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)
Say It Ain't True
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That we've been through
How can you tell me
That there's somebody new
I don't believe that I'm hearing this
I don't really think that you're serious
Well you picked a fine time to hesitate
See it my way I've nothing left
Think it over before I'm pushed aside
And tell me
Say it ain't true
That's all you gotta do, baby
Say it ain't true
Well I thought this one was bound to last
Together forever oh what a laugh
It's going to hurt when I set you free
I've been loving you too long
You're a part of me
So tell me
Say it ain't true, Tell me baby
Say it ain't true
Put yourself in my place for a little while
Going out of fashion growing out of style
No one to laugh with nobody to share
No one to lean on nobody to care
Nothing left but a memory
I gave you my heart so stay with me
And tell me
Say it ain't true
Say it ain't true
Tell me baby
Say it ain't true
I love you baby
I love you baby
I just want to do right by you honey
Wouldn't do you no wrong
The song "Say It Ain't True" by Rod Stewart tells the emotional story of a man who is disillusioned and hurt after his partner tells him that she has found somebody new. The singer is unable to understand why his partner would want to leave him after all the problems they have been through together. He tells her that he cannot believe what he is hearing, and that she has picked a bad time to hesitate. He implores her to think it over before she pushes him out of her life, and to tell him that the news of her leaving him is not true.
Stewart's lyrics are filled with heartbreak and desperation as the man begs his partner not to leave him. He is afraid of being left with nothing but memories of their time together, as he has given her his heart and invested so much of himself in the relationship. He pleads with her to stay with him and to reassure him that the news of her leaving is not true. The song's chorus is a refrain of the phrase "Say it ain't true," which is a powerful appeal for the partner to deny what she has said and to continue their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at all the problems
Reflecting on all the struggles we've faced
That we've been through
The challenges we've surmounted in our relationship
How can you tell me
Why would you say to me
That there's somebody new
There's someone else you're interested in
I don't believe that I'm hearing this
I can't accept that you're telling me this
I don't really think that you're serious
I don't believe you're sincere
Well you picked a fine time to hesitate
You've chosen a terrible moment to pause and reconsider
See it my way I've nothing left
Please understand how I see things since I have nothing else to bargain with
You can take my heart but don't steal my pride
You can break my heart, but please don't cause me to feel ashamed or embarrassed
Think it over before I'm pushed aside
Please reflect before you abandon me
And tell me
Can you please confirm
Say it ain't true
That this isn't real
That's all you gotta do, baby
Just speak those words and you'll make me feel better
Well I thought this one was bound to last
I believed our love story would endure
Together forever oh what a laugh
But that idea now seems ridiculous
It's going to hurt when I set you free
It will be painful to let you go
I've been loving you too long
My affection for you has been enduring
You're a part of me
You're an essential component of who I am
So tell me
Please let me know
Put yourself in my place for a little while
Try to imagine how I would feel in your situation
Going out of fashion growing out of style
Our love has become passé and outdated
No one to laugh with nobody to share
Without you, I'll have no companionship or someone to confide in
No one to lean on nobody to care
I will have no emotional support or someone to care for
Nothing left but a memory
All that will be left of our relationship is a reminiscence
I gave you my heart so stay with me
I wholeheartedly gave you my love, so I implore you to remain with me
And tell me
Can you please confirm
Say it ain't true
That this isn't real
Tell me baby
Please let me know
I love you baby
I still love you
I just want to do right by you honey
I only wish to treat you appropriately and respectfully
Wouldn't do you no wrong
I'll never act maliciously towards you
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PHIL CHEN, JIM CREGAN, GARY GRAINGER, KEVIN SAVIGAR, ROD STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind