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".
Still I'm Sad
The Yardbirds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See the stars come falling down from the sky
Gently passing, they kiss your tears when you cry
See the wind come softly blow your hair from your face
See the rain hide away in disgrace
Still I'm sad
For myself, my tears just fall into dust
Day will dry them, night will find they are lost
Now I find the wind is blowing time into my heart
Let the rain fall, for we are apart
How I'm sad
How I'm sad
Oh how I'm sad
The Yardbirds’ “Still I’m Sad” expresses the feeling of melancholy and heartbreak in a way that leaves a deep, resonating impact on its audience. The songwriter is lamenting over the loss of a loved one, and the lyrics are vivid in depicting the emotions that come with such a loss. The first verse talks about how the stars fall from the sky, as if to kiss away tears while a person cries. It's a beautifully poetic way of implying the presence of hope or comfort in the midst of sadness. This idea of being lost in the moment and letting the world be washed away by tears is emphasized throughout the song's first part.
The second verse begins with more stoicism as the songwriter realizes that they cannot stay in the past forever. They acknowledge that time is fleeting, and eventually, the tears will be dried up by the day, wasted and lost at night. The metaphor of rain is continued throughout the song as the songwriter encourages the rain to fall as they carry the burden of separation. The despair is at its peak in the chorus, where the songwriter repeats, 'how I'm sad, how I'm sad,' conveying the feeling of the bittersweet mourning after a breakup or loss.
Line by Line Meaning
See the stars come falling down from the sky
As I stand here feeling sad, I see stars falling from the sky.
Gently passing, they kiss your tears when you cry
These stars softly pass by, gently kissing your tears as you cry.
See the wind come softly blow your hair from your face
The wind softly comes, blowing your hair off your face.
See the rain hide away in disgrace
Rain hides away in shame, unable to console your sadness.
Still I'm sad
Regardless of the stars, wind or rain, I am still feeling very sad.
For myself, my tears just fall into dust
I shed tears for my sadness, but they seem to just disappear into nothingness.
Day will dry them, night will find they are lost
As time passes, my tears will dry during the day, and will eventually be lost forever in the night.
Now I find the wind is blowing time into my heart
The wind now seems to be carrying time, and blowing it into my heart, reminding me of my sadness.
Let the rain fall, for we are apart
The rain may continue to fall, as we are still separated from each other.
How I'm sad
All in all, I'm feeling incredibly sad and gloomy.
How I'm sad
Repeated again, showing the depth of the singer's sadness.
Oh how I'm sad
The singer expresses their deep sadness through an exclamation.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jim Mccarty, Paul Samwell-Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aliceborealis
Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley was the first goth record.
Although it's always crowded
You still can find some room
For broken hearted lovers
To cry there in their gloom
Be so, they'll be so lonely, baby
They get so lonely
They're so lonely, they could die
@TheoBN
See the stars come falling down from the sky
Gently passing they kiss your tears when you cry
See the wind come softly blow your hair from your face
See the rain hide away in disgrace
Still I'm sad
For myself my tears just fall into dust
Day will dry them night will find they are lost
Now I find the wind is blowing time into my heart
Let the rain fall for we are apart
How I'm sad
How I'm sad
Oh how I'm sad
Writer/s: JIM MCCARTY, PAUL SAMWELL-SMITH
@Grendelmonster8u
Yiorg Vou I'm sorry to take so long to reply to your interesting comments. I too like the etymology of words. (Oxford tells me "student of true" via etumos.) Most medical and scientific terms are originated from Greek even though some of the Greek words originate from Sanskrit. However, we've followed the more advanced civilization. Then the Romans stole the culture and Latinized it! Lol. Well, you know that. Since my father speaks Greek it's easy for him to understand medical terms.
Modes - ways - melodic path makes sense. As with Italian music terms, if you know Latin, e.g. arpeggio, you know how it applies to music.
Psychedelia, any use of psyche is mind, soul. Oxford tells me dēlos 'clear, manifest' and Webster's tells me: irregular from psych- + Greek dēloun to show, from dēlos evident; akin to Sanskrit dīdeti it shines, Latin dies day — more at deity. First Known Use: 1956. You explain it very clearly.
Even though I was raised in a Greek family (I have my Christening in a video on YT), my parents did not teach us Greek in the home, which is unfortunate, so all I can remember are the words philo, ology, etc., and look up what it is being loved or studied. (: Knowledge is interesting in that it is a Germanic, but based on gignōskein in Greek which sounds like cognizant.
I have read Greek mythology, but it is difficult to remember everybody, and my mythology dictionary tells me Artemis is the mistress of wild creatures, fertility and desire, and Apollo all the things you said. What a well-rounded god! It also says he is the leader of the muses. You know, my Greek Christening name is my grandmother's Calliope (/kəˈlaɪ.əpiː/ k-ah-LY-ah-pee; Ancient Greek: Καλλιόπη. It relates to the musical instrument calliope, except I don't think a calliope makes a very pleasant sound. Mythology is interesting in how it represents life and word origins.
A friend had showed me an Italian psychedelia group that I had never heard of and now have forgotten the name. We here in the US just don't know many foreign bands, and we have plenty of psychedelia. There are newer bands who incorporate psychedelia. I can't keep them all straight. I do recall listening to Purple Overdose. There are some people on Twitter who post a lot of new psychedelia. I don't know the bands you speak of besides them.
Back to the video, it does sound like Greek church chanting, but also medieval chanting such as Gregorian chants from England or some dirges. Since there is so much cultural cross copying, I guess one doesn't know who the inspiration was.
Greetings from the USA to you in Greece also! Many good blessings to you. ~ Grendel
@thebobbs6999
Insane innovation from '65. Still brings chills
@6teezkid
Groundbreaking! And it was our music when I was a teen. Was stunned at 13!
@Augmuse
Founder member drummer Jim McCarty still plays for The Yardbirds. Jim is the heartbeat of the band. Love your playing Jim!
@neilrobidoux4772
Yes but I wish Johnny A was still in the band
@MIKECNW
Why even pay attention to them now?
@pnollen2
RIP Jeff Beck, your music will live long in our hearts and memories
@bobchasse8021
I bought this record in late 1965, still have it and still play it now & then. I love the haunting melody and the whole concept of the lyrics. The 60s had so many great songs where all you wanted to do was lay back and quietly listen to every note of the melody and take in every emotion of the words, not like today's music where all you want to do is get up and dance. I love music that touches every emotion of my soul.
@johnager9428
55yrs since it was released could have been yesterday it still sounds fantastic 🎶🎼🎵
@corilyx
yes I agree, one of the best bands of the sixties. I never get tired of listening to their music.
@morriganravenchild6613
There was so much talent around in those days - Yardbirds were aming the best.