Song of the Day- I'd Love To Change the World by Ten Years After

Image by pixel2013 (www.pixabay.com) Link

"I'd Love to Change the World" was a hit in 1971 for the British band Ten Years After, from the album A Space in Time. It was the band's most popular single, and their only top 40 hit. Written in troubled times, the song abandons the late 60's idealistic "peace and love" vibe that was found in so much popular music of the era. The protagonist of this song instead confronts the harsh and confusing realities of the world in the early 1970s. Although he still hopes for a better world, he confronts his own disillusionment, admitting that "I'd love to change the world, but I don't know what to do." It is a message that still rings true today. Times have changed, but the world is no less troubled, and there are still no easy solutions.

Image by pixel2013 (www.pixabay.com) Link

The following description of "I'd Love to Change the World" is from the Wikipedia article found here: Link

The song was written and sung by Alvin Lee. It discusses the confused state of the world, covering a wide variety of societal complaints, until it finally addresses the Vietnam War.^[1] The song features a folk-inspired chord pattern to support the melody.^[1]

"I'd Love to Change the World" was the band's highest charting single. It peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971.^[2] When it was released, "I'd Love to Change the World" was a staple of both FM and AM radio, a rarity for the time.^[1]

Billy Walker of Sounds wrote that the "[a]coustic guitar, echoing vocals, and electric guitar build up the tempo with very good cool electric passages by Alvin [Lee], and while there's nothing new developing it's a very nice track".^[3] Matthew Greenwald of Allmusic highlighted Lee's guitar work as the "most expressive—and most tasteful—electric guitar performance of his career", and added "if there is a single song that can describe the overall vibe of the counterculture in 1969/1970, this may very well be it. The band and Lee never quite matched the song's supple power in their later efforts, but this song is representation enough of their awesome artistry."^[1]

Ten Years After (1970) (from Wikimedia Commons) Link

There is no video available featuring Ten Years After performing "I'd Love to Change the World" live. However, the following video from YouTube features the song lyrics set against a backdrop of multiple still images from the 1960s to the present, and is a moving and effective representation of the message of this classic song.