Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop… Read Full Bio ↴Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold over 250 million records worldwide. He has had 10 number-one albums and 31 top ten singles in the UK, six of which reached number one. Stewart has had 16 top ten singles in the US, with four reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. He was knighted in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to music and charity.

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)

That's What Friends Are For
Rod Stewart Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh I, never thought I'd feel this way
And as far as I'm concerned
I'm glad I've got a chance to to say
That I do believe I love you

And if I, I should ever go away
Well than close your eyes
And try to feel the way we do today

And then if you can't remember

Keep smiling (smiling)
Keep shining (shining)
Knowing you can always count on me
For sure
That's what friends are for
For the good times (good times)
And the bad times (bad times)
I'll be on your side forevermore
That's what friends are for
Yeah

And I, though you heard it all before
Well I'll tell you one more time
So I can be completely sure
So you know how much I love
And if I should ever go away
Well then close your eyes and try
To feel the way we feel this day
And then if you can't remember

Keep smiling (smiling)
Keep shining (shining)
Knowing you can always count on me
For sure
That's what friends are for
Oh in good times (good times)
And in bad times (bad times)

I'll be on your side forevermore
That's what friends are for

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Rod Stewart's song "That's What Friends Are For" are a touching tribute to the strength and depth of true friendship. The song speaks to the idea that friends are always there for each other, through the good times and the bad. The opening lines of the song express a powerful emotion that is both surprising and welcome - the singer never expected to feel this way, but he is grateful for the opportunity to tell his friend that he loves her. The song goes on to describe the unbreakable bond between friends, even if one of them goes away. The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that friends are always there for each other, with the lyrics "keep smiling, keep shining, knowing you can always count on me for sure." The song concludes with a reiteration of the singer's love and support for his friend, and a reminder that no matter what happens, they will always be there for each other.

Overall, "That's What Friends Are For" is a powerful tribute to the power of friendship. The song emphasizes the importance of having a support system in life, and the ways in which true friends are always there for each other. Whether in good times or bad, friends provide a sense of comfort and security that can never be replaced. The lyrics of the song are simple but heartfelt, and they speak to the universal experience of human connection and companionship.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh I, never thought I'd feel this way
I never expected to feel so strongly about you.

And as far as I'm concerned
In my opinion,

I'm glad I've got a chance to to say
I am happy I have the opportunity to tell you

That I do believe I love you
That I am certain that I love you

And if I, I should ever go away
In the event that I ever have to leave

Well than close your eyes
Close your eyes

And try to feel the way we do today
And try to remember how we feel today

And then if you can't remember
And if you can't recall

Keep smiling (smiling)
Continue to smile

Keep shining (shining)
Continue to shine

Knowing you can always count on me
You can always rely on me