After touring the US and Europe for two years, he left Humble Pie as the group was gaining popularity because of disdain for Marriott's hard living lifestyle and screaming boogie rock direction. Aside from his work with Humble Pie, other recordings of this era that feature Frampton include albums by Harry Nilsson, Jerry Lee Lewis, and George Harrison. His solo debut was 1972's Wind of Change, which did not fare well on the charts though receiving critical praise. It also featured appearances by musicians such as Ringo Starr and Mick Jones.
Two more efforts by Frampton also struggled commercially, one released under the moniker Frampton's Camel. Constant touring began to create awareness of his talents, however, and 1974's Frampton LP went gold. It also peaked #32 on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S., showing his growing international appeal.
He finally gained lasting international fame by 1976 when his much-loved live album, Frampton Comes Alive! was released. Having built up his reputation on the road, the LP debuted at No. 1 on the charts in January 1976. It was long considered the best-selling live album of all time, moving over 16 million copies worldwide.
In 1978, Peter suffered a near fatal car crash in the Bahamas, which left him with a concussion, muscle damage and broken bones. But in 1979, he released the album 'Where I Should Be', which went gold and produced the hit 'I Can't Stand It No More'.
His extensive use of the Talk Box effect was and still is an integral part of the Peter Frampton experience.
His albums never regained the high chart placements of the 70's era but he has continued his musical career none the less. Among the gimmicks he's employed to maintain interest have been releasing Frampton Comes Alive II, as well as joining Ringo Starr's touring revue, recording two CDs with ex-Stone Bill Wyman and unsucessfully attempting to reunite with Steve Marriott before his death in 1991. Other notable occasions include starring with the Bee Gees in a film version of The Beatles Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album and playing with David Bowie on his Never Let Me Down album and tour.
In 2006, Frampton released Fingerprints, a completely instrumental guitar showcase album.
In 2013, two of the ballet’s spring production segments were choreographed to Frampton and his band. A third section featured these new compositions. As Frampton says about the experience: “Writing for dance was a wonderfully freeing experience, There were no boundaries…Songwriters and musicians create music to move people. This was beautiful, graceful, and instantly gratifying!”
“The Promenade’s Retreat” features Frampton laying down some light picking. The verses are few, so we don’t get all that much singing, though Frampton’s voice is very distinctive. There is an easy backbeat provided by drummer Chad Cromwell and Frampton manages his trills, pulls-offs and clean intricate leading.
The title track is a poppy acoustic guitar number. Frampton sings at the high end of his range, we get very Beatlesque sing-able choruses, a tickle of Dobro guitar slide in the bridge, and harmony vocals from Gordon Kennedy. Erik Darken’s congas keep everything slipping along as Frampton leads on top of the concoction, showing his mastery on acoustic as much as he ever has on electric.
“The One in 901” is the first real rock mover and probably the heaviest. There is a chunky Chad Cromwell drumming and Frampton double octave riffing. Over the top, he delivers slightly distorted simple yet effective leads. We even hear some softly sung “ooh’s” before the break out at the end.
“Heart To My Chest” is a delicate tune. Frampton offers up his acoustic yet again for the main voicing and some poignant lyric, his voice breaking even slightly on top of it all. When Blair Master’s piano, Gordon Kennedy’s bass and Cromwell’s drums come in for the choruses, we are in latter-day John Lennon-sounding territory. This tune features guitar and piano descending lines at its end with Frampton offering up clean leads over it. This is the best tune here.
A shuffling mid-tempo beat pushes “Norman Wisdom.” Frampton leads all over the tune on acoustic, offering a fun lyric and Steely Dan-like backing vocals from Kennedy and Frampton. Hummingbird In A Box: Songs For A Ballet is clean, simple, not overly stylized playing from Peter Frampton. The songs are strong enough to stand on their own, ballet or not. We get another example of what Peter Frampton is capable of after five decades.
Peter now resides in Cincinnati, Ohio and can still be found playing concerts around the world.
Asleep At The Wheel
Peter Frampton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And given a chance
Playing with fast cars
There were so many children
Born with no choices
Stealing their hearts
Making it harder
To survive, yeah
So hard to imagine
When taking 'bout strangers
Against your will
You swallow in silence
With petrified tears
Bound and so still
God knows what you're thinking
This life as you knew it
Has just disappeared
We've been asleep at the wheel
Wrapped up and what do we feel?
Living beyond all our means
Burning and living the dream
So many years of not knowing
With false talk and letdowns
When hope is a wish
You would have stayed in denial
Don't even try to escape
It don't exist
Up high on the hill
It's no place for conscience
It's your only fight
We've been asleep at the wheel
Wrapped up and what do we feel?
Living beyond all our means
Burning and living the dream
We're only here for the moment
It's slow when you wanted speed
So many life's and lies
Time has taken its toll, it's true
We'll never give up on you
One day you'll be free
I've been asleep at the wheel
Wrapped up and what do I feel?
Living beyond all my means
Burning and living the dream
We're only here for a moment
It's slow when you wanted speed
The song "Asleep at the Wheel" by Peter Frampton is a reflection on the consequences of not paying attention and taking action when faced with the challenges in life. The song starts by stating that the singer was born out of love and was given a chance to play with fast cars, indicating a privileged upbringing. However, the second verse highlights that not all children are given choices and have to steal their hearts. The lyrics then shift to talking about the downside of not acting in tough situations, making it harder to survive. The third verse discusses the struggles of being a victim of a crime and having to swallow in silence.
The chorus brings everything together, highlighting that many individuals are asleep at the wheel, living beyond their means, and burning the dream they thought they wanted. The verse ends with an acknowledgment that hope is merely a wish for some individuals, and staying in denial comes at a cost. The final verse zeroes in on the reality that time is fleeting, and we must take action before things get worse. It's a plea to individuals to wake up and take charge of their lives, instead of being passive bystanders.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born out of love
My existence stems from an act of love between my parents
And given a chance
I was given the opportunity to live and make something of my life
Playing with fast cars
As a child, I enjoyed playing with fast toy cars
There were so many children
There are countless children in the world
Born with no choices
Many of these children are born into unfortunate circumstances without any options
Stealing their hearts
Their innocence and vulnerability make them easy targets for exploitation
Now look at the downside
Consider the negative consequences
Making it harder
These consequences make life more difficult
To survive, yeah
It becomes increasingly challenging to simply live day to day
So hard to imagine
It's difficult to comprehend how some people live in such dismal conditions
When taking 'bout strangers
When discussing people we don't know personally
Against your will
Being forced to do something without your consent
You swallow in silence
You internalize your pain and suffering without speaking up
With petrified tears
You cry silently, frozen by fear
Bound and so still
You are trapped and unable to move
God knows what you're thinking
Only God knows the thoughts and emotions going through your mind
This life as you knew it
The life you once had is gone
Has just disappeared
It has vanished without a trace
We've been asleep at the wheel
We have been negligent and unaware of our actions
Wrapped up and what do we feel?
We are oblivious and don't realize the consequences of our actions
Living beyond all our means
We are living above our financial capabilities
Burning and living the dream
We are chasing our dreams, but at a cost
So many years of not knowing
We have gone for so long without being aware of the consequences of our actions
With false talk and letdowns
We have been lied to and disappointed countless times
When hope is a wish
Our hope has dwindled to mere wishful thinking
You would have stayed in denial
You would have continued your delusion
Don't even try to escape
There is no point in trying to run away from your problems
It don't exist
The solution you're looking for is not viable
Up high on the hill
At the top of the hill
It's no place for conscience
It's not a location where morality and ethics matter
It's your only fight
You have to fight for survival, even if the odds are against you
We're only here for the moment
Our time on Earth is fleeting
It's slow when you wanted speed
Life moves slower than we anticipated
So many life's and lies
There are countless lies and falsehoods in the world
Time has taken its toll, it's true
The passage of time has had its negative effects
We'll never give up on you
We will continue to support you through thick and thin
One day you'll be free
One day you will be liberated from your struggles
I've been asleep at the wheel
I have been oblivious to the impact of my actions
Wrapped up and what do I feel?
I am unaware of the consequences of my actions
Living beyond all my means
I am living beyond my financial capabilities
Burning and living the dream
I am chasing my dreams, but at a cost
We're only here for a moment
Our time on Earth is limited
It's slow when you wanted speed
Life moves slower than we anticipated
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER KENNETH FRAMPTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Beverly Esparaguera
on Apple Of Your Eye
Good Day Heritage Singers!!!
I am an avid of your singing group. I always listen to your songs because i feel more happy everytime i play your music everyday. I want to ask a lyrics of your song "The Apple of your Eye". I really love this music. Looking forward to receive a response from you, Thanks a lot. More Power and God Bless. Kindly send the lyrics to bhevscasida@gmail.com