John Martyn - May You Never (Single Version) Lyrics






May you never lay your head down
Without a hand to hold
May you never make your bed out in the cold

You're just like a great strong brother to me
And you know I love you like I should
And you never talk dirty behind my back
And I know that there's times you could

Oh please won't you, please won't you
Bear it in mind
Love is a lesson to learn in our time
Now please won't you, please won't you
Bear it in mind for me

May you never lose your temper
If you get in a bar-room fight
May you never lose your woman overnight

You're just like a good close brother to me
And you know I love you like I should
And you hold no knife to stab me in the back
And I know there's those that would

Oh please won't you, please won't you
Bear it in mind
Love is a lesson to learn in our time
Now please won't you, please won't you
Bear it in mind for me

May you never lay your head down
Without a hand to hold
May you never make your bed out in the cold
May you never lose your temper
If you get in a bar-room fight
May you never lose your woman overnight





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John Martyn May You Never (Single Version) Comments
  1. J.... S....

    How does anybody give this a thumbs down?

  2. P.... ....

    I recently heard this song for the first time. Nice!

  3. S.... 1....

    Apreciando a essa altura da vida. 📻💘

  4. S.... L....

    Dear John, beautifull. Like allways... love is a lesson...

  5. S.... ....

    Love the Clapton version, but this version is special to me:-).

    S.... ....

    Well, this is the original! ;)

  6. B.... P....

    Ah...listening to this song is like meeting up with an old pal!

  7. a.... ....

    I lost my temper although not in a baroom fight. well not yet anyway. been a fellow companion since 1980.

  8. A.... V....

    BRILLIANT UNUSUAL SONG !!!!!

    A.... V....

    AMEN TO THAT !

  9. C.... S....

    Utterly beautiful.

  10. m.... ....

    One of the greatest songs ever written. Brings me to tears every time.

  11. S.... C....

    Cooltide Album...

  12. K.... ....

    wonderful song!!!

  13. K.... C....

    Beautiful and just a little bit melancholy. Love it.

  14. e.... b....

    always used to listen to this when I was younger, so fond of this song and have lovely memories of nostalgia

    e.... b....

    essie boo, a nostalgia song is so wonderful, isn’t it?!

  15. C.... C....

    Simply divine

  16. n.... m....

    good man paid for me to get in to his concert circa1972 pity the dexies turned out to be valium whoops

  17. n.... m....

    saw him live 72 hussled him for pennies to get in to watch loved it till the valium that i thought were dexies kicked in woops

  18. b.... ....

    My teens in London (y) So Great (y) <3

  19. s.... m....

    Something magical in this song. Never loses anything. always lifts me up. ;)

  20. P.... M....

    reminds me of my step father, he was the first to put a guitar in my hand @biglove

  21. h.... ....

    It was instant for me. As soon as I heard the first line I loved it.

  22. B.... W....

    makes me think and feel of my two brothers. the love i feel for them has never and never will be better described. he turns the inexplicable into beautiful vibes beyond music. Thankyou John Martyn.

  23. G.... T....

    Love this!!!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 omg wow! yess!!!!!

  24. r.... ....

    3.46 of a mans soul - thank you JM.

  25. J.... S....

    I've been listening to John Martyn for over 40 years and never tire of his lyrics, his guitar style, his voice or his passion. It is wonderful to know that people are still discovering his music, there is so much for them to enjoy. He may have gone but his music will live for as long as people have ears to hear it and minds to marvel at it.

    J.... S....

    I couldn't of survived my long hours washing up job if the chefs favourite wasn't solid air album played endlessly :)

    J.... S....

    @peter lewis I've done washing up....but we cudnt have music.....!!!!

  26. G.... L....

    One evening I was recording a program on the radio and they played this song. That was my thing back then: record random programs on the radio on cassette tapes and then play them again and again. I had no idea who John Martyn was. I was a teenager in Italy, in love with guitar music and I learned how to play that song by ear. Two years later, I was in Perugia for the jazz festival, and this Irish girl was playing under a medieval arch off the main street. She played this song and I asked her who wrote it. It was only recently, with the Internet, that one day I searched for the song again, I found out who John Martyn was and how he died, and I saw a video of him playing this song. Weird huh? Thirty years later... I think Martyn was all guts.

    G.... L....

    That's why I love the internet so much : hearing about amazing stories like yours !
     

    G.... L....

    Gian Luca Ferme all guts but no glory!!

    G.... L....

    great story

  27. J.... R....

    Who on earth voted this down!!?

    J.... R....

    I know what you mean .. but "May you never" was never in my top ten John Martyn tracks. I'd be picking from "Bless the Weather" "Inside Out" and "Solid Air" but not MYN. No accounting for taste !

  28. l.... ....

    It's amazing to think that when he plays this awesome tune that the Guitar is out of tune which it is meant to be.

  29. l.... ....

    Solid Air and London Conversation are my favourite John Martyn Albums of all.

  30. C.... E....

    what a legend

  31. A.... T....

    just amazing the big man will always be in my heart 

  32. M.... L....

    love and listen

  33. l.... n....

    John is dead but sang from his soul

  34. E.... S....

    Sorry, I was replying to ekserdjigan's comment. Who made a snide remark about young people listening to John.

  35. S.... ....

    I was particularly refering to Sandi Thom, who had a very much 'in fashion' phase a few years ago, and covered 'May You Never' - but also various 'names' of the past 30 years who have covered him.

  36. E.... S....

    I don't think he is - I haven't heard any "fashionable" talking about him.

  37. S.... G....

    im 13 so hells yea.

  38. A.... M....

    he always was, is, and always will be

  39. K.... H....

    Thank you for sharing your art with the world, J. Martyn. Cheers, Kymry G.

  40. D.... L....

    This is just the tonic to the plastic no talent show unmusic we are having to suffer today perhaps a renaissance is on it's way as the people wake up to really gifted musicians like this man.,

  41. E.... S....

    Or maybe there are still people out there who appreciate real music, even "teens" can have good taste.

  42. R.... K....

    Rest in Peace John. We love ye

  43. W.... ....

    He was one of my late husbands favorite singers and we saw him live in Dublin. I love this song and the words "without a hand to hold" have a special meaning both with him and now with my partner. John Martyn RIP

  44. R.... B....

    I saw him perform live in Seattle in the early 90's. So drunk he was falling off his stool in between songs. But during songs? His talent, soul, and humanity was so off the chart I dare say there are few who could hold a candle to him.

  45. S.... ....

    @ekserdjigan I think there were a couple of BBC4 programmes about him a few months ago, and every so often the 'trendy' people cover one of his songs.
    Back in my pre-internet days, I had heard 'May You Never' in a TV drama, but had no way of finding out who it was by. It was only a few years ago when I got Sandi Thom's cover that I discovered it was John's song - and rushed to get the rest of his albums!

  46. O.... E....

    Wow, everyone's talking about how young they are. John Martyn must be the hip new mature thing for teens to listen to I guess :\

  47. k.... ....

    @SilverWolfMoon Thanks! Solid Air on order and The Road to Ruin :)

  48. S.... ....

    @kalina2040 I really recommend the albums "London Conversation", "Stormbringer!", "The Road to Ruin", "Bless the Weather" and "Solid Air" {'May You Never' is on "Solid Air"}.

  49. k.... ....

    A local artist played a cover of this on Wednesday, such an amazing song had to look it, hooked now going to have to track down the rest of his stuff!

  50. L.... ....

    So far,This is my fav. song:D
    n...Skins brought me here!!

  51. G.... K....

    What kind of person dislikes something as amazing as this, absolutely top class!

  52. S.... D....

    I was 17 when I first heard him, last year,
    I was in my friends room in Northern Ireland, it was Halloween and it was about 1.30 in the morning.
    He got the vinyl of Solid Air out, and started playing it at the lowest volume.
    The moon was glowing in the room.
    Was absolutely incredible...
    Fell in love with music again.
    Great guy
    R.I.P.

  53. M.... ....

    What can you say but Excellente

  54. p.... ....

    Scotlands finest.

  55. T.... ....

    I fell in love with John's sultry,smokey and and sweet lyrics when the Solid Air album came out. I was an impressionable young 18 year old....I formed my expectatons of meaningful friendships and lovers. I'm 47 now, but still 18.

    T.... ....

    You've been 18 for 30-some years!

  56. K.... A....

    My uncle told me who he was ,

    I've been hooked ever since

    he's a musical geneous

    R.I.P

    very young john martyn fan (16)

  57. L.... H....

    he was a friend of mine RIP BABE XXX

  58. C.... C....

    Thanks for posting, very much appreciated!

  59. T.... M....

    * * * * *

  60. r.... ....

    dont give eric a hard time, he loves the song and him playing it is a tribute to john martyn and exposes him to more people than john could ever access,ill bet john loved eric covering his song

  61. h.... ....

    I remember the first time my dad showed us this song I was 13 and I'm my emo stage but this song got to me

    RIP

    A young fan almost 16

  62. h.... ....

    @metalhead32uk I'm 15 Sooo u know :P

  63. A.... B....

    just heard eric claptons version - it has nothing on this.
    RIP
    from an even younger John Martyn fan age 16.

  64. k.... j....

    nothing compares to you John, your music never begged to be heard or insisted on being heard with everything else, you were just in between everything, there is no Genre, no stamp, no box than you can or will ever be placed, you are a monument of a human being. My statue.

  65. r.... ....

    Good old John.
    RIP

  66. b.... w....

    brilliant song.....always perk's me rite up...

  67. T.... t....

    @SilverWolfMoon Someone said Nick drake is shit. ARE THEY DEAF!

  68. T.... t....

    @153403hampton Nonsense.

  69. T.... t....

    @SilverWolfMoon Weird. It's not on my CD. Cheers for the reply.

  70. S.... ....

    @TheTilly65 Not as far as I know ~ I'm in Britain! Just checked on Amazon and it's on the album listed there. I've had mine for about 3 years, but maybe it's a reissue...

  71. T.... t....

    @SilverWolfMoon Is that an american version of the album? I have the British version on c.d. It's not on there.:)

  72. S.... ....

    @TheTilly65 Yes, I have all his early albums, from "London Conversation" to "Inside Out", and several songs from both "Sunday's Child" and "One World".
    "The Tumbler" contains one of my favourite of John's songs: 'Seven Black Roses' :)

  73. T.... t....

    @SilverWolfMoon Don't know if you've heard the album "The tumbler". About 1969 i think.It's wonderful.

  74. B.... ....

    I had the great pleasure of meeting Mr Martyn back in the '80's when he was still walking and drinking.. I was in the QUB Hall and he was at the bar. I had no idea who he was and no idea that John Martyn was a scot. I met a guy at the bar and we discussed politics, religion, the Act of Union from the 19th century and got pleasantly pissed until the MC announced for the audience to make their way into the hall. He said, " Better go pal, I'm the gig." and disappeared.. Top guy. RIP

  75. T.... ....

    Please, please, please will any guitarist who can play this the way that JM plays this make a tutorial to the rest of us and pass on this great music? I've seen lots of "chording" on YT but I'd really like explicit instructions on how to play it exactly like JM played it.
    I do have "Transcribe" and have listened to it at 25% speed but it still doesn't make sense.
    If you know it then please, please, please teach it to the rest of us. A good tutorial is sadly lacking at YT. Thanks.

  76. r.... w....

    @metalhead32uk have you heard tim hardin or john prine? if not check them out

  77. S.... ....

    @radauto1
    I first heard this 12 years ago on a TV programme, then later heard the Sandi Thom cover. But I feel John's original is always the best!

  78. C.... J....

    Legend! :)

  79. V.... ....

    John Martyn could sing my dick hard if he were alive
    Amazing musician, RIP

  80. M.... R....

    Fine by me. Good things are for those who can tell them from crap. Good things are ment for the elite. Cheers!

  81. b.... w....

    john martyn...legend

  82. S.... ....

    Sad but true, just like Nick Drake.

    I discovered John's music only about a year before he died, but strangely I had heard *of* him years before, though not his early work - which is the era I love.

  83. S.... ....

    I was only 16 when I first heard this song used on a TV drama {1998}, but at the time I didn't know what it was or who it was by. And I didin't find out until 3 years ago!

    If you ever want some JM song recommendations, just send me a message :)

  84. B.... L....

    To be fair they're likely to encounter a lot worse language if they keep watching JM videos

    x

  85. m.... ....

    off the hook man is so good still sound's fresh 2 day better than all that chart stuff that's out now..

    From a very young John Martyn fan "32"


    R.I.P. John

  86. S.... ....

    Okay folks.
    I will *not* have offensive comments posted on a song likely to be viewed by younger listeners.

    Such comments will be removed, and repeat offenders will be blocked.