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)
GI
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's nothing on the air
Play a song that'll ease my pain
DJ's telling me
That this is what'll be
Help me I'm depressed again
My best friend disappeared
My life's going down the drain
The skies are crying
Everybody's lying
Oh God I'm depressed again
Give me wings I'll fly away
Magnificent and free
Far away from the madding crowd
There's gotta be a place for me
The boss is on my back
I know I'm gonna crack
Looks like I'm paranoid again
Can't do nothing right
See only black and white
Oh God I'm depressed again
Give me wings I'll fly away
Magnificent and free
Far away from the madding crowd
There's gotta be a place for me
How can I plan ahead
With this hanging round my neck
Looks like I'm coming down again
Thought about it well
Analyzed myself
Yeah, I'm depressed again
Give me wings I'll fly away
Magnificent and free
Far away from the madding crowd
There's gotta be a place for me
I'm down, I'm coming down again
I'm down, looks like I'm coming down again
I'm down, I'm down
Looks like I'm coming down again
I'm down, I'm down
Looks like I'm pissed off again
The lyrics to Rod Stewart's song, "GI' Me Wings," highlight the struggles of depression and feeling overwhelmed by life. The singer is driving alone in a car and searching for something to ease their pain. The DJ on the radio offers no comfort, only a reminder of everything that is wrong in the world. The singer's best friend has left them for their girlfriend, and their life is falling apart. The weather reflects their mood, with the skies crying, and everyone around them seems to be lying. The singer feels like they can't do anything right and is plagued by the fear that they are paranoid. In the end, they yearn for a place apart from the madness where they can fly away and be free from their troubles.
Line by Line Meaning
Driving in my car
Starting off with the singer driving alone in his car, suggesting the loneliness in his life.
There's nothing on the air
Radio stations aren't playing anything that he feels could ease his pain (maybe even further emphasize his loneliness.)
Play a song that'll ease my pain
The singer possibly thinks that music can help ease the pain he's feeling and is asking for a song that will help.
DJ's telling me, That this is what'll be
The artist might have found a song he thinks could be helpful but the DJ is selecting something else.
Help me I'm depressed again
The artist is expressing his depression again, it is a constant presence in his life.
My best friend disappeared, With the girl I had for years
Two people he trusted or thought he could count on have left, adding to the feelings of betrayal and abandonment.
My life's going down the drain
The singer's life seems to be getting worse and feels like he is spiraling downward.
The skies are crying,Everybody's lying
An emphasis on the artist's bleak outlook on life, in his eyes even nature itself is against him.
Oh God I'm depressed again
The artist repeats his expression of hopelessness and sadness, signaling that it's a recurring theme in his life.
Give me wings I'll fly away,Magnificent and free
The artist sees flying as a form of escape where he can feel free from the struggles in life.
Far away from the madding crowd,There's gotta be a place for me
The singer feels isolated and different, longing for a place where he feels he belongs.
The boss is on my back,I know I'm gonna crack
The artist may be struggling at work, leading to more pressure and becoming stressed and tense.
Looks like I'm paranoid again
The singer's emotions are taking over and causing him to become paranoid or anxious.
Can't do nothing right, See only black and white
The singer's depression is causing him to feel helpless, overly critical and see the world through a negative lens.
How can I plan ahead, With this hanging round my neck
The singer's depression is hindering his ability to plan for the future or move forward.
Looks like I'm coming down again
The artist repeats his emotional low and feeling of hopelessness.
Thought about it well, Analyzed myself
The artist might have tried to take steps to address his mental health and attempted to think about his problems and find a solution.
Yeah, I'm depressed again
The singer acknowledges they couldn't shake off their depression and were unsuccessful in searching for a solution.
I'm down, I'm coming down again
The singer is again expressing their feelings of sadness, which are coming back.
Looks like I'm pissed off again
The artist has also become angry and frustrated with his situation.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PHILIP CHEN, JAMES CREGAN, GARY GRAINGER, STEVE HARLEY, KEVIN SAVIGAR, ROD STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind