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.
Driftwood
The Moody Blues Lyrics
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Left on the seashore of sleep
Just like the words that wouldn't rhyme
Lost in the desert of time
Time waits for no one at all
No, not even you
You thought you'd seen it all before
I don't remember what was said
In the confusion that night
I only know what's on my mind
What's in the future, we will decide
Time waits for no one at all
No, not even you
You thought you'd seen it all before
You really thought you knew
I've shattered the illusion of fortune and of fame
But darling, now I know you
Life could never be the same
Oh no, don't leave me driftwood on the shore
Time waits for no one my love
No, not even you
You thought you'd seen it all before
You really thought you knew
I've shattered the illusion of fortune and of fame
I'm waking up, I'm reaching up
I'm getting up from this game
Oh no, don't leave me driftwood on the shore
Oh no, don't, don't leave me driftwood on the shore
Oh no, don't, don't leave me driftwood on the shore
The Moody Blues's song "Driftwood" describes the fleeting nature of time and the uncertainty of the future. The metaphor of driftwood, left on the seashore of sleep, represents our dreams and aspirations that may never become a reality. The "words that wouldn't rhyme" symbolize the difficulty of expressing oneself and communicating effectively, lost in the desert of time.
The chorus repeats the message that time waits for no one, highlighting the importance of seizing the moment and making the most of the time we have. The singer addresses a loved one, pleading with them not to leave him as a discarded piece of driftwood on the shore. The shattered illusion of fortune and fame represents the realization that material possessions and external success may not bring true happiness.
The lines "I'm waking up, I'm reaching up, I'm getting up from this game" suggest the idea of personal growth and self-discovery. The singer is no longer content with the illusions of the past and is ready to move forward, embracing the uncertainty of life and striving for a better future.
Overall, "Driftwood" is a reflective and thought-provoking song that highlights the transience of life and the importance of living in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Just like the driftwood of a dream
Similar to a piece of driftwood in a dream, something that is transient and subject to the tides of sleep.
Left on the seashore of sleep
Describing how something is left, just as driftwood is left on the seashore, only in this case it's left in sleep.
Just like the words that wouldn't rhyme
Like words that refuse to form a poetic connection, things that fail to come together properly as a whole entity.
Lost in the desert of time
An instance of being lost or forgotten in the vast expanse of time.
Time waits for no one at all
A statement that reminds us about the fleeting nature of time, it stops for no one and marches forward relentlessly.
No, not even you
Emphasizing the idea that nobody can escape the inevitability of time.
You thought you'd seen it all before
A feeling of naivety and complacency when confronted with new challenges, when one is convinced they know what's ahead.
You really thought you knew
A repeat of the warning that our preconceived notions of the future might be a little too comfortable and not necessarily accurate.
I don't remember what was said
A moment of uncertainty and confusion in the past.
In the confusion that night
A further insight into a night where something important may have happened but no one can recall clearly.
I only know what's on my mind
A statement that speaks to how each individual's experience and perception of the past can differ even from others who were present at the same moment in time.
What's in the future, we will decide
A reversal of the earlier warnings, and an assertion of control over one's future, taking it upon themselves to shape their destiny with the knowledge they have gained from the past.
I've shattered the illusion of fortune and of fame
A personal victory of learning the truth and breaking down false perception.
But darling, now I know you
A personal connection to someone who has helped in shaping that victory.
Life could never be the same
An acknowledgment of personal change, and the realization that things will never go back to how they were before once a certain point of knowledge is reached.
Oh no, don't leave me driftwood on the shore
A plea for someone not to leave the artist, to not abandon them as a piece of driftwood is abandoned when washed up on shore.
Time waits for no one my love
A reminder that the call to action is urgent, that time is not to be taken for granted.
I'm waking up, I'm reaching up
The singer is awakening to the realization that they have the power to take control over their own fate and reaching up to grasp it.
I'm getting up from this game
No longer content to be a passive player, the singer is rising up to claim their victory.
Oh no, don't, don't leave me driftwood on the shore
The final plea for someone not to abandon the artist, to not let them become stranded and alone like driftwood on the seashore.
Lyrics © Fintage House Publishing
Written by: JUSTIN HAYWARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind