For My Sunday Song #278, we are tackling the song “Rock of Life” by Rick Springfield off his 1988 album with the same name. It was written by Rick Springfield and a little piece of trivia for you, the bass player is American Idol’s own Randy Jackson. The song went to #22, but the album didn’t do that well. It charted at #55 and didn’t go Gold so Rick was starting to lose his mojo (not with me though).

The song was started back in 1985, but Rick was having trouble finishing it. He set it aside and after some time off the road with his new born, his life had really changed. A new baby really changed everything for him. They lyrics came flooding to him after that. The song is about the birth of his son and the impact that it had on him. He was now a dad and not just a rock singer and that can be a strange feeling. He wasn’t ready for the change and it I guess the song helped him cope with that.

Musically, the song was very different from his previous work. There were a lot of keyboard effects put in, Rick sings it in a higher register than he usually did. There were a lot of woo’s and hoo’s and it sounds like the 80’s and that might be why I like it, even today. It does rock out and it should with that title. But this being 1988, rock had changed and so this didn’t get the recognition I am sure he would’ve liked. All around was Def Leppard’s Hysteria, GNR’s Appetite and Whitesnake’s self titled album. There was really no place for Rick, but I didn’t care. He was my guilty pleasure back in the day. No longer as I am proudly able to say I like his stuff.

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Give the song a listen and let me know if you remember this one. Is it really dated? Or does it still rock a little? Let me know. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful and Happy Sunday!

“Rock Of Life”

(I feel the big beat…)
(Rock Of Life…)

Big beat talk to me
Waking up blind with the house on fire

Well I pick up my guitar, (I tune up)
I look in the mirror
It’s like a stranger in my hand (the baby is crying)
There comes a time when the boy must leave (get up)
And the man has to enter
For the soul to understand (all of the changes)
As if it ain’t hard enough this life I’m living in
I was caught with my guard down
When the world came knocking

I feel the big beat, the Rock Of Life
Big beat talk to me
Hey! Whoo!
I feel the back beat, the Rock Of Life
Waking up blind with the house on fire

Is it something in my head (look up)
Or the time of season
Or the little boy in my hands (must be a reason)
Yeah, there’s new meaning in my life (a shake-up)
But there’s pain and confusion
And I’m trying to understand (all of the changes)
I’ve been cut so deep but I can’t make it bleed
I was caught with my head in the sand
When the world came knocking

I feel the big beat, the Rock Of Life
Big beat talk to me
Hey! Whoo!
I feel the back beat, the Rock Of Life
Waking up blind with the house on fire

It ain’t no perfect life
This one I’m living in
And I was caught with my guard down
When the world came knocking

I feel the big beat, the Rock Of Life
Big beat talk to me
Hey! Whoo!
I feel the back beat, the Rock Of Life
Waking up blind with the house on fire

Written by Rick Springfield