The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band'… Read Full Bio ↴The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell-Smith. The band is known for starting the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, all of whom ranked in the top five of Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 greatest guitarists. The band had a string of hits throughout the mid-1960s, including "For Your Love", "Heart Full of Soul", "Shapes of Things" and "Over Under Sideways Down".

Originally a blues-based band noted for their signature "rave-up" instrumental breaks, the Yardbirds broadened their range into pop, pioneering psychedelic rock and early hard rock; and contributed to many electric guitar innovations of the mid-1960s. Some rock critics and historians also cite their influence on the later punk rock, progressive rock and heavy metal trends. Following the band's split in 1968, Relf and McCarty formed Renaissance and guitarist Jimmy Page formed Led Zeppelin - the latter of which was initially intended as a direct successor to the Yardbirds.

The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. They were included at number 89 in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" and ranked number 37 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.

The Yardbirds re-formed in the 1990s, featuring drummer Jim McCarty and rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja as the only original members. Dreja left the band in 2012, leaving McCarty as the sole original member of the band in the present lineup.

The band formed in the south-west London suburbs in 1963. Relf and Samwell-Smith were originally in a band named the Metropolitan Blues Quartet. After being joined by Dreja, McCarty and Top Topham, they performed at Kingston Art School in late May 1963 as a backup band for Cyril Davies. Following a couple of gigs in September 1963 as the Blue-Sounds, they changed their name to the Yardbirds. McCarty claims that Relf was the first to use the name; he may have got it from Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road, where it referred to rail yard hobos. He adds that Topham identified it as a nickname for jazz saxophonist Charlie "Yardbird" Parker.

The quintet achieved notice on the burgeoning British rhythm and blues scene when they took over as the house band at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, succeeding the Rolling Stones. Their repertoire drew from the Chicago blues of Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James, including "Smokestack Lightning", "Good Morning Little School Girl", "Boom Boom", "I Wish You Would", "Rollin' and Tumblin'", "Got Love if You Want It" and "I'm a Man".

Original lead guitarist Topham left and was replaced by Eric Clapton in October 1963. Crawdaddy Club impresario Giorgio Gomelsky became the Yardbirds manager and first record producer. Under Gomelsky's guidance the Yardbirds toured Britain as the back-up band for blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson II in December 1963 and early 1964, recording live tracks on 8 December and other dates. The recordings would be released two years later during the height of the Yardbirds popularity on the album Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds.

After the tours with Williamson, the Yardbirds signed to EMI's Columbia label in February 1964, and recorded more live tracks on 20 March at the legendary Marquee Club in London. The resulting album of mostly American blues and R&B covers, Five Live Yardbirds, was released by Columbia nine months later, and it failed to enter the UK Albums Chart. Over time, Five Live gained stature as one of the few high-quality live recordings of the era and as a historical document of both the British rock and roll boom of the 1960s and Clapton's time in the band.

Along with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds were part of the British blues scene of the 1960s. As the blues rock genre developed, some acts like Chicken Shack were playing a louder and more aggressive style, while the Yardbirds emphasized instrumental textures and extended instrumental improvisations. They covered blues classics like Howlin' Wolf's Smokestack Lightning (1956) and Bo Diddley's I'm a Man (1955) which had a repetitive structure where instrumental solos were brief breaks between repetition of verses. The Yardbirds often extended these instrumental sections into "heavy jams".

Ever Since The World Began
The Yardbirds Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ever since the world began
Satan's followed every man
Trapping evil if he can
I tell you now his greatest plan
Invented when I cannot tell
Defied the thoughts of man so well
Man wants money for his need
But soon it sows its evil seed

Unhappiness it only brings
As man wants more and better things
If not enough the evil lies
But soon you'll find somebody dies
Throughout the years there have been wars
Power and richness have been the cause
Trapped in money's evil net
Man wants more than he can get

You don't need money
No, no, no, no
You don't need money
No, no, no, no
You don't need money
No, no, no, no
You don't need money
No, no, no, no
You don't need money
No, no, no, no
You don't need money
No, no, no, no
You don't need money
No, no, no, no
You don't need money
No, no, no, no
You don't need money

It'll never bring you love (you don't need money)
No more than the sun above (you don't need money)
You'll never see the end (you don't need money)
The money you will surely spend (you don't need money)
But ask for help if you sin (you don't need money)
Reclaim yourself, what a state you're in (you don't need money)
The devil has you in his grasp (you don't need money)
There ain't no mercy you can ask (you don't need money)
More and more you will need (you don't need money)
You're strangled in the clutch of greed (you don't need money)

You can't get out, no place to go (you don't need money)
You sold your soul, the answer's no

Overall Meaning

The Yardbirds's song Ever Since The World Began is a commentary on the destructive nature of greed and the inescapable grasp of Satan. The first verse sets the tone of the song as it describes how Satan has been following every man since the beginning of the world, always looking for an opportunity to trap them and corrupt their souls. The song touches on how man's desire for money can lead to evil, and how this evil can bring nothing but unhappiness, and ultimately death.

The second verse delves deeper into the theme of money and its corrupting influence. It talks about how money has been invented and how it defies the thoughts of man. It is a tool that man uses to fulfill his needs, but it soon sows its evil seed that brings nothing but misery. The lyrics warn that the more a person wants and the more they are willing to do to get it, the more likely they are to find themselves in the clutches of the devil.

The chorus of the song emphasizes the message of the lyrics that a person doesn't need money to be happy. No matter how much money a person has, it will not bring them love or happiness. The song concludes with the warning that once a person is trapped in the clutch of greed and the devil's grasp, there is no going back, and there is no mercy to be asked.

Line by Line Meaning

Ever since the world began,
From the beginning of time itself

Satan's followed every man.
The evil forces are always there, following man's footsteps

Trapping evil if he can,
Trying to trap humans into committing evil deeds

I tell you now his greatest plan.
To trap humans into greed, and lure them into the darkness

Invented when I cannot tell,
The origin and reason behind man's greed is unknown

Defied the thoughts of man so well.
Proven to be irresistible to humans

Man wants money for his need,
Humans seek money for their necessities

But soon it sows its evil seed.
But, it eventually leads to a cycle of greed and evil

Unhappiness it only brings,
Money only brings temporary joy, leading to unhappiness eventually

As man wants more and better things.
The desire for materialistic things never ends

If not enough the evil lies,
If not satisfied, humans often turn to evil means

But soon you'll find somebody dies.
But, this pursuit of money and greed eventually leads to destructive ends

Throughout the years there have been wars,
Throughout history, wars have been fought over power and riches

Power and richness have been the cause.
Desire for power and riches have been the root cause of many wars

Trapped in money's evil net,
Humans are trapped in a web of greed and temptation

Man wants more than he can get.
The desire for more grows infinitely

You don't need money.
Money isn't necessary for true happiness

No, no, no, no,
Reiterating the fact that money isn't everything

You'll never see the end,
The desire for more won't end anytime soon

The money you will surely spend.
In the pursuit of riches, humans will never have enough

But ask for help if you sin,
Ask for help if one has strayed from the path of righteousness

Reclaim yourself, what a state you're in.
To rediscover oneself and leave the path of greed

The devil has you in his grasp,
The path of greed is one of the devil's snares

There ain't no mercy you can ask.
Once trapped, the path is unforgiving and doesn't offer any mercy

More and more you will need,
The greed will only grow with time

You're strangled in the clutch of greed.
Humans are trapped in the grip of greed and temptation

You can't get out, no place to go,
Once trapped, there's no escape from the cycle of greed

You sold your soul, the answer's no!
By succumbing to greed, one has lost oneself

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jeff Beck, Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty, Keith Relf, Paul Samwell-Smith

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Ever Since The World BeganThe Yardbirds Lyrics

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Ever Since The World Began
The Yardbirds Lyrics