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)
Why Does It Go On
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[B side of Columbia DB 7766, 1965]
You know it ain't right to beat a man when he's down
Know it ain't right to eat when the hunger's around
It keeps on worryin' me, as all around I see
And still it goes on
Why does it go on ?
You know it ain't right to take another man's life
You know it ain't right to take another man's wife
Keeps gettin' through to me, as everywhere I see
Why does it go on ?
Why does it go on ?
Why does it go on ?
They don't want love today
It's headin' all the way
They'll burn your book and pencil boy
Throw your mind away
A man don't steal, but has to work for his pay
(let me tell you one thing)
A poker man deals from the top when he plays
But all good things we take
We don't build, we just break
Why does it go on ?
Why does it go on ?
Why does it go on ?
They don't want love today
It's headin' all the way
They'll burn your book and pencil boy
Throw your mind away
A man don't steal, but has to work for his pay
(let me tell you one thing)
A poker man deals from the top when he plays
But all good things we take
We don't build, we just break
Why does it go on ?
Why does it go on ?
Why does it go on ? yeah
The lyrics to Rod Stewart's "Why Does It Go On" are a commentary on the social injustices and cultural decay that the songwriter observes around him. The first verse addresses the issue of oppression, and the rhyme "beat a man when he's down" with "eat when the hunger's around" creates a vivid contrast between excess and deprivation. The second verse deals with more personal matters, condemning the act of taking another man's life or wife. This verse also features the poignant line, "They don't want love today," which could be interpreted as a cynical response to the turmoil of the times.
Throughout the song, the recurring question, "Why does it go on?" suggests a sense of helplessness in the face of these problems. The repetition of the phrase underscores the feeling of frustration and hopelessness, and suggests that even though the songwriter cannot answer this question, he knows that there needs to be change. The final lines of the song offer a stark contrast to the rest of the lyrics, listing off positive virtues such as hard work and fair play, but ultimately noting that it is destruction, not creation, that society prioritizes.
Overall, "Why Does It Go On" is a powerful critique of society's ills, expressed with both melancholy and anger. The lyrics indict a world that perpetuates violence, inequality, and greed. The chorus poses an unanswerable question, highlighting both the futility and the necessity of working towards a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
You know it ain't right to beat a man when he's down
It's never fair to kick someone when they're already down.
Know it ain't right to eat when the hunger's around
It's not okay to ignore the hunger of someone who needs food.
Keeps on worryin' me, as all around I see
This issue continues to concern me, as it seems to be everywhere I look.
And still it goes on
Despite our knowledge that these injustices are not right, they continue to happen.
Why does it go on ?
The artist questions why these wrongs keep happening in the world.
You know it ain't right to take another man's life
It's never acceptable to take someone else's life.
You know it ain't right to take another man's wife
Stealing a spouse from someone is also wrong.
Keeps gettin' through to me, as everywhere I see
The artist continues to be affected by these wrongs, as they are everywhere they look.
They don't want love today
People are not interested in love today.
It's headin' all the way
This trend is getting more and more prevalent.
They'll burn your book and pencil boy
People can become violent and destructive, taking away someone's ability to learn and create.
Throw your mind away
People will discourage you from thinking freely and creatively, potentially leading to a loss of mental sharpness.
A man don't steal, but has to work for his pay
A man should work to earn their pay, rather than resorting to stealing.
A poker man deals from the top when he plays
Even in games, some people cheat their way to the top by deceptive practices.
But all good things we take
People often take all the good things in life, without building up new things of their own.
We don't build, we just break
Instead of creating something new and good, people tend to have a destructive influence on things that already exist.
Why does it go on ? Yeah
The artist continues to question why these injustices continue, and expresses frustration.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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