Born Graham Barnes in Nottingham England, Alvin Lee took up guitar at the age of thirteen. By the age of fifteen he had formed the group Jaybirds. Following in the footsteps of earlier beat groups such as the Beatles, the Jaybirds played the clubs in Hamburg, Germany to great local acclaim. On returning to London in 1966, the group changed its name to Ten Years After.
Ten Years After scored hits with many albums and became a popular touring band. The band gained note in America after their appearance at Woodstock in 1969.
Lee's guitar work on ‘I’m Going Home’ on the 'Woodstock' album and film remains a standard for many rock guitarists to emulate.
Ten Years After played a mix of rock and blues tinged with jazz. In 1973, Lee left Ten Years After to pursue a solo career.
His first work was a collaborative effort with American gospel singer Mylon LeFevre on an album entitled On The Road To Freedom; other artists on the album included George Harrison, Mick Fleetwood and Steve Winwood. A year later he formed the band Alvin Lee & Company and released a double live album recorded at the Rainbow in London, In Flight.
Lee continued to record albums and play live until his death in 2013, thrilling audiences with his guitar virtuoso and nimble fingered fret work.
Having recorded over twenty albums, some of the key solo works Alvin Lee has recorded are:
1973 On The Road To Feedom
1974 In Flight
1975 Pump Iron
1976 Let it Rock
1978 Rocket Fuel
1979 Ride On
1980 Freefall
1981 RX5
1986 Detroit Diesel
1992 Zoom
1994 I Hear You Rockin
1996 Live In Vienna
2004 In Tennessee
2007 Saguitar
2012 Still On The Road To freedom
Official Website: Alvin Lee
You can also see Alvin Lee & Ten Years After and / or Alvin Lee & Co and / or Ten Years After and or Alvin Lee & Ten Years Later and / or The Alvin Lee Band on Last.fm.
Friday the 13th
Alvin Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't Relate To Ability, So Much Space And Room In Me
All The Things That I Can't Believe, All The Things That I Can't Conceive
Trouble Mounting, Under The Sea
There's Thoughts That I Can Find, Hidden Deep Inside My Mind
Seems That Everything I Saw
Are Just Memories Left Behind Me Now
I Can't Live With Reality
Cut My Chains And Set Me Free
Try To Lose Everything I'm Told
I Don't Buy, Everything I've Sold
Till , I'll Be Passing By
All The Pain, And All The Strife
Trouble Mounting, Friday 13
Those Memories Seem So Tall
When I To Learn Them All
Wished That
Are Just , Call On Me
It's Friday On The 13th !
In Alvin Lee's song Friday the 13th, the singer expresses a sense of confusion and disconnect from the world around him. He admits he doesn't know if he's right or wrong and feels unable to relate to the abilities of others. He feels as though there is plenty of space inside of himself, but there are things he can't believe and can't understand. Under the surface, trouble is mounting.
The second verse talks about finding thoughts buried deep in his mind and how his memories seem to be the only things left behind of everything he has seen. He wants to break free from reality and lose himself in something different. He does not believe everything he has been told and refuses to accept everything he has been sold. The trouble is still mounting, and Friday the 13th seems to be a symbol of all the strife and pain he has experienced.
The song speaks to the difficulty of finding one's place in the world and the frustration that can come from feeling out of step with others. The lyrics are open to interpretation but seem to suggest that the singer is searching for something more meaningful in his life and is struggling to find it.
Line by Line Meaning
I Don't Know If I'm Right Or Wrong, But I Didn't Do
Uncertainty clouds my judgment about the facts surrounding a particular situation, but I am certain of my innocence.
Can't Relate To Ability, So Much Space And Room In Me
I find it hard to compare my capacity for something with others, as I believe I have more room for growth.
All The Things That I Can't Believe, All The Things That I Can't Conceive
Several concepts and ideas that others embrace, leave me skeptical and confused.
Trouble Mounting, Under The Sea
I sense an impending problem that could be brewing beneath the surface, hard to detect initially.
There's Thoughts That I Can Find, Hidden Deep Inside My Mind
I believe there are several thoughts in my mind that may take some effort to uncover.
Seems That Everything I Saw
From my observations, it appears that most of the things I had witnessed reside in the past and cannot be relived.
Are Just Memories Left Behind Me Now
All that remains now from my past experiences are memories that are hard to shake off.
I Can't Live With Reality
I find it challenging to come to terms with the reality of certain situations or events.
Cut My Chains And Set Me Free
I beg to be liberated from any restrictions that may be holding me back from fulfilling my potential.
Try To Lose Everything I'm Told
I make efforts to not be influenced by everything that is told to me.
I Don't Buy, Everything I've Sold
I refuse to fully accept or believe everything I have sold as a version of the truth.
Till , I'll Be Passing By
Until the time passes by, I will just be moving along, one day at a time.
All The Pain, And All The Strife
I have been through an extensive period of pain and difficulty, which has persisted over a long period.
Trouble Mounting, Friday 13
With the arrival of the 13th day of the week, I anticipate trouble or difficulty ahead.
Those Memories Seem So Tall
Memories from my past, although difficult to shake, seem like they have been blown out of proportion.
When I To Learn Them All
Trying to understand and comprehend every memory from my past seems like an impossible task.
Wished That
I have hopes or desires for a particular outcome that may seem unattainable or unlikely.
Are Just , Call On Me
If ever in need, I will always be available and ready to help whenever called upon.
It's Friday On The 13th !
An indication that it is the thirteenth day of the week, a day that is widely associated with bad luck or ill fortune.
Contributed by Josiah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aristotelezz
Great record Rocket Fuel, very underrated!
Steven Hauth
A yes it's me so what do you want to know do what you do to me Donna I'll say it again do what you do to me Donna!
alain ARNETTE
@Steven Hauth best alvin lee record
750nut
🚀🚀🚀🚀
Dr Strangelove
can you upload more albums PLZZZZZZZZ :D
cory saunders
LOL yeah great song man!
Manny Digs
Cool!
750nut
I Don't Know If I'm Right Or Wrong, But I Didn't Do
Can't Relate To Ability, So Much Space And Room In Me
All The Things That I Can't Believe, All The Things That I Can't Conceive
Trouble Mounting, Under The Sea
There's Thoughts That I Can Find, Hidden Deep Inside My Mind
Seems That Everything I Saw
Are Just Memories Left Behind Me Now
I Can't Live With Reality
Cut My Chains And Set Me Free
Try To Lose Everything I'm Told
I Don't Buy, Everything I've Sold
Till, I'll Be Passing By
All The Pain, And All The Strife
Trouble Mounting, Friday 13
Those Memories Seem So Tall
When I To Learn Them All
Wished That
Are Just, Call On Me
It's Friday On The 13th
Lorenzo Ripani & The Rockin Daddys
Not sure-I see the lyrics on A lee website but I hear:
"I don't know if I'm right or wrong, All I do is drift along.
Cant relate to infinity, so much space and room in me.
All the things that I cant believe, all the things that people see.
Trouble mounting, under the sea."
(Alvin's past lyrics quite often mentions the word infinity, so my ears hear infinity and not 'ability'
750nut
@Lorenzo Ripani & The Rockin Daddys thanks!
Another “reason” to listen again😁‼️