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
Promises In The Dark
Pat Benatar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've been through this before
An' you swore this time you'd think with your head
No one, would ever have you again
And if taking was gonna get done
You'd decide where and when
Just when you think you got it down
Your heart securely tied and bound
Armed and ready, you fought love battles in the night
But too many opponents made you weary of the fight
Blinded by passion, you foolishly let someone in
All the warnings went off in your head
Still you had to give in
Just when you think you got it down
Resistance nowhere to be found
They whisper, promises in the dark
But promises, you know what they're for
It sounds so convincing, but you heard it before
'Cause talk is cheap and you gotta be sure
And so you put up your guard
And you try to be hard
But your heart says try again
You desperately search for a way to conquer the fear
No line of attack has been planned to fight back the tears
Where brave and restless dreams are both won and lost
On the edge is where it seems it's well worth the cost
Just when you think you got it down
Your heart in pieces on the ground
They whisper, promises in the (one two three four)
Dark
The lyrics of Pat Benatar's song, Promises In The Dark, speak about the pain of heartbreak and the difficulty of trusting in love again. The first verse sets the tone, with the singer cautioning herself against falling in love again, vowing to keep her heart safe from those who might deceive or manipulate her. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer is struggling with the internal conflict between her desire to protect herself and her yearning for love and connection. The second verse acknowledges that the singer has fought love battles before and has even been hurt in the past, but she still finds herself falling for someone new. Despite her best efforts to resist, she gives in to the passion she feels, only to be let down once again. The chorus, "Just when you think you got it down, they whisper promises in the dark," captures the essence of the song's central theme: that it is hard to trust in love, and it is easy to be fooled by empty words and hollow promises.
Line by Line Meaning
Never again, isn't that what you said?
You vowed to never let anyone hurt you again.
You've been through this before
You have experienced heartbreak in the past.
An' you swore this time you'd think with your head
You made a conscious decision to approach love with logic and reason.
No one, would ever have you again
You were determined to never let anyone have power over you again.
And if taking was gonna get done
You were willing to take control of the situation.
You'd decide where and when
You were not willing to leave anything up to chance.
Just when you think you got it down
When you thought you had mastered your emotions.
Your heart securely tied and bound
You thought you had protected yourself from heartbreak.
They whisper, promises in the dark
Someone came along and whispered sweet nothings to you in the dark when you least expected it.
Armed and ready, you fought love battles in the night
You have had your fair share of heartbreak and were ready to protect yourself.
But too many opponents made you weary of the fight
You have fought too hard for too long, and were feeling exhausted.
Blinded by passion, you foolishly let someone in
You were not thinking rationally when you let your guard down.
All the warnings went off in your head
You knew deep down that letting someone in was not a good idea.
Still you had to give in
You chose to give love a chance despite the risks.
But promises, you know what they're for
You are aware that promises may not be sincere.
It sounds so convincing, but you heard it before
You have been lied to before and recognize the signs.
'Cause talk is cheap and you gotta be sure
Words are meaningless unless backed up by actions.
And so you put up your guard
You protect yourself from getting hurt.
And you try to be hard
You act tough to prevent others from hurting you.
But your heart says try again
Despite the hurt, you still have hope for love.
You desperately search for a way to conquer the fear
You want to overcome the fear of being hurt again.
No line of attack has been planned to fight back the tears
You do not know how to emotionally protect yourself.
Where brave and restless dreams are both won and lost
Love can be risky, and the outcome is uncertain.
On the edge is where it seems it's well worth the cost
Despite the risks, you believe love is worth it.
Your heart in pieces on the ground
Your heart is broken and shattered.
They whisper, promises in the (one two three four) Dark
Someone continues to whisper promises to you in the dark, and you are not sure if you can trust them.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Neil Giraldo, Patricia Benatar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind