He grew up in Glasgow and attended Shawlands Academy. John Martyn moved to London from Glasgow in the mid 1960s. He made his initial recorded impact in 1967, at the age of 19, with his debut album London Conversation. He then quickly became an integral part of the British music scene, incorporating Folk, Blues, and Jazz into his unique sound.
In the late 60s to early 70s he was close friends with Nick Drake, for whom he wrote the song Solid Air. The album of the same name remains an extremely moving album, as does the later Grace and Danger which documents his divorce from his wife Beverley with whom he recorded several albums (as John & Beverley Martyn).
During the 70s John lived in Hastings on the South Coast of England. Whilst in Hastings he released, amongst others, the Live At Leeds album which he sold from his own house. Also during his time in Hastings John tried to help Paul Kossoff put his life back together.
A long held alcohol problem didn't prevent Martyn from releasing twenty-two albums. In 2003 he contracted an infection that resulted in the amputation of part of a leg, an episode documented in the 2004 BBC documentary "Johnny Too Bad". He recovered, however, and continued to play, record and tour. In 2008, he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Folk Awards. He has influenced many songwriters and guitarists and is an artist whose stature only grows with time. He worked with artists such as Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, David Gilmour and Levon Helm.
Sadly, he passed away on 29th January 2009.
A tribute album entitled Johnny Boy Would Love this…a Tribute to John Martyn was released on 15 August 2011, comprising cover versions of his songs by various artists who he had worked with or influenced.
Never Say Never
John Martyn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shut up! Close your mouth
Shut up! Close your mouth
Shut up! Close your mouth.
You must never say, never say never to me
You might break my heart if you
Ever say never to me
You might go break it again
If you ever say never to me.
In the world today, there's trouble
Look around any corner
It's coming your way
In the world today there's trouble
Look in any direction
It's coming your way.
But you must never say, never say never to me
You know you break my heart if you ever say never to me
You must never say, never say, never say never to me
You might break my heart if you ever say never to me.
Every time you say I'm crazy
It makes me feel so mad
Every time you tell me, I'm going astray
Every time you say I'm lazy
Makes me feel that way
Every time you tell me, I'm slipping away.
Never say, never say never to me
You'd break my heart if you
Ever say never to me
You must never say, never say never to me
You'd break your own heart if you ever say never to me.
You must never say, never say never to me
You break my heart if you
Ever say never to me
You must never say, never say never to me
You'd break your own heart
If you ever say never to me.
In this world today there's trouble
Look around any corner, you can feel it
You know that it's coming your way
Look out of your window
Any way, north, east, south or west
It's coming your way.
You must never say, never say never to me
You break my heart if you
Ever say never to me
You must never say, never say never to me
You know I'm going apart
If you ever say 'ever to me.
Ah, never say, never say, never say, never say, never say
Never say never, never say never, never say never, never say never.
Don’t you say that word
Shut up, close your mouth
Shut up, close your mouth
The lyrics of John Martyn's song "Never Say Never" convey messages of trust and loyalty in a relationship, particularly in the face of adversity. The repetition of "Shut up! Close your mouth" throughout the song represents a desire to block out negative thoughts or words that could cause harm to the relationship. The line "You must never say, never say never to me / You might break my heart if you / Ever say never to me" highlights the importance of open communication and honesty, but also the potential for those words to have a negative impact.
The following stanza suggests that trouble is inevitable in life, but the refrain of "never say never" serves as a mantra to remind the listener to remain steadfast in their commitment to their partner. The repetition of "Every time you say" implies that the singer may feel judged or criticized by their partner, which contributes to the feeling of instability in the relationship. However, the ultimate message of the song is one of hope and determination: "You'd break your own heart if you ever say never to me" underlines the fact that both partners need to remain committed in order to make things work.
Overall, "Never Say Never" is a cautionary tale about the damage that negative language can have on a relationship. But it's also an uplifting reminder of the power that trust and loyalty can have in overcoming even the most difficult situations.
Line by Line Meaning
Shut up! Close your mouth
The singer is demanding silence from their audience.
Shut up! Close your mouth
The singer is demanding silence from their audience.
Shut up! Close your mouth
The singer is demanding silence from their audience.
Shut up! Close your mouth.
The artist is demanding silence from their audience.
You must never say, never say never to me
The artist demands their significant other never give up on their love.
You might break my heart if you
Ever say never to me
If the significant other were to give up on their love, the singer would be heartbroken.
You must never say, never say never to me
The singer demands their significant other never give up on their love.
You might go break it again
If you ever say never to me.
If the significant other were to give up on their love, it would be as if they had broken the artist's heart before.
In the world today, there's trouble
Look around any corner
It's coming your way
The world is a difficult and dangerous place, and problems can arise at any moment.
In the world today there's trouble
Look in any direction
It's coming your way.
The world is a difficult and dangerous place, and problems can arise from any angle.
But you must never say, never say never to me
You know you break my heart if you ever say never to me
The singer demands their significant other never give up on their love, and expresses the heartbreak they would feel if they did.
You must never say, never say, never say never to me
You might break my heart if you ever say never to me.
The artist repeats their demand for their significant other to never give up on their love, and expresses the heartbreak they would feel if they did.
Every time you say I'm crazy
It makes me feel so mad
The singer is upset by their significant other's criticism.
Every time you tell me, I'm going astray
Every time you say I'm lazy
Makes me feel that way
The singer is upset by their significant other's criticism, which they believe is unfounded.
Every time you tell me, I'm slipping away.
The singer is upset by their significant other's criticism, which they believe is unfounded and may lead to a breakup.
Never say, never say never to me
You'd break my heart if you
Ever say never to me
The artist reiterates their demand for their significant other to never give up on their love, and expresses the heartbreak they would feel if they did.
You must never say, never say never to me
You'd break your own heart if you ever say never to me.
The artist argues that their significant other would also be hurt if they were to give up on their love.
You must never say, never say never to me
You break my heart if you
Ever say never to me
The singer repeats their demand for their significant other to never give up on their love, and expresses the heartbreak they would feel if they did.
You must never say, never say never to me
You know I'm going apart
If you ever say 'ever to me.
The singer argues that their significant other's love is essential to their well-being.
Ah, never say, never say, never say, never say, never say
Never say never, never say never, never say never, never say never.
The artist emphasizes their point by repeating key phrases.
Don’t you say that word
Shut up, close your mouth
Shut up, close your mouth
The artist firmly demands that their significant other not give up on their love, and insists on their silence while doing so.
Contributed by Noah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.