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
Trenches
John Mayall Lyrics
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The young men of europe all in their prime
Ahead lay the horrors of a world insane
It haunts me now to think about that time
One assassination leads to a clash of nations
Everybody talkin' war. a country worth fighting for
But how was anyone to know that hell was in store
Don't worry boys, you'll all be home by christmas
But little by little the lights were going out
And heading for the front line the men were listless
Wondering in the rain will they ever see home again
Slaughter is about to start. best friends are blown apart
Never been a bloodier war in memory before
Shelling day and night driving men insane
Screams of the dyng in no man's land
Nowhere to run from the gas attacks
And everywhere you turn there's another blind man
Losing life and limb. gangrene and rot set in
Weapons out to kill and maim. the boys are cryn' out in pain
Never be the same again. never see an end
If you ever get to france see the poppies in the fields
Just think about the red of the blood of heroes
Who died in the fury of battle day and night
The carnage of war all around when the sun rose
All the mud and rain. machine gun fire again
Never gonna leave that trench. wallow in the mud ad stench
Dyin' on a stretcher bench. time to say goodbye
A generation lost, four deadly years
Families left behind to a life of grieving
Ten million graves to be left untended
Nothing anymore left to believe in
Bodies ripped and torn long before I was born
But all those fine young men. never see their like again
I can vividly recall the pain down through the years
The lyrics of John Mayall's song "Trenches" recount the horrors of World War I and its devastating impact on the young men sent to fight in the trenches. The song begins with a reflection on the months leading up to the war, describing the optimism and pride that many felt about their country's worth fighting for. However, this idealistic view is sharply contrasted with the reality of war, as soldiers are sent to the front with little understanding of the horrors that awaited them.
As the song progresses, Mayall describes the brutal conditions of trench warfare, including the constant shelling, gas attacks, and the toll it takes on the soldiers' physical and mental health. The futility of the conflict is also highlighted, as soldiers are shown to be fighting for a cause that they no longer believe in, with the hope of returning home slowly fading away.
The song ends with a reflection on the millions of lives lost in the war and the lasting impact it had on those who survived. Mayall's lyrics create a powerful and vivid picture of the human cost of war, and serve as a reminder of the need to always strive for peace.
Line by Line Meaning
In the middle of summer nineteen fourteen
The story unfolds amidst the backdrop of summer in 1914
The young men of europe all in their prime
The young men of Europe were in the prime of their life
Ahead lay the horrors of a world insane
There were unimaginable horrors lying ahead in the path of the young men
It haunts me now to think about that time
The horrific incidents that occurred during that time period still haunt the story-teller
One assassination leads to a clash of nations
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand led to a large-scale conflict between many nations
Everybody talkin' war. a country worth fighting for
There was a war-like environment everywhere and people were talking about fighting for their respective countries
But how was anyone to know that hell was in store
No one had an idea about the extent of the horror that awaited them
Sign a dotted line and give a man a gun
Young men were given guns to fight for their country after signing the official documents
Don't worry boys, you'll all be home by christmas
The soldiers were assured that they would return home in time for Christmas
But little by little the lights were going out
As the war progressed, hope began to fade away slowly
And heading for the front line the men were listless
The men were moving towards the frontline with no clear purpose or motivation
Wondering in the rain will they ever see home again
The soldiers were wondering if they would be able to go back home amidst the pouring rain
Slaughter is about to start. best friends are blown apart
The imminent start of the war would lead to the inevitable destruction of life-long friendships
Never been a bloodier war in memory before
It was one of the most violent wars in history
Shelling day and night driving men insane
The continuous shelling was taking a toll on the soldiers' mental health
Screams of the dyng in no man's land
The sound of helpless soldiers dying in no man's land could be heard everywhere
Nowhere to run from the gas attacks
The gas attacks had no refuge and nowhere to hide
And everywhere you turn there's another blind man
Blindness was very common in soldiers due to the extreme conditions and gas attacks
Losing life and limb. gangrene and rot set in
Many soldiers were losing their life or limbs and rot and gangrene was setting in on a lot of them
Weapons out to kill and maim. the boys are cryn' out in pain
The weapons were designed to kill and maim soldiers, resulting in excruciating pain
Never be the same again. never see an end
The soldiers were never going to be the same again and would never be able to forget what they had seen and experienced
If you ever get to france see the poppies in the fields
The story-teller asks others to see the memorial poppies in the fields of France
Just think about the red of the blood of heroes
The sight of the poppies should remind people of the blood spilt by many soldiers
Who died in the fury of battle day and night
Soldiers died due to the continuous and brutal fights that took place day and night
The carnage of war all around when the sun rose
The sight of war's destruction and devastation was visible everywhere each time the sun rose
All the mud and rain. machine gun fire again
The soldiers were surrounded by mud and rain, and machine gun fire was the least of their problems
Never gonna leave that trench. wallow in the mud ad stench
The soldiers had no hope of ever leaving the trench and were forced to stay and suffer in the muddy, stench-filled environment
Dyin' on a stretcher bench. time to say goodbye
The sight of many soldiers dying on the stretcher bench was common and it was time to say goodbye to many
A generation lost, four deadly years
An entire generation of young men were lost during the war in four deadly years
Families left behind to a life of grieving
The families of the soldiers were left to a life of mourning and to grieve for their lost loved ones
Ten million graves to be left untended
There were ten million graves of soldiers that remained unattended and uncared for
Nothing anymore left to believe in
After the war, people had lost all faith and belief in everything around them
Bodies ripped and torn long before I was born
The remains of the soldiers had been ripped apart and torn, long before the birth of the story-teller
But all those fine young men. never see their like again
There would never be men like those brave young soldiers again
I can vividly recall the pain down through the years
The pain and grief of the war still lives with the story-teller even after many years
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: JOHN MAYALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind