The most familiar line-up included Eve Graham, Lyn Paul, Marty Kristian, Peter Doyle and Paul Layton. In addition to having several big hits, the group represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 1972, finishing in second place. Author & Historian John Kennedy O'Connor notes in The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, that they got the biggest cheer of the night from the live audience in Edinburgh. They were hot favourites to represent the UK again in 1980 (albeit with only Paul & Marty still in the line up) with the song "Tell Me" but it was disqualified shortly before the televised final of A Song for Europe. Had they appeared in the 1980 UK contest, the group would have been up against their former lead singer Danny Finn who had recently married Eve Graham and was now the lead singer of the winning group Prima Donna. In addition, Mick Flynn and Donna Jones, two members of the current (2007) line up of The New Seekers were also in the field, competing under the group name Pussyfoot.
Their hit single "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", adapted from an advertising jingle for Coca-Cola, appeared 81st on the list of the UK's best-selling singles issued in 2002. It sold just under one million copies in the United Kingdom alone. The version used in the Coca-Cola television commercials was credited to The Hillside Singers, as many people of various backgrounds and cultures sang the song, holding Coca-Cola bottles on a hillside in the commercial. "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" was so firmly connected with the Coca-Cola product that it eventually became known as "The Coke Song". The song was relaunched in Coca-Cola commercials in 2005.
Other hit singles by The New Seekers included "Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma", "Beautiful People" and "The Nickel Song", all of which were written by Melanie Safka. The New Seekers went on to sell over 35 million records worldwide, equalling the eight UK Top Twenty entries by The Seekers. Indeed, they released four albums during 1972 alone.
They also performed the title track to the now-legendary Marlo Thomas television special, "Free to Be... You and Me", a landmark program designed to teach kids how to express themselves and be independent through a series of vignettes which was rebroadcast on the cable network TV Land in late 2006 as a special add-on to their initial run of the classic series, THAT GIRL. Since the special was first broadcast in 1973 the song itself has since become a pop cult classic in its own right.
The New Seekers have continued to perform over the decades with an inevitable personnel changes which included Peter Oliver, Danny Finn, Caitriona Walsh, Nicola Kerr and Vikki James. The New Seekers toured in 2006 and 2007 with the established line up of: Paul Layton, Donna Jones, Francine Rees, Mick Flynn and Mark Hankins. A CD of the 2006 tour was released which includes all of the group's hits along with covers of 'Reflections', 'Run to Me' and 'Strangest Dream'. 2006 was completed with a Royal Variety performance at St. James Palace, London for HRH Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall and an appearance on ITV's This Morning. The group are currently managed by Nic Culverwell.
The group's official website is at www.thenewseekers.com and myspace at www.myspace.com/thenewseekersofficial
Morning Has Broken
The New Seekers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word
Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day
The New Seekers's version of Morning Has Broken is a hymn-like song that is a poetic reflection on the beauty of a new day. The opening line, "Morning has broken, like the first morning," captures the essence of the song, which is a celebration of the day that has just dawned. The imagery of the blackbird singing, the rain falling, and the dew on the grass all serve to highlight the renewal and freshness of a new start. The line "sprung in completeness where his feet pass" refers to the idea that God's presence can be felt all around us, and that the beauty of nature is evidence of his handiwork.
Line by Line Meaning
Morning has broken, like the first morning
The morning has arrived and feels new and fresh like the first ever morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
The blackbird has begun to sing, just like the first bird who ever sang
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Let us give worthy praise for the beautiful singing and the arrival of this new morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word
Let us also give praise for the new life and growth that comes from the divine word
Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
The new rainfall is sweet and refreshing, lit up by the sun that shines upon it from above
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
The new dewfall feels just like the very first dew that ever fell upon the grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Let us give praise for the delightful sweetness of the garden, now wet with the new rain
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
The garden springs to life fully and completely wherever the divine feet have tread
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
I am blessed with the sunlight and the morning, having been born into God's grace
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
I was born from the divine light, the same light that was present at play in the garden of Eden
Praise with elation, praise every morning
With pure joy and exultation, let us continue to give praise and worship every morning
God's recreation of the new day
This new day is God's recreation, brought forth each morning with His divine presence
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARK STEVENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Janko Mikac
Fantastic arrangement!
Frank D
Thanks for uploading this.....Been looking out for it
willminkorea2010
Esther Ofarim also has a great cover of this song.
Art Kelly
WHEN was this released???
XDFcooler
Who has broken it in half.
XDFcooler
This is a very bad wonky song. Who broke the morning,
like I keep on breaking plastic.
Jeff Garrett
You dont know what your talking about a classic