well-dressed and posh
Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
When you were young and well-off, you didn't mind giving money to beggars
People called said, ?Beware doll, you're bound to fall?
People warned you about the potential consequences of your actions
But you thought they were all just kidding you
You ignored their warnings and thought they were joking
You used to laugh about everybody that was hanging out
You used to mock those around you
And now you don't talk so loud
Now, you're not so vocal
Now you don't seem so proud
You no longer exude confidence
About having to be scrounging for your next meal
You're struggling to make ends meet and find your next meal
How does it feel? How does it feel?
The questions reflect the artist's desire to understand the listener's current emotional state
To be on your own, with no direction home
To be alone, without a compass or guidance
Like a complete unknown, just like a rolling stone
Feeling entirely unfamiliar, similar to a rolling stone
Oh, you never turned around to see the frowns
You're oblivious to the disapproval of others
On the jugglers and the clowns when they did their tricks for you
You received entertainment from others, without regarding their efforts
You never understood it ain't no good
You didn't comprehend how this behavior was disadvantageous
Shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you, oh
You shouldn't allow others to experience life for you
You used to ride on a chrome horse with a diplomat
You used to ride a motorcycle with a rich and influential person
Carried on his shoulder, siamese cat
The man had a Siamese cat on his shoulder
Ain't it hard when you discovered that he really wasn't where it's at
It's difficult to accept that this man wasn't who you thought he was
After he took from you everything he could steal
After he took from you everything he could, devoid of regret
Princess on the steeple, all the pretty people
A metaphor for those in power or at the top of society
Drinking, thinking that they've got it made
Drinking alcohol, believing they've accomplished contentment
Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things
Exchanging valuable material things
Better lift your diamond ring, you better pawn it babe
You should sell valuable items to make ends meet
You used to be so amused
You were once easily entertained and content
Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
A metaphor for those who were once powerful, but now impoverished
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
Attempting to return to those in power, as they're the only option
When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to loose
When you have nothing left, you have no fear of losing it
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal
You feel unseen and have no secrets left to protect
Just like a rolling stone
A reference to Bob Dylan's original song title, also used to describe feeling lost and uncertain
(Oh, how does it feel?)
A repeated phrase of curiosity, asking how the listener feels
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind