Lay Down


"Lay Down" is a song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1973 album Bursting at the Seams. Their first hit single, it had peaked at No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart late the previous year.
The lyrics are loosely based on the 23rd Psalm in the Old Testament and the song was widely considered to be writer Dave Cousins's most commercial and radio-friendly offering to date. Indeed, some aficionados accused Cousins and the band of "selling out", especially as the band later appeared on Top of the Pops dressed in glittery "glam rock" outfits and wearing make-up.
The single was described, in the original A&M Records Press Release, as ".. the Strawbs first real attempt to crack open the singles market." It featured strong rock guitar riffs from the band's new guitarist Dave Lambert. The album version features an additional guitar solo, making it about thirty seconds longer than the single.
The song was brought to the public's attention again in 2007 when it featured on the BBC television series "Life on Mars". It was, however, unaccountably absent from the DVD boxset soundtrack.

B-Side

The B-side "Backside" is attributed to "Ciggy Barlust and the Whales from Venus", an obvious allusion to David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars".
It was actually a Strawbs composition credited to all members of the band at that time.

Other recordings

The song was re-recorded for the 2003 Strawbs album Blue Angel and also the 1979 Dave Cousins and Brian Willoughby album Old School Songs.

Personnel

RegionDateLabelFormatCatalogComments
United KingdomA&M7" singleAMS7035
DenmarkSonet7" singleT 7265
United States and CanadaA&M7" singleAM 1451B-side "The Winter and the Summer"
NetherlandsA&M7" single12396 AT
GermanyA&M7" single12396 AT
SpainA&M/Hispavox7" singleHS 897B-side "Mañana "
New ZealandA&M7" singleAMK 4927B-side "The Flower and the Young Man"
JapanA&M7" singleAM 186B-side "The Winter and the Summer"
IsraelA&M7" singleAMS 7035
PortugalA&M7" single006 94136