Ham was born in Swansea a Welsh coastal City, in an area called Townhill, and formed a local rock group called The Panthers around 1963. This group would undergo several name and lineup changes until it became The Iveys in 1965. The band relocated to London in 1966, where they performed in local clubs and distributed demonstration recordings to several record companies. In 1968, the group came to the attention of Paul McCartney and were signed to the Beatles' Apple label. McCartney reportedly was impressed with the amount of original material the group produced, and especially a Ham composition titled "They're Knocking Down Our Home."
After several mis-starts as The Iveys, the group changed its name and sound, while enjoying several years of chart success (see Badfinger for details). During the band's tenure at Apple, Ham also performed guitar and vocal session work for ex-Beatles George Harrison and Ringo Starr. On a personal and social level, Ham expressed concern over environmental issues and poverty, although he never actually participated in organized political endeavors.
After releasing six albums and four hit singles, Badfinger became embroiled in financial and managerial problems. By 1975, without an income and contractually confined, Ham hanged himself in the garage of his London home. He left behind a pregnant girlfriend (his daughter being born one month after his death) and his personal estate was nearing foreclosure. His suicide note accused Badfinger's manager of stealing the band's royalties. It read: "Anne, I love you. Blair, I love you. I will not be allowed to love and trust everybody. This is better. Pete. P.S. Stan Polley is a soulless bastard. I will take him with me." Most of Polley's artist-clients also accused the manager of corruption, and Polley much later pleaded Nolo contendere to unrelated embezzlement and money laundering charges.
Although Ham is often credited as being one of the earliest purveyors of the Power pop genre, his most widespread effect in popular music is a ballad. "Without You," written by Ham and Badfinger bandmate Tom Evans (who also later committed suicide), was taken to the Billboard charts several times by various artists. Two collections of Ham's home demo recordings have been posthumously released: 1997's 7 Park Avenue and 1999's Golders Green.
shine On
Pete Ham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I know is now
I want you close to me
I can't really tell you
What the future's gonna be
Just for now, little lady
Shine on me
Lean on, lean so me
Something tells me
That's the way it's gotta be
I can't really show you
What she future's gonna be
Just for now, little lady
Lean on me *To fall in love with love
Was maybe just a fantasy
And promises we made
Could be insane
Don't think of tomorrow
Yesterday is past
And if we could
You know we could make it last
Drink on, Drink on me
Slip and slide
So I'll forget reality
I can't really say
If I'll come on and get so free
But just for now, little lady
Drink on me
Shine on, shine on me
Shine on, shine on me
Just for now, little lady
Shine on me
Just for now, little lady
Shine on me
In Pete Ham's song "Shine On," the lyrics reflect on a relationship that is uncertain, but the singer wants the other person to be close to them. The lyrics "All I know is now, I want you close to me" emphasizes the immediacy of the emotions and the desire to have the other person near. There is a sense of uncertainty about the future as the singer cannot predict what will happen. However, there is a willingness to take a chance with the other person. The repetition of "Shine on me" signifies the desire for the other person's light, love, and guidance during the uncertainty.
The second stanza talks about the idea of leaning on each other. The lyric "Something tells me that's the way it's gotta be" emphasizes the feeling that there is no option but to lean on each other. The singer wishes to show the other person what the future holds but cannot. Rather they must take each day as it comes, and in this moment, the person needs someone to lean on. The refrain "Just for now, little lady, lean on me" shows that the singer is willing to provide that support.
The last stanza takes a more carefree tone when the lyrics talk about drinking to forget reality. There is a sense that the relationship is not serious, and the people in it are just enjoying the moment. However, there is still a desire for love to work out, "if we could, you know we could make it last." The repetition of "Shine on, shine on me" throughout the song brings the theme of togetherness, illumination, and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Shine on, shine on me
I need your light and love to shine on me in this moment
All I know is now
I can only be certain of the present moment and how I feel right now
I want you close to me
I desire your presence and companionship in my life
I can't really tell you
What the future's gonna be
I cannot predict or promise what the future holds for us
Just for now, little lady
Shine on me
For the time being, I request your love and guidance
Lean on, lean so me
Lean on me for support and comfort
Something tells me
That's the way it's gotta be
My intuition tells me this is how our relationship should be
I can't really show you
What she future's gonna be
I cannot demonstrate what the future holds
Just for now, little lady
Lean on me
For now, rely on me and my love
To fall in love with love
Was maybe just a fantasy
Falling in love with the idea of love may not be realistic
And promises we made
Could be insane
The promises we made to each other may be irrational or temporary
Don't think of tomorrow
Yesterday is past
It is better to not worry about the future and leave the past behind
And if we could
You know we could make it last
If we were able to, we could make our love last
Drink on, drink on me
Drink with me to forget our worries
Slip and slide
So I'll forget reality
Let's escape reality by losing ourselves in the moment
I can't really say
If I'll come on and get so free
I cannot say if I will allow myself to fully let go and be free
Just for now, little lady
Drink on me
For the time being, let's drink and enjoy ourselves
Shine on, shine on me
Once again, I need your light and love to shine on me in this moment
Just for now, little lady
Shine on me
For now, I request your love and guidance once more
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: PETER WILLIAM HAM, TOM EVANS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Miles
on Ringside
Does anyone know the whereabouts of the original demo? I've been searching all over for it, but unfortunately no luck. Although this is a spectacular, the original would he appreciated.