 Breakfast in America (1978) [ larger cover art ] |
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(''Ahh'')
(''Ahh'')
(''Ahh'')
(''Ahh'')
When I was young
It seemed that life was so wonderful
A miracle
Oh, it was beautiful, magical
And all the birds in the trees
Well, they'd be singing so happily
Oh, joyfully
Oh, playfully watching me
But then they sent me away
To teach me how to be sensible
Logical
Oh, responsible, practical
And then they showed me a world
Where I could be so dependable
Oh, clinical
Oh, intellectual, cynical
There are times when all the world's asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned?
I know it sounds absurd
Please tell me who I am
I say, now watch what you say
Or they'll be calling you a radical
A liberal
Oh, fanatical, criminal
Oh, won't you sign up your name?
We'd like to feel you're acceptable
Respectable
Oh, presentable, a vegetable
Whoa
Take it, take it, take it, yeah
But at night when all the world's asleep
The questions run so deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please (''Won't you tell me, won't you tell me what we've learned?'')
Please tell me what we've learned? (''Can you hear me, I know it sounds absurd'')
I know it sounds absurd (''Won't you help me, tell me who I am'')
But please tell me who I am
Who I am
Who I am
Who I am, yeah
Woo!
Hey!
'Cause I'm feeling so logical
Hey!
D-d-d-d-d-d-d-digital
Yeah, one, two, three, five
Ooh, uh, uh, uh, yeah
Ooh, it's getting unbelievable
Yeah
Ooh
| ziakut (Slightly North of Obvlivion) | Posted: Mar 29, 2013 - 07:32 Back in the day...album art was beautiful...oh it was plentiful...now it's so pitiful. Thanks Supertramp for contributing the music and a genre of a long lost place. |
| jmsmy (Music Town, Klein, Texas) | Posted: Jan 25, 2013 - 13:34 Sometimes there is a lot of truth in a No 1 song. Very deep lyrics about a child becoming an adult and a generation coming of age. |
| unclehud (now 50 feet above the planet in Boston) | Posted: Jan 25, 2013 - 13:28 BikeCoachDave wrote: From the 'how could I be both blind AND stupid' admission files. Seen this album cover a few thousand times since I was young and remember the song from its release in '78. But until today, just now, did I look at it and realize it was a view from a plane and that the waitress on the cover is playing the statue of liberty. Holy cow I cant believe I just admitted that..... Well, well, well. It sure is. Learned my "something new" for today. Thanks, BikeCoachDave! |
| Lichenia, (uk) | Posted: Jan 25, 2013 - 13:26 More of Supertramp please and while I'm asking Steely Dan as they are both tops. |
| 1wolfy (Mission Viejo California) | Posted: Oct 23, 2012 - 12:28 I'd much rather hear Rudy (Crime of the Century) |
| lily34 (GTFO) | Posted: Oct 23, 2012 - 12:28 this song reminds me of some tv movie in the mid-late 70's with lavar burton who played some kind of disabled teen/young adult that ended up getting really taken advantage of. the song was used in the show, i think. |
| On_The_Beach (The Blue Planet) | Posted: Sep 22, 2012 - 00:30 funkyalfonso wrote: Oh dear. The continual playing of this track and others like it by my local fm stations (e.g. Vancouver's Rock 101) was what made me start listening to RP in the first place. What bugged me most of all was that if these stations insisted on playing music from the same bands, at least play different tracks. I never want to hear this song again. Vancouver radio really did beat this band to death, this song being a prime example. I know you are not exaggerating when you say you never want to hear it again. The word "shrill" comes to mind. |
| funkyalfonso (Vancouver Island) | Posted: Aug 21, 2012 - 12:26 Oh dear. The continual playing of this track and others like it by my local fm stations (e.g. Vancouver's Rock 101) was what made me start listening to RP in the first place. What bugged me most of all was that if these stations insisted on playing music from the same bands, at least play different tracks. I never want to hear this song again. |
| calispera (Brussels) | Posted: Jun 19, 2012 - 14:13 spiritfla wrote:  always a good listen.After having listened to it thousands of times, I'm still in love with it, and it's more than 30 years old. |
| Keef (Confluence of the American River) | Posted: Jun 19, 2012 - 14:12 Thanks for the commentary Bill. I forgot how much I used to love this band. |
| sajitjacob (Christchurch NZ) | Posted: Jun 19, 2012 - 14:11 A truly brilliant album cover. A moment of silence please for the art of album covers.. RIP. |
| spiritfla (Land O Lakes, FL (I still miss Austin)) | Posted: Jun 19, 2012 - 14:10 always a good listen. |
| ckcotton (Adding snarky comments since 2007) | Posted: Feb 13, 2012 - 15:00 zeelandhills wrote: holy cow, Dave...I can't believe you just educated me, too. There were just a few distractions in the late 70's..at least for me!  Count me in the "educated" now too |
| horstman (Syracuse, New York) | Posted: Sep 08, 2011 - 09:34 Misterfixit wrote: The song tells the story of a man who:
and all of it is Bush's fault, of course. More likely it was Reagan's fault as this was his era (error). |
| zeelandhills | Posted: Jul 07, 2011 - 15:42 BikeCoachDave wrote: From the 'how could I be both blind AND stupid' admission files. Seen this album cover a few thousand times since I was young and remember the song from its release in '78. But until today, just now, did I look at it and realize it was a view from a plane and that the waitress on the cover is playing the statue of liberty. Holy cow I cant believe I just admitted that..... holy cow, Dave...I can't believe you just educated me, too. There were just a few distractions in the late 70's..at least for me! |
| Sp3o (Belgium) | Posted: May 05, 2011 - 10:19 Liked it then, still like it now  |
| BikeCoachDave (Columbia, Ky.) | Posted: May 05, 2011 - 10:19 From the 'how could I be both blind AND stupid' admission files. Seen this album cover a few thousand times since I was young and remember the song from its release in '78. But until today, just now, did I look at it and realize it was a view from a plane and that the waitress on the cover is playing the statue of liberty. Holy cow I cant believe I just admitted that..... |
| rdo (DC) | Posted: May 05, 2011 - 10:18 Misterfixit wrote: The song tells the story of a man who:
and all of it is Bush's fault, of course.  He just needs one big hug from Big Brother. |
| Foot | Posted: Apr 03, 2011 - 18:34 Awful then, awful now - hard to believe RP would waste its time on this one. |
| ziakut (A place with air, water and chocolate.) | Posted: Mar 03, 2011 - 07:27 Oddly poignant today...mostly nostalgic for me now. Doesn't hold up as well today as it once did, but still enjoy it's place. The album cover for this and the whole design front and back cover were solid and cool. Back in a time when album covers were important. Nowadays it seems the sloppier and less meaningful the design the better, the more mysterious and cool it is. Not for me! |
| Crusy | Posted: Mar 03, 2011 - 07:21 More Supertramp! |
| cohifi (Denver) | Posted: Jan 30, 2011 - 23:56 There were a lot worse back then so  |
| Sleepytyme (Left Coast, California) | Posted: Dec 30, 2010 - 16:50 vandal wrote: Neither eclectic, nor interesting - didn't like it in '78, still don't. . .  |
| sirdroseph (Yes) | Posted: Oct 28, 2010 - 07:51 crockydile wrote: D.d.d.digital. That sound came from the original hand-held video game. Mattel Football, very popular in middle school in '79.  Yep yep! |
| vandal (arriving somewhere, but not here. . .) | Posted: Aug 25, 2010 - 15:48 Jonathan_pa wrote: Wasn't "Almost Famous" based on Supertramp? "{Almost Famous} is based on Crowe's experiences touring with rock bands Poco, The Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, and Lynyrd Skynyrd." - Wikipedia |
| vandal (arriving somewhere, but not here. . .) | Posted: Aug 25, 2010 - 15:45 Neither eclectic, nor interesting - didn't like it in '78, still don't. . . |
| Jonathan_pa (Somewhere in the vastness of space) | Posted: Aug 25, 2010 - 15:36 Wasn't "Almost Famous" based on Supertramp? |
| socalhol (Seattle) | Posted: Aug 25, 2010 - 15:36 I simply LOVE this song!!! I have ever since I first heard it. Memories of playing the whole record over & over again at a slumber party. |
| Hairfarmer (The birthplace of Rock & Roll, baby.) | Posted: Jun 22, 2010 - 20:14 crockydile wrote: D.d.d.digital. That sound came from the original hand-held video game. Mattel Football, very popular in middle school in '79. I used to kick that game's ass! |
| Giselle62 (many bear, big rock, estuary California) | Posted: Jun 22, 2010 - 18:41 i can still relate to these lyrics—-arrested development, i guess. |
| calypsus_1 | Posted: May 22, 2010 - 15:34  Roger in Action by !EurekaPaper ©2009-2010 !EurekaPaper Roger Hodgson in concert, London He played on piano, harmonica, AND guitar ..not all at once  . |
| crockydile (Outer Spiral Arm, Milky Way) | Posted: Mar 19, 2010 - 15:13 apd wrote: Mattel Football sound? D.d.d.digital. <bling bling> That sound came from the original hand-held video game. Mattel Football, very popular in middle school in '79. |
| Businessgypsy (Deepest, Darkest Florida) | Posted: Mar 19, 2010 - 15:10 Hard to believe how huge this album was in 1979. Supertramp's best seller ever and a Grammy winner. Still, I agree that this was the shark jumping moment for the band. Killed by their own success - something I expected to happen to Green Day when they scored big with a ballad used on Friends, but it didn't happen. I was a fan of the artier Crime of the Century earlier, but this cut sounds really lame to my ears now. I was listening to other stuff when it came out, so it was way background for me at the time. Weird that it ages (IMO) so badly. |
| apd (Toronto, On) | Posted: Mar 19, 2010 - 15:03 crockydile wrote: Seque: I had a great dad moment the other day. My daughter (11) put it on and listened all the way through. She said she really loves this song. (I had to explain the Mattel Football sound in the background.) Mattel Football sound? |
| apd (Toronto, On) | Posted: Mar 19, 2010 - 15:02 I know it sounds absurd, but... I've always rather liked this. |
| crockydile (Outer Spiral Arm, Milky Way) | Posted: Mar 19, 2010 - 14:55 Panama_Floyd wrote: IMO, this record was the "crash and burn" moment for a great band. I don't mean to be rude, but anyone who likes it should take the time to listen to something like "Crime of The Century", or "Even in the Quietest Moments", and see what Supertramp really could do. I disagree. I love this album. I also like Famous Last Words. I saw the FLW tour and they were amazing. Roger is one of my heroes. Seque: I had a great dad moment the other day. My daughter (11) put it on and listened all the way through. She said she really loves this song. (I had to explain the Mattel Football sound in the background.) |
| joshfm (Laramie) | Posted: Mar 19, 2010 - 14:55 Give me a break. |
| Panama_Floyd (Atlanta, GA) | Posted: Feb 16, 2010 - 00:35 IMO, this record was the "crash and burn" moment for a great band. I don't mean to be rude, but anyone who likes it should take the time to listen to something like "Crime of The Century", or "Even in the Quietest Moments", and see what Supertramp really could do. |
| BasmntMadman (Off-White Gardens) | Posted: Nov 13, 2009 - 19:26 My God, what a different era. That great surge from the sixties still hadn't exhausted itself - an era when the idea of a post-scarcity economy was hatched and there were only a few stubborn pockets of poverty to be cured. It was just all too easy to join the middle class and live in a house made of ticky tacky on the hilltop; what really counted was, well, finding who you were. But even at the time this song came out, 1978, there were Sid Vicious & Co singing about No Future For You & Me. Nowadays, you are yanked from a childhood state of grace and taught to be logical, etc., just to survive and get medical treatment when the diverticula leak and it hurts like hell. And the real irony is that, having been taught all that rationality, you'll probably end up working in a place like Dunder Mifflin anyway. |
| Mandible | Posted: Oct 13, 2009 - 07:36 Great use of this song on the soundtrack to Magnolia with William H. Macy's character! |
| FrankMc | Posted: Oct 13, 2009 - 07:34 But we're all safer for it, so it was worth it, right? Misterfixit wrote: The song tells the story of a man who:
and all of it is Bush's fault, of course. |
| Misterfixit (Nashville) | Posted: Sep 11, 2009 - 18:38 The song tells the story of a man who:
and all of it is Bush's fault, of course. |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Sep 11, 2009 - 18:38 This is from a fantastic album... |
| oscar_driver (Planet Earth) | Posted: Aug 11, 2009 - 06:52 oh wow // |
| ick (San Diego, CA) | Posted: Aug 11, 2009 - 06:37 Ah... brings back memories of traveling east in the Olds Delta 88, this recording playing in the 8-track, it was great being 13! |
| ArmchairMusician (Rochester, NY) | Posted: Aug 11, 2009 - 06:37 I'm in! treatment_bound wrote: I'm with ya. It was an "instant mute" for me after that intro. Let's play "Mute That Tune"! I can mute that tune in 6 notes... |
| WayUpNorth (Down on the Farm) | Posted: Aug 11, 2009 - 06:36 This is one song I cannot "hear" — it was so overplayed in its day that even now it feels like I just heard it an hour ago...  |
| LowPhreak (United States of Duplicitous Tools) | Posted: Aug 11, 2009 - 06:34 treatment_bound wrote: I'm with ya. It was an "instant mute" for me after that intro. Let's play "Mute That Tune"! I can mute that tune in 6 notes... Same here. |
| treatment_bound (Duluth to Madison) | Posted: Jul 10, 2009 - 14:48 pinklife wrote: This marks the first time I've ever muted a song on RP.  I'm with ya. It was an "instant mute" for me after that intro. Let's play "Mute That Tune"! I can mute that tune in 6 notes... |
| kcar | Posted: Jun 08, 2009 - 19:42 keller1 wrote: I was just thinking that ... 1 for wimpiness. Yeah, gotta agree, though I don't feel as harsh. I think it's the singer—his voice slips into self-pity verging on tears. It's a little too affected and precious. The song itself isn't so bad. |