Miles was a member of groups "The Influence", which also included Paul Thompson, later drummer with Roxy Music and Vic Malcolm, later vocalist with Geordie and "The John Miles Set," before starting his solo career in 1971. During the 1970s he issued 18 singles and four albums, including "Rebel" (1976), "Stranger In The City" (1977), and "Zaragon" (1978). He had most success with singles; in addition to Music, he also charted with "Highfly" (1975), "Remember Yesterday" (1976), and "Slow Down" (1977). Most of his songs were co-written with his bassist Bob Marshall.
Miles has toured with Tina Turner, often filling in for Bryan Adams when the latter was unavailable to join her on tour for their duet. Miles is also a frequent guest vocalist on albums by The Alan Parsons Project.
In the 1980s he continued to record and tour. In 1983 a new radio station in the south of England, Radio Mercury, used parts from the song "Music" for their link jingles. The actual song itself also received extensive airplay on the station, leading one to speculate this was perhaps part of a deal for the usage in their jingles.
A list of Miles album releases from the 1980s and 1990s is as follows:
Sympathy (1980)
Miles High (1981)
John Miles' Music (1982)
Play On (1983)
Transition (1985)
John Miles Live In Concert (1992)
Anthology (1993)
Upfront (1993)
Master Series (1998)
Tom and Catherine (1999)
Millennium Edition (1999)
Throughout the late 80s and into the 90s John Miles was musical director to Tina Turner on her various tours, and played on several of her albums. He also played Hammond organ on Joe Cocker's album "Night Calls"(1992).
In 2002 he issued the DVD "John Miles - Live In Concert." In 2007, Miles performed in Gelsenkirchen, Germany with German band Pur and sang two songs. One of those songs, "Abenteuerland", Miles sang with Pur in German. The concert is available on the DVD, Pur-Friends-Live-Schalke-2007. In October 2008, Miles began touring once again with Tina Turner until May 2009.
In 2017, Miles was awarded an outstanding contribution to music award at the Progressive Rock awards.
High Fly
John Miles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whatcha gonna do now the well's dry?
Good time, feeling fine.
Whatcha gonna do now there's no wine?
For many years
You played the joker and you always won.
You wasted time,
Your luck ran out
Just like the sunshine when the day is done.
Your dreams subsided
When you decided that your chance had gone
Your chance to be someone.
You never tried,
You just accepted things and didn't care.
And now it's over,
You look around you but there's no one there.
It's too late now,
Face the truth and don't you try to run.
You're feelin' sorry,
And you've realised your chance has gone
Your chance to be someone.
Highfly, touch the sky,
Whatcha gonna do now the well's dry?
Good time, feeling fine.
Whatcha gonna do now there's no wine?
Highfly, touch the sky,
Whatcha gonna do now the well's dry?
Good time, feeling fine.
Whatcha gonna do now there's no wine?
Highfly, touch the sky,
Whatcha gonna do now the well's dry?
Good time, feeling fine.
Whatcha gonna do now there's no wine?
Highfly, touch the sky,
Whatcha gonna do now the well's dry?
Good time, feeling fine.
Whatcha gonna do now there's no wine?
Highfly, touch the sky,
Whatcha gonna do now the well's dry?
Good time, feeling fine.
Whatcha gonna do now there's no wine?
The lyrics of John Miles's song "High Fly" are a reflection on missed opportunities and regrets. The chorus line "HighFly, touch the sky" is a metaphor for reaching one's full potential and achieving success. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer failed to seize the opportunities that were presented to him.
The first verse of the song speaks of a time when the singer had everything he needed to succeed. The line "Whatcha gonna do now the well's dry?" suggests that he has exhausted his resources and is out of options. The second verse reveals that the singer never really tried to make something of himself. He was content to live in the moment and enjoy the good times. Now that those times are over, he is left with a feeling of emptiness and despair.
The song is ultimately a cautionary tale about the dangers of taking life for granted. It encourages listeners to make the most of their opportunities while they can, lest they end up like the singer in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Highfly, touch the sky,
Enjoying life to the fullest and feeling on top of the world.
Whatcha gonna do now the well's dry?
What will happen when resources run out and there's no more to take?
Good time, feeling fine.
Living a fun and carefree life.
Whatcha gonna do now there's no wine?
What happens when the good times stop and there's no more pleasure to be had?
For many years
For a long time.
You played the joker and you always won.
You took risks and always came out ahead.
You wasted time,
You spent your time recklessly without any goals in mind.
Always fooling round and having fun.
Engaging in frivolous activities and not taking anything seriously.
Your luck ran out
Your good fortune disappeared.
Just like the sunshine when the day is done.
Your luck disappeared suddenly, just like the sun disappears when the day ends.
Your dreams subsided
Your aspirations disappeared.
When you decided that your chance has gone
You gave up on your dreams and decided they were impossible to achieve.
Your chance to be someone.
Your chance to make a meaningful impact and become successful in life.
You never tried,
You never made an effort to achieve your dreams.
You just accepted things and didn't care.
You were complacent and didn't take any initiative to change your life.
And now it's over,
Your time has run out.
You look around you but there's no one there.
You've lost everything and have no one to support you.
It's too late now,
There's no turning back and no time left to make a change.
Face the truth and don't you try to run.
Accept the reality of your situation and don't try to escape it.
You're feelin' sorry,
You regret your past choices and actions.
And you've realised your chance has gone
You now understand that you let your opportunity slip away.
Your chance to be someone.
Your chance to make a meaningful impact and become successful in life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN (GB 1) MILES, ROBERT MARSHALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bluesstudio2750
Sad day today John Miles gone at age 72 - I remember listening to this on Radio Luxembourg under bed covers age 15 in 1975. Saw him in concert at Portsmouth Guildhall in 1979, great gig. RIP John Miles - Highfly - fly high...
@jamesmcglone4379
Jeez radio Luxembourg 😁👍💕
@Dan_druft
So did I and I'm 62 now
@kimbrook54
Lol me too!
@kimbrook54
I'm from pompey and same age lol and listened to this on radio luxembourg!
@roberttaylor90y76
Sad to learn of Johns passing .Performed such good music in the 70s.
@robertpearce5491
Just heard John has passed away.. Thanks for this, Music and more..! R.I.P.
@davidtasker4983
RIP John xxx Highfly and Music are in my opinion 2 of the finest songs to come out of the 70s, Music being the most popular but in my opinion this was far better. they both take pride of place in my record collection ( He never got the recognition for his talent, Fantastic Singer Writer and Musician ) RIP John
@jamesmcglone4379
Slowdown was good to 😁👍
@vincee7621
My condolences. There was a time when one simply couldn't avoid hearing the massive hit Music. Me being me, tried to escape it, fearing it was too commercial a song and too widely played in the radio. The truth is, it was a great song full stop and who among us didn't secretly look forward to that terrific instrumental section. Great work John. Thank you.