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)
Twistin' The Night Away
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the people are so gay, twistin' the night away
Here they have a lot of fun, puttin' trouble on the run
Oh man you'll find the old and young twistin' the night away
Here's a man in evening clothes, how he got here I don't know
But oh man, you ought to see him go, twistin' the night away
He's dancing with a chick in slacks, she's moving up and back
Feel much better
Here's a fellow in blue jeans, who's dancing with an older queen
Dolled up in her diamond rings, twistin' the night away
Man you ought to see her go, twistin' to the rock and roll
Here you'll find the young and the old twistin' the night away
They're twistin', twistin', everybody's doing great
They're twistin' man, twistin', they're twistin' the night away
Twistin', you know they're twistin', twistin' the night away
They're twistin', twistin', man twistin' the night away
Here they have a lot of fun, puttin' trouble on the run
Oh man you'll find young and the old twistin' the night away
Here's a man in evening clothes, how he got here I don't know
I don't know but man you ought to see him go
Twistin' the night away
In "Twistin' the Night Away," Rod Stewart tells a story about a place somewhere in New York state where people of all ages gather to twist and have fun. The song's title and chorus speak to the upbeat, frenzied dance move that was popular in the early 1960s. The first verse describes the scene at this location—a place where everyone is enjoying themselves, and their troubles are left behind while they twist the night away. The second verse describes two dancers at the party: a man dressed in evening clothes and a woman in slacks. The third verse introduces another couple: an older woman in diamond rings and a man in blue jeans. The song's lyrics emphasize that everyone is welcome to join the fun, regardless of age, status, or style.
As a pop standard, "Twistin' the Night Away" showcases Stewart's unique vocal style, which marries smooth crooning with a raspy edge. The song's catchy melody, upbeat tempo, and joyful lyrics make it a crowd favorite and a classic of its era.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me tell you about a place, somewhere up in New York way
I want to talk to you about a location up in New York that has a reputation for being a fun and lively place.
Where the people are so gay, twistin' the night away
The people in this place are very happy and joyful, dancing and enjoying themselves all night long.
Here they have a lot of fun, puttin' trouble on the run
This place is known for being a fun and carefree environment where people can forget about their problems and just enjoy themselves.
Oh man you'll find the old and young twistin' the night away
People of all ages come to this place to dance and have a good time, and it's a great way for different generations to come together and have fun.
Here's a man in evening clothes, how he got here I don't know
There's a guy here dressed up in formal clothes, and I don't know how he ended up at this lively dance party.
But oh man, you ought to see him go, twistin' the night away
Despite being dressed up, this guy can really dance and has a great time twisting and moving to the music all night long.
He's dancing with a chick in slacks, she's moving up and back
He's dancing with a woman who's dressed more casually, but she's just as skilled a dancer as he is.
Oh man, there ain't nothing like twistin' the night away
There's no better feeling than getting lost in the music and dancing your cares away all night long.
Here's a fellow in blue jeans, who's dancing with an older queen
There's another guy here who's wearing blue jeans and dancing with an older woman who's still got some moves.
Dolled up in her diamond rings, twistin' the night away
This woman may be older, but she's still wearing lots of jewelry and dancing just as hard as everyone else.
Man you ought to see her go, twistin' to the rock and roll
She's really impressive, dancing to the beat of the rock and roll music with real energy and enthusiasm.
They're twistin', twistin', everybody's doing great
Everyone here is twisting and moving to the music with great skill and enthusiasm, and it's a really fun and exciting atmosphere.
They're twistin' man, twistin', they're twistin' the night away
Everyone is dancing and having fun, and they're doing it all night long without any signs of stopping or slowing down.
Twistin', you know they're twistin', twistin' the night away
People are dancing and moving non-stop to the music, and it's a really lively and enjoyable environment.
They're twistin', twistin', man twistin' the night away
Everyone is twisting and moving their bodies to the beat of the music, and it's a really exhilarating and exciting experience.
Here they have a lot of fun, puttin' trouble on the run
Once again, this place is known for being a really fun and carefree environment where people can forget about their problems and just dance and enjoy themselves.
Oh man you'll find young and the old twistin' the night away
People of all ages, from young to old, come to this place to dance and have fun, and it's a great way for different age groups to socialize and enjoy themselves together.
Here's a man in evening clothes, how he got here I don't know
Once again, there's a well-dressed gentleman here who's really getting into the dance party, despite his formal attire.
I don't know but man you ought to see him go
I'm not sure how this guy ended up here, but he's really letting loose and having a great time twisting and dancing to the music.
Twistin' the night away
Overall, this song is all about the joy and excitement of getting lost in the music and dancing the night away, and these lyrics really capture the spirit of that experience.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Sam Cooke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gordon Love
love this song - rod stewart is fantastic
thevoid99
"innerspace", one of the most underrated movies of the 1980s... and of all-time. it's really funny.
holdynb
LOVE THIS SONG!
CrazyMazapan
The 1972 version was nice but this 80s version is my favorite. He recorded it for the movie "Innerspace" and included it in his Storyteller album.
KimberlyR
LOVE this song! It's just so fun!
Meo Buchs
I love this version :-)
pkfireflies
Love Rod! Great Song!
ENLIGHTENMENTING
Thanks Rod, for remember me my early years in the 80's. Your voice is the british pop!
Juanchi
Martin Short is such a great actor!
PharaohHazard
This actually isn't a bad cover:)