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)
Street Fighting Man
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of marching, charging feet boy
'Cause the summer's here
And the time is right for
Fighting in the street boy
Hey think the time is right
For a palace revolution
Is just to compromise my solution
What can a poor boy do
Except to sing for a rock 'n' roll band
'Cause you see bein' London town
There's just no other place
For a street fighting man
Hey did I tell you that my name
Was called disturbance
And I'll shout and scream
And I'll kill the king and
I'll rail at all his servants
What can a poor boy do
Except to sing for a rock 'n' roll band
'Cause you see bein' London town
There's just no place
For a street fighting man
Everywhere I hear the sound
Of marching, charging feet boy
'Cause the summer's here
And the time is right for
Fighting in the street boy
What can a poor boy do
Except to sing for a rock 'n' roll band
'Cause you see bein' London town
There's just no other place
For a street fighting man
Rod Stewart's "Street Fighting Man" is a protest song about the revolutionary attitude of young people in London during the mid-60s. The lyrics suggest a feeling of rebellion against the existing order, and a call to arms against the establishment. Stewart talks about the motivational quality of music, suggesting that it has the power to raise people up, give them hope, and bring them together.
The song sets off with a description of the sounds of a protest; the feet marching, voices shouting, and the general chaos that comes with a demonstration. The singer then suggests that it is time for a "palace revolution," urging people to rise up against the ruling classes. However, the song doesn't make it clear what kind of revolution the singer is urging people to take part in. The singer uses the metaphor of a rock and roll musician to make his point. He suggests that he is a poor boy who has no other way of making his voice heard except through music. Finally, the chorus highlights the fact that London was the perfect place for a street fighting man, where the protests were frequent and the demand for change was high.
The song was a call to arms for young people who were frustrated with the conservative values of the time, and who were looking for a way to express their dissent. The song reached a wide audience, and its message resonated with many young people who were looking for an outlet for their frustrations.
Line by Line Meaning
Everywhere I hear the sound of marching, charging feet boy
I hear the sound of people protesting and walking towards their revolutionary goals.
'Cause the summer's here and the time is right for fighting in the street boy
The summer is a time when the energy in the air is high, and people are more inclined to engage in protests and revolutionary acts.
Hey think the time is right for a palace revolution
I believe that now is the perfect time for a revolution, one that could overthrow the government and establishment entirely.
Where I live the game to play is just to compromise my solution
In my current environment, the only way to achieve my revolutionary goals is by making compromises and adjustments to my methods and message.
What can a poor boy do except to sing for a rock 'n' roll band
My circumstances and resources limit me in terms of what I can do to achieve my goal, so all I can do is use my platform as a musician to spread my message.
'Cause you see bein' London town there's just no other place for a street fighting man
London is the epicenter of this revolution, and if you are a revolutionary, there is no better place to be than here.
Hey did I tell you that my name was called disturbance
My identity as a revolutionary is so significant that it represents my entire being and is a part of my name.
And I'll shout and scream and I'll kill the king and I'll rail at all his servants
I am willing to use any means necessary to achieve my revolutionary goals, including violence and attacking those in power.
What can a poor boy do except to sing for a rock 'n' roll band
My limitations mean that all I have is my music, and that is my platform for spreading my revolutionary message to the world.
'Cause you see bein' London town there's just no place for a street fighting man
London is the center of this revolution, and the only way to be a part of it is to take to the streets, fight and be a street fighting man.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CarolYost
I think that arrangement really is on fire! The few seconds of silence after a crashing halt, and those powerful guitars that could win a war all by themselves. They have something to say!
@peterdavis8585
fuckin' A
@henryrobertson5667
Qqq
@kellykempkilroy
The Bass break is from Ronny Wood. Amazing.
@bertus161057
Ronnie Wood was everywhere❤
@My2up2downCastle
Definately in my top 5 Rod tracks....superb version. ❤️
@PaulJohnson-yw9gi
Agree; superb. What are your other four tracks? Is there a place in there for Gasoline Alley?
@chadczternastek
Getting back into my Rod Stewart kick and want to firstly thank you for posting the amazing tracks you have. I've been a fan since my mom locked me in the room with Foolish Behavior and Foot Loose & Fancy Free and a old school spinning record 33 albums. This album isn't on Spotify and I just want say I was glad to see a fan posting old stuff in high def. .
@garyj4870
Loved his early-on dirty sound without violins, cellos, etc. I always thought he should have put out a blues album
@jcharlsen
Not his own record, but his work on Jeff Beck's "Truth" album was stellar. And the tunes leaned heavily towards blues. A great record, with Bass by Ron Wood.