Away From it All
Leon has said that "Away From It All" was written after a visit to the fairground on Hampstead Heath, close to his north London home. Conceived as a celebration of escape from the daily grind, the song ended up with a different slant, Leon focusing so much on the stresses and strifes of everyday life, that the escape is ultimately a hollow distraction. (Compare "As Long As You've Got Your Health".) The song was recorded in 1966 and used as the closing track to side 1 of Leon's debut solo LP.
"I wrote this after a visit to Hampstead Heath fair, and it was intended originally to be (believe it or not) a cheerful, innocent ditty expressing unqualified jollity." - LR (Songs For City Squares and Sceptical Circles (songbook), 1966)
Recordings
Version 1 (1966)
Version 2 (1970)
Version 2 (1970)