A Song For Jeffrey

Album: This Was (1968)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Ian Anderson first met Jeffrey Hammond at grammar school in Blackpool. They became good friends and Hammond was the inspiration for several of Jethro Tull's early songs, including "Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square (Stand Up)," "For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me" and this track. Having been the band's unofficial mascot for several years, Hammond eventually joined Jethro Tull on bass in January 1971.
  • Ian Anderson explained the story behind the song to Uncut magazine; "It's not clever lyrically, but it's really about Jeffrey being a slightly wayward lad who wasn't quite sure where he was headed in life. He knew that he loved painting, but he seemed sometimes without direction and rather lonely. So I thought, 'Well, I shall write a song with his name in it.'"
  • "A Song for Jeffrey" was the first single from Jethro Tull's debut album, This Was, in the UK. The psychedelic blues cut was the B-side to "Love Story" in the US.
  • Hammond left Jethro Tull in 1975 and later dedicated himself to painting. He mused to Uncut in 2018: "Of course the key word in the title is 'for.' I've always thought that the song was meant as a rather lovely gift or dedication, more than it having anything lyrically to do with me."

Comments: 1

  • Peter Hobbs from U.kBlimey!... it’s just dawned on me as I’m currently reading a biography... this song (‘A Song For Jeffrey’) fits perfectly with the legendary Soho journalist and boozer Jeffrey (Jeffrey Bernard is unwell) Bernard.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the Song

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the SongSong Writing

How a goofy detective movie, a disenchanted director and an unlikely songwriter led to one of the biggest hits in pop history.

Zakk Wylde

Zakk WyldeSongwriter Interviews

When he was playing Ozzfest with Black Label Society, a kid told Zakk he was the best Ozzy guitarist - Zakk had to correct him.

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TV

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TVSong Writing

Shows like Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the way songs were heard on TV, and produced some hits in the process.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.

Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.

Krishna Das

Krishna DasSongwriter Interviews

The top chant artist in the Western world, Krishna Das talks about how these Hindu mantras compare to Christian worship songs.