david thomas reilly • judith durham
I've always preferred solo artists to bands and groups. The war between Beatles-fans and Stones die hards was totally irrelevant to me. When school mates dug Led Zeppelin and Uriah Heep, I found the sound disgusting and annoying, and listened to folk music instead, besides bands like the Seekers. This australian folk group consisted originally of Athol Guy, Bruce Woodley and Keith Potger, but in -63 Judith Durham joined them, and became lead singer.
This tiny aussie lady is the voice of the past century, and a candidate for the present, even though she left us in 2022. Born Judith Mavis Cock - "Durham" was her mother's maiden name - she intended to be a pianist, but fortunately got caught by jazz and folk. And fortunately got caught by Athol Guy for The Seekers.
Judith was not only a bright voice and pretty face; she was skilled as a songwriter, too. Together with David Thomas Reilly, son of the harmonica legend Tommy Reilly who is credited on several Seekers' recordings, she has penned 19 songs, 3 of them cowrited with Reilly. This one is the most famous. No wonder why; there are three ingredients essential for making a good song: love, harmony and rythm. This one's got it all, and I proudly present this tune, which has been lingering on in my head since the recording November 1967, for the album "Seekers Seen in Green". Judith's Biography is named after this song.
I can't seem to get my sleep now any old night
Mister Sandman passes by my door
life has changed since you've been there to say it's alright
you taught me to understand what I thought couldn't be
don't mind missing sleep if I can see:
colours of my life
you've got love to fill my heart
I don't need a rainbow
with colours of my life
colours blend with love to show I'm happy with you
I can never be the same again
now my eyes are looking past the life that I knew
I'll be shedding black and grey to take on red and blue
colours I can feel by touching you:
colours of my life
bloom like flowers in my heart
I don't need a rainbow
with colours of my life
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
G Bm C D G Bm ...C...D I can't seem to get my sleep now any old night C Am D ...D7 Mister Sandman passes by my door G Bm C D G Bm ...C...D life has changed since you've been there to say it's alright C Am G Bm Em you taught me to understand what I thought couldn't be G A7 D ...D7 don't mind missing sleep if I can see G C colours of my life D D7 G you've got love to fill my heart G Bm Am I don't need a rainbow Cmaj7 ...C...D...G with colours of my life
