In the late 70s, he and his childhood friend Steve George founded the band Pages (most notable for "I Do Believe In You") in Phoenix, Arizona. The outfit Mr. Mister sprang out of that project 1982. The two continued to apply their tight harmonies to background vocals on albums by successful pop artists like Laura Branigan while working on their own material as well. About the time when the first Mr. Mister album, titled 'I Wear the Face', came out in early 1984, Page was offered the chance to replace Bobby Kimball as lead singer of Toto. He even was also later offered Peter Cetera's place in the jazz rock outfit Chicago.
Page refused both offers, confident in Mr. Mister's potential. The single "Hunters of the Night" managed to become a near-hit, reaching the #57 slot on the Billboard Hot 100, and the new wave fueled album had brought them with producer Peter McIan, who had been behind releases by Dear Enemy and Men at Work. Still, the line-up of Page, George, Pat Mastelotto, and Steve Farris failed to reach a mass audience as the album just didn't sell that well.
Mr. Mister's second album, 1985's 'Welcome To The Real World', featured emotive lyrics from Page's cousin John Lang and became the breakthrough that the guys had been hoping for. The group had three top 10 singles, two of which even coming #1 hits on the U.S. pop charts. The band's compelling ballad "Broken Wings" had become a part of the national pop consciousness, particularly serving as a sort of 'signature song' for the outfit. In those days of widespread success, they toured with legendary diva Tina Turner, for whom their song "Stand And Deliver" was written. This song eventually appeared on Mr. Mister's third album, titled 'Go On', which the band said contined "some of the best stuff we ever did".
With expectations sky-high for the band, the guys planned on taking a more mature approach lyrically, standing up against the notorious materialism and celebration of greed during that decade, and the album had a sound that hinted at progressive rock. Nevertheless, 'Go On' failed to achieve commercial success, and the band members found themselves getting lost in the 80s pop/rock shuffle. Guitarist Steve Farris left around 1989, which seemed to spell the beginning of the end for the group. Still, the band began working on a fourth album, called 'Pull', with session guitarists. Dropped by their label before that work could be released, the band decided to break up for good.
That album remained unreleased for something like two decades, although one track ("Waiting In My Dreams") later appeared on a popular greatest hits collection. The release in its entirely finally surfaced in 2010 on the indie label Little Dume Recordings, a company project of Richard Page's that had also published solo efforts by him such as 'Peculiar Life'. After the band's split, Page continued to work as a composer (for example, he co-authored Madonna's 1994 Golden Globe nominated song "I'll Remember") and as a background singer for several artists. Page additionally produced a solo album, called 'Shelter Me', in 1996 that featured guest appearances by all his former band-mates.
Steve Farris has toured with Whitesnake and also recorded songs with artists such as Tori Amos and 4 Non Blondes. Pat Mastelotto has played with groups such as King Crimson and XTC. Steve George served as musical director for American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins until 1997, also having toured with the star Jewel. Finally, John Lang became a part of the alternative rock group Djinn (not to be confused with the DJ of the same name and other artists), an obscure band that gained some interest when they produced their 1998 album 'All-Time'.
The Border
Mr. Mister Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And now, try to hold on now, too many of us have run, run out of the circle
Can you hear me, are you breathing
I need you near me, no I'm not leaving
I'm in no hurry to do this alone
I am standing here with my arms open wide
Dreams, dreams may seduce you
But sooner or later they're gone and you're back where you started
Oh look, look at these scars now
How many wounds does it take before we are healing
Can we go on now, from what we have done now
Yes we must go on, our questions unanswered
I know what we're after is right here in our hands
Chorus:
I am standing here with my arms open wide
I keep waiting here, heart in my hand on the border
And every step we take gives us the strength to go on
And all the love we make gets us closer to home
I can see it all so clearly now, I can hear your voice in a song
And it burns down inside my soul, it takes me down this winding road
We can find our way back home
We, we must go on now, wherever people go who go on together
(chorus)
Oh, standing here with my arms open wide
And I keep waiting here, on the borderline
And every step we take gives us the strength to go on
And all the love we make gets us closer to home
The song "The Border" by Mr. Mister is about persevering through difficult times and finding strength in unity. The lyrics suggest that there is power in togetherness and that we must hold on to each other to overcome adversity. The opening lines "we must go on now, wherever people go who go on together" set the tone for the rest of the song, conveying a sense of resilience and determination. We are urged to keep moving forward despite obstacles and challenges we may encounter along the way.
The chorus focuses on the idea that every step we take gives us the strength to go on, and that all the love we make gets us closer to home. This implies that home is not necessarily a physical place, but rather a state of being where we feel safe, loved, and supported. By standing with our arms open wide, we are ready to embrace new experiences and opportunities, even if they are uncertain or scary.
The second verse speaks to the importance of perseverance and healing. We are reminded that dreams can be fleeting, and that wounds take time to heal. However, this does not mean that we should give up or lose hope. Instead, we must use our experiences to grow stronger and move forward, even if we are unsure of where we are headed.
Overall, "The Border" is a hopeful and inspiring song that encourages listeners to stay strong and connected, even in difficult times. It reminds us that we are not alone and that by working together, we can overcome any obstacle.
Line by Line Meaning
We, we must go on now, wherever people go who go on together
We cannot stop now, for wherever others go who persevere, we too shall go on.
And now, try to hold on now, too many of us have run, run out of the circle
We must endeavor to hold on, as many have perished along the way.
Can you hear me, are you breathing
Are you still with me, are you still alive?
I need you near me, no I'm not leaving
I require your presence, I won't leave you behind.
I'm in no hurry to do this alone
I'd rather not embark on this journey alone.
I am standing here with my arms open wide
I am here, waiting, with my arms wide open.
I am waiting here, heart in my hand on the border
I am waiting here, with my heart in my hand, on the edge.
Dreams, dreams may seduce you
Dreams may tempt you.
But sooner or later they're gone and you're back where you started
But eventually, they disappear, and you end up right where you began.
Oh look, look at these scars now
Look at how wounded we are.
How many wounds does it take before we are healing
How many injuries must we endure before we can recover?
Can we go on now, from what we have done now
Can we continue, despite what we've been through?
Yes we must go on, our questions unanswered
We must go on, even if our questions go unanswered.
I know what we're after is right here in our hands
I know that what we seek is within our reach.
I keep waiting here, heart in my hand on the border
I continue to wait here, with my heart in my hand on the verge of something.
And every step we take gives us the strength to go on
With every step forward, we gain the courage to keep going.
And all the love we make gets us closer to home
And with each act of love, we draw nearer to our destination.
I can see it all so clearly now, I can hear your voice in a song
I have a clear vision of the present, and your voice resonates with me.
And it burns down inside my soul, it takes me down this winding road
It ignites a fire in me, leading me down this complicated path.
We can find our way back home
We can find our way back where we belong.
Oh, standing here with my arms open wide
Like before, I'm here waiting, arms wide open.
And I keep waiting here, on the borderline
I continue to wait here, on the edge.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ObamAmerican48
People are slowly but surly rediscovering Mr. Mister. They were phenomenal, excellent musicians and, Richard Page's voice is special, one of a kind, beautiful, and he sings with such intensity and emotion.
@jorgealejandromayoraltorre5795
it's a great group, beautiful song
@JohnHWelch63
He shared the stage with Ringo Starr and His All Stars and they did Kyrie. That alone says a lot. If Ringo invites someone to perform with him, you know that musician is world class talented and has created brilliant music.
@ricferr6945
It was this song that saved me from suicide. I dived into the sea in cold January and i though i couldn´t do this. Thought of my son. Got out of the water, a bunch of paragliding guys came to pick me up from the waters. I thought of this song. Then, 30 years after, i thank God.
@RonSneary-cr4ps
It's June 2023, I'm 74 and after 40 years I have rediscover Mr.Mister. Their music & message is needed today.
@davidn.m.george8648
Thanks for all the good moments, for all the memories. You were wonderful. 35 year afyer I still look for and enjoy your songs.
@retromixed
I'm in love with this song... It's just perfect! So beautiful! I still have this record! Mr. Mister must be recognize as one of the best bands of the 80's... Richard's voice is unique!
@desertrose1226
"Dreams may seduce you but sooner or later they're gone and you're back where you started".. Genius lyrics so true of Life and Love for so many people. I love Mr Mister.
@nlikly3
Brilliance rarely gets the attention of pop culture mediocrity. This Mr. Mister album is a masterpiece, compositionally, lyrically and musically. It will never receive it's due, except from those with whom it resonated so deeply. At least "Kyrie" and "Broken Wings" made their mark. I certainly wish this would have done the same.
@CS80undermybed
Always knew Broken Wings, just discovered Kyrie is by them. Is it Love is also great. Can you help me? - do you know any quantum physicists who know how to manipulate time/space? I have a basic working knowledge only - I want to return to the 1980s. I just need the mathematics sorted!