Rick Springfield (born Richard Lewis Springthorpe on 23 August 1949) is an … Read Full Bio ↴Rick Springfield (born Richard Lewis Springthorpe on 23 August 1949) is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. A member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, he had an initial career as a charismatic 'teen idol'; he started his string of solo works with a debut single, called "Speak to the Sky", that reached the top 10 in Australia. In mid-1972, he relocated to the U.S., evolving into a more strident new wave and power pop sound as the years passed. Respected a serious musician while also having a huge following, he had a #1 hit with "Jessie's Girl" in 1981 in both Australia and the U.S.

He received the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Jessie's Girl", which proved to be a career breakout moment. He followed with four more top 10 U.S. rock hits: "I've Done Everything for You", "Don't Talk to Strangers", "Affair of the Heart", and "Love Somebody". His two U.S. top 10 albums are 1981's 'Working Class Dog' and 1982's 'Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet', releases featuring an energetic sound earning both commercial and critical successes. As an actor, he portrayed the popular Dr. Noah Drake on the daytime drama 'General Hospital' from 1981 to 1983, and he sprang back into the role during 2005 to 2008 and 2012, returning again in 2013 for the show's 50th anniversary with his son (and fellow actor) Liam Springthorpe.

Though having gigantic success in the early to mid-80s, Springfield felt totally exhausted with the pressures of stardom. He would end up devoting more time to his personal and family life, though still releasing albums through the late 80s and onward. In 2010, Springfield published his well-received autobiography, titled 'Late, Late at Night: A Memoir', which detailed these struggles.

Born Richard Lewis Springthorpe, later adopting "Rick Springfield" in his performing days, in South Wentworthville on 23 August 1949, he spent the early part of his life around the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. The son of Eileen and Norman Springthorpe, the latter a Australian Army career officer, he also has an older brother, Mike Springthorpe. Due to his father's Army career, the Springthorpe family moved to London, England, where they lived between 1960 to 1962. The family moved back to Australia in June 1962, where they settled in the Melbourne suburb of Ormond.

Inspired by the 60s pop rock boom around him, the young Rick Springfield took naturally to singing and songwriting. However, commercial success would come in sudden bursts for him, with the performer facing bouts of 'teen idol' worship (even spending a time doing music for kids as a sort of cartoon Mister Rogers from 1973 to 1975, with those songs put into his 'Mission Magic!' album) that concealed his desire to be taken seriously as a musician. Fully embracing a power pop and new wave sound, as played by contemporaries such as Cheap Trick, The Cars, and others, finally helped him hit the big time in a dramatic way. As well, in October 1984, Springfield married his longtime girlfriend, Barbara Porter, in his family's church in Australia.

When being interviewed about his autobiography, Springfield admitted that he dated while married, and that it was a problem that he has overcome. He mentioned in particular dating Linda Blair, Demi Moore, Connie Hamzy, Morgana Welch, and Geraldine Edwards (the inspiration for Penny Lane in 'Almost Famous'). Though on top of the world for a time, things proved unstable and uncertain. In 1985, when his first son was born and after the release of his 'Tao' album, Springfield took a break from his musical career to spend more time with his family, as stated before. He also resolved to deal with the off-and-on depression that had affected him since his adolescence. Springfield had suffered much in the 70s due to both the serious illness of his father, who died on 24 April 1981, and difficulties dealing with people in the music industry.

Recently, a new feature documentary, titled 'An Affair of the Heart: The Journey of Rick Springfield and his Devoted Fans, was filmed in 2010. The movie started on the film festival circuit in the spring of 2012. The performer's latest work is 2015's 'Stripped Down', a combination of covers, new material, and re-recorded tracks from his past that has attracted some critical praise.

Away In a Manger
Rick Springfield Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Away in a manger,
No crib for His bed,
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head;
The stars in the heavens
Looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing,
The poor Baby wakes,
But little Lord Jesus,
No crying He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus;
Look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle
Till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus;
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray!
Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care,
And fit us for Heaven
To live with Thee there.

Away in a manger,
No crib for His bed,
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head;
The stars in the heavens
Looked down where He lay,

The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Away in a Manger" tell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The song describes the scene of Jesus' birth, where he was laid down in a manger because there was no room for him in an inn. The little Lord Jesus, despite the humble conditions of his birth, is surrounded by love and protection from his parents, the heavenly stars, and adoring animals. He sleeps peacefully while the world around him celebrates his coming. The second verse talks about the cattle that are lowing and waking up the baby Jesus. The singer declares their love for Jesus and humbly asks him to stay close and bless all the children and people that he cares for.

The song conveys an atmosphere of peacefulness, love, and adoration. The writer, through the lyrics, imagines Jesus as a helpless and innocent child who needs to be cared for and protected. Although humble and lowly, the baby Jesus is the source of joy and hope for the world. The descriptive language of the stars, the animals, and the humble surroundings present a vivid picture of the scene of his birth, which evokes a sense of awe and wonder.

Line by Line Meaning

Away in a manger,
The Lord Jesus was born in a simple barn,

No crib for His bed,
He had no fancy bed,

The little Lord Jesus
The young Lord Jesus,

Laid down His sweet head;
He slept peacefully,

The stars in the heavens
Even the stars above,

Looked down where He lay,
Gazed upon the place where He rested,

The little Lord Jesus
The young Lord Jesus,

Asleep on the hay.
Lay sleeping on hay.

The cattle are lowing,
The cows are mooing,

The poor Baby wakes,
The young Baby wakes up,

But little Lord Jesus,
But the young Lord Jesus,