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)
Only A Boy
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come along, Stewart laddie!
Stewart boy, you'll never be much,
'cause you're too busy acting the fool.
Thank you Sir for them few kind words,
On my last day of school.
If I'd only get myself out of bed.
Words of wisdom, but I wasn't listening,
I had plans in my head.
Only a boy,
Trying it on,
Coming on strong,
Restless to roam,
Only a boy,
Silly and proud,
Reckless and loud,
Impressing the crowd,
Only a boy.
Rock'n' Roll was in my brain,
Eddie Cochrane running through my brain.
Skin tight trousers in council houses,
The unemployment exchange.
The blues I played were Mississippi made
And ev'ry Friday night I'd fall in love.
Football fields and teenage pills
Nothing's enough.
Only a boy,
Dressing to kill,
Passion to spill,
Hand in the till.
Only a boy,
Slipping it in,
Thin as a pin,
Chasing a dream,
Only a boy.
Climb down off the school roof laddie
Oh and them dukes of freedom, I used to believe them,
And all their rebelious vows.
The critics, the cynics, who never understood it,
Where are they now?
And all the wondering and the stumbling
That goes hand in hand with change.
The yearning, the earning was it all part of learning,
Or am I still the same?
Only a boy
Laughing aloud,
Quick as a shot,
Nobody can stop.
Only a boy,
Plans of his own,
Leaving his home,
Knows where he's going,
Only a boy.
Only a boy,
Only a boy,
Only a boy, ha ha, oh
The song "Only A Boy" by Rod Stewart is a nostalgic look back at his youth and the rebellious and carefree attitude he had as a young man. In the lyrics, he talks about his experiences while in school and his ambitions to pursue a music career. The opening lines of "single file in the girls corridor, come along, Stewart laddie" sets the scene of being back in school and being called by his last name. He then reflects that he was too busy acting like a fool and never gave much thought to his future, even though his mother had offered words of wisdom that he ignored.
The lyrics then delve into Stewart's love of music, specifically rock 'n' roll and the influence it had on him. He mentions Eddie Cochrane and playing the blues, and how Fridays were a night to fall in love. The song continues with Stewart reflecting on his reckless and proud behavior, dressing to kill and slipping it in. As he looks back on those years, Stewart wonders if he has changed or if he is still the same boy he once was.
Overall, the song captures the spirit of youth and the freedom that comes with it. It's a reminder of the dreams and ambitions that we all have at that age, and how our experiences shape us into who we are today.
Line by Line Meaning
Single file in the girls corridor
Walking in a line of boys through the girls' hallway
Come along, Stewart laddie!
A phrase signaling Rod Stewart to follow along
Stewart boy, you'll never be much,
A statement that Rod Stewart will never be anything great
'cause you're too busy acting the fool.
Because he spends too much time being foolish
Thank you Sir for them few kind words,
Grateful for the nice words spoken
On my last day of school.
On the last day of high school
Oh, but my mama said, I could be a success,
His mother told him he could be successful
If I'd only get myself out of bed.
If he got out of bed consistently
Words of wisdom, but I wasn't listening,
Advice he should have heeded, but ignored
I had plans in my head.
He was too focused on his own plans
Only a boy,
Despite everything, he is still just a boy
Trying it on,
Experimenting with life
Coming on strong,
Putting a brave face forward
Restless to roam,
Eager to explore and travel
Silly and proud,
Feeling invincible and somewhat foolish
Reckless and loud,
Acting without thinking and being boisterous
Impressing the crowd,
Wanting to draw attention and be admired
Rock'n' Roll was in my brain,
His love for rock n roll consumed him
Eddie Cochrane running through my brain.
A specific artist he admired
Skin tight trousers in council houses,
Wearing tight pants and living in government housing
The unemployment exchange.
Unemployed at the job center
The blues I played were Mississippi made
He played and loved blues music from Mississippi
And ev'ry Friday night I'd fall in love.
Falling in love repeatedly
Football fields and teenage pills
Playing sports and experimenting with drugs
Nothing's enough.
Nothing was ever satisfying enough
Dressing to kill,
Dressing up to impress
Passion to spill,
Having intense emotions to express
Hand in the till.
Stealing money
Slipping it in,
Sneaking in and doing something quickly
Thin as a pin,
Having a slim physique
Chasing a dream,
Pursuing a goal
Climb down off the school roof laddie
Commanding him to get off the school roof
Oh and them dukes of freedom, I used to believe them,
Once believed in freedom fighters
And all their rebelious vows.
Their promises of rebellion
The critics, the cynics, who never understood it,
People who couldn't appreciate what he was doing
Where are they now?
Asking where these people are now
And all the wondering and the stumbling
Reflecting on mistakes and regrets
That goes hand in hand with change.
Change is difficult and comes with ups and downs
The yearning, the earning was it all part of learning,
Hoping that yearning and earning are part of a learning experience
Or am I still the same?
Questioning if he's still the same person he was before
Laughing aloud,
Finding joy in life
Quick as a shot,
Moving quickly and impulsively
Nobody can stop.
Determined and unstoppable
Plans of his own,
Having his own ambitions
Leaving his home,
Leaving his childhood home
Knows where he's going,
Having direction in life
Only a boy.
Still just a young and inexperienced boy
Only a boy, ha ha, oh
Laughing at the fact that he's still just a boy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIM CREGAN, STEVE HARLEY, KEVIN SAVIGAR, KEVIN STUART JAMES SAVIGAR, ROD STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind