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.
Meet me halfway
The Moody Blues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While I count the miles
Through the wind and the rain
I can see your smile
There ain't no turning back
I can see it in the distance
Got it in my sight
Coming out of the sky
You were there not a dream
You were there in my eyes
There ain't no turning back
I can see it in the distance
Touch it through the night
Driving into the light
When I'm on my own
When I'm all alone
Won't you meet me halfway
Won't you meet me halfway
Is it a dream?
Is it a dream coming true?
Meet me halfway
Like a vision like a face
Coming out of the sky
You were there not a dream
You were there in my eyes
There are no words to say
I can see you in the distance
Hear you through the night
Ain't no easy way
When you're on your own
When you're all alone
Won't you meet me halfway
Won't you meet me halfway
Is it a dream?
Is it a dream coming true?
Meet me halfway
The Moody Blues's "Meet Me Halfway" is a beautiful love song about two people who are separated by distance but still long to be together. The first verse describes the singer's journey through the wind and the rain, counting the miles to reach their beloved. However, despite the difficulties, the singer can see their smile, and there is no turning back; they can see their goal in the distance and have it in sight.
The chorus is an emotional appeal to the singer's lover to meet them halfway. The singer asks if their situation is a dream coming true, and if so, they implore their lover to meet them halfway. The second verse speaks more about the singer's longing for their lover. They describe their lover as a vision or face appearing out of the sky, making their presence felt in the singer's eyes. Again, the singer sees their lover in the distance and can hear them through the night but laments that there is no easy way when they are on their own. Nonetheless, the chorus repeats, asking the lover to meet them halfway.
Overall, "Meet Me Halfway" is a beautiful and emotional song about the difficulties of long-distance relationships, but the hope that exists between lovers who are committed to making it work.
Line by Line Meaning
Never dreamt I would hope
I did not expect to have hope
While I count the miles
As I travel, I am constantly measuring the distance
Through the wind and the rain
Despite difficult weather conditions
I can see your smile
I can envision your happy expression
There ain't no turning back
There is no option to retreat
I can see it in the distance
I can perceive it far away
Got it in my sight
I have my aim fixed on it
Like a vision like a face
Similar to a dream or a manifestation
Coming out of the sky
Emerging from the heavens
You were there not a dream
You were actually present, not an imaginary creation
You were there in my eyes
I saw you with my own eyes
Touch it through the night
Feel it in the darkness
Driving into the light
Heading towards illumination
When I'm on my own
When I am solitary
When I'm all alone
When I am entirely by myself
Won't you meet me halfway
Can we reach an agreement or compromise?
Is it a dream?
Is this a fantasy?
Is it a dream coming true?
Is this a fantasy that has become a reality?
There are no words to say
It is difficult to express
Hear you through the night
Perceive your voice during the evening
Ain't no easy way
It is not a simple task
Won't you meet me halfway
Can we reach an agreement or compromise?
Meet me halfway
Let's meet halfway between our current locations
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Fintage House Publishing, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: JOHN CHARLES LODGE, JUSTIN HAYWARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind