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)
I've Got The World On A String
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm sitting on a rainbow
Got that string around my finger
What a world, what a life, I'm in love
I've got a song that I sing
And I can make the rain go
Any time I move my finger
Life's a beautiful thing
As long as I've got that string
I'd be a silly so-and-so
If I should ever let you go
I've got the world on a string
I'm sitting on the rainbow
I've got that string around my finger
Oh, what a world, what a life, I'm in love
Life's a beautiful thing
As long as I hold the string
I'd be a crazy so-and-so
If I should ever let you go, oh yeah
I've got the world on a string
I'm sitting on a rainbow
Got that string around my finger
What a world, what a life, I'm in love
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
What a world, what life, I'm in love
Oh yeah, I'm in love
Oh, I'm in love
Oh yeah, I'm in love
(He's in love, he's in love)
The song "I've Got The World On A String" is a classic love song that celebrates the life of a man who is deeply in love. The lyrics convey the state of the singer's happiness as he feels he has everything he needs for a blissful life. The verse "I've got the world on a string, I'm sitting on a rainbow" suggests that he has everything he could possibly want, and is enjoying every moment of it. The "string" referred to in the lyrics symbolizes the things that hold us together in life, such as love, family, and happiness.
The chorus further emphasizes the man's happiness as he describes how he can accomplish anything he wants by moving his fingers. He feels lucky and could not ask for anything more, as he is deeply in love. The bridge "Life's a beautiful thing as long as I hold the string" suggests that life is complete as long as he has the things that keep him grounded and happy.
Overall, the song conveys a feeling of contentment and joy, anchored by the love of the singer. It captures a moment in time where everything seems perfect, and the feeling of true love is all-consuming.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got the world on a string
I am in a position of power and control, capable of achieving anything I set my mind to.
I'm sitting on a rainbow
I am in a state of pure bliss and contentment.
Got that string around my finger
I am confident and have the ability to manipulate situations to my advantage.
What a world, what a life, I'm in love
The world is a beautiful place and my life is full of joy and happiness because I am in love.
I've got a song that I sing
I have a positive outlook on life and share that optimism with the world.
And I can make the rain go
I have the power to change negative situations into positive ones.
Any time I move my finger
With just a small action, I am able to create positive change.
Lucky me, cant you see, I'm in love
I am grateful for the love in my life and acknowledge how fortunate I am to have it.
Life's a beautiful thing
Life is full of wonder and beauty.
As long as I've got that string
As long as I have confidence and the ability to control situations, I will continue to be successful and happy.
I'd be a silly so-and-so
It would be foolish of me to give up my confidence and control.
If I should ever let you go
If I were to lose love, I would lose my happiness and confidence.
I'd be a crazy so-and-so
It would be insane of me to give up my confidence and control.
Oh, what a world, what a life, I'm in love
The world is a beautiful place and my life is full of joy and happiness because I am in love.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
Yes, my happiness and confidence is real and concrete.
He's in love, he's in love
I cannot help but express my happiness and love for another person.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, S.A. MUSIC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind