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.
Thank You Baby
The Moody Blues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You stood by me when times are blue.
Thank you, baby,
And now I'll make it up to you.
Gonna make time stand still,
You know I will,
Gonna make time stand still.
And every day I'm gonna say,
And every day, I'm gonna say
Thank you, baby,
You give me love and pull me through
Thank you, baby,
For the time I needed you.
I'm gonna make time stand in one place,
I'm gonna make time stand still.
And every day I'm gonna say
The little sad man's gonna help me [well, that's what it sounds like to me]
No, every day, I'm gonna say,
Thank you, baby,
Even though they're not too long ago
I saw my troubles grow,
Grow and grow.
Wiith you by my side, little baby,
You've made them run and hide,
Never, yeah, to show -ow -ow -ow, to show
Thank you, baby,
Oh, you give me love and pull me through,
Thank you, baby,
For the time I needed you,
Yeah I'm gonna make time stand in one place,
I'm gonna make time stand still,
And every day, even every nght, I'm gonna say
And every day I'm gonna say,
Thank you, baby,
Oh, thank you, baby,
Thank you very much.
Thank you, baby,
Thank you, baby,
[repeat to fadeout]
The Moody Blues's Thank You Baby is the perfect expression of gratitude towards a loved one who stood by the singer in times of trouble. The song is an ode to the support system that can be relied upon to see us through even the darkest moments of our journey. The song is a celebration of the love and the tenderness that can be shared between two individuals who have found comfort and meaning in each other's company.
The opening lines of the song, "Thank you, baby/You stood by me when times are blue" set the tone for what is to come. The singer expresses his heartfelt appreciation towards his loved one, who has been a constant source of strength and support, especially when life seemed too much to handle. The singer promises to make it up to his partner and vows to make time stand still, forever grateful for the love and the companionship that he has received.
The lyrics of the song capture the essence of a romantic relationship that is anchored in mutual affection, trust, and gratitude. The singer acknowledges that his partner has made his troubles disappear and has given him a reason to smile every day. The song is not only a love letter to the singer's partner but is also a reminder of the power of love in our lives. The Moody Blues's Thank You Baby is a timeless classic that will continue to resonate with listeners who have been lucky enough to find true love in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Thank you, baby,
Expressing gratitude to a loved one who stood by the singer during tough times.
You stood by me when times are blue.
The singer's partner supported them during difficult moments.
And now I'll make it up to you.
Promising to reciprocate the love and support given by the partner.
Gonna make time stand still, You know I will, Gonna make time stand still.
The singer will try to slow down and cherish their moments with the partner.
And every day I'm gonna say, And every day, oh babe, And every day, I'm gonna say Thank you, baby,
Repeating the thanks every day to show ongoing appreciation for their support.
You give me love and pull me through Thank you, baby, For the time I needed you.
The partner's love helped the singer overcome difficult moments.
I'm gonna make time stand in one place, I'm gonna make time stand still.
Reiterating the intention of slowing down and savoring moments with the partner.
And every day I'm gonna say The little sad man's gonna help me [well, that's what it sounds like to me] No, every day, I'm gonna say, Thank you, baby,
Expressing gratitude every day to the partner who was comforting when the singer was upset.
Even though they're not too long ago I saw my troubles grow, Grow and grow.
The singer reflects on the difficulties they faced before receiving the partner's help.
Wiith you by my side, little baby, You've made them run and hide, Never, yeah, to show -ow -ow -ow, to show Thank you, baby,
The partner's presence helped the singer overcome and forget their troubles.
Oh, you give me love and pull me through, Thank you, baby, For the time I needed you,
Repeating gratitude for the partner's love and support during tough times.
Yeah I'm gonna make time stand in one place, I'm gonna make time stand still,
Reiterating the intent of slowing down and enjoying moments with the partner.
And every day, even every nght, I'm gonna say And every day I'm gonna say, Thank you, baby,
The singer promises to express gratitude to the partner every day, even before bed.
Oh, thank you, baby, Thank you, baby, [repeat to fadeout]
Thanking the partner repeatedly as the song fades out.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pigsshania
Beautiful music, indeed
@doowop76
Great song
@blueharvestblues
Blue balls at 1:56.