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.
Tightrope
Justin Hayward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes I used to walk the tightrope
But it got too tight.
I walked the straight and narrow line
My head was spinning round
I worked without a safety net
But it was such a long way down.
Yes I used to walk the tightrope
But you need a head for heights.
I walked the straight and narrow rope
My head was spinning round
I worked without a safety net
But it was such a long way down.
Oh you might have seen us
If we came to your town
This game's made for heroes
And clowns.
Not thinking about tomorrow
Living for today
I never left a note saying
I'm going away.
I used to walk the highwire every night
Oh I used to walk the tightrope
But it got too tight.
I walked the straight and narrow line
My head was spinning round
I worked without a safety net
But it was such a long way down.
Justin Hayward's Tightrope tells the tale of a performer who used to walk the highwire every night, until the pressure of the job became too much. The opening lines, "Yes I used to walk the highwire every night/Yes I used to walk the tightrope/But it got too tight" suggests that this job required a lot of focus and concentration to pull it off, especially as the metaphorical "tightrope" becomes increasingly narrower. It was important to have a "head for heights" to be able to perform this job well.
The performer speaks of walking a "straight and narrow line", which is a reference to leading a disciplined and virtuous life, although their "head was spinning round". The line "Not thinking about tomorrow/Living for today" indicates that they were probably living in the moment and not worrying about the future consequences of their actions. As they worked "without a safety net", there was always the perilous risk that they might fall.
The song is a reflection on the performer's life, and the difficulties they faced as they lived on the edge every night. It shows that there are dangers to living a life that is constantly risky, where the stakes are high and there is no guarantee of success.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes I used to walk the highwire every night
I used to take risks and live dangerously every day
Yes I used to walk the tightrope
I used to live my life on the edge
But it got too tight.
But the risk became too great to continue
I walked the straight and narrow line
I started to live more safely
My head was spinning round
I was overwhelmed by the change in my lifestyle
I worked without a safety net
I had no backup plan or support system in place
But it was such a long way down.
But the consequences of failure would be dire
Oh you might have seen us
Perhaps you witnessed the act I performed
If we came to your town
If our performance came to your local area
This game's made for heroes
This lifestyle takes courage and bravery
And clowns.
And also attracts those willing to entertain
Not thinking about tomorrow
I didn't think about future consequences
Living for today
I only focused on the present moment
I never left a note saying
I never gave any indication of my next move to others
I'm going away.
I didn't leave a clear exit strategy or plan for the future
Lyrics © Fintage House Publishing
Written by: JUSTIN HAYWARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@franklinpalma2662
Dugabowski Duga, muchas gracias por compartir éste formidable tema de Justin Hayward; todo un gran clásico. Saludos desde Perú.
@mikereiss4216
Justin has not just a distinctive voice but also a very distinctive guitar sound.
@russelosborne246
I had this album when it first came out. Brings back so many memories. Wish I could go back.
@wodenoftheangles3339
Don't we all, Russel. Don't we all..
@davidmickel5808
I always loved this album, it was at a strange time in the music business and he still has the Moody Blues sound.
@catdustycat
Great Song.. getting into Justin's solo works all these years later.. - Tom B. Delaware / Brooklyn NY
@mattdwyer9432
A' hidden gem', hard to find, if you don't know the name...Love this artist's work, solo or with The Moodies!
@JoseRodrigues-hl4gf
Obrigado Justin por estas músicas maravilhosas que eu ouço á tantos anos 🎼🎼🎼
@debussy10
Musical track seems to be recorded at a slower speed, then sped up and vocals added; the horns, drummer and keyboard player sound supernaturally fast. Oddly, the horns remind me of Zappa who occasionally sped things up as well. An interesting musical stretch for Hayward.
@nortledorfus
George Martin did this a lot with the Beatles too.