About The Song
“Young Turks” is a song by Rod Stewart that first appeared in 1981 on his album Tonight I’m Yours. The track presented Stewart backed by a new synth-pop and new wave sound, in part influenced by acts like Devo. The term young Turk, which originates from the early 20th-century secular nationalist reform party of the same name, is slang for a rebellious youth who acts contrary to what is deemed normal by society. The phrase “young Turks” is not heard in the song, the chorus instead centering on the phrase “young hearts, be free, tonight”, leading to the song frequently being known as “Young Hearts” or “Young Hearts Be Free”.
The music for the song was composed by Carmine Appice, Duane Hitchings, and Kevin Savigar, with lyrics written by Stewart. The song, which was released as the first US single (second in the UK) from Tonight I’m Yours, was produced with synthesizers and a hi-hat played over a drum machine. Billboard said that it was “the kind of song Stewart is best at: melodic, lyrical and a bit harder than a ballad.” Record World said that “Stewart hitches onto a brisk beat and trades in his vocal gravel for an attractive light tenor.”
On the Billboard Hot 100, “Young Turks” debuted at No. 61 on 17 October 1981 and peaked at No. 5 on 19 December 1981 – 9 January 1982. The song peaked at No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart and also was a Top 5 hit in Australia, Belgium, Israel (No. 1) and Canada. Released a few months after MTV commenced operations, it was the first video containing breakdancing to be played by the channel.
The video, directed by Russell Mulcahy, produced by Simon Fields & Paul Flattery and choreographed by Kenny Ortega, was filmed in the central downtown area of Los Angeles in the summer of 1981. The runaway couple (“Billy”, played by Dale Pauley, and “Patti”, played by Elizabeth Daily) mentioned in the song is juxtaposed by a group of dancers who seemingly intermix with them throughout the video. About 14 seconds after the start of the video, Billy emerges from one floor above the now long abandoned Licha’s Santa Fe Grill, in reality at the northwest corner of 7th and Santa Fe Streets in Los Angeles, and descends a ladder before dropping the last few feet down to the street. A little more than one-third of the way through the song, Billy and Patti are shoved toward the entrance of the Hotel Hayward, in reality at the west corner of 6th and Spring Streets, again in Los Angeles, between a mile and a half and two miles to the northwest. The dancers eventually end up in a railway yard just to the east of the grill, to where the couple has returned and Rod Stewart is singing the last half of the song.
Stewart’s videotaped rooftop performance of the song in Los Angeles (different from the aforementioned music video) appeared about one-third of the way through Dick Clark’s three-hour American Bandstand 30th Anniversary Special Episode on 30 October 1981.
Video
Lyrics
Billy left his home with a dollar in his pocket and a head full of dreams
He said somehow, some way, it’s gotta get better than this
Patti packed her bags, left a note for her mama, she was just seventeen
There were tears in her eyes when she kissed her little sister goodbye
They held each other tight as they drove on through the night, they were so excited
We got but one shot at life, let’s take it while we’re still not afraid
Because life is so brief and time is a thief when you’re undecided
And like a fistful of sand, it can slip right through your hands
Young hearts be free tonight
Time is on your side
Don’t let ’em put you down, don’t let ’em push you around
Don’t let ’em ever change your point of view
Paradise was closed so they headed for the coast in a blissful manner
They took a two room apartment that was jumping every night of the week
Happiness was found in each other’s arms as expected, yeah
Billy pierced his ears, drove a pickup like a lunatic, ooh
Young hearts be free tonight
Time is on your side
Don’t let ’em put you down, don’t let ’em push you around
Don’t let ’em ever change your point of view
Come on Billy
Woo
Young heart, be free tonight
Time is on, on your side
Billy wrote a letter back home to Patti’s parents tryin’ to explain
He said we’re both real sorry that it had to turn out this way
But there ain’t no point in talking when there’s nobody listening, so we just ran away
Patti gave birth to a ten pound baby boy, yeah
Young hearts be free tonight
Time is on your side
Young hearts be free tonight
Time is on your side
Young hearts be free tonight
Time in on your side
Young hearts gotta run free, be free, live free
Time is on, time is on your side
Time, time, time, time is on your side
Is on your side, is on your side
Young heart be free tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight, yeah
Ooh, ooh, ooh