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 Ain
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Black cat crossed my trail.
I ain't superstitious,
But a black cat crossed my trail.
Bad luck ain't got me so far,
And I won't let it stop me now.
The dogs begin to bark,
All over my neighborhood.
Dogs begin to bark,
All over my neighborhood.
This is a mean old world to live in,
And I can't face it all by myself, at all.
And, dogs begin to bark,
All over my neighborhood.
The dogs begin to bark,
All over my neighborhood.
I got a feelin' about the future,
And it ain't too good, I know that.
I know, I know, I know.
Ain't superstitious,
But black cat crossed my trail,
(I said it so many times before)
Ain't superstitious,
A black cat crossed my trail.
Bad luck ain't got me so far,
And you know I ain't gonna let it stop me now.
Come on.
The song “Ain't Superstitious” by Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck talks about the singer not being superstitious despite a black cat crossing his trail. He believes that he has not been affected by bad luck so far and won’t let it stop him from achieving his goals. However, he senses danger in the future and the dogs barking all over his neighborhood is a sign of that.
The lyrics suggest that the singer is aware of the harsh realities of life and feels overwhelmed by it. He can’t face it all by himself and needs some sort of support or backup. The reference to dogs barking could mean a warning, someone trying to break-in or just an eerie feeling of the approaching danger which can’t be ignored.
Overall, the song seems to be about the singer’s resilience in the face of adversity and how he handles bad luck. He is not superstitious and doesn’t let unlucky events affect him but still acknowledges the darker aspects of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't superstitious,
I don't believe in superstitions.
Black cat crossed my trail.
Recently, a black cat walked in front of me.
Bad luck ain't got me so far,
Despite superstitions, I haven't had any bad luck.
And I won't let it stop me now.
I won't allow any potential bad luck to hinder my progress or plans.
The dogs begin to bark,
I hear dogs barking loudly in my neighborhood.
All over my neighborhood.
The sound of barking is not limited to just one area.
This is a mean old world to live in,
Life can be harsh and unforgiving.
And I can't face it all by myself, at all.
I need support or assistance to cope with the difficulties of life.
I got a feelin' about the future,
I have a strong intuition or sense about what is to come.
And it ain't too good, I know that.
My intuition tells me that the future may be bleak or undesirable.
I know, I know, I know.
I am certain or convinced of this feeling about the future.
But black cat crossed my trail,
Even though I know the future may be tough, I still refuse to believe in superstitions.
And you know I ain't gonna let it stop me now.
I am determined to push past any potential obstacles, including bad luck.
Come on.
Let's move forward with confidence and determination.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Willie Dixon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Dstrbrdgrnd
I had the pleasure of seeing and hearing this in November 1968 when Jeff introduced Rod as the new lead singer. Concert was $2.50
@ronman1896
After all these years, Truth is still my favorite Jeff Beck LP. I just wish that band would have stayed together forever!
@swind2492
yes! what a album and band!
@sonyavantuinen6229
I know this is an old clip I believe 13 years, just wanted to say we lost a great one rest in peace Jeff Beck you sure put a lot of music on my soul through a lot of years. May your family find peace in your passing knowing the joy that Jeff brought to this world.
@diverdrag
One is Jeff Beck, no one like him, and he can be like everyone. All the greatest recognize him as the greatest.
@meritz59
Thank you for this.. too bad most of the Rod haters don't realize that Rod (still a superstar) showed up unannounced to support his friend after years... no rehearsal... this is pure jam... and I love it.
@DucksDeLucks
+Gord Merritt Hmmm... Hard to believe they could do this without a rehearsal. There's all this stopping and starting.
@janemillerick9614
+DucksDeLucks well ..the song's a standard!
@DucksDeLucks
Jane Millerick Maybe but the Howling Wolf version doesn't have all the tricky stuff.
@ESmithStringSlinger
And not only not rehearsed, they were reaching for more. Better that way ;)