Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Stepping Out by Joe Cosentino Steppin Out. General Comment I think this song is meant to be taken pretty literally. The imagery is beautiful. You can picture the mist covered window with the neon signs outside shining through. They are in the city. His wife has been crying, they had been fighting. He is reaching out to her, "lets go out." He draws this whole picture in just the first stanza. Powerful use of words. I don't think they are old, he specifically says that they are young. But dressing in pink and blue is clearly playful, he wants them to go out and have fun. There could be deeper meaning, esp with 'into the night, into the light.' but I don't see it. I like to think that this is a simple yet beautiful snapshot of a poignant moment in this couple's life. General Comment My rather mundane take on the song is that it's about a couple that's been married for a long time, their kids have gone off to college, and the spark in their romance may have waned a bit, and the husband wants to encourage the wife to go out on a date to rev things up again. "the mist across the window hides the lines" the lines of his wife's face due to her age. he would have similar lines. "steppin out. " etc. means what it says. "We - Are young but getting old before our time We'll leave the T.V. and the radio behind Don't you wonder what we'll find" also means what it says. the married couple is getting on in years but it's not too late to go out on a romantic date. they will leave the tv and the radio behind and have a night out on the time, for a change. maybe they'll find that old spark again. "You - Can dress in pink and blue just like a child And in a yellow taxi turn to me and smile We'll be there in just a while If you follow me " here the husband is encouraging his wife to dress young and to feel young. that's the simplest interpretation I get from the lyrics, anyway. maybe there's a dual-meaning that has to do with the afterlife (hence the "other side" as someone said earlier) Song Meaning Context, people, context! This is , one of the post-punk rebels alongside Elvis Costello. So, there's no ethereal life/death themes, instead firmly rooted in working class themes. Yet, while Costello preferred to moreso dwell on the injustices back home, Jackson set sail for New York City and tell more populist tales. A (too?) young couple strained by argument and tears are tired and prematurely aging, so, says hubby, let's just go out, somewhere, whereever, anywhere that isn't the uninspired nightly ritual of the tellie or the radio. Into the city lights, where anything can happen. This is one of the most hopeful, optimistic songs on record, imho, and helped mark the beginning of the early eighties New Wave ("dress in pink and blue"), Reagan-dominated ("anything's possible") era which was such a marked difference to a near-decade of the grey, despondant, economically-challenged late 70s, which gave birth to disco, the antithesis of the times. General Comment This is about a couple who have been together for a long time. They have over a decade together. They love each other, but there are problems just like everyone. They are troubled and that they come from families where there was pain and needs and longing. So they grew up with grief. It didn’t just arrive when somebody died. They walk around side-by-side with grief all the way through life. They feel the pain of that grief and never really leaves them. It is precisely because they have felt the nearness and presence of grief that they turned to the outlet of an evening out in the city and entertainment to provide some sort of balance. This isn’t a new thing either. Back when they were younger night clubbing was a daily or frequent ritual. Dressing up with a big part of going out. It was never a dreary grey effort. There is something about going out which seems to be life affirming. The effort goes into and the love of the surroundings and elevated atmosphere is profoundly therapeutic. Although they used to go out a lot almost like a professional club going couple. They have a sort of understanding that if you go out a lot, it isn’t always something that you enjoy. It can be tinged with sadness. It can be an empty experience. It just depends. But on this occasion it’s a while since they’ve been doing that regularly. And reconnecting with that nightlife is a way for them to connect with this life affirming part of themselves. It’s an affirmation of life. It is an affirmation of their appearance. And of making themselves beautiful. So it goes far beyond a simple night out. It’s about making oneself into the best one can be. Celebrating one’s life. It’s like refusing to be ground down by things. So they decide to step out. The act of Doing so is an act of kindness to each other. the warmth and depth of the experience isn’t lost on his partner who is weeping. they are reconnecting with a more innocent part of themselves.. they are cleansed of some ugliness either in their life or the past when they dress up and fare forth into the night. it is like a reclamation of the soul. The innocence and the beauty of the moment and of what the night out means is what they are feeling as they sit on the cab looking at the lights through the window. He is basically explaining to us that these seemingly superficial things can be profoundly therapeutic profoundly generous acts of love towards oneself. It is about the depth of choosing glamour and beauty in evening surroundings. That it is not always a shallow thing when one does this. That glamour and beauty can touch the soul and lift the soul sometimes when needed. Stepping Out by Joe Cosentino. J from Sd I love how passionate people are about interpreting the meaning of the song. That’s what art is for… To interpret Alexis What tv show/movie was this music sampled on? I can't find it and I feel like it was something along the lines of Clifford that sampled this in their show music Cyncyti from Schaumburg, Il This is the epitome of the club date night songs. listening to it now brings back the sights, smells, even loved ones, of 82. What is sad is we didn't realize how fleeting those moments of security, confidence and unabashed fun would be. I spent a month in an induced coma a few years ago and told my son I'd have a playlist should there ever be another, this song (and a couple of Earth, Wind and Fire) will be on it, several times. Thanks for the memories Joe Jackson. Daniel Goldberg from Washington, Dc This song, along with tunes like "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears, always struck me as the penultimate '80s yuppie nightlife song - a sort of dream of a lost time that may or may not have really existed. Think the novel "Bright Lights Big City" (or the excellent movie adaptation starring a coke- snorting Michael J. Fox.) I can't imagine a better song to have playing in the car as you head out to the nightlife in your town, which may or may not live up to the promise of the moment where you and your friend or lover are just driving and listening to the song. Ross from Uk From Joe Jackson himself in a June 2018 WSJ article: "As soon as I finished the music, I wrote the words. I thought of a couple who had just fought and were making up. They were telling each other, “Let’s forget it and take advantage of the city. Let’s just throw ourselves into the night.” The first verse set the scene: “Now / the mist across the window hides the lines / But nothing hides the color of the lights that shine / Electricity so fine / Look and dry your eyes.” The next verse urged the other person to forget the argument: “We / so tired of all the darkness in our lives / With no more angry words to say / can come alive / Get into a car and drive / to the other side.” The mist on the window is the haze that falls over our 'last breath' as we are passing into the threshold of the afterlife. Dry your eyes is referring to the emotional response from our life flashing before our eyes, but if we 'look' and 'dry our eyes,' we'll see the spendor of Heaven. The second verse refers to the perfection and 'light' of Heaven-- that there will be no more fear or wants. 'Get into a car and drive to the other side' is the metaphor of our journey into the afterlife. The chorus refers to the fact that all of us will face our death; that we step into the 'unknown' and 'feared' night (our death), which is really the 'light' of our afterlife. More Songfacts: Pretty Hurts Beyoncé. Sia Furler originally sent "Pretty Hurts" to Katy Perry, but she didn't see the email, so Beyonce ended up recording it instead. We Will Rock You Queen. There are no actual drums on "We Will Rock You," just lots of foot stomping. How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You Marvin Gaye. "How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You" by Marvin Gaye was inspired by Jackie Gleason's saying, "How Sweet It Is!" Night Moves Bob Seger. Bob Seger got inspired to write "Night Moves" after watching the movie American Graffiti, which showed young people growing up in his "neck of the woods." Radioactive Imagine Dragons. "Radioactive" set an industry record for the slowest climb to the top five in the Hot 100 chart's history when it jumped from #6 to #4 in its 42nd week. Believe Cher. When "Believe" hit #1 in America, it made Cher, age 52, the oldest woman ever to top the chart. Joe Jackson. Joe Jackson is a British new wave singer-songwriter best known for hit singles like ‘Is She Really Going Out With Him?’ and ‘Steppin’ Out’. Five times Grammy nominee Joe Jackson is best known perhaps for hits like 1979’s witty ‘Is She Really Going Out With Him’ and the sublime jazz-pop crossover smash ‘Steppin’ Out’ whose haunting urban dark keyed splendour is still the perfect soundtrack for a night-time foray into the neon-lit city. But while those hits personify certain facets of Jackson’s mercurial talent they don’t tell the whole story since he’s mastered so many musical styles, from power-pop to jive to cool combo swing, to the experimental fringes of the avant-garde, that rediscovering his catalogue is akin to investigating a variety of different moods. A classically trained musician, Jackson has also moved effortlessly into soundtracks, tackled symphonic work and published a splendid autobiography, A Cure for Gravity , which describes his early life and stops just as he is about to become a pop star with characteristic élan and self-deprecating humour. Given that his songs have charted across four decades it’s not surprising that his body of work is large and includes many comprehensive Best Ofs for beginners and completists alike, although we reckon that enjoying his in chronological order is a smart move. There is plenty to involve the listener. After studying violin and piano at home in working-class Portsmouth (though he was born in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire) young Joe Jackson played in the local clubs before winning a scholarship to attend the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London where he studied composition. Rather than pursue a classical career he opted for his first love, pop and rock – early bands included Edward Bear and Arms & Legs. Joe’s breakthrough came when he was signed in 1978 and given free rein. His clever, word driven rhythms – the lyrics perfectly matched to changes of tone and tempo, drew comparisons to Elvis Costello but if he was a part of the mainstream new wave Jackson was less inclined to throw second- hand punkish barbs and far more interested in pushing his own boundaries. The resulting Look Sharp! depicting Joe sporting a nifty pair of white shoes, marked him out as a maverick even by the post-punk standards of the day. Produced in London and New York with helming the sessions the disc established Jackson as a cornerstone artist with flair, taste and great songs to boot. His live shows were rapturously received thanks to a repertoire featuring instant gems like ‘’ and ‘Happy Loving Couples’. Joe followed that a few months later with I’m The Man where he decided to dress as a wide boy/black market spiv for the cover. Again his keen observational ear produced memorable moments: ‘It’s Different for Girls’, ‘Amateur Hour’ and the wry ‘Don’t Wanna Be Like That’ indicated he was around for the long haul. Eccentric pure pop having been the norm he now absorbed elements of ska and reggae on . The flavoursome title cut, ‘Crime Don’t Pay’ and ‘Battleground’ mirrored some of the social situations in 1980. Meanwhile, the Joe Jackson band, , David Houghton and Gary Sanford, proved an ideal foil. Never likely to stand still Joe Jackson’s Jumpin’ Jive gave him the opportunity to shine as a crooner, a bandleader and instigator of the growing jump blues retro revival wherein tunes from ‘Cab Callaway’, ‘Louis Jordan’ and ‘Lester Young’ were examined afresh and performed with Zoot Suit glee. Particularly fine is Joe’s take on the lovely Louis Armstrong tune ‘You Run Your Mouth (And I’ll Run My Business)’. All the mentioned albums are of course available as remastered editions, often with rare and bonus material, and this one sounds particularly fine today. The impeccable Night and Day (check out the Deluxe version, it’s superb) includes his signature classic ‘Steppin’ Out’, also ‘’. Both were substantial hits worldwide and broke Joe in America. By now there seemed no limits to the man’s ambition and the pop, jazz and salsa rhythms of Body and Soul , with its subtle recreation of a Blue Note vintage cover – Joe plus sax in homage to Sonny Rollins – is a brooding thing augmented by lush horns and sparkling female backing vocals. The tour that accompanied this album ended one chapter in Joe’s career but he re-emerged revitalised for the live (recorded in early 1986 at the Roundabout Theatre, New York City) where the audience was asked to remain silent, no applause, please! The remote broadcast technique was astounding and also unusually issued on three sides of vinyl. He followed the classical experiment Will Power with Live 1980/86 , which was akin to the greatest hits and is thoroughly recommended. The soundtrack and the carefully constructed and ambitious taking stock of the ’80s resume, Blaze of Glory , saw Joe expanding his multi- instrumental skills to include synthesisers and samples. He returned to his own vintage styling with Laughter & Lust (1991) which includes a fine interpretation of the Fleetwood Mac song ‘Oh Well’ and the pleasantly irreverent music industry overview of ‘Hit Single’ and ‘’. 1994’s epic Night Music fused Joe’s love for pop and classical with the main man now playing a staggering array of instruments – everything from celeste to Salvation Army bass drum. Maire Brennan from Clannad added a typically sweet edge to the lilting Celtic tune ‘The Man Who Wrote Danny Boy’. While he pursued other avenues Joe returned to the fray with the sublime tribute to Duke Ellington , The Duke (2012) that topped the US Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. This is serious, adult music, befitting an artist who has always aged up rather than been defined by his own nostalgia. And of course, there are some excellent introductions and compilations to be found, including Stepping Out: The Very Best of , This Is It! (1979- 1989) , and Tonight & Forever: The Joe Jackson Collection . Other handy items in that vein are The Silver Spectrum Collection and Gold while remastered live CDs such as the BBC recordings, a concert from the Rockpalast and the Joe Jackson Trio’s Live Music (Europe 2010) add to the rounded view. Indeed there is a body of great work here that shows no signs of diminishing. Could be time to do a little steppin’ out.