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.
Karma
Rick Springfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every choice another turn of the screw
Another wheel set in motion
With every single thing I do
It's there in the air that I breathe
It's in my whisper and scream
Inside everything I believe
And it's all gonna come around someday
As the smallest stream runs to a river
And every river runs to the sea
So every little bit of love I give to another
You know that I believe it comes back to me
There is no absolution whether I'm the garden or the rose
If I ain't part of the solution, yeah you know how that goes
You can always leave but you bring it all back home someday
As the smallest stream runs to a river
And every river runs to the sea
So every little bit of love I give to another
You know that I believe it comes back to me
Every single thing I say, everyone that I betray
Any love that I take when I do not make it in return
Every thing I do and every time I've been unfaithful too
All the things that I believe are lessons I must learn
As the smallest stream runs to a river
And every river runs to the sea
So every little bit of love I give to another
You know that I believe it comes back to me
As the smallest stream runs to a river
And every river runs to the sea
So every little bit of love I give to another
You know that I believe it comes back to me
In the song "Karma," Rick Springfield explores the idea that every action we take has consequences, both positive and negative, that come back to us in the future. The songwriter uses the metaphor of dropping a stone into the ocean, illustrating how the ripple effect spreads to all corners of our lives. The idea becomes more explicit in the chorus as Springfield sings about how every bit of love we give to others will come back to us in the future, just as the smallest stream runs into a river and eventually finds its way into the sea. The message is clear: what we put out into the world will come back to us in some form or another.
Springfield's lyrics also emphasize the importance of taking responsibility for our actions. The line, "There is no absolution whether I'm the garden or the rose," suggests that no one can escape the consequences of their actions, whether they are the perpetrator or the victim. Furthermore, the songwriter acknowledges that sometimes he falls short in his own relationships by being unfaithful or not reciprocating love. However, he recognizes that these mistakes are lessons he must learn to grow and become a better person.
Line by Line Meaning
I drop a stone into the ocean
Every action I take, no matter how small, has a ripple effect and can impact others in ways that I may never know.
Every choice another turn of the screw
Every decision I make has consequences and can either tighten or loosen the screws of my fate.
Another wheel set in motion
Each choice I make sets off a chain reaction that can have long-lasting effects.
With every single thing I do
All my actions, big or small, contribute to the overall course of my life and those around me.
It's there in the air that I breathe
The energy of cause and effect is constantly present in every breath I take.
It's in my whisper and scream
Every word I say carries the potential to affect others, whether I whisper them or shout them out loud.
Inside everything I believe
My beliefs and values shape my actions and the effect they have on the world.
And it's all gonna come around someday
The consequences of my actions will eventually catch up with me, whether good or bad.
As the smallest stream runs to a river
Just as tiny streams eventually lead to larger rivers, every small act of kindness and love has the potential to make a big impact and create positive change.
And every river runs to the sea
All these actions, no matter how small or large, have the potential to create a greater impact and contribute to the larger picture of life.
So every little bit of love I give to another
Acts of love, no matter how small, have a way of coming back to me in positive ways.
You know that I believe it comes back to me
I believe in the power of karma and that every action I take will impact my own life in one way or another.
There is no absolution whether I'm the garden or the rose
Whether I'm the one sowing the seeds or one of the ones being affected by the seeds, there is no escaping the consequences of my actions.
If I ain't part of the solution, yeah you know how that goes
If I'm not actively working towards creating positive change and making the world a better place, then I'm only adding to the problem.
You can always leave but you bring it all back home someday
No matter where I go or what I do, the consequences of my actions will eventually follow me and impact my life in one way or another.
Every single thing I say, everyone that I betray
Every word I speak and every time I break someone's trust has the potential to create negative karma and impact my own life negatively as well.
Any love that I take when I do not make it in return
If I take love from someone and don't reciprocate it, I am creating negative karma and setting myself up for the consequences that come with it.
Every thing I do and every time I've been unfaithful too
Every action, no matter how small or large, has the potential to create positive or negative karma, including times when I have been unfaithful or dishonest.
All the things that I believe are lessons I must learn
Every belief I hold and every action I take is a lesson, and I must be open to learning from them in order to grow and create positive karma.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CARLOS JR. VARGAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind