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)
Maggie May/Gasoline Alley
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's late September and I really should be back at school
I know I keep you amused but I feel I'm being used
Oh Maggie I couldn't have tried any more
You lured me away from home just to save you from being alone
You stole my heart and that's what really hurts
The morning sun when it's in your face really shows your age
I laughed at all of your jokes, my love you didn't need to coax
Oh, Maggie I couldn't have tried any more
You lured me away from home, just to save you from being alone
You stole my soul and that's a pain I can do without
All I needed was a friend to lend a guiding hand
But you turned into a lover and
Mother what a lover, you wore me out
All you did was wreck my bed
And in the morning kick me in the head
Oh Maggie I couldn't have tried anymore
You lured me away from home 'cause you didn't want to be alone
You stole my heart I couldn't leave you if I tried
I suppose I could collect my books and get on back to school
Or steal my daddy's cue and make a living out of playing pool
Or find myself a rock and roll band that needs a helpin' hand
Oh Maggie I wish I'd never seen your face
You made a first class fool out of me
But I'm as blind as a fool can be
You stole my heart but I love you anyway
Maggie I wish I'd never seen your face
I'll get on back home one of these, these days
The song "Maggie May/Gasoline Alley" by Rod Stewart is about a young man who falls in love with an older woman named Maggie May. The song opens with the singer telling Maggie that he needs to say something to her. He mentions that it's late September and he really should be back at school, but he can't stop thinking about her. He feels as though he is being used by her, but can't help being amused by her. He goes on to say that she lured him away from home just so she wouldn't have to be alone, and that he is heartbroken because of it.
Throughout the song, the singer reflects on the relationship and how Maggie has affected him. He mentions that the morning sun shows her age, but that he still thinks she is everything. He talks about how she didn't need to coax him into loving her, and that he couldn't have tried any harder. He also reveals that he initially just wanted to be friends with Maggie, but she turned into a lover, and he wishes he hadn't let that happen.
The chorus of the song expresses both the frustration and the love that the singer feels for Maggie. He tells her that she stole his heart and that he couldn't have left her if he tried. He also mentions that he feels like a fool for falling for her, but that he loves her anyway. The song ends with the singer reflecting that he wishes he had never met Maggie, but that he knows he will always love her.
Line by Line Meaning
Wake up Maggie I think I got something to say to you
I need to talk to you about something important, Maggie.
It's late September and I really should be back at school
I should have gone back to school by now, according to the calendar.
I know I keep you amused but I feel I'm being used
I feel like you're only using me for your amusement, Maggie.
Oh Maggie I couldn't have tried any more
I didn't hold anything back, Maggie.
You lured me away from home just to save you from being alone
You enticed me to come with you, so you wouldn't be lonely, Maggie.
You stole my heart and that's what really hurts
My heart belongs to you, Maggie, and it hurts that you hold that power over me.
The morning sun when it's in your face really shows your age
When the sun shines on your face in the morning, it reveals your age, Maggie.
But that don't worry me none in my eyes you're everything
But I don't care about your age, Maggie. You mean everything to me.
I laughed at all of your jokes, my love you didn't need to coax
I find your jokes funny, and I love you without any encouragement, Maggie.
You stole my soul and that's a pain I can do without
You have taken my very essence, and that hurts, Maggie.
All I needed was a friend to lend a guiding hand
I just needed someone to guide me, Maggie.
But you turned into a lover and Mother what a lover, you wore me out
But you became my lover, and boy, did you wear me out, Maggie.
All you did was wreck my bed
All you did was mess up my bed, Maggie.
And in the morning kick me in the head
And in the morning, you would kick me in the head, Maggie.
Oh Maggie I couldn't have tried anymore
I gave everything I had, Maggie.
You lured me away from home 'cause you didn't want to be alone
You convinced me to leave my home because you didn't want to be lonely, Maggie.
You stole my heart I couldn't leave you if I tried
You have my heart, and even if I wanted to, I couldn't walk away from you, Maggie.
I suppose I could collect my books and get on back to school
I could go back to school and focus on my studies, I guess, Maggie.
Or steal my daddy's cue and make a living out of playing pool
I could take my dad's cue and try to make a living playing pool, Maggie.
Or find myself a rock and roll band that needs a helpin' hand
Or I could join a rock and roll band and help them out somehow, Maggie.
Oh Maggie I wish I'd never seen your face
I regret ever meeting you, Maggie.
You made a first class fool out of me
You made me look like a complete fool, Maggie.
But I'm as blind as a fool can be
I'm completely oblivious to your flaws, Maggie.
You stole my heart but I love you anyway
You took my heart, but I still love you, Maggie.
Maggie I wish I'd never seen your face
I really wish I had never met you, Maggie.
I'll get on back home one of these, these days
I'll eventually go back home, Maggie.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARTIN QUITTENTON, ROD STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mftubeyou
Probably the greatest live performance ever of Maggie May. Rod's singing, J'Anna's mandolin, Ronnie's guitar, the crowd singing every word, although most of them weren't even born at the time, it's all there. What makes it even more special is that he's back in London, playing Albert Hall, looking at Ronnie and sings about going back home (in a genius passage of Gasoline Alley). They grow up together in London, if you didn't know. Totally awesome.
@luiscustodio4517
Very interesting comment, dude👍🏻
For those who didn't know, mr. Roderick and Ronnie are friends since, after & before R.Stones convert in a world wide famous rock and roll band
🔥 🎼 🎸
@bogdanklimek8084
@Lars Bergström l8
@bogdanklimek8084
O
@scernik
YES it is.............. who is the bassist?
@jodijohnson3488
The MTV Unplugged version is better, but this is a lovely and joyous version.
@pebu1001
Thank God that he is still around.
@juanmanuelpadron8006
I'm 53 and I'm spanish.I also have been lucky to assist to many,many concerts of the most famous bands and musicians,not just rock or pop,even ethnical,fusion and jazz.John Mayal,Chet Baker,Prince,Paco de Lucía,Leonel Hampton,Ray Charles,ELO,The Rolling Stones,The Boss,and many more.
But I have to say that I will always consider that One Night Only is the best ever.The atmosphere,the band,Rod's strengh and voice,that was something only happens one in a lifetime.And above all,look with your own eyes what friendship truly is.Rod and Ron,Ron and Rod,I can't find the words to describe what happend on stage.One of the best nights of my life.Now I can rest in peace.
@johnnydeppisarapistjohnnyd8962
-Come over
an see The
Audio
Recording
Where Amber
Heard Almost Died
@patrickmckeegan5345
Everyone in that room was having fun. I played the crap out of this album when it came out. Rod's music is the soundtrack for my life. Takes me back to a simpler time.