Tuesday Afternoon

Listen while you read: Tuesday Afternoon

Tuesday afternoon
I'm just beginning to see
Now I'm on my way
It doesn't matter to me
Chasing the clouds away

Something calls to me
The trees are drawing me near
I've got to find out why
Those gentle voices I hear
Explain it all with a sigh

I'm looking at myself, reflections of my mind
It's just the kind of day to leave myself behind
So gently swaying through the fairyland of love
If you'll just come with me and see the beauty of

Tuesday afternoon

~  Justin Hayward (The Moody Blues)

This is Justin Hayward's explanation for how "Tuesday Afternoon" came to be: "I sat down in a field, smoked a funny African cigarette, and that song just came out. It was a Tuesday afternoon."

And now, half a century later, The Moody Blues are doing a 50th Anniversary Tour of Days of Future Passed, the seminal album released in 1967 which includes the song. I was sorry to note that the band will be performing in the Northwest while I am still on the East Coast and performing on the East Coast while I am road-tripping in the Northwest! Damn!

Part of the British Invasion, The Moody Blues, as anyone my age may recall, released a hit single in 1965 called "Go Now." And then the band floundered. A change in the line-up, including the addition of Hayward, as well as Mike Pinder's newfound use of the mellotron (a kind of early-version synthesizer) put the band back in the charts with their new and different sound. Days of Future Passed heralded that resurgence.

A concept album, Days broke ground with some unique components. The backing of the London Festival Orchestra celebrated the fusion of rock and classical sounds, lending a sophisticated credibility to the breadth and range of rock music. And the album had a thematic cohesion with songs following the trajectory of a day (dawn, morning, lunchtime, sunset, twilight, and night). Perhaps the most known song on the album is "Nights in White Satin." Yep, you know that song, don't you?

"Tuesday Afternoon," which was originally titled "Forever Afternoon (Tuesday)" on the album, is still beautiful and emotive five decades later. It appears that Hayward was able to capture the ephemeral serenity that stoned moment offered him and preserve it for generations. And you don't have to be high to feel it.

I hope you enjoyed a few minutes of peaceful reflection while listening. Go ahead, listen again.