Songfacts®:

• If you only tune in to the chorus, you'd think this is an uplifting love song, but a listen to the verses reveals that "Rhythm Of My Heart" is about war, told from the perspective of a soldier with his heart racing in the heat of battle. It's pretty intense, with the sound of a helicopter at the beginning and lyrics like:
  
  Down in the gutter, life is slippin' away
  Let me still exist in another place
  ...
  Love may still exist in another place
  I'm just yankin' back the handle, no expression on my face
  
  During the chorus, the soldier thinks about home and the woman he loves. He just hopes he can make it back there alive.
• The music video makes the meaning of the song very clear. Directed by Caleb Deschanel, it shows the soldier dodging bombs on the battlefield. It has a happy ending, as he returns home safe to his family. The video looks like it's set in the 1950s, likely to avoid any political implications to modern conflicts.
• The song was written by the team of Marc Jordan and John Capek, who also wrote "Pieces Of Ice" by Diana Ross. Jordan is a popular solo artist in Canada. Speaking with Rock History Canada, he explained that the song is "about the loss of humanity that comes with war."
• The song was first recorded in 1986 by the Dutch singer René Shuman for his debut album. Someone at Stewart's record company found the song and had Rod record it; Stewart often covered soul classics like "This Old Heart Of Mine" and "Twistin' the Night Away," which he was very familiar with, but his label sometimes found little gems that he could spin into hits. A good example is "Some Guys Have All The Luck," first recorded years earlier by a group called The Persuaders.
• The bagpipes in this song represent Scotland, a place Stewart strongly associates with even though he never lived there (he's from England). His father is from Scotland and Rod supports the Glasgow soccer team Celtic. His 1986 song "Every Beat Of My Heart" also has bagpipes.
• The song is used in the movies Loch Ness (1996) and The Perfect Storm (2000).
  
  Stewart was 46 when this song was released on his Vagabond Heart album, giving him yet another hit in his extremely prolific career. Stewart had a talent for growing with his audience in a way that was still contemporary. He wrote many of his own songs but was also open to songs written by others that he could transform with his distinct delivery.
  
  His next single, "The Motown Song," was also a substantial hit.
• Another upbeat-sounding hit that many listeners don't realize is about war is "Walking On A Thin Line" by Huey Lewis & the News. That one is specifically about the Vietnam War.
• Trevor Horn of The Buggles ("Video Killed The Radio Star") produced this song. He and Stewart first teamed up when Horn helmed Stewart's cover of "Downtown Train." Horn, who did a few stints in the band Yes, has a rather eclectic production discography. A sample:
  
  "Can't Fight The Moonlight" by LeAnn Rimes
  "Bodies" by Robbie Williams
  "Crazy" by Seal
• Rod Stewart joined Amy Macdonald and various Glaswegians to sing a new version of "Rhythm Of My Heart" at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. This version, which replaced the war imagery with lyrics about the beauty of Scotland, was re-written by the song's co-writer, Marc Jordan.