They got together during the short period of time that Joe Perryand Brad Whitford left Aerosmith. This was from 1981.
In 1980, Brad Whitford left Aerosmith. He teamed up with Derek St. Holmes, who had previously played with Ted Nugent to form "Whitford/St. Holmes", together with Dave Hewitt and Steve Pace. Later replaced by bassist Chase Chitty and drummer Larue Riccio (Baby and the Pacifiers). They went on to tour the southeastern United States and performed before small audiences.
In 1981, they recorded their self-titled first and only album. The album was followed by a tour but neither the album nor the tour were any big success. In 1983, Whitford reunited with Joe Perry to play live at several shows with his band The Joe Perry Project. In 1984, both guitarists returned to Aerosmith to record Done with Mirrors, released in 1985 on Geffen Records. St. Holmes would work again with Ted Nugent sporadically in the following years.
Their second album, Reunion, was sold during their November 2015 Reunion Tour. It was officially released in 2016 by Mailboat Records
Hold On
Whitford/St. Holmes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That the ways of the world will change
Someday all people must
Sit down and rearrange
We've got to try
And keep up the democracy
Giving every man
Loving your brothers
And your sisters evenly
Giving no other man
More than his right to be
Hold on, hold on:
That's what the prophets say
Hold on, hold on:
That's what the teachers say
Hold on, hold on:
That's what the politicians say
Hold on, hold on:
But what do the people say
Let's be prepared
If you don't want to compromise
Together we fight for freedom
Fight all the lies
No more killing
No more struggle, no more strife
Our message is simple
Love sustains all life
Hold on, hold on
We've got to try
And keep up the democracy
Giving every man
His equality
Loving your brothers
And your sisters evenly
Giving no other man
More than his right to be
Hold on, hold on:
That's what the prophets say
Hold on, hold on:
That's what the politicians say
Hold on, hold on:
That's what the teachers say
Hold on, hold on:
But what do the people say
Hold on, hold on:
No more trouble, no more strife
Hold on, hold on:
Our message is simple
Hold on, hold on:
Love sustains all life
Hold on, hold on:
We fight for freedom
We fight the lies
Hold on, hold on
The lyrics to Whitford/St. Holmes's song "Hold On" speak to the hopeful aspiration that the world will change for the better someday, but that it is up to every individual to try and make that change happen. The song expresses a belief in the importance of democracy, equality, and love for humanity. It calls on everyone to give others their fair share, without giving anyone more than they deserve.
The message of the song is powerfully summed up in the chorus that repeats throughout the song, "Hold on, hold on: That's what the prophets say; Hold on, hold on: That's what the teachers say; Hold on, hold on: That's what the politicians say; Hold on, hold on: But what do the people say". The song calls on listeners to consider their own values and commitments, and to join in the struggle for freedom and peace. The final lines of the song declare that the message is simple, that love sustains all life, and that we must fight for freedom and for truth.
Overall, the lyrics to "Hold On" convey a deep sense of social justice and a belief that humanity can strive towards a better world if we work together. The song is a call to action, to hold onto hope and to keep fighting for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a feeling
I have an intuition or premonition
That the ways of the world will change
The methods of the world will transform
Someday all people must
Eventually all individuals should
Sit down and rearrange
Collaboratively modify and organize
We've got to try
We must endeavor
And keep up the democracy
Maintain a government ruled by the people
Giving every man
Providing every person
His equality
Their equal rights
Loving your brothers
Caring for your fellow humans
And your sisters evenly
In the same way as males
Giving no other man
Not providing any other person
More than his right to be
Exceeding what they are entitled to
Hold on, hold on:
Wait and stay persistent
That's what the prophets say
According to religion and scripture
That's what the teachers say
As per educational figures
That's what the politicians say
From the perspective of political leaders
But what do the people say
What is the viewpoint of the general population?
Let's be prepared
We should ready ourselves
If you don't want to compromise
If an agreement cannot be reached
Together we fight for freedom
We unite to support liberty
Fight all the lies
Oppose every falsehood
No more killing
No additional violent deaths
No more struggle, no more strife
No longer any hardship or conflict
Our message is simple
Our communication is straightforward
Love sustains all life
Affection preserves every existence
No more trouble, no more strife
No further difficulty or discord
We fight for freedom
We contend for independence
We fight the lies
We resist deception
Hold on, hold on:
Wait and stay persistent
Contributed by Alexander W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
David Trice
I always thought this was an excellent album. Good guitars, good tunes, good vocals. What else is there?
redhead5150
I still have the vinyl. Great album, picked it up as soon as it came out. Whitford is the great guitarist that doesn't get enough credit. Perry has flash but Brad can play anything Joe can and make it look easy. Derek is also a class act period.
James L Ward’s Annoyance also on Vimeo
I definitely want to hear more from these guys together !
golf2508
I think now in later time that this album would make good money as a re- release. Good album
PaniosHangar
Good rhythm section. I don't understand why the album sold so poorly. Aerosmith and Ted Nugent fans should have been enough to make this album go platinum. I just want it remastered so I can get a hard copy of it