Turn the Page ( Bob Seger song ) - wikipedia Turn the Page ( Bob Seger song ) `` Turn the Page '' Single by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band from the album Back in ' 72, Live Bullet Released 1973 ( original ) 1976 ( live ) Recorded 1972 ( original ), September 1975 ( live version ) Cobo Hall, Detroit, Michigan Genre Rock soul Length 5 : 11 5 : 06 ( live ) Label Capitol Songwriter ( s ) Bob Seger Producer ( s ) Punch Andrews Bob Seger `` Turn the Page '' is a song originally released by Bob Seger in 1973 on his Back in ' 72 album. Though never released as a single, Seger 's live version of the song on the 1976 Live Bullet album became a mainstay of album - oriented rock radio stations, and still gets significant airplay to this day on classic rock stations. Contents 1 Inspiration 2 Instrumentation 3 Jon English cover 4 Metallica cover 5 Influences 6 Awards 7 References 8 External links Inspiration `` Turn the Page '' is about the emotional and social ups and downs of a rock musician 's life on the road. Seger wrote it in 1972 while touring with Teegarden & Van Winkle. Drummer David Teegarden ( of Teegarden & Van Winkle and later the Silver Bullet Band ) recalls : We had been playing somewhere in the Midwest, or the northern reaches, on our way to North or South Dakota. ( Guitarist ) Mike Bruce was with us. We 'd been traveling all night from the Detroit area to make this gig, driving in this blinding snowstorm. It was probably 3 in the morning. Mike decided it was time to get gas. He was slowing down to exit the interstate and spied a truck stop. We all had very long hair back then -- it was the hippie era -- but Skip, Mike and Bob had all stuffed their hair up in their hats. You had to be careful out on the road like that, because you 'd get ostracized. When I walked in, there was this gauntlet of truckers making comments -- `` Is that a girl or man ? '' I was seething ; those guys were laughing their asses off, a big funny joke. That next night, after we played our gig -- I think it was Mitchell, S.D. -- Seger says, `` Hey, I 've been working on this song for a bit, I 've got this new line for it. He played it on acoustic guitar, and there was that line : `` Oh, the same old cliches / ' Is that a woman or a man ? ' '' It was `` Turn the Page. '' Tom Weschler, then road manager for Seger, remembers the same incident : `` Turn the Page, '' Bob 's great road song, came along in ' 72, while we were driving home from a gig. I think we were in Dubuque, Iowa, in winter and stopped at a restaurant. We stood out when we entered a store or a gas station or a restaurant en masse. At this restaurant it was particularly bright inside, so there were n't any dark corners to hide in. All these local guys were looking at us like, `` What are these guys ? Is that a woman or a man ? '' -- just like in the song... That was one incident, but there were so many others on the road that led Seger to write that song. Instrumentation Both Seger 's studio and live versions of `` Turn the Page '' feature a mellotron and a saxophone part played by founding Silver Bullet member Alto Reed. Tom Weschler allegedly helped inspire Reed to create the opening melody. During recording, Weschler told Reed : `` Alto, think about it like this : You 're in New York City, on the Bowery. It 's 3 a.m. You 're under a streetlamp. There 's a light mist coming down. You 're all by yourself. Show me what that sounds like. '' With that, Reed played the opening melody to `` Turn the Page ''. Jon English cover Australian singer Jon English released a version of the song in 1974 as the lead single from his second studio album, It 's All a Game. The song peaked at number 20 on the Kent Music Report. Metallica cover `` Turn the Page '' Single by Metallica from the album Garage Inc. B - side `` Bleeding Me '' / `` Stone Cold Crazy '' / `` The Wait '' Released November 16, 1998 Format CD single Recorded September -- October 1998 Genre Heavy metal, country rock, alternative rock Length 6 : 06 Label Elektra Songwriter ( s ) Bob Seger Metallica singles chronology `` Fuel '' ( 1998 ) `` Turn the Page '' ( 1998 ) `` Whiskey in the Jar '' ( 1999 ) `` Fuel '' ( 1998 ) `` Turn the Page '' ( 1998 ) `` Whiskey in the Jar '' ( 1999 ) Music video `` Turn the Page '' on YouTube Of the many cover versions that have been recorded, the most popular might be that of Metallica who released it as the first single from their 1998 Garage Inc. album, reaching number 1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for 11 consecutive weeks, the highest number of weeks Metallica has ever spent at the top ; drummer Lars Ulrich had heard the original song while driving across the Golden Gate Bridge and later commented that he thought it `` had James Hetfield all over it ''. Metallica 's rendition is taken at much the same tempo as Seger 's, but with a heavier feel ; the saxophone part is replaced by a high slide guitar line from Kirk Hammett. The accompanying music video explores a day in the life not of musicians, but a mother ( played by Ginger Lynn ) that works as an erotic dancer by day, and prostitute by night. MTV refused to air the video due to nudity and a scene depicting abusive sex between the mother and a client. The video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund. Influences Jon Bon Jovi has claimed that the song was a big influence on him and Richie Sambora when they were writing their 1986 song `` Wanted Dead or Alive. '' The 1995 Bruce Springsteen song Youngstown uses a very similar tune. Awards In 2014, Seger performed the song on CMT Crossroads with country singer Jason Aldean. The video of the performance won the CMT Music Award for Performance Video of the Year. References Jump up ^ Brian McCollum ( March 14, 2004 ). `` A definitive oral history of Seger 's early years ''. Detroit Free Press. ^ Jump up to : Weschler, Tom, and Gary Graff. Travelin Man : on the road and behind the scenes with Bob Seger. Detroit, Michigan : Wayne State University Press, 2009. Jump up ^ Kent, David ( 1993 ). Australian Chart Book 1970 -- 1992. St Ives, NSW : Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0 - 646 - 11917 - 6. Jump up ^ http://www.encycmet.com/songs/sgtpage.shtml Jump up ^ IMDb Ginger Lynn Allen Biography Jump up ^ Armstrong, Chuck. `` Metallica, ' Turn the Page ' -- Official Music Video ''. Ultimate Metallica. Retrieved December 14, 2013. Jump up ^ Video : Jon Bon Jovi talks with Richie Sambora and the audience about Bob Seger on YouTube Jump up ^ `` 2015 CMT Music Awards : The Winners ''. CMT.com. June 11, 2015. External links `` Reason to Rock '' review Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by `` Fly Away '' by Lenny Kravitz Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks number - one single ( Metallica version ) November 28, 1998 -- February 6, 1999 Succeeded by `` What It 's Like '' by Everlast Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band Bob Seger Craig Frost Chris Campbell Alto Reed Drew Abbott Charlie Allen Martin Dave Teegarden Rick Manasa Robyn Robbins Dawayne Bailey The System albums Ramblin ' Gamblin ' Man Noah Mongrel Seger solo albums Brand New Morning Smokin ' O.P. 's Back in ' 72 Seven Beautiful Loser Face the Promise Ride Out I Knew You When The Silver Bullet Band albums Night Moves Stranger in Town Against the Wind The Distance Like a Rock The Fire Inside It 's a Mystery Live albums Live Bullet Nine Tonight Compilation albums The Bob Seger Collection Greatest Hits Greatest Hits 2 Early Seger Vol. 1 Ultimate Hits : Rock and Roll Never Forgets Singles `` East Side Story '' `` Heavy Music '' `` 2 + 2 = ? '' `` Ramblin ' Gamblin ' Man '' `` Lucifer '' `` Lookin ' Back '' `` If I Were a Carpenter '' `` Who Do You Love '' `` Midnight Rider '' `` Turn the Page '' `` Get Out of Denver '' `` Beautiful Loser '' `` Katmandu '' `` Nutbush City Limits '' `` Night Moves '' `` Mainstreet '' `` Hollywood Nights '' `` We 've Got Tonite '' `` Still the Same '' `` Old Time Rock and Roll '' `` Fire Lake '' `` Against the Wind '' `` You 'll Accomp'ny Me '' `` Tryin ' to Live My Life Without You '' `` Hollywood Nights '' `` We 've Got Tonite '' `` Shame on the Moon '' `` Roll Me Away '' `` American Storm '' `` Like a Rock '' `` Shakedown '' `` C'est La Vie '' `` Landing in London '' `` Downtown Train '' `` Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey ( Going Back to Birmingham ) '' Related articles Discography Gibson / Miller Band Book Jon English Discography Studio albums Wine Dark Sea ( 1973 ) It 's All a Game ( 1974 ) Hollywood Seven ( 1976 ) Minutes To Midnight ( 1977 ) Words Are Not Enough ( 1978 ) Calm Before the Storm ( 1980 ) In Roads ( 1981 ) Jokers and Queens ( with Marcia Hines ) ( 1982 ) Some People... ( with The Foster Brothers ) ( 1982 ) Dark Horses ( 1987 ) Live albums Beating the Boards ( 1982 ) The Rock Show ( 2012 ) Soundtracks & Cast recordings Jesus Christ Superstar ( 1972 ) Ned Kelly ( 1974 ) Against the Wind ( 1978 ) Street Hero ( 1984 ) Paris ( 1990 ) The Pirates of Penzance ( 1994 ) Buskers and Angels ( 2000 ) Compilation albums English History ( 1979 ) Modern English : 16 Great Hits ( 1983 ) The Best of Jon English ( 1993 ) English History II ( 2001 ) Mot Alle Vindar -- Six Ribbons ( 2007 ) Legends -- Jon English ( 2008 ) Six Ribbons - The Ultimate Collection ( 2011 ) History ( 2016 ) Singles `` Handbags and Gladrags '' `` Close Every Door '' `` Turn the Page '' `` Lovin ' Arms '' `` Hollywood Seven '' `` Behind Blue Eyes '' `` Six Ribbons '' `` Get Your Love Right '' `` Hot Town '' `` Straight from the Heart '' `` Josephine ( Too Many Secrets ) '' `` Stand By Me '' Film, TV & Theare Jesus Christ Superstar ( 1972 ) Matlock Police ( 1975 ) Against the Wind ( 1978 ) Touch and Go ( 1980 ) All Together Now ( 1991 -- 93 ) The Pirates of Penzance ( 1994 ) The Mikado ( 1996 ) HMS Pinafore ( 1997 ) Walk the Talk ( 2000 ) Time Trackers ( 2007 ) Awards Logie Awards of 1979 Best New Talent Countdown Awards of 1979 Most Popular Male Performer Green Room Awards of 1983 Male Actor in a Leading Role Mo Awards of 1983 -- 85 Entertainer of the Year ARIA Music Awards of 1991 Best Soundtrack Related articles Sebastian Hardie `` You 're Not Alone ( Australian Olympians song ) '' Countdown Spectacular ( 2006 ) Metallica James Hetfield Lars Ulrich Kirk Hammett Robert Trujillo Jason Newsted Cliff Burton Dave Mustaine Ron McGovney Studio albums Kill ' Em All Ride the Lightning Master of Puppets... And Justice for All Metallica Load Reload St. Anger Death Magnetic Hardwired... to Self - Destruct Cover albums Garage Inc. Collaboration projects Lulu Extended plays The $5.98 E.P. : Garage Days Re-Revisited Beyond Magnetic Live albums S&M Orgullo, Pasión, y Gloria : Tres Noches en la Ciudad de México Live at Grimey 's The Big Four : Live from Sofia, Bulgaria Through the Never Box sets The Good, the Bad & the Live Live Shit : Binge & Purge Limited - Edition Vinyl Box Set The Metallica Collection Singles `` Whiplash '' `` Jump in the Fire '' `` Creeping Death '' `` Master of Puppets '' `` Harvester of Sorrow '' `` Eye of the Beholder '' `` One '' `` Enter Sandman '' `` The Unforgiven '' `` Nothing Else Matters '' `` Wherever I May Roam '' `` Sad but True '' `` Until It Sleeps '' `` Hero of the Day '' `` Mama Said '' `` King Nothing '' `` The Memory Remains '' `` The Unforgiven II '' `` Fuel '' `` Turn the Page '' `` Whiskey in the Jar '' `` Die, Die My Darling '' `` Nothing Else Matters ' 99 '' `` No Leaf Clover '' `` I Disappear '' `` St. Anger '' `` Frantic '' `` The Unnamed Feeling '' `` Some Kind of Monster '' `` The Day That Never Comes '' `` All Nightmare Long '' `` Broken, Beat & Scarred '' `` The View '' `` Lords of Summer '' `` Hardwired '' `` Moth into Flame '' `` Atlas, Rise ! '' `` Now That We 're Dead '' `` Spit Out the Bone '' Promotional singles `` Fade to Black '' `` For Whom the Bell Tolls '' `` Do n't Tread on Me '' `` Ai n't My Bitch '' `` Bleeding Me '' `` Better than You '' `` My Apocalypse '' `` Cyanide '' `` The Judas Kiss '' Other songs `` Seek & Destroy '' `` Am I Evil ? '' `` Blitzkrieg '' `` Breadfan '' `` The God That Failed '' `` Astronomy '' `` Tuesday 's Gone '' `` Last Caress / Green Hell '' `` Stone Cold Crazy '' `` So What ? '' `` Overkill '' `` The Unforgiven III '' Video albums Cliff ' Em All 2 of One A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica Cunning Stunts S&M The Videos 1989 -- 2004 Français Pour une Nuit Orgullo, Pasión, y Gloria : Tres Noches en la Ciudad de México The Big Four : Live from Sofia, Bulgaria Quebec Magnetic Metallica Through the Never Tours Kill ' Em All Tour Ride the Lightning Tour Damage, Inc. Tour Monsters of Rock Tour 1987 Monsters of Rock Tour 1988 Damaged Justice Tour Wherever We May Roam Tour Guns N ' Roses / Metallica Stadium Tour Nowhere Else to Roam Tour Shit Hits the Sheds Tour Poor Touring Me Poor Re-Touring Me Tour Garage Remains the Same Tour M2K Mini Tour Summer Sanitarium Tour Madly in Anger with the World Tour Escape from the Studio ' 06 Sick of the Studio ' 07 2008 European Vacation Tour World Magnetic Tour 2012 European Black Album Tour The Full Arsenal Tour By Request Tour Lords of Summer Tour WorldWired Tour Related articles Awards Discography Demos Songs recorded Songs performed live Apocalyptica Beatallica Big Mick Orion Music + More Echobrain Exodus Flotsam and Jetsam Megadeth Newsted Metallica v. Napster, Inc. A Tribute to the Four Horsemen The Blackest Album : An Industrial Tribute to Metallica Johnny Got His Gun Damage Incorporated Guitar Hero : Metallica Songs Metallic Assault : A Tribute to Metallica Metallic Attack : The Ultimate Tribute Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Turn_the_Page_(Bob_Seger_song)&oldid=816371891 '' Categories : 1973 songs 1974 singles 1998 singles Bob Seger songs Jon English songs Capitol Records singles Elektra Records singles Metallica songs Songs written by Bob Seger Songs about touring Billboard Mainstream Rock number - one singles Rock ballads Music videos directed by Jonas Åkerlund Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Eesti Ελληνικά Español Italiano ქართული Polski Slovenčina Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 20 December 2017, at 22 : 55. About Wikipedia

Question: what is the meaning behind the song turn the page
Answer: emotional and social ups and downs of a rock musician's life on the road