The Earth Band was, from a pop perspective, almost deliberately contrary, but combined the stylistic approach of progressive rock with Mann's keen ear for melody. Mann's interest in English 20th century classical music saw him re-create Gustav Holst's Planets Suite, garnering an unlikely UK hit with a version of the "Jupiter" movement that had lyrics added and entitled "Joybringer". Their 1973 album The Good Earth tapped into ecological concerns, a recurring theme in Mann's music in later years, and had a free gift of a piece of land in Wales with each album sold.
The membership of the Earth Band was relatively informal; Mick Rogers originally performed lead guitar and lead vocal duties before being replaced by Chris Thompson on vocals and Dave Flett on guitar. Drumming duties were fulfilled by Chris Slade, who was later to be a member of AC/DC and Asia in a long and varied career which perhaps can be summed up by his being released by AC/DC despite being, according to the rest of the band, the best musician in the band. Similarly, the technically skilled bass player Colin Pattenden, after leaving the Earth Band, became a sound consultant, running his own company designing and installing sound systems. There was much about the Earth Band that was potentially successful, but the contrariness of the band's approach and Mann's perfectionism meant that albums frequently came out with different track listings in different territories, or in alternative versions.
The breakthrough for the band in the US came when they had a No. 1 pop charts hit in early 1977 with Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded by the Light". While the Springsteen original from 1973's Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. album has a folky, acoustic sound, the Manfred Mann's Earth Band version is driving rock, combining Mann's Moog synthesizer and organ work with Flett's guitar. Manfred can be heard singing at the end of "Blinded By The Light", in the round, with Thompson - it was this feature of the song that initially attracted him. The band took advantage of the publicity and re-released another Springsteen song, "Spirit in the Night", which had been recorded the previous year on Nightingales and Bombers, originally with Rogers on vocals although for some territories it was re-recorded with a vocal from Thompson.
Nightingales and Bombers, The Roaring Silence, and Watch are considered the highlight of the Earth Band's achievement. Watch produced another hit single in "Davy's On The Road Again", and the albums were innovative and original despite the dependence on covers of other artists' songs. Nightingales and Bombers took its title from a World War II naturalist's recording of a nightingale singing in a garden as warplanes flew overhead; the recording appears in a track on the album. Roaring Silence featured a guest appearance by jazz saxophonist Barbara Thompson, and Watch included two stand-out recordings from the bands live performances of "Davy's On The Road Again" and "Mighty Quinn".
Flett left before 1979's Angel Station to be replaced by Steve Waller, sharing the vocal duties with Thompson who was also intent on pursuing a solo career. 1980's Chance showed a move towards a more electronic approach, and produced several cuts that were hits in the UK and/or saw significant airplay in both the US and UK. The songs "Lies (All Through The 80's)", "Stranded", and "For You" (another Springsteen song) still receive significant airplay over 25 years since their release.
Mann became very active in the international anti-apartheid movement, and was banned from entering South Africa, the country in which he had been born. Instead members of the band made journeys to South Africa to record African musicians for the album Somewhere in Afrika, pre-figuring Paul Simon's Graceland. The album included a cover of The Police's "Demolition Man" and a well-received version of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song", which remains in the band's set today. American versions of the album also included Ian Thomas's "The Runner", whose music video had images of the Munich and Montreal Olympic Games, and which enjoyed much airtime in the lead-up to the Los Angeles Olympics.
Manfred Mann's Earth Band has continued recording to the present day, covering tracks by artists as varied as Paul Weller, Robert Cray, Del Amitri, and The Lovin' Spoonful. Mann has also released a solo project, Plains Music, based on Native American music, and his latest album, 2006, includes collaborations with the German rapper Thomas D and tracks featuring the music of, amongst others, the Super Furry Animals. The Earth Band remain active in live performances in Europe, with a line up that includes both Manfred Mann and Mick Rogers.
Most of the band's albums have been re-released in recent years and a 4-CD set featuring many previously unissued versions of tracks was released in August 2005. This includes material from the unreleased (and thought to be lost) Manfred Mann ChapterIII Volume 3 album and the first Earth Band album, Stepping Sideways. The fourth CD in the package includes both unreleased studio material and live performances.
You Angel You
Manfred Mann's Earth Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, bar-room eyes shine vacancy
To see her you gotta look hard
Wounded deep in battle
I stand stuffed like some soldier undaunted
To her cheshire smile I'll stand on file
She's all I ever wanted
Get your carpet baggers off my back
Girl, give me time to cover my tracks, you said
"Here's your mirror and your ball and jacks"
But they're not what I came for
Oh, I came for so much more
And I know you know that too (I came for you)
And I know you know that's true (I came for you)
I came for you
I came for you
I came for you, for you
I came for you
Crawl into my ambulance
Your pulse is gettin' weak
Reveal yourself all to me now
While you've got the strength to speak
'Cause they're waiting for you at Bellevue
With their oxygen masks
But I could give it all to you now
If only you could ask
Don't call for your surgeon, even he says it's late
It's not your lungs this time
But your heart holds your fate
Don't give me my money back, don't want it anymore
It's not that nursery mouth I came back for
It's not the way you're stretched out on the floor
I've broken all your windows and I ran through all your doors
And who am I to ask you to fight my wars?
And you should know that's true (I came for you)
You should know that too (I came for you)
I came for you
I came for you
I came for you, for you
I came for you
Don't call for your surgeon, even he says it's late
It's not your lungs this time
But your heart holds your fate
Don't give me my money back, don't want it anymore
It's not that nursery mouth I came back for
It's not the way you're stretched out on the floor
I've broken all your windows and I ran through all your doors
And who am I to ask you to fight my wars?
And you should know that's true (I came for you)
You should know that too (I came for you)
I came for you
I came for you
I came for you
I came for you
I came for you, for you
I came for you
I came for you
I came for you
The lyrics of "For You" sung by Manfred Mann's Earth Band tell a story about a relationship that has gone wrong. The singer seems to be reminiscing about his past with a woman and how much he still wants her despite the damage that has been done to their relationship. The woman seems to have sent him cards with her regards and even though he is trying to move on, he still can't seem to let go of the memory of her.
The song demonstrates how difficult it is to forget someone who has played a significant role in one's life. Even though he has been hurt, he cannot seem to stay away from her. In the second part of the song, he seems to have found out that something has happened to the woman that he still loves. He pleads with her to reveal everything to him while she still has the strength to speak. He wants to be by her side and help her through her troubles, even though it seems like he's the one who caused her pain in the first place.
Overall, the lyrics of "For You" demonstrate that love is complex and it can be hard to let go of someone. The singer of the song is still in love with a woman who has hurt him, but he is willing to do whatever it takes to be with her again, to support her, and to make amends for past mistakes.
Line by Line Meaning
Princess cards she sends me with her regards
She sends me cards and greetings like she would to a royalty.
Oh, bar-room eyes shine vacancy
Her eyes look empty and hopeless, like someone who's spent a lot of time in bars.
To see her you gotta look hard
It's not easy to find her, you have to search and try hard.
Wounded deep in battle
Hurt and injured from a difficult situation or experience.
I stand stuffed like some soldier undaunted
I stand firm and brave like a soldier, even though I feel trapped.
To her cheshire smile I'll stand on file
I'll wait, ready and willing, to see her smile even if it's rare.
She's all I ever wanted
She's the one I desire the most.
You let your blue walls get in the way of these facts, honey
You're letting your stubbornness prevent you from seeing the truth of the situation.
Get your carpet baggers off my back
Stop letting opportunistic people take advantage of you.
Girl, give me time to cover my tracks, you said
Please give me time to fix my mistakes and make things right.
"Here's your mirror and your ball and jacks"
Here are some useless things you can distract yourself with.
But they're not what I came for
Those things are not why I'm here and what I want.
Oh, I came for so much more
I came for something much bigger and deeper than those things.
And I know you know that too (I came for you)
You know that I came for you, not for those meaningless things.
And I know you know that's true (I came for you)
You are aware that it's true and that I came for you specifically.
I came for you
I came here for you, for your love and your company.
Crawl into my ambulance
Get into my vehicle that will take you away from danger.
Your pulse is gettin' weak
You're becoming weaker and more vulnerable.
Reveal yourself all to me now
Open up to me and tell me everything.
While you've got the strength to speak
Before you're too weak to communicate anymore.
'Cause they're waiting for you at Bellevue
There are people waiting for you at the hospital.
With their oxygen masks
They are ready to help you breathe.
But I could give it all to you now
I can give you everything you need right now, without waiting for medical help.
If only you could ask
But you need to ask for my help for me to give it to you.
Don't call for your surgeon, even he says it's late
It's too late to ask for medical help, even if your doctor tells you to do so.
It's not your lungs this time
Your breathing is not the problem now.
But your heart holds your fate
Your heart is the critical organ that determines what happens to you.
Don't give me my money back, don't want it anymore
I don't want my money back, even though I paid for something that's disappointing or useless.
It's not that nursery mouth I came back for
I didn't come back for your childish, immature speech and behavior.
It's not the way you're stretched out on the floor
Your current physical state is not the reason why I'm here.
I've broken all your windows and I ran through all your doors
I went through all the barriers and obstacles to get to you.
And who am I to ask you to fight my wars?
I shouldn't ask you to help me solve the problems in my life.
And you should know that's true (I came for you)
You should understand that I came here for you, not for any other reason.
You should know that too (I came for you)
You should be aware that it's true and that I came here for you only.
I came for you
I'm here for you only, because you're the one I truly care about.
I came for you
I'm here only because of you, and I have no other agenda or purpose.
I came for you, for you
I came here only for you, and not for anyone else.
I came for you
I'm here because of you, and you're the only one who matters to me right now.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Wuei108
You angel, you
Your essence got me under your wing
The way you walk and the way you talk
I feel I could almost sing
You angel, you
You're as fine as anything's fine
I just walk and watch you talk
With you memory of my mind
You know I can't sleep at night for trying
Yes I never did feel this way before
Never did get up and walk the floor
If this is love then gimme more
And more and more and more and more
You angel, you
You're as fine as can be
The way you walk and the way you talk
Is the way it ought to be
And oh, I can't sleep at night for trying
Never did feel this way before
Never did get up and walk the floor
If this is love then gimme more
And more and more and more
You angel, you
You got me under your wing
The way you walk and the way you talk
I swear it would make me sing
@rolandzoske448
The music of Manfred Mann's Earth Band has accompanied me through my life since the 70s.
In the 90s I happened to be lucky enough to see them live in front of only 100 people in Belzig (approx. 100 km southwest of Berlin) on a soccer field. 2 truck trailers were her stage - and they played their many fantastic songs as passionately and perfectly as ever. I'll never forget it.
And I say that as a die-hard Mylene Farmer fan, whom I adore like a goddess.
Steve Waller was - like Thompson and of course Manfred Mann himself - a great musician and stage magician. Watching his happy game with the talkbox and the camera on "Dont kill it Carol" is always a great pleasure and has made him immortal. R.I.P.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzT3Mzsmmnk
La musique du Earth Band de Manfred Mann m'a accompagné tout au long de ma vie depuis les années 70.
Dans les années 90, j'ai eu la chance de les voir vivre devant seulement 100 personnes à Belzig (à environ 100 km au sud-ouest de Berlin) sur un terrain de football. 2 camions-remorques étaient sa scène - et ils ont joué leurs nombreuses chansons fantastiques avec autant de passion et de perfection que jamais. Je ne l'oublierai jamais.
Et je dis cela en tant que fan inconditionnel de Mylene Farmer, que j'adore comme une déesse.
Steve Waller était - comme Thompson et bien sûr Manfred Mann lui-même - un grand musicien et magicien de scène. Regarder son jeu heureux avec la talkbox et la caméra sur "Ne le tuez pas Carol" est toujours un grand plaisir et l'a rendu immortel. R.I.P.
Музыка группы Earth Manfred Mann сопровождает меня в моей жизни с 70-х годов.
В 90-х годах мне посчастливилось увидеть их живыми перед всего лишь 100 человек в Белциге (около 100 км к юго-западу от Берлина) на футбольном поле. Ее трейлерами были 2 грузовика, и они сыграли свои фантастические песни так же страстно и безупречно, как и всегда. Я никогда не забуду это.
И я говорю это как несгибаемый поклонник Милен Фармер, которого я обожаю как богиню.
Стив Уоллер был - как Томпсон и, конечно, сам Манфред Манн - великим музыкантом и сценическим магом. Наблюдать за его счастливой игрой с болтовней и камерой «Не убивай, Кэрол», всегда доставляет огромное удовольствие и делает его бессмертным. R.I.P.
@ElyDeadpool2010
what a tune. loved it for decades.
@user-rt4rs5rx2c
Двоюродный брат принес ленту. На одной стороне "Manfred Mann's" , на второй "Dire Straits ". Оба альбома свежие, 79 года. Было мне тогда 15 лет. Слушал на своей монофонической "Астре 206" и просто башню сорвало. С двух этих альбомов и началось долгое путешествие в хорошую музыку длиною в жизнь.
В прошлом году внезапно вернулся к винилу и практически первое, что приобрел, оригинальный винил " Angel Station " 79 года, включил и провалился в юность.
@kathiemyrenaes954
This is one of the absolute BEST Manfred Mann songs, ever. So good on so many levels. I love it, and play it often.
@arturobelano6243
its a bob dylan song
@andrewsmith1693
its a bob dylan song
@CB-xr1eg
@@andrewsmith1693 Sure is, and a better version than Dylan's. More energy and life to it.
I always thought the lead vocal was by Chris Thompson, if that's the case then the cameraman is focusing on the wrong guy. Chris is on the right, sunglasses and a cap. Not sure of the name of the guy in the green shirt but the cameraman seems to think he's singing lead vocal.
@milodrags
The Manfred MEB the best!I love it from my 15th!
@THE-HammerMan
@@arturobelano6243 So? Manfred Mann didn't write virtually any songs, as everybody knows. He just made others' better; usually A LOT better.
@mariongucanin9902
Komme gerade aus einem Konzert Manfred Mann's Earth Band.... und sie spielten diesen Song❤
@frankhartmann7939
DAS BESTE WAS ES JEMALS GAB WIRD NIE MEHR WIEDERKOMMEN😢😢😢