The late-1970s arrival of Eddie Van Halen quickly eclipsed Schon's bravado, giving rise to a new era of the technically facile rock guitar virtuoso. Nonetheless, Schon has secured a place as a respected and influential blues rock guitarist.
Besides numerous albums with Journey, his work also includes a pair of albums with keyboardist Jan Hammer, short-term collaborations with Sammy Hagar (HSAS and Planet Us) and Paul Rodgers, stints with Bad English (which also featured Journey’s Jonathan Cain and Deen Castronovo and Jonathan Cain's former Babys bandmates John Waite and Ricky Phillips) and Hardline (which also featured Deen Castronovo). Even as Journey’s latest lineup plays to a still-faithful body of fans, Schon is immersed in side projects such as Piranha Blues (1999) and "Black Soup Cracker" a funk outfit that features former Prince associates Rosie Gaines and Michael Bland, and most recently Soul SirkUS with Jeff Scott Soto.
Neal Schon can be heard on three tracks on Michael Bolton's The Hunger, with the Schon sound most recognizable on "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". Schon's style can best be characterized as aggressively soulful, taking obvious inspiration from 1960s-era soul singers such as Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, and blending them with blindingly fast bluesy runs similar to Johnny Winter and Alvin Lee.
Schon currently endorses Gibson guitars, and has a signature Les Paul model, but also uses Paul Reed Smith guitars. In the late 1980s, Schon manufactured and played his own line of guitars.
I'll Cover You
Neal Schon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The wind is blowing, but I'll get through
I'll go the distance and I'll cover you
I'll back you uup when you're in danger
And there's nothing I wouldn't do
I'm your brother, (brother) and I'll cover you
The beacon is faith, it shines like a diamond in your hand
Will you cover me like I cover you
I'll be there when you need protection
In your darkest moment of truth
Give me a signal (signal) and I'll cover you
It's one from the heart, one for the highway
Survival is nothing new
Maybe I'm a dreamer (dreamer)
No man is a saint, no man is an island
The beacon is faith, it shines like a diamond in your hand
Will you bleed for me like I bleed for you
I'll cover you
There are no winners, there are no sinners
Only victims with nothin' to lose
You're my brother and I'll cover you
Love is the flame, love is the reason
Love is the answer and we are the proof
Just give me a sign
Neal Schon's "I'll Cover You" is a song about brotherhood, loyalty, and the importance of covering and supporting each other. The lyrics speak of the challenges of life, represented by a million miles across the desert and the wind blowing, but despite the difficulties, the singer is willing to go the distance and cover his brother. It signifies the unconditional love and support among brothers who will cross any obstacle to protect and stand by each other.
The song emphasizes the importance of faith, as the beacon of hope that can shine like a diamond in the palm of one's hands. The singer talks of how no man is perfect, and thus we must rely on each other for support to survive. The song asks if the other person can cover him like he does for them and if they will bleed for him as he would for them. The song's message is that love is the reason, the flame, and the answer to everything, and that love can unite us to overcome any difficulty.
Line by Line Meaning
A million miles across the desert
Despite the distance between us, I am willing to help you out.
The wind is blowing, but I'll get through
Regardless of the obstacles in our way or any difficulties that arise, I will make sure to help you out.
I'll go the distance and I'll cover you
I will do whatever it takes to ensure your safety, even if it means going to great lengths and putting in extra effort.
I'll back you up when you're in danger
I will support you and come to your aid if necessary when you are in trouble or facing danger.
And there's nothing I wouldn't do
I am willing to do anything and everything to ensure that you are safe and protected from harm.
I'm your brother, (brother) and I'll cover you
I see you as family and will act accordingly by being there for you and protecting you as if you were my own brother.
No man is a saint, no man is an island
No one is perfect, and we all need help and support from others at times.
The beacon is faith, it shines like a diamond in your hand
Faith can be a guiding light in difficult times, and it can give us strength and hope to keep going.
Will you cover me like I cover you
Just as I am willing to protect and help you, are you willing to do the same for me?
I'll be there when you need protection
I promise to always be there for you and protect you when you need it most.
In your darkest moment of truth
When you are facing difficulties or challenges that seem insurmountable and overwhelming, I will be there to help you through it.
Give me a signal (signal) and I'll cover you
Just let me know when you need me, and I will be there to provide support and protection.
It's one from the heart, one for the highway
This promise comes from my heart, and I will do whatever it takes to help you, no matter what lies ahead on the path we must take.
Survival is nothing new
Life can be difficult, and we have all faced challenges that put our survival skills to the test.
Maybe I'm a dreamer (dreamer)
Some people may think I'm naive or unrealistic for making this promise, but I believe it's important to stick together and help each other out.
Will you bleed for me like I bleed for you
Just as I am willing to sacrifice and put myself in harm's way for your safety and well-being, are you willing to do the same for me?
I'll cover you
In short, I will always be there to protect and support you, no matter what happens.
There are no winners, there are no sinners
We are all in this together, and we will all face challenges and difficulties at some point.
Only victims with nothin' to lose
Instead of pointing fingers or placing blame, we should come together and help each other through difficult times.
You're my brother and I'll cover you
Once again, I see you as family and will treat you as such by always being there when you need me.
Love is the flame, love is the reason
The underlying motivation for this promise is love, which can be a powerful force that drives us to help and support each other.
Love is the answer and we are the proof
By showing love for each other and being there to help and support, we can demonstrate that this promise is one that we truly mean and follow through on.
Just give me a sign
All it takes for me to be there to help and support you is a simple request or signal from you, and I will come to your aid with all my heart and soul.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GLENN BURTNICK, BOB MARLETTE, NEAL SCHON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Delta Tango
A very underrated album with a great amount of tracks. Still one of my favorite albums that stay in rotation.
FCI103
Sure shows what class Neal Schon has! Wish there were more videos like this one!!! I bought the Late Nite disk thinking it would be okay. What a joke it was way beyond okay is one of my favorite one's!!!! Neal has a superb voice and is a shame we don't get to hear him more often! Oh course he also makes guitars sing and talk as the guitar great he is! I will continue to wish for Neal to make a new solo with his voice am so tired of hearing all these singers that sound girly!!!
W103WWRW
Neal is a great singer as well as guitarist and this is one great album!
Kristina L Benjamin
This is by far my favorite Neal Schon album and agree, still rocks as good today as when it first came out. Thanks for the videos!
GoddessLinda1
Neal Schon is God to me. He plays guitar like a sex angel on fire. He's my childhood guitar hero. He is pure magick. Thank God for Neal Schon. I love every cell in his body. He Loves His Work. That's Why He's Wealthy.
ISHENTREE
Never realized that was Randy Jackson on bass back then. Such a killer track, still jam to this song even till now. Remember the day I bought this tape. Still regard "Late Nite" one of his best solo records ever.
Jason Frey
Wow I didn't know there were any videos for this album - AWESOME! Who shot, and who edited this fuckin' thing? The camera work is one big spaz attack! Thankfully the camera actually locked on for a few seconds for Neal's right hand speed picking. For those who don't know, Randy Jackson (from American Idol - which I'm not into) plays on the album & is here in the video. In reply to the post by JiggerBooWigger; Neal is NOT an awful singer. He sings great on all of the vocal tracks from the album.
C Worrell
Who's that on drums?
AlfOfAllTrades
@C Worrell His name is Omar Hakim.
zenfrodo
nice clean video version! thanks!