Their music bridged the gaps between the socially and spiritually conscious folk music of Bob Dylan, the studio trickery of The Beach Boys, and the sardonic rock of The Beatles. Some of their trademark songs include pop versions of Bob Dylan's Mr. Tambourine Man and Pete Seeger’s Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season), and the originals I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better, and Eight Miles High. Throughout their career they helped forge such subgenres as folk rock, raga rock, psychedelic rock, jangle pop, and – on their 1968 classic Sweetheart of the Rodeo – country rock inviting Gram Parsons on rhythm guitar.
The original and most successful lineup consisted of Chris Hillman, David Crosby, Michael Clarke, Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark. After several line-up changes (with lead singer/guitarist McGuinn as the only consistent member), they broke up in 1973.
In 1991 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and several band members launched successful solo careers after leaving the group. The most successful was David Crosby who was inducted again for his work with Crosby, Stills & Nash. Other than The Beatles, the only artist with all members inducted twice are, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Get to You
The Byrds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Goin' east to London, want to be back there again
It's the right time of year, all the trees are autumn brown
But I really only want to get to you
Sitting by the window, watching ocean going by
Seems I should be with you but how fast can this thing fly
Hey how it seems like an eternity
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Standing in the airport I am getting off the plane
Glad to be in London even though it's pouring rain
It's a bright sunny day when I see you run my way
But it took me twenty years to get to you
It's a bright sunny day when I see you run my way
But it took me twenty years to get to you
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
The opening lyrical verse of "Get to You" by The Byrds describes a scene where the singer is standing in an airport, waiting for a flight to London. Even though the trees are autumn brown, reflecting the right time of the year, the only thought that keeps running on the singer's mind is to reach her. The lyrics suggest that she may be his love interest and the reason he is so desperate to meet her. In the second verse, he describes sitting near the window during his flight, watching the ocean pass by. The thought that he should be with her makes it seem as if the journey is taking an eternity. The repetitive manner of the use of the phrase - "Oh, that's a little better" —might suggest that the singer is fighting with an anxiety issue; however, as he gets closer to his destination, it helps lower his tension.
The final verse of the song reveals that the singer has already spent twenty years trying to reach her. The rain, which is typically considered gloomy, adds to the excitement of meeting his love interest in London. He sees her as the sun shines brightly, and he realizes that it all took a long time to make this meet-up happen. The slow tempo of the song, layered with vocal harmonies and the added guitar sections, creates a relaxed effect throughout the song. The song's lyrics signify one's whole journey and the anxious moments one faces in meeting someone they care about, but the rewards are always worth it.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing in the airport I am waiting for a plane
I'm standing in the airport waiting for the plane that's going east to London
Goin' east to London, want to be back there again
I'm going to London and I want to be back there again
It's the right time of year, all the trees are autumn brown
It's the perfect time of year since all the trees are autumn brown
But I really only want to get to you
Despite everything, my sole purpose is to get to you
Sitting by the window, watching ocean going by
I'm sitting by the window, watching the ocean go by
Seems I should be with you but how fast can this thing fly
It feels like I should be with you, but how fast can the plane fly?
Hey how it seems like an eternity
It feels like an eternity trying to get to you
All the time it took me trying to get to you
I've spent a lot of time trying to get to you
Oh, that's a little better
Seeing you feels a little better
Standing in the airport I am getting off the plane
I'm at the airport getting off the plane
Glad to be in London even though it's pouring rain
I'm happy to be in London even though it's raining heavily
It's a bright sunny day when I see you run my way
When I see you running towards me, it feels like the perfect sunny day
But it took me twenty years to get to you
It took me a long time, twenty years in fact, to finally get to you
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Spirit Music Group
Written by: Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Javier Bermúdez Méndez
Lyrics:
Standing in the airport I am waiting for a plane
Goin' east to London, want to be back there again
It's the right time of year, all the trees are autumn brown
But I really only want to get to you
Sitting by the window, watching ocean going by
Seems I should be with you but how fast can this thing fly
Hey how it seems like an eternity
All the time it took me trying to get to you
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Standing in the airport I am getting off the plane
Glad to be in London even though it's pouring rain
It's a bright sunny day when I see you run my way
But it took me twenty years to get to you
It's a bright sunny day when I see you run my way
But it took me twenty years to get to you
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Javier Bermúdez Méndez
Lyrics:
Standing in the airport I am waiting for a plane
Goin' east to London, want to be back there again
It's the right time of year, all the trees are autumn brown
But I really only want to get to you
Sitting by the window, watching ocean going by
Seems I should be with you but how fast can this thing fly
Hey how it seems like an eternity
All the time it took me trying to get to you
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Standing in the airport I am getting off the plane
Glad to be in London even though it's pouring rain
It's a bright sunny day when I see you run my way
But it took me twenty years to get to you
It's a bright sunny day when I see you run my way
But it took me twenty years to get to you
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Oh, that's a little better
Roy Posner
One of 10 greatest albums of 60s/70s. A masterpiece; way ahead of its time. Ultimate Electronica, folk, psychedelia mashup.
Gordon Ovenshine
Byrds and Beach Boys are the greatest American groups. Notorious is a masterpiece.
C. S. McLeod
I return 2 years later to say that The Byrds albums are the most important collection of American recordings. Amazing!
Dijkeman49
This is one of the most melodic songs I've ever heard. It almost brings you to higher ambiances...
Craig McLeod
wow! this is a great album.
Arthur Harris
Craig McLeod
Best album ever.
Javier Bermúdez Méndez
Best song con the album. Masterpiece
L xx
A perfect album, The Byrds had such a soulful mellow sound that makes you feel good listening to them .
Roy Posner
This album makes me so happy. Perhaps the most underrated album in rock history.