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)
When I Need You
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just close my eyes and I'm with you
And all that I so want to give you
It's only a heart beat away
When I need love
I hold out my hand and I touch love
I never knew there was so much love
Miles and miles of empty space in between us
A telephone can't take the place of your smile
But you know I won't be traveling forever
It's cold out but hold out and do like I do
When I need you
I just close my eyes and I'm with you
And all that I so want to give you baby
It's only a heart beat away
It's not easy when the road is your driver
Honey that's a heavy load that we bear
But you know I won't be traveling a lifetime
It's cold out so hold out and do like I do
When I need you
When I need love
I hold out my hands and I touch love
I never knew there was so much love
keeping me warm night and day
When I need you
I close my eyes
I hold out my hand and I've got you darlin'
It's only a heart beat away
Now listen
When I need you darlin'
I hold you, feel ya
Give it to me baby
And I miss ya baby
Just close my eyes and I'm with you
And I need you tonight
You know it's only a heart beat away
The lyrics to Rod Stewart's song When I Need You seem to describe the intensity of the singer's longing for love and companionship. The song evokes feelings of yearning, desperation, and hopefulness all at once. There is an overwhelming sense of distance between the two lovers, and the singer seems to be able to bridge that distance only through the power of imagination and the tenderness of a heartbeat. This is evident in the lines "When I need you, I just close my eyes and I'm with you, And all that I so want to give you, It's only a heartbeat away."
The singer also acknowledges the challenges of being separated from the one they love, the feeling of loneliness, and the weight of the responsibility they both have to make their love work. They recognize that a phone call or mere words cannot take the place of physical proximity and the warmth of a smile. The lines "Miles and miles of empty space in between us, A telephone can't take the place of your smile" articulate this sense of separation and the limitations communication in the absence of physical touch.
The song ends on a hopeful note, emphasizing the idea that love can overcome distance and that the power of imagination and the intensity of feeling can bridge that distance. The singer assures the listener that he will always be there for them, even if only in spirit. The lines "And I miss ya baby, Just close my eyes and I'm with you, And I need you tonight, You know it's only a heartbeat away" convey a sense of longing and sincerity that leave the listener with a deep appreciation for the power of human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
When I need you
Expressing the feeling of missing someone and longing for their presence.
I just close my eyes and I'm with you
Reminiscing the memories of the person and feeling their presence around even without physically being there.
And all that I so want to give you
The desire to give everything possible to the person being missed.
It's only a heart beat away
Stating that the person is very close and can be reached easily.
When I need love
Expressing the need for affection and care from the person being missed.
I hold out my hand and I touch love
Imagining the feeling of touching the person and feeling the love that they give.
I never knew there was so much love
Realization of the depth of love that the missed person provides and how much it is needed.
Keeping me warm night and day
Indicating how the love of the person being missed provides warmth and comfort in all situations.
Miles and miles of empty space in between us
Highlighting the long distance between the person and the one being missed.
A telephone can't take the place of your smile
Emphasizing the fact that nothing can replace the happiness brought by being physically present with the person.
But you know I won't be traveling forever
Assuring the person that the separation is temporary and they will eventually be reunited.
It's cold out but hold out and do like I do
Encouraging the person to be strong and hold on despite the difficulties of the situation.
It's not easy when the road is your driver
Describing the challenges of a long-distance relationship and the responsibilities that must be borne.
Honey that's a heavy load that we bear
Acknowledging how much effort and sacrifice is needed to maintain the relationship.
When I need you darlin'
Repeating the chorus to emphasize the need for the person being missed.
I hold you, feel ya
Visualizing the sensation of holding and feeling the person being missed.
Give it to me baby
Expressing the desire for the person's love, affection, and presence.
And I miss ya baby
Recalling the feeling of longing for the person being missed.
You know it's only a heart beat away
Repeated reminder that the person is very close and always attainable.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Albert Hammond, Carole Bayer Sager
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind