Bread • Everything I Own
Everything I Own. I just recently learned some background about this record that completely multiplies how much I appreciate it. And I have been a huge fan of it for all these years (since it came out in the 70s). But then I love virtually everything Bread has ever done! Bread is a 70s American soft rock band from California. If you aren’t familiar with them, David Gates, the frontman for the band, also wrote most of their amazing songs.
Well, I recently watched some concert video in which Gates was introducing this song, Everything I Own, and I was really fascinated to hear the story behind it. I had assumed as had probably most listeners that the song was about a broken romantic relationship. Gates explained that he wrote the song as a love song, which he knew would get it played on the radio. But he shared that the secret meaning of the record, previously known only to him and his wife, is that the song is really about his Dad, who had died just a few years before Gates had achieved his success with Bread.
Dave Simpson of The Guardian, explains that a friend had approached Gates at his Dad’s funeral and said, “Your dad was so proud of what you were doing." David agreed, "My success would have been so special to him as he was my greatest influence.” So as a tribute to his Dad, Gates decided to write and record Everything I Own about him. Now when I listen to the words, ‘You sheltered me from harm, kept me warm, you gave my life to me, set me free,’ they have a whole new meaning. Gates also once shared about the title, that he had once sent an orchid to his mother for her birthday at a time when he could barely afford it: "She was so touched – my dad wrote to tell me – I could have had ‘anything she owned’ in return." Gates said: "When I played it for my wife, she knew right away that it was about my father. She cried."
That pretty much says it all. The record made it to number 5 on the charts. And now, having lost my own Dad a couple of years ago, this song takes on a whole new meaning. I hope you’ll have a listen for yourself to this beautiful love song that also turns out to be a touching tribute to a great Dad.
——————————————————————————
Below, a few Videos and a Spotify Playlist:
Here’s a live performance of Everything I Own:
And now a live television performance of Baby I’m-A Want You. This song went to #3 on the charts in the Fall of 1971:
Here’s a later song from David Gates. In 1978, he wrote the title song for a movie called The Goodbye Girl. It reached #15 on the pop charts, #3 on Adult Contemporary. Another very beautiful song. In this video he’s playing it live on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand:
Here is a “David Gates & Bread” Playlist on Spotify:
