John Mayall is often referred to as the "Father of the British blues." His well-known band is still called John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers. They started out in the late 1950s in England, using Chicago style blues as a starting basis for their sound, which has evolved from album to album. And while at one point John Mayall was playing a fairly jazzy sound, he has always come back to the blues.
One of the interesting features of the Bluesbreakers is that members have changed on a very regular basis, and many have gone on to well deserved fame and fortune with other bands and as solo acts. Past members include: Eric Clapton, and Jack Bruce, (also of Cream), Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and Mick Taylor, (who went on to a five -year stint with the Stones.) The studio album recorded with Clapton, entitled John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, was recorded in 1966, and is widely considered to be one of the great classic blues albums on either side of the stormy Atlantic. Cream came round right after.
John Mayall stands out for several reasons - his standing up for the blues, while experimenting with different approaches, his ability to attract the best of musicians; and perhaps most notably his willingness to work with musicians who far outshine him in sheer ability. And he himself sounds very good!
From:Wikipedia
Night Flyer
John Mayall Lyrics
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Your voice is sad in my ear
Now that I've just put the phone down
How do you expect me to sleep with you so far away?
I'm calling the desk for a taxi
The night is so black with the rain
All of my friends are still sleeping
I'm the night flyer, I'm waiting
Somebody get me a plane
Airports at night always empty
I smoke too much sitting here
I'm coming home to you darling
Out of the darkness till day
Though you will tell me I'm crazy
How do you expect me to sleep with you so far away?
The lyrics to John Mayall's "Night Flyer" depict a lonely soul wrestling with the distance between himself and his significant other. The first two lines paint a melancholic picture - "Lying awake in the darkness / Your voice is sad in my ear" - suggesting that the singer may have just hung up with their lover. The singer expresses how difficult it is to fall asleep without them - "Now that I've just put the phone down / How do you expect me to sleep with you so far away?"
The rest of the song depicts the singer's desperate attempt to be with their significant other. The singer is determined - "I'm calling the desk for a taxi / The night is so black with the rain" - and feels empowered - "All of my friends are sleeping / They would never know I was planning to be gone again." The singer is painfully aware that they must take this action on their own - "I'm the night flyer, I'm waiting / Somebody get me a plane / Airports at night always empty / I smoke too much sitting here." The moment strikes as one of deep internal conflict; the singer smokes too much due to self-doubt and the toxic thought of potentially failing to make it back to their lover. Mayall ends the song with the affirmation that the singer is returning to their significant other - "I'm coming home to you darling / Out of the darkness till day / Though you will tell me I'm crazy / How do you expect me to sleep with you so far away?"
Line by Line Meaning
Lying awake in the darkness
The singer cannot sleep and is awake in the dark.
Your voice is sad in my ear
The singer recently spoke to someone who sounded sad.
Now that I've just put the phone down
The singer recently ended a phone call.
How do you expect me to sleep with you so far away?
The singer is struggling to sleep because they miss someone who is far away.
I'm calling the desk for a taxi
The singer is calling the hotel desk to request a taxi.
The night is so black with the rain
It is raining heavily outside and the night is very dark.
All of my friends are still sleeping
The singer's friends are all still asleep and unaware of the singer's plans.
They would never know I was planning to be gone again
The singer believes their friends would not realize they have left.
I'm the night flyer, I'm waiting
The singer considers themselves a night flyer and is waiting for transportation.
Somebody get me a plane
The singer would like someone to arrange for them to travel by airplane.
Airports at night always empty
The singer observes that airports are typically empty at night.
I smoke too much sitting here
The singer is smoking cigarettes while waiting and feels they smoke too much.
I'm coming home to you darling
The singer is leaving where they are to return home to someone they love.
Out of the darkness till day
The singer will travel from a dark place to a brighter one.
Though you will tell me I'm crazy
The singer believes the person they are returning to will think they are crazy for leaving.
How do you expect me to sleep with you so far away?
The singer still struggles to sleep because they miss someone who is far away.
Contributed by Katherine F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.