Robert Allen Palmer (January 19, 1949 – September 26, 2003), born in Batley… Read Full Bio ↴Robert Allen Palmer (January 19, 1949 – September 26, 2003), born in Batley, Yorkshire, England, was a British singer. He was known for his soulful voice and the eclectic mix of musical styles on his albums, combining soul, jazz, rock, reggae, blues, and even yodeling.

His eighties hits were promoted by particularly striking award winning videos, featuring an all-female, black-clad backing band. The memorable videos, directed by Terence Donovan, featured heavily on MTV and played a large part in his transatlantic success.

His eighties success was kickstarted by his participation in supergroup The Power Station, along with Andy Taylor and John Taylor of Duran Duran and Tony Thompson of Chic.

Robert Palmer died on September 26, 2003 in Paris, France, while staying at the Warwick de berri Hotel. The cause of death was of a heart attack. He was in Paris promoting his Drive CD which had been released in May of 2003. He was joined there by his longtime friend, Jack Bruce. He was survived by his parents, Anna and Leslie Palmer, his brother, Mark Palmer, and his children, James, Jane, Anna, Anthony and Martin. He is interred in London, England.

Solo Albums:

Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley (1974)
Pressure Drop (1975)
Some People Can Do What They Like (1976)
Double Fun (1978)
Secrets (1979)
Clues (1980)
Maybe It's Live (1982) (live)
Pride (1983)
Riptide (1985)
Sweet Lies (1987) (single)
Heavy Nova (1988)
Addictions Volume I (1989) (compilation)
Don't Explain (1990)
Addictions Volume II (1992) (compilation)
Ridin' High (1992)
Honey (1994)
Very Best Of Robert Palmer (1995) (compilation)
Woke Up Laughing (1998) (compilation)
Very Best Of Robert Palmer (1997) (re-release of the 1995 compilation feat: "Addicted To Love '97)
Rhythm & Blues (1999)
Best Of Both Worlds: The Robert Palmer Anthology (1974-2001) (2002) (compilation)
Drive (2003)
At the BBC (2010)

Albums by the group Power Station (Feat: Robert Palmer):

Power Station (1985)
Living in Fear (1997)
The Best of The Power Station (2002)

Albums by the group Vinegar Joe (Feat: Robert Palmer):

Vinegar Joe (1971)
Rock n Roll Gypsies (1972)
Six Star Generals (1973)
Six Star Gypsies (1994) (Compilation)
Speed Queen of Ventura: An Introduction to Vinegar Joe (2003) (Compilation)

Albums by The Alan Bown Set (Feat: Robert Palmer on vocals)

The Alan Bown (1969) (Only the UK release featured Palmer on vocals)
Listen (1970) (although was re-recorded with Gordon Neville on vocals when Palmer left)

It Could Happen to You
Robert Palmer Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Guard your dreams at night
Lock your heart up tight
It could happen to you

Don't count stars
Or you may stumble
Someone drops a sigh
An' down you tumble

Keep an eye on spring
Run when church bells ring
It could happen to you

All I did was wonder
How your arms would be?
And it happened to me

All I did was wonder

How your arms would be?
And it happened to me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Robert Palmer's song It Could Happen to You are essentially a warning to the listener to guard their hearts and dreams. The first two lines set the tone for the song as the singer advises the listener to be wary of the world around them. He then goes on to caution against counting stars or getting lost in romantic fantasies because it only takes one small thing to bring you down. The singer advises to keep an eye on spring and to run when church bells ring, implying that those are the times to be most cautious. The final lines of the song are a poignant reminder that sometimes things can happen to you despite your best efforts to protect yourself.

Line by Line Meaning

Guard your dreams at night
Be careful about what you hope for or wish to accomplish in your sleep or idle time

Lock your heart up tight
Protect your emotions and feelings from getting hurt or being taken advantage of

It could happen to you
You are vulnerable and could fall victim or experience something unexpected

Don't count stars
Don't focus too much on counting or anticipating good things to happen

Or you may stumble
Otherwise, you might be taken by surprise and fall or fail

Someone drops a sigh
A small sign could cause a huge impact, such as disappointment or sadness

An' down you tumble
You could find yourself in a difficult or unpleasant situation

Keep an eye on spring
Be aware of new beginnings or opportunities

Run when church bells ring
Make a move or take action as soon as you sense an opportunity

All I did was wonder
The artist was simply curious or interested

How your arms would be?
What it would feel like to be physically close to the person