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)
Girl From The North Country
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Remember me to the one who lives there
She was once a true love of mine
And if you're goin' when the snowflakes storm
When the rivers freeze and summer ends
Please see for me she has a coat so warm
Would you see for me that her hair's hanging long
That it rolls and flows all down her breasts
See for me that her hair's hanging long
'Cause that's the way I remember her best
But I'm a-wondering if she remembers me at all
Many times I've often prayed
In the darkness of my night
In the brightness of my day
So if you're traveling in the north country fair
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Remember me to the one who lives there
'Cause she was once, she was once a true love of mine
And she'll always be a true love of mine
And I never, never, never, never give her up
"Girl from the North Country" is a classic folk song that was written and originally performed by Bob Dylan in 1963. Rod Stewart covered the song in 1974, adding his signature rock and roll style to the arrangement. The song is a heartfelt tribute to a lost love, replete with Dylan's poetic lyrics and tender melody. The song evokes a sense of nostalgia and longing that is palpable throughout the track.
The song's first verse sets the scene, inviting listeners to imagine a journey through the north country, where the winds are heavy and the borderline is tangible. The singer asks the listener to remember him to the one who lives there, a woman who was once a true love of his. The second verse is more specific, asking that the woman be given a coat to keep her warm during the snowstorm, and for her hair to be hanging long as he remembers it. The third verse expresses the singer's doubts about whether the woman remembers him at all, and he reflects on how often he's thought of her in both the dark and light of day. The refrain repeats the first verse, emphasizing the depth of feeling that the singer has for the woman, and promising that she'll always be a true love of his.
Overall, "Girl from the North Country" is a poignant, romantic song that speaks to the human experience of love, loss, and memory. With its simple, elegant melody and Dylan's haunting lyrics, the song has become a classic of the folk/rock canon.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're traveling in the north country fair
If you happen to journey in the northern parts with the flat, wide lowlands,
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Where the howling winds blast the border area and its surrounding
Remember me to the one who lives there
Please convey my regards to the woman residing there
She was once a true love of mine
I previously had a genuine affection and fondness for her
And if you're goin' when the snowflakes storm
In case you set off when the frosty flakes are falling thick and fast
When the rivers freeze and summer ends
The season of summer ceases, and the streams gradually solidify
Please see for me she has a coat so warm
Find a coat that is thick and snugly fitted to guard her against the frosty gusts.
To keep her from the howling wind
So, that she is not exposed to the noise of whistling wind
Would you see for me that her hair's hanging long
Can you observe her hair flow flamboyantly on her body's midsection
That it rolls and flows all down her breasts
Like it is tumbling and floating across her feminine chests
See for me that her hair's hanging long
I want to remember the appearance of her shiny, luscious long hair
'Cause that's the way I remember her best
The way her hair adjoin with her image is my perfect reminisce of her.
But I'm a-wondering if she remembers me at all
I'm often curious if she recalls the memories we share
Many times I've often prayed
I often plead, wish, and pray
In the darkness of my night
In the gloom of night, when everything around me is still and muted
In the brightness of my day
Or even in the daytime, when brightness and sun surround me
So if you're traveling in the north country fair
Thus, if you are traveling to the northern region
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Onto territories where the gusty winds rage noisily on the frontiers
Remember me to the one who lives there
Please say hi to the lady that lives around there
'Cause she was once, she was once a true love of mine
Because the woman there was previously my beloved sweetheart
And she'll always be a true love of mine
I'm still profoundly in love with her, and will always cherish her in my heart
And I never, never, never, never give her up
I'll forever cherish and keep holding on to her love, never letting it go.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rod Till
I've heard them all sing it, but Rod nails it better than anyone else.
Alison Kirby
Absolutely brilliant from Rod always does a fantastic job with cover versions.
Colbeans Ontoast
Smiler was the second album I bought after "Every Picture Tells a Story" in 1974. I have followed Rod's music ever since. Nearly every song reminds me of some thing that happened in my life. Some good, some not so good. I am glad his music was there!
Spooked Horse
I love this entire album and era.
Moon Dancer
You can keep the album and the disco era😂
Darren Plumpton
Definitely one of Rod's best albums ever.
Even though in a interview he said he hated the cover saying "it resembles a f**** box of chocolates."
John Marr
Of the hundreds or possibly thousands of cover versions out there of this great Dylan song, none compare to Rod’s....
Darren Plumpton
💯 per cent CORRECT.
Rod Stewart ALL THE WAY.
ALWAYS AND FOREVER.
דודי ששון
Rod is by far better than all the other
Kim Hallam
what a tune love this