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.
Remember yesterday
John Miles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All around another day is dawning.
Goodbyes ain't easy,
So no-one sees me when I go.
Only time is gonna last forever,
Just remember what we had together.
I must be leavin'
And I can't even let it show.
Remember Yesterday.
Lose your memory in a thousand places
Disappearing in a sea of faces,
Always lonely,
I live the only way I know.
Holding on until I don't remember
Early morning back in late September,
Now you're behind me,
The clouds remind me I'm alone.
I am on my way,
Remember Yesterday.
My mind must be the gypsy
That keeps me movin' on.
My heart must be the only thing
That's callin' me back home.
My memories are souvenirs
And all there is to show.
For someone who's been everywhere,
I've got no place to go.
Spend a life time searching for a reason,
Find the answer in the changing season.
By tomorrow
All the sorrow disappears.
Far away another boat is sailing,
Making time before the light starts failing,
Never knowing where I'm going day to day.
I am on my way,
Remember Yesterday.
The song "Remember Yesterday" by John Miles is essentially a song about moving on in life and the challenges that come along with it. The opening verse speaks of the early morning, symbolizing a new day, a new beginning. It is a time when one needs to move on, but goodbyes are never easy. The lyrics suggest that the singer or the person in the song wants to leave without anyone noticing. He realizes that time is the only thing that lasts forever, and he wants to hold on to the memories of the past.
The second verse of the song speaks about how memories can be lost in a crowd, and no one will ever notice it. The singer or person in the song is living his life the way he knows how to, holding on to memories until they fade. The early morning of September has a special meaning to him, and remembering it leaves him alone with the memory. The lyrics reveal that the person is a wanderer, always on the move, trying to find a home, but memories are all that remain.
The chorus of the song reminds the listener that the person is moving on, but the memories of yesterday remain with him. The person's mind is like a gypsy, and his heart always calls him back home. Memories of his travels are all that remain, and he's got no place to go. The lyrics suggest that the person has spent his lifetime searching for a reason, and he finds them in the changing seasons. By tomorrow, all the sorrow will disappear, and he can sail far away.
Line by Line Meaning
Misty silence of the early morning
The quiet and foggy atmosphere of the morning
All around another day is dawning.
A new day is starting
Goodbyes ain't easy,
It's difficult to say goodbye
So no-one sees me when I go.
Trying to leave unnoticed
Only time is gonna last forever,
Time is the only thing that's eternal
Just remember what we had together.
Recalling the past relationship
I must be leavin'
I have to go
And I can't even let it show.
Can't express my emotions
I am on my way,
I'm leaving
Remember Yesterday.
Remember the past
Lose your memory in a thousand places
Forgetting in various locations
Disappearing in a sea of faces,
Getting lost in a crowd
Always lonely,
Feeling isolated
I live the only way I know.
Living the only way I can
Holding on until I don't remember
Trying to hold on to memories for as long as possible
Early morning back in late September,
Referring to a specific memory from the past
Now you're behind me,
Putting the past behind
The clouds remind me I'm alone.
Feeling lonely
My mind must be the gypsy
My thoughts wander like a gypsy
That keeps me movin' on.
Which keeps pushing me forward
My heart must be the only thing
My emotions are what's driving me
That's callin' me back home.
The only thing that's making me want to return home
My memories are souvenirs
Memories are like keepsakes
And all there is to show.
The only thing left from the past
For someone who's been everywhere,
For someone who has traveled the world
I've got no place to go.
Feeling lost and without a destination
Spend a life time searching for a reason,
A lifetime searching for a purpose
Find the answer in the changing season.
Finding the answer through the changes in nature
By tomorrow
In the future
All the sorrow disappears.
No more sadness
Far away another boat is sailing,
Seeing another vessel departing in the distance
Making time before the light starts failing,
Trying to complete things before it's too late
Never knowing where I'm going day to day.
Living day to day without a clear direction
I am on my way,
Still moving forward
Remember Yesterday.
Remembering the past
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN (GB 1) MILES, ROBERT MARSHALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brett Lowton
Gutted to hear about John's passing. A brilliant musician/songwriter who will be missed by those of us who appreciate good music by talented musicians.
Karl Jenkins
Great song. Great talent. As a fan of his Music, I feel that gifted musicians like John Miles goes unappreciated here.
The 70's was the best decade for terrific bands and artists and songs couldn't be better. Best part of my life. Was 17 when this was released.
Victor Figueroa
Could not agree with you more ...
Mickey
My god , the search is over , i've finally found it . I've been looking for this song for twenty odd years . I heard it on a tape in a truck , in about the late 90's . It was on an old recorded tape , not pre recorded , which only had Dave Miles written on it . I'd never heard of him , but he appeared to be a jazz singer , couldn't find this track on any of his records . The tape also had cloud number 9 on it , which i did manage to find , but by a completely different singer , again no sign of this track . Eventually the tape screwed up from being over played , and in a short time i started to forget many of the words , i had just about given up .
Thank you to the uploader , i'm off to Amazon now to download it . Postscript , got it ....
Peter Govan
It's always music that gets the credit,this one is a classic.
Paul Buxton
As Music , non finer 🎶
Paul Landry
What a gorgeous song.
Nathan Walker
So sad to hear of Johns passing, this tune never got the commercial success it deserved IMO. Thank you for the wonderful music and RIP John 🙏
Saturn848
What an awesome musician. I love everything he's done.
Fernanda P.S
RIP John Miles 🙏🏼