Born in the Isle of Man to English parents, the family later moved to Manchester before settling in Brisbane, Australia. Gibb began his career as part of the family trio and when the group found their first success they returned to the United Kingdom where they achieved worldwide fame. In 2004, the Bee Gees received their CBEs from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace for their "contribution to music". With record sales estimated in excess of 200 million units, the Bee Gees became one of the most successful pop groups of all time.
After a career spanning six decades, Gibb last performed on stage in February 2012 supporting injured British servicemen and women at a charity concert at the London Palladium. On 20 May 2012, Gibb died after a lengthy battle with colorectal cancer.
Solo career
Traditionally, Robin's role in the group has been one of singer, for which he vied constantly with his elder brother Barry Gibb during the group's first period of British success in the late 1960s. This eventually resulted in Robin leaving the group to begin a solo career. Meanwhile, there were rumours of drug problems, and his parents threatened to have him made a ward of court (the UK age of consent at that time being 21, and Robin only 19).
Although initially successful, with a number 2 hit, Saved by the Bell, his album, "Robin's Reign", was less successful and he found that being a solo artist was less than satisfying. He returned to the group and mended the breach with his family. During the 1980s, he released three further solo albums ("How Old Are You", "Secret Agent", and "Walls Have Eyes") which were more successful in Continental Europe than in the UK or USA. However, his 1984 single "Boys Do Fall in Love" did reach the Billboard top 40
Robin's next solo album, Magnet, was released in Germany on January 27, 2003 (Label: SPV), and worldwide shortly afterwards. It features the old Bee Gees classic Wish You Were Here in a new acoustic version.
In August 2003, Robin announced that he would be releasing a new single of My Lover's Prayer, a song first recorded by the Bee Gees in 1997, with vocals by Robin, Wanya Morris, and Lance Bass. This was played on radio, but was never actually released. In October 2003 another version was recorded as a duet with Alistair Griffin, runner-up in the UK television program Fame Academy, on which Robin had appeared as a judge.
My Lover's Prayer, credited as "Alistair Griffin feat. Robin Gibb", was eventually released in the UK in January 2004 as a double A side single, together with Griffin's solo recording of Bring It On. It reached number 5 in the UK charts. The duet was also on Griffin's debut album Bring It On which charted at number 12.
In late 2004, Robin embarked on a solo tour of Germany, Russia and Asia, with Alistair Griffin as the opening act. On his return he released a CD and DVD of live recordings from the German leg of the tour, backed by the Frankfurt Neue Philharmonic Orchestra. A further solo tour of Latin America followed in 2005.
In June 2005 he joined X Factor runners up G4 at a sell-out concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London, singing the Bee Gees song First of May . A recording of this performance was released in December 2005 as part of a double A side single, credited as "G4 feat. Robin Gibb" together with G4's own cover of Johnny Mathis' When a Child is Born. This track was also included on the platinum selling album G4 & Friends which reached number 6 in the UK album charts.
In March 2006 he announced plans for more solo concerts in Shanghai and Portugal. On May 20th. 2006, Robin took part in the Prince's Trust 30th Birthday Concert at the Tower of London along with his brother Barry. They sang 3 songs; Jive Talkin', To Love Somebody and You Should be Dancing.
How Old Are You?
Robin Gibb Lyrics
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We stop for a while
It's getting so late
And you're sendin' me wild.
I know that it's madness
But oh
Oh
Oh
Oh
So scared.
Taking my hand
Try to settle down
We won't say a word
'til it's over.
And your eyes are so inviting
I know that if we stay
I'll never take you home.
You said you were seventeen
But you are somewhere in-between
That leads me on
How old are you?
Runaway to open arms
You're just a girl with woman's charms
That turns me on
How old are you?
You've been busy lying
You've made it up to now
I'm caught up in the heat of the moment.
If you love me and then leave me it's the story of my life
And I wonY be in the morning
The man I am tonight.
So
Little girl
Please try to understand
You mean more to me than a one night stand.
I'm losing all resistance
My head has lost control
It's strong
Oh
So strong.
Deep in the night
Shadows all around
Lost in the magic forever
And I know that when you touch me
My heart won't let me down.
I'm scared
Oh
So scared.
You said you were seventeen but you are somewhere in-between
. . .
Fighting all temptation
I've made it up to now.
I'm caught up in the heat of the moment.
If you love me and then leave me
It's the story of my life
And I won't be in the morning the man I am tonight.
You said you were seventeen but you are somewhere in-between
. . .
You said you were seventeen but you are somewhere in-between
. . .
The lyrics of Robin Gibb’s “How Old Are You?” depict a passionate yet hesitant encounter between two individuals in a car. The singer expresses his fear and apprehension towards the situation and questions the girl’s age. Despite that, he succumbs to temptation and gets caught up in the heat of the moment. The repeated line “you said you were seventeen but you are somewhere in-between” suggests that the girl is not entirely honest about her age, which adds further complexity to the situation.
The lyrics evoke a sense of danger and excitement, as the singer tries to resist temptation but ultimately gives in. The fear and hesitation in his voice reflect the societal taboo surrounding such encounters, especially when there is a significant age gap involved. The lyrics, therefore, explore the theme of forbidden love, where two individuals, due to social expectations and norms, cannot express their mutual love and desire for each other openly.
Interestingly, the song was released in 1983 when Robin Gibb was 34 years old, with the lyrics implying that he is the older person in the song. Therefore the song is also autobiographical, with Robin drawing inspiration from his own experiences.
Overall, “How Old Are You?” showcases the complexities of human emotions and the inner turmoil that arises when societal norms clash with personal desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Driving in my car
We're on the road, not really knowing where this ride will take us.
We stop for a while
We're taking a break, enjoying the moment and each other's company.
It's getting so late
Time is going by too quickly and we're not ready for this to end yet.
And you're sendin' me wild.
I'm losing control because of how much I desire you.
I know that it's madness
I'm aware of how reckless this might seem, but I can't help myself.
But oh
Oh
Oh
I'm scared
Oh
So scared.
I'm afraid of what this might lead to and the consequences that might come with it.
Taking my hand
You're trying to calm me down and lead me in the right direction.
Try to settle down
You're trying to get me to relax and not let my emotions take over.
We won't say a word
'til it's over.
We'll just let this moment be and not worry about what comes after we leave this place.
And your eyes are so inviting
Your gaze is alluring and I can't resist it.
I know that if we stay
If we continue down this path, we won't be able to go back.
I'll never take you home.
I won't be able to resist the temptation to stay with you instead of taking you back to where you belong.
You said you were seventeen
But you are somewhere in-between
That leads me on
How old are you?
You claim to be underage, but you're leading me on with your seduction. I can't help but wonder how old you really are.
Runaway to open arms
You're just a girl with woman's charms
That turns me on
How old are you?
You're running towards me with open arms and despite being young, you possess such allure and charisma that it's hard for me to resist. But I can't help but ask, how old are you really?
You've been busy lying
You've made it up to now
I'm caught up in the heat of the moment.
You've been deceiving me and caught me in the moment, making it hard for me to resist you.
If you love me and then leave me it's the story of my life
And I wonY be in the morning
The man I am tonight.
If we pursue this dangerous path and you abandon me afterwards, it's just another story of someone who's lost themselves in love and is suffering the consequences.
So
Little girl
Please try to understand
You mean more to me than a one night stand.
I care about you more than just a one night stand, but we need to be cautious and smart about what we're doing.
I'm losing all resistance
My head has lost control
It's strong
Oh
So strong.
I'm losing all control and it's hard to resist the temptation of the moment. The attraction between us is overwhelmingly strong.
Deep in the night
Shadows all around
Lost in the magic forever
And I know that when you touch me
My heart won't let me down.
In the darkness, surrounded by shadows, we are lost in the moment and it feels like magic. And when you touch me, I'm completely entranced.
You said you were seventeen but you are somewhere in-between. . .
Once again, you claim to be underage, but I'm not sure if I fully believe you.
Fighting all temptation
I've made it up to now.
Despite the temptation, I've managed to resist so far.
You said you were seventeen but you are somewhere in-between. . .
You continue to claim you're underage, but I'm still not entirely sure.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MAURICE ERNEST GIBB, ROBIN HUGH GIBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind