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.
I Never Thought I'd Live To Be A Million
The Moody Blues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never thought I'd get to be the thing that
All his other children see. Look at me.
The Moody Blues's song, "I Never Thought I'd Live to Be a Million," expresses a mixture of disbelief and pride in the singer's accomplishment of becoming a millionaire. The first line acknowledges that the singer never expected to achieve such a feat, highlighting the unlikelihood of such success. The following line reveals that not only has the singer achieved financial wealth but has also become an object of envy and admiration for "all his other children." The line "Look at me" emphasizes the singer's satisfaction of achieving this status, relishing in the attention and admiration that it brings.
The lyrics may also imply a sense of isolation and loneliness, as the singer may feel that their newfound wealth has separated them from others they previously associated with. The line "All his other children see" suggests that the singer has surpassed those that they once considered peers. The song, therefore, captures the bittersweet feeling of success and ambition, constantly pushing towards a goal, but also acknowledging the potential alienation that it can bring.
Line by Line Meaning
I never thought I'd get to be a million
I never imagined being so successful and wealthy that I would become a millionaire.
I never thought I'd get to be the thing that
I never thought I would become the symbol of success and accomplishment that others look up to.
All his other children see. Look at me.
My success has made me stand out among the crowd and gain recognition from others, who now admire me for my achievements.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JUSTIN HAYWARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RIDETHESUNSHINE
"In the presence of eternity, the mountains are as transient as the clouds.”
Robert Green Ingersoll
.
"Time is a storm in which we are all lost" -
William Carlos Williams
.
“Surrender to what is. let go of what was. have faith in
what will be.”
Sonia Ricotti
From my own near-death July of 1990: "What is, is."
Acceptance is the final level of attainment.
Please Be Well, and Stay Strong,
Will
@RIDETHESUNSHINE
@@sharonallison9922 Dear Good Lady:
I am both honored, and humbled by the graciousness of your kind words.
I have been told;
“Life is a school where you learn how to remember what your soul already knows.”
Please let me share this gem of a quote with you.
"It is impossible to repent of love. The sin of love does not exist."
Muriel Spark
Please Be Well, Will
@yesman2755
Listening to the Moody Blues is a refuge from a troubled world. Thank God for The Moody Blues.
@dimethaltryptamine1
The MoodyBlues gave me the pleasure of the view, thank God for them, indeed 🙏 😊
@Bellathebear777
Ditto 🙏💖💪✌️🎶🎵
@markb20
So so beautiful... Justin Hayward is amazing, always has been. Like the Moody Blues, he's always been underrated. So happy they finally got into the R&R Hall of Fame.
@dimethaltryptamine1
They have been my all time favourite band since the mid 70s
I adore them.They gave me the pleasure of the view. Ahh t'was yesterday.
@gareebee
Nothing like them before...and there will never be anything like them again.
@TheTishbite
Agreed.
@runtothesnadman
My father just passed away at the young age of 54, this song is just now hitting so close to home
@jordangladden3042
Listening at the beginning of 2024 stop playing moody blues will always live on in my heart and mind and soul. This was uncles favorite band Rest in peace
@johnmorris7262
They always moved me in a rather magical way from the time I first heard them with the addition of Justin and John. And they move me still. God bless them for the Good Vibes they gave us all!! ✌️