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)
Little Miss Understood
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why everyone speaks bad of my baby
I think I know that reason
And it is oh so sad
They say she walks the streets
But that's not strictly true
She's got a lot to eat
And she's not as rich as you
That's all
Everyone needs somebody
To get them through that time
You may not love that someone
As much as I love mine
But if she walks the streets
Does that condemn her soul
Or is heaven so complete
it rejects a heart of gold
She's just a little miss understood
a little miss understood
A little miss understood
That's all
And if she walks the streets
Does that condemn her soul
Or is heaven so complete
it rejects a heart of gold
She's just a little miss understood
a little miss understood
She's just a little miss understood
That's all
And if she walks the streets
Does that condemn her soul
Or is heaven so complete
The lyrics of Rod Stewart's song Little Miss Understood are about defending his lover against the judgment of others who criticize and speak ill of her character. He believes that people misunderstand her and the reasons for her actions which leads to them depicting her negatively. Rod Stewart suggests that people are quick to judge without knowing the full story or the reasons behind her behaviors. He highlights that his lover is not walking the streets as it is assumed and that she has her struggles and battles to overcome like everyone else. He talks about her struggles with poverty as well.
Furthermore, Rod Stewart suggests that people tend to judge others based on appearances alone, without taking the time to get to know them or understand their situation. Everyone needs somebody to get through tough times, and it should not matter how they manage to cope with their lives. Rod Stewart is defending his lover and arguing that people should not quick to judge without understanding the full story.
Overall, the song is about society's tendency to judge people without knowing the full story or understanding them. The song tries to criticize this trend of oversimplification in society’s interpretation of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
There has to be a reason
I am wondering why people always speak ill of my significant other.
Why everyone speaks bad of my baby
Everyone talks negatively about my loved one.
I think I know that reason
I believe I am aware of the underlying cause.
And it is oh so sad
The reason is regrettable.
They say she walks the streets
They claim she is promiscuous.
But that's not strictly true
That is not entirely accurate.
She's got a lot to eat
She has enough sustenance.
And she's not as rich as you
Her financial status is not as high as yours.
She's just a little miss understood
She is simply someone who is misunderstood.
That's all
That's the whole story.
Everyone needs somebody
Everyone requires companionship.
To get them through that time
To help them cope during a difficult period.
You may not love that someone
You may not have intense emotions for that individual.
As much as I love mine
Unlike the way I am with my loved one.
But if she walks the streets
But even if she is considered promiscuous.
Does that condemn her soul
Does that make her inherently evil or immoral?
Or is heaven so complete
Would heaven be so perfect that it excludes someone with a heart of gold?
it rejects a heart of gold
Would it refuse someone with a kind and generous personality?
She's just a little miss understood
She is just someone who is not comprehended well.
a little miss understood
Misunderstood, although not by much.
She's just a little miss understood
She is merely someone who is not fully grasped by others.
That's all
That's the extent of it.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL D'ABO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind