She was born in the neighborhood of Greenpoint in Brooklyn, New York City, New York on January 10, 1953 as Patricia Andrzejewski. She graduated from Lindenhurst High on Long Island in 1971. She married her lead guitarist, Neil "Spyder" Geraldo, in 1982, and she has two children, named Haley and Hana.
In 1973, Benatar quit her job as a bank teller to pursue a singing career after being inspired by a Liza Minnelli concert she saw in Richmond. She got a job as a singing waitress at a flapper-esque nightclub named "The Roaring Twenties", and got a gig singing in lounge band Coxon's Army. They garnered enough attention to be the subject of a never-aired PBS special, and the band's bassist, Roger Capps, would go on to be the original bass player for the Pat Benatar band.
This period also yielded Benatar's first solo single – 1974's "Day Gig" – until her eventual major label debut on Chrysalis Records in 1979. The song was released via Trace Records, and was both written and produced by Coxon's Army band leader Phil Coxon.
Benatar's big break came in 1975 at an amateur night at the comedy club "Catch a Rising Star" in New York City. Her rousing rendition of Judy Garland's "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" earned her a call back by club owner Rick Newman, who would later become her manager.
After many years of producing big budget albums, Neil and Pat have continued to produce albums together, even though they have decided to end their association with major labels. They have chosen instead to place the care of their children above industry demands, and make records at home in their own professional quality studio. Each summer when their girls get out of school for vacation, they all pack up, board a tour bus, and set out to play as many shows as they can fit into the summer months. Pat and Neil maintain a close, and much more personal, relationship with their fans, than they were able to do in 80's during the heights of their commercial success.
http://www.benatargiraldo.com
I'm Gonna Follow You
Pat Benatar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna follow you, 'cause this here's my town
You don't know these streets the way that I do (i do, I do)
You can't turn it on and off the way that I do (i do, I do)
Oh, oh
I'm gonna follow you, 'till I know your timing
You don't know these streets the way that I do (i do, I do)
You can't turn it on and off the way that I do (i do, I do)
You see yourself as some kind of lily of the valley
You come around here in your ballet slippers padding on my alley
And you know that you can't dance
Cause you know you never had the chance
I'm gonna dance for you!
Oh, oh
I'm gonna follow you, 'till I wear you down
I'm gonna follow you, 'cause this here's my town
You don't know these streets the way that I do (i do, I do)
You can't turn it on and off the way that I do (i do, I do)
You see yourself as some kind of lily of the valley
You come around here in your ballet slippers padding on my alley
And you know that you can't dance
Cause you know you never had the chance
I'm gonna dance for you!
Oh, oh
The lyrics to Pat Benatar's "I'm Gonna Follow You" explore themes of obsession and possessiveness. The singer asserts their dominance over the subject of the song and pledges to follow them relentlessly until they are worn down. The first verse sets the tone for the song, with the singer declaring that she will follow the subject because "this here's my town" and no one knows the streets better than she does. The repetition of the line "You don't know these streets the way that I do" highlights the singer's confidence and sense of control over the situation.
In the second verse, the singer promises to learn the subject's timing and position herself so that she cannot be avoided. The repetition of the lines "I do, I do" emphasizes the singer's determination to remain in control. The bridge of the song serves to heighten the tension and reinforce the singer's sense of superiority. The comparison to a "lily of the valley" highlights the subject's perceived fragility and weakness, while the image of the ballet slippers adds a sense of refinement and delicacy. The repetition of the line "And you know that you can't dance/Cause you know you never had the chance" underscores the singer's dominance and underscores her ability to humiliate the subject.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna follow you, 'till I wear you down
I will persistently pursue you until you submit to me
I'm gonna follow you, 'cause this here's my town
I have a sense of ownership over this place and I won't let you take it away from me
You don't know these streets the way that I do (i do, I do)
You are not familiar with the territory like I am
You can't turn it on and off the way that I do (i do, I do)
You cannot easily switch on and off your street smarts like I can
I'm gonna follow you, 'till I know your timing
I will closely observe your actions until I understand your patterns
You'll turn some corner soon, and find you can't get by me
You'll try to avoid me, but eventually realize that I'm everywhere
You see yourself as some kind of lily of the valley
You have a false sense of superiority and purity
You come around here in your ballet slippers padding on my alley
You think you can prance around here easily without being noticed
And you know that you can't dance
You know you are not skilled enough to navigate the streets like I can
Cause you know you never had the chance
You were never exposed to the same challenges and hardships as I have been
I'm gonna dance for you!
I will show you my skills and prove that I am superior
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MCCARTHY, STEINBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Yo, It's Me Yer Dawg
I never knew they made a video for this song. WOW! Arguably the most underrated song of the Benatar catalog.
farcebook
I agree 💯!!!
Kevin Brown
Easily enough lyrics and haunted sound to make a movie 🎥
Roger Finney
My personal favorite, both song and video. Heavy play in MTV's earliest days.
Yo, It's Me Yer Dawg
@Janette I’m sure you look great she was definitely yes A trendsetter
Janette
I remember they played it on MTV all the time, She's one of my idols. I'm so inspired by the way she dresses, my style i still wear today, black jacket, tight leather pants & stiletto black boots is by far the most favorite outfits she wears that I love.
gremmiehodad
One of those songs that had a video but received no radio play! (At least none that I ever heard!) Regardless, one of my absolute favorites of hers! One of Neil's best in my opinion! The perfect mix of moodiness and power!
xaenon
It got radio airplay for about a month where I lived, and then it was gone. It did see quite a bit more play on MTV and some 'overnight' teevee channels.
Ace 1
Yes it's a cover but Spider adds his own licks and makes it better
John Seymour
its one of my fav songs of all time.