Part of the genius of good lyric writing is that it can be about more than one thing.
Seventh Sojourn was the last album before the band's hiatus, and this song can also apply to his feelings about moving on from The Moody Blues.
"I got my new horizons out to sea
But I'm never gonna lose your precious gift
It will always be that way"
I read that as a goodbye letter to the band. He'll be doing new things, but the creativity and camaraderie they shared will continue to nurture him.
"Where is this place that we have found?
Nobody knows where we are bound
I long to hear, I need to see
'cause I've shed tears too many for me"
He's asking how did it come to breaking up the band he once loved, and although the future will be more uncertain without it, he embraces it, partially because he wants to hear and explore different sounds and because the tensions in the band and pressures of running a record label have driven him to tears.
"On the wind soaring free
Spread your wings, I'm beginning to see
Out of mind far from view
Beyond the reach of a nightmare come true"
He's already getting distance from the internal tensions of the band and label, which have reached nightmarish proportions.
I love the song, but listening to it makes my heart hurt, because it makes me think of the breakups of my own bands.
@Euthymia At the time of writing 'New Horizons' Justin had no idea the band was going to break up as it was still 3 years and a world tour away from happening. They were actually in the recording studio attempting a follow up to Seventh Sojourn when Mike, John and Ray called for a meeting with Justin to discuss a hiatus. Justin was shocked and said he didn't see it coming at the time. They had actually recorded a new album and then decided to wipe it as they decided it wasn't up to scratch. The only trak known to...
@Euthymia At the time of writing 'New Horizons' Justin had no idea the band was going to break up as it was still 3 years and a world tour away from happening. They were actually in the recording studio attempting a follow up to Seventh Sojourn when Mike, John and Ray called for a meeting with Justin to discuss a hiatus. Justin was shocked and said he didn't see it coming at the time. They had actually recorded a new album and then decided to wipe it as they decided it wasn't up to scratch. The only trak known to have survived the wipe was 'Island'.
@SAJK Thanks for the added real life context. That's why I qualified what I wrote by saying "can also apply." The lyrics refer wistfully to good things coming to an end and looking forward to new good things. It just so happened that the band would go on hiatus a few years later, not release a new album for 6 years and never tour with Mike again. I can't help but connect the song with that when I listen to it.
@SAJK Thanks for the added real life context. That's why I qualified what I wrote by saying "can also apply." The lyrics refer wistfully to good things coming to an end and looking forward to new good things. It just so happened that the band would go on hiatus a few years later, not release a new album for 6 years and never tour with Mike again. I can't help but connect the song with that when I listen to it.
Part of the genius of good lyric writing is that it can be about more than one thing.
Seventh Sojourn was the last album before the band's hiatus, and this song can also apply to his feelings about moving on from The Moody Blues.
"I got my new horizons out to sea But I'm never gonna lose your precious gift It will always be that way"
I read that as a goodbye letter to the band. He'll be doing new things, but the creativity and camaraderie they shared will continue to nurture him.
"Where is this place that we have found? Nobody knows where we are bound I long to hear, I need to see 'cause I've shed tears too many for me"
He's asking how did it come to breaking up the band he once loved, and although the future will be more uncertain without it, he embraces it, partially because he wants to hear and explore different sounds and because the tensions in the band and pressures of running a record label have driven him to tears.
"On the wind soaring free Spread your wings, I'm beginning to see Out of mind far from view Beyond the reach of a nightmare come true"
He's already getting distance from the internal tensions of the band and label, which have reached nightmarish proportions.
I love the song, but listening to it makes my heart hurt, because it makes me think of the breakups of my own bands.
@Euthymia At the time of writing 'New Horizons' Justin had no idea the band was going to break up as it was still 3 years and a world tour away from happening. They were actually in the recording studio attempting a follow up to Seventh Sojourn when Mike, John and Ray called for a meeting with Justin to discuss a hiatus. Justin was shocked and said he didn't see it coming at the time. They had actually recorded a new album and then decided to wipe it as they decided it wasn't up to scratch. The only trak known to...
@Euthymia At the time of writing 'New Horizons' Justin had no idea the band was going to break up as it was still 3 years and a world tour away from happening. They were actually in the recording studio attempting a follow up to Seventh Sojourn when Mike, John and Ray called for a meeting with Justin to discuss a hiatus. Justin was shocked and said he didn't see it coming at the time. They had actually recorded a new album and then decided to wipe it as they decided it wasn't up to scratch. The only trak known to have survived the wipe was 'Island'.
@SAJK Thanks for the added real life context. That's why I qualified what I wrote by saying "can also apply." The lyrics refer wistfully to good things coming to an end and looking forward to new good things. It just so happened that the band would go on hiatus a few years later, not release a new album for 6 years and never tour with Mike again. I can't help but connect the song with that when I listen to it.
@SAJK Thanks for the added real life context. That's why I qualified what I wrote by saying "can also apply." The lyrics refer wistfully to good things coming to an end and looking forward to new good things. It just so happened that the band would go on hiatus a few years later, not release a new album for 6 years and never tour with Mike again. I can't help but connect the song with that when I listen to it.