John Mayall (born November 29, 1933) is a pioneering English blues singer, … Read Full Bio ↴John Mayall (born November 29, 1933) is a pioneering English blues singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player and harmonica player.

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

Off The Road
John Mayall Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the day is done
And the sun is sinking low
When you see the light
When you been most everywhere

You go
You go

When the traffic's slow
Break lines lined up for miles and miles
And you know the end is not in sight
You can never take your rides

Off the road
Off the road

When you're all alone
And you've been driving through the night
And you know the end is not in sight
You can never take your rides

Off the road
Off the road

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to John Mayall's "Off the Road" convey a sense of restlessness and a desire for escape. The opening lines, "When the day is done and the sun is sinking low," suggest weariness and a longing for a break from the monotony of daily life. The reference to being "most everywhere" implies a sense of restlessness and the need to keep moving, to keep searching for something new.

The repetition of "you go, you go" throughout the song emphasizes this need to keep moving forward, even in the face of obstacles like slow traffic and a feeling of being lost. The line "And you know the end is not in sight" further emphasizes this sense of uncertainty and the desire to escape from it.

The repetition of the phrase "off the road" becomes a refrain that underscores the song's theme of escape and the longing for freedom. The repeated use of this phrase underscores the idea that breaking away from the constraints of daily life and hitting the open road represents the ultimate escape.

Overall, the lyrics to "Off the Road" tap into a common desire for freedom and a sense of adventure that can be found on the open road.

Line by Line Meaning

When the day is done
At the end of a day

And the sun is sinking low
As the sun starts to set

When you see the light
When you notice existence of hope

When you been most everywhere
When you've traveled far and wide

You go
You keep moving forward

When the traffic's slow
When you're stuck in a traffic jam

Break lines lined up for miles and miles
A long line of cars that seem never-ending

And you know the end is not in sight
You have no idea when the traffic will clear

You can never take your rides
You cannot escape

Off the road
Away from the path