Mott the Hoople formed when Silence, a not-too-successful group from the Welsh borders, was joined by session pianist and rock and roll hopeful Ian Hunter along with musicians Mick Ralphs, Verden Allen, Pete Overend Watts, and Dale Griffin . They developed from Dylan obsessives to their own character over the course of four albums for Island. They were a very popular live act but only achieved brief commercial success.
In 1971, the band was close to splitting up but continued to record track "All the Young Dudes", a song written for them by up and coming pop star and fan David Bowie. Three more albums and several pop hits later, the group fell apart after Ian Hunter left in 1974. The remaining members mutated into Mott, an 'also-ran' band which released two albums before disbanding in 1976. Original guitarist Ralphs had a massive boost in his fortunes as a member of rockers Bad Company.
Griffin died in his sleep on 17 January 2016 at the age of 67 and Watts died, almost exactly a year later, on 22 January 2017, from throat cancer.
LAY DOWN
Mott the Hoople Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We were so close there was no room
We bled inside each other's wounds
We all caught the same disease
We all sang our songs of peace
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your bright face smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Oh raise the candles high
'cause if you don't we can't stand black against the light
Oh raise them high again
'cause if you do we can stand dry against the rain
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your bright face smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your bright face smile up at the ones who stand and frown
We were so close there was no room
We bled inside each other's wounds
We all caught the same disease
We all sang our songs of peace
Some came to sing some came to pray
Some came to keep the night away
Oh raise the candles high
'cause if you don't we can't stand black against the light
Oh raise them high again
'cause if you do we can stand dry against the rain
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your bright face smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your bright face smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your bright face smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your bright face smile up at the ones who stand and frown
The song "Lay Down" by Mott the Hoople is an ode to unity and peace. The lyrics suggest that the world is filled with darkness and negativity, but we can overcome it by laying down our weapons and coming together in solidarity. The lines "We bled inside each other's wounds / We all caught the same disease" allude to the fact that we are all in this together and that our differences are ultimately insignificant when compared to the common struggles we face. The line "We all sang our songs of peace" is particularly poignant in the context of the song and speaks to the power of music to unite people from different backgrounds and beliefs.
The chorus of the song, "Lay down, lay down, let it all down / Let your bright face smile up at the ones who stand and frown," is a call to action for listeners to let go of their worries and embrace hope and optimism. The repeated line "Oh raise the candles high / 'Cause if you don't we can't stand black against the night" reinforces the idea that we must all work together to overcome adversity and that even the smallest acts of kindness and selflessness can have a ripple effect on those around us.
Line by Line Meaning
We were so close there was no room
We were tightly knit and inseparable
We bled inside each other's wounds
We shared common pain and suffering
We all caught the same disease
We faced the same problem or issue
We all sang our songs of peace
We all tried to spread harmony and love
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Take a deep breath, relax, and let go of stress
Let your bright face smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Be positive and joyous, even in the face of negativity
Oh raise the candles high
Bring light into the darkness
'cause if you don't we can't stand black against the light
Our positivity cannot overcome negativity without light
Oh raise them high again
Keep the positivity going
'cause if you do we can stand dry against the rain
Our positivity can withstand even the toughest challenges
Some came to sing some came to pray
People had different reasons for joining together
Some came to keep the night away
People wanted to avoid loneliness
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Again, let go of stress and be at peace
Let your bright face smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Repeat reminder to stay positive in the face of negativity
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Same reminder as before
Let your bright face smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Same reminder as before
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Same reminder as before
Let your bright face smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Same reminder as before
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: MELANIE SAFKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Silverfish Imperetrix
Nice cover of the Melanie song. Ian and the boys always did have a knack for anthems.
Steve Rothman
Glam rockers can have a folkie soul too!
Soccer_Vance
One of my favorite songs!
C. S. McLeod
Arnel Pineda and Journey should do this song!
alice 12unit
another song 4 da pain
John Politis
This is the real Mott The Hoople, not the other one that went glammy with you know with the Dudes hit(Bowie's original version was way better). This is Mott The Hoople before they went glam or the pre-glam Mott.
Philip Follety
The real Mott the Hoople extends itself throughout its career on Atlantic and Columbia. Bowie produced ATYD, and Ian Hunter produced Mott. ATYD was also in the era of "All the Way from Memphis," "Drivin' Sister," "One of the Boys," -- listen once more to the whole ATYD album, Mott, and The Hoople and you'll be immersed in some powerful rock and roll. And Don't forget the earlier work on Atlanta, including Mott the Hoople, Mad Shadows and Brain Capers.
Glenn Karant
simply stop adding MTH as a glam band here as it's just so wrong on all too many levels to mention here....
james garrone
what year is this lp
Kelly Ashlin
I think it was 1971