Origins And Early Successes
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Originally inspired by The Beatles, the Cowsills developed their musicianship and harmonized vocals in performances at school dances and churches in their hometown. They were encouraged by their parents, Barbara and Bud Cowsill, who drove them around to shows in the family's station wagon. Bud had retired from a long career in the US Navy to manage his children's career together with his wife.
The band drew increasing attention through the 1960's as their musical proficiency improved. In late 1965, the initial four members were hired as a regular act on Bannisters Wharf in Newport where they would sing "The Beatles" songs hour after hour. They also produced their first recordings, and released them on Mercury Records. Despite their appeal, the company passed on a record contract for reasons never specified. In 1966, the band was signed by MGM records, and shortly after Barbara - who would become known to their fans affectionately as "Mini-Mom" due to her diminutive stature - joined the group to record The Rain, The Park and Other Things. Shortly thereafter the band was expanded yet again to include siblings Susan and Paul.
With the success of "The Rain, The Park and Other Things" the band quickly became a popular act in the U.S., and achieved significant airplay in England and other parts of Europe. "The Rain, The Park and Other Things" wound up reaching #2 on the Billboard charts, and sold some three million copies in its first release.
Bob Cowsill is quoted as follows on the band's early days:
"Although Bill and I performed at a very young age, and Bill, myself, Barry and John did a lot of frat parties at Brown University and clubs in Newport ... the most memorable performance of what I would view as the precursor of what The Cowsills would be was at King's Park in Newport (right at the foot of Halidon Hall) at some carnival. The family angle just evolved ... first Bill and me, then Bill me and Barry, then Bill, me, Barry and John, then Bill, me, Barry, John and Mom, then Bill, me, Barry, John, Mom and Paul, then later, me, Paul, John, Barry, Mom and Susan, then back to Bill, me, Barry and John (very briefly in the end) and then to me, Paul, John and Susan. Our first real break came when we were playing the MK Hotel in Newport (in the basement there) and a guy from the Today show saw us and asked if we wanted to be on the Today show. We weren't famous or anything but we were young and we were related and we were quite good. So we went on the Today show (I doubt a tape exists of that but if it did it would be priceless to see) and someone from Mercury Records saw us which ultimately led to our signing with that label and putting out "Most Of All" (a great "school's out" song that should have been our first hit in my opinion) which led to Artie Kornfeld and Steve Duboff. Mercury dropped us, but Artie and Steve had written "The Rain, The Park and Other Things" and we went in and recorded that song at A&R studios in New York and took the whole package to MGM who decided wouldn't it just be terrific if their mother performed with them and, voila, the rest, as they say, is history. "
In 1969 they had another number two hit with their version of the title song from the musical Hair.
The Cowsills are often cited as the inspirtation for TV's "The Partridge Family."
Anything Changes
The Cowsills Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Poor old moon lost its lease.
Now it's just another piece of real estate.
Plane jumpers claimed their stake.
No longer history, end of a mystery.
It's made of rock and dust like you and me.
Landed in peace. For mankind, ease your mind,
Sorry indeed, so roll the tides, keep your pride.
Shine on me.
Man in the moon resigned.
Packed and left to work full time,
As Jupiter's lunar caretaker.
Leading a pleasant life,
Twelve moons and no moonlight, from Jupiter.
Landed in peace. For mankind, ease your mind.
Sorry indeed, so roll the tides, keep your pride.
Shine on me.
End of a fantasy. Lover's lie helplessly hoping for,
Another moonlit shore.
Moon walker what's your game?
Ride the heaven print your name on every star.
Don't go too far. For you may find,
A hostile outer space, if you try to spread the human race.
The Cowsills's song Anything Changes is a reflective piece that contemplates the changing nature of the world we live in. The song touches on the end of an era with the "poor old moon" losing its lease and becoming just another piece of real estate, while plane jumpers claim their stake. The moon used to represent mystery and history, but now it is just a rock and dust like you and me.
The lyrics then shift focus to the man in the moon who has resigned and packed up to work as Jupiter's lunar caretaker. He now lives a life with twelve moons and no moonlight, from Jupiter. The song then reflects on the end of a fantasy where lovers lie hopelessly hoping for another moonlit shore. The lyricist then addresses the moon walker and asks what their game is. They urge the person to print their name on every star but also caution them not to go too far as they may find a hostile outer space if they try to spread the human race.
Overall, the song seems to be about the inevitability of change and how even something as constant as the moon can be subject to it. It encourages the listener to embrace change and move forward despite the uncertainty that it brings.
Line by Line Meaning
Poor old moon lost its lease.
The moon is no longer of any use or value and has become just another piece of land that someone else owns now.
Now it's just another piece of real estate.
The moon is now just like any other piece of land that can be bought and sold by anyone.
Plane jumpers claimed their stake.
People have now landed on the moon and claimed their ownership of it.
No longer history, end of a mystery.
The moon is no longer a mysterious object that people could only look at from afar, but it has now become a familiar object with its own history.
It's made of rock and dust like you and me.
The moon is a physical object made of the same elements as humans.
Landed in peace. For mankind, ease your mind,
People have landed on the moon without causing any harm, and this is a moment of peace and serenity for humankind.
Sorry indeed, so roll the tides, keep your pride.
Even though people have landed on the moon, they should not forget the power of the tides and should keep their humility.
Shine on me.
The moon should continue to provide its light and beauty to people on earth.
Man in the moon resigned.
The traditional image of a man in the moon has now been replaced by reality.
Packed and left to work full time,
The man in the moon has disappeared to make way for actual scientific exploration.
As Jupiter's lunar caretaker.
The moons around Jupiter are now being taken care of by humans like the moon was taken care of before.
Leading a pleasant life,
The moons around Jupiter are now living a peaceful and happy life with their own unique qualities.
Twelve moons and no moonlight, from Jupiter.
The moons around Jupiter do not reflect enough light to illuminate their surroundings like the moon does for us.
End of a fantasy. Lover's lie helplessly hoping for,
The dreamy and romantic idea of a moonlit night is no longer possible as the moon is no longer an enigmatic object.
Another moonlit shore.
People cannot hope to find another shore with the moon's reflection on the sea at night.
Moon walker what's your game?
People who want to visit the moon should be aware of their motives and what they want to achieve there.
Ride the heaven print your name on every star.
While exploring space, people should not forget to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the other celestial bodies they encounter.
Don't go too far. For you may find,
People should explore space with caution and awareness of the dangers they may face if they go too far.
A hostile outer space, if you try to spread the human race.
If people try to colonize other planets or spread their influence to other areas of space, they may encounter hostility and resistance from other life forms or forces in the universe.
Contributed by Madelyn A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@thekookooman1991
Poor old moon lost its lease.
Now it's just another piece of real estate.
Plane jumpers claimed their stake.
No longer history, end of a mystery.
It's made of rock and dust like you and me.
Landed in peace. For mankind, ease your mind,
Sorry indeed, so roll the tides, keep your pride.
Shine on me.
Man in the moon resigned.
Packed and left to work full time,
As Jupiter's lunar caretaker.
Leading a pleasant life,
Twelve moons and no moonlight, from Jupiter.
Landed in peace. For mankind, ease your mind.
Sorry indeed, so roll the tides, keep your pride.
Shine on me.
End of a fantasy. Lover's lie helplessly hoping for,
Another moonlit shore.
Moon walker what's your game?
Ride the heaven print your name on every star.
Don't go too far. For you may find,
A hostile outer space, if you try to spread the human race.
@philmccracken414
How the hell can they not be in the rock hall of fame? They were and still are better than a lot of the acts already in.
@LarryKelly
Based on pure talent they should be.
@dken4048
I agree
@rhondacannon7447
they should be i vote for them
@guillermoelizondo2450
I do too. I would vote for them!!@@rhondacannon7447
@gmasword0613
One of the lesser-known gems. Really shines the spotlight on Paul. The song aged surprisingly well.
@usmcveteran7316
The older I get the more I enjoy the Cowsills. That's a lot coming from an old Zeppelin and Hendrix fan.
@tomjones2348
I'm right there with you on that. There sound was very unique. I recall as a kid, I would feel so happy when Indian lake, hair, or Flower girl would come on the radio.
@usmcveteran7316
@@tomjones2348 they had so great songs. My favorite would be "Hair"
@williamnelson727
Feb. 1971. A clean, strait, up-beat rock-and-roll music VIDEO, performed by a
family, good enough for children (heck they're hardly older than children themselves). Sober. Healthy. Radiant, even. What else could you possibly want?