A talented singer and bass guitarist, trained in classical piano and percussion, she joined her sisters in the 60s Detroit garage rock group The Pleasure Seekers whilst still in her teens and never looked back. By the early 70s, Suzi went off to England to work with producer Mickie Most, while her sister Patti joined the all-woman rock band Fanny. An underground following spread around Suzi's charisma and powerful singing.
Suzi found herself singing the material of songwriting duo Chinn & Chapman, musicians who were also having hits with Sweet. Combining shades of bubblegum pop with a hard rock spirit, similar to the power pop ethos of the era, Suzi embraced the glam sound. Under their tutelage, she had four top ten rock hits in the U.K., but she remained mostly unknown in the U.S.
However, her U.K. fame expanded through the 70s, with Suzi becoming a successful solo singer, bassist, and songwriter with a string of charting hits. Her appeal extended into the 80s while many of her contempoaries broke up. Notable songs of his period include "Can The Can", "Devil Gate Drive", "Tear Me Apart", and "The Wild One", among many others.
Suzi extended her career to television in 1979 when she guest starred for three seasons on the hit television series 'Happy Days'. She played the character Leather Tuscadero, who was the younger sister of Fonzie's love interest, Pinky Tuscadero. In 1979, at the height of the disco era, she finally made the U.S. Top Five with the track "Stumblin' In", a duet with Chris Norman.
In her musical career she has had 16 hit singles, sold over 45 million records and toured since 1964. She has also had guest appearances in the Runaways documentary "Edgeplay" and various UK television shows including Minder, Dempsey And Makepeace and Absolutely Fabulous.
In 1990, Suzi trod the boards in London's West End playing the lead in the musical Annie Get Your Gun and wrote and starred in a musical about Talullah Bankhead.
Suzi continues to write, perform and record her own original material and has a forthcoming new album Naked Under Leather. She also hosts an excellent show on BBC Radio 2.
Quatro's first single "Rolling Stone" did not achieve popularity anywhere except Portugal, where it made number one. Most introduced Quatro to the songwriting and production team Nicky Chinn/Mike Chapman. Her second single "Can the Can" (1973) was a number one hit throughout Europe and in Australia. It was followed up by three further hits: "48 Crash" (1973), "Daytona Demon" (1973) and "Devil Gate Drive" (1974) on RAK Records. Her first two albums were also European and Australian successes.
These recordings, however, met little success in her native U.S., despite tours in the mid-1970s supporting Alice Cooper, and, except in Australia, the popularity of Quatro's rocking glam rock declined from 1975. In the interim, she did enjoy success as a session player.
Quatro's fortunes did not change until 1978 when "If You Can't Give Me Love" became a hit in the UK and Australia. This did nothing to prompt Stateside success, but "Stumblin' In", a duet recorded that same year for RSO Records with Chris Norman of Smokie secured a #4 peak in the U.S. Both tracks featured on the "If You Knew Suzi" album. A year later, Quatro released "Suzi... And Other Four Letter Words". She called it her favourite album. This featured singles, such as "She's In Love With You", which made number 11 in the UK , "Mama's Boy" (34) and "I've Never Been In Love" (56). In 1980, her song "Rock Hard" was featured on the soundtrack of the cult film Times Square, along with some punk and new wave bands like Talking Heads, Ramones, XTC and The Pretenders. This success period proved brief however, and her last UK hit was "Heart of Stone" in late 1982. In 1985 Quatro collaborated with Bronski Beat and members of The Kinks, Eddie and the Hot Rods, and Dr Feelgood on the Mark Cunningham-produced version of David Bowie's classic "Heroes", released the following year as the 1986 BBC "Children In Need" single.
In December 2005, a documentary chronicling Quatro's life, "Naked under leather" directed by former Runaway Victory Tischler Blue appeared. In February 2006, Quatro released "Back To the Drive", produced by Sweet guitarist Andy Scott. The album's title track was penned by her former collaborator Mike Chapman.
March 2007 saw Quatro release a version of The Eagles' "Desperado", followed by the publication of her autobiography, "Unzipped".
Suzi Quatro has sold over 45 million records.
http://www.suziquatro.com
Half As Much As Me
Suzi Quatro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It won't hurt you half as much as I do
You know I do
She'll take your money, and make you pay
It won't cost you half as much as I do
You know I do
Buyer buyer
Liar liar
Can't resist keeping you whole
Flyer flyer
You think you're so high
Try 'er try 'er
You'll find out she's telling you lies
But not half as much as me
No not half as much as me
No not half as much as me
Me
Hey baby blue eyes you think it's a game
Nobody plays it half as good as I do
You know I do
You tell your mamma to take you home
'Cos her strings are twice as tight as I am
You know I am
Buyer buyer - your twisted soul
Liar liar - can't resist keeping you whole
Flyer flyer - you think you're so high
Try 'er try 'er - you'll find out she's telling you lies
But not half as much as me
No not half as much as me
No not half as much as me
Me
Aah! aah! aah! aah!
I tell you something, it's no mystery
She don't please you half as much as I do
You know I do
I'll write a page in history
There ain't a woman half as bad as I am
You know I am
Buyer buyer - your twisted soul
Liar liar - can't resist keeping you whole
Flyer flyer - you think you're so high
Try 'er try 'er - you'll find out she's telling you lies
But not half as much as me
No not half as much as me
No not half as much as me
Me
No not half as much as me
In Suzi Quatro's Half As Much As Me, the singer addresses her lover's infidelity and comparisons between her and his new partner. The lyrics convey a sense of jealousy, bitterness and possessiveness. Quatro sings about how the new woman may take her lover's money and deceive him with lies, but ultimately she won't hurt him as much as Quatro herself has. The chorus repeats the lines "Buyer buyer, your twisted soul/Liar liar, can't resist keeping you whole/Flyer flyer, you think you're so high/Try 'er try 'er, you'll find out she's telling you lies/But not half as much as me" to emphasize Quatro's belief that she is the one who has truly damaged the relationship.
As the song progresses, Quatro's lyrics become increasingly forceful and commanding. She tells her lover to go home to his mother, implying that he is not mature enough to handle a serious relationship. She claims that no other woman can please him as well as she can, and boasts that she will go down in history as the most "bad" woman he has ever known. The repetition in the chorus creates a strong and memorable hook that firmly establishes the theme of the song: that the singer is the superior partner, no matter what else happens in the relationship.
Overall, Half As Much As Me can be interpreted as a statement about pride, ego and the need for validation in a romantic relationship. Quatro seems to be grappling with feelings of rejection and insecurity, which she attempts to mask with bravado and confidence. Her lyrics suggest a deep need for control and an unwillingness to let go of a relationship that has clearly soured. In this way, Half As Much As Me is a powerful and poignant example of the intense emotions that can be involved in romantic love.
Line by Line Meaning
And when you see her you fell the pain
When you lay your eyes on her, you sense discomfort
It won't hurt you half as much as I do
But that feeling isn't even close to the hurt I inflict on you
You know I do
You're aware of my power over you
She'll take your money, and make you pay
She'll deceive you into giving her your wealth, and you'll suffer for it
It won't cost you half as much as I do
But that's nothing compared to how much it costs to deal with me
Buyer buyer
Addressing the one who's fallen under someone's spell
Your twisted soul
You're manipulative and cunning
Liar liar
You're a dishonest person
Can't resist keeping you whole
You can't help but hold onto someone and keep them close
Flyer flyer
You're someone who is always on the go
You think you're so high
You have a high opinion of yourself
Try 'er try 'er
Go ahead and make an effort
You'll find out she's telling you lies
You'll soon discover that she's lying to you
But not half as much as me
But her lies don't even compare to the lies I've told you
Hey baby blue eyes you think it's a game
To the one with a nonchalant attitude
Nobody plays it half as good as I do
No one's better at this game than I am
You know I do
You know I'm capable of anything
You tell your mamma to take you home
You ask your mother to take you back
'Cos her strings are twice as tight as I am
Because her hold over you is twice as strong as mine
You know I am
You know I'm still the worst one for you
I tell you something, it's no mystery
I'm about to reveal some truth to you
She don't please you half as much as I do
She can't satisfy you like I can
I'll write a page in history
I'm going to make a mark in history
There ain't a woman half as bad as I am
No one's as wicked as I am
No not half as much as me
No one harms you the way that I do
Contributed by Emily C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.