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
Strawberry Wine
Pat Benatar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What am I supposed to do now that you've gone away
Is there anything encouraging you can say to me
Did you really think my heart was made of stone
Maybe you never gave it any thought at all
How nice to go through live oblivious and free
Life is sweet, sweet as strawberry wine
And you are that, you are more than sublime
And bitter too, lovin' you, has been an experience
How am I supposed to ever feel the same
These kind of situations always have a way
Of screwing up your mind and messing with your sanity
How many days and nights will have to come and go
Before I realize what I already know
I'm better off without you like I thought I'd be
Life is sweet, sweet as strawberry wine
And bitter too, like the seeds on the vine
And you are that, you are more than sublime
And bitter too, lovin' you, has been an experience
(spoken) life is sweet
Life is sweet, sweet as strawberry wine
And bitter too, like the seeds on the vine
And you are that, you are more than sublime
And bitter too, lovin' you, has been an experience
Life is sweet, sweet as strawberry wine
And bitter too, like the seeds on the vine
And you are that, you are more than sublime
And bitter too, lovin' you, has been an experience
"Strawberry Wine" is a powerful song by Pat Benatar that delves into the themes of heartbreak and realization of true feelings. The opening lines convey the struggles of moving on from a past relationship and the need for emotional support. Benatar questions the intentions of her past lover and his inability to understand her emotions. In the next line, she presents the idea of ignorance being a blissful state, which provides an interesting contrast to the rest of the song. She compares the sweetness of life to that of strawberry wine, but mentions how it can also be bitter, like the seeds on a vine. The repeated line, "lovin' you has been an experience," implies that the relationship was not easy, but the end was a necessary conclusion.
The chorus of the song is particularly insightful with its use of the metaphor of strawberry wine. The sweetness of the wine can represent both the euphoria of love and the bittersweet realization of its end. The seeds on the vine can represent the pain and difficulty that are an inevitable part of life. It is said that when you eat strawberries, the seeds are left behind, but when you drink strawberry wine, you consume them. This may represent how the unpleasant experiences in life often shape us and become a part of who we are.
Line by Line Meaning
How am I supposed to make it through another day
Expressing a feeling of hopelessness and despair about dealing with the aftermath of a lost relationship
What am I supposed to do now that you've gone away
Feeling lost and unsure of what to do with oneself after a significant other has left
Is there anything encouraging you can say to me
Requesting some positivity or words of comfort during a difficult time
Did you really think my heart was made of stone
Expressing frustration and confusion about why the other person did not consider their emotions
Maybe you never gave it any thought at all
Wondering if the other person did not care or pay attention to their feelings
How nice to go through life oblivious and free
Reflecting on the ignorance and carefree nature of those who have not experienced heartbreak
Life is sweet, sweet as strawberry wine
Life has moments of pure sweetness and pleasure like drinking strawberry wine
And bitter too, like the seeds on the vine
Life can also bring unpleasant and painful experiences much like the bitter seeds on the vine
And you are that, you are more than sublime
Comparing the love interest to both the sweet and bitter aspects of life
And bitter too, lovin' you, has been an experience
Acknowledging the experience of loving the other person as both sweet and painful
How am I supposed to ever feel the same
Struggling to imagine feeling the same way about someone else after such a heartbreaking experience
These kind of situations always have a way
Noting the inevitability of dealing with difficult relationships and their aftermaths
Of screwing up your mind and messing with your sanity
Describing the effects of dealing with traumatic relationships on one's mental health
How many days and nights will have to come and go
Questioning how long it will take to move on and recover from the heartbreak
Before I realize what I already know
Realizing that life is better without the person they love, despite the pain of the breakup
I'm better off without you like I thought I'd be
Affirming the belief that life is better without the person they love, even though it is painful to admit
Life is sweet, sweet as strawberry wine
Emphasizing that life has both sweet and painful experiences
And bitter too, like the seeds on the vine
Reiterating the idea that life can also bring bitterness and pain
And you are that, you are more than sublime
Repeating the comparison of the love interest to both sweet and bitter aspects of life
And bitter too, lovin' you, has been an experience
Recalling the experience of loving the other person as both sweet and painful
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Neil Giraldo, Pat Giraldo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind