Both Seals and Crofts were born in Texas. They first met when Crofts was a drummer for a local band. Later, Seals joined a band called Dean Beard and the Crew Cuts where he played guitar; later on Crofts joined the band. With Beard, they moved to Los Angeles to join The Champs. In 1958, Seals and Crofts toured with The Champs. After the success of their number one Latin rock instrumental hit "Tequila", the pair returned to Los Angeles to work as session musicians.
In 1962, Jimmy Seals, Dash Crofts, Glen Campbell, and Jerry Cole left The Champs to form a band named "Glen Campbell and the GCs" which played at The Crossbow in Van Nuys, CA. The band only lasted a couple of years before the members went their separate ways. Crofts returned to Texas and Seals joined a band named "The Dawnbreakers" (a reference to a book by the same name). Crofts eventually returned to California to join The Dawnbreakers. However, The Dawnbreakers turned out to be unsuccessful. Crofts married fellow Dawnbreaker Billie Lee Day in 1969, and both Seals and Crofts were introduced and converted to the Bahá'í Faith.
After the failure with The Dawnbreakers, the two decided to play as a duo, with Seals on guitar, saxophone and violin, and Crofts on guitar and mandolin. They signed a contract with Talent Associates and released two LPs, which were largely ignored. The pair signed a new contract with Warner Bros. Records in 1971. Their first album with their new label was also unsuccessful, but their second album, Summer Breeze charted at #7 in 1972.
After a long and successful run of recordings in the 1970s, the two lost their contract with Warner Brothers and set aside music for a while. They held a short reunion tour in 1991–1992 and appeared at several Bahá'í gatherings. Crofts lived in Mexico, Australia and then Nashville, playing country music and making occasional hit singles. Seals moved to Costa Rica and has lived on a coffee farm since 1980.
In 2003, Seals and Crofts reunited and recorded a new album, "Traces", for the first time since 1998. They toured during 2004–2005.
In the early 2000s up to 2008, Seals embarked on various tours with his brother Dan ("England" Dan Seals, of England Dan & John Ford Coley), billing themselves as Seals & Seals.
In December 2010, the bandmates' daughters Juliet (Seals) Crossley and Amelia (Crofts) Dailey, along with Genevieve (Bogan) Dozier, daughter of Seals and Crofts engineer Joey Bogan, formed a musical trio called The Humming Birds. They released their self titled EP The Humming Birds in September 2012.
In 2018, Brady Seals (Jim's cousin) and Lua Crofts (Dash's daughter) began touring as Seals and Crofts 2, performing the catalog of Seals and Crofts, as well as some new music.
The Boy Down The Road
Seals & Crofts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the album SUMMER BREEZE (1972).
Long long ago in a house up the road
Lived a maiden so beautiful.
Day after day she looked the same old way
As the sun shone off her hair of gold.
Someday I would go there and ask for her hand
In the afternoon she'd sit in the shade
And wave as I watched from down the road.
Time after time I wished my head to lay
In her arms and at last she would know.
Then one day a stranger came to call
And took her far away from down the road.
I watched 'til the dusk from the fields down below,
But in vain for the night began to fall.
Then came the message that summoned me to town,
And my knees gave way to the ground.
Spoken: They say that this message came with her dying breath,
The very last words she ever spoke:
Give my love to the boy down the road,
And tell him not to cry, for I know.
The Boy Down the Road by Seals & Crofts tells the heart-wrenching story of unrequited love and tragic loss. The guy in the song has been in love with a beautiful girl who lived in a house up the road. He has been watching her day after day from afar, hoping to become a man and ask for her hand someday. He would see her sitting in the shade in the afternoon, wave to her from down the road, and wish for her to hold him in her arms. Unfortunately, his dreams were shattered when a stranger came and took her away from down the road. The boy watched until nightfall, hoping to catch a glimpse of her once more, but she was gone.
As fate would have it, a message summoned the boy to the town, where he finds out that the girl has passed away. Her dying words were a message to the boy down the road, asking him not to cry for her because she knows he loved her. The lyrics suggest that the boy never got to tell the girl how he felt when she was alive, and now he is left with regret.
The song's haunting melody and evocative lyrics have resonated with audiences for decades. It's a powerful reminder of the fragility of life, the importance of seizing the moment, and the regret that can come from missed opportunities.
Line by Line Meaning
Long long ago in a house up the road
Many years ago in a house nearby
Lived a maiden so beautiful.
There was a very beautiful young woman living there.
Day after day she looked the same old way
She was always beautiful and didn't seem to age.
As the sun shone off her hair of gold.
Her hair was golden and shimmered in the sun.
Someday I would go there and ask for her hand
I planned to ask her to marry me someday.
Just as soon as I become a man.
When I became an adult, I would ask her to marry me.
In the afternoon she'd sit in the shade
During the afternoon, she would sit outside in the shade.
And wave as I watched from down the road.
She would wave to me when I watched her from afar.
Time after time I wished my head to lay
I often wished that I could lay my head on her lap.
In her arms and at last she would know.
And she would finally know how I felt about her.
Then one day a stranger came to call
One day, a stranger came to visit her.
And took her far away from down the road.
The stranger took her away to another place far from where I lived.
I watched 'til the dusk from the fields down below,
I watched until evening fell from a nearby field.
But in vain for the night began to fall.
But it was pointless because it was getting dark and I couldn't see anything.
Then came the message that summoned me to town,
Eventually, I received a message that called me into town.
And my knees gave way to the ground.
I was so overwhelmed that I fell to the ground.
They say that this message came with her dying breath,
They say that she sent the message on her deathbed.
The very last words she ever spoke:
These were the very last words she ever said.
Give my love to the boy down the road,
Tell the boy down the road that I loved him.
And tell him not to cry, for I know.
And let him know that he doesn't need to cry because I know he loved me too.
Contributed by Keira K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@hottimeracingshop8145
Long long ago in a house up the road
Lived a maiden so beautiful
Day after day she looked the same old way
As the sun shone off her hair of gold
Someday I would go there and ask for her hand
Just as soon as I become a man
In the afternoon she'd sit in the shade
And wave as I watched from down the road
Time after time I wished my head to lay
In her arms and at last she would know
Then one day a stranger came to call
And took her far away from down the road
I watched 'til the dusk from the fields down below
But in vain for the night began to fall
Then came the message that summoned me to town
And my knees gave way to the ground
They say that this message came with her dying breath
The very last words she ever spoke
Give my love to the boy down the road
And tell him not to cry, for I know
@dalelay2897
What a wonderful song. Makes me cry.
@jodiquerry3664
This song makes me cry with joy. I was 7 when I heard this. My mom bought the album, and I get very emotional listening to this. Such beautiful arrangement...
@lookforwhat1118
Your not alone, It's a sad song !
@camielletaylor6731
I grew up on this song and it still evokes the beauty and wonder of growing up that I felt every time I listened to it as a child.
@lookforwhat1118
beautiful song !
@jessiearies1912
A beautiful space then & now! I <3 goin back 2 good vibes! Peace!
@bluegirl6157
It happened to me. Don’t hesitate, speak up no matter your age.
@jv-ep2tc
Rest in peace Jimmy Seals. They opened for Chicago in Hartford Connecticut and nobody had ever heard of them. They did many of the songs that we would all get to know and love. When they did boy down the road the audience leapt in the air to give them a standing ovation. Most of us were crying.
@laurasunshineable
God I love this song. I was always one to love music, and love the songs that weren't popular. this song I just LOVE the ACOUSTIC GUITAR, and as always the Harmony. My sister had this album when I was like 5. she was 11 years older. I'm now 46 and I think that this is one of my favorite songs to this day. Laura Sirmons
@mohammadbassalem3269
Beautiful song in sad story