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.
The White Room
Rick Springfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Locked away inside her skin
I can see her but I can't get to her
She won't come out, and she won't let me into
Lying alone 'til she comes undone
In The White Room
She burns for the real thing
But it won't come
In her head is the same obsession
And all the bottles and pills won't heal her heart
She heard his last confession
Every word just tears her apart
In The White Room (locked away)
Doing time 'til her time is done
In The White Room there's so much to say
But the words won't come
Come back to the land of the living
When you gonna break that chain
There's much too much that you're leaving
And you're never gonna stop the rain
In The White Room
Waiting for the call that never comes
In The White Room, she waits
Look at something long enough you'll find
That the splinters and the cracks begin to show
I'll be the first in line when the walls start falling
And she lets go of
The White Room (it's late)
Living alone only makes you numb
In the White Room
She burns for the real thing but it won't come
Come back to the land of the living
When you gonna break that chain
There's much too much that you're leaving
And you're never gonna stop the rain
In The White Room (she's living in)
Doing time 'til her time is done
In The White Room she burns
In The White Room (it's late)
Lying alone till she comes undone
In The White Room she waits
In The White Room...
"The White Room" by Rick Springfield tells the story of a woman who is living in a state of isolation and despair. The first verse describes how the singer can see her from outside the window, but she won't let him in. She is trapped inside her own skin - unable or unwilling to communicate with the outside world. The song then describes how she is living alone in a white room, waiting for something that never comes. She is obsessed with a man who has hurt her, and she can't seem to move on with her life. She has tried to numb the pain with pills and alcohol, but nothing seems to work.
The chorus then addresses the woman directly, urging her to break free from her isolation and return to the land of the living. The singer tells her that she is leaving too much behind and that she will never be able to stop the pain. In the final verse, he promises to be there for her when she finally decides to let go of her white room and start living her life again.
Overall, "The White Room" is a poignant and emotionally charged song that deals with themes of isolation, despair, and the struggle to move beyond past hurt. The repetitive imagery of the white room helps to create a vivid and powerful image of the woman's claustrophobic and stagnant existence. Through its heartfelt lyrics and powerful melodies, this song is a true testament to Rick Springfield's songwriting and his ability to capture complex emotions in his music.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see her at her windows watching
The singer can see a person through their window, watching the world from inside.
Locked away inside her skin
The person is physically present but emotionally distant, locked inside themselves.
I can see her but I can't get to her
The singer could physically reach the person but they are emotionally unreachable.
She won't come out, and she won't let me into
The person is isolating themselves and not allowing any emotional connection with others.
The White Room (she's living in)
The person is living in a state of emotional emptiness, a place where they are disconnected from others.
Lying alone 'til she comes undone
The person is alone in their emotional struggle and pain, waiting for it to go away on its own.
In The White Room
The place where the person is living, disconnected from reality and emotions.
She burns for the real thing
The person is seeking a genuine emotional connection with others.
But it won't come
The person is unable to find that real emotional connection with others.
In her head is the same obsession
The person is consumed with a persistent emotional pain and obsession, which they can't let go of.
And all the bottles and pills won't heal her heart
The person has tried to rid themselves of their emotional pain and struggles through medication but it doesn't work.
She heard his last confession
The person was a confidante to someone's last confession of wrongdoings.
Every word just tears her apart
That confession is weighing heavily on the person's conscience, and causing them emotional pain.
In The White Room (locked away)
The person is locked away in their isolation, trapped in their own emotional struggles.
Doing time 'til her time is done
The person is waiting out their emotional struggle, hoping it will end on its own.
In The White Room there's so much to say
The person is overwhelmed with emotions, but cannot express them or connect with others.
But the words won't come
The person is unable to express themselves fully and honestly, leaving their struggles unaddressed.
Come back to the land of the living
The singer is urging the person to reconnect with reality and others.
When you gonna break that chain
The singer is asking the person to break free from their own emotional struggles and isolation.
There's much too much that you're leaving
The person is missing out on life and experiences due to their emotional isolation.
And you're never gonna stop the rain
The person cannot prevent the emotional pain and struggles they are experiencing.
Waiting for the call that never comes
The person is waiting for a sign of hope or help, which they feel may never come.
Look at something long enough you'll find
The singer is urging the person to face their struggles head-on and not avoid them.
That the splinters and the cracks begin to show
As the person confronts their struggles, they will start to see their own emotional vulnerabilities and weaknesses.
I'll be the first in line when the walls start falling
The singer will be there to help the person break free from their emotional isolation.
And she lets go of
As the person makes progress in confronting their emotional struggles, they will finally let go of them.
The White Room (it's late)
This emotional struggle has gone on too long.
Living alone only makes you numb
Isolating oneself from others only makes one more disconnected and unfeeling.
In the White Room
The artist is referring to the same place where the person is living alone and emotionally disconnected.
She burns for the real thing but it won't come
The person desperately seeks a genuine emotional connection with others but cannot find it.
Lying alone till she comes undone
The person is waiting for their emotional struggles to resolve on their own, which they believe might happen if they wait long enough.
In The White Room she waits
The person is still living in the same emotional disconnectedness and struggles that they were at the beginning of the song.
In The White Room...
The emotional struggle continues into the future, with no clear resolution.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Karen Pearlman
Best RS album, and there are many other great ones.
Jo Dyan
Me too!! I LOVED this album! His first after a long break!!! Happy birthday love of my life!!!!! 8-23-49
jorrbuddy
I agree with KILLER CD. Quite possibly my favourite RS album.