Todd Rundgren is an American singer-songwriter and producer who has perform… Read Full Bio ↴Todd Rundgren is an American singer-songwriter and producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as founder of the band Utopia. Starting in the 1960s with the psychedelic band Nazz in Philadelphia, his solo career started out successfully with such hits as "I Saw the Light" and "Hello It's Me" (a reworked Nazz tune). With his 1972 release 'Something/Anything?' seen as a magnum opus due to its mix of power pop, rock n roll, and more. Utopia (or Todd Rundgren's Utopia) concentrated on eccentric progressive epics. His acclaimed production effort started early, with work for Sparks and the New York Dolls, and continued with Meat Loaf, XTC, The Psychedelic Furs, and many others. Continuing to release solo albums over the years, he's created many other hits, the novelty tune "Bang the Drum All Day" in particular seeming timeless.

Rundgren is well known among his fans as being an electronic music revolutionary. His skilled production techniques, matched by his belief that he has ability to play just about any instrument at a mastery level, has allowed him to release some of the most honest and personal music of his time. Many of his solo albums, including Something/Anything?]' were made completely by himself. That is, he played all the instruments, sang all the vocals, did all of the recording, editing, mixing, and mastering.

Website: http://www.tr-i.com/

Core discography:

With Nazz:
1968 - Nazz
1969 - Nazz Nazz
1970 - Nazz III

Solo:
1970 - Runt
1971 - Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren
1972 - Something/Anything?
1973 - A Wizard, a True Star
1974 - Todd
1975 - Initiation
1976 - Faithful
1978 - Hermit of Mink Hollow
1978 - Back to the Bars (live)
1981 - Healing
1983 - The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect
1985 - A Cappella
1989 - Nearly Human
1991 - 2nd Wind
1993 - No World Order
1995 - The Individualist
1997 - With a Twist
1998 - Up Against It
2000 - One Long Year
2003 - Can't Stop Running (live box set)
2004 - Liars
2008 - Arena
2011 - Todd Rundgren's Johnson
2011 - (re)Production
2013 - State
2015 - Global
2015 - Runddans (collaboration with Emil Nikolaisen and Hans-Peter Lindstrøm)
2017 - White Knight

With Utopia:
1974 - Todd Rundgren's Utopia
1975 - Another Live
1976 (released 2001) - Disco Jets
1977 - Ra
1977 - Oops! Wrong Planet
1980 - Adventures in Utopia
1980 - Deface the Music
1982 - Swing to the Right
1982 - Utopia
1984 - Oblivion
1985 - P.O.V.
2003 - Last of the New Wave Riders (live box set)

Does Anybody Love You?
Todd Rundgren Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Talk, you can talk but if you ask me
Take all your big words and put them together
What good will they do when the long day is through

Does anybody love you?
Do you think that anybody's in love with you?

Can dress up or dress down

As you gaze in the mirror, hung up on your body
What good can it be when there's no one there to see

Does anybody love you?
Do you think that anybody's in love with you?

You're so lovely, so wise
You could make Venus crawl
But love between the ugly is the most beautiful love of all

Does anybody love you?
Do you think that anybody's in love with you?

Does anybody, anybody in love with you?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Todd Rundgren's "Does Anybody Love You?" seem to be a reflection on the emptiness and futility of modern life, particularly when it comes to relationships. The song's opening lines suggest that talk is cheap and that grandiose statements and promises mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. Rundgren seems to be questioning the purpose of these words and whether they have any real impact on the quality of life.

He then goes on to ponder the idea of love and how it relates to our physical appearance. He touches upon the idea that we are hung up on our bodies, and this obsession with appearance is ultimately useless if there is no one to appreciate it. The lines "Can dress up or dress down / As you gaze in the mirror" suggests that our appearance is something we can control, but it also begs the question of whether it really matters if no one is around to appreciate it.

Despite these musings, the song's central question remains: "Does anybody love you?" It seems to be a plea for human connection and companionship, an acknowledgment that our deepest desire is to be loved and appreciated by someone else. The final lines of the song suggest that love between the "ugly" (presumably meaning those who are not conventionally attractive) is the most beautiful love of all, reaffirming the idea that love should transcend physical appearance.

Line by Line Meaning

Talk, you can talk but if you ask me
You can speak as much as you want, but if you inquire about my opinion

Take all your big words and put them together
Even if you use complex vocabulary, it won't change the situation

What good will they do when the long day is through
At the end of the day, your words won't be of any value

Does anybody love you?
Is there anyone who has affection for you?

Do you think that anybody's in love with you?
Do you believe that there's someone who adores you?

Can dress up or dress down
You can wear fancy or casual clothes

As you gaze in the mirror, hung up on your body
Whilst you look at your reflection, overly concerned about your physique

What good can it be when there's no one there to see
What's the point if there's no one around to appreciate it?

You're so lovely, so wise
You are beautiful and intelligent

You could make Venus crawl
Your allure is so strong, it could make the goddess Venus submit to you

But love between the ugly is the most beautiful love of all
However, the love shared by those who are not conventionally attractive is the most magnificent type of love

Does anybody, anybody in love with you?
Is there anyone, anyone at all, who is head over heels for you?

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TODD RUNDGREN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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