Andrew Gold was born in Burbank, California in 1951, the son of two professional musicians. His mother, Marni, often provided voiceover singing for actresses in major film productions such as Natalie Wood's character in West Side Story and Audrey Hepburn playing Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. His father was the movie soundtrack composer Ernest Gold. Safe to say that there was some musical pedigree in Andrew's family - a perfect environment for him to develop his undoubted flair for melody and his often overlooked lyrical prowess.
Gold became known initially within the music industry as a producer and instrumentalist, working for the likes of Linda Ronstadt in the early seventies, most notably on her album 'Heart Like A Wheel', released in 1974. He then began to release his own work, firstly in 1975 with the album 'Andrew Gold', but it wasn't until 1976's 'What's Wrong With This Picture' that he gained widespread recognition, largely through the iconic single 'Lonely Boy'. A tale of sibling rivalry and familial tensions, it sees Gold matching a stunningly uplifting tune to a set of introspective lyrics. Gold has repeatedly denied it is autobiographical:
Well he ran down the hall and he cried - oh, how could his parents have lied?
When they said he was an only son - he thought he was the only one...
From his third album, 'All This And Heaven Too', Gold issued the song 'Thank You For Being A Friend'. It became another hit, reaching number 25 in the US and went on to make appearances in various media productions, most recognisably as the theme to the US TV sitcom 'The Golden Girls', sung in that instance by one Cynthia Fee. Its message, as in many Gold songs, is warm and upbeat
Thank you for being a friend - travelled down the road and back again - your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidante
From the album 'Whirlwind', the track 'Sooner Or Later' has a Steely Dan feel to it. Some of the song's lyrics are somewhat more aggressive than his usual, love-inflected content (still a great melody, though):
Just because there's a chip on your shoulder, it doesn't mean it matters to me
If there's something you think you'll never get over, you're going to have to prove it to me
I'd be interested in hearing any other opinions regarding Andrew Gold lyrics - will look forward to hearing from other AG fans out there with any pertinent views.
Gold became known initially within the music industry as a producer and instrumentalist, working for the likes of Linda Ronstadt in the early seventies, most notably on her album 'Heart Like A Wheel', released in 1974. He then began to release his own work, firstly in 1975 with the album 'Andrew Gold', but it wasn't until 1976's 'What's Wrong With This Picture' that he gained widespread recognition, largely through the iconic single 'Lonely Boy'. A tale of sibling rivalry and familial tensions, it sees Gold matching a stunningly uplifting tune to a set of introspective lyrics. Gold has repeatedly denied it is autobiographical:
Well he ran down the hall and he cried - oh, how could his parents have lied?
When they said he was an only son - he thought he was the only one...
From his third album, 'All This And Heaven Too', Gold issued the song 'Thank You For Being A Friend'. It became another hit, reaching number 25 in the US and went on to make appearances in various media productions, most recognisably as the theme to the US TV sitcom 'The Golden Girls', sung in that instance by one Cynthia Fee. Its message, as in many Gold songs, is warm and upbeat
Thank you for being a friend - travelled down the road and back again - your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidante
From the album 'Whirlwind', the track 'Sooner Or Later' has a Steely Dan feel to it. Some of the song's lyrics are somewhat more aggressive than his usual, love-inflected content (still a great melody, though):
Just because there's a chip on your shoulder, it doesn't mean it matters to me
If there's something you think you'll never get over, you're going to have to prove it to me
I'd be interested in hearing any other opinions regarding Andrew Gold lyrics - will look forward to hearing from other AG fans out there with any pertinent views.
No comments:
Post a Comment