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.
Perfect
Rick Springfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could feel the hunger burst inside of you
Perfect body, perfect skin
There is no perfect anything
I tried hard to be the perfect one
but it's not enough, it's not enough
Welcome to my execution
In the name of love, in the name of love
[Chorus:]
Turn up your radio love is king
And everything will be beautiful
Turn up your radio forget that sting
And everything will be beautiful
Love's got a dirty mind love can bite
I forget that sometimes love's a parasite
Hail hail Mary full of grace
You disappeared without a trace
I needed your hand to lead me through this fire
But you let it go, you let it go
Where's my absolution
I really don't know, I really don't know
[Chorus:]
Turn up your radio love is king
And everything will be beautiful
Turn up your radio forget that sting
And everything will be beautiful
Hey, hey, my, my,
I said my perfect love will never die
Perfect love, perfect sin there is no perfect anything
We tear each other limb from limb
in the name of God in the name of love
There's only two choices sink or swim
I wish I was perfect, for you
[Chorus:]
Turn up your radio love is king
And everything will be beautiful
Turn up the radio forget that sting
And everything will be beautiful
Turn up your radio love is king
And everything will be
And everything will be beautiful
The song Perfect by Rick Springfield explores the ups and downs of love in a relationship. The lyrics suggest that while love can bring you great joy and happiness, it can also be problematic and difficult. The line "Love is the drug we're blessed and cursed" encapsulates the idea that love has the power to both heal and harm.
Springfield goes on to describe the imperfect nature of human beings, including himself, admitting that despite his efforts to be the perfect partner, it was not enough. This leads to the line "Welcome to my execution, in the name of love, in the name of love," which suggests that love can feel like a sacrifice at times. The chorus encourages the listener to "turn up your radio" and embrace love, despite its negative aspects.
The bridge of the song includes a reference to the Catholic prayer, Hail Mary, and the idea of absolution, which suggests the singer may be seeking forgiveness for their past actions or mistakes. The final verse suggests a desire to be perfect for one's partner, despite acknowledging that perfection is impossible.
Overall, the song Perfect by Rick Springfield is a reflection on the complexities of love and the challenges that come with relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is the drug we're blessed and cursed,
Love is intoxicating and all-encompassing, having both positive and negative effects.
I could feel the hunger burst inside of you
I could sense your intense desire and need for love.
Perfect body, perfect skin
Physical beauty is subjective and an unattainable ideal.
There is no perfect anything
Perfection does not exist in any aspect of life or love.
I tried hard to be the perfect one
I put in a lot of effort to be flawless in order to please you.
but it's not enough, it's not enough
My attempts to be perfect were futile and did not lead to a successful relationship.
Welcome to my execution
This failed relationship feels like a death sentence or punishment.
In the name of love, in the name of love
Despite the pain, the desire for love keeps drawing us in.
Turn up your radio love is king
Listening to songs about love can make us feel hopeful and positive.
And everything will be beautiful
Love has the power to make everything else seem perfect and beautiful.
Forget that sting
Listen to music to forget about the pain from a past relationship.
Love's got a dirty mind love can bite
Love can be dirty and painful, with the ability to cause harm.
I forget that sometimes love's a parasite
Sometimes love can be like a parasite, taking over one's life and causing harm.
Hail hail Mary full of grace
A plea to a religious figure for help and guidance.
You disappeared without a trace
You left abruptly and without any notice or explanation.
I needed your hand to lead me through this fire
I needed your support and guidance to get through this difficult time.
But you let it go, you let it go
You abandoned me when I needed you most.
Where's my absolution
Where is my forgiveness or resolution for this pain?
I really don't know, I really don't know
I have no idea how to move past this pain and hurt.
Hey, hey, my, my,
A call for attention and focus on the topic at hand.
I said my perfect love will never die
My love for you will never fade or disappear, even though our relationship has ended.
Perfect love, perfect sin there is no perfect anything
The concept of perfection is an illusion in both love and life, including the idea of a perfect relationship or person.
We tear each other limb from limb
Our love and passion for each other can be destructive and harmful.
in the name of God in the name of love
Our passionate arguments and fights are sometimes done in the name of love.
There's only two choices sink or swim
In this situation, we can either give up or fight to keep our love alive.
I wish I was perfect, for you
I wish I could have been the perfect partner for you, but perfection is impossible.
Turn up the radio forget that sting
Listen to upbeat music to forget about the pain of a past relationship.
And everything will be
Love has the power to make everything else seem perfect and beautiful.
And everything will be beautiful
Love has the power to make everything else seem perfect and beautiful.
Contributed by Cole M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
johnny zell
Love is the drug we're blessed and cursed,
I could feel the hunger burst inside of you
Perfect body, perfect skin
There is no perfect anything
I tried hard to be the perfect one
but it's not enough, it's not enough
Welcome to my execution
In the name of love, in the name of love
[Chorus:]
Turn up your radio love is king
And everything will be beautiful
Turn up your radio forget that sting
And everything will be beautiful
Love's got a dirty mind love can bite
I forget that sometimes love's a parasite
Hail hail Mary full of grace
You disappeared without a trace
I needed your hand to lead me through this fire
But you let it go, you let it go
Where's my absolution
I really don't know, I really don't know
[Chorus:]
Turn up your radio love is king
And everything will be beautiful
Turn up your radio forget that sting
And everything will be beautiful
Hey, hey, my, my,
I said my perfect love will never die
Perfect love, perfect sin there is no perfect anything
We tear each other limb from limb
in the name of God in the name of love
There's only two choices sink or swim
I wish I was perfect, for you
[Chorus:]
Turn up your radio love is king
And everything will be beautiful
Turn up the radio forget that sting
And everything will be beautiful
Turn up your radio love is king
And everything will be
And everything will be b
Lee Nurick
Who would have think that he (Rick Springfield) could make a good sounding hard Rock song. I have listen to all his albums and songs to this point, but couldn't imagine the tunage he did on this song (Perfect).
Brenda House of Shine
Great driving CD.😎🎸💎
lisa clarice
would you be willing to share this cd with me via email? i am a huge fan of rick.
Jeff McCullough
This whole album is like Rick Springfield on Steroids!!!!