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 We Still Be Friends
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But can we still be friends
Things just can't go on like before
But can we still be friends
We had something to learn
Now it's time for the wheel to turn
Grains of sand one by one
Let's admit we made a mistake
But can we still be friends
Heartbreak's never easy to take
But can we still be friends
It's a strange sad affair
Sometimes seems like we just don't care
Don't waste time feeling hurt
We've been through hell together
Where do we go from here
We can't play this game anymore
But can we still be friends
Things just can't go on like before
But can we still be friends
We awoke from our dream
Things are not what they always seem
Memories linger on
It's like a sweet, sad, old song
Where do we go from here
Where do we go from here
I can't play this game anymore
Can we still be friends
Things just can't go on like before
I just want to be friends
I just want to be, want to be, want to be
And now I just want to be friends
We had something to learn, something to learn
Now can we still be friends
Let's admit our mistakes
The song "Can We Still Be Friends" by Rod Stewart is a poignant and reflective look at the end of a romantic relationship. The lyrics are a plea to move on from the heartbreak and find a way to maintain a friendly connection. Stewart's melancholic voice adds to the emotional weight of the words.
The chorus of the song poses the question, "Can we still be friends?" acknowledging that the relationship can no longer continue romantically, but questioning whether it's possible to maintain a connection in a different form. The verses touch on the pain of heartbreak and the realization that sometimes, relationships end because there are things to be learned and experiences to be had.
The lyrics also express a sense of resignation and a desire to let go of the hurt and pain that comes with the end of a relationship. Instead, the focus is on cherishing the memories while accepting that everything has an end.
In many ways, the song captures the bittersweet nature of relationships, where even when they end, there's a sense of gratitude for the time spent together.
Line by Line Meaning
We can't play this game anymore
We can't continue to act as we were before
But can we still be friends
Is it possible for us to maintain a non-romantic relationship?
Things just can't go on like before
We need to change our ways and behavior towards one another
We had something to learn
We gained lessons from each other, whether positive or negative
Now it's time for the wheel to turn
It's time for things to change and for a new phase of life to begin
Grains of sand one by one
Time passes quickly without us realizing it
Let's admit we made a mistake
It's important to acknowledge our errors and flaws
Heartbreak's never easy to take
Emotional pain and disappointment is never simple to overcome
It's a strange sad affair
Our relationship is peculiar and upsetting
Sometimes seems like we just don't care
It can appear as if our feelings towards each other are apathetic
Don't waste time feeling hurt
Don't spend unnecessary time grieving over past wounds
We've been through hell together
We have experienced extremely difficult times as a pair
Where do we go from here
What is the next step for us in our relationship?
We awoke from our dream
We came to the realization that our ideal situation wasn't reality
Things are not what they always seem
Appearances can be deceiving
Memories linger on
We hold onto memories from our time together
It's like a sweet, sad, old song
Our past relationship is reminiscent of a nostalgic but sorrowful melody
I just want to be friends
All I desire is a friendship with you
And now I just want to be friends
My current desire is purely platonic
Now can we still be friends
Is maintaining a friendship feasible at this point?
Let's admit our mistakes
We need to confess to our faults and shortcomings
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TODD RUNDGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind