Melcher was born Terry Jorden in New York City to trombonist Al Jorden and his wife, singer/actress Doris Day.
In the early 1960s, Terry Melcher and Bruce Johnston formed the vocal duet Bruce & Terry. The duo had hits like "Custom Machine" and "Summer Means Fun". Melcher and Johnston also created another band together, The Rip Chords, that had a Top 10 hit "Hey, Little Cobra".
By the mid-60s, Melcher had joined the staff of Columbia Records and went on to work with The Byrds. He produced their hit song, "Turn! Turn! Turn!", and helped them to produce their remake of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man". Due to conflicts with the band, Melcher was replaced.
He later worked with Paul Revere and the Raiders, Wayne Newton, Frankie Laine, Jimmy Boyd, Pat Boone, Glen Campbell, Mark Lindsay and The Mamas & The Papas. Melcher was instrumental in signing another near-legendary L.A. band, the Rising Sons led by Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder. Melcher also performed on the Beach Boys album "Pet Sounds", as a background vocalist, and introduced Brian Wilson to Van Dyke Parks in February 1966, beginning their partnership on the ill-fated "SMiLE" project. He was also a board member of the Monterey Pop Foundation and a producer of the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.
In the 1970s, Melcher again became a producer for the Byrds, but the results were not well received; one critic referred to the album "Byrdmaniax" as "Melcher's Folly".
On November 19, 2004, Terry Melcher died at his home after a long battle with melanoma. He was 62 years old. He was survived by his wife Terese, son Ryan Melcher and his mother Doris Day.
These Days
Terry Melcher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I don't do that much talking
These days these days
These days I seem to think a lot
About the things that I forgot to do
Oh, honey, for you
And all the times I had
The chance to
Well I had a lover
Lord, It's to hard to risk another
These days oh, these days
And if I seem to be afraid
To live the life I have made in song
Oh yeah
Well it's just that I've been losing
Losing for so long
And I wonder if I'll ever
See another highway
Well, now I'll keep on moving
Lord, things are bound to be improving
These days one of these days
These days I sit on corner stones
I count the time in quarter tones till ten
My sweet friend
Please don't confront me with my failures
I've not forgotten them
I've not forgotten them
I've not forgotten them
Oh oh
The song "These Days" by Terry Melcher feat. Doris Day is a reflective and introspective piece, exploring themes of regret, fear, loss and hope. The first two verses describe the singer's state of mind as they have been out walking and thinking deeply about the things they have forgotten to do, particularly for their loved ones. The phrase "these days" appears throughout the verses, emphasizing how the singer's perspective and priorities have changed over time. The third verse introduces the idea of a lost love and the fear of risking another, which has caused the singer to become stagnant and feel like they've been losing for a long time. However, the song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer acknowledging that they need to keep moving forward and believing that things are bound to improve.
The song itself has a melancholic and reflective tone, with a slow tempo and gentle instrumentation. The vocals are soft and emotive, conveying the depth of feeling behind the lyrics. The repetition of the phrase "these days" serves as a powerful reminder of the passage of time and the changes it brings, as well as the importance of living in the present moment and making the most of our opportunities.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I've been out walking
I have been taking long walks lately
And I don't do that much talking
I am not being very talkative lately
These days these days
Recently, every day feels the same
These days I seem to think a lot
I have been overthinking a lot lately
About the things that I forgot to do
I keep remembering things I should have done but didn't
Oh, honey, for you
I regret not doing things for you
And all the times I had
I realize I had many opportunities
The chance to
But I missed them
Well I had a lover
I used to have a romantic partner
Lord, It's to hard to risk another
I find it difficult to take another chance on love
These days oh, these days
These days feel particularly difficult for me
And if I seem to be afraid
I appear to be afraid
To live the life I have made in song
I am hesitant to live up to the expectations set by my music
Oh yeah
Yes, that's right
Well it's just that I've been losing
I have been experiencing a lot of loss lately
Losing for so long
This feeling of loss has been going on for a long time
And I wonder if I'll ever
I am not sure if I will ever
See another highway
Get another chance or opportunity
Well, now I'll keep on moving
I am determined to keep going
Lord, things are bound to be improving
I hope things will get better
These days one of these days
Maybe one day things will change
These days I sit on corner stones
I spend time sitting on street corners
I count the time in quarter tones till ten
I count time in small increments until 10
My sweet friend
Addressing someone in a friendly tone
Please don't confront me with my failures
I don't want to face my mistakes or shortcomings
I've not forgotten them
I remember my mistakes very well
I've not forgotten them
I still remember my mistakes
I've not forgotten them
I cannot forget my mistakes
Oh oh
Expressing disappointment or despair
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jams O'Donnell
on Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is funky
Just plain folks livin’ close out there
Someday you’ll move out of the Valley
Tryin’ to get to old Bel Air
Now don’t get fooled by Brentwood
Or Pacific Palisades
Every time you cruise down Sunset
You’ll see the big mistake you’ve made
Turnin’ some drinks at the Lu’al,
Sunday brunch at Nate and Al’s
Roll on by to Daisy,
Watch old Eddie take some bows
Hey hey old LA
You’ve got those Culver City Blues again
If you want to be free
Move in to Beverly
Cos’ I can still remember when
We’d catch Miss Laura every night
Though Hollywood was gone
Sure we’ve heard that moneys tight
Still we carry on
With those drinks at the Lu’al
That Sunday brunch at Nate and Al’s
Then we’d roll on by to Daisy
Watch old Eddie take some bows
Beverly Hills is funky
Just plain folks livin’ close out there
Someday you’ll get out of that Valley
You’re going to move to old Bel Air
Hey hey old LA
You got those Culver City Blues again
I know you want to be free
Move in to Beverly
I can still remember when
Hey hey old LA
You’ve got those Culver City Blues again
I know you want to be free
Move in to Beverly
I can still remember when
(fade)