Gerry Marsden (1942-2021) formed Gerry & The Pacemakers in the late 1950s with his brother, Fred Marsden (died 2006), Les Chadwick (1943-2019) and Arthur Mack. They rivalled The Beatles early in their career, playing in the same areas of Hamburg, Germany, and Liverpool, England, and being from Liverpool, managed by Brian Epstein, and recorded by George Martin. Mack was replaced on piano by Les Maguire ()born 1941) around 1961. They are known to have rehearsed at Camell Laird shipping yard at Birkenhead.
They began recording in early 1963 with "How Do You Do It?", a Mitch Murray written song that both Adam Faith and The Beatles had turned down (in the latter case because they wanted to record their own material, specifically "Please Please Me"). The song became a number one hit, until being replaced at the top by The Beatles' third single, "From Me to You".
Gerry & the Pacemakers next two singles, Murray's "I Like It" and Rodgers and Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone", both also reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. Never before had the first three singles by a performer all reached the top spot (the feat would not be duplicated until Frankie Goes to Hollywood did it in the 1980s).
Despite this early success, Gerry & the Pacemakers never had another number one single in the U.S. Gerry Marsden began writing most of their own songs, including "It's All Right", "I'm the One", and "Ferry Cross the Mersey", as well as their first and biggest U.S. hit, "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying". All of these represented the band's light, poppy, enjoyable sound. They also starred in a moderately successful early 1965 film called Ferry Cross the Mersey, for which Marsden wrote much of the soundtrack.
By later in 1965, though, their popularity was rapidly declining on both sides of the Atlantic. They lacked the innovation of the Beatles and did not have the rawer musical and visual edge of some of the other British Invasion groups, and they soon seemed un-hip. They disbanded in October 1966 with much of their latter recorded material never released in the UK.
Gerry Marsden became a popular cabaret and children's TV entertainer. He reformed the band in 1972 with prominent Liverpool musicians Jose McLaughlin, Billy Kinsley and Pete Clarke. In April 1973, this second version of the group became the only Merseybeat band to ever record for the John Peel Show on BBC Radio. The tracks from that show have now been included on the album Gerry & the Pacemakers Live at the BBC, released on Parlophone Records in October 2018. Subsequently, Marsden occasionally toured with various line-ups of the band on the oldies circuit. Gerry Marsden announced his retirement on 29 November 2018.
The band is probably best remembered for their version of "You'll Never Walk Alone," which has become the anthem for Liverpool Football Club in England. Liverpool's fans sing the song before every match at Anfield, their home stadium.
Girl On A Swing
Gerry & The Pacemakers Lyrics
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And watch as the light from the sun
Shines through here hair
From yonder she came
I don't know her name
Still I love that girl on a swing
Gril on a swing, swing low
Take all the hate from the world that were in.
Girl on a swing, swing high
Girl on a swing, swing low
And you can cast all your troubles to the wind
She comes with the light
Then goes with the night
My heart just yearms
But then comes the dawn
And she returns
Girl on a swing, swing high
Gril on a swing, swing low
Take all the hate from the world that were in.
Girl on a swing, swing high
Girl on a swing, swing low
And you can cast all your troubles to the wind
The lyrics of Gerry & The Pacemakers's song "Girl On A Swing" are simple, yet poetic. The singer stands out of sight, watching a girl swinging on a swing. He is entranced by her beauty as the sunlight shines through her hair. He doesn't know her name, but he loves her nonetheless. The swing seems to be the only thing that can take away the hate and troubles of the world, making her a symbol of escapism from reality.
The girl's movement on the swing becomes a metaphor for life's ups and downs. She swings high and low, taking away the hate and casting troubles to the wind. The singer's heart yearns for her, as she vanishes with the night and returns with the dawn. The girl on a swing acts as a beacon of hope, representing the ability to escape the world's challenges by embracing the simple things in life.
"Girl On A Swing" is a love song that speaks to the power of escapism from the difficulties of life through the simplicity of nature. It is a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful moments in life are the ones that bring us peace and happiness in the midst of chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
I stand out of sight
I am hiding and observing from a distance
And watch as the light from the sun
Seeing the sunlight shining on her
Shines through her hair
I love the way the sunlight shines through her hair
From yonder she came
I don't know where she came from
I don't know her name
I don't know the name of the girl I observe
Still I love that girl on a swing
Despite not knowing her name, I am captivated by her
Girl on a swing, swing high
The girl is swinging high
Gril on a swing, swing low
The girl is slowing down
Take all the hate from the world that were in.
Watching the girl swing helps me forget about the hate in the world
And you can cast all your troubles to the wind
Swinging can provide a way to escape troubles and feel carefree
She comes with the light
The girl appears when the sunlight returns
Then goes with the night
But disappears when the night comes
My heart just yearms
I deeply desire the girl on the swing
But then comes the dawn
I know that she will return when the sun rises
And she returns
I am relieved and happy when she comes back
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ROBERT FRIPP, ANDY SUMMERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind