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
Suffer The Little Children
Pat Benatar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hope your suffering was brief
I hope the angels that watch over all little children
Came for you and took you someplace beautiful and sweet
Aahh..
Suffer The Little Children
Dear Melissa, I often think of you
I say a prayer for your mama and daddy too
I know they miss you, miss you since you're gone
Suffer The Little Children
At the hands of evil men
No baby dolls, no teddy bears
No lullabies for them
Every mother's nightmare
Will it ever end
Suffer The Little Children
At the hands of evil men
You who done the deed better do some prayin' too
Better hope that God's forgivin' like they say
Cause somewhere, somebody keeps a list
Of the evils that men do
An' your name's right up there
I heard 'em say
Aahh..
Suffer The Little Children
At the hands of evil men
No baby dolls, no teddy bears
No lullabies for them
Every mother's nightmare
Will it ever end
Suffer The Little Children
At the hands of evil men
The song "Suffer The Little Children" by Pat Benatar is a heart-wrenching plea for justice for the innocent little children who fall victim to evil men. The lyrics address a particular girl named Melissa, who may have suffered some tragedy and died young. The first verse talks about how the singer prays for Melissa and hopes she found peace in the afterlife. She wishes that the angels who watch over all children took her someplace beautiful and sweet. In the second verse, the singer remembers Melissa every time she holds her baby in her arms and empathizes with her parents who must be missing her. The chorus "Suffer The Little Children" highlights the main theme of the song, which is how children are the most vulnerable to evil, and how they suffer unimaginable pain at the hands of cruel men.
The bridge of the song is a powerful message to the evildoers. The singer tells them to do some praying too and hope that God is forgiving, as they have committed an unforgivable sin by harming innocent children. She warns that there is a list somewhere of all the evils that men do, and their name is right up there. The chorus repeats at the end, emphasizing the importance of never forgetting the horrors suffered by innocent children.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet Melissa, I often pray for you
I constantly remember you in my prayers, dear Melissa.
I hope your suffering was brief
I pray that your pain and agony were not prolonged.
I hope the angels that watch over all little children came for you and took you someplace beautiful and sweet
I pray that the guardian angels for children received you and carried you to a peaceful and lovely place.
Suffer The Little Children
Spare the innocent children from sufferings.
Dear Melissa, I often think of you. Every time I hold my baby in my arms. I say a prayer for your mama and daddy too, I know they miss you, miss you since you're gone
My thoughts are with you every time I embrace my baby, and I hope Melissa's parents find solace in their memories of her.
At the hands of evil men, no baby dolls, no teddy bears, no lullabies for them. Every mother's nightmare, will it ever end?
Evil men rob children of their innocence and their companions such as toys and lullabies. The constant fear that any mother has for her young ones is whether these atrocities will ever end.
You who done the deed better do some prayin' too, better hope that God's forgivin' like they say. 'Cause somewhere, somebody keeps a list, of the evils that men do. An' your name's right up there, I heard 'em say
Those guilty of such horrors should start confessing and praying for mercy from God. Someplace, somebody records all of the wickedness done by humankind, including your name.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: NEIL GERALDO, PAT BENATAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind