Beginnings 1962—1963
The Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers (as the band were originally called) were formed in London in December 1962 by keyboard player Manfred Mann and drummer/vibes player Mike Hugg. Born out of the British blues boom then sweeping London's clubs (which also spawned such luminaries as The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds), the band were completed by Mike Vickers on lead guitar, Dave Richmond on bass, and Paul Jones fronting as lead vocalist and harmonica player. Gigging constantly throughout late 1962 and early 1963, the band soon attracted attention for their distinctive sound propelled by Mann's keyboards, Jones' soulful vocals and an occasional horn section.
Manfred Mann's Cock-A-Hoop (1964)
The group signed to HMV Records in March 1963 after a change of name to Manfred Mann (at the suggestion of their label's producer), and debuted in July of that year with the jazzy instrumental single "Why Should We Not?", which failed to chart, as did the follow up (with vocals this time), "Cock-A-Hoop"
Early success 1964—1965
Groovin' with Manfred Mann EP (1964)
In 1964 the group were asked to provide a new theme tune for the ITV pop music TV series Ready Steady Go!. They responded with the energetic "5-4-3-2-1" which, with the help of weekly TV exposure, rose to No.5 in the UK charts. It was shortly after "5-4-3-2-1" was recorded that Richmond left the band, being replaced by Tom McGuinness - the first of many line-up changes. After a further self-penned hit ("Hubble Bubble (Toil And Trouble)") the band struck gold with "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", a cover of a minor hit earlier that year by The Exciters. The track, which showcased Jones' powerful singing, reached the top of both the UK and US charts (The Exciters version had only charted #78 in the US).
During 1965 the group continued to have hits with both self-penned and cover material, their sound increasingly moving away from the blues-based music of their early years to a highly successful pop-soul hybrid. Notably the group began to have success with interpretations of Bob Dylan songs, including "With God On Our Side" as a track on a best-selling EP.
The One In the Middle EP (1965)
They also reached No.2 in the UK with the controversial "If You Gotta Go, Go Now", which was banned or edited by a number of TV and radio stations. Prior to this latter release, Paul Jones announced his intention to quit the band for a solo career once a replacement could be found.
The Mike d'Abo years 1966—1969
Jones stayed with the band for one more year, during which time Mike Vickers was replaced by Jack Bruce of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (long enough to play bass on the band's second UK No.1 single "Pretty Flamingo"). Jones was eventually replaced by Mike d'Abo - among those on the shortlist was Rod Stewart - and this was one of the few occasions when a band has successfully swapped lead singers and remained at the top. Jack Bruce left to form Cream and was replaced by Klaus Voorman (a longtime Beatles associate), with McGuinness moving to guitar. To complete the changes, the group switched labels to Fontana Records.
With d'Abo as vocalist, the group pursued a softer acoustic pop sound, with a tinge of Dylanesque social comment and surrealism in the lyrics. Their first Fontana Records single was in fact a Dylan cover, "Just Like A Woman", and the group went on to score their biggest hit for two years with a cover of his "Mighty Quinn".
Frustrated with the limitations and image of being seen purely as a hit singles band (their last two albums failed to chart), the group split in 1969.
1970s and on— Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Mann went on to write advertising jingles after the group's demise, but still continued to work in the group format. Initially he formed Manfred Mann Chapter Three (with Mike Hugg), an experimental jazz rock band, described by Mann as an over reaction to the hit factory of the Manfred Mann group. This was, however, short lived and by 1971 they had disbanded and Mann had formed a new group, Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
For further details, see Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
5-4-3-2-1 The Manfreds (1998)
1990s and on—The Manfreds
In the 1990s, most of the original 1960s line-up reformed as The Manfreds, minus Manfred Mann himself (hence the name), playing most of the old 1960s hits and a few jazz instrumentals, sometimes with both Paul Jones and Mike d'Abo fronting the line-up.
At the same time Jones and Tom McGuinness (McGuinness formed McGuinness Flint in 1970, but they disbanded in 1975) have been mainstays of The Blues Band (which they helped form in 1978).
It's My Life
Manfred Mann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't know what I would find there
Another road where maybe I
Could see another kind of mind there
Ooh, then I suddenly see you
Ooh, did I tell you I need you
Every single day of my life
And had you gone, you knew in time
We'd meet again for I had told you
Ooh, you were meant to be near me
Ooh, and I want you to hear me
Say we'll be together every day
Got to get you into my life
What can I do, what can I be
When I'm with you I want to stay there
If I'm true I'll never leave
And if I do I know the way there
Ooh, then I suddenly see you
Ooh, did I tell you I need you
Every single day of my life
Got to get you into my life
I was alone, I took a ride
I didn't know what I would find there
Another road where maybe I
Could see another kind of mind there
Ooh, then I suddenly see you
Ooh, did I tell you I need you
Every single day
The lyrics to "It's My Life" by Manfred Mann reflect on the desire to find love and companionship, and the feeling of knowing when you've found someone who is meant to be in your life. The singer is alone, taking a ride and not knowing what they will find, but hoping for a different kind of experience. When they meet the person they're singing about, they feel a strong connection and express the need to be with them every day of their life. The lyrics convey a sense of dedication and persistence in pursuing and maintaining a meaningful relationship.
The lines, "You didn't run, you didn't hide / And had you gone, you knew in time / We'd meet again for I had told you" suggest that the two people may have met before, reinforcing the idea of destiny and the singer's belief that they were meant to be together. The repetition of "Ooh, then I suddenly see you / Ooh, did I tell you I need you" reinforces the intensity of the singer's feelings towards this person.
Overall, the lyrics to "It's My Life" are a declaration of love and commitment, and an expression of how important it is to find someone who truly understands and complements you.
Line by Line Meaning
I was alone, I took a ride
Feeling isolated, I embarked on a journey
I didn't know what I would find there
I was unsure of what would happen on my journey
Another road where maybe I could see another kind of mind there
Perhaps I would come across a different way of thinking on this road
Ooh, then I suddenly see you
And then, unexpectedly, you appeared in my sight
Ooh, did I tell you I need you
Did I express to you how much I rely on you?
Every single day of my life
I need you every day I live
You didn't run, you didn't hide
You didn't shy away from me
And had you gone, you knew in time we'd meet again for I had told you
If you had left, we would have reunited eventually since I mentioned it
Ooh, you were meant to be near me
You are destined to be close to me
Ooh, and I want you to hear me
I want you to listen to what I have to say
Say we'll be together every day
Let's vow to be with each other each day
Got to get you into my life
I must have you as a part of my life
What can I do, what can I be
I wonder what actions or role I should take
When I'm with you I want to stay there
Being with you makes me desire to remain close by
If I'm true I'll never leave
If I'm loyal, I will never depart
And if I do I know the way there
But if I ever leave, I know the path to return to you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@specialeeffexx
+Lars Grimstad I found similar info!
History
The song came about when Columbia president Clive Davis, upon listening to an early version of Greetings from Asbury Park N.J., felt the album lacked a potential single. Springsteen wrote this and "Spirit in the Night" in response.
According to Springsteen, the song came about from going through a
rhyming dictionary and looking for rhymes. The first line of the song,
"Madman drummers, bummers, and Indians in the summers with a teenage
diplomat" is autobiographical- "Madman drummers" is a reference to
drummer Vini Lopez,
known as "Mad Man" (later changed to "Mad Dog"); "Indians in the
summer" refers to the name of Springsteen's old Little League team;
"teenage diplomat" refers to himself. The remainder of the song tells of
many unrelated events, with the refrain of "Blinded by the light, cut
loose like a deuce, another runner in the night".
"Blinded by the Light" was the first song on, and first single from Greetings from Asbury Park N.J. Springsteen's version was commercially unsuccessful and did not appear on the music charts.
Lyrics
Manfred Mann's Earth Band's
recording of the song features several changed lyrics. The most
prominent change is in the chorus, where Springsteen's "cut loose like a
deuce" is replaced with "revved up like a deuce."[2][3][4] This is commonly misheard as "wrapped up like a douche (the V sound in "revved" is almost unpronounced, and the S sound in "deuce" comes across as "SH" due to a significant lisp)."[5][6]
Springsteen himself has joked about the controversy, claiming that it
was not until Manfred Mann rewrote the song to be about a feminine hygiene product that it became popular.[7]
Cover versions and reissues
Manfred Mann's Earth Band released a version of the song on their album The Roaring Silence. Their version includes the "Chopsticks" melody played on piano. The song reached #1 on both Billboard's Hot 100 and on the Canadian RPM
chart on 19 February 1977. The Manfred Mann's Earth Band recording of
"Blinded by the Light" is Springsteen's only Number 1 single as a
songwriter on the Hot 100. In 2002, Danish act Funkstar Deluxe released its disco version of this song. In 2012, the song was covered by Tim Armstrong within his "Tim Timebomb" project.
A "jazzified" version can be found on Springsteen's Live in Dublin album, recorded with the Sessions Band.
@yeahrightbear8883
I'm 145 years old. I was 97 when this song came out nearly 50 years ago, and I'm still listening to it to this day.
@andyblatch
looking good for 145 :-)
@GeirRssaak
I like your sense of humor!
@larrytidwell7885
Bs
@markprice1647
I didn't realise that bears lived that long.. Unless you are related to Paddington.. I just wish he would f##k off.. He doesn't share your sense of humour 😂😂😂😂
@johnfloyd4166
Ha nice one.and I'm white
@dianabryan7421
I am a black 32 year old woman from Mississippi I was riding with my husband and a car passed by blasting this!!! We spents about the next 30 mins searching for the song! This is the best date night we have had LOL! HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS SONG EXSISTED IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL IT BROUGHT A TEAR TO OUR EYES! I can see why we protect our classics my mom is probably dancing her behind off in heaven I feel like she is proud I found this!!! I can't wait to play this for our 10 year old autistic son😍
@stuanhay
God bless Diana. Hearing this will hopefully enhance his life 10 fold, through the incredible power of music and all of the emotions that it unlocks🙏👍
@randomcomputer7248
Glad you liked it, my uncle wrote some of the scores for Manfred
@wastelandwarriorz665fanacc8
Bruce Springsteen