John Dudley Leyton was born on 17 February 1939 in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex. After completing his National Service, he studied drama, paying his way through drama school with bit-part roles in films and on television. His first major acting role was his portrayal of Ginger in a 1960 Granada TV adaptation of Biggles, which earned him a large following of young female fans and led to the formation of a John Leyton fan club.
Following the success of Biggles, Leyton attended a singing audition with producer Joe Meek, and subsequently recorded the song "Tell Laura I Love Her", which was released on the Top Rank label. At that time, however, Top Rank was undergoing a takeover by EMI, which had already released Ricky Valance's version of the same song. The John Leyton recording was withdrawn from sale, and the Valance version reached Number 1 in the UK chart.
A second single - "The Girl On The Floor Above" - was released on the HMV label, but was not a success. His first big hit, "Johnny Remember Me", coincided with his appearance as an actor in the popular ATV television series Harpers West One, in which he played a singer named Johnny Saint Cyr. Leyton performed "Johnny Remember Me" during the show, and the single subsequently charted at Number 1. His next single, "Wild Wind", reached number 2 in the chart, and later singles also achieved chart positions.
Leyton appeared in the accliamed Guns at Batasi (1964) also appearing in the popular film The Great Escape and in Von Ryan's Express starring Frank Sinatra. By the mid-1960s, he was no longer a huge success as a singer, but had begun to make a name for himself as a movie actor in the USA, taking starring roles in several major films in the mid-to-late 60s.
He returned to the UK in the early 1970s and unsuccessfully attempted to re-launch his singing career, signing to the York record label in 1973. Acting roles became fewer and farther between during the 70s, and by the early 1980s, he was no longer active in showbusiness.
In the 1990s, however, he began performing in the Solid Gold Rock 'n' Roll Show, appearing with artists such as Marty Wilde and Joe Brown. The Autumn 2004 tour featured Leyton, Showaddywaddy, Freddy Cannon and Craig Douglas. Leyton has also returned to acting, with a cameo appearance in the 2005 film Colour Me Kubrick starring John Malkovich. In May 2006, Leyton released "Hi Ho, Come On England", a re-working of Jeff Beck's "Hi Ho Silver Lining", to coincide with the World Cup in Germany.
Wild Wind
John Leyton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take all the troubles, that I wanna lose
Far away, wild wind
Hear him howling, way across the plain
He's taking back, his sister rain
Far away, wild wind
Hey there wild wind, blow away my blues
Take all the troubles, that I wanna lose
Carry my soul beyond the sun
Far away, wild wind
Hey there wild wind, blow away my blues
Take all the troubles, that I wanna lose
Far away, wild wind
Wild wind, wild wind, wild wind
The song Wild Wind by John Leyton is a beautiful ballad about the wind that blows away all the worries and troubles of the singer. The lyrics of the song portray the singer's deep desire to get away from all the pain and sadness he is experiencing. He imagines the wind as an entity that can take away all his problems and make him feel better.
The lyrics also hint at nature playing a soothing role in healing the human soul. The howling of the wind across the plain is particularly significant, and it's as if the wind is communicating something to the singer. The repetition of "Far away, wild wind," emphasizes the singer's desire to completely escape his troubles and live a carefree life.
In the last verse, the singer asks the wild wind to carry his soul beyond the sun when his time is done, which further accentuates the idea of the wind being a symbol of freedom and liberation. Overall, the lyrics of Wild Wind are evocative and poignant, and John Leyton sings them with emotion and sensitivity.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey there wild wind, blow away my blues
Addressing the powerful wind, the singer requests for it to sweep away his sadness.
Take all the troubles, that I wanna lose
The singer desires for the wind to carry away all his problems that he no longer desires to bear.
Far away, wild wind
Fondly bidding farewell to the wind, which must now go far away in order to carry out the singer's request.
Hear him howling, way across the plain
The wind's sound can be heard loudly, echoing from somewhere distant on the expanse of land.
He's taking back, his sister rain
The wind is currently taking back the rain, which is its figurative sibling in the natural world.
Hey there wild wind, when my time is done
In contemplation of his mortality, the singer addresses the wind, asking it for a final favor.
Carry my soul beyond the sun
The singer's final request is for the wind to carry his soul beyond the limits of his physical existence, beyond the sun and into the afterlife.
Wild wind, wild wind, wild wind
The refrain repeats the wind's name as if in reverence, and a reminder of its power and might.
Contributed by Kaylee C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Les Adams
I just about remember songs from the era of this one. I keep thinking
that this music is a watershed between what was very melodic music
environment (bearing in mind Joe Meek's genius was leading edge) to the
environment more focussed on trying to get "that" catchy sound. Telstar
is definitely one of those seminal sounds heralding in the electronic
music era which continues to this day. Del Shannon, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, David
Bowie, Chicory tip, Status quo, Jona Lewie, Mike Batt, Robyn, Lady Gaga,
Cher, Visage, Roxy Music, Souxsie and the Banshees, Hazel O'Connor, Men
Without Hats, Hot Chocolate, Laura Branigan....etc
Laurence Gentry
A great and haunting song. Takes me back to happier times. I write this in March 2022...
Bridget Doman
You'll like "Johnny emember me" then if don't already know it.
Julie Lockwood
The most reluctant pop star who had 2 of the best songs of the 60's
mark disley
Love John Leyton, fantastic song, so powerful.
BLE
First saw John Leyton in the Great Escape one of my favorite films, when I was a kid never knew that he sang. He is great at both
Marina Peache
Love the music of the 60's John Leyton was great singer💙
wayne mc donald
Brilliant song and fantastic vocal. Love to all involved. They don`t write `em like this anymore.!X
Pacemaker Spain
Magnifica y grandiosa obra maestra. Inolvidable. Por cierto, el grupo que acompaña a John me parece que son The Tornados.
PEEDEE100
Drummer is Clem Cattini (Tornadoes) played on literally hundreds of hit records. Other drummers took the credit but Clem took the cash!
Bar Rez
Just saw the Great Escape after 20+ years. It was free on Pluto. I decided to look up some history on the real story and read some articles one stating a British pop star was one of the prisoners. I'm here checking it out. Love the female back vocals.
Miss this kind of music my mom (who worked in London in the 50s) used to play all her Britt 45s.