Lay Down
Encyclopedia
"Lay Down" is a song by English
band Strawbs featured on their 1973 album Bursting at the Seams
. It peaked at number 12 in the UK Singles Chart
.
The lyrics are based on the 23rd Psalm
and the song was widely considered to be writer Dave Cousins
's most commercial and radio-friendly offering to date. Indeed, some aficionados accused Cousins and Strawbs of "selling out", especially as the band later appeared on Top of the Pops
dressed in glittery "glam rock
" outfits.
The song was brought to the public's attention again in 2007 when it featured on the BBC television series "Life on Mars
".
"Backside" is attributed to "Ciggy Barlust and the Whales from Venus", an obvious allusion to David Bowie
's "Ziggy Stardust
and the Spiders from Mars".
It was actually a Strawbs composition credited to all members of the band at that time (see personnel below).
and also the 1979 Dave Cousins and Brian Willoughby
album Old School Songs
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
band Strawbs featured on their 1973 album Bursting at the Seams
Bursting at the Seams
Bursting at the Seams is a studio album by English band Strawbs. It contains their two most successful singles and reached number 2 in the UK Album Chart.-Side one:#"Flying" – 4:49#"Lady Fuchsia" – 3:59...
. It peaked at number 12 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
The lyrics are based on the 23rd Psalm
Psalm 23
In the 23rd Psalm in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the writer describes God as his Shepherd. The text, beloved by Jews and Christians alike, is often alluded to in popular media and has been set to music....
and the song was widely considered to be writer Dave Cousins
Dave Cousins
Dave Cousins has been the leader, singer and most active songwriter of Strawbs since 1967.-Career:...
's most commercial and radio-friendly offering to date. Indeed, some aficionados accused Cousins and Strawbs of "selling out", especially as the band later appeared on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
dressed in glittery "glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
" outfits.
The song was brought to the public's attention again in 2007 when it featured on the BBC television series "Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
".
B-Side
The B-sideA-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
"Backside" is attributed to "Ciggy Barlust and the Whales from Venus", an obvious allusion to David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's "Ziggy Stardust
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a 1972 concept album by English musician David Bowie, which is loosely based on a story of a rock star named Ziggy Stardust. It peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 75 in the United States on the Billboard Music...
and the Spiders from Mars".
It was actually a Strawbs composition credited to all members of the band at that time (see personnel below).
Other recordings
The song was re-recorded (with different personnel) for the 2003 Strawbs album Blue AngelBlue Angel (Strawbs album)
Blue Angel is a studio album by English band Strawbs. It was the first Strawbs album to contain new material for 12 years and featured several different line-ups of musicians from past Strawbs eras...
and also the 1979 Dave Cousins and Brian Willoughby
Brian Willoughby
Brian Willoughby is a British guitarist. He has worked with many musicians , as well as releasing solo work.-With other artists:...
album Old School Songs
Old School Songs
Old School Songs is a studio album by singer-songwriter Dave Cousins of the band Strawbs and guitarist Brian Willoughby.-Track listing:All tracks written by Dave Cousins.#"Grace Darling"#"I've Been My Own Worst Friend"#"Ways and Means"...
Personnel
- Dave CousinsDave CousinsDave Cousins has been the leader, singer and most active songwriter of Strawbs since 1967.-Career:...
– lead vocals, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Dave LambertDave Lambert (British musician)Dave Lambert is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who was a member of The Strawbs in the 1970s.-Career:...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - John Ford – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Richard HudsonRichard Hudson (musician)Richard Hudson is an English singer-songwriter and musician.-Career:Richard Hudson was a member of Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera, in which he played drums and sitar and sang. In 1970, he and band-mate John Ford joined Strawbs...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, backing vocals - Blue WeaverBlue WeaverBlue Weaver is a British keyboard player, session musician, songwriter and record producer.-Biography:...
– mellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
A&M A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:... |
7" single Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... |
AMS7035 | ||
| Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
Sonet | 7" single | T 7265 | ||
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... and Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
A&M | 7" single | AM 1451 | B-side "The Winter and the Summer" | |
| Holland | A&M | 7" single | 12396 AT | ||
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
A&M | 7" single | 12396 AT | ||
| Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
A&M/Hispavox | 7" single | HS 897 | B-side "Mañana (Tomorrow) Tomorrow (Strawbs song) "Tomorrow" is a song by English band Strawbs credited as a band composition with the main idea by Dave Cousins. The track first appeared on the Grave New World album.-Lyrical and musical content:... " |
|
| New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
A&M | 7" single | AMK 4927 | B-side "The Flower and the Young Man The Flower and the Young Man "The Flower and the Young Man" is a song by English band Strawbs written by Dave Cousins. The track first appeared on the Grave New World album.-Lyrical and musical content:... " |
|
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
A&M | 7" single | AM 186 | B-side "The Winter and the Summer" | |
| Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... |
A&M | 7" single | AMS 7035 | ||
| Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... |
A&M | 7" single | 006 94136 |