Lindsay began performing at the age of fifteen with local bands. He was tapped to sing in a band called Freddy Chapman and the Idaho Playboys after he won a local talent contest. After Chapman left the area, Lindsay saw the other band members and a new member, Paul Revere, playing at a local I.O.O.F. Hall. He persuaded the current band to allow him to sing a few songs with them. The next day he was working at his regular job at a bakery when Paul Revere came in to buy supplies for a hamburger restaurant that he owned. This chance meeting began their professional relationship.
Lindsay became lead singer and saxophone player in a band with Revere and several others. He suggested they call themselves "The Downbeats" after a magazine with the same title. They made some demo tapes in 1960 in Boise, Idaho, and signed with a record company called Gardena Records. Paul Revere and the Raiders scored their first national hit with the piano/sax instrumental "Like, Long Hair" which peaked at #38 in the Billboard charts on April 17th, 1961. The group began dressing in Revolutionary War-style outfits. Mark Lindsay carried the theme a bit further by growing his hair out and pulling it back into a ponytail, which became his signature look.
Lindsay hosted a Saturday afternoon TV show called "Where the Action Is."
By 1968, Lindsay had completely taken over the writing and producing tasks for the group. Paul Revere & the Raiders had a revolving cast of band members, with only Revere and Mark Lindsay remaining in the group since its inception. Dick Clark created another show, "Happening 68", which was to be hosted by Paul Revere and Mark Lindsay and feature the group. The group itself was featured prominently in this show. Happening '68 premiered in January 1968. The show was so popular that the group also hosted a daily version over the summer of 1968, called It's Happening. Happening '68 survived into 1969, at which point the name of the show became Happening. The show was canceled in October 1969.
Mark Lindsay had some success with such songs as "Arizona" (Billboard #9--Gold single) and "Silverbird" (Billboard #25) in 1970 [4]. He recorded "Indian Reservation", a song written by John Loudermilk years earlier, to be a solo recording, but the decision was made to release the song under the name "The Raiders" and it went on to be the only number one song in the group's history. He continued to chart solo singles throughout 1970-71 ("Miss America" (#44--May 1970), "And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind" (#44--November 1970), "Problem Child" (#80--January 1971), "Been too Long On the Road" (#98--June 1971) and "Are You Old Enough" (#87--October 1971)[5]. Lindsay kept his profile up by appearing on The Carpenters television variety show Make Your Own Kind of Music, as well as singing the themes to films Something Big (1972) and Jody, the theme from Santee (1973-credited to The Raiders).
According to a Rolling Stone interview (conducted in 1985), Lindsay left The Raiders because "there was a contractual thing I didn't agree with, and I just stopped." Lindsay continued to record solo singles for a few years (for Warner Bros., Elka and Greedy) before retiring from performing to serve as head of A&R for United Artists Records. He contributed to the recordings of artists such as Gerry Rafferty (on "Baker Street"), Kenny Rogers, and others. His accomplishments also included composing jingles for commercials (including Baskin Robbins, Datsun, Kodak, Pontiac and Levi's among others) and scores for motion pictures. He contributed both his voice and his musical compositions to advertisements for companies such as Yamaha, which used the music from "Silverbird" as the background to one of its commercials. He also composed music for the movies For Pete's Sake and The Love Machine, sung by Barbra Streisand and Dionne Warwick, respectively, and for a 1982 documentary, The Killing of America, as well as a song for the movie Savage Streets. In 1980 he dubbed a voice and co-wrote the musical score (with W. Michael Lewis) for the American version of the Japanese movie Shogun Assassin.
On November 11, 2006, "Mark After Dark" switched to FM webcast "K-Hits 106-7" KLTH Saturday nights 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. PST. On March 10, 2007, the program "Mark After Dark" changed its name to "Mark Lindsay's Rock & Roll Cafe" to refer to Lindsay's new restaurant, which opened to the public in Portland, Oregon, on August 27, 2007. The restaurant includes a remote studio where Lindsay does his radio show in front of restaurant guests and can be seen from the street and sidewalk. The studio is also used at times by other K-Hits air personalities.
On September 21, 2007, a federal lawsuit was filed against the new restaurant for the restaurant's allegedly unauthorized use of various trademarks owned by the Yaw family, who had operated a series of restaurants in the Portland area for many years.[7][8]
On May 12, 2008, "Mark Lindsay's Rock & Roll Cafe" announced its closure. [9]
Lindsay's recording of Treat Her Right with Los Straightjackets in 2001 was cited by Stephen King in his column for Entertainment Weekly in May 2008. "This remake of Roy Head's 1965 soul hit smokes. And Mark Lindsay sounds so good you just gotta wonder where he was all those years."
Lindsay married his second wife Deborah (née Brandt) on July 29, 1989, in McCall, Idaho. His first marriage ended in the early 1980's
Leaving On A Jet Plane
Mark Lindsay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm ready to go
I'm standin' here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin'
It's early morn
The taxi's waitin'
He's blowin' his horn
I could die
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
'Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
There's so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around
I tell you now, they don't mean a thing
Ev'ry place I go, I'll think of you
Ev'ry song I sing, I'll sing for you
When I come back, I'll bring your wedding ring
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
'Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
Now the time has come to leave you
One more time
Let me kiss you
Then close your eyes
I'll be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times, I won't have to say
Oh, kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
'Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
But, I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
The song "Leaving on a Jet Plane" is a classic farewell song that is characterized by a deep sense of melancholy and emotional uncertainty. The singer is about to leave a loved one, and he is letting them know how much he will miss them. The opening lines declare that he is all packed and ready to go, and he is outside the door of the one he is leaving. He expresses regret at having to wake them up to say goodbye. The taxi is waiting outside, and the horn is already blowing. Even before he leaves, he is already lonely, and the thought of leaving fills him with pain.
The chorus is a poignant plea for the singer's loved one to reassure him that they'll wait for him and hold him tight. He is unsure when he'll be back, and he hates saying goodbye. The second verse acknowledges that he has hurt his loved one in the past, but he vows to change his ways. In every new place he visits, he will think of them, and every song he sings will be for them. Before the singer departs, he asks for a final kiss, promising that he will return with a wedding ring.
The song's message is clear; the uncertainty and fear of the unknown are always there when we have to say goodbye to someone we love. The poignant lyrics beautifully capture the emotions of leaving and saying goodbye as the singer expresses his sadness at leaving but also his love and commitment to the person he is leaving behind.
Line by Line Meaning
All my bags are packed
I have prepared to leave for a journey
I'm ready to go
I'm prepared to set out for my trip
I'm standin' here outside your door
I'm standing at your door to say goodbye
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
I don't want to disturb you from your sleep to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin'
The day has started
It's early morn
It's early morning
The taxi's waitin'
The taxi is ready and waiting for me
He's blowin' his horn
The taxi driver is honking the horn to indicate readiness
Already I'm so lonesome
I'm already feeling sad and lonely without you
I could die
I feel the pain of separation
So kiss me and smile for me
Give me a final kiss and smile
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Promise me that you'll wait for my return
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Hug me tightly as if you'll never let me go
'Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Because I'm departing on a plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
I'm not sure when I'll return
Oh babe, I hate to go
I'm sorry, but I don't want to leave
There's so many times I've let you down
I've disappointed you on numerous occasions
So many times I've played around
I've been unfaithful and have taken your love for granted
I tell you now, they don't mean a thing
I assure you that all those times have no significance
Ev'ry place I go, I'll think of you
Everywhere I travel, I'll remember you
Ev'ry song I sing, I'll sing for you
Every song I hear, I'll dedicate to you
When I come back, I'll bring your wedding ring
I'll bring you a wedding ring when I return
Now the time has come to leave you
The time has come for me to depart
One more time
One last time
Let me kiss you
Let me give you a farewell kiss
Then close your eyes
Then close your eyes and dream of me
I'll be on my way
I'll begin my journey
Dream about the days to come
Think about the future and the days ahead
When I won't have to leave alone
When I won't have to leave you behind
About the times, I won't have to say
About the times when I won't have to say goodbye
But, I'm leavin' on a jet plane
But I'm departing on a plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
I'm not sure when I'll return
Oh babe, I hate to go
I'm sorry, but I don't want to leave
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: John Denver
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind