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.
I've Been There Too
Ten Years After Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Their life is crying, it's all gone wrong
What can I say now to help you through
Except to say that I've been there too?
Your soul is aching, you can't see it through
But time is healing each day you do
Keep looking forward, forget the past
You got to wake up, shake up
You got a right to live
Shake up, don't break up
You've got a lot to give
You'll wake up one morning, you start to feel good
The sun in the blue sky looks like it should
Cause time is a healer, it's strange but it's true
So, keep looking forward, the sun will come through
You got to wake up, shake up
You got a right to live
Shake up, don't break up
You've got a lot to give
Ten Years After's song "I've Been There Too" is a powerful and uplifting message of hope and encouragement to those who may be going through a difficult time in life. The opening stanza acknowledges the struggles of another person and empathizes with their pain. The singer offers a message of solidarity and support by saying that they too have experienced the same kind of pain and difficulty in their own life. The second stanza provides a glimmer of hope with the suggestion that time can heal even the deepest of wounds. The third stanza offers practical advice to move forward and don't let the past define your present or your future. The final stanza reminds the listener that life can and will get better as long as one keeps moving forward one day at a time.
Line by Line Meaning
There's someone somewhere who can't go on
Somewhere out there, there's a person who is struggling to carry on with their life.
Their life is crying, it's all gone wrong
This person's life is full of sorrow and nothing seems to be going right for them.
What can I say now to help you through
I am not sure of what to say but I want to help you go through this time.
Except to say that I've been there too?
The only thing I can say is that I have been in similar circumstances before.
Your soul is aching, you can't see it through
You are in so much emotional pain that you cannot see a way out of it.
But time is healing each day you do
Every day that passes by, the pain will gradually reduce.
Keep looking forward, forget the past
It's best to move on and focus on the future rather than dwelling on the past.
It's up to you now, don't let it last
The decision to move on and get better is entirely yours, and it is crucial not to stay in this state of despair for too long.
You got to wake up, shake up
It's time to re-evaluate your life and make some positive changes.
You got a right to live
Remember that you have the right to live a happy and fulfilling life.
Shake up, don't break up
Take action and make changes, but don't give up on yourself.
You've got a lot to give
There is so much potential inside you to succeed and make a difference in the world.
You'll wake up one morning, you start to feel good
One day, you will wake up to a new dawn with hope and joy in your heart.
The sun in the blue sky looks like it should
The beauty of nature will radiate in your life once again and lift your soul.
Cause time is a healer, it's strange but it's true
It may seem strange, but time is a great tool in helping you heal and move on.
So, keep looking forward, the sun will come through
Stay positive and have faith; good things will come your way if you keep moving forward.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALVIN LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MarkKlass
There's someone somewhere who can't go on
Their life is crying, it's all gone wrong
What can I say now to help you through
Except to say that I've been there too?
Your soul is aching, you can't see it through
But time is healing each day you do
Keep looking forward, forget the past
It's up to you now, don't let it last
You got to wake up, shake up
You got a right to live
Shake up, don't break up
You've got a lot to give
You'll wake up one morning, you start to feel good
The sun in the blue sky looks like it should
Cause time is a healer, it's strange but it's true
So, keep looking forward, the sun will come through
You got to wake up, shake up
You got a right to live
Shake up, don't break up
You've got a lot to give
@Doobwa
I don't think they get enough recognition of how great a band they really were!
@MarkKlass
There's someone somewhere who can't go on
Their life is crying, it's all gone wrong
What can I say now to help you through
Except to say that I've been there too?
Your soul is aching, you can't see it through
But time is healing each day you do
Keep looking forward, forget the past
It's up to you now, don't let it last
You got to wake up, shake up
You got a right to live
Shake up, don't break up
You've got a lot to give
You'll wake up one morning, you start to feel good
The sun in the blue sky looks like it should
Cause time is a healer, it's strange but it's true
So, keep looking forward, the sun will come through
You got to wake up, shake up
You got a right to live
Shake up, don't break up
You've got a lot to give
@MrFritz6940
Thanks
@stevedahlberg8680
Love this one.
@josuegonzalez5103
Exelente musica de rooky sincronizacion de ritmo y instrumentacion
@joseluispinto5732
Great Song.
@stevedahlberg8680
What an important song.
@antoniodias4718
great, great!!!
@mikeace5831
1971 who came out with who's next great album, Led Zeppelin 4 another great album Ten Years After 1971 total classic underrated damn we had the best music
@gbeau61
71' was a hell of a year for music...