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.
Nowhere To Run
Ten Years After Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and they went right through my head.
Robbers and killers and midnight rapers
who will get you in your bed.
The world's not safe for living in;
There's too much hate and too much sin.
Got to get help from the new world shapers
Gimme a line on the telephone;
Come on baby, don't make it alone.
No-where to run, no-where to hide
Can't stop you doping, you still think I'm joking; such a shame.
You know I love you, I'm thinking of you, you and me.
I heard a lot of tales about heavenly dopers
who are trying to make a break.
Know a lot of folk who are daily smokers
'Cause they just can't take it straight.
Reality can be a strain;
There's too much hate and too much pain.
Got to get some help or the air will choke us
or it might soon be too late.
Know we've got problems with the air,
Too many people who never care.
No-where to run, no-where to hide.
Can't stop you dying, I'm still gonna keep on trying; such a shame.
Hang on to your life.
The song "Nowhere to Run" by Ten Years After is a reflection on the current state of the world and the dangers and troubles that are prevalent in society. The lyrics talk about various issues such as robbery, murder, rape, drug addiction, and pollution. The singer expresses his concern about the negative effects of these problems on human life and the environment.
The first two lines of the first verse "I read a lot of things I've seen in the papers and they went right through my head" suggest that the singer is exposed to a lot of disturbing news and events which he finds difficult to process. The second verse talks about the harmful consequences of drug addiction and its prevalence in society. He laments about the state of the environment, and how humans are not taking adequate care of it. The chorus, "No-where to run, no-where to hide," highlights the feeling of helplessness and lack of safety in the world.
The song ends with the hopeful message to hold on to one's life and keep trying to make a positive change. The lyrics show that the problems the world is facing are not one-dimensional and are deeply interconnected. The song urges everyone to come together and work towards building a better world.
Line by Line Meaning
I read a lot of things I've seen in the papers
I've been reading news articles lately and they are having a strong impact on me.
and they went right through my head.
I can't stop thinking about the negative things happening in the world.
Robbers and killers and midnight rapers
There are many criminals out there that seek to do terrible things to people.
who will get you in your bed.
You are never truly safe no matter where you are.
The world's not safe for living in;
The world is a dangerous place.
There's too much hate and too much sin.
Evil and negativity pervades many aspects of society.
Got to get help from the new world shapers
We need to look up to and seek guidance from people who can make the world a better place.
or it might just be too late.
We need to start taking action soon or it will be too late to prevent a calamity.
Gimme a line on the telephone;
Please give me a call.
Come on baby, don't make it alone.
I'd like to connect with you and not face the world by myself.
No-where to run, no-where to hide
There aren't any escape routes from the problems of the world. People must face their problems and persevere through them.
Can't stop you doping, you still think I'm joking; such a shame.
I can't stop you from making destructive choices even if I warn you about the risks.
You know I love you, I'm thinking of you, you and me.
I care deeply about you and our relationship.
I heard a lot of tales about heavenly dopers
I've heard about people trying to escape their problems through drug use.
who are trying to make a break.
Drug users strive to feel happiness or clarity through their use of drugs.
Know a lot of folk who are daily smokers
I am personally acquainted with many people who regularly smoke cigarettes.
Cause they just can't take it straight.
They smoke to manage stress and get relief from their normal lives.
Reality can be a strain;
Life can be tough for everyone.
There's too much hate and too much pain.
Hatred, violence, and sorrow impact many people around the world.
Got to get some help or the air will choke us
We need to address environmental issues soon or it could lead to disastrous consequences.
or it might soon be too late.
If we don't take action soon, it will be too late to reverse the negative impact on the environment.
Know we've got problems with the air,
Our planet's atmosphere is in critical need of repair.
Too many people who never care.
Many people aren't concerned with the environment and its impact on future generations.
Can't stop you dying, I'm still gonna keep on trying; such a shame.
I can't stop someone from being irresponsible but I will still do my best to help them make better choices.
Hang on to your life.
It's important to value and cherish one's life, even with all the struggles and challenges present around us.
Contributed by Levi R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.