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
Outlaw Blues
Pat Benatar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were better than the best
Stayed a notch above the rest
It was rainin' in heaven when you went down
Your mother cried, said she told you so
But you touched the devil and couldn't let go
(Yeah)
You wrote the story with the movie in mind
An angel face with a criminal side
Celebraed as the rebel kind
The Outlaw
I wonder if you knew
They would turn your bad deeds into good
Paint you as a modern robinhood
It's high noon
Everywhere you go
And the guilt you feel is the weary soul
(Yeah)
Of the Outlaw
Hearts weren't made to be ruled
And rules weren't made to be broken
It's cold and lonely at the end of your life
And nobody sleeps 'til they turn out the lights
For the Outlaw
Where you gonna go, where you gonna hide
It's cold and lonely for the Outlaw
Where you gonna go, where you gonna hide
As the Outlaw
In "Outlaw Blues," Pat Benatar sings about a tragic figure who lives outside the law, and pays a heavy price for it. The opening verse describes his death, and sets the tone for the rest of the song. He was "better than the best," but that wasn't enough to save him. His mother warned him, but he was too far gone, too addicted to the thrill of living dangerously. The chorus captures the essence of the Outlaw's life, and the bitter end that awaits him: "It's high noon everywhere you go, and the guilt you feel is the weary soul of the Outlaw."
In the second verse, Benatar explores the Outlaw's legacy. He wrote his own story, with a movie in mind. He had an "angel face with a criminal side," and became celebrated as "the rebel kind." But did he know that someday his "bad deeds" would be turned into "good" by those who would see him as a modern Robin Hood? The final verse is a meditation on the Outlaw's fate. Hearts weren't made to be ruled, and rules were made to be broken, but the Outlaw took it too far, and now he's alone and damned. There's no escape from his fate, and no rest for the wicked.
Line by Line Meaning
It was rainin' in heaven when you went down
Your passing was mourned in heaven and the heavens themselves shed tears
You were better than the best
You were unrivaled at what you did
Stayed a notch above the rest
You always maintained a higher standard than others in your field
Your mother cried, said she told you so
Your mother warned you against the path you took and can now only grieve for her lost child
But you touched the devil and couldn't let go
You let yourself be drawn into dark deeds and couldn't leave that life behind
(Yeah)
No one controls the Outlaw
That's right, the Outlaw answers to no one and is fully in control of their own destiny
You wrote the story with the movie in mind
Your actions were influenced by a desire for notoriety and a place in pop culture
An angel face with a criminal side
Your appearance was unassuming and even angelic, but you had a dark side that you gave in to
Celebrated as the rebel kind
The Outlaw
You were glorified and celebrated by your peers and fans for your rebellious ways, earning the title of Outlaw
I wonder if you knew
They would turn your bad deeds into good
Paint you as a modern Robin Hood
It's unclear whether you intended to be a hero or antihero, but those who came after you would see you as a Robin Hood-like figure who stood up to oppressors
It's high noon
Everywhere you go
And the guilt you feel is the weary soul
(Yeah)
Of the Outlaw
You constantly feel the pressure of living up to your infamous reputation, growing wearier as you go, and that guilt is the constant companion of the Outlaw
Hearts weren't made to be ruled
And rules weren't made to be broken
The Outlaw lives by their own rules and rejects society's norms, but ultimately they can't escape the consequences of their choices
It's cold and lonely at the end of your life
And nobody sleeps 'til they turn out the lights
For the Outlaw
Inevitably, the Outlaw will come to a cold, lonely end, and none will rest until their vigilante justice is silenced
Where you gonna go, where you gonna hide
It's cold and lonely for the Outlaw
Where you gonna go, where you gonna hide
As the Outlaw
The Outlaw can never truly escape their past and are always looking over their shoulder, never able to fully trust anyone or find real shelter
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: HOLLY KNIGHT, SIMON CLIMIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind