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.
Free
Rick Springfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why I built it I don't know
It's bars made of anger and guilt, no lock
But somehow it just wouldn't let me go
All hail the messenger of love
I got your message loud and clear
Now I'm hungry to be healedAnd you can't, you can't keep me away
I'm free
(When we are one, I am complete)
I'm free
(And I'm undone and I will be healed in your eyes)
I had to close a door in my life for another one to open
So I, I could go through
Though I had no guiding light
And no signs somehow it still lead me to you
I learned a lesson here in love
And it's ringin' loud and clear
Now, I'm ready to reveal all the things
That before I could never say
I'm free
(When we are one, I am complete)
I'm free
(And I'm undone and I will be healed in your eyes)
All hail the messenger of love
I got your message loud and clear
Now, I'm hungry to be healed
And you can't, you can't keep me away
When we are one
I am complete
And I'm undone
And I will be healed in your eyes
I'm free
(When we are one, I am complete)
I'm free
(And I'm undone and I will be healed in your eyes)
I'm free
(When we are one, I am complete)
I'm free
(And I'm undone and I will be healed in your eyes)
I'm free
(I'm free)
I'm free
(I'm free)
I'm free
(I'm free)
I'm free
(I'm free)
I'm free
(I'm free)
The song "Free" by Rick Springfield is a deeply personal and introspective tune that speaks to the journey of self-discovery and the freedom that comes with it. The opening lines set the tone by describing a cage that the singer has built around himself, made of anger and guilt, but with no lock. He is trapped within the confines of his own emotions and can't seem to find his way out. However, a messenger of love appears, and the singer receives its message, which appears to be an invitation to let go of that anger and guilt and allow himself to be healed. The singer expresses a desire to be freed from the bonds of his emotions and to be made whole again.
As the song progresses, the singer reveals that he had to close a door in his life for another one to open, and that he did so without a guiding light or signs to lead him. However, this decision ultimately led him to the messenger of love and the freedom that he seeks. He acknowledges that he has learned a valuable lesson about love and is now ready to reveal the things that he could never say before. The song's chorus repeats the phrase "I'm free" several times, emphasizing the freedom that the singer now feels and the healing that he has received.
Line by Line Meaning
So, this is the cage that I built
The singer is acknowledging that the negative mindset and emotions he is carrying around are creating a cage around him that is trapping him in his own negativity.
Why I built it I don't know
The singer recognizes that he has created this negative pattern within himself, but he isn't sure what triggered it or why he allowed it to happen.
It's bars made of anger and guilt, no lock
The bars of the cage are made of the feelings of anger and guilt that he carries around, but there is no actual lock keeping him trapped within it.
But somehow it just wouldn't let me go
Despite the lack of a lock, the cage still feels impossible to escape, keeping the singer trapped in his negativity.
All hail the messenger of love
The singer is expressing gratitude for someone, or something, that has helped him understand that unconditional love and acceptance is available to him.
I got your message loud and clear
The singer has received and understood the message of love, and realizes it's the necessary healing inspiration to free himself.
Now I'm hungry to be healed
The singer is eager to achieve mental and spiritual healing after having opened his mind to the idea that love and acceptance are possible.
And you can't, you can't keep me away
The forces that used to keep him trapped within his negative cage now have no power over him anymore.
I had to close a door in my life for another one to open
The singer had to let go of something in his past in order to find something better in his future. He had to remove obstacles to allow progression to take place.
Though I had no guiding light
The singer didn't have a clear direction or a path to follow, but ultimately trust and faith in something better lead him to where he is now at peace.
And no signs somehow it still lead me to you
Though there were no visible signs, the singer was led to the realization that love and acceptance are present and available to him.
I learned a lesson here in love
The singer has been taught a valuable lesson about unconditionally love and acceptance he wasn't previously aware of.
And it's ringin' loud and clear
The meaning of the lesson is so clear now that he can't help but share it with the world to inspire them as well.
Now, I'm ready to reveal all the things
The singer has reached a point where he wants to speak his truth and open up about his journey to hopefully connect with and inspire others.
That before I could never say
He had previously held back or was unable to speak his truth due to his negative mindset and emotions.
When we are one, I am complete
The singer is a part of a larger whole and feels most fulfilled when he is able to connect with others and with the universe as a whole.
And I'm undone
When he is able to connect on this deeper level, it's as if the negative patterns and emotions are undone or lessened in their intensity.
And I will be healed in your eyes
By seeing the love and acceptance in others' eyes, the singer is able to feel healed and whole.
I'm free
The final lines of the song and chorus repeat the concept of freedom as he is now able to release himself from negative thought patterns and embrace love and acceptance.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BOB MARLETTE, RICK SPRINGFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind