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)
Till There Was You
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No, I never heard them at all 'til there was you
There were birds in the sky but I never saw them winging
No, I never saw them at all 'til there was you
Then there was music and wonderful roses
They tell me in sweet fragrant meadows of dawn and dew
No I never heard it at all 'til there was you
Then there was music and wonderful roses
They tell me in sweet fragrant meadows of dawn and dew
There was love all around but I never heard it singing
No, I never heard it at all 'til there was you
In the first two lines of the lyrics, Rod Stewart describes a lack of attentiveness to the beauty and harmony that surround him: the bells on a hill and the birds in the sky. He confesses that he never paid attention to their presence until he encountered someone special, referred to as "you." This implies that the person he is singing to has brought a newfound awareness and appreciation for the world around him.
As the song progresses, Stewart introduces the idea of music and roses, which represent elements of romance and beauty. He suggests that these things were always present, but he never truly noticed or appreciated them until "you" came into his life. This further emphasizes the transformative effect this person has had on his perception and emotional experience.
In the second repetition of the chorus, Stewart emphasizes the presence of love that was previously unnoticed. He admits that, prior to meeting "you," he never truly heard love singing or recognized it in his surroundings. Love, like the bells and birds, was always there, but it took the presence of this special person to make him truly aware of it.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of awakening and newfound appreciation. They describe how meeting someone significant can open one's eyes to the beauty, music, and love that may have gone unnoticed before. This interpretation suggests that the presence of this person has brought joy, meaning, and a profound sense of harmony into the singer's life.
Line by Line Meaning
There were bells on a hill but I never heard them ringing
I was oblivious to the pleasant sounds of the bells atop the hill
No, I never heard them at all 'til there was you
It was only when you came into my life that I started perceiving their beautiful chimes
There were birds in the sky but I never saw them winging
I failed to notice the graceful flight of the birds in the sky
No, I never saw them at all 'til there was you
It was only when you entered my world that I began witnessing their soaring elegance
Then there was music and wonderful roses
At that moment, music filled the air and enchanting roses appeared
They tell me in sweet fragrant meadows of dawn and dew
In the idyllic meadows at daybreak, the flowers and nature here vividly express the tale to me
There was love all around but I never heard it singing
Although love surrounded me, its harmonious melodies remained unheard
No I never heard it at all 'til there was you
It was not until you came into my life that I became aware of love's lyrical tunes
Then there was music and wonderful roses
At that moment, music once again resounded and exquisite roses bloomed
They tell me in sweet fragrant meadows of dawn and dew
In the serene meadows filled with the scent of morning and dew, they unfold their story to me
There was love all around but I never heard it singing
Though love encompassed everything, its captivating melodies remained beyond my perception
No, I never heard it at all 'til there was you
It was solely through your presence that love's enchanting tunes became audible to me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Meredith Wilson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind