"Life Is a Long Song" is a song composed by

Ian Anderson Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work as the lead vocalist, flautist, acoustic guitarist and leader of the British rock band Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist w ...

and first recorded by Jethro Tull. It was released as the lead track on an EP of the same name on 3 September 1971, which reached No. 11 in the UK charts. The song later appeared on the 1972 compilation album '' Living in the Past''. The song is centred around Anderson's

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

playing, and the lyrics talking about everyday life, concluding that "the tune ends too soon for us all". It is the first Jethro Tull recording to feature drummer

Barriemore Barlow Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow (born 10 September 1949, Birmingham) is an English musician, best known as the drummer and percussionist for the rock band Jethro Tull, from May 1971 to June 1980. Christened Barrie, 'Barriemore' was an affectation ...

, who had joined the group shortly before.

Fairport Convention Fairport Convention are an English folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Martin Lamble after their first gig.) They started o ...

covered the song on their 1997 album ''

Who Knows Where the Time Goes "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" is a song written by the English folk-rock singer and songwriter Sandy Denny. Denny originally recorded the song as a demo in 1967, singing and playing guitar on the track. Later that year, she briefly joined the ...

''.

References

Citations Sources * {{authority control Jethro Tull (band) songs 1971 songs Songs written by Ian Anderson Song recordings produced by Ian Anderson