Hayward was born in Dean Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, England, and educated at Shrivenham School in Berkshire and the Commonweal School in Swindon. He was playing in several bands as early as age 15 when he bought his Gibson 335, a guitar that appears on nearly all of his records throughout his career, and a Vox AC30 amplifier. All previous guitars were "unsatisfactory" and required modification. He performed with local Swindon groups in clubs and dance halls playing mostly Buddy Holly songs. One of Hayward's early groups was All Things Bright, which opened for The Hollies and Brian Poole and the Tremeloes. At age 17, he signed an eight-year publishing contract as a songwriter with the skiffle artist and record producer Lonnie Donegan, a move Hayward later regretted, as it meant the rights to all his songs written before 1974 would always be owned by Donegan's Tyler Music. In 1965 he answered an advertisement in Melody Maker and auditioned as guitarist for Marty Wilde and he went on to work with Wilde and his wife in The Wilde Three.
For the most part, Hayward has used a red Gibson ES-335, though he also uses other guitars in both performing and recording, including a 1955 Martin D-28 "Dreadnought", a James Olson six-string acoustic, a black Guild acoustic, a Squier Stratocaster (essentially an inexpensive Fender Stratocaster, as Squier is a subsidiary of Fender), a Fender Telecaster, a blonde Guild 12-string acoustic (tuned to "open C" for "Question"), and in 1967 a black Gibson Les Paul. Between 1965 and 1968, he was without his Gibson 335 and relied on other instruments, most notably a 1964 Fender Telecaster and a hand-built 12-string guitar he had renovated for Donegan (he eventually bought this guitar from Donegan's widow). However, in an interview included on the Lovely to See You concert DVD (2005), Hayward says the 1963 Gibson 335 has been with him since 1967. Recently, he has played a Collings D3 on stage and on recordings. Among other instruments, Hayward also played mandolin on A Question of Balance and sitar on In Search of the Lost Chord.
Written at the end of one love affair and the beginning of another, the song "Nights in White Satin" was, according to Hayward, "in adoration of all women". Hayward married model Ann Marie Guirron on 19 December 1970. His daughter Doremi, who sings on the track "Raised on Love" on Hayward's 1977 album Songwriter, was born on 3 December 1972.
In 2013, Hayward spoke of his learning Transcendental Meditation in 1967, along with other members of the Moody Blues.
Maybe It's Just Love
Justin Hayward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always looking past horizons
Not everytime I'm finding
What I want to lay my eyes on
I'm not always knowing
What I like to know
But here I am a-sittin'
With our favourite music on the radio
Sometimes I smile at what I'm touching
Just because it's there for me to feel
You know it doesn't really matter
If it's in my dreams
Or really real
I'm not always getting what I like to get
But if I keep on moving that's enough to get me set
'cause everybody's wearing out their tongues just talking
I think they got nothing much better to do
They say you're looking for love and all
Somebody strong and dark and tall
Or maybe it's just love that's a-lookin' for you
Just like you I'm searching
Always looking past horizons
Not everytime I'm finding
What I wish to lay my eyes on
I'm not always knowing
What I like to know
But here I am a-sittin'
With our favourite music on the radio
'cause everybody's wearing out their tongues just talking
I think they got nothing much better to do
They say you're looking for love and all
Somebody strong and dark and tall
But maybe it's just love that's a-lookin' for you
'cause everybody's wearing out their tongues just talking
I think they got nothing much better to do
They say you're looking for love and all
Somebody strong and dark and tall
But maybe it's just love that's a-lookin' for you
Maybe it's just love that's a-lookin' for you
Oh maybe it's just love that's a-lookin' for you
The lyrics to Justin Hayward's song "Maybe It's Just Love" are about the search for love and the unknown nature of it. The singer, like the listener, is constantly searching for the right person but doesn't always find what he's looking for. Despite this, he finds comfort in the present moment, sitting with his favorite music on the radio. He acknowledges that sometimes he finds himself drawn to things simply because they are tangible and real, even if they don't ultimately matter.
The chorus brings in the voices of others who are also searching for love, but the singer suggests that maybe love is actually searching for them. The idea is that love is something that can't be forced or predicted, but is instead something that comes to us when we least expect it. The song has a hopeful tone, suggesting that love is always on the horizon even if we don't always find it, and that maybe it's just a matter of time before it finds us.
Overall, "Maybe It's Just Love" is a comforting reflection on the search for love and the unpredictability of relationships. It suggests that even when we feel lost or alone, love is always present in the world and waiting to find us.
Line by Line Meaning
Just like you I'm searching
I am also searching for something meaningful in life, just like you.
Always looking past horizons
I am constantly looking forward to new experiences and opportunities in life, beyond what I already know.
Not everytime I'm finding
What I want to lay my eyes on
Unfortunately, I don't always find what I am looking for in life and it can be disappointing when my expectations are not met.
I'm not always knowing
What I like to know
I do not always have the answers to everything and there are things that I wish I knew more about.
But here I am a-sittin'
With our favourite music on the radio
Despite everything, I can find pleasure and comfort in sitting down and enjoying my favourite music.
Sometimes I smile at what I'm touching
Just because it's there for me to feel
You know it doesn't really matter
If it's in my dreams
Or really real
I find joy in the small things in life, even if they are just dreams or something intangible that I feel. It doesn't matter whether it's real or not, as long as I can experience it and feel happy.
I'm not always getting what I like to get
But if I keep on moving that's enough to get me set
I understand that life doesn't always go according to plan, but as long as I keep pushing forward and making progress, I am content with where I am.
'cause everybody's wearing out their tongues just talking
I think they got nothing much better to do
They say you're looking for love and all
Somebody strong and dark and tall
Or maybe it's just love that's a-lookin' for you
People like to talk about others and what they are looking for in life, but maybe what we are searching for is actually searching for us. Love may come to us when we least expect it, regardless of our preferences.
Just like you I'm searching
Always looking past horizons
Not everytime I'm finding
What I wish to lay my eyes on
I'm not always knowing
What I like to know
But here I am a-sittin'
With our favourite music on the radio
The chorus reiterates the idea that despite the struggles of searching for meaning and happiness in life, sitting down and enjoying the little things can bring us joy and contentment.
Oh maybe it's just love that's a-lookin' for you
The repetition of this line emphasizes the theme of the song - that love may come looking for us when we least expect it, regardless of our preferences.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
johnsmbs2
Justin has written a lot of those "go to" songs. A hero of mine for sure!
Moon Osteodog
This was my "go to" song in the 80's when I was feeling down.
GlenAnne99
Love this video...really expresses the soul of this song :) Wonderful :)
colliefur
This is really beautiful--thank you for posting!
Jennifer Knight
Beautiful..absolutely beautiful...
123ThisIzMe
Oh my goodness, haven't heard this song in some 25 years ! (but it often came into my head...) Didn't know who it was by and where to look for it on Tube. And just as I was looking through some old Moody Blues stuff, I came across your channel - and there it was !! Thanks for uploading it.
Rosemary Stanley
I enjoy this song after all Justin is singing it!! Whether or not he wrote it matters not, he's singing it!
luvlabs
@imagine9384 Wow I agree this is amazing, thanks rbaron for posting all the great moody vids/songs and especially ones like this that are hard to find this song is Gorgeous as is Justin's voice thanks for all the work on posting these mar
harold chernofsky
amazing never heard this before
Roseann Cacciatore
Mr.Hayward , every time I say I have a favorite of yours , I find another , I've decided to consider them all my favorite & stop the counting ! lol