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
Precious Time
Pat Benatar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause maybe we both got burned
I don't wanna talk about who is the traitor
'Cause both of our loyalties turned
I don't wanna fight about who is the liar
'Cause there's too many ways to lie
I don't wanna hear about who is the winner
'Cause we both know it's a tie
Life is too short, so why waste precious time
Life is too short, so why waste precious time
You were on a liquid diet, you were sure you had to try it
And you lost all your pounds
The doctor's on vacation, so you took the medication
And wound up in lost and found
So we took a trip to Paris
'Cause you swore that it would scare us out of our swift decline
All that I remember 'bout those days in that September
Is the merci and the wine
Cut it out, drop it, count me out, baby stop it
Life is too short, so why waste precious time
Life is too short, so why waste
Precious time, precious time, precious time
Oh, precious time
Life is too short, so why waste precious time
You talk on the telephone, long distance to New York or Rome
Some would say you got it made
Your home is like a fortress, no one comes in but the florist
The gardener, and the maid
You call me on the telephone, you say you feel so alone
Too tired to get dressed and get out
First you're happy, then you're sad
Somehow you always hang up mad
Excuse me if I shout
Cut it out, drop it, count me out, baby stop it
Life is too short, so why waste precious time
Life is too short, so why waste precious time
Life is too short, so why waste precious time
Precious time, precious time, oh precious time
Life is too short, so why waste precious time
The lyrics to Pat Benatar's song "Precious Time" can be interpreted as a plea for a relationship that has hit a rough patch to be salvaged. The singer does not want to argue about who is at fault for the issues in the relationship, as both parties have been hurt. They do not want to assign blame or fight, as there are too many ways to lie. The idea of competition is also addressed - there does not need to be a winner or a loser, as both parties are suffering. The singer suggests that it is time to move past the argument and focus on the bigger picture. Life is too short to waste time on negativity, and they urge their partner to let it go.
The second verse paints a picture of a set of circumstances that may have contributed to the issues in the relationship. The person the singer is addressing has been preoccupied with their weight and has gone to extreme measures to lose it. They have also taken medication without the guidance of a doctor and have had negative consequences as a result. The couple went on a trip to Paris to try and rekindle their connection, but the singer finds that all they remember is the wine and the thank you's. They suggest that it is time to move on from the unhealthy habits and memories and focus on moving forward as a team.
Overall, the lyrics of "Precious Time" suggest that the singer understands the relationship has been damaged but believes it is not too late to fix it. They want to move past the blame game and focus on living life to the fullest. Time is precious, and they urge their partner not to waste it on anger and resentment.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't wanna argue about who is the victim
I don't want to get into a dispute over who is at fault
'Cause maybe we both got burned
Because it's possible that we both suffered consequences
I don't wanna talk about who is the traitor
I don't want to discuss who betrayed whom
'Cause both of our loyalties turned
Because we both changed our allegiance
I don't wanna fight about who is the liar
I don't want to argue about who is not telling the truth
'Cause there's too many ways to lie
Because there are numerous methods of deception
I don't wanna hear about who is the winner
I don't want to talk about who is victorious
'Cause we both know it's a tie
Because we are both equally successful
You were on a liquid diet, you were sure you had to try it
You were on a liquid diet, convinced that experiential learning was necessary
And you lost all your pounds
And you lost all your weight
The doctor's on vacation, so you took the medication
The physician was not available, so you took a drug
And wound up in lost and found
And ended up being misplaced
So we took a trip to Paris
So we went on a journey to Paris
'Cause you swore that it would scare us out of our swift decline
Because you promised that it would frighten us into avoiding a quick drop
All that I remember 'bout those days in that September
All that I recall about those days in September
Is the merci and the wine
Is the gratitude and the wine
You talk on the telephone, long distance to New York or Rome
You talk on the phone, with long distance connections to New York or Rome
Some would say you got it made
Some people would think that you have an easy life
Your home is like a fortress, no one comes in but the florist
Your house is impenetrable, with the exception of the flower vendor
The gardener, and the maid
The gardener and the domestic worker
You call me on the telephone, you say you feel so alone
You call me, saying that you feel lonely
Too tired to get dressed and get out
Too exhausted to put on clothes and go outside
First you're happy, then you're sad
At first, you are elated, then you become depressed
Somehow you always hang up mad
Somehow, you always end the call angry
Excuse me if I shout
Pardon me if I raise my voice
Cut it out, drop it, count me out, baby stop it
Stop it, quit it, I'm not involved, stop it
Life is too short, so why waste precious time
Life is brief, so why squander valuable time
Precious time, precious time, oh precious time
Valuable time, valuable time, oh valuable time
Life is too short, so why waste precious time
Life is fleeting, so why waste precious time
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILLY STEINBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sdc7823
Neil Giraldo is a phenomenal guitar player. Never too much. Never too little. Spot on. A short compact fluidity to his solos. A man who played guitar on Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield
@mariocooldude9092
This is such a delicious solo 😋 it's EPIC 👍
@JohnGatesIII
Probably one of the most underrated Pat Benatar songs (there's only ONE reaction video on YT to it). I remember this video hitting MTV and instantly falling in love. Pat is truly just an AWESOME singer. Before auto-tune, every one her songs is ALL her; the range, the clarity, the POWER. She should be an inspiration to every Female singer out there, no matter their genre.
And, before you think this is ENTIRELY about a beautiful woman, Neil Giraldo is definitely one of the most gifted and underrated guitar players of the 70s/80s. You can definitely hear a blues influence, in how he makes that axe Wail. One of the most unbeatable Duos in Rock History. Congratulations to you BOTH, for your awesome career, gifted song writing, and longevity.
@househeadericmd
Those early years from Precious Time., Promises in the Dark, You Better Run, Hell is for Children, Love is a Battlefield, If you think you know how to Love Me, Heartbreaker,Treat Me Right…. My god there were so many huge hits!!
@georgetrapp6666
This is in my top favorite of Neil's solos. I find him highly underrated and underappreciated.
@donpawa
f... reaction videos, they don't mean anything specially in music where your 1st opinion is just to have a general idea of the song.
But yes, great song, particularly a great guitar solo. The chorus is a little weak though.
@W81Researcher
Reaction videos. It's like those people want to know about music they never listened to before of "injustice" and now they feel vindicated because of Biden.
@jimhaberlin6937
This is my favorite PB song, but I tell people if you want to see how talented she is listen to Promises in the Dark, which shows her range and definitely the power. I agree NG is underrated, the guitar in this song might be his best.
@househeadericmdhousehead9118
Perhaps one of her best tracks ever. I just love this song!
@buddystewart2020
My favorite track. It just slinks along, moody, good hooks...and an outstanding guitar solo. What's not to love.