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Lyr Req: A Friend of Mine Is Going Blind (J D Read

04 Feb 01 - 08:42 PM (#390083)
Subject: John Dawson Read
From: GUEST,Quixote

Hey All, I'm a fan of John Dawson Read. Although all his stuff was recorded before I was born, I really like him. I'm looking for something to help me play some of his stuff. Any help would be appreciated. Specifically "A friend of mine is going blind" would be greatly appreciated.

05 Feb 01 - 07:46 PM (#390931)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: John Dawson Read
From: Sarah2

Refresh.

Anyone who can help?

06 Feb 01 - 04:54 PM (#391640)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: John Dawson Read
From: GUEST,RaymondWong

Quixote,

I used to play that song some 20 years ago. I believe I still have a copy of the song on vinyl but I need to dig it out first. If the lyrics of that song is not on the back of the album cover, I'll try to transcribe it and post it here with the chords. However, I must say that it will be at least a few weeks before I can get around to get that done. So please be patient. Of course, maybe someone else will post it here first. So please keep checking back.

13 Feb 01 - 03:53 PM (#397285)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: John Dawson Read
From: GUEST

Thanks so much, Raymond!

13 Feb 01 - 05:03 PM (#397357)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: John Dawson Read
From: Jim the Bart

I'm not familiar with John Dawson Read. Can you fill me in at all?

Thanks

19 Feb 01 - 03:25 PM (#401631)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: John Dawson Read
From: GUEST,Quixote

He's a folk singer from the 70's singer with only two albums to his name "Read On" and "A Friend of mine is going blind". His lyrics are most excellent.

28 Feb 01 - 12:08 AM (#407767)
Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: A FRIEND OF MINE IS GOING BLIND
From: GUEST,Raymond Wong

Quixote,

Due to some unforseeable circumstances, I almost have to break my promise. However, I have managed to come up with the lyrics and the chords the best that I can. Here's the explanation (and some background) :

I first listened to this song about 25 years ago when a friend of mine who was teaching me how to play the guitar, taped it for me and showed me how to play it. At first I thought it was a song by James Taylor but later found out it's John Dawson Read.

About ten years ago, I bought a copy of 'A friend of mine is going blind' together with many other used records for $0.25 each at a record store. It was still tightly wrapped in the plastic wrap when I bought it. However, I haven't listened to it since. Last weekend, I finally got around to dug it out from one of the boxes and put it on the turntable. But instead of John's voice, what came out of the speaker was some instrumental music featuring a saxphone. In fact, the whole side-A was like that and only side-B was him. Fortunately, the lyrics are on the back of the cover. So I picked up the guitar and reached deep into my memory for the chords. I must admit that I am not sure how some of the melody lines go but this is the best that I can do. Anyway, hope this could help. By the way, any corrections are welcome.

^^ A FRIEND OF MINE IS GOING BLIND
(John Dawson Read)

(G) A friend of (G) mine is going (G) blind
But through the (G) dimness
He (Am) sees so much (Am) better than (Am) me (Am)
And how he (G) cherishes each (G) new thing that he (Em) sees
They are (Em) locked up in his (C) head
He will (C) save them up for (D) when
He's in (C) darkness a(G) gain (G) (G)

(G) He can't read (G) books
And he can't paint (G) pretty pictures(G)
But he (Am) understands so much (Am) clearer than (Am) I (Am)
For he (G) knows that all he's (G) missing with his (Em) eyes
Is more (Em) vivid in the (C) mind
of the (C) man who's going (D) blind
(D) And that's (C) why he doesn't (G) mind (G) (G)

Won't you (C) sing Tommy (G) Davidson of (D) things that you have (G) seen
Sing of (C) winter's bite and (G) summer nights and (D) places you have (G) been
Of (C) dew drops and for(G)get-me-nots and (D) silver silky (G) sheen
Lain (C) across the morning (G) meadow on the (D) hillside (D)

And this (G) friend of mine, he (G) plays guitar
And (G) sing his song so (G) well
And he (Am) sing so much (Am) better than (Am) I (Am)
He can (G) sing you any (G) picture in your (Em) mind
He will (Em) sketch them out in (C) rhyme,
draw the (C) details in the (D) lines (D)
And he'll (C) color it in (G) time (G) (G)

(G) And oh how (G) he loves his (G) guitar
And it loves (G) him
And they (Am) play so much (Am) sweeter than (Am) me (Am)
As if to (G) say, that come the (G) day that he can't (Em) see
He will (Em) have at his (C) command
so much (C) beauty in his (D) hands (D)
That the (C) loss won't come so (G) hard (G) (G)

Won't you (C) sing Tommy (G) Davidson of (D) things that you have (G) done
Sing of (C) silver seagulls (G) sailing into (D) evening's golden (G) sun
Sing of (C) city streets and (G) villages and (D) people on the (G) run
Tell the (C) people how you (G) know it Tommy (D) Davison (D)

14 Apr 01 - 01:32 PM (#440529)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: John Dawson Read
From: GUEST,Quixote

Hey, Raymond! Thanks you so much for your effort! You, man, are solid granite, i.e. you rock hard. Thanks again!

J. Nelson aka Quixote

09 Jan 07 - 09:33 PM (#1931932)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: John Dawson Read
From: GUEST,KB

I have admired the music of John Dawson Read. My favorite song of his is "Thinking the Thing I'm Thinking" - not sure if that's the correct title. I remember quite a bit of it, but some parts of verses are missing. Can anyone help me out?

Sometimes I walk along with my feet dragging slow
Hands in my pockets and my head hung low
Whistling tunes that no one knows
Just thinking the things I'm thinking

Sometimes my thoughts they make me smile
Brighten my day for some short while
Lighten my life and my life style
Just thinking the things I'm thinking

Sometimes my thoughts they make me frown
Burn up inside me and bring me down
Nothing is easy this I've found
Just thinking the things I'm thinking

There is a chorus about seagulls and leaves turning brown

The last verse:
...........
............
Children grow up and old men age
And aged men get to thinking

09 Jan 07 - 09:42 PM (#1931938)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: John Dawson Read
From: Peace

JDR Site here.

11 Jan 07 - 12:23 AM (#1932922)
Subject: Lyr Add: THINKING (THE THINGS I'M THINKING) (Read)
From: Jim Dixon

Lyrics copied from John Dawson Read's web site:

THINKING (THE THINGS I'M THINKING)

Sometimes I walk along with my feet dragging slow,
Hands in my pockets, and my head hung low,
Whistling tunes that no one knows,
Just thinking the things I'm thinking.

And sometimes my thoughts they make me smile,
Brighten my day for some short while,
Lighten my life and my life style,
Just thinking the things I'm thinking.

Have you ever been beside the sea when the seagulls are in flight?
Watch them glide: they twist, they slide into the night.
And have you ever been along the cliff when the gulls drift down below
And felt the urge to near the verge and have yourself a go?

And sometimes my thoughts they make me frown,
Burn up inside me, bring me down,
For nothing is easy, this I've found,
Just thinking the things I'm thinking.

Have you ever been in springtime woods where the leaves are freshest green,
And felt so proud to be allowed to see the scene?
Or then again, to be in autumn woods where those leaves are falling brown,
And heaped them neat before your feet and kicked them all around?

So how can we doubt that all things change?
All things return from whence they came.
Children grow up and grown men age,
And aged men get to thinking.

19 Oct 07 - 12:19 PM (#2174560)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Friend of Mine Is Going Blind (J D Read
From: GUEST,John Dawson Read

Hi anybody on this thread ... just to say that I am still alive, still writing, living in UK, going into the studio sometime in October and all is well. I am thrilled that people somewhere in the world still remember me.

19 Oct 07 - 12:51 PM (#2174576)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Friend of Mine Is Going Blind (J D Read
From: M.Ted

Those of us old enough to have heard the song when it was played on the radio will always remember it-It's was one of those songs that said something--

02 May 08 - 03:33 PM (#2331424)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Friend of Mine Is Going Blind (J D Read
From: GUEST,Janet in Virginia

A Friend of mine is going blind ...those lyrics have haunted me for years I loved the song when I heard it ....so many years ago I think in the 70's.... so finding it and being able to hear it once again thanks to the internet made my day... happy to hear you are alive and well...please keep writing and singing the world needs more artists like you..

02 Sep 08 - 02:08 AM (#2428379)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Friend of Mine Is Going Blind (J D Read
From: GUEST,Farhad

OMG!
I'm from Iran, I had a tape which I first heard "A friend of mine" about 20 years ago, the song was always in my mind, I tried to find the artist many times on the internet, at last I found the artist here...

03 Sep 08 - 07:31 PM (#2430354)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Friend of Mine Is Going Blind (J D Read
From: Jim Dixon

Farhad: You might be our first Iranian visitor. Welcome!

15 Jan 09 - 04:01 PM (#2540679)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Friend of Mine Is Going Blind (J D Read
From: GUEST,Jim in Anderson

I just found this site; I echo that this sound has haunted me since I first heard it and for me is one of the great lyrics and performances I have heard. I am happy that I finally caught up to the lyrics, poetry to music; what makes us human.

10 Sep 20 - 12:03 PM (#4071448)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Friend of Mine Is Going Blind (J D Read
From: GUEST,Tim

Hi

11 years after the previous post, and still there's interest in John Dawson Read and that great song A Friend of Mine is Going Blind. I'm learning guitar (about 18 months in, so able to venture into songs rather than exercises and do them a (very slight) bit of justice by now (though I can't sing even as well as I can play guitar.)

I recall seeing JDR perform on the Old Grey Whistle Test (it must have been on that) in the seventies and like others was haunted by the song. I had both his albums, though I gave one (A Friend of Mine) to my sister who lived abroad, for her to enjoy it as well, but I've still got Read On.

I was looking for the guitar chords so thanks Raymond Wong back in 2001 for your efforts!