Have a Listen:
Thinking of events of the last few days happening right “across the pond” (and not only), this tune came to mind and that’s how it ended up as the Song of the Day.
Ten Years After lead singer Alvin Lee wrote “I’d Love to Change the World” in the early 1970s, during yet another turbulent time in history, most notable for the ongoing Vietnam War.
It’s folksy, heavy and has a short, but great, guitar solo. The song discusses various societal issues of the time and ends by calling for a stop to the war.
It was the lead single from the band’s album A Space in Time, released in 1971. The British blues rock band had already garnered popularity from the late 1960s and had several consecutive albums make the Top 40 in both the UK and US Charts.
“I’d Love to Change the World” quickly climbed on the charts and became the band’s highest ranking single, and their only song to enter the US Top 40, peaking at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached number 10 on the charts in Canada. It didn’t secure a spot on the UK singles charts however.
Reflecting on the song during a recent interview, the band’s drummer, Ric Lee, said “I think the song reflects a lot of what’s happening today, just as it did in 1970 — the Vietnam War and Kent State.”
Fun fact, “I’d Love to Change the World” was used in commercials in Greece in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
