With the band Rainbow, Carey appeared on the studio album Rainbow Rising (1976) and on the live albums On Stage (1977) and Live in Germany (1994). Carey performed the keyboard introduction to "Tarot Woman", the first track on the Rainbow Rising album and the keyboard solo on "A Light in the Black", the last cut on the album.
He had a minor hit in the early 1980s with "I Won't Be Home Tonight", and then a bigger hit in 1984 with "A Fine, Fine Day", which reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. A follow-up single, "The First Day of Summer", reached #33 on the Hot 100 in July 1984. Both songs are featured on the album, Some Tough City, which hit #60 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Carey opened for Night Ranger on many dates of their 1984 tour in support of this album. His 1985 follow-up album, Blue Highway, did not score a hit.
He also fronted the science-fiction-themed group Planet P Project (initially called just Planet P), which he used as a vehicle for his solo work. Planet P Project released two albums, Planet P (on Geffen Records) in 1983 and Pink World (on MCA Records) in 1984, for which he wrote the lyrics and music, sang the lead vocals, and played most of the instruments. Session performers on lead guitar, saxophones, programming, and drums on some tracks made up the rest of the group. The first album was released on CD in 1992, retitled Planet P Project.
All In The Family
Tony Carey Lyrics
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Take a powder, take a freeze
Take a vow of silence
'Cause they 've got you on your knees
There are keepers, there are throw aways
He's got aces up his sleeve
There's a smell of violence
You can feel it on the breeze
He keeps it all in the family
All in the family
You can make a deal with a reachable wheel
Make a future with your hands
You can make your peace with Jesus
You can make it while you can
Be a big man
Be a daddy
Be a leader of the band
You can be an institution
Be the man with the plan
But keep it all in the family
All in the family...
And it's no secret how the mighty
Hide and pull the strings
Join in so deep they're right you know
You'll never get to say a thing
They'll never let you say a thing
And it's all in the family
(Just like brother to brother
And it's all in the family...)
In the song "All in the Family," Tony Carey paints a bleak picture of a world where power is concentrated in the hands of the few and the rest are left to fight for scraps. The lyrics suggest that it doesn't matter how hard you work or how talented you are, success is ultimately determined by who you know and where you come from. The singer of the song is urged to "take a sleeper, take a red-eyed plane," to escape the oppressive environment that surrounds him, but it seems clear that this is a temporary solution at best. He can only escape the people who hold him down for so long before he is forced to return to his place in the hierarchy. The repeated refrain, "keep it all in the family," serves as a reminder that the system is rigged and there is little hope of changing it.
The song is notable for its use of metaphor and imagery to convey its message; the idea that there are "keepers" and "throw aways," and the smell of violence that can be felt on the breeze, all serve to create a sense of foreboding and unease. The use of the phrase "all in the family" is also interesting, as it initially suggests a sense of togetherness and belonging, but is quickly revealed to be a euphemism for nepotism and corruption.
Line by Line Meaning
Take a sleeper, take a red-eyed plane
Catch up on some sleep before you head out or board a flight that takes off in the dead of night.
Take a powder, take a freeze
Disappear or run away, or simply brace yourself for what's to come.
Take a vow of silence
'Cause they 've got you on your knees
Don't speak up or you may face the consequences; your oppressors have you subjugated.
There are keepers, there are throw aways
He's got aces up his sleeve
Some are valuable and some are expendable, and the man in charge is always one step ahead.
There's a smell of violence
You can feel it on the breeze
Something dangerous or aggressive is lurking nearby, and you can sense it coming.
He keeps it all in the family
All in the family
The powerful people in charge maintain their grip on power by keeping everything close and controlling their own.
You can make a deal with a reachable wheel
Make a future with your hands
You can achieve success by networking and building your own wealth and success from scratch.
You can make your peace with Jesus
You can make it while you can
You can seek forgiveness and live life to the fullest.
Be a big man
Be a daddy
Be a leader of the band
Assume positions of power, authority, and influence over others.
You can be an institution
Be the man with the plan
You can establish yourself as an essential entity or develop and carry out a well thought-out strategy.
But keep it all in the family
All in the family...
But maintain your power and all your connections to avoid catching the attention of the wrong people.
And it's no secret how the mighty
Hide and pull the strings
The most powerful people make their moves behind the scenes while keeping their plans secret and undiscoverable.
Join in so deep they're right you know
You'll never get to say a thing
They'll never let you say a thing
They've ensnared you so deeply that they're in the right, and they'll never let you have a voice or opportunity to oppose them.
And it's all in the family
(Just like brother to brother
And it's all in the family...)
Everything is connected among the powerful and in the inner circles of power, just like a family that protects its own.
Contributed by Nathaniel A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
GhostriderTom
80s melodic Rock feel...