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)
Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Combed my hair in a thousand ways, but I came out lookin' just the same
Daddy said, son, you better see the world
I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to leave
But remember one thing, don't lose your head to a woman that'll spend your bread
So I got out
Paris was a place you could hide away, if you felt you didn't fit in
Down along the left bank, minding my own
Was knocked down by a human stampede
Got arrested for inciting a peaceful riot, when all I wanted was a cup of tea
I was accused
I moved on
Down in rome I wasn't getting enough
Of the things that keep a young man alive
My body stunk, but I kept my funk at a time when I was right out of luck
Getting desperate, indeed I was looking like a tourist attraction
Oh, my dear, I better get out of here for the vatican don't give no sanction
I wasn't ready for that, no, no
I moved right out east, yeah
On the peking ferry I was feeling merry, sailing on my way back here
I fell in love with a slant-eyed lady by the light of an eastern moon
Shanghai lil never used the pill, she claimed that it just ain't natural
She took me up on deck and bit my neck
Oh, people, I was glad I found her
Oh, yeah, I was glad I found here
I firmly believed that I didn't need anyone but me
I sincerely thought I was so complete
Look how wrong you can be
The women I've known I wouldn't let tie my shoe
They wouldn't give you the time of day
But the slant-eyed lady knocked me off my feet
God, I was glad I found her
And if they had the words I could tell to you
To help you on your way down the road
I couldn't quote you no dickens, shelley or keats
'Cause it's all been said before
Make the best out of the bad, just laugh it off
You didn't have to come here anyway, so remember
Every picture tells a story don't it?
Every picture tells a story don't it?
Every picture tells a story don't it?
Every picture tells a story don't it?
Every picture tells a story don't it?
Every picture tells a story don't it?
The lyrics to Rod Stewart's "Every Picture Tells A Story" are a reflection on the experiences, both good and bad, of a young man trying to find his place in the world. The song starts with the singer feeling inferior and struggling to find his own identity while standing in front of the mirror. His father advises him to see the world but warns him not to lose his head to a woman who will spend all his money.
The singer then embarks on an adventure in Paris where he is harassed by the police and falsely accused of inciting a riot. He moves on to Rome where he struggles to make ends meet and narrowly avoids getting caught up in the Vatican's strict moral code. It's not until he sails to the East and meets a woman named Shanghai Lil that he finally finds true love and acceptance.
The chorus of the song echoes the sentiment that every picture tells a story. The singer acknowledges that life is full of ups and downs and it's up to us to find the good in every situation.
Overall, the song is a reflection on the journey of life and the ups and downs that come with it. It's about taking risks, embracing new experiences, and finding love and acceptance in unexpected places.
Line by Line Meaning
Spent time feelin' inferior standing' in front of my mirror
I struggled with self-esteem and confidence, constantly comparing myself to an idealized image in the mirror.
Combed my hair in a thousand ways, but I came out lookin' just the same
Despite my best efforts to change my appearance, I felt stuck and unable to escape the constraints of my image.
Daddy said, son, you better see the world
I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to leave
But remember one thing, don't lose your head to a woman that'll spend your bread
So I got out
My father encouraged me to explore the world and gain new experiences, but warned me not to be taken advantage of by those who only wanted me for my money or possessions.
Paris was a place you could hide away, if you felt you didn't fit in
French police wouldn't give me no peace, they claimed I was a nasty person
Down along the left bank, minding my own
Was knocked down by a human stampede
Got arrested for inciting a peaceful riot, when all I wanted was a cup of tea
I was accused
While in Paris, I felt like an outsider and was unfairly targeted by the police. I was caught up in a chaotic crowd and falsely accused of inciting a riot over a simple desire for a cup of tea.
I moved on
I left Paris and moved on to new places and experiences.
Down in rome I wasn't getting enough
Of the things that keep a young man alive
My body stunk, but I kept my funk at a time when I was right out of luck
Getting desperate, indeed I was looking like a tourist attraction
Oh, my dear, I better get out of here for the vatican don't give no sanction
I wasn't ready for that, no, no
In Rome, I felt like I wasn't able to fully enjoy life and my physical hygiene suffered. I felt desperate and out of luck, and began to stand out in a negative way like a tourist attraction. I realized I was not ready for the conservative norms of the Vatican and had to leave.
I moved right out east, yeah
On the peking ferry I was feeling merry, sailing on my way back here
I fell in love with a slant-eyed lady by the light of an eastern moon
Shanghai lil never used the pill, she claimed that it just ain't natural
She took me up on deck and bit my neck
Oh, people, I was glad I found her
Oh, yeah, I was glad I found her
I continued on to the east and enjoyed a cheerful ride on the Peking ferry. There, I fell in love with a woman of Asian descent under the light of the moon. She rejected birth control pills and bit my neck in passion, and I felt grateful to have found her.
I firmly believed that I didn't need anyone but me
I sincerely thought I was so complete
Look how wrong you can be
The women I've known I wouldn't let tie my shoe
They wouldn't give you the time of day
But the slant-eyed lady knocked me off my feet
God, I was glad I found her
I previously believed that I was self-sufficient and didn't need anyone, but the woman I fell in love with proved me wrong. Other women in my past were dismissive and uninterested in me, but this new love swept me off my feet and I was thankful to have found her.
And if they had the words I could tell to you
To help you on your way down the road
I couldn't quote you no dickens, shelley or keats
'Cause it's all been said before
Make the best out of the bad, just laugh it off
You didn't have to come here anyway, so remember
If I could offer you advice to help you on your journey through life, I would say to make the most of difficult situations and find humor in them. Don't take everything too seriously, and remember that you have the power to choose your path in life.
Every picture tells a story don't it?
Every picture tells a story don't it?
Every picture tells a story don't it?
Every picture tells a story don't it?
Every picture tells a story don't it?
Every picture tells a story don't it?
Each and every photograph we see has a unique story behind it that can offer insight into the human experiences that connect us all.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RONALD DAVID WOOD, STEVE HARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SanBrunoBeacon
Indeed....Every picture tells a story. Don't it?
I have loved Rod Stewart's songs since I was a wee young boy.
I think that this is one of the 25 greatest rock tunes of the 1970s. It's chaotic, loud, and it rocks!
Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart wrote and performed this classic rock song together.
They each personify the word, "rock legend"....
@t40onbass
This is by far one of the man's finest if not his finest work.
The humor in the lyrics get dangerously close to distracting from the groove...but it never happens.
Great tune.
@t.c.bramblett617
I think it's perfect. Just the right balance of sweet and sad and groovy
@Koldfusion234
Anyone else prefer this over Maggie May? Honestly one of my favorite jams of all time
@jd291
Mandolin wind best ever
@clintdavis30
it's a shame that was the song that took off. probably the weakest track on the album. this happens to be pure rock and roll..
@tonygrant6831
Absolutely!
@jeremyshoemaker6562
This is Rod's best song for sure...I start my morning with it routinely
@steveellis9004
You wear it well. This track paved the way.
@connierobinson3878
I remember being 15 years old and for the first time hearing this song. I put it on my turntable and was blown away! 45 years later still does it for me! Rock and Roll gets in your blood and doesn't let go!!!! Love that mandolin, drums and the lyrics this song is in a class by itself!!!
@williamballmaier2355
Ronnie Wood wrote this one night. No shit. And played all the instruments. Rod and the wonderful Mary Clayton stepped in for the vocal work. LOL. I think Wood disd the drum work. Must have been awesome coke back then because he pulled a MASSIVE TD with this one. No surprise the Stones signed this bastard. Ron is just good. No question.