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.
This is the Moment
The Moody Blues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is the day
This is the moment
When I know
I am on my way
Every endeavour
I have made ever
Is coming into play
This is the moment
This the time
When the momentum
And the moment
are in rhyme
Give me this moment
My precious chance
I'll gather up my best
And make some sense at last
This is the moment
When all I've done
All of the dreaming,
scheming and screaming
becomes one
This is the day,
Just see it shine
When all that I have lived for
Becomes mine
This is the moment
This is the hour
When I can open up,
tomorrow
like a flower
And put my hand to
Everything I plan to
Fulfill my grand desire
See all my stars align
This is the moment
My final test
Destiny beckoned
I never reckoned second best
I won't look back
I must not fall
This is the moment
The sweetest moment
Of them all
This is the moment
So double the odds
This day or never
I'll sit forever
with the gods
When I look back
I will recall
Moment for moment
This was the moment
The greatest moment of them all.
The Moody Blues's song "This Is The Moment" is an uplifting, inspiring ballad about seizing the day and making the most of every opportunity. The song's recurring message is that this "is the moment" and "this is the day" to finally achieve one's dreams and ambitions. Every effort and endeavour up to this point will come into play and everything will align.
The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer proclaiming that he is on his way and this is the moment he has been waiting for. In the second verse, he asks for a precious chance to gather up his best and make some sense of everything. The third verse speaks to the culmination of one's life's work, where all the dreaming, scheming, and screaming finally becomes one, and all that one has lived for becomes theirs.
The chorus reiterates the idea that this is the moment, the time when the momentum and the moment are in rhyme. The bridge then speaks to the endless possibilities of the future, where one can open up tomorrow like a flower and fulfill their grand desire. Finally, the song ends with a triumphant declaration that this is the moment, the greatest moment of them all, and that the singer will forever remember this time when they were sitting with the gods.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the moment
Here and now is the time when everything I've worked for is finally coming together
This is the day
This is the day when I feel like I'm finally on the right path
This is the moment
This is it, the moment I've been waiting for
When I know
When I realize that I'm headed in the right direction
I am on my way
I have reached a turning point and am moving forward with purpose
Every endeavour
Every effort I've ever made
I have made ever
Is finally paying off today
Is coming into play
And is all coming together now
Is here and now today
Right now, in this moment, everything is falling into place
This is the time
This is the moment I've been working towards
When the momentum
When everything I've been doing gains speed
And the moment
And everything that's happening right now
are in rhyme
Are all in sync and working together
Give me this moment
Let me have this chance to shine
My precious chance
This is my opportunity to make something of myself
I'll gather up my best
I'll bring together everything I have to offer
And make some sense at last
And finally make everything come together
When all I've done
When everything I've accomplished
All of the dreaming, scheming and screaming
All of the work, planning, and struggle
becomes one
Combines to bring me to this moment
This is the day
This is the day that everything changes
Just see it shine
It's all coming together and shining brightly
When all that I have lived for
When all of my goals and aspirations
Becomes mine
Finally become a reality
This is the hour
This is the moment in time
When I can open up, tomorrow like a flower
When I can embrace the future with open arms
And put my hand to
And take control of
Everything I plan to
Every aspect of my life that I want to improve
Fulfill my grand desire
Achieve my ultimate goals
See all my stars align
See everything come together perfectly
My final test
This is the last obstacle I need to overcome
Destiny beckoned
I'm being called to my true purpose
I never reckoned second best
I never saw myself as anything less than the best
I won't look back
I won't dwell on the past
I must not fall
I must stay focused and not give up
The sweetest moment
The most satisfying and fulfilling moment
Of them all
Of all the moments in my life
So double the odds
My chances of success are greatly improved
This day or never
I know that if I don't seize this opportunity, it may not come again
I'll sit forever
I'll be able to rest easy forever
with the gods
Among the greatest achievers of all time
When I look back
When I reflect on my life
I will recall
I will remember
Moment for moment
Every moment
This was the moment
This moment right here was the most important and meaningful moment of my life
The greatest moment of them all
The single most significant moment in my life
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Frank Wildhorn, Leslie Bricusse
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tracymcdonald1209
This version of the song is the best! I play this song every day.
@johnhunter2294
It's originally from the Broadway play "Jekyll and Hyde", but this is hands down the best version.
@jamesavalos4555
This was my wife and I's wedding song !
@bostonsteve
It was one of ours. Love this song
@janiscureton4076
A nice song for someones memorial service as well.
@dwightblubaugh601
No such word as "I's," at least not in that context (belonging to I / me). Generally, the way you would say it with either choice is correct for them combined. Since you would say, "This was my wife's wedding song," and you would say, "This was my wedding song," you would correctly say, "This was my wife's and my wedding song."
Don't feel bad - I've heard professional newscasters and highly educated people totally flub on this. Not one of my flubs, though I certainly flub on a few other tricky ones myself.
By the way, great choice for a beautiful and meaningful wedding song - here's wishing you many happy years together!
@karenjohnson2818
Me too, in 1996! I love it so much!
@philippelack4453
Merci ❤️
@tonyleach3061
Such a wonderful song- The Moodie's at their very best!!
@sueolstrom1964
I swear I saw an ice skating performance to it but I can never find it. It was amazing. One of my favorite songs...but only done by the Moodies!