Music in their early period consisted of ambitious concept albums, but they are best known for their pop-influenced tracks such as "Dreamer", "Give a Little Bit"," Goodbye Stranger", and "The Logical Song", among others. Going for an arena-friendly sound in the 70s and 80s, they achieved the same sort of vibe as contemporaries Asia, Boston, Styx, and so on. The band's name was taken from W.H. Davies' 1908 novel The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp.
Their 'golden era' albums 'Crime of the Century' (1974) and 'Even in the Quietest Moments' (1977) were both notably produced by former Beatles producer Ken Scott. Their 1979 album 'Breakfast in America' also reached number one on the Billboard album charts (number three in the U.K. as well) and was certified platinum four times by the RIAA.
A more thorough Bio:
Supertramp are an English rock band formed in 1969 under the name Daddy before renaming themselves in early 1970. Though their music was initially categorised as progressive rock, they have since incorporated a combination of traditional rock, pop and art rock into their music. The band's work is marked by the songwriting of Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, the voice of Hodgson, and the use of Wurlitzer electric piano and saxophone in their songs.
While the band's early work was mainstream progressive rock, they would enjoy greater critical and commercial success when they incorporated more conventional and radio-friendly elements into their work in the mid-1970s, going on to sell more than 60 million albums. They reached their peak of commercial success with 1979's Breakfast in America, which has sold more than 20 million copies.
Though their albums were generally far more successful than their singles. Supertramp did enjoy a number of major hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including "Bloody Well Right", "Give a Little Bit", "The Logical Song", "Goodbye Stranger", "Take the Long Way Home", "Dreamer", "Breakfast in America", "It's Raining Again", and "Cannonball". The band attained significant popularity in the United States, Canada, Europe, South Africa and Australia. Since Hodgson's departure in 1983, founder Rick Davies has led the band by himself.
1969–72: Early years
In 1969 Stanley 'Sam' August Miesegaes, a Dutch millionaire, became disappointed with, then dropped, The Joint, the band he was financially supporting. He offered Swindon-born keyboardist Rick Davies, whose talent he felt had been "bogged down" by the group,an opportunity to form his own band, again with Miesegaes's financial backing. Davies assembled Roger Hodgson (bass and vocals), Richard Palmer (guitars), and Keith Baker (percussion) after placing an advertisement in the weekly music newspaper, Melody Maker.
Davies and Hodgson had radically different backgrounds and musical inspirations: Davies was working class and fiercely devoted to blues and jazz, while Hodgson had gone straight from private school to the music business and was fond of pop and psychedelia. Despite this, they hit it off during the auditions and began writing virtually all of their songs together, with Palmer as a third writer in the mix. Since none of the other band members was willing, Palmer penned all their lyrics.
The group initially dubbed themselves Daddy. Baker was almost immediately replaced by former stage actor Robert Millar, and after several months of rehearsal at a country house in West Hythe, Kent, the band flew to Munich for a series of concerts at the P. N. Club.One 10 minute performance there of "All Along The Watchtower" was filmed by Haro Senft (Supertramp Portrait 1970).The rehearsals had been less than productive, and their initial repertoire consisted of only four songs, two of which were covers.[15] To avoid confusion with the similarly named Daddy Longlegs,the band changed its name to "Supertramp", a moniker inspired by The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp by William Henry Davies.
Supertramp Mark II. L-R:
Roger Hodgson, Frank Farrell, Rick Davies, Kevin Currie, and Dave Winthrop.
Supertramp were one of the first groups to be signed to the UK branch of A&M Records and their first album, Supertramp, was released on 14 July 1970 in the UK and Canada (it would not be issued in the US until late 1977). Stylistically, the album was fairly typical of progressive rock of the era and Supertramp's sound bore obvious similarity to their British progressive rock predecessor Cressida.Despite receiving a good deal of critical praise, the album did not attract a large audience.
Dave Winthrop (flute and saxophone) joined the group after the release of the first record and soon after Supertramp performed at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival. The membership continued to change in the six months following the album's release; Palmer left the band due to personality conflicts with Davies and Hodgson, followed by Millar, who had suffered a nervous breakdown following a disastrous tour of Norway.
For the next album, Indelibly Stamped, released in June 1971 in both the UK and US, Frank Farrell (bass) and Kevin Currie (percussion) replaced Palmer and Millar, while Hodgson switched to guitar and Davies served as a second lead singer. With Palmer's departure, Hodgson and Davies wrote the lyrics for this and the band's subsequent albums. The record sold even less than their debut.[9] In the aftermath, all members gradually quit except Hodgson and Davies,[18] and Miesegaes withdrew his financial support in October 1972.
1973–78: Initial success and commercial breakthrough[edit]
A search for new members brought aboard Dougie Thomson (bass), who had done stand-in gigs with the band for almost a year before auditions resumed. In 1973, auditions restarted and introduced Bob Siebenberg (initially credited as Bob C. Benberg; drums & percussion) and John Helliwell (saxophone, other woodwinds, occasional keyboards, backing vocals), completing the line-up. Hodgson would also begin playing keyboards (particularly the Wurlitzer electric piano) in the band in addition to guitar.[18] This lineup of Supertramp would remain in place for the next ten years.
Meanwhile, the bond between Davies and Hodgson had begun weakening. In July 1972 Hodgson had tried LSD for the first time, and offered some to Davies, who declined. Writing to Miesegaes in November 1972, Hodgson described taking LSD as "the happiest day of my life" and expressed his anxiety that Davies would not take it. He would later describe this divergence in their experiences as the root of the rift between them. Over Supertramp's history, their relationship would be amicable but increasingly distant as their lifestyles and musical inclinations saw less and less overlap. Their songwriting partnership gradually dissolved; though all of Supertramp's songs would continue to be officially credited as "written by Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson", most of them were written by Davies or Hodgson individually.
Supertramp needed a hit record to continue working, and finally got one with Crime of the Century. Released in September 1974, it began the group's run of critical and commercial successes, hitting number 4 in Britain, number 38 in the USA, and number 1 in Canada. The album underlined its ambitiousness: Many of its songs were heavily orchestrated, and some even featured Davies and Hodgson singing in dialogue, such as the 1975 UK Top 20 single "Dreamer". US listeners preferred its B-side, "Bloody Well Right", which hit the US Top 40 in May 1975 and would be their only hit in the country for more than two years. Most of the band have said they feel they hit their artistic peak on this album,[citation needed] though their greatest commercial success would come later.
With a hit album under their belt, pressures on the band increased, and the followup Crisis? What Crisis? had to be recorded in the few months between two scheduled concert tours. As a consequence, most of the material consisted of leftover songs from Crime of the Century, and decades later the band would continue to regard the album as one of their worst moments.Despite Supertramp's own misgivings, the album was well received by critics, and when released in November 1975, it broke both the UK Top Twenty and the USA Top Fifty in spite of its singles all being commercial flops.
The following album, Even in the Quietest Moments..., released in April 1977, spawned a hit single with "Give a Little Bit" (no. 15 US, no. 29 UK). As usual, the popularity of the album itself eclipsed that of its singles, and Even in the Quietest Moments... hit no. 16 in the USA and no. 12 in the UK. During this period, the band eventually relocated to the United States.
1979–88: Superstardom
The band's switch to a more pop-oriented approach peaked with their most popular album, Breakfast in America, released in March 1979, which reached number 3 in the UK and number 1 in the United States and Canada and spawned four successful singles (more than their first five albums combined): "The Logical Song" (no. 6 U.S., no. 7 U.K.), "Goodbye Stranger" (no. 15 U.S., no. 57 U.K.), "Take the Long Way Home" (no. 10 U.S.), and "Breakfast in America" (no. 9 U.K.). In March 1979, the group embarked on a 10 month 120 date tour for Breakfast In America that required 52 tons of gear, 10 miles of cable, $5 million worth of equipment and a 40 man crew.[citation needed] The tour broke all previous concert attendance records in Europe and Canada. Upon this tour's conclusion, the exhausted band members decided to take a rest from touring and recording for a while, though the band remained ongoing.
This run of successes was capped with 1980's Paris, a 2-LP live album recorded mostly at the Pavillon de Paris.It broke the top ten in both the USA and UK. The live version of "Dreamer" was released as a single in the U.S., where it reached no.15, even though the studio version had failed to even chart there.
At this point, Hodgson moved his family from the Los Angeles area to the mountains of northern California where he built a home and studio and focused on his family and spiritual life, while recording a solo album, Sleeping with the Enemy, which would never be released. This geographic separation widened the rift between him and the rest of the group; during the conceptualization and recording of their next album, ...Famous Last Words..., Davies and Hodgson found far greater difficulty in reconciling their musical ideas than they had before, and it was apparent to the rest of the band that Hodgson wanted out....Famous Last Words... was released in 1982, and scored two more hits with "It's Raining Again" and "My Kind of Lady". It peaked at no.5 in the USA and no. 6 in the UK. A worldwide tour followed in 1983, during which Hodgson announced he would not be continuing with the band. Hodgson has stated that his departure was motivated by a desire to spend more time with his family and make solo recordings, and that there were never any real personal or professional problems between him and Davies, as some people thought
The Davies-led Supertramp soldiered on to continued success, releasing Brother Where You Bound in 1985. The album was a deliberate step away from the pop approach of their last two studio albums, and reached no. 20 in the UK charts and no. 21 in the US charts. It included the Top 30 hit single "Cannonball", along with the title track, a 16-minute exposition on Cold War themes highlighted by guitar solos from Pink Floyd's David Gilmour.
1987's Free as a Bird experimented in heavily synthesised music, such as "I'm Beggin' You", which reached number 1 on the US dance charts.The stylistic change was generally not well-received, however, and the album itself reached only no. 93 in the UK and 101 in the USA, breaking a streak of seven consecutive top 100 efforts on the American charts.
In addition to their shift towards less commercially-oriented material, the band members decided to drop all of Hodgson's compositions from their setlist in order to further establish an identity separate from Hodgson. However, audiences were angered by the omissions of these songs, and though Supertramp toured again in 1985 using only Davies's compositions, in 1988 the pressure of their first Brazilian tour drove them to reintroduce a handful of Hodgson-penned hits to their set.
After 1988's tour, the group fragmented. Davies later explained, "We'd been out there for about 20 years just recording and touring and it seemed time to have a break with no ideas as to if or when we would come back. We decided not to actually say anything, just sort of fade away like an old soldier."
1996–2009: Later years
In 1996 Davies re-formed Supertramp with Helliwell, Siebenberg and guitarist/vocalist Mark Hart, who was new to the official lineup but had prominently contributed to Free as a Bird and its supporting tour. Four new members were added as well, bringing the band up to an eight-man lineup.The result of this reunion was Some Things Never Change, an album that echoed the earlier Supertramp sound, released in March 1997. It reached no. 74 in the UK.
In the summer of 1997, Supertramp returned to the road, resulting in the live It Was the Best of Times (1999), followed by Slow Motion in April 2002 and a 2002 worldwide tour, after which the band went inactive once again. Another attempt to bring Hodgson back into the band failed in 2005.
Supertramp continued to play several Hodgson-penned songs during live shows following their reunion. Hodgson subsequently claimed that the band's explanation for dropping his compositions from their setlist back in 1983 is a lie, and that the real reason was that he and Davies made a verbal agreement that they would not play those songs. Davies has never publicly alluded to such an agreement, and former member Dougie Thomson has commented "Nobody except Rick and Roger were privy to that conversation. Rick and Roger had several dialogues that no one else was privy to. Again, that's hearsay."
In 2008 it was announced that Supertramp's music would be featured in the film adaptation of Irvine Welsh's best-selling novel Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance.In 2009 Hodgson said he could not see a Supertramp reunion ever happening: "We've looked at it and talked it over... I would never say never but Rick [Davies] has pretty much retired right now and I'm in the prime of my life. The reaction I am getting from fans is 'please don’t reunite'."
2010–present: Re-formation
Supertramp 2010. L-R: Cliff Hugo, Rick Davies, Bob Siebenberg, John Helliwell, Gabe Dixon, and Carl Verheyen
On 21 April 2010 it was announced that Supertramp would give 35 concerts in late 2010. Dates were announced for concerts in Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, France and other European countries. This tour called "70-10" was to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the group's first release.
Roger Hodgson embarked on a solo 2010 tour to Australia, New Zealand, South America, Europe, Canada, and the US, and thus was unable to rejoin the band for the 70-10 tour. However, in response to a fan campaign, Hodgson sent a letter to Rick Davies and had his manager send one to Davies' management, offering to join them for select dates during gaps in his tour schedule.Davies did not reply, but his agents notified Hodgson that his offer was declined.
In 2011 both Hodgson and Supertramp continued to tour separately. When asked whether Roger Hodgson might appear on some of the 2011 dates Davies replied, "I know there are some fans out there who would like that to happen. There was a time when I had hoped for that too. But the recent past makes that impossible. In order to play a great show for our fans, you need harmony, both musically and personally. Unfortunately that doesn’t exist between us any more and I would rather not destroy memories of more harmonious times between all of us.
Current members
Rick Davies – vocals, keyboards, harmonica, composition, melodica (1969–1988, 1996–2002, 2010–present)
Bob Siebenberg – drums, percussion (1973–1988, 1996–2002, 2010–present)
John Helliwell – woodwinds, keyboards, backing vocals (1973–1988, 1996–2002, 2010–present)
Carl Verheyen – guitars, percussion, backing vocals (1996–2002, 2010–present; touring musician: 1985-1986)
Cliff Hugo – bass (1996–2002, 2010–present)
Lee Thornburg – trombone, trumpet, keyboards, backing vocals (1996–2002, 2010–present)
Jesse Siebenberg – vocals, guitars, percussion (1997-2002, 2010-present), keyboards (2010–present)
Gabe Dixon – keyboards, tambourine, vocals (2010–present)
Discography
Supertramp (1970)
Indelibly Stamped (1971)
Crime of the Century (1974)
Crisis? What Crisis? (1975)
Even in the Quietest Moments... (1977)
Breakfast in America (1979)
...Famous Last Words... (1982)
Brother Where You Bound (1985)
Free as a Bird (1987)
Some Things Never Change (1997)
Slow Motion (2002)
Brother Where You Bound
Supertramp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it's so big and it's gonna burst
All you people with your heads in the ground
Hey brother, where you bound?
And they're no good and they're everywhere
Try to tell you, but you just don't care
Try to hear you but you don't make a sound
Hey brother, where you bound?
And you don't know what they're gonna do
And you don't know how they feel
And you don't know what they're tellin' you
Is it a lie or is it real
And the next thing that you know is
That they walk out on the deal
And the message that they're giving you
Is the same old alibi
If you don't quite see their point of view
Then they treat you like a spy
And the phone rings and you disappear
In the middle of the night
Can't you see they're on the move
Don't know what you're trying to prove
But you sit there oh so cool
Like they never broke no rules
And the cat flies and the crow walks
And the ghost dies and the sow talks
And they tell us that they'll be good as gold
Be...'lieve nothing that you're told
Hey brother, where's your soul?
Make a move in one direction
Try to make some compromise
But they greet you with rejection
Makin' out you're tellin' lies
Then they turn around and tell you
Better get down from the sky
For the sake of all that's holy
Listen good to what I say
I can feel them all around me
They could be here any day
But you act like you don't know me
Why d' you look at me that way
If there's one thing that is clear
We gotta get away from here
We've gotta leave this place
It's just a hopeless case
Ain't no one else to blame
We're gonna lose this game
Hey brother get off my back
I gotta tell you, you're way off the track
They got a hatred deep down inside
Ain't gonna let them take me alive
I'm gonna burn them down, just wait and see
Ain't gonna let them walk over me
Boy you ain't got no heart and soul
And your mind is weak and your blood's runnin' cold
You better move, you better hide
They're gettin' in, they're gettin' inside
If you get caught you better know
They're gonna reap, you're gonna sow
Don't be a fool, we gotta go
Ain't no place safe for us to stay
We better move on, we better move on
The lyrics of Supertramp's "Brother Where You Bound" reflect a sense of apprehension and paranoia, possibly about the political climate of the 1980s when the song was written. The "red cloud hanging over us" could represent the threat of nuclear war or some other catastrophic event that seemed imminent at the time. The lyrics also mention "they" or "them," who are described as being "no good" and "everywhere," indicating a sense of widespread corruption or malevolence.
The singer of the song is imploring his brother to take action and not bury his head in the sand or be complacent in the face of impending danger. The lyrics suggest that "they" may be manipulating the truth and that it is difficult to discern what is real or not. The singer also feels that he is being watched and that he risks retribution if he speaks out or tries to resist.
While the lyrics of "Brother Where You Bound" may have been inspired by a particular political situation or event, the song has a timeless quality to it that allows it to resonate with listeners even today. It speaks to a sense of unease and uncertainty that many people feel about the state of the world and the actions of those in power. With its haunting melody and powerful lyrics, "Brother Where You Bound" is a song that inspires reflection and deep thought.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a red cloud hanging over us
There is a sense of danger and foreboding that looms over us.
And it's so big and it's gonna burst
This danger is significant and imminent, and will soon come to a head.
All you people with your heads in the ground
Many people are oblivious to the danger and are not acknowledging it.
Hey brother, where you bound?
Where are you going or what are you doing to address this situation?
And they're no good and they're everywhere
These threatening forces are not good, and they are pervasive.
Try to tell you, but you just don't care
Even if someone were to warn people, many are apathetic and dismissive of the warning.
Try to hear you but you don't make a sound
Even if someone wanted to speak out, they may be hesitant or unable to do so.
Hey brother, where you bound?
Once again, what are you doing about this situation?
And you don't know what they're gonna do
Those who pose a threat are unpredictable and their actions are unforeseeable.
And you don't know how they feel
It is difficult to discern the motives and intentions of those who are a danger.
And you don't know what they're tellin' you
There is a lack of transparency and honesty in the communication from these threatening forces.
Is it a lie or is it real
It is unclear whether what is being said is true or false.
And the next thing that you know is
Suddenly, the situation will change abruptly.
That they walk out on the deal
Those who seem cooperative may suddenly walk away and abandon any agreements made.
And the message that they're giving you
What those who are a threat are saying to others.
Is the same old alibi
Their explanation for their actions is unoriginal and predictable.
If you don't quite see their point of view
If one does not agree with or understand the perspective of those who pose a threat.
Then they treat you like a spy
These threatening forces may treat those who do not conform as if they are enemies or spies.
And the phone rings and you disappear
Something sinister occurs and someone is suddenly gone or in danger.
In the middle of the night
This occurrence is unexpected and potentially dangerous.
Can't you see they're on the move
Those who are a threat are active and making moves towards something.
Don't know what you're trying to prove
Others may not understand or support one's actions to combat the threat.
But you sit there oh so cool
Despite the danger, some may try to remain calm or unaffected.
Like they never broke no rules
Those who pose a threat may act as if they have not violated any laws or standards.
And the cat flies and the crow walks
Strange things are happening that do not fit with the natural order.
And the ghost dies and the sow talks
Even more bizarre and unsettling events are happening.
And they tell us that they'll be good as gold
Those who are a threat may say they will cooperate or act in good faith.
Be...'lieve nothing that you're told
Despite what those who are a threat say, it is important to be skeptical about their motives and promises.
Hey brother, where's your soul?
What do you believe in and what are you willing to do about the situation?
Make a move in one direction
It is important to take action and make a decision.
Try to make some compromise
It may be necessary to find common ground or make concessions to move forward.
But they greet you with rejection
Those who pose a threat may refuse to work with others or show hostility towards them.
Makin' out you're tellin' lies
Others may accuse you of spreading falsehoods or not telling the truth.
Then they turn around and tell you
Those who pose a threat may say one thing but do another.
Better get down from the sky
It is important to stay grounded and remember what is important and achievable.
For the sake of all that's holy
Because of the importance and seriousness of the situation.
Listen good to what I say
It is crucial to pay attention to what is being communicated.
I can feel them all around me
The danger and threats are palpable and real.
They could be here any day
At any moment, the situation could escalate or become dire.
But you act like you don't know me
Despite the danger, others may not acknowledge or support those who are trying to address it.
Why d' you look at me that way
The lack of support or acknowledgement from others can be frustrating and hurtful.
If there's one thing that is clear
Despite the ambiguity and confusion, one thing is certain:
We gotta get away from here
It is imperative to remove oneself from the situation and find safety.
We've gotta leave this place
Wherever one is, it is unsafe and untenable.
It's just a hopeless case
The situation is dire and without a positive outcome.
Ain't no one else to blame
Despite any attempts to place responsibility on others, there is ultimately no one to blame but those who pose a threat.
We're gonna lose this game
Defeat is inevitable unless action is taken to address and combat the danger.
Hey brother get off my back
Stop hindering or obstructing my efforts to address the danger.
I gotta tell you, you're way off the track
Your perspective or actions are not helpful and are hindering progress.
They got a hatred deep down inside
Those who pose a threat have a deep-seated resentment and malice.
Ain't gonna let them take me alive
Some may be willing to fight back and resist being taken by those who pose a threat.
I'm gonna burn them down, just wait and see
Those who pose a threat will be defeated and punished for their actions.
Ain't gonna let them walk over me
Individuals will not be passive in the face of danger and will fight back.
Boy you ain't got no heart and soul
Those who pose a threat lack empathy and basic humanity.
And your mind is weak and your blood's runnin' cold
The people responsible for the danger lack courage or conviction.
You better move, you better hide
The situation is so dangerous that one must go into hiding and protect themselves.
They're gettin' in, they're gettin' inside
Despite attempts to protect oneself, those who pose a threat are finding their way in.
If you get caught you better know
If one is caught by those who pose a threat, there will be grave consequences.
They're gonna reap, you're gonna sow
The threats and dangers that individuals face are a result of their actions and decisions.
Don't be a fool, we gotta go
It is foolish to stay in the situation, and imperative to leave immediately.
Ain't no place safe for us to stay
Wherever one goes, there is danger and no guarantee of safety.
We better move on, we better move on
It is imperative to keep moving and escape the danger.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind