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.
Gypsy
The Moody Blues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Travelling in panic all direction blind
Aching for the warmth of a burning sun
Freezing in the emptiness of where he'd come from
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Left without a hope of coming home.
Speeding through a shadow of a million years
Darkness is the only sound to reach his ears
Screaming for the future that can never be
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Left without a hope of coming home.
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
A gypsy of a strange and distant time
Travelling in panic all direction blind
Aching for the warmth of a burning sun
Freezing in the emptiness of where he'd come from
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Left without a hope of coming home.
Left without a hope of coming home
Left without a hope of coming home
The Moody Blues' song "Gypsy" tells the story of a traveler from a different time who is lost and alone, seeking comfort and warmth in an unforgiving world. The lyrics paint a picture of a restless soul who is desperately trying to find his way back home, but is unable to do so. The song is a reflection of a universal human experience – the longing for connection and belonging.
The opening lines of the song evoke a sense of mystery and otherworldliness, with the reference to a "gypsy of a strange and distant time". The traveler is described as being "direction blind", suggesting a sense of confusion and disorientation. He is "aching for the warmth of a burning sun", which could be interpreted as a desire for love or a sense of purpose. However, he is "freezing in the emptiness of where he'd come from", implying that his past is a source of pain and sorrow.
As the song progresses, the traveler is depicted as being haunted by the passage of time and the inevitability of death. He is "speeding through a shadow of a million years", and can only hear "darkness" as he travels. The visions of eternity that he sees are "frightening him", and he is "screaming for the future that can never be". These lines suggest a sense of hopelessness and despair, as the traveler realizes that he will never be able to escape his fate.
In conclusion, "Gypsy" is a powerful song about the human experience of isolation and longing. The Moody Blues' haunting lyrics and ethereal sound create a sense of otherworldliness that captures the essence of the traveler's journey.
Line by Line Meaning
A gypsy of a strange and distant time
A traveler from a far-off and unfamiliar era, a mysterious wanderer.
Travelling in panic all direction blind
Moving about in a state of great fear and confusion, with no clear path forward.
Aching for the warmth of a burning sun
Craving the comforting heat of a bright and fiery celestial body.
Freezing in the emptiness of where he'd come from
Feeling frigid and numb in the void of the place he had left behind.
Left without a hope of coming home.
Stranded in a foreign land, with no expectation of ever returning to his original home.
Speeding through a shadow of a million years
Racing through a world that has existed for countless ages, a mere blur in the immense span of time.
Darkness is the only sound to reach his ears
Complete silence shrouds his surroundings, an eerie absence of any auditory stimuli.
Frightening him with the visions of eternity
Instilling terror in him with the prospect of endless existence beyond death.
Screaming for the future that can never be
Desperately calling for a time that cannot come to pass, a doomed quest for something unattainable.
Left without a hope of coming home.
Abandoned without any chance of finding his way back to his place of origin.
A gypsy of a strange and distant time
Repeating the opening line to emphasize the enigmatic nature of this wanderer.
Travelling in panic all direction blind
Reiterating the fear and confusion that permeate this traveler's journey.
Aching for the warmth of a burning sun
Echoing the yearning for some kind of emotional comfort that cannot be found.
Freezing in the emptiness of where he'd come from
Restating the overwhelming coldness and emptiness of the traveler's point of origin.
Left without a hope of coming home.
One last time emphasizing the unshakeable sense of being permanently exiled.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JUSTIN HAYWARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind