Forever Autumn

Jeff Wayne, Richard Burton, Justin Hayward

About Forever Autumn

"Forever Autumn" is a song written by Jeff Wayne, Gary Osborne and Paul Vigrass. The original melody was written by Wayne in 1969 as a jingle for a Lego commercial. Vigrass and Osborne, the performers of the original jingle, added lyrics to the song and recorded it for inclusion on their 1972 album Queues. Their interpretation was also released as a single and gained moderate commercial success in Japan, selling more than 100,000 copies and becoming a top-20 hit on the country's record chart. The best-known version is the recording by Justin Hayward from the album Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds. Wayne wanted to include a love song on the album that sounded like "Forever Autumn", and he decided that the best course of action was to simply use the original song. Wayne chose Hayward, of The Moody Blues, to sing it saying that he "wanted that voice from 'Nights in White Satin'". It was recorded at London's Advision Studios in 1976. The song reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1978. 


Year:
1981
7:41
104 
#1

 Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons!

For three days I fought my way along roads packed with refugees, 
The homeless, burdened with boxes and bundles containing their valuables. 
All that was of value to me was in London. 
By the time I reached their little red brick house, Carrie and her father were gone.

Forever Autumn

Journalist
The summer sun is fading as the year grows old,
And darker days are drawing near,
The winter winds will be much colder,
Now you're not here.

I watch the birds fly south across the autumn sky
And one by one they disappear,
I wish that I was flying with them
Now you're not here.
Like the sun through the trees you came to love me,
Like a leaf on a breeze you blew away...

Through autumn's golden gown we used to kick our way,
You always loved this time of year
Those fallen leaves lie undisturbed now
'Cause you're not here
'Cause you're not here
'Cause you're not here 

Fire suddenly leapt from house to house. 
The population panicked and ran, and I was swept along with them, aimless and lost without Carrie. Finally, I headed eastward for the ocean and my only hope of survival: a boat out of England.

Journalist
Like the sun through the trees you came to love me,
Like a leaf on the breeze you blew away...

A gentle rain falls softly on my weary eyes
As if to hide a lonely tear
My life will be forever autumn,
'Cause you're not here
'Cause you're not here
'Cause you're not here

As I hastened through Covent Garden, Blackfriars and Billingsgate, 
More and more people joined the painful exodus. 
Sad, weary women, their children stumbling in the street with tears, 
Their men bitter and angry, the rich rubbing shoulders with beggars and outcasts. 

Dogs snarled and whined, the horse's bits were covered with foam, 
And here and there were wounded soldiers, as helpless as the rest.
We saw tripods wading up the Thames, 
Cutting through bridges as though they were paper. 
Waterloo bridge, Westminster bridge, one appeared above Big Ben.

Ulla! 

Never before in the history of the world, 
Had such a mass of human beings moved and suffered together. 
This was no disciplined march, it was a stampede, 
Without order and without a goal, six million people unarmed and unprovisioned driving headlong. 

It was the beginning of the rout of civilization, of the massacre of mankind.
A vast crowd buffeted me towards the already packed steamer. 
I looked up enviously at those safely on board... straight into the eyes of my beloved Carrie. 
At sight of me she began to fight her way along the packed deck to the gangplank. 
At that very moment, it was raised, 
And I caught a last glimpse of her despairing face as the crowd swept me away from her.

Journalist
Like the sun through the trees you came to love me,
Like a leaf on a breeze you blew away...

Through autumn's golden gown we used to kick our way
You always loved this time of year
Those fallen leaves lie undisturbed now
'Cause you're not here
'Cause you're not here
'Cause you're not here

 Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons!


Justin Hayward

Justin Hayward (born 14 October 1946) is an English musician, best known as singer, songwriter and guitarist in the rock band The Moody Blues. more »

3 fans

Written by: GARY ANTHONY OSBORNE, JEFF WAYNE, PAUL ANTHONY VIGRASS

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Album
"Forever Autumn" is a track from the 1978 concept album "The War of the Worlds" by Jeff Wayne. The double-album is a musical version of H. G. Wells’ 1898 science fiction novel.
Lead Singer
The song features lead vocals by Justin Hayward, the lead singer of British rock band "The Moody Blues."
Charts
The single was a big hit in the UK and reached No.5 on the UK Singles Chart in 1978. It also achieved a position in the Top 10 New Zealand Singles Chart.
Original Concept
Interestingly, the song "Forever Autumn" was originally a jingle for a Lego commercial written by Wayne, Paul Vigrass, and Gary Osborne in the late 60s. Jeff Wayne later adapted it for his musical version of "War of the Worlds."
Popular Use
The song is frequently used in the radio, television, and film, particularly during scenes depicting change of season.
Instrumentation
The ethereal sound in "Forever Autumn" was achieved using an array of musical instruments, including piano, guitar, strings, synthesizer, and a variety of percussion instruments.
Cover Versions
Due to its popular demand, several artists have created their covers of "Forever Autumn," including Gary Barlow for the 2012 re-release of The War of the Worlds album.
Emotional Effect
The melancholic feel of the song is often associated with feelings of loss and longing, relevant to the storyline of the album where the protagonist loses his fiancé.
Live Performances
Justin Hayward has performed "Forever Autumn" in most of his solo concerts, and the audience has received it enthusiastically.
Song Duration
The original album's version of "Forever Autumn" runs for just over seven and a half minutes. But, the single release had to be edited down to about 4 minutes long.

Discuss the Forever Autumn Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Forever Autumn Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/8177030/Justin+Hayward/Forever+Autumn>.

    Missing lyrics by Justin Hayward?

    Know any other songs by Justin Hayward? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    Forever Autumn

    212.2K
    1,191     39

    Top Hot 100 Songs 1978

    Billboard #47


    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    What inspired the name of the band “21 Pilots”?
    A The Pilot Pen
    B The book “Ask the Pilot” by Patrick Smith
    C The play “All My Sons” by Arthur Miller
    D The play “21 Pilots” by Edward Albee

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Don't miss Justin Hayward's

    Upcoming Events

    »
    • Fri • Apr 12 • 7:30 PM
      Amaturo Theater at Broward Center, Ft Lauderdale, FL
    • Sat • Apr 13 • 8:00 PM
      Plaza Live - Orlando, Orlando, FL
    • Mon • Apr 15 • 7:30 PM
      Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater, FL
    • Wed • Apr 17 • 8:00 PM
      Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
    • Thu • May 16 • 7:30 PM
      Rialto Theatre-Tucson, Tucson, AZ
    Justin Hayward tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!