Revolution Of The Heart - Song by Song

Revolition Of The Heart - Song by Song

This Side Of Midnight

This is about my life. It's about... me. All these songs are about me but there are certain songs I really identify with and this is one of them. I've been lost in my life, but I found my way. I've got the experience now, I've got the wisdom, I've got the knowledge and so I'm on the other side of midnight.

Dream

It's... Albert! I'm not a great musician - I just kind of strum along and I can only sing my own songs, anyway – and this song is about my life. About the kid who – and I don't know how he did it – just picked up this guitar and began strumming away and... it happened. And it was a dream. All my life, since I was 10 or 11-years-old when I first taught myself to play guitar and I sang songs that I rote at parties and stuff, that was my dream; one day I'm going to be singing out there in the world. And it happened, so I put it into my life, into my journey, for this record.

The Centre Of The Universe

That's about what's going on in the world and what has been going on since the world has been here; wars and wars and wars. So what do you do? Do you hide somewhere? Where do you hide? Do we think about what comes after us? That's what this song means to me.

The Sweetest Thing

I love this song, and so does my son. It's so hard to talk about this... I just picture my wife when I sing this song because, to me, she is; she is the sweetest thing. I remember when I met her in Buenos Aires and then, when we went to Chile, I used to see her from my hotel window. She'd say "I'm going to the pool," and I'd reply "Well, you go, sweetheart – I'll go a little later." And I'd watch her from the window, walking towards the pool. It's about her.

Restless Years

It's about my life and everybody else's – yours, the people reading this – everybody's. We've all been through restless years and we probably will go through more. It's something that runs through life.

Satisfy Me

We're all looking for satisfaction, each in our own ways; domestically, romantically, professionally, spiritually, individually. If you listen to this song, you'll hear Buddy Holly – and Elvis. I just sang this song with passion, and this came out. I only did one take.

Rock 'N' Roll Hero

It's about everybody in the world because, when you're a kid, everybody wants to be in rock 'n' roll and they want to make it – but most of us don't. 99.9% don't. But we're all still heroes. Like the song says "I watch the drivers on the freeway and every one is going home to a family, that waits on their hero." That's true. It's hard to be the breadwinner.

I Was Blue

It's one of those little things that I do – like Little Arrows or Gimme Dat Ding or I'm A Train – except it's a little more serious. Everybody has been blue in their lives and, sometimes, for a long time. It's about depression and how to get out of it.

Revolution Of The Heart

This is about the revolution of my heart in the last 60 years and now, finally, I've come out and said "This is how I feel about my life and about what's been going on in the world since I've been alive." It's the beginning of my journey on the album.

Not In My Name

That's actually about the Iraq war and saying "Look, you want to go to war? You want to do this and do that? Fine. I'm not going to stop you." I'm not the kind of guy that rants or who says "Give peace a chance" and all of that. That's not what I'm saying. I’m saying "Go ahead and do that stuff – but not in my name." Not with my permission.

Photograph

It's about an Iraqi and an American, on opposite sides. The song tells you the whole thing, but it's about two soldiers and what each of them feels about his family, although one of them is not going to see them again, because one soldier shoots the other.

There Ain't No Flies On Me

That's my f**k you song! In other words, if I've got to survive, then this is what I'll do to survive – and that's why there ain't no flies on me!

History Will Be My Judge

I'm not in favour of wars. I'm not in favour of them from the perspective of either side; what we do or what the other guys do. But I feel sorry for the Muslims, I really do. I grew up in Gibraltar and spent a lot of time in Morocco so I understand where they come from and how they're treated. Like the black people were treated in the '50's and '60's. This is about my belief of "OK, do all of this stuff but, you know, in the end history will tell it all." And when history does that, maybe we'll have red faces.

I'll Be Here For You

This is just my heart speaking. What I'm saying is that the sentiment "I'll be here for you" isn't just for a girl or for a family – it's for the world. I wrote this with Gerry Goffin for Julio Iglesias, when I was producing him. While we were recording my album, the guitar player was having breakfast so I brought my guitar out and was singing songs. I said "Ah, I wrote this thing with Gerry Goffin." I played it for him, he fell in love, he called Leo and everybody else and made me sing it in front of them and they said "You've got to record this." I said "Nah, it ain't gonna fit what I'm trying to do..." And they said "But it's so beautiful!" So I went ahead and I did it and it turned out to be the last song on the record – and one of the most beautiful.