He was born in Woodlake, California and raised in Ukiah. He taught himself guitar when he was 13 and considered his first influence to be Mike Bloomfield. At 18 he moved to San Francisco to form the Charles Ford Blues Band (named after his father, who was also a guitarist) featuring his brothers Mark (mouth harp) and Patrick (drums).
Robben was soon hired to play with Charles Musselwhite for nine months. Robben Ford played with Jimmy Witherspoon (1972-1973), the L.A. Express with Tom Scott (1974), George Harrison and Joni Mitchell. In 1977 he was a founding member of the Yellowjackets, which he stayed with until 1983, simultaneously having a solo career and working as a session guitarist.
In 1986, Ford toured with Miles Davis and he had two separate periods (1985 and 1987) with Sadao Watanabe, but he seemed to really find himself in 1992 when he returned to his roots: the blues. Ford formed a new group, the Blue Line, and subsequently recorded a couple of blues-rock dates for Stretch that are among the finest of his career. In 1999, he released Sunrise on Rhino and Supernatural on Blue Thumb. Ford signed to the Concord Jazz label in 2002 and released Blue Moon that same year, followed by Keep on Running in 2003 and Truth in 2007. Robben Ford whilst continuing to record solo albums has been touring in 2007 with guitar legend Larry Carlton.
Top Of The Hill
Robben Ford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll never buy it 'cause I've learned your ways
Come hook or crook you're gonna make it rich
You're gonna scratch it if you got the itch
And the people will know your name
And they'll do your will
At the top of your game
Your the man, the man on top of the hill
Your gonna sell me, on your best intent
I know your really after fortune and fame
And greed is greed by any other name
You'll get what you want I know
And have time to kill
And every place you go
Your the man, the man on top of the hill
You've got ambition, a strong ambition
Your on a mission to be number one
What ever it takes to get what you deserve
No one can stand against that kind of nerve
And after they've nailed you in
They'll remember you still, the one who just had to win
He's the man, the man on top of the hill
Your the man, way up on top of the hill
The lyrics of Top Of The Hill by Robben Ford & The Blue Line explain the persona of a person who is ambitious and will do anything to achieve their goals, even if it means compromising their values. The persona seems to be aware of who the subject is, and does not fall for the facade that the subject is putting up, as they know the true intentions of the subject. The persona acknowledges that the subject is driven by greed, and that he is using flowery language to entice them to join his cause. The lyrics suggest that the subject is cunning and ruthless and expects to be remembered for his accomplishments even after he is gone.
The song is a reflection of the music industry and how people in power manipulate the system to gain fortune and fame. The lyrics serve as a warning for aspiring artists and encourage them to stay true to their values and not fall for the allure of success. The persona represents people who can see through the facade of fame and fortune and are not impressed by it.
Line by Line Meaning
No need to hide it, or to deny it,
It's pointless for you to conceal or reject the truth
I'll never buy it 'cause I've learned your ways
I won't believe you because I know your character
Come hook or crook you're gonna make it rich
You'll use any means necessary to become wealthy
You're gonna scratch it if you got the itch
You'll do whatever it takes to satisfy your desires
And the people will know your name
You'll be recognized and famous
And they'll do your will
Others will follow your lead
At the top of your game
When you're at your most successful
You're the man, the man on top of the hill
You're the most powerful and successful person around
You like to tell me, things to compel me
You enjoy persuading me with information
Your gonna sell me, on your best intent
You're going to convince me of your good intentions
I know your really after fortune and fame
I believe that you're actually motivated by money and recognition
And greed is greed by any other name
There's no other way to describe your desire for wealth
You'll get what you want I know
You'll ultimately achieve your goals
And have time to kill
You'll have leisure time once you've reached success
And every place you go
Everywhere you travel
Your the man, the man on top of the hill
You're always the most powerful and successful person present
You've got ambition, a strong ambition
You're extremely motivated and have big aspirations
Your on a mission to be number one
You're determined to be the best
What ever it takes to get what you deserve
You'll do anything necessary to achieve what you believe you're entitled to
No one can stand against that kind of nerve
It's difficult to resist such unwavering determination
And after they've nailed you in
Once you've secured your position
They'll remember you still, the one who just had to win
You'll be remembered as the person who was obsessed with winning
He's the man, the man on top of the hill
You'll always be the most powerful and successful person around
Your the man, way up on top of the hill
You're the most powerful and successful person around
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KEVIN J. MCCORMICK, ROBBEN FORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind