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.
Here They Come
Ten Years After Lyrics
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Here they come, and they're going to touch everyone
Far, far, have they come
Here they come, and the fire on their wings doesn't burn
Here they come, and they know everything we must learn
Round, round, we must turn
Don't you know that your time has come?
Watch out, you, winners
Now it's the same for everyone
Here they come, and the stars in their eyes seem to glow
Here they come, and the fear in our hearts starts to go
Now, now, now we all know
Ten Years After's "Here They Come" is a song about extraterrestrial beings that are arriving on Earth with the power and energy of the sun. The first stanza talks about their arrival and how they will impact everyone on the planet. The second stanza encourages people to pay attention to their arrival, and the third describes how their presence seems to alleviate fear and heralds in a new era.
The lyrics project a clear message of the arrival of aliens with superior knowledge and power that can probably either help or harm humans. This is illustrated in the line, "Here they come, and they know everything we must learn." It suggests that humans can learn from these extraterrestrial beings if they are willing to listen without fear. The song's chorus repeatedly warns sinners and winners to watch out, emphasizing that their time has come, suggesting these beings may not tolerate human behaviour that harms the planet.
The lyrics have a positive message overall, describing these beings as bringing an end to fear and shine a new light of knowledge on the darkness of the human experience. Furthermore, the song points out that people's attitudes will have an impact in dealing with these beings.
Overall, Here They Come is a song that asks people to pay attention to the vast possibilities and opportunities that may come from beings who bring knowledge from another world. It encourages people to keep an open mind and be fearful of their arrival.
Line by Line Meaning
Here they come, and they fly with the power of the sun
They are arriving with great speed and energy, like a being powered by the sun.
Here they come, and they're going to touch everyone
They will have an impact on each and every individual.
Far, far, have they come
They have traveled a great distance to reach us.
Here they come, and the fire on their wings doesn't burn
The flames on their wings are not harmful.
Here they come, and they know everything we must learn
Their knowledge surpasses ours and holds valuable lessons.
Round, round, we must turn
We must make changes and go in a different direction.
Watch out, you, sinners
Those who have done wrong should be wary.
Don't you know that your time has come?
They will face consequences for their actions.
Watch out, you, winners
Even those who have succeeded should watch their step.
Now it's the same for everyone
Everyone will face the same fate and consequences.
Here they come, and the stars in their eyes seem to glow
Their presence and gaze are mesmerizing.
Here they come, and the fear in our hearts starts to go
Their arrival brings a sense of relief and comfort.
Now, now, now we all know
We have gained newfound knowledge and understanding.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALVIN LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind