Wishbone Ash can trace its origins back to Torquay, Devon, England, a seaside resort in the southwest of the country. It was there that Martin Turner and Steve Upton first performed together; Turner on bass, Upton on drums, before moving to London in 1969 to seek fame and fortune. In the capital the decision was made to place an advertisement for a keyboard player and a lead guitarist. The resulting audition threw up two guitar leads, but nobody could decide who to choose and the trademark twin-lead sound of Wishbone Ash was born.
Ted (David) Turner and Andy Powell soon went through the poverty and growing pains of a new band, but were fortunate that Miles Copeland was championing their cause and a fairly rapid progression was achieved. The first Album, Wishbone Ash, was released in December 1970 and their second, Pilgrimage, surfaced just six months later to reach #6 in the NME charts. Great things were just 11 months away with the release of Argus (1972) -- possibly the band's best album; certainly their most commercially successful -- which reached #2 in the UK charts and went gold. Argus is considered to be one of the great rock classics of all time. The next album, Wishbone Four, only 12 months later, went silver.
After these early highs, Ted Turner decided that he had had enough, and left the band to be replaced by Laurie Wisefield. Although Laurieβs style was not to everyoneβs taste, he was generally well liked by the fans and brought a slightly harder edge to the folk-tinged progressive rock that was the Wishbone Ash formula. Wisefield was a dynamic player and became an excellent partner to Andy -- they were to play together for a very successful 11 years and the MKII version of the band is very well thought of for most of its output. About this time the band became more influenced by America and would eventually move there.
The next album, There's The Rub (1974), was recorded in Florida and produced by Eagles producer Bill Szymczyk. Once again it was to do well, achieving silver disc status. There's the Rub included the instrumental piece F.U.B.B. Steve Upton was arrested in New Zealand for announcing at a concert it's full title. In New Zealand, swearing in public is a criminal offense, and when Upton announced the title at an outdoor concert, a woman sunbathing in her garden nearby complained to the mayor. Upton spent the night in jail, and the album reached #3 in New Zealand due to the publicity.
It was inevitable that a turkey was due and to fans Locked In (1976) fit this bill. This record was not released -- it escaped! Fortunately things were much better with the quality of the following albums and although the high chart positions were gone, the fans were enjoying some competent, well-crafted output.
After 11 years in the band, Martin Turner decided to leave. This move began a period of frequent changes of bass player with the likes of John Wetton and Trevor Bolder being two of the better known; however, Wishbone Ash always has attracted musicians of the highest order. A much more controversial move was the introduction of Clair Hamill to fill in some of the vocal talent Martin had taken away with him. Clair was not popular with the fans which was perhaps a little unfair. She had contributed backing vocals on Just Testing (Turner's last album (1980), which he had also produced) and had co-written the excellent Living Proof, which is still a crowd favourite today. Her stay was short-lived with Andy Powell taking on more vocal duties. Wisefield left in late 1985 and the band continued to tour with various replacements, but were very much in limbo until 1987 when a miracle occurred. Miles Copland persuaded the original lineup to reform for a project for a music charity that he was helping, and a Hammersmith Odeon concert which the BBC recorded resulted. The project produced an instrumental album Nouveau Calls (1987), which was very well received. Even better received was the fact that three years of the original lineup were to follow.
Just when things were going so well, Steve Upton decided to quit the business entirely in 1990, to be replaced by Ray Weston. Martin Turner carried on for another year before leaving to pursue a solo career, and Ted left two years later. The next five years saw lots of personnel changes, but eventually resulted in a good period of stability with Ray Weston returning and Bob Skeet joining on bass in 1998.
The new millennium has also seen stability in respect of Andy's guitar partner, with the last 6 years being filled by Ben Granfelt and subsequently Muddy Manninen, both of whom come from Finland. 2005 saw Wishbone Ash celebrate their 35th year. 2006 heralded the new album Clan Destiny (the first featuring Muddy as guitarist). 2007 saw the exit of long-term drummer Ray Weston, due to the increasingly hectic pace of band life. Joe Crabtree (formerly of The David Cross band) stepped up to fill his place. With regard to new releases, 2007 saw First Light, which features original recordings of the songs featured on their debut album, as well as some outtakes. Also released that year was the new album The Power of Eternity (partly featuring Joe Crabtree on drums), which coincided with the Autumn tour.
Wishbone Ash are still performing 150 gigs a year in the U.S. and Europe. They get very supportive crowds with good numbers turning out all over Europe -- the U.S. tends to attract smaller audiences, but very committed fans. If you want to hear classic Wishbone Ash, get ahold of Argus. Visit their web site www.wishboneash.com, where tour dates and albums, etc. can be obtained.
Insomnia
Wishbone Ash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your karma has come
To settle the score with you
You're sneaking, you're crawling
Into the ground
Eyes open wide and blue
Insomnia
Insomnia
Closer, but no closer
The night you were laid
You had it made
When everyone fell into place
Higher and higher
Too fast to miss a beat
Body and bones as well
Insomnia
Burning like a hell
Insomnia
Oh, burning, yes, burning like a hell
Where does it come from
Where does it go
Throwing over your sleep?
Walking and talking
Dancing 'till dawn
Insomnia
Waiting to get you
Insomnia
Waiting to get you.
Waiting to, waiting to get you, inso...
Waiting to, waiting to get you, inso...
Don't let it, don't let it, inso...
Don't let it, don't let it
Don't let it get you
The song "Insomnia" by Wishbone Ash talks about the consequences of bad karma catching up with someone who has done someone wrong. The opening lines suggest that the subject of the song has wronged someone and their "karma has come to settle the score with you." The lyrics then describe how the subject is "sneaking" and "crawling into the ground" with their "eyes open wide and blue," suggesting that they are unable to sleep due to the guilt of their actions.
The chorus repeats the word "insomnia" which represents the subject's inability to sleep and how it's closing in on them, but not quite catching them. The lyrics also mention how the subject had it all the night they were laid, but things quickly spiral out of control, and they are unable to keep up with the fast pace of life. The line "body and bones as well" suggests physical exhaustion and possibly drug use.
The song's climax talks about how "insomnia" is burning like hell and waiting to get the subject. The lyrics mention how it's throwing over their sleep and how they are walking, talking, and dancing until dawn. The closing lines of the song act as a warning to the subject not to let insomnia catch them.
Overall, "Insomnia" is a cautionary tale about the consequences of one's actions and how bad karma can catch up with anyone.
Line by Line Meaning
You done someone wrong
You have wronged someone in the past.
Your karma has come
Now your actions are coming back to haunt you.
To settle the score with you
You're going to get what you deserve.
You're sneaking, you're crawling
You're trying to avoid the consequences of your actions.
Into the ground
You're trying to hide from what's coming.
Eyes open wide and blue
You can't sleep, and your fear is keeping you awake.
Insomnia
You can't sleep, and you can't escape the consequences of your actions.
Closer, but no closer
You're trying to get away from your problems, but they keep getting closer.
The night you were laid
The night you thought you had everything under control.
You had it made
You felt comfortable and secure.
When everyone fell into place
Everyone was following your lead.
Higher and higher
You got more and more confident.
Too fast to miss a beat
Everything was going perfectly, and you thought nothing could go wrong.
Body and bones as well
You were completely immersed in the moment.
Burning like a hell
Your guilt is eating away at you.
Oh, burning, yes, burning like a hell
Your guilt is intense and all-consuming.
Where does it come from
You wonder why you can't shake off your guilt.
Where does it go
You wonder where all of this is leading.
Throwing over your sleep?
Your guilt is preventing you from sleeping at night.
Walking and talking
You're trying to keep your mind distracted, but it's not working.
Dancing 'till dawn
You're trying to escape from your worries, but they're never far away.
Waiting to get you
Your problems are always lurking in the background, waiting to catch up to you.
Waiting to, waiting to get you, inso...
Your problems are always there, waiting to catch up to you.
Don't let it, don't let it, inso...
Don't let your guilt consume you.
Don't let it, don't let it
Don't let your guilt control your life.
Don't let it get you
Don't let your guilt destroy you.
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MATTHEW KELLY SHARP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@scottbraun4110
Lord knows I adore this song and entire album. Brilliance.
@markrobinson8410
most underrated rock band ever
@Angelicum7
Saw them on this tour. I was in awe of their skill and twin guitar work back then and even now I still return them. A certain stability in an unstable world. What a band, and what an album this was and is.
@russballaam1621
Fantastic guitar solo by Andy at the end of this song, and Martin's unmistakable "spitting" bass.
@JorgeAzapata614
One of my favorite songs!!!!
@jamiecollingwood4093
Great song AP solo is absolutely brilliant! Martin vocals really suit this song but also the whole album! One of my all time favs!
@mirovegar7196
Awesome BAND and ALBUM!!!!!!!!!!!!
@johnyoung4529
Magnificent!
@billmcnabb1037
Great LP. I have the 'Flying V' belt buckle that's on the cover. I'd purchased it at their show in all places 'Birmingham, Alabama years ago. The cops pulled the plug at midnight right in the middle of Helpless, the oncore! I've never seen so many Orange Amplifiers in my life. One of my top 10 shows ever.
@chloecurieuse7444
c'est un cd