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)
Tora
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been workin' all week tryin' to pay for this gear
Gonna raise hell on Union Street
Thirteen guys and a packet of three
And if I don't get laid I'll sure die tryin'
Tonight this city's gonna be all mine
I want to talk about motorbikes, cars and things
I'm no angel, but I know what I like
A little rough and tumble on a Friday night
I'm like a cornered rat, I gotta explode
Goodbye baby don't know when I'll be home
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys tonight
By eleven o'clock I'll be flyin' high
Ain't nothing in the world that I won't try
Jimmy got smashed, took his trousers off
Barman said, You boys have had enough. Join the army, get yourself a decent job
Indecent exposure in a parking lot
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys tonight
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys tonight
Bundle on the dance floor, a jaw got bust
Swear to God that it wasn't one of us
A seven foot bouncer called the police
We got pulled in for disturbing the peace
Well if you can't take a joke
Then there ain't no point in living
Sunday morning I woke up laughin'
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys tonight
What d' you say
Tora, Tora, Tora, where's my old man
Tora, Tora, Tora, where's my old man
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys tonight
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys tonight
Playing fast, ain't it
The lyrics of Rod Stewart's song "Tora Tora Tora" depict a group of men heading out for a wild night on the town. It's payday Friday and the weekend's here, and they plan to relieve the stress of the week by letting loose. They talk about bikes, cars, and things - simple pleasures that bring them joy. They don't care about designer clothes or sophistication. They just want to have a little fun and blow off some steam. The lyrics describe the kind of night where anything goes, and the boys are determined to make it a memorable one.
The chorus of the song, "Tora Tora Tora," refers to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. This is an interesting reference because the attack took place on a Sunday morning, and the song's lyrics mention waking up on Sunday morning and laughing. The use of this historical event in a song about a wild night out is unexpected and adds an element of surprise.
The song's lyrics also touch on themes of rebellion and defiance. The singer talks about feeling like a cornered rat and needing to explode. He's not interested in conforming to society's expectations or living a conventional life. Instead, he wants to live life on his terms and have a good time with his friends.
Overall, "Tora Tora Tora" is a fun, upbeat song that celebrates the joys of youth and living in the moment. It's a classic example of Rod Stewart's signature style, blending rock and roll with a touch of soul and a pinch of rebellion.
Line by Line Meaning
Payday Friday and the weekend's here
It's the end of the week and the singer has some money to spend.
I've been workin' all week tryin' to pay for this gear
The singer has been working hard all week to pay for his hobbies and interests.
Gonna raise hell on Union Street
The singer is going out to have a wild time with his friends on Union Street.
Thirteen guys and a packet of three
The singer and his group of friends are ready to hit the town and have some fun.
And if I don't get laid I'll sure die tryin'
The singer wants to have sex tonight and he is willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.
Tonight this city's gonna be all mine
The singer is excited to go out and have a good time in the city with his friends.
I want to talk about motorbikes, cars and things
The singer wants to have a conversation about his interests in cars and motorbikes.
No sophistication or designer jeans
The singer is not interested in fancy clothes or expensive fashion.
I'm no angel, but I know what I like
The singer is not perfect, but he knows what he wants and what makes him happy.
A little rough and tumble on a Friday night
The singer is looking forward to having a wild and adventurous night out with his friends.
I'm like a cornered rat, I gotta explode
The singer feels like he needs to let loose and have some fun.
Goodbye baby don't know when I'll be home
The singer is not sure when he will be back home after his night out with his friends.
By eleven o'clock I'll be flyin' high
The singer plans on getting drunk and high by eleven o'clock.
Ain't nothing in the world that I won't try
The singer is willing to try anything and everything tonight.
Jimmy got smashed, took his trousers off
One of the singer's friends got drunk and took his pants off.
Barman said, You boys have had enough. Join the army, get yourself a decent job
The bartender tells the singer and his friends to stop drinking and get a proper job.
Indecent exposure in a parking lot
One of the singer's friends exposed himself in public.
Bundle on the dance floor, a jaw got bust
There was a fight on the dance floor and someone got punched in the face.
Swear to God that it wasn't one of us
The singer and his friends did not start the fight.
A seven foot bouncer called the police
The bouncer called the police to come and break up the fight.
We got pulled in for disturbing the peace
The singer and his friends were arrested for causing a disturbance.
Well if you can't take a joke
The singer feels that the situation was blown out of proportion and the arresting officers have no sense of humor.
Then there ain't no point in living
The singer is being sarcastic and implies that life is not worth living if you can't have any fun.
Sunday morning I woke up laughin'
Despite the trouble the singer and his friends got into, he woke up on Sunday morning in a good mood and still able to laugh about the previous night's events.
What d' you say
The singer is trying to get someone's attention and get them to listen to him.
Tora, Tora, Tora, where's my old man
The singer is repeating a phrase he heard in a movie about a military attack and asking where his father is.
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys
The singer is using the phrase from the movie as a rallying cry for him and his friends to go out and have a good time.
Tora, Tora, Tora, out with the boys tonight
The singer is excited to go out with his friends and have a wild night on the town.
Playing fast, ain't it
The singer is excited about the fast and wild lifestyle he and his friends are living, but he acknowledges that it is dangerous and risky.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ROD STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind