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.
Steal Your Heart Away
The Moody Blues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna love you all the time.
I'm gonna steal your heart away,
Steal your heart away.
I'm gonna steal your heart to me,
No more would it stray,
Steal your heart away.
What should I care about, about your other man?
I'm gonna steal your heart away,
Steal your heart away.
Oh I'm gonna steal your heart, babe.
No more will it stray,
Steal your heart away.
My momma told be afore I was five years old
She said "You're gonna be a star some day, son you got heart and soul"
Steal your heart away, yeah
Steal your heart away, yeah.
I'm gonna steal your heart, babe,
No more will it stray,
Steal your heart away
The Moody Blues wrote "Steal Your Heart Away" in 1965. This song is a classic example of a love ballad that serves as a reflection of the romantic interests that were common in the mid-1960s. In the song, the singer admits that he wants to take possession of his lover's heart, regardless of whether she has a current partner. His plan is to love her and give her all of his affection. He even mentions that he wants to be with her forever and not have her drift away.
The song presents an interesting depiction of the classic lovers' dilemma. The singer wants to be with the woman he loves, but he must overcome the hurdle of her current relationship. He is determined to win her heart and is confident that he can do so with his own heart and soul. The lyrics of the song are simple but powerful, and they express a sense of urgency and desire that is palpable.
Overall, "Steal Your Heart Away" is a beautiful and romantic song that captures the essence of love in the 60s. It is a testament to the artistry of the Moody Blues, who were known for their beautiful ballads and poignant lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey hey, you know that you're so fine
The singer expresses how physically attractive his subject is.
I wanna love you all the time.
The singer desires to constantly be with and love the person he is talking to.
I'm gonna steal your heart away,
The singer wants to win the person over and become their love interest.
Steal your heart away.
The repeated phrase signifies the singer's intention of capturing the person's affections.
I'm gonna steal your heart to me,
The singer declares that he will be the person who will make the subject fall in love with him.
No more would it stray,
The singer wants to make sure that the person he is pursuing wouldn't be interested in someone else.
Steal your heart away.
The repeated phrase signifies the singer's intention of capturing the person's affections.
What should I care about, about your other man?
The singer doesn't care if the subject has a significant other and still wants to pursue and love them.
I just wanna love you just as much as I can.
The singer wants to give the subject as much love as he is able to.
I'm gonna steal your heart away,
The singer restates his intention to capture the person's affections.
Steal your heart away.
The repeated phrase signifies the singer's intention of capturing the person's affections.
Oh I'm gonna steal your heart, babe.
The singer is now endearingly referring to the person he's talking to as 'babe' and states his intention again.
No more will it stray,
The singer restates that he wants to be the only love interest of the person he wants.
Steal your heart away.
The repeated phrase signifies the singer's intention of capturing the person's affections.
My momma told me afore I was five years old
The singer reminisces about his mother encouraging him of his talents when he was young.
She said "You're gonna be a star some day, son you got heart and soul"
The singer quotes his mother saying that he will achieve success because he has the qualities of being passionate and dedicated.
Steal your heart away, yeah
The singer repeats his statement that he will woo and win over the person he wants.
Steal your heart away, yeah.
The repeated phrase signifies the singer's intention of capturing the person's affections.
I'm gonna steal your heart, babe,
The singer again refers to the person he wants as 'babe' and confidently claims that he will get them.
No more will it stray,
The singer restates that he wants to be the only love interest of the person he wants.
Steal your heart away.
The repeated phrase signifies the singer's intention of capturing the person's affections.
Contributed by Isabelle B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.