An Original Man (A Song For Keith)

Album: Birdland (2003)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is a tribute to Keith Relf, who was The Yardbirds original lead singer and was electrocuted in 1976 while playing his guitar at his home. Birdland was the first Yardbirds studio album since 1967. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • On The Yardbirds official site, bass player Chris Dreja said: "I remember writing the lyrics. I was at home and there was this book about the band on the table, and there was a photograph of Keith. I remember thinking how much he influenced these rock guys of today, their look and their attitude - I see little Relf copies all over the place. Relfy was the original man in that sense. I just wanted to write some lyrics encompassing what he was. He died young; he was immensely talented, a lot of it unrecognized. He was the real thing. So that's what really inspired me. The Gregorian chants on the fade very much fitted the reflectiveness of that song."

Comments: 3

  • Albert from NyThe Yardbirds were and will always be one of the best bands of all time..They shaped the way a band should sound and play....
  • D. R. from Okc, OkFor me the Yardbirds were one of those bands that had a magic. Jeff certainly had the guitar magic, but the rest of the guys completed the Yardbirds sound - and they still have it!
  • Ed from Lebanon, NhWhat a fitting way to close this album - to the one original Yardbird who never got the chance to join the re-formed Yardbirds.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Graduation Songs

Graduation SongsFact or Fiction

Have you got the smarts to know which of these graduation song stories are real?

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")Song Writing

Nick made some of the biggest videos on MTV, including "The Final Countdown," "Heaven" and "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)."

Dan Reed

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.

Julian Lennon

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.

Matt Sorum

Matt SorumSongwriter Interviews

When he joined Guns N' Roses in 1990, Matt helped them craft an orchestral sound; his mezzo fortes and pianissimos are all over "November Rain."