Coolidge's early career was as a backing vocalist, for artists such as Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, and Leon Russell. Her performance of "Superstar" on the Cocker/Russell Mad Dogs and Englishmen album helped gain her attention. She became known as "The Delta Lady" and inspired Leon Russell to write a song of the same name for her. It was during this time that she met Kris Kristofferson; the two married in 1973. With him, she recorded several duet albums which sold well, and earned them a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1974 for From the Bottle to the Bottom, and in 1976 for Lover Please.
In 1997, Coolidge was one of the founding members of Walela, a Native American music trio, that also includes Coolidge's sister Priscilla and Priscilla's daughter Laura Satterfield. The trio released albums in 1997 and 2000. Walela means hummingbird in Cherokee.
The Hungry Years
Rita Coolidge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rita Coolidge's song "The Hungry Years" talks about the good old days when things were simpler and love was pure. The lyrics paint a picture of two people who worked hard to attain success, but unfortunately, as the song's title suggests, they did it during a time when they were young, idealistic, and blue-collar. Now, seemingly on top of the world, they are not happy, and they long for the days when they struggled, but they had each other.
The opening lines of the song signal the success that the two people achieved, but it comes at a cost- "Girl, we made it to the top, we went so high we couldn't stop." Although they had everything they ever wished for, they can't shake the feeling that they lost something precious along the way. The song's central theme is nostalgia and longing for the past. The chorus, for instance, underscores this: "I miss the hungry years, the once upon a time, the lovely long ago/we didn't have a dime/those days of me and you/we lost along the way." The last line of this chorus captures the regret that the song's speaker feels for their misplaced dreams and the things they left behind.
Ultimately, "The Hungry Years" is a poignant song that reminds us that success and money do not guarantee happiness. The song also emphasizes the importance of being content with what we have, even as we strive for more.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl we made it to the top
We achieved success and reached the peak of our ambitions.
We went so high we couldn't stop
We kept striving for more and more success until we lost control.
We climbed the ladder leading us nowhere
Our pursuit of success did not lead to any real fulfillment or satisfaction.
Two of us together building castles in the air
We dreamed big dreams but they were not grounded in reality.
We spun so fast we couldn't tell
We were so caught up in our pursuit of success that we lost sight of what was truly important.
The gold ring from the carousel
We could not distinguish between the valuable and the trivial.
How could we know the right would turn out bad
We did not realize that our pursuit of success would ultimately bring us disappointment.
Everything we wanted, was everything we had
We were so focused on our goals that we did not appreciate the things we already had.
I miss the hungry years
I long for the time when we were striving for success and everything seemed possible.
The once upon a time
The time when our dreams were young and fresh.
The lovely long ago
The time when we were free from the burdens of success and expectations.
We didn't have a dime
We were poor and lacking in material wealth.
Those days of me and you
The time when we were together and working towards a common goal.
We lost along the way
We lost our sense of purpose and direction.
How could I be so blind
I did not see the warning signs of our impending downfall.
Not to see the door
I did not recognize the opportunities that were right in front of us.
Closing on the world I now hunger for
I now crave the simplicity and freedom that we had before we achieved success.
Looking through my tears
I am filled with regret and sadness as I look back on what we have lost.
We shared our day dreams one by one
We talked about our hopes and aspirations and supported each other's dreams.
Making plans was so much fun
We enjoyed dreaming about the future and working towards our goals together.
We set our goals and reached the highest star
We were committed to achieving our dreams and did not let anything stand in our way.
Things that we were after were much better from a far
We realized too late that our goals were not as satisfying as we thought they would be.
Here we stand just me and you
We are still together but we have lost the passion and excitement that we once had.
With everything and nothing too
We have achieved success but it has not brought us the happiness and contentment that we thought it would.
It wasn't worth the price we had to pay
The sacrifices we made to achieve our goals were not worth the reward.
Honey take me home... Let's go back to yesterday
We long to return to a time when our dreams were still fresh and the future was full of possibilities.
I miss the hungry years
I long for the time when we were still striving for success and the journey was more rewarding than the destination.
Writer(s): Howard Greenfield, Neil Sedaka Copyright: Don Kirshner Music, Songs Of Sjl-rsl Music Company, Universal Music - Careers
Contributed by Ella H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.