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 Laurie’s style was not to everyone’s 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.
Why Don'T We ?
Wishbone Ash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stop messin' around with our lives?
We hear the same old story, where's the glory?
It's our lives, it's our lives!
Changes are vital, do we care?
It's taken far too long - maybe we're there?
Start walkin' with our time, if you dare.
There is a rightness, yes, everywhere.
Open our eyes?
Why don't we, why don't we,
Change our minds?
Honest and sweet surrender -
Never wanted this illusion
In our lives.
Trials and tribulations,
Familiar conversations,
In our lives, in our lives.
Competing against everyone,
A trap, that, and a snare.
Return to nature, no solution, so beware!
How can it be this way?
Shouldn't be so.
Surviving day after day,
Unwilling to let go.
Why don't we, why don't we,
Share this time?
Why don't we, why don't we,
Open our eyes?
Livin' with a global village,
Aware of the unexpected
In our lives.
Transforming greed and pillage,
Not to be rejected -
It's our lives, it's our lives!
Changes are vital, do we care?
It's taken far too long - maybe we're there?
Stop workin' with our time, if you dare.
There is a rightness, yes, everywhere.
Why don't we, why don't we,
Open our eyes?
Why don't we, why don't we,
Share this time?
Why don't we, why don't we,
Change their minds?
Why don't we, why don't we,
Share our lives?
The lyrics to "Why Don't We" by Wishbone Ash are a call to action for listeners to demand answers and stop being passive about their lives. The first verse questions why we continue to live with the same old story and asks where the glory is. It reminds us that changes are important, and we should dare to walk with the times. The chorus asks why we can’t open our eyes and change our minds, sharing our time and lives together.
The second verse touches on the trials and tribulations we face in life and the familiar conversations we have. It stresses the importance of not competing against everyone, as it’s a trap and a snare. The song then asks how it can be that we continue to survive day after day, unwilling to let go. The third verse reminds the listener that we live in a global village, and we need to be aware of the unexpected. It encourages us to transform greed and pillage and take responsibility for our lives.
Overall, "Why Don't We" is a song with powerful lyrics that urge us to be proactive in our lives, bring changes and share our time and lives with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Why don't we get some answers,
Asking why we don't take our lives seriously and find solutions to our problems.
Stop messin' around with our lives?
Questioning why we allow ourselves to be caught up in distractions and not focus on improving our lives.
We hear the same old story, where's the glory?
Expressing discontent with the lack of progress in our lives and seeking greater meaning and purpose beyond just survival.
It's our lives, it's our lives!
Asserting our ownership and responsibility over our own lives.
Changes are vital, do we care?
Acknowledging that change is necessary for growth and improvement, but questioning if we are willing to make the effort necessary for that change.
It's taken far too long - maybe we're there?
Recognizing the slow progress of change, but wondering if we have finally reached a turning point.
Start walkin' with our time, if you dare.
Challenging ourselves to align our actions with our goals for a better life.
There is a rightness, yes, everywhere.
Positing that there is a universal sense of morality and justice that we should strive towards.
Why don't we, why don't we,
Open our eyes?
Urging ourselves to take a clear look at our lives and the world around us.
Change our minds?
Questioning if we are open to challenging our current beliefs and attitudes to grow and improve.
Honest and sweet surrender -
Advocating for a humble and sincere approach to life.
Never wanted this illusion
In our lives.
Rejecting falsehoods and empty promises that do not contribute to a fulfilling life.
Trials and tribulations,
Familiar conversations,
In our lives, in our lives.
Acknowledging the hardships and everyday struggles of life that may prevent us from pursuing our goals.
Competing against everyone,
A trap, that, and a snare.
Warning against the dangers of constant competition and the negative impact it can have on our lives and relationships.
Return to nature, no solution, so beware!
Rejecting the idea that a simple life in nature is a solution to all our problems and warning of the dangers of romanticizing such a lifestyle.
How can it be this way?
Shouldn't be so.
Expressing confusion and disappointment with the current state of our lives and the world around us.
Surviving day after day,
Unwilling to let go.
Acknowledging the difficulty of breaking free from negative patterns and behavior.
Livin' with a global village,
Aware of the unexpected
In our lives.
Recognizing the interconnectedness of our world and how we are impacted by events and circumstances outside of our control.
Transforming greed and pillage,
Not to be rejected -
It's our lives, it's our lives!
Advocating for a more compassionate and sustainable way of living that benefits both ourselves and others.
Stop workin' with our time, if you dare.
Challenging ourselves to utilize our time more effectively towards our goals and passions.
Why don't we, why don't we,
Share this time?
Urging us to share our time and experiences with others to build stronger relationships and communities.
Why don't we, why don't we,
Change their minds?
Encouraging us to promote positive change in others by challenging their beliefs and helping them grow.
Why don't we, why don't we,
Share our lives?
Emphasizing the importance of building meaningful relationships and connections with those around us.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: DAVID ALAN TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rick Byers
I love this original line up.
n13roy
One of the best track the " Later " Version of Wishbone Ash ever did, brilliantl guitar work in the middle section of this one. Listening to it on headphones here its excellent, BUT hearing it live was an amazing experience.......
James Keffer
Not a bad song on this CD another excellent CD from a great band
martianshoes
Ted Turner’s tone!
Friggin’ gorgeous!
Marcus Gabriel Soares Rodrigues
Amazing Song.
Circuit7Active
Such a great and relatively unknown song
henry smith
agreed
Ryan Brue
I notice on some W. Ash videos. Lots of you out there know about the live in Chicago. Which is good. Check out “timeline” too. Another great live album