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.
Here Without You
The Byrds Lyrics
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At night I can only dream about you
Girl you're on my mind
Nearly all of the time
It's so hard bein' here without you
Words in my head keep repeating
Things that you said when I was with you
Do you feel the same way too
It's so hard bein' here without you,
Bein' here without you
Though I know it won't last I'll see you someday
It seems as though that day will come never
But there's one thing I'll swear
Though you're far away
I'll be thinking about you forever
Streets that I walk on depress me
Ones that were happy when I was with you
Still with all the friends I know
And all the things I do
It's so hard bein' here without you,
Bein' here without you
The Byrds's song Here Without You is a lament about the absence of a loved one. The lyrics express the poet's love for someone who is far away and how hard it is to be without that person. The daytime only brings loneliness, while at night the poet dreams of his beloved. The poet wonders if the person he loves feels the same way, and the words she said when they were together repeat in his head. The poet confesses that the absence of the girl is depressing him, and despite all of his attempts to occupy his mind with other things, he can't stop thinking about her.
The melancholic tone of the lyrics is accentuated by the music, with its slow tempo, and the mournful harmonies of the guitar and the lonesome sound of the voice. The song is an example of the folk-rock genre that combines the sparse instrumentation of traditional folk music with the melodic sensibility of rock 'n' roll.
The lyrics of the song may have been inspired by the personal life of Jim McGuinn, the lead singer, and the guitarist of The Byrds. McGuinn was reportedly in a long-distance relationship at the time, and the lyrics may reflect his own feelings of loneliness and longing. McGuinn has also revealed that the song's original title was "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," after the Hank Williams's song, which inspired him to write his own version.
Line by Line Meaning
Daytime just makes me be lonely
During the day, I feel lonely without you
At night I can only dream about you
At night, you are the subject of my dreams
Girl you're on my mind
I cannot stop thinking about you, girl
Nearly all of the time
At almost every waking moment, you are on my mind
It's so hard bein' here without you
Living without you is very difficult for me
Words in my head keep repeating
I cannot shake the words you said to me from my mind
Things that you said when I was with you
I keep replaying the things you said to me when we were together
And I wonder is it true
I question whether what you said to me is true
Do you feel the same way too
I am unsure if you feel the same way about me
It's so hard bein' here without you,
Living without you is very difficult for me
Bein' here without you
Existing without you is a constant struggle
Though I know it won't last I'll see you someday
Even though I know we won't be apart forever, it feels like I will never see you again
It seems as though that day will come never
It feels like the day we'll see each other again will never come
But there's one thing I'll swear
I can promise one thing
Though you're far away
Even though you are distant from me
I'll be thinking about you forever
I will always have you on my mind, forever.
Streets that I walk on depress me
The places where we used to go together now make me sad
Ones that were happy when I was with you
The places where we were happy together now seem empty and meaningless
Still with all the friends I know
Even though I have other friends
And all the things I do
Even though I keep myself busy
It's so hard bein' here without you,
Living without you is very difficult for me
Bein' here without you
Existing without you is a constant struggle
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GENE CLARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
비정한세상
Daytime just makes me feel lonely
At night I can only dream about you
Girl you're on my mind nearly all of the time
It's so hard being here without you
Words in my head keep repeating things that you said
Wen I was with you
And I wonder is it true do you feel the same way too
It's so hard being here without you, being here without you
Though I know it won't last I'll see you some day
It seems as though that the day will come never
But there's one thing I'll swear though you're far away
I'll be thinking about you forever
The streets that I walk on depress me
The ones that were happy when I was with you
Still with all the friends I know and with all the things I do
It's so hard being here without you being here without you
Glicksman1
From the best songwriter in the Byrds and at that time. What a great song. A perfect, simple, tasteful arrangement that is likely mostly attributable to McGuinn who knew that a great song needs little embellishment. More great harmony from Crosby. Witness the invention of Folk-Rock.
Half Rutter
Love this song. Means so much to me. Gene Clark was a great, soulful songwriter and singer.
John in Poughkeepsie
The lyrics alone bring tears to my eyes.
moonbeamchaos
Songs to cry to.
Thomas Zino
Brilliant song by Gene Clatrk, love his songs and his voice.
Byron Fortier
I listen to loads of 60's music. But when the Byrds come on I know I'm in special musical territory. To me there's nothing to compare.
J Dubbiyou
This was the Byrds at their most magical; a Gene Clark tune that rivals the Beatles or Dylan, McGuinn.s jangling Richenbacker guitars and Crosby's ever shifting harmony......2 and 1/2 minutes of perfection!
Maureen Devries
A definite YES!
Jerry Ziegler
Growing up this was the soundtrack of my life. It was Gene Clark's songs that filtered through and made the greatest impact. Amazing songwriter!
Cherix Biggs
Dave Crosby's harmonies really shine on this one! It's one of my favorite songs e.v.e.r. If anybody ever went down the road of a broken heart through any kind of loss -- this song describes the pain.