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)
Bye Bye Blackbird
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blackbird, blackbird
Singing the blues all day
Right outside of my door
Blackbird, blackbird
Gotta be on my way
Pack up all my cares and woes
Here I go, singin' low
Bye bye blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar sweet so is she
Bye bye blackbird
No one here can love or understand me
Oh what hard luck stories
They all hand me
Make my bed light the light
I'll arrive late tonight
Blackbird bye bye
Yeah, yeah
Bluebird, bluebird
Calling me far away
I've been waitin' for you
Bluebird, bluebird
This is my lucky day
Now my dreams will come true
So pack up all my cares and woes
Here I go, singin' low
Bye bye blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar sweet, so is she
Bye bye blackbird
No one here can love or understand me
Oh what hard luck stories
They all hand me
So make my bed, light the light
I'll be home late tonight
Blackbird, bye bye
(Bye bye blackbird)
Blackbird, bye bye
(Bye bye blackbird)
Blackbird, bye bye
The lyrics to Rod Stewart's song Bye Bye Blackbird describes a person who is bidding farewell to their troubles and sorrows, symbolically represented by the blackbird that has been singing the blues outside their door all day. The person sings low and packs up all their cares and woes as they proceed on their journey towards a place that is full of sunshine and happiness. They are seeking a new life, one that promises love and understanding, which they realize is not obtainable in their current surroundings where people only hand them hard luck stories.
The song's lyrics capture the essence of the Jazz Age, where many musicians found solace in their music and often used metaphors such as birds to express their emotions. The blackbird and bluebird in the song symbolize sadness and hope, respectively, and represent the journey from a place of despair to a place of joy.
The lyrics also indicate the importance of having someone to love and care for, which is the key to finding happiness in life and leaving one's troubles behind. The person sings about a sugar sweet person waiting for him, someone who understands and loves him, and can provide him with the happiness he so desperately seeks.
Overall, the lyrics to Rod Stewart's Bye Bye Blackbird convey powerful, universal themes of hope, love, and the search for a better life.
Line by Line Meaning
Talk to me baby
Please have a conversation with me.
Blackbird, blackbird
A bird with black feathers.
Singing the blues all day
Making sad musical sounds all day long.
Right outside of my door
In close proximity to my entrance.
Gotta be on my way
Must start traveling.
Where there's sunshine galore
To a place with a lot of sunlight.
Pack up all my cares and woes
Collect my worries and problems.
Here I go, singin' low
I'm leaving and feeling down.
Bye bye blackbird
Goodbye to the blackbird.
Where somebody waits for me
To a place where someone is anticipating my arrival.
Sugar sweet so is she
The person waiting for me is kind and pleasant.
No one here can love or understand me
The people here don't comprehend or care for me.
Oh what hard luck stories
People here are always sharing unfortunate experiences with me.
Make my bed light the light
Prepare my room and turn on the lights.
I'll arrive late tonight
I won't get there until nighttime.
Bluebird, bluebird
A bird with blue feathers.
Calling me far away
Inviting me to go a long distance.
I've been waitin' for you
I've been anticipating your arrival.
This is my lucky day
I'm having a fortunate day.
Now my dreams will come true
My aspirations will become real now.
(Bye bye blackbird)
(Goodbye to the blackbird)
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
maria augusta GE
MARAVILHOSA!!!
Angus Brownfield
Thanks for giving us the song as it was originally written. And thanks to Rod Stewart for a heartfelt rendition.
Roderick David Stewart
Thanks for liking, watching and listening to my songs, Thanks for your love and moral support♥️ I hope you have been well entertained over the years?
pete tuason
Good work Rod. Love your songs, man
Roderick David Stewart
Thanks for liking, watching and listening to my songs, Thanks for your love and moral support♥️ I hope you have been well entertained over the years?
tony mullins
This song was first published in 1926. This is the best rendition that I have ever heard, probably close to the original (but can't say for sure.). Love the "ragtime" sound.
Roderick David Stewart
Thanks for liking, watching and listening to my songs, Thanks for your love and moral support♥️ I hope you have been well entertained over the years?
edward davi
thank yoy for uploading this.. Amazing how Rod can sing these classics as if he lived in the day..
Roderick David Stewart
Thanks for liking, watching and listening to my songs, Thanks for your love and moral support♥️ I hope you have been well entertained over the years?
Boondoggler
Wonderful arrangement, inspires me to get back behind the keys