Ten Years After is an English blues rock band, most popular in the late 196… Read Full Bio ↴Ten Years After is an English blues rock band, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Between 1968 and 1973, the band scored eight Top 40 albums in the UK Albums Chart, twelve albums in the US Billboard 200, and are best known for tracks such as "I'm Going Home", "Hear Me Calling", "I'd Love to Change the World" and "Love Like a Man". Their musical style is blues rock and hard rock.

Originally from Nottingham in the UK, this band of virtuoso musicians under the leadership of Alvin Lee conquered the UK scene and then spread their wings to the USA. Their blend of jazz, blues and rock was initially slightly awkward but their first album provided an opening for them. In October, their 1967 self-titled debut album was released.

In 1968, after touring Scandinavia and the United States, Ten Years After released their second album, live Undead, which brought their first classic, "I'm Going Home." This was followed in February 1969 by studio issue, Stonedhenge, a British hit, that included another classic, "Hear Me Calling" (it was released also as a single, and covered in 1972 by British glam rock rising stars, Slade). In July 1969 they appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival, in the first event to which rock bands were invited. In August, the band performed a breakthrough American appearance at Woodstock; their furious-to-soft-to-furious rendition of "I'm Going Home" featuring Alvin Lee as the lead singer was featured in both the subsequent film and soundtrack album and catapulted them to star status.

During 1970, Ten Years After released "Love Like a Man", their only hit in the UK Singles Chart. This song was on their fifth album, Cricklewood Green. The name of the album comes from a friend of the group who lived in Cricklewood, London. He grew a sort of plant which was said to have hallucinogenic effects. The band did not know the name of this plant, so they called their album Cricklewood Green. It was the first record to be issued with a different playing speed on each side – one a three-minute edit at 45rpm, the other, a nine-minute live version at 33rpm. In August, Ten Years After played the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 to an audience of 600,000.
In 1971, the band released the album A Space in Time which marked a move toward more commercial material. It featured their biggest hit, "I'd Love To Change The World". But a few albums later, the band broke up after the 1974 album Positive Vibrations. They re-united in 1983 to play the Reading Festival and this performance was later released on CD as The Friday Rock Show Sessions - Live At Reading '83. In 1988, they re-united for a few concerts and recorded the album About Time (1989). Finally, in 1994, they participated in the Eurowoodstock festival in Budapest.

Alvin Lee has since then mostly played and recorded under his own name. In 2003, the other band members replaced him with Joe Gooch and recorded the album Now. Material from the following tour was used for the 2005 double album Roadworks.

Lee died on March 6, 2013. According to his website, he died from "unforeseen complications following a routine surgical procedure."[2][3][4] He was 68. His former bandmates lamented his death, Leo Lyons called him "the closest thing I had to a brother", while Ric Lee (no relation) said "I don't think its even sunk in yet as to the reality of his passing." Billboard Magazine wrote of his passing, highlighting such landmark performances as "I'm Going Home" from the Woodstock festival and his 1974 hit single "I'd Love to Change the World."[5]

Band members:
Alvin Lee – guitar, vocals
Leo Lyons – bass
Chick Churchill – keyboards
Ric Lee – drums
Joe Gooch – guitar, vocals (joined in 2003)

You can also see Alvin Lee and / or Alvin Lee & Ten Years After and / or Alvin Lee & Co and / or The Alvin Lee Band on Last.fm.

As the Sun Still Burns Away
Ten Years After Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A thousand cities in the night
Each one waiting for the light
Ten million people plan their day
As the sun still burns away

As the earth just spins in space
People plan their daily race
As the sun still burns away

Few say "Thank you for the day"
All the people in their ties
Forget to look up at the sky
they exist another day
As the sun still burns away

I wonder just how long we'll last
When the final die is cast

Every day brings forth the time
When the sun forgets to shine

Overall Meaning

The song "As the Sun Still Burns Away" by Ten Years After is a deep contemplation about the nature of human existence and the planet we inhabit. The first verse reflects on the vastness of human civilization, with thousands of cities and millions of people collectively experiencing the cycle of day and night. Yet, despite the sheer scale of human activity, the sun remains the constant, unchanging force that illuminates everything. The second verse is more critical, questioning the way most people go through their daily lives without considering the majesty of the world around them. People become bogged down in their routines and obligations, unable or unwilling to appreciate the simple pleasures that life offers. The final verse strikes an ominous note, wondering what will happen when the sun itself ceases to shine, a prospect that underscores the fragility of human existence in the grand scheme of things.

Overall, "As the Sun Still Burns Away" is a thought-provoking meditation on the nature of existence and a plea for people to take more notice of the world around them. It encourages a greater sense of mindfulness and suggests that we should all be grateful for the time we have on this planet before it's too late.

Line by Line Meaning

A thousand cities in the night
There are numerous cities in the night.

Each one waiting for the light
Every city is waiting for the light to arrive.

Ten million people plan their day
There are ten million people who plan their day.

As the sun still burns away
Despite the sun still shining, people continue with their routine.

As the earth just spins in space
The earth rotates in space.

People plan their daily race
People make plans for their daily routine.

As the sun still burns away
Even as the sun stays lit, people continue with their daily schedule.

Few say "Thank you for the day"
Not many people express gratitude for having lived another day.

All the people in their ties
All the people in their suits.

Forget to look up at the sky
People tend to forget the sky exists.

they exist another day
People exist for another day.