I keep on telling you, guys – 1992 was an awesome year, the last year of good hard rock music, probably! My player reminded me of these lovely Canadian rockers and in particular, this catchy, highly energizing tune that came out of their self-titled debut album.
Von Groove are a rather recent discovery of mine – a band that once again came too late for the party. As you all know, early 90s wasn’t exactly the greatest time to be a heavy metal band and release your first album. The alternative grunge music scene was the hottest new thing around the block, so naturally, good old rock&roll got the boot.
Anyhow, I wanted to share this song with you with the hopes of refreshing your memory about a long-forgotten tune or introducing you to a great new gem to rock on to! Von Groove lasted for about 10 years, releasing 8 albums overall. I don’t know much about their newer recordings, but that debut is worth checking out. If you like this song, go get the album, you won’t regret it!
P.S. I don’t own any audio or visual material used in this publication. All the rights and credits go to the owners and/publishers. The publication expresses my personal opinion and in no way is trying to make a generalized statement. Please be kind and considerate when you read and/or comment. Cheers~
Once again, 1992 doesn’t really disappoint when it comes to rock releases and awesome tunes! My song of the day comes from Swedish melodic rockers, Treat who I believe should’ve been way bigger than they actually were. Sweden spawned some great artists and Treat definitely fall under the category of the most underrated ones! Worthy albums like “Scratch and Bite” (1985) and “Dreamhunter” (1987) can easily win the hearts of any rock/heavy metal fan out there. For today, however, I want to focus to their 1992 self-titled release and explicitly to one of the most moving and heartbreaking songs of all time (at least to me) – “Learn to Fly”. As a ballad enthusiast and obviously an absolute pain-seeking psycho, no wonder I always fall for the songs that make me depressed and overly-emotional. This one is a very special tune, because not only it carries a personal meaning to me, but is one of the most lyrically and melodically-rich ballads in the whole world (there’s an unpopular opinion). I wanted to share it with my readers because in case you haven’t heard it yet (or you forgot about it), it could almost certainly become your next favorite ballad… Imagine if this song came out in the ’80s? It would’ve killed every other song on its way. Hope you will find pleasure in “Learn to Fly” and the superb vocals of Mats Levén.
If not, just for those lyrics….
Lady’s gonna learn to fly now gonna find the strength to try now gonna wave the past goodbye now gonna learn ’bout love
Learn to Fly Lyrics
You took it for granted till it came undone never thought you’d loose so much so young
The tears on your pillow tell more than the tale gotta get some wind beneath your sail
‘Cause in time you’ll see it’s one more memory once your heart breaks free
Lady’s gonna learn to fly now gonna find the strength to try now gonna wave the past goodbye now gonna learn ’bout love
Lady’s gonna stop her cryin’ rise above the sigh she’s sighing gonna find the life she’s hidin’ gonna learn ’bout love
So pick up the pieces start over again let out your feelings, don’t pretend
And don’t stop to wonder ’bout songs you ain’t sung cause the best is yet to come
There’s no ghost to flee no -one else to be so let your dreams run free
‘Cause in time you’ll see it’s one more memory so let your dreams all run free
P.S. I don’t own any audio or visual material used in this publication. All the rights and credits go to the owners and/publishers. The publication expresses my personal opinion and in no way is trying to make a generalized statement. Please be kind and considerate when you read and/or comment. Cheers~
🔥Time to…. Rise up, gather round and rock this place to the ground!🔥
Def Leppard’s “Pyromania” – do I have to say more? It’s one of those groundbreaking hard rock albums which don’t really need an introduction or a bunch of fancy words, describing how awesome and influential it is. I will just say one thing, though – if I have to choose one album to be buried with, it’s going to be “Pyromania” (together with “Hysteria” most probably). Yes, it’s that special to me!
“Pyromania” defined Def Leppard’s career like no other album. Most importantly, it gave birth to a couple of smashing hit singles, including “Photograph”, “Too Late for Love”, “Foolin” and of course, the absolute fan-favorite, “Rock of Ages”. I could write books about each one of the songs on “Pyromania” because they are that valuable and worthy to me and to the history of hard rock in general. However, this time I would like to focus on “Rock of Ages”, mainly because of its significant presence in popular culture, which is a reason enough to know a little bit more about the background of the tune. Also, there are a couple of really interesting facts, surrounding the making of “Rock of Ages”,which some of you might not know. [My Rock Mixtapes] gives you the story of Def Leppard’s “Rock of Ages”.
“Rock of Ages” was released as the second single from Def Leppard’s multi-platinum 1983 album “Pyromania”, following the highly successful debut album single, “Photograph”. The song became an instant hit, peaking at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topping the Top Tracks rock chart.
“Rock of Ages” was written by Joe Elliott, Steve Clark, and producer Mutt Lange. The music was all set and done, however coming up with the lyrics turned out to be a challenge for the guys. Until of course, that faithful discovery of a bible, left behind in the studio by a bible study group. The book was open to the hymn “Rock of Ages”…the rest is history. Another example of how ideas and inspirations can come from all sides of the world, as long as we pay attention to the signs of the universe!
MV
The iconic music video of “Rock of Ages” was directed by David Mallet and shot at the end of 1982. Here’s what Joe Elliott had to say about it:
“It was the ridiculousness of it, which is exactly what the video needed to be. (Director David Mallet) was like, ‘I want you to walk down this drawbridge holding this sword.’ It’s like, ‘Oh, f–k off. Don’t make me do that!’ Of course, like an idiot, I submitted to his blinked eyes, looking at me like some long-lost dog. David Mallet‘s got a great way of manipulating people like that. I was young and dumb and went ‘OK.’ I look at that now, and I think ‘What the hell was I thinking?'”
(MTV Ruled the World – The Early Years of Music Video)
The verses contain no guitars, focusing entirely on the strength of the vocals. However, that turned out to be a problem for the MV making. Here’s what Joe Elliott said about it:
“There’s a couple of shots where Phil was clapping along on the verse – because there’s no guitars – and he’s standing directly behind me, so I look like I have these clapping antlers coming out of my head.”
“Pretty funny when you look back. The robe thing took about 30 seconds to film. You kind of forget about that,” said guitarist Phil Collen.
(MTV Ruled the World – The Early Years of Music Video)
An owl appears on the music video right when Joe says “all right”. Director David Mallet thought that it sounds like “owl right” so he decided to include the owl as a joke!
One of the most peculiar and heavily-discussed aspects of the song is the opening phrase. The German-sounding “Gunter Glieben Glauchen Globen”, said by producer Mutt Lange doesn’t really mean anything in particular. It’s a rather funny way of simply saying “1…2…3…4…!” For those of you who are familiar with Mutt’s obsession with achieving that perfect recording, it won’t come as a surprise to find out that at one point, he got actually pretty tired of counting “1…2…3…4…!” Instead, he decided to make things more entertaining and used this gibberish. The combination of “Gunter Glieben Glauchen Globen”, followed by the laughs of Joe Elliott and the famous line “All right, I’ve got something to say! It’s better to burn out, than to fade away”, has to be one of the most memorable openings of all time!
The instantly-recognizable slogan was re-used in 1989 for The Offspring’s Pretty Fly (For a White Guy).
Another curious (lyrical) “Rock of Ages” moment is of course that empowering saying “It’s better to burn out, than to fade away” at the beginning. The lines are a reference to Neil Young‘s song “My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)”. According to some sources, however, Joe Elliott saw those lines on someone’s T-shirt and took them for the song, without actually knowing who they belong to.
The lines “It’s better to burn out, than to fade away” became even more important for the history of rock music when they appeared on Kurt Cobain’s suicide in 1994.
Def Leppard’s four-line version was used in the movie Highlander (1986) by the villain, the Kurgan.
“Rock of Ages” also appears on the Season 5 finale of the TV show Supernatural .
“Rock of Ages” is one of Def Leppard‘s most beloved live staples. It has been an inseparable part of their live shows, ever since its release.
1988 Live (Hysteria Tour)
2013 Live (Viva! Hysteria, The Hard Rock Hotel, Las, Vegas NV)
Similarly to Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock & Roll”, “Rock of Ages” is a powerful anthem, written to inspire and spread that fiery rock & roll spirit. Here is what Joe Elliot said about the connection between “Rock of Ages” and “I Love Rock & Roll” in an interview with Kaos 2000 magazine.
“We’d have never written ‘Rock Of Ages’ if we hadn’t have heard ‘I Love Rock And Roll’ by Joan Jett. But we didn’t steal her entire sound. We took that one song and thought, ‘This is very anthemic. We could get away with writing songs of this standard and style.’ And that’s what we did. It doesn’t particularly sound that much like her, the chorus a bit. The actual structure of the song is nothing alike.” (Quote, retrieved from http://www.songfacts.com/)
A high-praised musical, titled “Rock of Ages” opened on Broadway in 2009. The show featured some of the biggest music hits of the ‘80s; however despite named after Def Leppard’s song, “Rock of Ages” doesn’t appear on it.
In 2012, the musical was turned into a movie, in which Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me” was performed by Tom Cruise.
In 2012, Def Leppard re-recorded the song with the title “Rock of Ages 2012”. It was released in the summer of 2012, along with a newly-recorded version of “Pour Some Sugar On Me”.
“Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection” was released in 2005 and it featured some of the band’s most definitive classics.
“Rock of Ages” Lyrics
Gunter glieben glauchen globen
All right I got something to say Yeah, it’s better to burn out Yeah, than fade away All right Ow Gonna start a fire C’mon! Rise up! gather round Rock this place to the ground Burn it up let’s go for broke Watch the night go up in smoke
Rock on! Rock on!
Drive me crazier, no serenade No fire brigade, just Pyromania
What do you want? What do you want? I want rock’n’roll, yes I do Long live rock’n’roll
Oh let’s go, let’s strike a light We’re gonna blow like dynamite I don’t care if it takes all night Gonna set this town alight
What do you want? What do you want? I want rock’n’roll, Allright! Long live rock’n’roll
Rock of ages, rock of ages Still rollin’, keep a-rollin’ Rock of ages, rock of ages Still rollin’, rock’n’rollin’
We got the power, got the glory Just say you need it and if you need it Say yeah!
Heh heh heh heh Now listen to me I’m Burnin’, Burnin’, I got the fever I know for sure, there ain’t no cure So feel it, don’t fight it, go with the flow Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme one more for the road
What do you want? What do you want? I want rock’n’roll, You betcha Long live rock’n’roll
[Repeat Chorus]
We’re gonna burn this damn place down Down to the ground
P.S. I don’t own any audio or visual material used in this publication. All the rights and credits go to the owners and/publishers. The publication expresses my personal opinion and in no way is trying to make a generalized statement. Please be kind and considerate when you read and/or comment.
I guess there are a couple of tunes you could totally skip when you craft your “’80s power ballad playlist” but Dokken’s “Alone Again” should definitely not be one of them. In fact, when I talk about Dokken with other rock fans or introduce them to people who aren’t so familiar with their career and music catalog, the discussion always starts with “Alone Again”, the highest point of their 1984 sophomore album “Tooth and Nail”. I think it was because in general I am the type of person who always searches and falls for the power ballads, but it took “Alone Again” literally just a couple of seconds to become an instant favorite and a tune I simply can’t live without; there is just something so magical about that song, Don Dokken’s spellbinding vocals, astonishing melody transformations, jumping from gentle acoustic sounds to heavy electric tornadoes; and those lyrics that fill your heart with nothing but beautiful sorrow. It’s a gorgeous but heartbreaking rock tune and it’s my duty to remind you of it, give you another reason to play it just or introduce it to you for the first time. [My Rock Mixgtapes] presents the story of Dokken’s “Alone Again”.
Written by vocalist Don Dokken and bass guitarist Jeff Pilson, the power ballad “Alone Again” was released as a single from Dokken’s 1984 album “Tooth and Nail”. After a highly unsuccessful debut album, it was do or die for Dokken. The label barely agreed to give them a second chance but thank God they did, otherwise brilliant songs such as “Alone Again” would’ve remained on a paper, rotting somewhere under a pile of music notebooks.
Don Dokken wrote the song back in the 1970s, when he was barely 25 years old. Here’s what he recalls about the birth of “Alone Again” during an interview with the Sioux Falls, South Dakota radio station, KBAD 94.5 FM:
“I wrote it on a little 4-track recorder, put it on a cassette and it ended up in a box for, like, eight years. And the record company, on Tooth And Nail, our second album, they said ballads are the thing. Journey had a big hit with ‘Lights’ and Night Ranger… Everybody had ballads, and we didn’t have any ballads. So I dug out a bunch of times, and [I went], ‘What’s this? ‘Alone Again’ I don’t even remember it.’ So I listened to it, and Jeff Pilson, the [Dokken] bassist, listened to it, and he said, ‘That’s a cool chorus. Maybe we [can] revamp it.’ So we recorded ‘Alone Again.'” (extract retrieved from http://www.blabbermouth.net)
Chart positions have never been a merit for the brilliance, quality or emotional impact of a song and the fact that “Alone Again” barely broke into a top 70 position on the Billboard charts, backs up my claim. Charting at #64 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #20 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart most certainly doesn’t make the song unworthy. On the contrary, I do believe that it’s one of the most beloved (though underappreciated) ‘80s power ballads of all time.
The lyrics of “Alone Again” have provoked the curiosity of many fans and music journalists and that’s not only in regards to the depressive, post-break up theme they carry. The sensual vocal delivery of Don Dokken truly makes us think whether there’s something more behind those mournful choruses. He was repeatedly questioned about the true story behind those touching words. Here’s what he says about it:
“This is a thing I wrote when I was very young, very naïve. Everybody says, ‘Who’d you write about?’ ‘I don’t know.’ ‘What was the girl’s name?’ ‘I don’t know.’ I must have been in love – it’s a very sad song – but I don’t remember who I wrote it about. I don’t know. It was just a song that came out, I always say, from here [points up above his head] – whatever that higher power is.” (extract retrieved from http://www.blabbermouth.net)
Nothing obscure or overly-poetic about the lyrics; in fact the strength of those words is their simplicity, universalism and the way they are delivered to the public. Losing someone you love with all your heart can be one of the most traumatic and painful experiences of one’s life. You want to see this person “in the morning light” and feel him/her “when it comes to night” but for one reason or another you are all alone and can do nothing but feel sorry for yourself and let the tears “fall like rain”. Yes, for a couple of agonizing moments you will feel like you lost your way but this is life and unfortunately, we have to go through all that and hope that these terrible times will pass as soon as possible.
Alone Again Lyrics
I’d like to see you in the morning light I like to feel you when it comes to night Now I’m here and I’m all alone Still I know how it feels, I’m alone again Tried so hard to make you see But I couldn’t find the words Now the tears, they fall like rain I’m alone again without you Alone again without you Alone again without you I said stay, but you turned away Tried to say that it was me Now I’m here and I’ve lost my way Still I know how it feels, I’m alone again
Tried so hard to make you see But I couldn’t find the words Now the tears, they fall like rain I’m alone again without you
I tried so hard to make you see But I couldn’t find the words Now the tears, they fall like rain I’m alone again without you
What happens when brilliant musicians like Paul Rodgers, Jimmy Page, Chris Slade and Tony Franklin get together? Pure magic – that’s what happens! In the mid-80s, hungry for new adventures, Page and Rodgers formed an exciting supergroup which despite its short life spawned some rockers of a lifetime! Second only to his collaboration with Coverdale, I think this project is my favorite work of Jimmy Page, after the classic Led Zeppelin years, of course.
Their self-titled debut album was brought to the world in 1985. Skilfully incorporating friendlier and more radio-ready sound to their bluesy and soulful musical approach, “The Firm” is a good example of a laidback, upbeat ‘80s record, worthy of checking out!
A song of theirs that left the greatest impression on me is “Satisfaction Guaranteed”. The slow-paced, light-hearted tune immediately captivated me with its rhythms. Not to mention Paul Rodgers who keeps on giving me the time of my life every time he starts singing. He sounds sexy, free and so natural on “Satisfaction Guaranteed”; his sweet voice can simply be the end of me, I swear. Jimmy Page is (of course) delivering quite the guitar performance!
Watch the classic MV below and enjoy the feelgood tune!
“Satisfaction Guaranteed” Lyrics
Mystery surrounds me, and I wonder where I’m going There’s a cloud above me and it seems to hide the way I’m going straight ahead, ’cause it’s the only way I know I want to leave the past, and leave just for today
Now then tell me baby, do you need my love? Tell me baby, are you thinking of me? Tell me baby, what it is you need? What kind of satisfaction guaranteed?
Sitting in the gutter with my head wrapped in my hands I’ve been drinking all night, and I just can’t stand the pain It took an awful lot of trouble just to make me understand Now it’s clear to me, but will it ever be the same?
Now then tell me baby, do you need my love? Tell me baby, are you thinking of me? Tell me baby, what it is you need? What kind of satisfaction guaranteed?
Now then tell me baby, do you need my love? Tell me baby, are you thinking of me? Tell me baby, what it is you need? What kind of satisfaction guaranteed?
Head upon the highway, just as fast as I could go I rode through the night, and halfway through the day I had no direction I didn’t even want to know where I was going The only thing I knew, was that I had to get away
Now then tell me baby, do you need my love? Tell me baby, are you thinking of me? Tell me baby, what it is you need? What kind of satisfaction guaranteed?
Tell me baby, tell me baby, tell me baby, do you need my love? Now that I’m here, yeah, do you need, do you need my love?
References:
Lyrics retrieved from http://www.metrolyrics.com/ P.S. I don’t own any audio or visual material used in this publication. All the rights and credits go to the owners and/publishers. The publication expresses my personal opinion and in no way is trying to make a generalized statement. Please be kind and considerate when you read and/or comment. Cheers~
There are great rock ballads and then there’s Journey’s “Open Arms” – a song that goes beyond the realms of any ordinary power ballad with its distinctive poeticism and ability to break down even the toughest hearts out there. Back in the day, when I knew so little about Steve Perry or Journey, it was “Open Arms” that convinced me that there is something special about this band and I should dig deeper. Now, years later, I look back at that moment when I fell in love at first listen and I can’t but be grateful for this gorgeous song that found a way to appear in my life and brought Journey with it.
I thought it’s high time this out-of-this-world power ballad got the spotlight on [My Rock Mixtapes]. I have gathered some interesting facts and personal interpretations which hopefully my readers will find beneficial. Don’t get too emotional (though I know I will).
– “Open Arms” was released as the third single from Journey’s highly successful 1981 album “Escape”. Written by Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain, the delicate ballad turned into an instant radio sensation and a fan-favorite. Moreover, not only it skyrocketed the album sales but it became the band’s highest charting single, occupying #2 spot for six weeks! (Surprise! Journey’s most popular tune “Don’t Stop Believin’” didn’t even reach top5 positions in the States). All in all, what “Open Arms” achieved should come as no surprise because it was in fact a revolutionary song at the time – after its release and commercial success, it became an absolute necessity for any rock act to release a power-ballad.
– Initially, Jonathan Cain wrote the melody of “Open Arms” for The Babys – a band, led by John Waite. However, to John the tune was simply too sentimental and had absolutely no interest in recording it. Imagine how different the future would’ve looked like for “Open Arms” if it wasn’t Journey who released it at the end. (Huge mistake, John…)
Things didn’t kick off that smoothly in the Journey corner as well, though. The rest of the band members, including lead guitarist Neal Schon, had their doubts about the mellow rocker as it was way too different than anything they had ever recorded before. Basically, Steve Perry was the only one who rooted for the song till the very end. He was committed and knew what was right. Let’s all thank Steve Perry for not giving up on “Open Arms”.
– “Open Arms” is a perfect marriage between melody and lyrics. Steve Perry is such a magical being; how could he come up with words so touching and so affecting, is beyond my comprehension. Simple, yet so moving, those lines are effortlessly playing on the strings of your heart, making you fall apart with each second. There’s a reason why many fans and critics refer to “Open Arms” as one of the greatest ballads of all time – not many ballads can actually provoke an emotional and physical reaction in you.
– To me, the song is about that “soft” and “sincere” love between two people, who may have “drifted apart” for one reason or another, but the true feelings they have for each other never actually changed. Steve is singing about someone he wants back, ready to welcome her with “open arms” and start their beautiful life once again, forgetting the past. At the end of the day, I think it’s all about what your heart wants; when there’s “nothing to hide” and that sweet love means so much to you, it’s never too late to welcome it back to your life. My favorite lines from “Open Arms” are “…But now that you’ve come back, Turned night into day…I need you to stay” – they can perfectly summarize the entire concept of the tune. If you have broken up with someone you love dearly and gotten back together, this is the song you should play on your first date back as a couple.
(Do I even need to comment on Steve Perry and his God-like vocal delivery? I will just let him do the talking…)
“Open Arms” Lyrics
Lying beside you Here in the dark Feeling your heartbeat with mine Softly you whisper You’re so sincere How could our love be so blind We sailed on together We drifted apart And here you are By my side
So now I come to you With open arms Nothing to hide Believe what I say So here I am With open arms Hoping you’ll see What your love means to me Open arms
Living without you Living alone This empty house seems so cold Wanting to hold you Wanting you near How much I wanted you home
But now that you’ve come back Turned night into day I need you to stay
So now I come to you With open arms Nothing to hide Believe what I say So here I am With open arms Hoping you’ll see What your love means to me Open arms
References: “Open Arms” Lyrics, retrieved from http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/journey/openarms.html “Open Arms” official Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Arms_(Journey_song) P.S. I don’t own any audio or visual material used in this publication. All the rights and credits go to the owners and/publishers. The publication expresses my personal opinion and in no way is trying to make a generalized statement. Please be kind and considerate when you read and/or comment. Cheers~
As a huge fan of Jim Peterik – as a matter of fact, he is in my top 5 favorite songwriters of all time, I was immensely excited to find out that Pride of Lions are releasing a new record next month. “Fearless” will be out on the 27th of January 2017, under Frontiers Records and it will be their seventh album, following “Immortal” (2012).
Just for a second there I thought that there was nothing exciting coming out next year! Not only that but, 2017 will start with a blast (at least for me). “The Tell” was released last week (29.11.2016) on YouTube and I haven’t stopped listening to this gorgeous tune ever since. It’s my choice for “song of the week” because I think it truly deserves it! I hope the rest of the album is going to be as intriguing as this tune. Haunting lyrics about a woman who is giving off signals she’s not really aware of, (I already know it by heart), A-level vocals and very pleasing instrumentation – this track was everything I’ve wished for!
Have a listen!
P.S. I don’t own any audio or visual material used in this publication. All the rights and credits go to the owners and/publishers. The publication expresses my personal opinion and in no way is trying to make a generalized statement. Please be kind and considerate when you read and/or comment. Cheers~
My choice for “song of the week” is Judas Priest’s “New Beginnings” from their 2008 concept album “Nostradamus”. To be honest, I totally forgot about this record and it is definitely not something I actually listen to on a daily basis. However, my heavy metal playlist was on shuffle and suddenly this rock opera started playing and somehow entranced me…To be honest, it took me a few seconds to comprehend what was going on. I carefully listened to the lyrics which I believe are the essence of the track and even re-played it only to once again experience those words. The atmosphere of “New Beginnings” is definitely a bit melodramatic, overly emotional and Rob doesn’t really sound confident or fully committed, however among those lines, I could find something I was truly in need of – hope and anticipation for new beginnings. Those words are for all the people out there who want to hear it – guys, it is tough out there but someday someone will come to your life and change everything.
For a better experience, listen to the track together with “Hope”~
“New Beginnings” Lyrics
Now at last my dream is real I found peace True love can heal On the journey throughout time A new beginning has arrived At the crossroads of my life This new love keeps me alive
I never knew that this could happen to me So many lonely days and nights I never knew that you were waiting for me Hope was out of dight And suddenly I see the future clearly No longer living in the past As I let go
Living the dream Of my life I was alone no-one in sight This love – make me believe that you’re the one Never give up – our day has come
I never felt that this could happen to me So many lonely days and lonely nights I never knew that you were waiting for me Hope was out of sight And suddenly I see the future clearly Finally I know at last I can let go
P.S. I don’t own any audio or visual material used in this publication. All the rights and credits go to the owners and/publishers.
The publication expresses my personal opinion and in no way is trying to make a generalized statement. Please be kind and considerate when you read and/or comment.
Cheers~
Another curious (lyrical) “Rock of Ages” moment is of course that empowering saying “It’s better to burn out, than to fade away” at the beginning. The lines are a reference to Neil Young‘s song “My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)”. According to some sources, however, Joe Elliott saw those lines on someone’s T-shirt and took them for the song, without actually knowing who they belong to.
Written by vocalist Don Dokken and bass guitarist Jeff Pilson, the power ballad “Alone Again” was released as a single from Dokken’s 1984 album “Tooth and Nail”. After a highly unsuccessful debut album, it was do or die for Dokken. The label barely agreed to give them a second chance but thank God they did, otherwise brilliant songs such as “Alone Again” would’ve remained on a paper, rotting somewhere under a pile of music notebooks.
– Initially, Jonathan Cain wrote the melody of “Open Arms” for The Babys – a band, led by John Waite. However, to John the tune was simply too sentimental and had absolutely no interest in recording it. Imagine how different the future would’ve looked like for “Open Arms” if it wasn’t Journey who released it at the end. (Huge mistake, John…)
– To me, the song is about that “soft” and “sincere” love between two people, who may have “drifted apart” for one reason or another, but the true feelings they have for each other never actually changed. Steve is singing about someone he wants back, ready to welcome her with “open arms” and start their beautiful life once again, forgetting the past. At the end of the day, I think it’s all about what your heart wants; when there’s “nothing to hide” and that sweet love means so much to you, it’s never too late to welcome it back to your life. My favorite lines from “Open Arms” are “…But now that you’ve come back, Turned night into day…I need you to stay” – they can perfectly summarize the entire concept of the tune. If you have broken up with someone you love dearly and gotten back together, this is the song you should play on your first date back as a couple.
![[Song of the Week] Judas Priest – New Beginnings](https://thatmixtapewillrock.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/judas-priest-nostradamus.jpg?w=825&h=510&crop=1)
MY ROCK MIXTAPES 