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)
Manhattan
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And to other places aggravate all our cares.
We'll save our fares!
I've a cozy little flat in
What is known as old Manhattan
We'll settle down
Right here in town!
We'll have Manhattan
It's lovely going through the zoo!
(Sing to me, Bette, come on)
It's very fancy
on old Delancy street you know. (I know)
The subway charms us so
When balmy breezes blow
To and fro.
I'd like to take a
Sail on Jamaica Bay with you,
And fair Canarsie's Lakes we'll view.
The city's bustle cannot destroy
Oh, the dreams of a girl and boy
We'll turn Manhattan
Into an isle of joy.
Ooh, yeah
And tell me what street
compares with Mott Street in July?
Sweet pushcarts gently gliding by.
The great big city's a wondrous toy
Ooh, just made for a girl and boy.
We'll turn Manhattan into an isle of joy!
We'll turn Manhattan into an isle of joy!
The lyrics to Rod Stewart's song, Manhattan, are about finding joy and escape in the bustling city of New York. The singer suggests saving money by staying in their cozy apartment in Manhattan instead of embarking on expensive summer journeys to Niagara and other places. They marvel at the beauty of the city, from the subway's charm to the sweet pushcarts on Mott Street in July. The singer dreams of sailing on Jamaica Bay and visiting Fair Canarsie's Lakes with their companion. The song proclaims that despite the chaos and noise of New York, love can turn the city into an "isle of joy."
The lyrics represent a romanticized view of New York City that many people hold. It's the city that never sleeps and is full of history and culture, and for many, it represents hope and opportunity. The singer finds solace in the city's sights, sounds, and experiencing it with someone they love. It's a simple message of finding joy in the little things and being grateful for what you have.
Line by Line Meaning
Summer journeys to Niagara
Travelling in summer to Niagara Falls and other places only adds to our stresses and worries.
And to other places aggravate all our cares.
In fact, going to other places just makes our worries worse.
We'll save our fares!
Let's save our money instead of spending it on stressful trips.
I've a cozy little flat in
I have a small but comfortable apartment located in
What is known as old Manhattan
The part of New York City called Manhattan that has been around for a while.
We'll settle down
Let's stay put in this part of town instead of travelling elsewhere.
Right here in town!
We'll stay here in Manhattan.
We'll have Manhattan
We'll make the most of our time here in Manhattan.
The Bronx and Staten Island too.
We'll also explore the other boroughs of New York City.
It's lovely going through the zoo!
Visiting the zoo in New York City is a delightful experience.
(Sing to me, Bette, come on)
Let's enjoy some entertainment by singing and listening to Bette Midler's music.
It's very fancy
The area around Delancy Street is quite upscale and posh.
on old Delancy street you know. (I know)
I'm familiar with the fancy part of Delancy Street.
The subway charms us so
We find the subway system in New York City quite charming.
When balmy breezes blow
Especially during warm, breezy days.
To and fro.
Going back and forth, riding the subway to different parts of the city.
I'd like to take a
I would enjoy taking a
Sail on Jamaica Bay with you,
Going boating together on Jamaica Bay would be fun.
And fair Canarsie's Lakes we'll view.
We'll explore the lovely lakes in Canarsie.
The city's bustle cannot destroy
The hustle and bustle of the city can't ruin our experience.
Oh, the dreams of a girl and boy
We're fulfilling the dreams of a young couple.
We'll turn Manhattan
We plan to transform Manhattan
Into an isle of joy.
Into a happy place full of fun experiences and fond memories.
And tell me what street
Can you name a street that
compares with Mott Street in July?
Is as delightful as Mott Street during July?
Sweet pushcarts gently gliding by.
We love the charming scene of street vendors going by on pushcarts.
The great big city's a wondrous toy
New York City is a fascinating and exciting place to explore and enjoy.
Ooh, just made for a girl and boy.
It's the perfect place for young couples to enjoy and cherish.
We'll turn Manhattan into an isle of joy!
We'll make sure that our time in Manhattan is full of joy and happiness.
We'll turn Manhattan into an isle of joy!
We'll work to make sure that this is indeed a happy and memorable experience for us.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind