Huge Moody Blues fan here- saw them at least 30 times since 1978....
Two stories on this song:
1- Justin Hayward wrote it as the result of a bad break-up.
2- Graeme Edge used to tell the story how a DJ told Edge, he (the DJ) was responsible for the song being so popular as he was on the overnight shift and would come into work piss drunk and would need to relieve himself once he got to the studio. He needed a long song to make sure he had enough time take a leak. Hence he would open every one of his shows with “NIWS”. Edge, who was a really funny guy, said, “So we owe all our success to a drunk DJ with a weak bladder!!”
As a former DDJ, we liked the live version of Freebird.
14 minutes and 10 seconds. I still remember it to this day. Used to play it when a lady came to visit me at the station (I was all alone at night, no other employees were there).