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.
On The Road
Justin Hayward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somethingโs got to come my way
Soon, anytime, any day
Life is for living
Itโs not a complicated game
Hey, we can ride the road again
[Chorus]
Let me see the light in your eyes
Bring your love to me
This is how we get to be free
You and I, earth and sky
Always on the road to love
Time, the illusion
Is the game that we all play
Rejoice in the spirit of today
From the oceans to the mountains
To the greatest cities on the earth
Hey, we can sing about the birth
[Chorus]
Somewhere, in the distance
All the friends that we will know
Hey, we are always coming home
[Chorus]
You and I, earth and the sky
Always on the road to love
The lyrics of "On The Road" by Justin Hayward highlight the idea that life is a journey, where people are always on the move, in search of something greater. In the first verse, Hayward sings of standing at the crossroads, implying that he has reached a point in his life where he must make a decision or change. Hayward is aware that something has to come his way soon, and he expresses his desire to live a meaningful and uncomplicated life while still on the road. The lyrics suggest that life is not to be taken too seriously but must be enjoyed while living it.
In the chorus, Hayward encourages people to ride along with him and seek freedom, love, and light. He believes that love is the key to freedom and that everyone should look for it. Life is an illusion, and time is just a game that everyone plays. The spirit of today should be celebrated, and people should enjoy every moment of their lives. The verse "somewhere, in the distance, all the friends that we will know, hey, we are always coming home," suggests that we may not know who or what we will meet on our journey, but we can be sure that we will eventually find our way home.
Overall, the song is optimistic and encourages people to enjoy the ride, embrace life's twists and turns, and seek love and freedom. The lyrics express the idea that everyone should enjoy the present and embrace the future, even if they do not know what it holds.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing at the crossroads
I'm at a turning point in my life.
Somethingโs got to come my way
I'm waiting for something to happen to give me a direction in life.
Soon, anytime, any day
I'm ready for my life to change at any moment.
Life is for living
Life should be enjoyed to the fullest.
Itโs not a complicated game
Life should be simple and easy to understand.
Hey, we can ride the road again
I'm willing to take on new adventures in life.
[Chorus]
I want to connect with others and experience love on the road.
So let me see who rides
Let me find others who are also on the road journey.
Let me see the light in your eyes
I want to connect with others on a deeper level.
Bring your love to me
Share your love and experiences with me.
This is how we get to be free
Freedom comes from connecting with others and experiencing love.
Time, the illusion
Time is a construct that often distracts us from important moments in life.
Is the game that we all play
Life is like a game where we have to make the most of the time we have.
Rejoice in the spirit of today
Enjoy the present moment and celebrate life.
From the oceans to the mountains
Life is full of different experiences and adventures.
To the greatest cities on the earth
There's so much to explore in the world.
Hey, we can sing about the birth
We can celebrate the new beginnings that come with exploration and adventure.
[Chorus]
I want to connect with others and experience love on the road.
Somewhere, in the distance
There are people we will meet and things we will experience in the future.
All the friends that we will know
We will meet new people and make new friends on our journey.
Hey, we are always coming home
We can always return to our sense of self and the love we experience on our journey.
[Chorus]
I want to connect with others and experience love on the road.
You and I, earth and the sky
We are all connected on this journey through life.
Always on the road to love
The purpose of life is to experience and give love.
Lyrics ยฉ OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tony apthorpe
Beautiful memories
Beautiful memories of distant years,
now it's surrounded by the mists of time,
we look at him/her, hold them in our fears,
the mantelpiece clock goes by, it does chime;
forever gazing through our eyes of tears,
the stairway to heaven is what we climb,
holding a glass of champagne, we say cheers,
our life now passed, so, so very sublime;
we hold a courtesy to our treasures,
so, those many days have now come and gone,
have had our share of life's many pleasures,
I write the words to my life's golden song;
......here I stand at the famous pearly gates,
......the road to heaven, love does generate.
Author Tony Apthorpe at Clarence House copyright 20/06/2022
gentleheartful
Incredibly moving song--never heard it before. Thank-you. His voice is outstanding. Your images are breath taking.
Lady Hecate
I heard it a couple years ago and looked everywhere on his albums and then discovered he wrote and sung this song for a movie or something and is on someone else's cd.
David Faubion
ON THE ROAD My child he has gone down the road, the road of life Gone to change the world through the desert, through the fire My child he has gone full of hope and wonder Sleeplessly to roam through the rain and thunder On the road Will he fight to save the world from growing colder Will he try to hold the world upon his shoulder
andrew tait
great song his interpretations of his craft never ceases to amaze
lcr1955
Once again, Taranberk comes thru with another obscure Justin Hayward rarity!!! How about a hand for Taranberk??? Who is with me???
Sharon Kelley
I'm with you, lor!ย Taranberk is just fabulous!
Elaine Vitucci
This was absolutely beautiful. The images were so very perfectly suited to the music. Thank you again for a wonderfully blessed experience of sight and sound. Your video pared with Justinโs Voice... perfect ๐!
David Faubion
My child he has gone down the road of life Looking for a dream where once upon a time My child he has gone full of awe, full of life Searching for a world where love is not denied On the road, and the road goes on My child he has gone down the road, the road of life Gone to change the world through the desert, through the fire Will he fight to save the world from growing colder Will he try to hold the world upon his shoulder
Janusz Jarzecki
An inspiring song with spiritual depth. Yes, beautiful and thank you Justin!!!
Kathy O'Neill
Beautifully done!