Clifford T. Ward typified the early 70s bedsitter singer-songwriter with a series of albums that were at best delightful and at worst mawkish. Ward left grammar school before A-levels to work as a clerk, but by 1962 was fronting local beat group Cliff Ward and the Cruisers. The group changed their name to Martin Raynor and the Secrets and made their recording debut for EMI Records in 1965, before recording several more tracks as the Secrets for CBS Records.
In 1967 Ward enrolled at Worcester teacher training college to study English and divinity, after which he taught at Bromsgrove high school. His debut album appeared on disc jockey John Peel's brave-but-doomed Dandelion Records label in 1972. His second album and his first release for Charisma Records, Home Thoughts, proved to be his finest work and gave him wider recognition. Ward constructed each song as a complete story sometimes with great success.
The beautiful "Gaye" became a UK Top 10 hit but surprisingly the stronger "Home Thoughts From Abroad" and the infectious and lyrically excellent "Wherewithal" failed to chart. Mantle Pieces and Escalator contained a similar recipe of more harmless tales like the minor hit "Scullery" with affecting lyrics like; "You're my picture by Picasso, you'd brighten up any gallery'.
Ward's refusal to tour and promote his songs did not help endear the singer to his record company, however, and he switched to the Phonogram Records label for 1975"s No More Rock 'N' Roll. In later years although still recording the occasional album and still reluctant to perform live, Ward received kudos as a songwriter with his material being recorded by artists such as Cliff Richard, Art Garfunkel and Justin Hayward.
He was struck down with multiple sclerosis in 1987 and his health rapidly deteriorated. He managed to record 1991's vinyl-only album Laugh It Off, and friends and colleagues pieced together two more albums of new songs, out-takes and demos to give the ailing Ward some financial assistance. He finally succumbed to pneumonia December 18th 2001.
A Day To Myself
Clifford T. Ward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From just a few weeks ago
When April was about to smile on England
And I had to go.
So here I am again
Far from where the blackbird sings
And lanes I love to walk along
And what of you my love
Though you're so far away
Yet so close to me in all I do and see.
And so on my day off
I could have chosen monuments
Historic chateau, palaces
Or finding ways of improving my French
Instead I wandered out alone
Here where woods and fields abound
And in a quiet corner found the resting place
Of English soldiers killed in war.
And what of them my love
Who died so far from home
No last farewell kiss
All that remains is this.
It makes me so ashamed to feel alone
Whatever would they think of me
For I shall see my love again.
INSTRUMENTAL
It's all so different now
From those few years ago
When April smiled so sweetly still
And they had to go.
The lyrics of "A Day To Myself" by Clifford T. Ward communicate a sense of longing and isolation. The singer reveals that he feels distant from his loved one and is surrounded by unfamiliar surroundings that compound his feelings of loneliness. The song opens with the singer describing how everything seems to have changed in just a few weeks, with the arrival of April in England, and how he had to leave the country. The reference to the month of April reinforces the idea of new beginnings and the hope that the singer is clinging to.
The second stanza is an expression of the singer's loneliness and how he feels separated from his love interest. He describes wandering alone in a quiet corner and coming across the resting place of English soldiers killed in war. The third stanza speaks of how the singer feels ashamed to be alone when he thinks of these soldiers who had no one to say goodbye to when they died. However, he is hopeful that he will see his loved one again and that everything will be different from that point on.
The song's instrumental section serves to underscore the emotional intensity of the words of the song. It is a poignant reminder that the power of music lies not only in the lyrics but in the way it can evoke feelings and memories.
Line by Line Meaning
It's all so different now
The current state of things is completely different from how it was in the past
From just a few weeks ago
This major difference is recent, almost immediate
When April was about to smile on England
The change happened around April, usually a time of new beginnings
And I had to go.
The subject underwent a change that resulted in leaving their previous environment
So here I am again
The situation repeats itself, the subject is in a similar position
Far from where the blackbird sings
The subject is in a place where nature is not as present and surrounding as it once was
And lanes I love to walk along
The subject misses certain routes or paths they used to enjoy walking on
Lost in my thoughts
The subject is going through a reflective state of mind
And what of you my love
The subject thinks of their beloved
Though you're so far away
The beloved is not physically close to the subject
Yet so close to me in all I do and see.
The beloved still permeates in the subject's thoughts and everyday experiences
And so on my day off
The day is one of relaxation or leisure time
I could have chosen monuments
The subject had options to do something more touristy or culturally appealing
Historic chateau, palaces
Examples of said culturally appealing options
Or finding ways of improving my French
The subject had an option for personal growth (language learning)
Instead I wandered out alone
The subject chose to do an activity on their own
Here where woods and fields abound
The activity took place in a natural environment with abundant plant life
And in a quiet corner found the resting place
The activity led to the discovery of something private, secluded
Of English soldiers killed in war.
What was discovered turned out to be a solemn sight
And what of them my love
The subject thinks of said soldiers and their loved ones back home
Who died so far from home
The soldiers perished in a different country, far from the people they knew and loved
No last farewell kiss
The soldiers never got the chance to say goodbye to their families
All that remains is this.
The cemetery or memorial serves as a reminder of the soldiers' sacrifice
It makes me so ashamed to feel alone
The subject feels bad for feeling lonely when they know others have gone through greater hardships
Whatever would they think of me
The subject wonders what the soldiers would think of their reaction
For I shall see my love again.
The subject finds comfort in the thought of seeing their beloved once more
It's all so different now
The song goes back to the opening line, reinforcing the idea of a dramatic change
From those few years ago
The change happened quite a few years before the current time
When April smiled so sweetly still
The change happened during a time that usually feels pleasant and joyful
And they had to go.
The change was likely something outside the subject's control that resulted in others leaving
Contributed by Alice Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
John Fortune
Absolutely brilliant; absolutely beautiful. This needs to be played at ALL the big remembrance day services, etc, then perhaps it will get the 62 MILLION views it deserves instead of just 62,000!
Blue Snowbelle
Agreed ❤
Peter Turley
Absolutely 💜
Pete D
up to 140,000 now ..
scalpsie
Superb and I'm so delighted...obviously you've good taste and an appreciative ear...what a lovely comment...filled with genuine sincerity...so admirable. I truly hope you'll grow to love even more! Pax!
Ronan L
I share this annually with friends around November 11 - I think it's such a wonderful way to sit back and think about the humanity of it all.
philiphales
CTW was my favourite having discovered Gaye in '73. Then bought, over the years all his LPs. Biggest regret was never seeing him Live. However, his music is ageless and lives on.
scalpsie
Great to hear from you Cass ...just great. Lovely words and sentiments.
cmpblue
One of my all time favorite songs. Thank you for sharing it with the world. Clifford T Ward was a magical songwriter.
Alan O'Kelly
The most underrated singer songwriter ever.