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.
Theme from Mission Magic
Rick Springfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes, I can see, I believe that it's magic
If your mission is magic, your love will shine through
Do you believe, you believe in magic, 'cause I believe, I believe that I do
Yes, I can see, I believe that it's magic
If your mission is magic, your love will shine true
If there's one thing that the world needs, its a magic singing song
And I'll teach it to the whole world and make them sing along
Love is magic, it's so easy, and it's not hard to do
'cause everybody, wants somebody, to give a little magic to
Do you believe, you believe in magic, 'cause I believe, I believe that I do
Yes, I can see, I believe that it's magic
If your mission is magic, your love will shine true
I've seem so many, unhappy people, reaching out in vain
You got the power, to shower, love like summer rain
Love is magic, it's so easy, and it's not hard to do
'cause everybody, wants somebody, to give a little magic to
Do you believe, you believe in magic, 'cause I believe, I believe that I do
Yes, I can see, I believe that it's magic
If your mission is magic, your love will shine true
Do you believe, you believe in magic, 'cause I believe, I believe that I do
Yes, I can see, I believe that it's magic
If your mission is magic, your love will shine true
If your mission is magic, your love will shine true
If your mission is magic, your love will shine true
The lyrics to Rick Springfield's song Theme from Mission Magic seem to be about the power of love and believing in magic. The lyrics suggest that if you believe in magic, your love will shine through, which is emphasized in the repeated line: "If your mission is magic, your love will shine true." The song describes love as an easy form of magic that everyone wants to experience or give to someone else. The lyrics suggest that by sharing a little magic, you can make someone's world a better place.
The song's focus on magic seems to be rooted in the overarching theme of the song itself, which was the theme song for the animated children's TV series, Mission: Magic!. The show was about a young girl named Miss Tickle who was a teacher and a witch. She would help children with their problems and try to inspire them to use their imaginations to solve problems. The show's themes were about imagination, self-confidence, and positive thinking.
Overall, the song is a fun, upbeat tune that encourages people to believe in the power of magic and love. It aims to inspire people to be kind to one another, to share a little magic, and to always look for positivity.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you believe, you believe in magic, 'cause I believe, I believe that I do
The singer wonders if the listener also believes in magic, and asserts that he himself does
Yes, I can see, I believe that it's magic
The singer believes in magic so strongly that he can see its presence
If your mission is magic, your love will shine through
When the focus of one's life is magic, they will approach love with a special brightness
If there's one thing that the world needs, its a magic singing song
The world would be better if it had more art about the power of magic and love
And I'll teach it to the whole world and make them sing along
The singer wants to spread his message of magic and love as far as possible
Love is magic, it's so easy, and it's not hard to do
Love is as powerful and wondrous as magic, and easy to share
'cause everybody, wants somebody, to give a little magic to
Everyone longs for someone to share some magic with, and to feel its warmth in return
I've seem so many, unhappy people, reaching out in vain
The singer has observed many people feeling unfulfilled despite their attempts to find happiness
You got the power, to shower, love like summer rain
The listener has within them the ability to give plentiful, refreshing love to others
If your mission is magic, your love will shine true
The love one gives and receives will be especially bright if they are attuned to the power of magic
If your mission is magic, your love will shine true
The singer repeats this line twice as a reminder that love and magic go hand in hand
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: YVETTE H. BLAIS, JEFF MICHAEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind