The band began by playing rhythm and blues music. After some early lineup changes, the band settled on a line-up of Pinder, Thomas, Edge, guitarist Justin Hayward and bassist John Lodge, which would stay together for most of the band's "classic era" through the late 1960s-early 1970s. Their second album, "Days of Future Passed", released in 1967, was a fusion of rock with classical music and established the band as pioneers in the development of art rock and progressive rock. Days Of Future Passed has been described as a "landmark" and "one of the first successful concept albums".
The Moody Blues became known internationally by recordings of songs including "Go Now", "Nights in White Satin", "Tuesday Afternoon", "Question" and "Your Wildest Dreams". The band has been awarded 18 platinum and gold LP’s. The band sold 70 million albums worldwide. The Moody Blues were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
The Moody Blues formed in 1964 in Erdington, a suburb of Birmingham in the county of Warwickshire. Ray Thomas, a young John Lodge and (occasionally) Mike Pinder had been members of El Riot & the Rebels. They disbanded when Lodge, the youngest member, went to technical college and Pinder joined the army. Pinder then rejoined Thomas to form the Krew Cats. Back from a disappointing spell in the Hamburg region a few months later, the pair recruited guitarist/vocalist Denny Laine and band manager-turned-drummer Graeme Edge. Pinder and Thomas initially approached their former El Riot bandmate John Lodge about being the bass player, but Lodge declined as he was still in college. They instead recruited bassist Clint Warwick. The five appeared as the Moody Blues for the first time in Birmingham in 1964. The name developed from a hoped-for sponsorship from the M&B Brewery which failed to materialise, the band calling themselves both "The M Bs" and "The M B Five", and was also a subtle reference to the Duke Ellington song "Mood Indigo". In an interview it was revealed that the band was named "Moody Blues" because Mike Pinder was interested in how music changes people's moods and due to the fact that the band was playing blues at the time. Around this time the band were the resident group at the Carlton Ballroom, later to become rock music venue Mothers on Erdington High Street.
The Moody Blues' "rich symphonic sound" influenced groups such as Yes, Genesis, the Electric Light Orchestra and Deep Purple. They also helped make synthesizers and philosophy "part of the rock mainstream".
The Moody Blues became members of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. In 2013, readers of Rolling Stone Magazine voted for them as one of the ten bands that should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ultimate Classic Rock called them "perennial victims of an unaccountable snubbing" and inducted them into its own Hall of Fame in 2014.
Writing for The Guardian in 2015, Rob Chapman described the band as "psychedelia's forgotten heroes". He stated: "Despite their success, rock critics rarely took the Moody Blues seriously, a pattern that continued for the next 45 years." He also wrote: "Despite the critical disapproval, the best of the Moody Blues music between 1967 and 1970 possessed grace and beauty. Like The Beatles, they understood how pop songs worked as ensemble pieces. None of them were particularly virtuosic or showy as musicians and their music is refreshingly free of the noodling longeurs that characterised the output of their more self-indulgent contemporaries."
In December 2017, the band were announced as inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On 14 April 2018, they were inducted as part of the 2018 class. During his acceptance speech in Cleveland, OH, Justin Hayward said, "If you didn't know already, well we're just a bunch of British guys, but of course to us and to all British musicians, this is the home of our heroes and we all know that..." acknowledging the inspirational role of America's rock and roll icons. During the ceremony, Ray Thomas was included as a star that was lost in the past year.
On 11th November 2021 Graeme Edge died. Upon Edge's death, Justin Hayward announced that The Moody Blues had no longer been active since Edge had retired in 2018 (Edge being the only member to remain with the band from formation to ending). Founding member Denny Laine died on 5 December 2023.
Dear Diary
The Moody Blues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dear diary, it's been just like a dream
Woke up too late. Wasn't where I should have been
For goodness sake, what's happening to me?
Write lightly, yours truly, dear diary
It was cold outside my door
So many people by the score
They don't notice there's people like me
Write lightly, yours truly, dear diary
They don't know what they're playing
They've got no way of knowing what the game is
Still they carry on doing what they can
Outside me, yours truly, dear diary
It's over. Will tomorrow be the same?
I know that they're really not to blame
If they weren't so blind, then surely they'd see
There's a much better way for them to be
Inside me, yours truly, dear diary
Somebody exploded an H-bomb today
But it wasn't anyone I knew
The Moody Blues’s song, “Dear Diary”, begins with the singer reflecting on their day and how it has been just like a dream. They then lament the fact that they woke up too late and weren't where they should have been, questioning what's happening to them. The lyrics convey a sense of unease and confusion, with the singer seeking solace and reflection in their diary. The second verse paints a picture of a busy and bustling world that is indifferent to the singer's struggles. The third verse contemplates the meaninglessness of it all, with people going about their lives without any knowledge or insight into what they are doing. The final verse concludes with a reference to the day somebody exploded an H-bomb, but it wasn't anyone the singer knew. The lyrics hint at the inevitability of destruction and the powerlessness of individuals in the face of larger forces.
The lyrics of “Dear Diary” are a commentary on modern society, reflecting feelings of disconnection and powerlessness. The singer feels separated from the world around them, and the people in it seem oblivious to the struggles of others. The song captures a sense of existential angst, and the lyrics have a timeless quality that continues to resonate with listeners today. The song was originally released on The Moody Blues’s 1967 album "Days of Future Passed" and has since become a classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear diary, what a day it's been
Expressing amazement at the events of the day
Dear diary, it's been just like a dream
Comparing the day to a surreal dream
Woke up too late. Wasn't where I should have been
Regretting oversleeping and missing something important
For goodness sake, what's happening to me?
Wondering what is going on in one's life
Write lightly, yours truly, dear diary
Lightly writing down the day's events with sincerity
It was cold outside my door
Describing the weather outside
So many people by the score
Observing the large number of people around
Rushing around as senselessly
Commenting on how people seem to be hurrying to nowhere
They don't notice there's people like me
Feeling unnoticed and overlooked by society
Write lightly, yours truly, dear diary
Continuing to journal about the day
They don't know what they're playing
Stating that people seem lost and unsure in life
They've got no way of knowing what the game is
No one seems to understand the purpose of life
Still they carry on doing what they can
People continue to live despite the unknowns
Outside me, yours truly, dear diary
Writing down these observations in the diary
It's over. Will tomorrow be the same?
Reflecting on the events of the day
I know that they're really not to blame
Understanding that others are not responsible for one's own life
If they weren't so blind, then surely they'd see
If people were not so clueless they could understand life better
There's a much better way for them to be
There are better ways for people to live
Inside me, yours truly, dear diary
Continuing to write to the diary
Somebody exploded an H-bomb today
Noticing a tragedy that occurred that day
But it wasn't anyone I knew
Feeling disconnected from the tragedy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RAY THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rosalia
Dear Diary, what a day it's been
Dear Diary, it's been just like a dream
Woke up too late, wasn't where I should have been
For goodness sake
What's happening to me?
Write lightly, yours truly, dear Diary
It was cold outside my door
So many people by the score
Rushing around so senselessly
They don't notice there's people like me
Write lightly, yours truly, dear Diary
They don't know what they're playing
No, they've no way of knowing what the game is
Still they carry on
Doing what they can
Outside me, impolitely, dear Diary
It's over, will tomorrow be the same?
I know that they're really not to blame
If they weren't so blind then surely they'd see
There's a much better way for them to be
Inside me, yours truly, dear Diary
Dear Diary, it was cold today
But the sun came out later
So I went out and strolled about looking at the shops
Didn't really see anything I liked so I didn't buy anything
On the way home I posted a letter
Been quite a nice day
Somebody exploded an H-bomb today
But it wasn't anybody I knew
Fernanda Sayuri
Dear diary, what a day it's been
Dear diary, it's been just like a dream
Woke up too late. Wasn't where I should have been
For goodness sake, what's happening to me?
Write lightly, yours truly, dear diary
It was cold outside my door
So many people by the score
Rushing around as senselessly
They don't notice there's people like me
Write lightly, yours truly, dear diary
They don't know what they're playing
They've got no way of knowing what the game is
Still they carry on doing what they can
Outside me, yours truly, dear diary
It's over. Will tomorrow be the same?
I know that they're really not to blame
If they weren't so blind, then surely they'd see
There's a much better way for them to be
Inside me, yours truly, dear diary
Somebody exploded an H-bomb today
But it wasn't anyone I knew
Zachsyracuse10
love the feeling when my dad puts on his music and i recognize the samples from quite a few rap songs I've heard. really makes you appreciate all music genres.
Mentok The Mind Taker
That's the beauty of hip-hop, people can say it's unoriginal and maybe they are right but idc. It's a way of taking an old song and putting a fresh spin on it, bringing it to a younger generation
Andrew Mac
STEEZ
Tering Archief
Clive Bindley yeah Lets shit on an entire music genre
joeger krep
all about taste... i love the samples in rap because it brings so many different genres and gives a different style, far from mainstream trap. or insights and rap often gives me the mettle to keep going, like dance with the devil and eyedea
demisor
@MassiveGat rap nowadays is better.
Rosalia
Dear Diary, what a day it's been
Dear Diary, it's been just like a dream
Woke up too late, wasn't where I should have been
For goodness sake
What's happening to me?
Write lightly, yours truly, dear Diary
It was cold outside my door
So many people by the score
Rushing around so senselessly
They don't notice there's people like me
Write lightly, yours truly, dear Diary
They don't know what they're playing
No, they've no way of knowing what the game is
Still they carry on
Doing what they can
Outside me, impolitely, dear Diary
It's over, will tomorrow be the same?
I know that they're really not to blame
If they weren't so blind then surely they'd see
There's a much better way for them to be
Inside me, yours truly, dear Diary
Dear Diary, it was cold today
But the sun came out later
So I went out and strolled about looking at the shops
Didn't really see anything I liked so I didn't buy anything
On the way home I posted a letter
Been quite a nice day
Somebody exploded an H-bomb today
But it wasn't anybody I knew
June Cat
Thanks for the lyrics!👍😺
MrTeamTactical
I'v listened to this album since i was a young kid (always got good recomendations from my parents!) and the whole time i always wondered about the "somebody exploded an H bomb today, but it wasnt anybody i knew" line. It's taken this long (24 now) to realise, or atleast interpret my own realisation. The whole song is like a diary, listing the things that are going on, in the world, and the mind of the speaker. Talking about bad/annoying things "waking up late" "cold outside my door" "everybody rushing around" and talking about obliviousness that comes in daily life. Only to undercut it my essentially saying that far far worse things happen in this world, and that most people are still oblivious "but it wasnt anybody i knew" which is quite a sad and real though. To think that bomb's are dropped on people across the world, sure, in most cases, with the intent of killing horrible people. But normal, innocent people get caught in these crossfires and end up dying, potentially in their own home. But because its in a far off place, people don't feel the sympathy. People care more about the mundane annoyances at home in their own streets more than they care about a bomb exploding on an innocent families home, because its harder to sympathise with. "I know that they're really not to blame. If they weren't so blind then surely they'd see." But it makes it clear that, you're not a bad person for being oblivious to it, because it's not really shown to us. Ignorance truly is bliss, especially in this online world where you can see immediately the pain and suffering millions of people go through every day. Maybe i'm just rambling on, but it's something to think on. And really shows how great this band is, that after 10+ years of listening, one of their songs can provoke so many thoughts.
Roberta Stone
SPOT ON! That's why the MB's are tops - unmatched by anyone!