Dan Seals was born February 8, 1950, in McCamey, Texas. To say that he came from a musical family would be an understatement. He was the son of E. W. "Waylon" Seals, a pipe fitter and repairman for Shell Oil who also played guitar and bass, and was a member of bands led by Ernest Tubb and Bob Wills. By the time he was four, Dan had learned to play upright bass and soon after he was playing in the family band. His older brother, Jim Seals recorded a hit single called "Tequilla", as a member of the Champs from 1958 thru the mid-1960s, then as one half of the duo "Seals And Croft". His other brothers included successful country musicians Eddie Seals (of Eddie and Joe), while his cousins included composers Chuck Seals (author of "Crazy Arms") and Troy Seals, Brady Seals (of Little Texas), and country singer Johnny Duncan.
John Colley, born October 13th 1951, was a classically trained pianist. The two began working together as members of local cover bands, including Playboys Five and Theze Few. They recorded a series of demos in Nashville as The Shimmerers, but their prospects ended with the death of their producer, before he could secure a recording deal for them.
It was as members of a group called Southwest F.O.B. (Freight On Board) that the two first paired off as a formal duo. The band, with Colley on keyboards and Seals playing sax as well as singing, played a mixture of rock and R&B and became popular locally in Dallas. They were signed to Hip Records, a division of Stax/Volt, and in 1968, released an album called "Smell of Incense", the title song of which, made it to No. 56.
Seals and Colley had begun writing songs together around this time and recognized that they were moving in a different direction from the rest of the band, more toward Paul Simon than Jimi Hendrix. Soon, the were opening shows for the band with an acoustic set featuring their harmony vocals, warming the crowd up before the entire Southwest F.O.B. took the stage. They remained with the group until 1969, when they decided to head to California and try and land a recording contract as a duo.
Originally billing themselves as "Colley and Wayland", (Seals' middle name) the name didn't quite work, and it was Dan's brother, Jim Seals who suggested they incorporate Dan's childhood nickname, "England Dan". It was a reference to the fact that, as a youngster, Dan had fixated on the Beatles and briefly affected an English accent. "Ford" was added to John Colley's name, and the spelling of his last name shortened to "Coley" to assure its proper pronunciation. England Dan & John Ford Coley not only flowed well, but was unusual enough to merit a second look from programmers, reviewers, and promoters, as well as the general public, even if they'd never heard any of the duo's music.
As "England Dan & John Ford Coley", they were signed to A&M Records in 1970, with the assistance of guitarist Louis Shelton, who'd played with Jim Seals in The Dawnbreakers (and would be part of Seals & Croft's band), and who had brought the duo's demo to Herb Alpert. A pair of LPs, a self-titled debut album and "Fables", both produced by Shelton, resulted in very modest sales, a minor chart entry with the song "New Jersey" at number 103, and a No. 1 Japanese hit single ("Simone"). Those albums and singles featured a somewhat rougher textured version of the sound for which they would later become known, and an array of Los Angeles sessionmen including Larry Knechtel, Tommy Morgan, and Hal Blaine, not to mention string arrangements by Marty Paich.
When their contract ran out in 1972, they were dropped by A&M. Not easily discouraged, they kept performing, and Coley was hired to play on a couple of Seals & Croft albums. Four years later, in 1976, their manager heard a demo of a new song called "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight", written by a Mississippi-based composer named Parker McGee. The duo cut their own demo of the tune and began shopping it around to different record labels. Ironically, it was after an executive at Atlantic Records turned it down that Doug Morris of Big Tree Records, having heard it through the wall of his adjoining office, offered them a contract.
Dan and John were paired with producer Kyle Lehning, who had also made McGee's demo. The result was a No. 2 pop single in the spring of 1976, which ultimately sold two million copies. July of 1976 saw the release of England Dan & John Ford Coley's debut album for Big Tree, "Nights Are Forever", also produced by Lehning. Their second Big Tree single, "Nights Are Forever Without You," also written by Parker McGee, also made the Top 10.
By 1977, they recorded a second album called, "Dowdy Ferry Road", which yielded a pair of songs, "It's Sad To Belong (To Someone Else)" and "Gone Too Far", both Top Twenty hits. These two more moderate success didn't seem to satisfy the record label, and the duo found themselves being pressured to find songs by other composers with which they could scale the top 10. They'd spent years perfecting a sound and two complimentary styles of composition that would allow them to do things musically that were important to them, but both Seals and Coley found the most personal aspect of their work shunted aside and held out of the most prominent positions in their work.
Their third LP, "Some Things Don't Come Easy", seemed to say more than was intended with its title. The 1978 album generated a top 10 hit with "We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again," but it was the work of songwriter Jeffrey Comanor, rather than either Seals or Coley. Additionally, the album was mixed in New York, in contrast to their prior work, which was recorded and mixed out of Lee Hazen's studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee. This pointed to the increasing need for a new sound and texture from the duo's work.
By the end of the 1970s, England Dan & John Ford Coley were beset by new pressures from all sides. The perception was that, between the burgeoning disco boom and the undercurrent of punk rock, their continuing with the brand of harmony-based, melodic pop-rock in which they specialized, was a losing battle. After some near-disastrous sessions in Los Angeles, they salvaged only a single song, one that proved to be their last top 10 hit, "Love Is The Answer," written by Todd Rundgren.
They made one last effort at selling their sweetly harmonized music in the form of the single "Why Is It Me," and contributed one song "Part of Me Part of You," from the movie "Just Tell Me You Love Me". Following the release of a "best of" album in 1980, the pair went their separate ways.
Dan Seals initially pursued a career in pop-rock as England Dan on Atlantic (which had bought up Big Tree Records), and managed a low placement in the top 100 with "Late At Night." It was around this time, however, that the Internal Revenue Service began an action against Seals which resulted in the seizure of virtually all of his assets. He re-emerged, still produced by Kyle Lehning, as Dan Seals and reinvented himself as a country performer. After hitting the country charts three times in one year with "Everybody's Dream Girl," "After You," and "You Really Go For The Heart," he moved into high gear with a six year string of major hits, including nine No. 1 country hits in a row, and a string of Country Music Association awards to go with them.
John Ford Coley withdrew from performing after the split, although he did return to A&M Records in 1981 to cut an album, "Leslie, Kelly & John Ford Coley" with singers Leslie Bulkin and Kelly Bulkin, on which Jim Seals' long-time partner Dash Crofts did some singing. During the early/middle 1990's, he reappeared as a solo artist in southern California. John has also had some success as an actor, appearing in the film Dream A Little Dream with Corey Feldman and Corey Haim as well as a movie called Scenes From A Goldmine. He also played the part of the bad guy on an episode of America's Most Wanted.
In 1996, Rhino Records released "The Very Best of England Dan & John Ford Coley", a 16-song compilation. Whatever success they enjoyed in reshaping their images and music, England Dan & John Ford Coley will always draw smiles and warm feelings about a simpler, more innocent age for which they wrote a good deal of the nicest music of the decade.
What's Forever For
England Dan & John Ford Coley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And how they change with the times
And lately all I've been seeing are people
Throwing love away and losing their minds
Maybe it's me who's gone crazy
But I can't understand why
All these lovers keep hurting each other
So what's the glory in living
Doesn't anybody ever stay together anymore
And if love never lasts forever
Tell me what's forever for
I've been listenin' to people
And they say love is the key
And it's not my way to let them lead me astray
Its only that I want to believe
So what's the glory in living
Doesn't anybody ever stay together anymore
And if love never lasts forever
Tell me what's forever for
And I see love hungry people
Tryin' their best to survive
When right there in their hands
Is a dying romance
And they're not even trying to keep it alive
So, what's the glory in living
Doesn't anybody ever stay together anymore
And if love never lasts forever
Tell me what's forever for
So what's the glory in living
Doesn't anybody ever stay together anymore
And if love never lasts forever
Tell me what's forever for
England Dan & John Ford Coley's song "What's Forever For" is a heart-wrenching ballad that speaks volumes about the state of relationships today. The song is about the futility of seeking true love, as many people seem to be intent on throwing away their relationships, even when good love is hard to come by. The lyrics talk about how people change with the times, and how love is often lost in the process.
The song explores the singer's thoughts on why love seems to be fading away, and why people aren't able to hold on to love like they used to. The singer's confusion and frustrations are evident in the lines "Maybe it's me who's gone crazy but I can't understand why, all these lovers keep hurting each other when good love is so hard to come by". The singer believes that love is the key, but is disappointed by how people are unable to hold on to it.
The song's chorus is particularly poignant, as it questions the very point of living and asks "What's the glory in living, Doesn't anybody ever stay together anymore, And if love never lasts forever, Tell me what's forever for". This serves as a reminder that love is what gives life meaning, and that without it, it's hard to see the point of going on.
Overall, the song is a timeless classic that touches the heartstrings of all who hear it. It's about the importance of love, and the struggles that come with seeking it.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been looking at people
I have been observing people's behaviors
And how they change with the times
How their attitudes and beliefs are affected by passing time
And lately all I've been seeing are people
Recently, all I've noticed are individuals
Throwing love away and losing their minds
Discarding love and acting irrationally
Maybe it's me who's gone crazy
Perhaps I'm the one who's becoming insane
But I can't understand why
I don't comprehend why
All these lovers keep hurting each other
Why these couples keep hurting themselves
When good love is so hard to come by
Considering how difficult it is to find true love
So what's the glory in living
What is the point of living?
Doesn't anybody ever stay together anymore
Do people not stay with each other these days?
And if love never lasts forever
Moreover, if Love never lasts eternally
Tell me what's forever for
Ask me what the point of forever really is?
I've been listenin' to people
I am hearing people's advice
And they say love is the key
People have said love is essential
And it's not my way to let them lead me astray
However, I am not the type to blindly follow them
Its only that I want to believe
I just want to be convinced
And I see love hungry people
Additionally, I notice many love-thirsty people
Tryin' their best to survive
Doing their very best to persist
When right there in their hands
Although they have it within reach
Is a dying romance
They have a relationship that's falling apart
And they're not even trying to keep it alive
They aren't even attempting to maintain it
So, what's the glory in living
Consequently, what's the purpose of life?
Doesn't anybody ever stay together anymore
Don't couples remain committed to each other these days?
And if love never lasts forever
Further, if loving relationships doesn't go on for eternity
Tell me what's forever for
Explain what's the benefit of having something last forever?
So what's the glory in living
Therefore, what's the point of existence?
Doesn't anybody ever stay together anymore
Do humans not stay together long term anymore?
And if love never lasts forever
Suppose love never lasts eternally
Tell me what's forever for
Then what is the rationale for perpetuity?
Contributed by James W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@girlkulot161
I've been looking at people
And how they change with the times;
And lately all I've been seeing are people
Throwing love away and losing their minds;
Maybe it's me that's gone crazy,
Cause I can't figure out why;
All these lovers keep hurting each other,
When good love is so hard to come by;
So what's the glory in living?
Doesn't anybody ever stay together anymore?
And if love never lasts forever, tell me
What's forever for?
I've been listening to people
And they say love is the key;
And it's not my way to let them lead me astray;
It's only that I want to believe;
So what's the glory in living?
Doesn't anybody ever stay together anymore?
And if love never lasts forever, tell me
What's forever for?
I see love hungry people tryin' their best to survive,
While in their head they dream of romance,
If they can keep it alive;
So, what's the glory in living?
Doesn't anybody ever stay together anymore?
And if love never lasts forever, tell me
What's forever for
@davebeach2735
Dan Seals could sing anything and he did, he was one of the best vocalists I think I have ever heard in my life, the music industry suffered a tragic loss when he passed away, but his voice will forever remain timeless ... He blessed us all with his rich harmony ...
@chadfranzen9771
Y KC d Fun. R. Car g😅s get cpu
@sydneyghisyawan
I fully agree with you..
@adventurefrankcozwelovetravel
This is the Best Version Slow Rock style Whats Forever for thanks for the Undying Performance England Dan & John Fordcoley 👏👏👏👏👋👋
@Kglov
My cousin Rafe Van Hoy wrote this song when he was about 18 and years later sang it at our grandmother's funeral. So of all the versions, his will always be my favorite.
@jasonburns4071
Wow! It's one of my favourites. Especially the Michael Murphy version which seems more ' plaintive.'
@Heartboy1031
He co-wrote a lot of good songs with Deborah Allen. My favorite is "Let Me Be The First"; Nicolette Larson's version in 1986.
@virgiliogamutan3222
a beautiful song, " if love never lasts forever tell me what's forever for"
@doctorstrange6054
Yeah. That's it. "And if they never lasts forever tell me what's forever for" this song is so hurtful but it taught us the reality of love. What a throwback!
@bryango5979
in a word, timeless. they dont make music like this anymore. just glad we have more access to it now and listen to it online. thanks for uploading this