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)
Can I Get a Witness
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is it right to be left alone when the one you love is never home
I love too hard my friends sometimes say
But I believe I believe that a woman should be loved that way
But it hurts me so inside to see you treat me so unkind
Somebody somewhere tell her it ain't fair
Can I get a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
Somebody (Can I get a witness)
Is it right to be treated so bad when you give her everything you had
Keep on talking in my sleep 'cause I haven't seen my baby all week
Now you kids you all agree is that the way it's supposed to be
Let me hear you, let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah
Up early in the morning with her on my mind
Took to find it out all night I been cryin'
But I believe a woman's a man's best friend
I'm gonna stick by hr till the very end
Well she causes so much misery how's a gal supposed to be
Somebody somewhere tell her it ain't right
Can I get a witness, can I get a witness
(Can I get a witness), I want a witness
(Can I get a witness), witness, witness
(Can I get a witness), witness, witness
(Can I get a witness)
Everybody knows especially you girls
That a love can be sad but my beloved's twice as bad
Now you kids do all agree that ain't the way it's supposed to be
Let me hear you, let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
Yeah, I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
Somebody (Can I get a witness)
Is it right to be treated so bad when you give her everything you had
Keep on talking in my sleep 'cause I haven't seen my baby all week
Now you kids you all agree is that the way it's supposed to be
Let me hear you, let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
Witness, witness, yeah, I want a witness
In this song, Rod Stewart is pleading for a witness to his mistreatment by his lover. He questions whether it is right to be left alone when someone loves too deeply. He loves her deeply and believes that a woman should be loved in that way. However, she treats him unkindly, causing him much pain inside. His love for her is so strong that he cannot sleep and remains awake, talking to himself. He believes a woman is a man’s best friend and that he will stick by her until the end. However, he wonders if he can ever make her realize that how she treats him is unfair.
The lyrics show the vulnerability, pain, and desperation of someone who loves deeply but feels unappreciated and mistreated by the person they love. The repetition of the line “Can I get a witness” enhances the desperate tone of the lyrics and highlights the need for someone to support, see, and validate the singer’s claim that he is not being treated fairly.
Overall, this song portrays the universal themes of love, heartbreak, and betrayal that we can all relate to in one way or another. It speaks to the longing for emotional connection, the hope for change, and the realization that sometimes things will never change.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah ah listen everybody (body), specially you girls (girls)
Attention everyone, especially women
Is it right to be left alone when the one you love is never home
Is it fair to be lonely when your loved one is absent
I love too hard my friends sometimes say
My friends tell me I love too passionately
But I believe I believe that a woman should be loved that way
But I think that a woman deserves to be loved passionately
But it hurts me so inside to see you treat me so unkind
But it pains me to see you treating me badly
Somebody somewhere tell her it ain't fair
Someone should tell her that her treatment is unfair
Can I get a witness (Can I get a witness)
Can someone confirm what I'm saying
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I need someone to back me up in my argument
Somebody (Can I get a witness)
Anyone, please
Is it right to be treated so bad when you give her everything you had
Is it fair to be mistreated despite giving your all
Keep on talking in my sleep 'cause I haven't seen my baby all week
I keep talking about my lover even in my sleep because I haven't seen her in a week
Now you kids you all agree is that the way it's supposed to be
Do you all think this is how love should be?
Let me hear you, let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah
Agree with me, say yeah
Up early in the morning with her on my mind
I wake up early with thoughts of my lover
Took to find it out all night I been cryin'
It took me all night to find out, and I've been crying
But I believe a woman's a man's best friend
But I think that a woman is a man's closest companion
I'm gonna stick by hr till the very end
I'm going to stay with her until the very end
Well she causes so much misery how's a gal supposed to be
She causes me so much pain, how is a girl supposed to be?
Can I get a witness, can I get a witness
Can someone please confirm my feelings
Witness, witness
I need someone to testify
Everybody knows especially you girls
Everyone knows, especially women
That a love can be sad but my beloved's twice as bad
Love can be sad, but my lover's behavior is even worse
Now you kids do all agree that ain't the way it's supposed to be
All of you agree that it isn't right
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I need someone to confirm this for me
Witness, witness, yeah, I want a witness
I need someone to testify, yeah
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edward Jr. Holland, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind