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.
Leaving
Clifford T. Ward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sat down on the chair
Didn't say anything
Didn't look anywhere
Poured the coffee in the cup
Took the jug off the tray
Poured the milk in the coffee
Drank the cafe au lait
And just stared into space
And a tear from your eye
Left a mark on your face
You took your handkerchief out
And brushed the tear away
Put the cups in the sink
And the coffee away
Checked the time on your watch
Put the milk in the fridge
Ran the water to hot
Then you washed up the cups
You took your coat off the hook
And you opened the door
And walked out of my life.
INSTRUMENTAL
The sun was shinin' brightly
No clouds in the sky
People talkin' outside
And the traffic went by
All the world was hurryin' on
Just as if there was nothing wrong.
You walked into the room
Sat down on the chair
You didn't say anything
Didn't look anywhere
Poured the coffee in the cup
Took the jug off the tray
Poured the milk in the coffee
An' drank the cafe au lait
You lit a cigarette up
And just stared into space
And a tear from your eye
Left a mark on your face
You took your handkerchief out
And wiped the tear away
Put the cups in the sink
And the coffee away
Checked the time on your watch
Put the milk in the fridge
You ran the water to hot
Then you washed up the cups
You took your coat off the hook
And you opened the door
And walked out of my life.
The song "Leaving" by Clifford T. Ward paints a vivid picture of a person leaving another's life. The lyrics describe the scene of the final interactions between the two individuals, with the focus on the mundane actions that take place. The person who is leaving walks into the room, sits down on the chair, pours coffee, and drinks it. They don't say anything or look at the person they're leaving. They light a cigarette, stare into space, and shed a tear before wiping it away with a handkerchief. They put the cups in the sink, check their watch, put the milk in the fridge, wash up the cups, take off their coat, open the door, and leave.
The actions may seem ordinary, but they have a significant impact on the person being left. The lack of communication and connection highlight the emotional distance between the two individuals. The tear shed by the person leaving may indicate unresolved emotions or regret, but it's left open to interpretation. The final line of the song, "And walked out of my life," is a reflection of the finality of the action, leaving the impression that there's no turning back.
Line by Line Meaning
You walked into the room
The subject entered the room.
Sat down on the chair
The subject took a seat on a chair in the room.
Didn't say anything
The subject did not speak upon arrival.
Didn't look anywhere
The subject did not direct their gaze towards anything in particular.
Poured the coffee in the cup
The subject filled a cup with coffee.
Took the jug off the tray
The subject removed a jug from a tray.
Poured the milk in the coffee
The subject added milk to the coffee in the cup.
Drank the cafe au lait
The subject consumed the coffee with milk.
You lit a cigarette up
The subject lit a cigarette.
And just stared into space
The subject gazed unresponsively into the room.
And a tear from your eye
A tear escaped from the subject's eye.
Left a mark on your face
The subject had a visible tear mark on their face.
You took your handkerchief out
The subject retrieved a handkerchief.
And brushed the tear away
The subject wiped away the tear with the handkerchief.
Put the cups in the sink
The subject moved the cups to the sink.
And the coffee away
The subject disposed of the remaining coffee.
Checked the time on your watch
The subject looked at their watch to check the time.
Put the milk in the fridge
The subject returned the milk to the fridge.
Ran the water to hot
The subject turned on the tap to hot water.
Then you washed up the cups
The subject cleaned the cups in the sink.
You took your coat off the hook
The subject removed their coat from a hook.
And you opened the door
The subject opened the door.
And walked out of my life.
The subject exited the room, leaving forever.
The sun was shinin' brightly
Outside, the sun was shining.
No clouds in the sky
The sky was clear with no clouds.
People talkin' outside
People were conversing outside.
And the traffic went by
Cars were driving by.
All the world was hurryin' on
The rest of the world continued to move on and be busy.
Just as if there was nothing wrong.
Everything seemed normal in the world outside of the room.
Contributed by Mackenzie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
dreamerinalowprofile
Captures the mood perfectly. No-one else can compare to CTW.
John Fortune
SUPERB performance....wonderful singing, great melancholic tune and oh, so moving lyrics. Such a shame we no longer have his rare talent with us.
Glenn Barker
We still miss him in the Midlands England and wonder how much more he could have gave us . God bless him
Roger Roberts
Sad to tears listening to this. Another great song from the genius that is Clifford T Ward.
Val Johnson
So wonderful, thank you. I haven't heard this before! Happy New Year & keep up the great work xxx
Steve Morton
Captures a sad, sad event perfectly.
1
Great video. Captures the bleak, stark message in the song.
mac man
Memorial to my mom who decided enough was enough and taking the risk of waking away from an abusive marriage was the better option, and it was ,!
Valerie Purves
brilliant. no one like him !!
Graham Davis
As a teacher, Cliff would turn in his grave at the expression "This is well rare" - I believe you mean to say, Mark, is that this song is very rare.