Rick Springfield looks back with the hits of 'Tomorrow'

Don't be fooled by the cheery, upbeat melodies and tempos in rock star Rick Springfield's music.

Songs like "Jesse's Girl" -- the 1982 smash hit that catapulted Springfield's career into fame -- may make you want to get up and bop 'til you drop. But Springfield, the heartthrob who had '80s teenage girls swooning -- says most of the songs he wrote originated with a melancholy note that he clothed in a happy melody.

"There's no 'don't worry, be happy' in my song catalog," Springfield, of Los Angeles, says with a laugh. "I've always been ... really moody ... I was just a really dark kid."

"Jesse's Girl," he says, tells the tale of sexual angst from falling in love with someone he cannot have. "Don't Talk to Strangers" deals with sexual paranoia. "Human Touch" -- which, ironically, Springfield wrote years before the Internet age -- deals with the impersonalization of a techology-driven world.

Now, Springfield is taking a break both from songwriting and acting -- another career that led to a series, "High Tide," and appearances on shows including "Battlestar Galactica," "Wonder Woman" and "General Hospital." Springfield's current tour stops at the Pepsi-Cola Roadhouse in Burgettstown in September, and he's preparing to release a new album with re-invented songs.

"Touring and recording is keeping me pretty busy," says the 55-year-old Springfield. "It's kind of a mixed blessing. I love to tour, but also the window for acting gets small."

"The Day After Yesterday," set for release July 12, features 15 tracks, 14 of which were sung by other artists years ago. The songs include "Broken Wings," originally performed by Mr. Mister in the mid-'80s; "Waiting for a Girl Like You," originally by Foreigner; and "Human," originated by the Human League. Adult contemporary radio stations have begun playing Springfield's "Broken Wings."

Springfield says his new CD sounds moody and soulful, with mostly atmospheric ballads. He chose songs that were popular -- but not too overplayed -- and that he always wished he could have recorded, Springfield says.

"I wanted to do something different this time; I've always loved slower songs," says Springfield, a native Australian who grew up in England and retains a trace of an accent.

Springfield brings a strong guitar sound into his interpretation of the new album's songs, many of which depended on keyboards. Yet the songs still retain their distinctive sounds, he says.

"I wanted to stick pretty close to the same basic feel of all the songs," Springfield says. "They definitely benefit from the new technology. Overall, if you like the original songs, you won't be turned off by these."

"The Day After Yesterday" follows "shock/denial/anger/acceptance," a hard-rocking album that came out in February 2004, and 1999's "Karma." Both of these recent CDs contain original Springfield work, like his '80s albums. The modern music shows Springfield's corresponding maturation process throughout the years, the artist says.

"I definitely have a better, less frantic outlook on my life," he says. "When I write songs, I think I write them from a mature place. Sex is a little less important, and soul is a little more important."

After Springfield's fast and glamorous years of '80s fame, he says he embarked on a spiritual journey that led to revelations and insight, and greater fulfillment and peace. Having adopted practices and beliefs from many religions to form his faith, Springfield adorns his home with both Buddha statues and crosses.

"Basically, I feel very blessed with where I am," says Springfield, who has been married to his wife, Barbara, for 20 years. They have two sons. "Before, I felt the world owed me - now, I feel I owe the world."

Meanwhile, Springfield discovered one his life's greatest joys: his pit bull mix, Gomer, whose picture appears on his Web site. Asked about long-term goals, Springfield couldn't resist mentioning Gomer in his humorous answer.

"Ultimately, world domination -- with my dog as ruling CEO of the world," he says with a laugh. "We'll take recording and acting and concert tours until we get there."