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)
Handbags
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to make the other side
Ever seen a young girl growing old
Trying to make herself a bride
So what becomes of you my love
When they have finally stripped you of
The handbags and the gladrags
Baby
Once I was a young man
And all I thought I had to do was smile
You are still a young girl
And you bought everything in style
Listen
But once you think you're in you're out
'Cause you don't mean a single thing without
The handbags and the gladrags
That your Granddad had to sweat so you could buy
Sing a song of six-pence for your sake
And take a bottle full of rye
Four and twenty blackbirds in a cake
And bake them all in a pie
They told me you missed school today
So what I suggest you just throw them all away
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy
They told me you missed school today
So I suggest you just throw them all away
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy ya
In Rod Stewart's classic hit "Handbags & Gladrags," the lyrics speak to the idea of material possessions and their true worth. The song starts with a poignant image - a blind man trying to cross the road as a metaphor for the struggle of life. Then, it shifts attention to a young girl who is trying to grow older fast enough to become a bride, speaking to the societal pressures that we all face in our formative years.
The chorus poses the question of what happens to our sense of self and our identity when we lose everything, including the hard-won possessions that our ancestors worked for. The song goes on to describe the transience of life and the importance of cherishing what we have now, rather than obsessing over acquiring more possessions.
The lyrics suggest that though material possessions are fleeting and often meaningless in the grand scheme of things, they still hold a certain power in society. A person who lacks these possessions can find themselves in a difficult situation, often ignored or even ridiculed by their peers.
Overall, "Handbags & Gladrags" is a timeless commentary on the nature of materialism, and a reminder to focus on what truly matters in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever seen a blind man cross the road
Have you ever witnessed a visually impaired person attempt to cross the street?
Trying to make the other side
Struggling to reach the other side safely
Ever seen a young girl growing old
Have you ever seen a young woman age?
Trying to make herself a bride
Desiring to become a married woman
So what becomes of you my love
What will happen to you, my dear?
When they have finally stripped you of
After they have taken away from you
The handbags and the gladrags
Your fancy clothing and accessories
That your Granddad had to sweat so you could buy
For which your grandfather had to work tirelessly to afford
Baby
Affectionate term for the listener
Once I was a young man
There was a time when I was a young man
And all I thought I had to do was smile
I thought that all it took was a charming grin
You are still a young girl
You're still a young woman
And you bought everything in style
You purchased everything with a fashionable flair
Listen
Pay attention
But once you think you're in you're out
As soon as you believe you've made it, you're out again
'Cause you don't mean a single thing without
Because you are meaningless without
Sing a song of six-pence for your sake
I'm singing this song for you
And take a bottle full of rye
And have a bottle of rye whiskey
Four and twenty blackbirds in a cake
With twenty-four blackbirds baked into a pastry
And bake them all in a pie
Create a savory dish by baking them into a pie
They told me you missed school today
I was informed that you were absent from school today
So what I suggest you just throw them all away
Therefore, I recommend you dispose of them all
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy ya
That your dear old grandfather had to work extremely hard to afford for you
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Michael D'abo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RV Beginner Winnebago Adventurer '97
Handbags and Gladrags
Stereophonics
Ever seen a blind man cross the road
Trying to make the other side
Ever seen a young girl growing old
Trying to make herself a bride
So what becomes of you my love
When they have finally stripped you of
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you
Once I was a young man
All I thought I had to do was smile
While you are still a young girl
And you bought everything in style
So once you think you're in you're out
'Cause you don't mean a single thing without
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you
Sing a song of six-pence for your sake
And drink a bottle full of rye
Four and twenty blackbirds in a cake
And bake them all in a pie
They told me you missed school today
So what I suggest you just throw them all away
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you
They told me you missed school today
So I suggest you just throw them all away
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you
Songwriters: Michael d'Abo
Handbags and Gladrags lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
J S
Ever seen a blind man cross the road
Trying to make the other side
Ever seen a young girl growing old
Trying to make herself a bride
So what becomes of you my love
When they have finally stripped you of
The handbags and the gladrags
That your Grandad had to sweat so you could buy
Baby
Once I was a young man
And all I thought I had to do was smile
You are still a young girl
And you bought everything in style
Listen
But once you think you're in you're out
Cause you don't mean a single thing without
The handbags and the gladrags
That your Grandad had to sweat so you could buy
Sing a song of six-pence for your sake
And take a bottle full of rye
Four and twenty blackbirds in a cake
And bake them all in a pie
They told me you missed school today
So what I suggest you just throw them all away
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy
They told me you missed school today
So I suggest you just throw them all away
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy ya
kat Mats
We all should pay tribute to Rod Stewart in some way before he is gone. He has sung the most moving music throughout our lives. If he only knew....
Maria Jose
kat Matsuri Ana Leo magalhae
Charles Te Huia
kat Mats ...Kia ora. ..yes. ..thank you so much for your beautiful music Mr Stewart
Lisa Weaver
Such an unforgettable songster as an artist. Great things came from.
Leanne Crosbie
So true
E Clapp
Agree a patient of mine love to sail when he passed away I sent a letter off to his and family and ask if at or before Xmas they would play sailing since Rod recorded with the Royal Phil. I hope they do means a lot.
MICHAEL LIGUE
Rod , I dont know if I am getting soft in my old age or it is just that I realized that I was 18 when I saw you in concert in 1978 . Just your opening line ..... sent a tear running down my cheek . Thank you for years of just appreciating your music and providing me with such joy .
Cale Bjornsen
Probably the most recognizable voice ever. ๐
Beatriz Moreno
I found this yesterday. Its No. 1 for me. It get to my deepest soul. What a tune, what a performer, what a man!
carlos f. cruz
Still sounds as good as the first time I heard it a million years ago.