New Birth
Formed: 1963
Styles: Funk, Disco, Quiet Storm, Smooth Soul,… Read Full Bio ↴New Birth
Formed: 1963
Styles: Funk, Disco, Quiet Storm, Smooth Soul, Soul

Group Members: James Baker, Tony Churchill, Charlie Hearndon, Robert Jackson, Austin Lander, Carl McDaniel, Robin Russell, Leroy Taylor, Londie Wiggins, Leslie Wilson, Melvin Wilson, Anne Bogan, James Baker

Biography:
Formed by Tony Churchill and music-industry veteran Harvey Fuqua, New Birth was originally named the Nite-Liters. As the Nite-Liters, they enjoyed chart action with three R&B hits: "K-Jee," "Afro-Strut," and "Pull Together." Of the three, "K-Jee" was the most successful, peaking at number 17 during a 13-week run.
The roots of the band lie with Leslie and Melvin Wilson, who were gospel singers living in Muskegon, MI. After moving on to Detroit in the late '60s, their interest remained centered in gospel. Melvin Wilson eventually met the Nite-Liters, who at the time were backing Motown artists, and expressed the possibility that he and his brother Leslie could perform with them. As fate would have it, the two brothers became acquainted with former Marvelette Anne Bogan, who introduced them to Fuqua. He had three groups under his tutelage: Love Peace & Happiness (of which Leslie and Melvin became members), the Nite-Liters, and New Birth. All but two members of New Birth had left the group around this time, leaving just Londee Loren and Bobby Downs. The three groups toured, backed each other up, and ultimately merged into one, with New Birth the name of the new group.

Leslie, with his feisty vocals, and Melvin, with his more serene appeal, emerged as the primary lead singers. New Birth's first release was the R&B Top Ten single "I Can Understand It." Led by Leslie Wilson's intense vocals and reminiscent of Bobby Womack, the single zoomed up the charts, peaking at number four after only 12 weeks. In January of 1974 they released "It's Been a Long Time," one of their celebrated hits and another Top Ten entry. That single was followed by the classic, soulful ballad "Wildflower." During this time, the group was living in California, which presented problems; from egotism associated with the lights of Tinseltown to group-management problems, the band's best interests began to suffer. Consequently, New Birth terminated its affiliation with their founder and producer Fuqua, manager Jerry Weintraub, and RCA Records. In mid-1975 they signed with Buddah Records and immediately recorded their first and only number R&B one, "Dream Merchant." They recorded just one album for Buddah, however, before signing with Warner Bros. and later Ariola. In 1977, Leslie and Melvin Wilson left the group, and by 1979 the rest of the group had disbanded. However, in 1994, Leslie and Melvin re-formed the group and began performing at venues around the nation. ~ Craig Lytle, All Music Guide http://music.msn.com/music/artist-biography/new-birth/

The Long and Winding Road
New Birth Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before
It always leads me here
Lead me to you door

The wild and windy night

That the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day
Why leave me standing here?
Let me know the way

Many times I've been alone
And many times I've cried
Anyway you'll never know
The many ways I've tried

And still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long long time ago
Don't leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door

But still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long long time ago
Don't keep me waiting here

Lead me to your door
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Overall Meaning

At first listen, "The Long And Winding Road" by New Birth may seem like a simple love song, but upon closer listening, it becomes clear that the lyrics are communicating a more complicated and sorrowful message. The song talks about a journey the singer takes to reach someone they love, but that journey is not straightforward, and it's fraught with pain and uncertainty. The long and winding road that leads to the person's door never disappears, which implies the difficulty of the journey only grows over time.

The song's narrator has been on this journey before, and it always leads them to the same place. The wild and windy night that the rain washed away seems to be a metaphor for a difficult time in the singer's life, perhaps a time of crushing depression or heartbreak. The singer is crying for the day, representing a longing or desire to leave the past behind and move towards a brighter future. The repeated lines, "Why leave me standing here? Let me know the way," are essentially a plea for help or guidance.

The second half of the song repeats the opening verse, but with the added details that the singer has attempted this journey more than once, and that they always end up waiting for the person they love. The final lines are again, a plea for help or guidance, as if the singer is stuck in an endless cycle of longing and never being able to reach their destination.

Line by Line Meaning

The long and winding road
Life is a journey filled with many paths and obstacles

That leads to your door
The ultimate goal in life is to find love and happiness

Will never disappear
The journey towards love and happiness is endless

I've seen that road before
I've experienced the ups and downs of life before

It always leads me here
No matter where life takes me, I always end up pursuing love and happiness

Lead me to your door
Guide me towards finding true love and happiness

The wild and windy night
Life can be chaotic and unpredictable

That the rain washed away
Sometimes the chaos of life can be cleansing

Has left a pool of tears
But it can also leave behind sadness and pain

Crying for the day
Seeking the hope of a better tomorrow

Why leave me standing here?
Questioning why I have yet to find true love and happiness