Before Bad Company, The Firm, The Law and his stint with Queen, Paul Rodgers' first major band was the hard-rocking Free. Despite taking a year off in 1972, they released six albums in five years and scored four top 20 singles in the UK before calling it a day for good. The song they're best remembered for is the all-conquering 'All Right Now'.
‘All Right Now’ is a song by English rock band Free. It is featured on the band's third studio album, Fire and Water (1970), and was released as the album's second single, The song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. In July 1973, the song was re-released, peaking at number 15 on the UK chart. In 1991, a Bob Clearmountain remix of the song was released, reaching number eight on the UK chart. It is still the band's biggest hit on either side of the Atlantic.
The song was a number-one hit in over 20 countries, and was recognised by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers in 1990 for garnering over 1,000,000 radio plays in the U.S. by late 1989. In 2006, the BMI London awards included a Million Air award for 3 million air plays of ‘All Right Now’ in the USA. The song remains as a staple of classic rock radio.
According to drummer Simon Kirke, ‘All Right Now’ was written by Free bassist Andy Fraser and singer Paul Rodgers in the Durham Students' Union building, Dunelm House. He said: "’All Right Now' was created after a bad gig in Durham. We finished our show and walked off the stage to the sound of our own footsteps. The applause had died before I had even left the drum riser. It was obvious that we needed a rocker to close our shows. All of a sudden, the inspiration struck Fraser and he started bopping around singing 'All Right Now'. He sat down and wrote it right there in the dressing room. It couldn’t have taken more than ten minutes." Fraser has agreed largely with this history.
Label – IslandSongwriter – Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers
Producer – Free
SONG LYRICS
[Intro]Oh, woah, woah
Ow
[Verse 1]
There she stood in the street
Smiling from her head to her feet
I said, "Hey, what is this, now baby", maybe
Maybe she's in need of a kiss
I said, "Hey, what's your name baby?
Maybe we can see things the same"
Now don't you wait or hesitate
Let's move before they raise the parking rate
Ow!
[Chorus]
All right now, baby, it's all right now
All right now, baby, it's all right now
[Interlude]
Let me tell you now
[Verse 2]
I took her home to my place
Watchin' every move on her face
She said, "Look, what's your game, baby?
Are you tryin' to put me in shame?"
I said, "Slow, don't go so fast
Don't you think that love can last?"
She said, "Love, Lord above
Now you're tryin' to trick me in love"
[Chorus]
All right now, baby, it's all right now
All right now, baby, it's all right now
[Interlude]
Yeah, it's all right now
[Instrumental Break 02:04-03:34]
[Guitar Solo]
[Interlude]
Oh yeah, ow!
Let me tell you all about it now
Ow!
Yeah
[Verse 3]
Took her home yeah, to my place
Watching every move on her face
She said, "Look, what's your game?
Are you trying to put me in shame?"
"Baby," I said, "Slow, slow, don't go so fast
Don't you think that love can last?"
She said, "Love, Lord above
Now he's trying to trick me in love"
[Chorus]
All right now, baby, it's all right now, yeah
All right now, baby, it's all right now
All right now, baby, it's all right, yeah
All right now, baby, baby, baby, it's all right
All, all right now, yeah
It's all right, it's all right, it's all right, yeah
All right now, baby, it's all right now
[Outro]
Yeah, we're so happy together, ow
It's all right, it's all right, it's all right
Everything's all right, yeah
Hoo-ooh