He became widely known for his version of "Wind Beneath My Wings" (1982), as well as his own compositions "Durham Town (The Leavin')" (1969) and "I Don't Believe in If Anymore" (1970), his 1970 hit "New World in the Morning" and his 1975 hit "The Last Farewell" (his only single to hit the US Billboard Hot 100, making it to the Top 20).
Whittakers first chart success came in 1969 when "Durham Town (The Leavin')" was his first UK Top 20 hit. In 1970 came two follow-up hits, "I Don't Believe In If Anymore" (Top 10) and "New World In The Morning" (Top 20), and 1971 brought two smaller hit singles "Why" and "Mamy Blue".
Whittaker was absent from the UK singles chart until 1975, when "The Last Farewell" went Top 3, after which it was another eleven years until "Skye Boat Song" returned him to the Top 10 of the singles chart.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Whittaker had success in Germany, with German language songs produced by Nick Munro (unable to speak German at that time, Whittaker sang the songs phonetically). In time he became more fluent in German and sang and was interviewed in German on Danish television in November 2008. Whittaker retired from touring in 2013.
Why?
Roger Whittaker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the singer and the song
And the music isn't gentle anymore
there's a mist across the moon
And the sun's too hot at noon
And the house is dark behind the broken door
Where the flowers used to grow
With their leaves are hanging low
there's a strange and empty sky
Where the wild birds used to fly
And I never tasted bitter rain before
And will the grass be gone from underneath the sky
Will the golden flower wither soon and die
Will the fire burn out the land
And the sea fill-up with sand
Will the last word ever spoken be why?
Will the last word ever spoken be why?
Someone's lost the plan
For the brotherhood of man
And no one's trying to find it anymore
And the winds become a sigh
For those who hate and those who die
And the waves are black and slow along the shore
And will the grass be gone from underneath the sky
Will the golden flower wither soon and die
Will the fire burn out the land
And the sea fill-up with sand
Will the last word ever spoken be why?
Will the last word ever spoken be why, why, why?
Will the last word ever spoken be ?.WHY?
In this poignant ballad, Roger Whittaker is commenting on the state of the world and its impact on human lives. The opening lines suggest that something is wrong with the singer and the song, and the music is no longer soothing. This is a metaphor for the brokenness of the world, the absence of peace, and the increasing violence in society. Whittaker refers to the moon being obscured by a mist, and the sun being too hot at noon, perhaps alluding to the equivocal and uncertain times in which we live. The house with the broken door and the flowers with their leaves hanging low convey a sense of neglect and abandonment. The strange and empty sky, where wild birds used to fly, suggests a loss of natural harmony and balance in the world. The bitter rain mentioned at the end of the first verse may represent the sorrows and troubles that people undergo, and which they have never tasted before.
The chorus, with its repetition of the question "Will the last word ever spoken be why?" conveys a sense of despair and resignation. The plaintive melody and the repetition of that melancholy question suggest that the answers to life's most profound and important questions continue to elude us. The subsequent verses suggest that people have lost sight of their shared humanity and the need for compassion and solidarity. The waves on the shore, which are black and slow, symbolize the despair and sadness that people feel when they see the senseless violence and inhumanity of the world.
Overall, the song is a powerful commentary on the state of the world and the human condition. It raises important questions about humanity's ability to live in unity, find solutions to problems without resorting to violence, and come together for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Something is going wrong
There's an intangible problem that's affecting everything
With the singer and the song
The issue is impacting not just the music, but also those who perform it
And the music isn't gentle anymore
The music has changed for the worse
there's a mist across the moon
The world is shrouded in a strange fog
And the sun's too hot at noon
Even the once-familiar sun isn't the same anymore
And the house is dark behind the broken door
Things look grim and hopeless
Where the flowers used to grow
Even nature is affected by the strange happenings
With their leaves are hanging low
The plants are sickly and struggling to survive
And the constant shadow lies across the floor
A sense of darkness and uncertainty prevails
there's a strange and empty sky
The sky looks different and unrecognizable
Where the wild birds used to fly
Even the animals have been impacted by the changes
And I never tasted bitter rain before
Even the rain seems different and unpleasant
And will the grass be gone from underneath the sky
The future is uncertain, and even the most basic elements of nature may be lost forever
Will the golden flower wither soon and die
The beauty and vibrancy of life is in danger of being destroyed
Will the fire burn out the land
The world's natural resources are being depleted
And the sea fill-up with sand
Even the oceans are suffering and changing in unpredictable ways
Will the last word ever spoken be why?
There is a deep sense of confusion and despair, and no clear explanation for why things are happening the way they are
Someone's lost the plan
There is a sense of aimlessness and disorganization
For the brotherhood of man
The idea of human connection and unity has been lost
And no one's trying to find it anymore
No one is working to restore the sense of community that has been lost
And the winds become a sigh
The unnatural changes seem to have infected even the weather itself
For those who hate and those who die
The world is full of anger and death, and little hope for a better future
And the waves are black and slow along the shore
Even the natural rhythm of the tides has been affected by the strange events
Will the last word ever spoken be why, why, why?
The confusion and despair are overwhelming, and explaining why things are happening seems impossible
Will the last word ever spoken be ?.WHY?
The final question will be whether any understanding or purpose can ever be found in all the chaos
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOAN GEORGIANA STANTON, ROGER WHITTAKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nigel
on Jenny
I'm not sure by any means, but I wonder whether taking the midnight train is ultimately a metaphor for a more final journey. I also wonder if RW had someone specific in mind whose fate prompted this powerful song. I like it very much.