Stewart's music career began in 1962 when he took up busking with a harmonica. In 1963, he joined The Dimensions as a harmonica player and vocalist. In 1964, Stewart joined Long John Baldry and the All Stars before moving to the Jeff Beck Group in 1967. Joining Faces in 1969, he also maintained a solo career releasing his debut album that year. Stewart's early albums were a fusion of rock, folk music, soul music, and R&B. His third album, 1971's Every Picture Tells a Story, was his breakthrough, topping the charts in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, as did its ballad "Maggie May". His 1972 follow-up album, Never a Dull Moment, also reached number one in the UK and Australia, while going top three in the US and Canada. Its single, "You Wear It Well", topped the chart in the UK and was a moderate hit elsewhere.
After Stewart had a handful more UK top ten hits, the Faces broke up in 1975. Stewart's next few hit singles were ballads with "Sailing", off the 1975 UK and Australian number-one album, Atlantic Crossing, becoming a hit in the UK and the Netherlands (number one), Germany (number four) and other countries, but barely charting in North America. A Night on the Town (1976), his fifth straight chart-topper in the UK, began a three-album run of going number one or top three in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia with each release. That album's "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" spent almost two months at number one in the US and Canada, and made the top five in other countries. Foot Loose & Fancy Free (1977) contained the hit "You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)" as well as the rocker "Hot Legs". Blondes Have More Fun (1978) and its disco-tinged "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" both went to number one in Canada, Australia and the US, with "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" also hitting number one in the UK and the top ten in other countries. Stewart's albums regularly hit the upper rungs of the charts in the Netherlands throughout the 70s and in Sweden from 1975 onward.
After a disco and new wave period in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Stewart's music turned to a soft rock/middle-of-the-road style, with most of his albums reaching the top ten in the UK, Germany and Sweden, but faring less well in the US. The single "Rhythm of My Heart" was a top five hit in the UK, US and other countries, with its source album, 1991's Vagabond Heart, becoming, at number ten in the US and number two in the UK, his highest-charting album in a decade. In 1993, he collaborated with Bryan Adams and Sting on the power ballad "All for Love", which went to number one in many countries. In the early 2000s, he released a series of successful albums interpreting the Great American Songbook.
In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked him the 17th most successful artist on the "Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists". A Grammy and Brit Award recipient, he was voted at No. 33 in Q Magazine's list of the Top 100 Greatest Singers of all time. As a solo artist, Stewart was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and he was inducted a second time into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of Faces.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Stewart
Studio albums
An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down (1969)
Gasoline Alley (1970)
Every Picture Tells a Story (1971)
Never a Dull Moment (1972)
Smiler (1974)
Atlantic Crossing (1975)
A Night on the Town (1976)
Foot Loose & Fancy Free (1977)
Blondes Have More Fun (1978)
Foolish Behaviour (1980)
Tonight I'm Yours (1981)
Body Wishes (1983)
Camouflage (1984)
Every Beat of My Heart (1986)
Out of Order (1988)
Vagabond Heart (1991)
A Spanner in the Works (1995)
When We Were the New Boys (1998)
Human (2001)
It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook (2002)
As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Volume II (2003)
Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Volume III (2004)
Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook, Volume IV (2005)
Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time (2006)
Soulbook (2009)
Once in a Blue Moon: The Lost Album (2010)
Fly Me to the Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V (2010)
Merry Christmas, Baby (2012)
Time (2013)
Another Country (2015)
Blood Red Roses (2018)
The Tears of Hercules (2021)
Brighton Beach
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were the finest girl that my eyes had ever seen
I guess you found it hard to simply just ignore
This scruffy beat up working class teenage troubadour
So we fell in love and I tuned your heart
With my out of tune guitar
You were wonderful, you were mystical
Seems like only yesterday
Under the stars on Brighton Beach
Oh what a time it was
What a time to be alive
Remember Janice and Jimmy
Kennedy and King
How they cried
I sang to you the songs of Lamb and Jack
You were Greta Garbo and I was Cadillac
And we played so hard and we loved so hard
Seemed we never ever slept
There were crazy days, there were wonderful days
And I loved you with all of my heart
Seems like only yesterday
Under the stars on Brighton Beach
Your daddy had plans that did not include me
And he won't stay away from your door
And I dreamed how I dreamed I could steal you away
To some far distant shore
Then early one morning
I awoke to find you gone
You wrote 'I love you baby
But it's time for me to move on'
And so my teenage heart laid scattered on the floor
I swear to God I could not have loved you anymore
And as I sit here the night ,playing with my kids
Wondering where you are in this world
Did you find your man, are you happy now?
Do you ever stop and think about me
How I long for yesterday
Under the stars on Brighton Beach
This song is a touching tribute to a past love that has since moved on. The singer, Rod Stewart, reminisces about falling in love with the finest girl he had ever seen, singing songs by Lamb and Jack, and dreaming of a life with her beyond Brighton Beach. However, her father did not approve of their relationship and she ultimately left him, leaving him heartbroken but still holding her memory close.
The first verse sets the scene of their initial meeting and attraction. The second verse captures their intense, youthful romance on Brighton Beach, where they would play and sing together under the stars. The chorus pays homage to the historical events of the time, such as the assassinations of JFK and MLK and the importance of music in inspiring hope and healing during those dark times.
The third verse reveals the conflict that ultimately ended their relationship, as her father disapproved of their love and she left him without warning. The song ends with the singer wondering where she is now and how she feels about their past love. Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on lost love and the power of memories to linger on.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember when you were only seventeen
The singer recalls when he met his love interest when she was just a teenager.
You were the finest girl that my eyes had ever seen
The singer thought that his love interest was incredibly beautiful.
I guess you found it hard to simply just ignore
The singer thinks that his love interest was attracted to him despite his scruffy, working-class appearance.
This scruffy beat up working class teenage troubadour
The singer describes himself as a scruffy, working-class teenager who played music, suggesting that he wasn't particularly well-off or popular.
So we fell in love and I tuned your heart
The singer and his love interest fell in love with each other and he used music to win her heart.
With my out of tune guitar
The singer thinks that he wasn't particularly skilled at playing the guitar.
You were wonderful, you were mystical
The singer thought that his love interest was an amazing and mysterious person.
And the envy of all of my friends
The singer's friends were jealous of his relationship with his love interest.
Seems like only yesterday
The singer feels like it wasn't that long ago that he was with his love interest.
Under the stars on Brighton Beach
The singer and his love interest spent time together on Brighton Beach.
Oh what a time it was
The singer is reminiscing about their past together and thinks that it was a wonderful time.
What a time to be alive
The singer thinks that it was a great time to be alive during that period in history.
Remember Janice and Jimmy
The singer is remembering some people who were likely influential in the past.
Kennedy and King
The singer specifically mentions two historically significant figures, suggesting that the song takes place during the 60s or early 70s.
How they cried
The singer is referring to the reactions of people to the assassinations of Kennedy and King, which were widely mourned.
I sang to you the songs of Lamb and Jack
The singer sang songs to his love interest, likely by musicians named Lamb and Jack.
You were Greta Garbo and I was Cadillac
The singer imagines himself as a fancy Cadillac car, while his love interest is the glamorous actress Greta Garbo, highlighting the power dynamics in their relationship.
And we played so hard and we loved so hard
The singer and his love interest were really passionate and intense in their relationship.
Seemed we never ever slept
The singer and his love interest were so active and didn't seem to need much sleep.
There were crazy days, there were wonderful days
The singer recalls that their past together wasn't always sane, but had some amazing moments too.
And I loved you with all of my heart
The singer says that he loved his love interest intensely.
Your daddy had plans that did not include me
The singer suggests that his love interest's father didn't approve of their relationship.
And he won't stay away from your door
The father is still making his presence known in their lives, even though they're no longer together.
And I dreamed how I dreamed I could steal you away
The singer fantasized about running away with his love interest.
To some far distant shore
The singer imagines them going far away, to escape disapproving authorities.
Then early one morning
The singer experienced something happening early one morning.
I awoke to find you gone
The singer woke up one morning to find that his love interest had left him.
You wrote 'I love you baby
The love interest gave the singer an explanation for why she was leaving.
But it's time for me to move on'
The love interest tells the singer that it's time to move on from their relationship.
And so my teenage heart laid scattered on the floor
The singer was heartbroken after his love interest left him.
I swear to God I could not have loved you anymore
The singer assures his love interest that he loved her as much as he possibly could have.
And as I sit here the night, playing with my kids
The singer is reflecting on his past relationship while he spends time with his children.
Wondering where you are in this world
The singer is wondering what his love interest is currently doing and where she is.
Did you find your man, are you happy now?
The singer is curious if his love interest found someone else and if she's happy with her current life.
Do you ever stop and think about me
The singer wonders if his love interest ever thinks about him and their past together.
How I long for yesterday
The singer wishes that he could go back to the time when he was with his love interest on Brighton Beach.
Under the stars on Brighton Beach
The singer looks back on his time with his love interest on Brighton Beach and wishes that they could be there together again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JAMES CREGAN, ROD STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
scott
I remember when you were only seventeen
You were the finest girl that my eyes had ever seen
I guess you found it hard to simply just ignore
This scruffy beat up working class teenage troubadour
So we fell in love and I tuned your heart
With my out of tune guitar
You were wonderful, you were mystical
And the envy of all of my friends
Seems like only yesterday
Under the stars on Brighton Beach
Oh what a time it was
What a time to be alive
Remember Janice and Jimmy
Kennedy and King
How they cried
I sang to you the songs of Lamb and Jack
You were Greta Garbo and I was Cadillac
And we played so hard and we loved so hard
Seemed we never ever slept
There were crazy days, there were wonderful days
And I loved you with all of my heart
Seems like only yesterday
Under the…
Rob Buglass
Duke Burgundy Oh what a time it was
What a time to be alive
Remember Janice and Jimmy
Kennedy and King
How they cried
I sang to you the songs of Ramblin' Jack
You were Greta Garbo and I was Kerouac
And we played so hard and we loved so hard
Seemed we never ever slept
There were crazy days, there were wonderful days
Violet Crush
Lovely ballad, you can feel so much emotion as if he were singing it just for you personally. Wonderful song!
Roderick David Stewart
Thanks for liking and listening to my songs, Thanks for your love❤️ and moral support. I hope you have been well entertained over the years?
Fred Bingham
one of the best songs hes written
Richard Young
We sure have SIR RODERICK, CHEERS. PEACE BE WITH YOU MY FRIEND.✌️✌️✌️😎😎😎🏴🏴🏴🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
Roderick David Stewart
Thanks for liking and listening to my songs, Thanks for your love❤️ and moral support. I hope you have been well entertained over the years?
Rafael ThrustTM
Fred Bingham i agree
Syahira Jasni
His voice just perfect!! keep it up :)
Roderick David Stewart
Thanks for liking and listening to my songs, Thanks for your love❤️ and moral support. I hope you have been well entertained over the years?
Old Soft Rock
Beautiful voice. Great music. I am ready to listen indefinitely.
Jorgen Bernle
What a wonderful song, what a superb singing voice! Rod Stewart!!