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.
Remember Me
Justin Hayward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am. I am.
You don't need to ask me if I'm sure my friend.
I am.
I am your friend,
You must remember me.Â
I'm the one who saw through the world's disguise,
Took away its cloak and made it hide
Remember me?
Walking on this Earth, finding you,
You, you.
Walking on this Earth, finding you,
You, you.
What can I say?
You don't need to find the words to say what's on your mind.
If you need a reason to begin again,
I am. I am.
You will find an answer at your journey's end.
I am
Waiting there, my friend,
You must remember me,
I'm the one who knew you when,
I'm the one you call your friend,
Feel free,
Remember me.
Walking on this Earth, finding you,
You, you.
Walking on this Earth, finding you,
You, you.
What can I say?
You don't need to find the words to say what's on your mind.
Walking on this Earth, finding you,
You, you.
Walking on this Earth, finding you,
You, you.
What can I say?
You don't need to find the words to say what's on your mind.
Walking on this Earth, finding you,
You, you.
Walking on this Earth, finding you,
You, you.
Walking on this Earth, finding you,
You, you.
You, you.
You, you.
The lyrics to Justin Hayward and John Lodge's song "Remember Me" tell the story of a faithful friend who is always there for their companion, no matter what. The first two lines of the song are a declaration of loyalty, as the singer tells their friend that they don't need to ask for their friendship because it is already there. The stanza continues in this vein, with the singer assuring their friend that they don't need to second-guess themselves because they are sure of their friendship.
As the song continues, the singer reminds their friend of the times when they were there for them. They reference the fact that they "saw through the world's disguise" and "took away its cloak," meaning that they were able to see past the superficial and uncover what was really important. The singer then implores their friend to remember them, reminding them that they were the one who "knew you when" and "call your friend." They conclude by telling their friend that they don't need to find the words to express themselves, because their friendship transcends language.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't need to ask me if I'll be your friend.
I am already your friend and you don't need to ask.
I am.
I am here and ready to be your friend.
You don't need to ask me if I'm sure my friend.
I am confident in our friendship and you don't need to ask.
I am.
Again, I am certain and confident in our friendship.
You must remember me. I'm the one who saw through the world's disguise, Took away its cloak and made it hide From me. Remember me?
Remember me as the one who saw the world for what it was and could see through its facade. I am asking you to recognize and recall me with affection and gratitude.
Walking on this Earth, finding you, You, you.
I have been wandering the Earth and have finally found you, and it is definitely you, whom I have been looking for all this time.
What can I say? You don't need to find the words to say what's on your mind.
You don't have to struggle to express yourself, I already understand you and you can always confide in me.
If you need a reason to begin again, I am. I am. You will find an answer at your journey's end. I am Waiting there, my friend, You must remember me, I'm the one who knew you when, I'm the one you call your friend, Feel free, Remember me.
If you need motivation to start afresh, know that I am here for you. And at the end of your journey, I will be waiting with answers to your questions. Remember me as the one who knew you before, the friend you can rely on always. Feel free to call on me.
Walking on this Earth, finding you, You, you.
Again, I have searched and found you.
Walking on this Earth, finding you, You, you.
Still repeating the same sentiment, highlighting that finding you is of great significance to me.
You, you.
But it is definitely you.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: JOHN CHARLES LODGE, JUSTIN HAYWARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind