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.
Our Love
John Martyn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take a look in your heart for me, baby
Baby take a look, take a good look, baby
Baby take a look in your heart.
Our love
Once was sweeter than the April rain
But now I have to beg before you even say my name
Once was warmer than a summer's day
And now I have to ask before you even want to look my way.
People go talking
People go talking around
Putting us down, putting us down
Putting us down, putting us down
People go talking
But they don't talk to me
I know they just don't see.
Our love
Once was you and me against this world
made a man from a boy
and made a woman from a little girl
Our love
Once was deeper than the darkest blue could be
Now I find
I have to search my mind
To find the smallest trace of you in me.
Lovers part
You can read about it
can read about it every day
Read about it every day
Lovers part
Then they just walk away.
Our love
Once was sweeter than the April rain to me
Now I find I have to beg before you call my name
Please call my name, please call my name, and
Baby take a look, take a good look, baby
Baby take a look in your heart
Baby take a look, take a good look, baby
Baby take a look in your heart
Baby take a look, baby take a look
Baby take a look in your heart for me
Ah baby, please baby
The song "Our Love" by John Martyn is about the decline of a romantic relationship. The lyrics mirror the singer’s sadness and frustration as they reflect on how their once-strong and sweet relationship has turned sour. At the beginning of the song, the singer implores their partner to take a hard look at their heart and examine their feelings for the singer. The verses describe how the relationship has deteriorated – the passion and warmth have dissipated, and the singer now has to beg for attention and affection. They are surrounded by rumors and gossip, but feel misunderstood and helpless in salvaging their relationship. The chorus reiterates the sweetness the relationship once held, but the refrain shows how it has deteriorated to the point of desperation for even acknowledgement from their partner.
John Martyn’s delivery of the song’s lyrics reflect the hopelessness and disillusionment that the singer feels. The song is an acknowledgment of the disappointment that a once-strong relationship can bring and the pain of watching it disintegrate. The poignant lyrics speak to the heart of anyone who has experienced a breakup or the slow, painful ending of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh baby, take a look
Please take a moment to truly look at what is happening between us
Take a look in your heart for me, baby
Examine your true feelings towards me and see if there is any love left
Baby take a look, take a good look, baby
I want you to thoroughly examine your heart and find any trace of our love
Baby take a look in your heart.
Please search within yourself and see if there is any love or desire for me left
Our love
Our relationship
Once was sweeter than the April rain
Our love was once incredibly sweet and pure, like the gentle rain of spring
But now I have to beg before you even say my name
Nowadays, I have to plead with you before you even acknowledge me
Once was warmer than a summer's day
Our love used to be as warm and wonderful as a day in summer
And now I have to ask before you even want to look my way.
But now I have to request your attention before you even care to look at me
People go talking
Others talk about us
People go talking around
People gossip and spread rumors about us
Putting us down, putting us down
They say negative things about us
But they don't talk to me
They don't talk to me or understand our relationship
I know they just don't see.
I know they don't understand or truly know us
Once was you and me against this world
In the past, we were united and could take on anything together
made a man from a boy
Our love helped me mature and grow as a person
and made a woman from a little girl
And it had the same effect on you, making you feel more grown up and confident
Once was deeper than the darkest blue could be
Our love was once profound and boundless, deeper than anything imaginable
Now I find I have to search my mind
Now I have to try and remember the smallest detail or memory of our love
To find the smallest trace of you in me.
I struggle to find any evidence that I am still connected to you in any way
Lovers part
Couples break up
You can read about it
It's a common topic in the news and media
can read about it every day
It happens so often, it feels like news coverage every day
Then they just walk away.
A breakup happens suddenly, with one person just walking away from the relationship
Baby take a look, take a good look, baby
I implore you once again to take an honest look at our relationship
Baby take a look in your heart
Please search your heart and see if any love still lingers
Now I find I have to beg before you call my name
I have to plead with you just to get you to say my name
Please call my name, please call my name, and
I am craving even the smallest sign of affection from you
Baby take a look, take a good look, baby
Please try to find even a glimmer of our love in your heart
Baby take a look in your heart for me
Please specifically do this for me, to see if there is a chance for us to reconnect
Ah baby, please baby
I am begging you, my love
Contributed by Lucas H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.