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)
Man Of Constant Sorrow
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've seen trouble all my days
I'll say goodbye to Colorado
Where I was born and prob'ly raised
Your mother says I am a stranger
My face you'll never see no more
But there's one promise darling
Through this open world I'm about to ramble
Through ice, snow, sleet and rain
I am about to rob the mornin' railroad
Perhaps I'll die on that train
I'm goin' back to Colorado
Place that I started from
If I'd knowed how bad you'd treat me
Honey I never would have come
The lyrics in Rod Stewart's song "Man of Constant Sorrow" portray a sense of sadness, perseverance and a longing for a better life. The singer of the song describes themselves as a man who has seen trouble all his days and who is about to ramble through the open world, potentially committing a robbery and possibly dying on a train. The man states that he is going back to Colorado, where he was born and raised, but he'll say goodbye to it as well.
The lyrics suggest that the man is leaving, without being able to see his loved ones again. His mother has already considered him a stranger, and his sweetheart will probably never see his face again. The man consoles his sweetheart and promises that he will see her on God's golden shore. The promise offers some hope that the singer's significant other will still have a chance to be with him, even if they have to wait until they pass on to the next life.
Line by Line Meaning
I am a man of constant sorrow
My life has been full of hardships and struggles, and the sorrow I feel is a constant presence.
I've seen trouble all my days
Throughout my life, I have encountered many difficulties and obstacles.
I'll say goodbye to Colorado
I am leaving the place of my birth and upbringing.
Where I was born and prob'ly raised
The place where I grew up and spent most of my life.
Your mother says I am a stranger
Your mother believes that she does not know me well and considers me to be a stranger.
My face you'll never see no more
You will not see me again, and we will be separated from each other.
But there's one promise darling
Despite our separation, I promise you one thing, my dear.
I'll see you on God's golden shore
In the afterlife, we will be reunited and meet again in heaven.
Through this open world I'm about to ramble
I am embarking on a journey through this vast, expansive world.
Through ice, snow, sleet and rain
I will endure all sorts of extreme weather conditions during my journey.
I am about to rob the mornin' railroad
I plan to commit a crime by robbing a train in the morning.
Perhaps I'll die on that train
There is a possibility that I may lose my life during the train robbery.
I'm goin' back to Colorado
I am returning to the place where I came from.
Place that I started from
The location where I began my life's journey.
If I'd knowed how bad you'd treat me
If I had realized how poorly you would treat me, I never would have come back.
Honey I never would have come
I would have stayed away and not returned to face mistreatment and hardship.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
johnny zell
I am a man of constant sorrow
I've seen trouble all my days
I'll say goodbye to Colorado
Where I was born and prob'ly raised
Your mother says I am a stranger
My face you'll never see no more
But there's one promise darling
I'll see you on God's golden shore
Through this open world I'm about to ramble
Through ice, snow, sleet and rain
I am about to rob the mornin' railroad
Perhaps I'll die on that train
I'm goin' back to Colorado
Place that I started from
If I'd knowed how bad you'd treat me
Honey I never would have come
Opfi Pip
These early works of Rod are his best. The whole album is very good.
T.E.
I agree. And the two he sung for Jeff Beck on are my favorite.
Andy Irons
A young Rod was a force of nature......his voice was incredible....he could hold his own against all the greats - Plant, Marriot and Rodgers....even when he went all solo and chased the fame, his talent shone through....man he was great
Dmitry Stetsenko
This album is solid as rock. Good basement for all future Rod's achievements. Heard it for the first time in 1972. Love it ever since.
Opfi Pip
These songs from the album "An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down" were simply the best songs of Rod ever.
gil.gosseyn
His work with Jeff Beck on "Truth" wasn't too shabby, either.
Jerrold Kazynski
The Rod Stewart album in USA, right? That's the one I have.
Opfi Pip
@Jerrold Kazynski It was also available in Germany.
hp
First three albums but especially the first.
Akin to Edgar Winter..
Randall Koch
I think "Smiler" & "Never a Dull Moment" were his best works. His other albums were also very, very good, but the afore mentioned were the best.