About the song
“Turn the Page” is a poignant rock song by Bob Seger, originally recorded in 1971 and featured on his 1973 album *Back in ’72*. Although it wasn’t released as a single immediately, it gained significant recognition through Seger’s live performance on the 1976 *Live Bullet* album, especially in Germany and the UK. Over time, this song became a staple on album-oriented rock radio and continues to enjoy popularity on classic rock stations.
The song is deeply rooted in the experiences of life on the road for a rock musician. Bob Seger penned it during a tour with Teegarden & Van Winkle, a period marked by the challenges and isolation often faced by touring artists. The inspiration for “Turn the Page” came from a particularly difficult moment during a snowstorm drive to a gig. Drummer David Teegarden recalls a memorable incident where the band faced ridicule at a truck stop, a moment that Seger later reflected in the song’s lyrics: “Oh, the same old cliches / ‘Is that a woman or a man?'”
Tom Weschler, Seger’s road manager at the time, also remembers similar experiences that contributed to the song. These road encounters, characterized by the band’s distinctive appearance and the unwelcome attention they received, underscored the song’s themes of alienation and weariness.
Seger himself noted the song’s lasting impact, expressing surprise at how it has resonated with audiences for decades. “Turn the Page” captures the essence of the rock musician’s life—its trials, loneliness, and the enduring struggle to stay true to oneself amid public scrutiny. It speaks not only to musicians but to anyone who travels frequently and feels a longing for home and a sense of belonging.
In essence, “Turn the Page” remains a powerful anthem about the challenges of life on the road and the universal search for acceptance and understanding.
Video
Lyrics
On a long and lonesome highway
East of Omaha
You can listen to the engines moanin’
Out this one-note song
You’d think about the woman
Or the girl you knew the night before
But your thoughts will soon be wanderin’
The way they always do
When you’re ridin’ 16 hours
There’s nothin’ much to do
And you don’t feel much like ridin’
You just wish the trip was through
Here I am, on the road again
There I am, up on the stage
There I go playin’ the star again
There I go, turn the page
So you walk into this restaurant
All strung out from the road
And you feel the eyes upon you
As you’re shakin’ off the cold
You pretend it doesn’t bother you
But you just want to explode
Yeah, most times you can’t hear ’em talk
Other times you can
All the same old clichés
Is it woman, is it man?
And you always seem outnumbered
You don’t dare make a stand
Make your stand
Here I am, on the road again
There I am, up on the stage
Here I go playin’ the star again
There I go, turn the page
Oh-oh, out there in the spotlight
You’re a million miles away
Every ounce of energy
You try and give away
As the sweat pours out your body
Like the music that you play, yeah
Later in the evenin’
As you lie awake in bed
With the echoes of the amplifiers
Ringin’ in your head
You smoke the day’s last cigarette
Rememberin’ what she said
What she said
Yeah, and here I am, on the road again
There I am, up on the stage
Here I go playin’ the star again
There I go, turn the page
And there I go
Turn that page
There I go, yeah, yeah
There I go, yeah, yeah
Here I go, yeah
Here I go, yeah
There I go
There I go
And I’m gone