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)
Young Turks
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He said somehow, some way, it's gotta get better than this
Patti packed her bags, left a note for her mama, she was just seventeen
There were tears in her eyes when she kissed her little sister goodbye
They held each other tight as they drove on through the night, they were so excited
We got but one shot at life, let's take it while we're still not afraid
Because life is so brief and time is a thief when you're undecided
Young hearts be free tonight
Time is on your side
Don't let 'em put you down, don't let 'em push you around
Don't let 'em ever change your point of view
Paradise was closed so they headed for the coast in a blissful manner
They took a two room apartment that was jumping every night of the week
Happiness was found in each other's arms as expected, yeah
Billy pierced his ears, drove a pickup like a lunatic, ooh
Young hearts be free tonight
Time is on your side
Don't let 'em put you down, don't let 'em push you around
Don't let 'em ever change your point of view
Come on Billy
Woo
Young heart, be free tonight
Time is on, on your side
Billy wrote a letter back home to Patti's parents tryin' to explain
He said we're both real sorry that it had to turn out this way
But there ain't no point in talking when there's nobody listening, so we just ran away
Patti gave birth to a ten pound baby boy, yeah
Young hearts be free tonight
Time is on your side
Young hearts be free tonight
Time is on your side
Young hearts be free tonight
Time in on your side
Young hearts gotta run free, be free, live free
Time is on, time is on your side
Time, time, time, time is on your side
Is on your side, is on your side
Young heart be free tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight, yeah
Ooh, ooh, ooh
The lyrics to Rod Stewart's song Young Turks tell the story of two young lovers, Billy and Patti, who leave their homes to start a new life together. Though they don't have much money or direction, they are full of hope and excitement for what the future holds. The first verse chronicles their departure, with Billy dreaming of a better life, and Patti saying goodbye tearfully to her family. Despite the uncertainty of their situation, they hold onto each other and their dreams.
In the chorus, Rod Stewart encourages young hearts to be free and not be held down or discouraged by others. He acknowledges that time is both fleeting and precious, and urges them to make the most of it while they can. The second verse paints a picture of their new life, living in a small apartment and embracing their youth and newfound freedom. Billy even pierces his ears and drives a pickup like a "lunatic", reveling in his newfound independence. The song ends with a bittersweet note, as Billy writes a letter to Patti's parents explaining their situation, and Patti gives birth to their child.
Overall, Young Turks is an ode to young love and youthful optimism, and the desire to grab life by the horns and live it to the fullest. It's a reminder to not let others influence your decisions or outlook on life, and to always hold onto your dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Billy left his home with a dollar in his pocket and a head full of dreams
Billy left his home with a meager amount of money and a lot of aspirations
He said somehow, some way, it's gotta get better than this
Billy was optimistic about the future, hoping for a better life
Patti packed her bags, left a note for her mama, she was just seventeen
Patti, a seventeen-year-old girl, left home with a note for her mother
There were tears in her eyes when she kissed her little sister goodbye
Patti was sad to leave her younger sister behind and shed tears while bidding her farewell
They held each other tight as they drove on through the night, they were so excited
Billy and Patti were thrilled about starting a new life and held each other tightly during their journey
We got but one shot at life, let's take it while we're still not afraid
Billy believed that life was short and advised Patti to make the most of it while they were still young and fearless
Because life is so brief and time is a thief when you're undecided
Billy realized that life could be fleeting, and indecisiveness could make a person lose out on it
And like a fistful of sand, it can slip right through your hands
Life can be slippery, and if one is not careful, it can fade away effortlessly
Young hearts be free tonight
Billy implored the young generation to be unshackled and carefree
Time is on your side
They have plenty of time to enjoy and live their life to the fullest
Don't let 'em put you down, don't let 'em push you around
Billy advised the youngsters not to allow others to belittle or control them
Don't let 'em ever change your point of view
Billy advised not to give in to others' opinions and maintain their own unique perspective
Paradise was closed so they headed for the coast in a blissful manner
Billy and Patti went to the coast because their original plan of going to paradise didn't materialize.
They took a two-room apartment that was jumping every night of the week
Billy and Patti rented a vibrant two-room apartment that was lively throughout the week
Happiness was found in each other's arms as expected, yeah
Billy and Patti found happiness in each other's company, as anticipated
Billy pierced his ears, drove a pickup like a lunatic, ooh
Billy made some strange choices, such as piercing his ears and driving recklessly
Come on Billy
Someone is encouraging Billy to do something exciting or fun
Billy wrote a letter back home to Patti's parents trying to explain
Billy wrote a letter to Patti's parents, attempting to clarify their actions and reasons behind their departure
He said we're both real sorry that it had to turn out this way
Billy expressed remorse for the negative turn of events as he penned the letter
But there ain't no point in talking when there's nobody listening, so we just ran away
Billy came to a realization that nobody would understand or hear their explanation, so they chose to run away
Patti gave birth to a ten-pound baby boy, yeah
Patti delivered a ten-pound baby boy
Young hearts gotta run free, be free, live free
Billy conveyed that the youth should run with their heart, be liberated and live life to the fullest
Time is on, time is on your side
Billy reiterates that there's still plenty of time for the youngsters to cherish their freedom and time is still on their side
Time, time, time, time is on your side
Billy emphasizes that the prime of their lives lies ahead of them, and they should make the most of their youth
Is on your side, is on your side
Billy reassures that the abundant time is still at the youth's disposal
Young heart be free tonight
Billy stresses that the youth should feel free to live their life as they want tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight, yeah
The word 'tonight' is repeated several times, accentuating living the moment with complete freedom and zest.
Ooh, ooh, ooh
A melody to provide a musical finish to the song.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Rod Stewart, Duane Hitchings, Kevin Savigar, Carmine Appice Jr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind