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)
The Best Of My Love
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm lying in bed,
Holdin' you close in my dreams;
Thinkin' about all the things that we said
And comin' apart at the seams.
We try to talk it over
But the words come out too rough;
I know you were tryin'
Beautiful faces,
Loud empty places
Look at the way that we live,
Wastin' our time
On cheap talk and wine
Left us so little to give.
The same old crowd
Was like a cold dark cloud
That we could never rise above,
But here in my heart
I give you the best of my love.
Oh, sweet darlin',
You get the best of my love,
(You get the best of my love.)
Oh, sweet darlin',
You get the best of my love.
(You get the best of my love.)
I'm goin' back in time
And it's a sweet dream.
It was a quiet night
And I would be alright
If I could go on sleeping.
But every morning'
I wake up and worry
What's gonna happen today.
You see it your way,
And I see it mine,
But we both see it slippin' away.
You know, we always had each other, baby.
I guess that wasn't enough.
Oh, but here in my heart
I give you the best of my love.
Oh, sweet darlin',
You get the best of my love.
Oh, sweet darlin',
You get the best of my love.
The lyrics to Rod Stewart's song "The Best of My Love" describe a relationship that is falling apart, despite the couple's efforts to communicate and understand one another. The singer reflects on the times they shared happy memories together, but also recognizes the difficulties of living in a world where materialism prevails, leaving little room for real connection. He laments on the way that their social circle influences their behavior, and how it contributes to their inability to resolve their issues. However, despite the odds against them, the singer pledges to continue loving his partner with the best of his ability, though he acknowledges that sometimes it might not be enough.
The first verse sets up the narrative as the singer lies awake in bed dreaming of holding his partner close. The second verse expands on a theme of lamenting the ways of the world, where people pretend to show affection, but in reality, it's just empty chatter. The third verse highlights the difficulty of navigating relationships when external factors come into play. It also emphasizes the importance of each partner's point of view, which makes understanding each other even more challenging. But even in the face of adversity, the singer holds onto the notion that what he can offer to his partner is his love, even if it might not solve everything.
Line by Line Meaning
Every night
Every evening
I'm lying in bed,
I'm staying in bed
Holdin' you close in my dreams;
Holding you in my imagination
Thinkin' about all the things that we said
Recalling our conversations
And comin' apart at the seams.
And falling apart
We try to talk it over
We attempt to converse
But the words come out too rough;
But our words are harsh
I know you were tryin'
I understand that you attempted
To give me the best of your love.
To offer me your best love
Beautiful faces,
Attractive appearances
Loud empty places
Noisy locations with no substance
Look at the way that we live,
Observe our lifestyle
Wastin' our time
Wasting our valuable minutes
On cheap talk and wine
On trivial conversations and alcohol
Left us so little to give.
Deprived us of much to offer
The same old crowd
The familiar group of people
Was like a cold dark cloud
Was oppressive and stormy
That we could never rise above,
That we couldn't move away from
But here in my heart
But internally
I give you the best of my love.
I offer you my best love
Oh, sweet darlin',
Oh, my dear
You get the best of my love,
You deserve my best love
(You get the best of my love.)
(You receive all the love I have to give)
I'm goin' back in time
I am reflecting on the past
And it's a sweet dream.
And it's a pleasant memory
It was a quiet night
It was a peaceful evening
And I would be alright
And I would be content
If I could go on sleeping.
If I could continue to rest
But every morning'
But every daybreak
I wake up and worry
I awaken and feel anxious
What's gonna happen today.
What will occur today
You see it your way,
You perceive it from your perspective
And I see it mine,
And I perceive it from my viewpoint
But we both see it slippin' away.
But we both see it disappearing
You know, we always had each other, baby.
You know, we always had each other, my love.
I guess that wasn't enough.
I assume that wasn't sufficient.
Oh, but here in my heart
Oh, but internally
I give you the best of my love.
I offer you my best love
Oh, sweet darlin',
Oh, my dear
You get the best of my love.
You deserve my best love
Oh, sweet darlin',
Oh, my dear
You get the best of my love.
You deserve my best love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Glenn Frey, Don Henley, John Souther
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind