Chapman was originally the vocalist for Farinas, who released the single "You'd Better Stop" b/w "I Like It Like That" in August 1964. (However, lead vocals on that single were performed by Jim King.) He moved on to join The Roaring Sixties who were renamed Family in 1966. In 1967 the first single was released, "Scene Through The Eye of a Lens", something of a psychedelic classic. Chapman wrote most of Family's songs with Charlie Whitney and their debut album Music in a Doll's House was released in 1968. Their bluesy, experimental rock music gained them a reputation as a progressive underground band.
The release of Family Entertainment (1969), A Song for Me (1970) and Anyway (1970) established Family as a fast and loud rock band also capable of producing the most intense acoustic music, in the British underground music scene, at that time. Their single "The Weaver's Answer" from the Family Entertainment album was a hit in 1969. On 28 August 1970 they appeared at the third Isle of Wight Festival. Although the band was popular in UK and Europe, success in the US eluded them and in 1973 they broke up.[3]
Chapman formed Chapman-Whitney with Whitney, late in 1973. They signed to the Vertigo label and recorded an album Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers (1974), with a line-up including other members of Family and King Crimson, as well as future Iron Maiden member Nicko McBrain. Chapman and Whitney morphed their band into Streetwalkers, who were a polished album-oriented rock band who used more white soul than Family had. They released Downtown Flyers (1975), moving on to record the groove heavy album Red Card (1976)[4] which was released in the UK in 1976 and remains a much respected album by music fans and the music press.[5] Two more albums followed before the band broke up in 1977, ending eleven years of the Whitney-Chapman musical partnership.
In 1979 Chapman began a solo career and recorded his first solo album Chappo.[6] His backing band became known as The Shortlist at this time and he toured Europe extensively. Mike Oldfield's song "Shadow on the Wall" from the album Crises (1983) featured Chapman on vocals and became a hit.[7] He appeared as a guest artist on the second Box of Frogs album Strange Land (1986) singing lead vocals on two songs. Chapman went on to record Walking the Cat (1989) and Hybrid and Low Down (1990).
Since then Chapman has released eleven albums of new and live recordings. His album Hide Go Seek (2009) was produced by former Family bassist Jim Cregan and released during May 2009. His appearance on Saturday 21 August 2010 at the Rhythm Festival was billed as: "The farewell performance from Roger Chapman & The Shortlist". [8]
Holding On
Roger Chapman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Go to work, try to pick up again on the single life
How did I do it all then?
Now when the cold wind burns into your bones
It’s a sign to wish you weren’t so lonely
Yes the night time brings its own regret
Little things you can’t forget but keep holding on
But you tell yourself when the eagle flies
That you’ll be lost in someone else’s eyes
Who will help you sweep away the longing
For another heart that’s been and gone but keeps
Holding on yes and keeps holding on
And for a time out there your memory skims
To a wisp of hair blowing in the wind and keeps
Holding on – holding on
And it keeps holding on – holding
Well the whistle blows but you can’t return
To that haunted room where memories burn
So instead of home you head for town
For some hide-away to hang around and keep holding on
Yes and keep holding on
Maybe a flashing eye or some pretty face
Just one more beer might take the place of this
Holding on – holding on
And it keeps holding on – holding
Holding on – holding on
Holding on – holding
The lyrics of Roger Chapman's song "Holding On" convey the pain and loneliness that comes with trying to move on after a breakup. The singer reflects on how they used to be able to manage their life, but now they struggle with the weight of their memories. The cold wind is a reminder of their solitude, and the night brings regret and the nagging memory of the little things they can't forget. Despite this, they keep holding on. They tell themselves that they'll find someone else to help them sweep away the longing for their lost love. They remember fragments of their time together, like a wisp of hair blowing in the wind, and can't help but keep holding on.
The singer tries to distract themselves from their pain by going out and drinking, hoping that a flashing eye or pretty face will take the place of their lost love. But they can't return to the past, and instead, they find themselves in some hideaway, continuing to hold on. The song's melancholic tone and the repetition of the phrase "holding on" emphasize the singer's inability to let go of the past and move forward.
Overall, "Holding On" is a poignant reminder of the difficulty of dealing with heartbreak and the painful memories that come along with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Daylight comes easing the pain
The start of a new day brings some relief from the pain and heartache of the past
Go to work, try to pick up again on the single life
Even though it's tough, you try to move on with your life and focus on being single again
How did I do it all then?
Reflecting on the past and wondering how you managed to get through it all
Now when the cold wind burns into your bones
Feeling the bitter loneliness deep in your soul
It’s a sign to wish you weren’t so lonely
The loneliness is a painful reminder that you wish you had someone to share your life with
Yes the night time brings its own regret
The night brings with it regret and longing for what could have been
Little things you can’t forget but keep holding on
Small memories and moments are hard to let go of, but you keep holding on to them
But you tell yourself when the eagle flies
You try to convince yourself that someday you will find someone else to love
That you’ll be lost in someone else’s eyes
You hope that one day someone will love you and you will find yourself lost in their gaze
Who will help you sweep away the longing
You hope that someone will come along and help you forget the longing you feel for someone else
For another heart that’s been and gone but keeps
You still long for a heart that is no longer with you, even though it's gone
Holding on yes and keeps holding on
You still hold on to the hope that someday things will be different
And for a time out there your memory skims
Sometimes your mind drifts to the past and all the memories you shared with that person
To a wisp of hair blowing in the wind and keeps
Even something as simple as a strand of hair blowing in the wind can trigger a flood of memories
Holding on – holding on
You still hold on to hope and hold on to the memory of that person
Well the whistle blows but you can’t return
Time keeps moving forward and you can't go back to the past
To that haunted room where memories burn
You can't go back to the place where you shared so many memories with that person
So instead of home you head for town
You try to distract yourself and go out into the world instead of sitting at home with your memories
For some hide-away to hang around and keep holding on
You keep searching for a way to distract yourself and keep holding on to hope
Maybe a flashing eye or some pretty face
You hope that someone else can catch your attention and take your mind off the past
Just one more beer might take the place of this
You turn to alcohol to numb the pain and distract yourself from the longing you feel
Holding on – holding on
You still hold on to hope and the memory of that person
And it keeps holding on – holding
The memory and hope continue to linger and hold on within you
Holding on – holding on
You still hold on to hope and the memory of that person
Holding on – holding
The hope and memory hold on tightly within you
Contributed by Kennedy H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@paulroberts1000
A great man from a great band singing a great song.... thank you.....
@joereney1
A unique voice that deservedly has a place in the history of music.
@WILSON42258
perhaps not the singer he once was, but his humanity and stage presence more than compensate for a few vocal issues, and haven't we all changed, anyway? RESPECT to this great man and writer
@jamesmcfarlane2382
He has kept going.
Amazing performer.
Some the videos on YouTube are a riveting watch.Utterly unique performer.
My favourites are Habits of a lifetime and The shape of things.
Great songs
@paulbrown6763
Memories come flooding back of Family in 1972 and this, their best track in my opinion. Fantastic video, many thanks for posting, superb!
@anniemac3075
Love this man, Roger Chapman singing my all out favourite song from the happier 70's before the World went to blazes. Thank you Roger xx
@paulroberts5677
Family were THE band that gave so much to me in my formative years. Can't think of another band I have enjoyed so much. Thanks.
@MarcoPolo-gb3su
Same for me
@anniemac3075
Me too, loved them then & still love the music now.
@magicofchristmas1
Yes he is the singer he was!!!!!!