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)
Ghetto Blaster
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It ain't meant to make you dance
There's so many unsolved problems
Too many empty, angry hands
A little child in Ethiopia
Will die before this song is through
Poor eyes have only seen sadness
I'm not preaching, I'm just singing
Trying to get a message through
I'm not crazy, I think maybe
The answers with me and you
Here they come
Take us to your leader
Take us to your leader
Think about it
A billion dollars on the arms race
Billions floating 'round in space
OPEC's counting out it's money
Hunger stares us in the face
The battlefield is little children
Caught in a cross, fire of hate
How can we call ourselves Christians?
How can we turn the other way?
I'm not preaching, I'm just singing
Trying to get a message through
I'm not crazy, I think maybe
The answers with me and you
Here they come
Take us to your leader
Listen to what they're sayin'
Take us to your leader
Think about it
Nostradamus gave us warning
You will never walk away
One neutron bomb in the morning
May just ruin your whole day
I'm not preaching, I'm just singing
Trying to get a message through
I'm not crazy, I think maybe
The answers with me and you
Here they come
Take us to your leader
Listen to what they're sayin'
Take us to your leader
Yeah
Take us to your leader
?
Take us to your leader
?
In Rod Stewart's song "Ghetto Blaster," he is addressing the many problems and injustices that are present in the world. He acknowledges that the song is not meant to be pretty or make people want to dance, but rather to address the many unsolved problems and too many empty, angry hands.
He specifically mentions a little child in Ethiopia who will die before the song is over and how poverty and sadness are the only things this child has ever seen. He questions how we can call ourselves Christians if we are turning a blind eye to the suffering in the world. He is not preaching, but rather just singing and trying to get a message through to people that the answers to the world's problems lie within all of us.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Take us to your leader," which can be interpreted in a few different ways. It could be a request to be taken to those in power who can make a change, or it could also be a reference to the idea that we should all be leaders in making a positive change in the world.
Overall, "Ghetto Blaster" is a socially conscious and thought-provoking song that forces listeners to reflect on the many problems and injustices in the world and encourages them to take action to make a change.
Line by Line Meaning
This song ain't meant to be pretty
The purpose of this song is not to entertain or sound pleasing
It ain't meant to make you dance
This song is not intended to make you dance or feel happy
There's so many unsolved problems
There are numerous problems that remain unresolved
Too many empty, angry hands
Many people are out of work, frustrated and unhappy
A little child in Ethiopia
A young child living in Ethiopia
Will die before this song is through
By the end of this song, a child in need will have passed away
Poor eyes have only seen sadness
These children have only experienced a life full of sorrow and despair
Oh God, show us what to do
Please help us identify and implement solutions to these tragic circumstances
I'm not preaching, I'm just singing
I am not trying to impose my views on anyone, I am simply delivering a message through song
Trying to get a message through
The goal is to communicate a specific message
I'm not crazy, I think maybe
I am not insane or irrational, perhaps the answer is within our own capacity
The answers with me and you
The solution to this problem can be found in both our actions
Here they come
A group of people are approaching
Take us to your leader
Bring us to the person who is responsible for making decisions on behalf of this community/country
Take us to your leader
Please guide us to the person in positions of power who can affect change
Think about it
Please give this matter some thought and consideration
A billion dollars on the arms race
Billions of dollars are spent on military weapons and defense
Billions floating 'round in space
Billions of dollars are spent on space exploration or other nonessential areas with no immediate impact on human life
OPEC's counting out it's money
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is focused on its financial gains
Hunger stares us in the face
We are faced with the dilemma of widespread hunger that needs to be addressed
The battlefield is little children
Children are the most vulnerable members of society who are often impacted the most by a lack of action to effect change
Caught in a cross, fire of hate
They are caught in the middle of violence and conflict fueled by deep-seated animosity
How can we call ourselves Christians?
As Christians, how can we justify our inaction in the face of tragic events or crises
How can we turn the other way?
How can we ignore or neglect a situation that requires our attention and intervention
Nostradamus gave us warning
The French prophet Michel de Nostredame gave us a warning in his prophecies
You will never walk away
You cannot simply ignore the problem, it will continue to linger and affect the most vulnerable groups
One neutron bomb in the morning
A neutron bomb detonated in the morning hours
May just ruin your whole day
This could have disastrous, long-lasting repercussions that could impact your life immensely
Take us to your leader
Take us to the person who has the ability to create change
Listen to what they're sayin'
Pay attention to their communication, their proposals and what actions they suggest to effect a positive change
Yeah
Affirmative response
Take us to your leader
Guide us to the person who has the capacity to solve the problem
?
Unknown
Take us to your leader
Bring us to the person in power to assist in effecting a positive change
?
Unknown
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIM CREGAN, KEVIN SAVIGAR, ROD STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind