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
So Long
Pat Benatar Lyrics
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I'm hopin' maybe then you'll say
Darlin' - I was wrong
So long, so long, so long
Gee, I hate to see you go - umm..
You're really the world to me, you know
You, you just stay so long
And I can see that your lonely too
You're my own, even though we're far apart
But I'll keep you right here in my heart
So long, so long, so long, so long
Though you leave me hear to cry - huh..
Or could it, could it, could it, could it be - goodbye
Don't you know that you've been mine so long
Yes I'm alone, with my memories of you
Yes, I can dream, dream, dream, that you're lonely too
You're my own, even though we're far apart
Well I'll keep you right here in my heart
So long, so long, so long
Though you leave me hear to cry - huh..
Well this could never, never, never mean goodbye
Darlin' you, you just stay -- So Long.....
The lyrics to Pat Benatar's "So Long" talk about a relationship that has come to an end. Benatar is telling her lover goodbye and hoping that they will meet again someday. She wishes that they can reconcile in the future, and her partner can tell her that he was wrong. Although she hates to see him go, she recognizes that he has to move on, but she wants him to stay longer. Benatar emphasizes that she values him and that he holds a special place in her heart, even if they are far apart.
The chorus of the song is where Benatar expresses her feelings of loneliness and nostalgia. She is alone with her memories of her partner and can see that he is also lonely without her. Despite the distance between them, she reminds her lover that he is hers and that she will keep him close to her heart. Benatar ends the song by repeating the phrase "so long," implying both goodbye and until we meet again.
Overall, the song captures the pain of a broken relationship and the hope of reconciliation. The lyrics show that even though a relationship may end, the feelings and memories continue to linger, highlighting the complexities of love and attachment.
Line by Line Meaning
So long, hope we'll meet again one day
Farewell, I hope to see you again in the future
I'm hopin' maybe then you'll say
Darlin' - I was wrong
I hope that someday you will admit you were wrong and come back to me
So long, so long, so long
Goodbye, farewell, adieu
Gee, I hate to see you go - umm..
I really don't want you to leave
You're really the world to me, you know
You, you just stay so long
You mean everything to me, please stay with me
All alone, with my memories of you
And I can see that your lonely too
I am left with only memories of you, and I know that you are also feeling lonely
You're my own, even though we're far apart
But I'll keep you right here in my heart
Even though we are apart, you still belong to me and I will always keep you close to my heart
Though you leave me hear to cry - huh..
Or could it, could it, could it, could it be - goodbye
Don't you know that you've been mine so long
Although you are leaving me and it hurts, can this really be goodbye? You were mine for so long
Yes I'm alone, with my memories of you
Yes, I can dream, dream, dream, that you're lonely too
I am alone with just my memories of you and I often dream that you are also feeling lonely
Well I'll keep you right here in my heart
I will always keep you close to my heart
Well this could never, never, never mean goodbye
Darlin' you, you just stay -- So Long.....
This can't possibly be goodbye, my darling. Please stay with me and say farewell instead
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID THOMAS ANDREW MORGAN, RICHARD FREDERICK STANNARD, JULIAN GALLAGHER, EMMA LEE BUNTON, PETER JEREMY DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind