Their first hit, "I'm Into Something Good", was produced by Mickie Most, reaching #1 in the UK (1963) and #13 in the US (1964). Other hits followed such as "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" (1965) and "I'm Henry VIII, I Am". The last was said at the time to be "the fastest-selling song in history". The band played on these singles but many of their subsequent singles employed session musicians, including Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, with contributions from the band. The band's singles were written by top songwriters of the day. Regardless of how the records were made, the guitar player, Lek Leckenby, was a gifted guitarist. Indeed, all the other members were capable players and Peter Noone was a charismatic front man. The band was nominated for two Grammy awards in 1965, both for "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter". Noone and the band deliberately emphasized their Manchester accents on the record, which was never intended to be a single.
Born in Manchester, England, Noone was a child TV star in Coronation Street and in other TV work. He was still only 15 when he achieved international fame as teenage heart-throb as leader of the Hermits.
Herman's Hermits, whilst hugely successful in the mid-1960s, never topped the British charts again after their first hit, "I'm Into Something Good". However, they had two US No. 1's with "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" and "I'm Henry the Eighth, I Am". The band disliked both songs, and never released them as singles in Britain. They appeared in several movies, including When The Boys Meet The Girls (1965) and Hold On! (1966). They also appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dean Martin Show and The Jackie Gleason Show.
They enjoyed consistent success in Britain throughout the rest of the decade but they were even more popular in America for a while. Their hits continued until 1967's "No Milk Today". Soon, however, the Monkees had replaced Herman's Hermits as the simple pop rock act, and the Hermits' career declined. "There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)" engendered a revival, but the Hermits never again cracked the top 10 in the U.S. This song was, however, successfully covered by The Carpenters in their album "A Kind of Hush", released in 1976. The band continued releasing records throughout the 1970s with little success. In the end, Herman's Hermits were a band which were both blessed and cursed by the 'niche' in which originally they found success.
(Adapted from Wikipedia)
This Door Swings Both Ways
Herman's Hermits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a door that opens wide
And no man can call himself complete
Till he's seen it from both sides
This door swings both ways
It's marked 'in' and 'out'
Some days you'll want to cry
This door swings both ways
It goes back and forth
In comes a southern breeze
Or a cold wind from the north
This door swings both ways
Lets in joy and pain
In comes the morning sun
And then the evening rain
This door swings both ways
Lets in dark and light
Every day you make the choice
To let in wrong or right
When shadows fall
You must prepare yourself for sunshine
For everything there is an end
And so my friend you must be brave
This door swings both ways
Which one will it be
Will we live in happiness or dwell in misery
This door swings both ways
Lets in earth and sky
Make the most of livin' if you're not prepared to die
Make the most of livin' if you're not prepared to die
(This door swings both ways)
The lyrics for Herman's Hermits's song This Door Swings Both Ways are filled with wisdom about the dualities of life. The opening line, "Everyone's life is bittersweet," sets the tone for the rest of the song. It implies that life is a mixture of joy and sorrow. The next line, "It's a door that opens wide," suggests that life is full of possibilities. But the following lines, "And no man can call himself complete/Till he's seen it from both sides," make it clear that to truly understand life, one must experience both the good and the bad.
The chorus reinforces this message of duality. The door swings both ways, marking the way in and out. Some days are happy, some days are sad. The door lets in the southern breeze or the cold wind from the north. It also lets in joy and pain, the morning sun and the evening rain, and both darkness and light. Every day, the choice is made to let in wrong or right.
The third verse speaks directly to the idea of preparing for both the good and bad times. When shadows fall, you must prepare yourself for sunshine. And everything comes to an end. The final verse brings it all together, asking the listener which way the door will swing for them. Will they live in happiness or misery? Will they make the most of living if they're not prepared to die?
Overall, the lyrics to this song offer a poignant and insightful message about the dualities of life. It urges the listener to embrace both the good and the bad and to prepare for whatever comes their way.
Line by Line Meaning
Everyone's life is bittersweet
Life is a mixture of happiness and sadness.
It's a door that opens wide
Life is full of opportunities and possibilities.
And no man can call himself complete
No one can truly understand life until they have experienced both its joys and sorrows.
Till he's seen it from both sides
Only by experiencing both the good and bad aspects of life can one truly understand it.
This door swings both ways
Life is full of ups and downs.
It's marked 'in' and 'out'
Sometimes you'll feel happy and other times you'll feel sad.
Some days you'll want to cry
There will be difficult moments in life.
And some days you will shout
There will be moments of joy and celebration.
This door swings both ways
Life is unpredictable and ever-changing.
It goes back and forth
Life can be tumultuous and uncertain.
In comes a southern breeze
Good things can happen unexpectedly.
Or a cold wind from the north
Bad things can happen unexpectedly.
This door swings both ways
Life is full of opposing forces.
Lets in joy and pain
Life can be full of happy moments and difficult challenges.
In comes the morning sun
There are always new opportunities to start fresh.
And then the evening rain
Difficult moments will come, but they will pass.
This door swings both ways
Life is full of contrasting experiences.
Lets in dark and light
Life can be full of both good and evil.
Every day you make the choice
You have the power to choose your own path in life.
To let in wrong or right
You must decide what is best for you, and what will bring you happiness and fulfillment.
When shadows fall
During difficult moments in life.
You must prepare yourself for sunshine
Understand that good times will come again.
For everything there is an end
Nothing lasts forever.
And so my friend you must be brave
You must have courage to face life's challenges.
This door swings both ways
Life is full of choices and changes.
Which one will it be
You must decide what path to take in life.
Will we live in happiness or dwell in misery
Your choices will determine whether you live a happy or unhappy life.
Lets in earth and sky
Life is full of all kinds of experiences.
Make the most of livin' if you're not prepared to die
Life is short, so make the most of every moment.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DON E THOMAS, ESTELLE LEVITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter
A great and classic song by Herman's Hermits.