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)
What Do You Want Me to Do
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I tried to do what people say
but I was going nowhere fast
And now I'm turning to you at last
[Chorus]
What do you want me to do
What so you want me to do
I can see the lights of home
But I can't get there on my own
I can see the landing strip
But I need you to guide my ship
[Chorus]
I've been a fool and I've been a clown
I've let the enemy turn me around
I've wasted love and I've wasted time
I've been proud and I've been blind
There's such a lot of things to change
A whole world to arrange
And if you show me how
I'll begin right now
[Chorus]
What do you want me to do, Lord
What do you want me to do, Lord
"Cause I'm listenin'
I'm listenin'
Lord, I'm listenin'
I'm listenin'
The lyrics to Rod Stewart's song 'What Do You Want Me To Do?' express a sense of desperation and acknowledgement of failure. The first verse talks about the persona trying to follow conventional wisdom and failing. They admit that their personal efforts have brought them nowhere fast, causing them to turn to a higher power for guidance. The chorus then emphasizes their plea to understand what is required of them to improve their situation. They repeat the refrain "What do you want me to do, Lord?" several times as they seek direction, assistance, and clarity.
The second verse continues with the metaphorical language, where they can see their destination, but they acknowledge their inability to get there without help. They need someone to guide them on their journey, as they are lost and incapable of getting there by themselves. The next stanza reflects on the persona's shortcomings and missteps in life, with a sense of regret for their choices. Finally, they acknowledge the vast changes that need to take place in their life, but express their willingness to start anew and listen to any guidance offered to them.
Overall, the lyrics of 'What Do You Want Me To Do?' offer a sense of humility and acknowledgement of one's limitations. The persona recognizes their failures and is willing to accept guidance to change their course.
Line by Line Meaning
I tried to do the things in my own way
I attempted to handle things on my own.
I tried to do what people say
I attempted to do what others suggested.
but I was going nowhere fast
But I was not improving, and fast.
And now I'm turning to you at last
So, now I’m finally turning to you.
What do you want me to do
What would you like me to do?
What so you want me to do
What exactly would you like me to do?
What do you want me to do, Lord
What would you like me to do, Lord?
I can see the lights of home
I can feel that I’m getting closer to home.
But I can't get there on my own
But I cannot accomplish that alone.
I can see the landing strip
I recognize the end-goal is within reach.
But I need you to guide my ship
But I need you to help me navigate there.
I've been a fool and I've been a clown
I have acted foolishly and ignorantly.
I've let the enemy turn me around
I have allowed myself to be swayed by the adversary.
I've wasted love and I've wasted time
I’ve wasted affection and time unnecessarily.
I've been proud and I've been blind
I’ve been hasty and overlook my shortcomings.
There's such a lot of things to change
So many things need to be different.
A whole world to arrange
There is a lot to accomplish and fix.
And if you show me how
If you can demonstrate how to alter things for the better,
I'll begin right now
I will start right away.
Cause I'm listenin'
Because I'm paying close attention.
Lord, I'm listenin'
Lord, I'm completely focused.
I'm listenin'
I'm all ears.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anastasija Butolina
Красавчик...!!! Во все времена...!!! Вечно молодой...!!! Супер....!!! Класс...!!!
Dylan Suppiah
Beautiful! It's just where I am now!
Maria Ferreira
FATIMA FERREIRA ,FANZAÇA DE ROD STEWART, SIMPLESMENTE DE MAIS DE MAIS ROMÂNTICO SEX E ÚNICO 🎶🎵🎼🎼🎼🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸❤❤❤❤
ELLEON1959
great song!
Paul Greenway
'I've been a fool, I've wasted love, and I've wasted time, I've been proud and I've been blind, What do want me to do :( says it all really!!!
H Yadav
great cover
michelle 2003
@trippinflags I have a few Waterboys albums too. Great song though. There's a lot of their songs I'm surprised other artists haven't covered.
trippinflags
@michelle 2003 The Waterboys lead man Mike Scott.
michelle 2003
I thought it was a Rod song. Who sang it first?
Jennie f
Super !