When keyboardist Jon Lord and guitarist Derek Griffiths joined from Red Bludd's Bluesicians they re-christened themselves the Artwoods. Keef Hartley, formerly with Rory Storm & The Hurricanes, joined on drums in '64 and the band turned professional, secured a residency at London's 100 Club and gained a recording contract with Decca Records.
The intended debut single, a cover of Muddy Waters' "Hoochie Coochie Man" was shelved in favour of a version of an old Leadbelly song, Sweet Mary". Although it didn't reach the Charts it got sufficient airplay to bring them a lot of live work, including an appearance on the first live edition of Ready Steady Go! The second record, "Oh My Love", was another blues cover. Like its predecessor, and subsequent releases, it failed to chart.
The Artwoods were dropped by Decca at the end of 1966 and signed a one record deal with Parlophone, but "What Shall I Do" also flopped. Later in 1967 a final "one-off" single appeared on Fontana under the name "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" but by the time of its release the Artwoods had effectively ceased to exist.
The Artwoods' early records today stand up well against the work of more successful groups such as the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds or ironically, the Birds, who included Art's younger brother Ron. But at the time they came out, despite appearances on programs like Ready, Steady, Go! their singles never seemed to connect with the record-buying public. In live performance, on the other hand, it was a different matter. They had a virtuoso lineup, Lord's piano and organ sound was a great complement to Wood's singing, Griffith's guitar work was tastefully flashy, and Keef Hartley was animated as well as powerful, with a big sound on the drums. Club audiences always knew they were good for a great show and the band loved playing live. Ultimately, in fact, the group's success in touring and their love of playing live may have hurt them.
The group broke up in mid '67 with Hartley going on to play with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers,Malcolm Pool played with Colosseum and Lord becoming a founder member of Deep Purple.
Oh My Love
The Artwoods Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see your face, darling
Then I know
That you are meant for me
And I will make you see
That I love you
I will pull that up and I will need your hand
You'll see I can't control
You run my very soul
When I kiss your eyes
You know that my heart dies
And when you touch my lips
With your fingertips
Oh my love
Oh my love
Oh my love
I love you
If I ever get the chance to get paid
The happiness had broke my way
Well, you can count on me
I will make you seel that I love you
Alright, Jal.
When I kiss your eyes
You know that my heart dies
When you touch my lips
With your fingertips
Oh my love
Oh my love
Oh my love
I love you
If I ever get the chance to get paid
The happiness had broke my way
Well, you can count on me
I will make you seel that I love you
I love you, Jal.
The lyrics to The Artwoods's song "Oh My Love" are a declaration of love and passion from the perspective of the singer. The opening lines indicate that the singer is watching their lover dance, and it's so captivating that everything else fades away. Then as the singer sees their lover's face, they know that they are meant to be together, and they will do everything in their power to make the lover understand that they love them. The following lines, "I will pull that up and I will need your hand, when you feel my touch, you will understand," is the singer letting the lover know that they will take care of them and make them feel safe. The singer goes on to describe how the lover runs their very soul and how their love is so intense that when they kiss their lover's eyes, their heart dies, and when the lover touches their lips with their fingertips, it's a feeling that cannot be controlled.
The final verses of the song reiterate the singer's devotion to their lover, saying that they will be there, "if I ever get the chance to get paid," and that the happiness in their relationship is all that matters. The song concludes with the repeated lyrics, "Oh my love," and "I love you," emphasizing the depth of feeling and commitment that the singer has for their lover.
Overall, the song is a passionate declaration of love that celebrates the intensity of emotions that come with a deep connection between two people.
Line by Line Meaning
I see you dance and it all that blows
When I watch you dance, everything else fades away
I see your face, darling
As I look at you, my heart fills with love
Then I know
That you are meant for me
I am certain that you and I are meant to be together
And I will make you see
That I love you
I will show you how much I truly love you
I will pull that up and I will need your hand
When you feel my touch, you will understand
I will lift you up and hold your hand, and you will know how deeply I feel for you
You'll see I can't control
You run my very soul
I am hopelessly in love with you, and you have complete control over my heart and soul
Oh my love
Oh my love
Oh my love
I love you
I am overcome with love for you
If I ever get the chance to get paid
The happiness had broke my way
Well, you can count on me
I will make you seel that I love you
If good fortune comes my way, I will use it to show you how much I love you and make you believe in our love
When I kiss your eyes
You know that my heart dies
When I kiss your eyes, I feel like my heart stops beating because of the overwhelming love I feel for you
And when you touch my lips
With your fingertips
When you touch my lips with your fingers, I feel a surge of passion and love for you
Writer(s): Brian Smith, Terry Fox
Contributed by Kaitlyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.