This was inspired by Steve Wright in the afternoons
“none stop oldies," on Radio 2. I’ve been adding to the list from time to time as I think
of them and hear them on the radio, there are so many great tunes out there. Numbers
1 – 3 – 4 – 7 are songs I would like to be
played at my funeral, these are highlighted
below. The songs are not in any order. Since I started this I have decided
to do only one song from each band or artist, which is not easy at all. I have
cheated in some cases where people or bands have sung with others.
One
thing I really like in a good song, as well as the tune of course, and that is
the lyrics. Some of the lyrics are just so good, I have written some to each
song below. These can be for many reasons, they can be happy, sad, funny or
that I just like them. I have also tried to explain what I and others think the songs are about.
In November 2021 it was 30 years since Freddie Mercury of Queen died and Radio 2 devoted an hour on him for on the Friday night in Garry Davis Sounds of the 80’s. It was just great!
1. American Pie – Don McLean.
This is my favourite all time song.
I think the lyrics are great and while I think, I know what a lot of them mean,
it is good fun hearing what other people think. There are fan websites entirely
dedicated to solving the mysteries.
The song seems to be about his life
and things he had seen and the political and cultural decline of the US in the
1960’s, and a farewell to the American dream.
“The day the music died” is meant to refer to the plane crash on the 3rd February 1959 in which rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly – Richie Valens – “The Big Bopper” (JP Richardson) died along with pilot Roger Peterson near Clear Lake, Iowa, USA.
It is a double 'A' side, 8 minutes 33 seconds long. From
the album of the same name, 1971. I have written the last two verses, which I
know what I think they mean, what about you?
I met a girl who sang the blues,
And I asked her for some happy news,
But she just smiled and turned away.
I went down to the sacred store,
Where I’d heard the music years before,
But the man there said the music wouldn’t play.
And in the streets the children screamed,
The lovers cried, and the poets dream,
But not a word was spoken,
The church bells all were broken,
And the three men I admire the most,
The father, Son and the Holy Ghost,
They caught the last train to the coast,
The day the music died.
And they were singing’
Bye, bye...
Allegedly, the father is Abraham Lincoln, the son JFK, the holy ghost, Martin Luther King Jr. All assassinated, of course.
2. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen.
" 
From the album A Night at the Opera, 1975. Written by Freddie Mercury, this my favourite Queen song, but I like them a lot and they have had so many great tunes.
It is about a young man who accidentally
killed someone. It is very intense and many of the words used are from the
Qur’an. “Bismillah” literally means “In the name of Allah.” “Beelzebub” is one
of the many names for The Devil. 1975. Just a few lines at the start:
Mamaaa, just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger,
Now he’s dead.
Mamaaa, life had just begun,
But now I’ve gone and thrown it all away.
Mam ooh,
Didn’t mean to make you cry,
If I’m not back this time tomorrow,
Carry on, carry on, as if nothing’ really matters.
These lines are from the second verse. I find it very sad, but a great song!
3. Sit Down – James.
The lyrics to this
are really good, and also, I really like the tune. The words are about someone
who has known some very low points in their life. Some really good lines are:
“If I hadn’t seen such riches I could live with being poor.”
Three outstanding lines near the end are:
Those who feel the breath of sadness,
Sit down next to me.
Those who find there are touched by madness,
Sit down next to me.
Those who find themselves ridiculous,
Sit down next to me.
In love, in fear, in hate in tears.
Sit down next to me.
Those lines are how I try to be in life, anyone who may need help: Can, sit down next to me!!! From the album Gold Mother. 1989.
4. Imagine – John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band.
This was a year or so
after the Beatles split up. It called for peace during the Vietnam War, and
urged people around the world to live in unity, unfortunately not only has it
never happened, I don’t think it ever will! Imagine means dream then appreciate
the people will always be there for you no matter what.
Imagine if some of the lines below came
true one day? 1971, from the album of the same name:
Imagine no possessions,
I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people, sharing all the world.
You may say I’m a dreamer,
But I’m not the only one,
I hope someday you’ll join us,
And
the world will live as one.
5. Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell.
I would have been 17 or 18 when this came out, I found it a bit of a fun song, but it does have a serious message regarding losing the country side and the famers ruining the crops using DDT.
I know a lot of people say they don’t like the end where she puts on
a man’s voice then laughs, I really like that bit. From the album Ladies of the Canyon. 1970. I think the
first verse goes a long way in what she is trying to say:
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot,
With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swinging hot spot,
Don’t it always seem to go,
That you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot!
Isn’t the second to last line so true?
6. All Along the Watchtower – The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
I saw Jimi at his last performance before
he died at the Isle of Wight music
festival 1970. I wasn’t 18 until 12 days later. While Jimi was American he came
to England and made his name here. When he toured the USA, some places billed
him as English! This is how it starts:
There must be some kind of way out of here,
Said the joker to the thief,
There’s too much confusion,
I can’t get no relief.
Business men, they drink my wine,
Ploughmen dig my earth,
None will level on the line,
Nobody offered his word,
Hey, hey.
1. 7. Seasons in the Sun – Terry Jacks.
This a song I like, but it is only recently I found out it was about a person who was about to kill
their self. It is a sad song, but it is saying goodbye to the ones he loved. I
also read that it was first a French
song “Le Moribund” (translated “The Dying Man”) and was based on the
tale of an old man drying of heartache due to his wife cheating on him with his
best friend. I heard it at a funeral a
short time ago and then added it to my list. 1974. This is the first verse:
Goodbye to you my trusted friend,
We’ve known each other since we were nine or ten,
Together we’ve climbed hills and trees,
Learned of love and ABC’s,
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees,
Goodbye my friend it’s hard to die,
When all the birds are singing in the sky.
8. Hey Jude – The Beatles.
Where do you start
with the Beatles? I could fill many pages with their songs on them, but will
not. I like so many of their tunes but kept to this one.
This is a 1968 song from the album of the
same name. The meaning of the song is meant to be about John Lennon’s son
Julien. It is a ballad written by Paul McCartney for Julien and was originally
“Hey Jules.” It was to comfort him
after his parents’ marriage broke up and his father left his mother for Yoko
Ono. The lyrics espouse a positive outlook on a sad situation and encourages
“Jude” to pursue his opportunities to find love:
Hey Jude, don’t make it bad,
Take a sad song and make it better.
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better.
Hey Jude, don’t be afraid,
You were made to go out and get her.
The minute you let her under your skin,
Then you begin to make it better.
9. Under Pressure – Queen and David Bowie.
In 1989 a song called Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice came out, and had the same musical intro. It drove me mad every time it came on the radio thinking it was Under Pressure.
Another with some really good lyrics, I am sure a lot of people can relate to some of the lines below:
Pressure, pushing down on me,
Pressing down on you, no man asks for more,
Under pressure, that burns a building down,
Splits a family in two,
Puts people on streets.
Or:
It’ the terror of knowing what the world is about,
Watching some good friends screaming,
“Let me out!”
Pray tomorrow gets me higher,
Pressure on people, people on streets.
10. Space Oddity – David Bowie.
I like lots of Bowie
songs but choose this one as it has an unusual story line and also from my
younger days. It is in fact a sad song in so much as Major Tom seems to die,
but he does turn up again in Ashes to Ashes.
From the album of the same name, 1969.
Major Tom blasts off into space,
but then loses communications with ground control, and gets lost. Bowie was a known
drug user at the time. There has been much speculation that the song could be a
metaphor for a drugs overdose. When you listen to the lyrics it could well be
the case:
Can you hear me Major Tom?
Can you “Here am I ‘floating round my tin can,
Far above the moon,
Planet earth is blue,
And there is nothing I can do."
And in Ashes to Ashes these lines
say:
We know Major Tom’s a junkie,
Strung out in the heavens high,
Hitting an all-time low.
11. My Way – Frank Sinatra.
When
I read up on this song it said: It represents the quintessentially American outlook that nothing in life
matters more than living on your own terms. Well I have to say life is not
always like that. I have chosen the first two verses for you, the reader, to
see, what you think?
And so, I
face the final curtain,
My friends,
I’ll make it clear,
I’ll state my
case of which I am certain.
I’ve a life that’s full,
I have
travelled each and every highway,
But more,
much more than this,
I did it my
way!
If you the reader have not heard this for a long time, or ever, I would recommend “you check it out!”
12. Ring of fire – Johnny Cash.
Love is a
burning thing,
And it makes
a fiery ring,
Bound by wild
desire,
I fell into
the ring of fire,
I fell into a
burning ring of fire,
I went down,
down, down and the flames went higher,
And it burns,
burns, burns, the ring of fire,
The ring of
fire.
Johnny Cash was known as, 'the man in black.'
13. Parklife – Blur.
The joggers going, around and around! Who’s that gut lord marching,
You should
cut down on your porklife mate, get some exercise.
I get up when I want, except on Wednesday when I get rudely awakened by the dustmen.”
I know about the last line now that I am retied and have tried to lay in at times, ours come on Tuesday. It is well worth reading the lyrics, I think someone must have spent a long time in the park watching everyone. I also like these lines:
I feed the pigeons, I sometimes feed the sparrows too,
It gives me a
sense of enormous well-being (Parklife)
And I’m happy
for the rest of the day,
Safe in the
knowledge there will always be,
A bit of my heart devoted to it.
14. The Living Years – Mike and the Mechanics.
This band was formed in 1985 as a side project by Mike Rutherford of Genesis. I really like the song as it says a lot about how we live and how we should live. It is about people trying to get on, people seeing “eye to eye” a bit more. It says in it a few times, oh, it’s too late when we die. How true that is.
I am going to write some lines below which I think
says it all:
When my Father passed away,
I didn’t get to tell him,
All things I
had to say,
I think I
caught his spirit,
Later that
same year,
I’m sure I
heard his echo,
In my baby’s
new born tears,
I just wish I could have told him, in the living years.
15. Buffalo Solider – Bob Marley and the Whalers.
In my younger days I was really into Reggae, I have more from this genre later on. This is from the album Confrontation 1983, bearing mind Bob died in 1981 and the song had been recorded in 1978. The story behind the song is really how it is brought to life. The title and lyrics refer to the black U.S. cavalry regiments known as “Buffalo Soldiers,” that fought in the Indian Wars after 1866. Marley linked their fight to a fight for survival, and recasts it as a symbol of black resistance. This is another artist I could have gone for other songs, but I really like this one. I think the next few lines say a lot about the song:
In the heart
of America,
Stolen from
Africa, brought to America,
Said he was
fighting on arrival,
Fighting for
survival,
Said he was a
Buffalo Soldier,
Win the war for America.
16. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers.
From album Hollywood Soundtracks. This is just a real up-beat song, which I like very much,1988. While it is a very catchy tune, and I love the chorus, if you read the lyrics it is in fact a love song. One part that is sad is:
I am gonna be the man who’s lonely without you,
And when I’m
dreaming, well I know I’m gonna dream,
I’m gonna
dream about the time I’m with you,”
But I would roll 500 miles,
And I would
roll 500 more,
Just to be
the man who roles a thousand miles,
To fall down
at your door.
I now know the word ‘haver’ which is mentioned in the song, is a Scottish word that means to talk nonsense, gibberish, to talk rubbish. At the end of the song the last line says:
I love the Welsh!
17. Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.
I really like this version of the Judy Garland’s song from the film The Wizard of Oz. Israel’s version is used in the film 50 First Dates, which is such a sad film, but happy as well. If you haven’t seen it I would really recommend it.
Israel was a large chap from Hawaii, he died in 1997 when he was 38
of respiratory failure when he was just beginning to see huge success. The song
is about, hope, and that bad times will be over one day. I really like the
lines below. First released 1938.
Somewhere over the rainbow,
Bluebirds fly,
And the dreams that you dream of,
Dreams really do come true-ooh-ooh,
Someday I’ll wish upon a star,
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me,
Where trouble melts like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops, and that’s where,
You’ll find me.
A photo of Israel above.
18. You’ll Never Walk Alone – Gerry and the Pacemakers.
My wife Anne and I saw the play at The Open-Air Theatre, Regents Park, London, in the summer of 2021. It is very sad:
When you walk through a storm,
Hold your head up high,
And don’t be afraid of the dark.
At the end of the storm,
There’s a golden sky,
And the sweet sound of a golden lark.
Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain.
Though your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on,
With hope in your heart,
And you’ll never walk alone.
The photo above is from the The Open Air Theatre, summer 2021.
19. We Didn’t Start the Fire – Billy Joel.
A year ago, in June
2019, Anne, daughter Jean and I saw him at Wembley stadium on a Saturday evening, it was really good. At the begin he said, “I’ve been here before,
so if you saw me then, well this is the same old shit!” Well it was defiantly
not shit, but it was his old ones and it was a really great night!
Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again,
Moonshot, Woodstock,
Watergate, punk rock,
Begin, Regan,
Palestine, terror on the airline,
Ayatollah’s
in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan.
We didn’t
start the fire,
It was always
burning, since the world was turning,
We didn’t
start the fire,
No, we didn’t
light it, but we tried to fight it.
20. Bolero – Maurice Ravel. 1928.
I have
seen it performed live many times in the Classical
Spectacular at the Royal Albert Hall and it is so good. I love it, all
15 minutes 50 seconds of it, and how it starts so softly then ends in such a
crescendo.
Of course, there are no lyrics to talk about in this one (the only instrumental I have chosen) and this is the only classical I shall put on the list as I could do many. If a person ever has the opportunity to go to the Classical Spectacular I would highly recommend it. It always ends with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. This is also known as the 15-minute overture and is complete with cannon fire, ringing bells, and a brass fanfare finale and balloons pouring down from the ceiling. It is indeed, Spectacular!!!
21. Cool for Cats – Squeeze.
From the album of the same name, they had four UK hit singles from the album, in 1979. Got into Squeeze in the late 90’s, mainly because my son-in-law David. Again, I could have chosen many from this band such as: Pulling Mussels, Up the Junction, Labelled with Love, and so on.
Here are some great lyrics from this song:
She lets loose all the horses when the corporal is asleep,
And he wakes to find the fire’s dead and arrows in his hats.
And Davy Crockett rides around and says it’s cool for cats.
Or:
They (The
Sweeny) get gang of villains in a shed up at Heathrow,
They’re
counting out the fivers when the handcuffs lock again.
Or:
To change the
mood a little I’ve been posing down the pub.
On seeing my reflection, I’m looking slightly rough.
22. The Deadwood Stage – Doris Day.
Oh, the Deadwood Stage is heading on over the hills,
Where the
Injun arrows are thicker than porcupine quills.
Dangerous
land, no time to delay.
Or:
Hi Joe, say
where d’you get them fancy clothes?
I know, off
some fella’s laundry line.
Or:
The last to
the bar is a three-legged crow,
Set ‘em up
Joe, set ‘em up Joe, set ‘em up Joe.
There are many other good lines in it, if you have not heard it for a long time, or never at all, I would recommend it, it is good fun. Over the last weekend of 2020 Radio 2 had a complete weekend of “show tunes” from Friday to Sunday, to say it was brilliant is not over stating it at all, I really enjoyed it.
23. Deeply Dippy – Right Said Fred.
“Legs that go on for miles and miles, see those legs man.”
Here’s some other good lines.
Deeply dippy about the way you walk,
A contact
sport,
Let the neighbours
talk,
Deeply dippy
I’m your superman,
You’re my Lois Lane.
24. Wonderwall – Oasis.
I liked Oasis
music, a lot. This is another band where I could have picked many like Don’t look Back in Anger – Champagne
Supernova – Whatever, and many more. The band officially split in August
2009, following tensions between the Gallagher brothers, there were rumours
about a fight between the two backstage at a concert.
The song seems to be a kind of a love song,
how the singer feels about someone, but it seems to not be returned. From the
album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory. 1995.
That the fire
in your heart is out,
I’m sure
you’ve heard it all before,
But you never
really had a doubt,
I don’t believe
that anybody,
Feels the way I do, about you now.
25. Pinball Wizard – The Who.
The Who are one of my favourite bands, so again
choosing one song is not easy, and of course Elton John also had a hit with this in 1975. The song was written by Pete Townshend and was used in the first “rock
opera” Tommy, 1969.
I
think I was drawn to it when it first came out, as that’s what my mates and I
did in an arced we used to go to in Feltham, we played the ‘pin ball machines.’
And of course, this would often be playing. The idea of a “deaf, dumb and blind
kid,” getting all those replays, when I hardly ever did, what I got most often
was, a tilt!!!
Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve played the silver ball,
From Soho
down to Brighton, I must’ve played ‘em all,
But I ain’t seen nothin’ like him in any amusement hall,
That deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball.
26. A Whiter Shade of Pale – Procol Harum.
I have
just heard, on Steve Wright in the afternoon (14/01/2021) that all over the world,
on radio stations that play old records, that this is the most played tune:
We skipped the light fandango,
Turned
cartwheels ‘cross the floor.
I was feeling
kinda seasick,
But the crowd
called out for more.
The room was
humming harder,
As the
ceiling flew away.
When we
called out for another drink,
The waiter
brought a tray.
27. Mamma Mia – ABBA.
Like The Beatles, where do you start with ABBA? They have such a great “back catalogue” that it is really hard. I went for this song because of the stage musical, which I have seen twice and the films. They are just very good fun, with that “feel good factor.” From the album ABBA, 1975. Like The Beatles I would have no problem just listening too their tunes all day. Dancing Queen – Chiquitita – Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! – Waterloo – Money Money Money. The list goes on and on.
This is a song about a person who has been
repletely cheated on by their other half/partner. The first line is, I’ve been cheated by you since I don’t know
when? Well that says it all I think, then when a person listens to the
chorus, well:
Mamma Mia, here I go again,
My, my, how can I resist you,
Mamma Mia,
does it show again,
My, my, just
how much I’ve missed you.
Yes, I’ve
been broken-hearted,
Blue since
the day we parted,
Why, why did
I ever let you go?
Mamma Mia,
now I really know,
My, my, I
should not’ve let you go.
28. Disco 2000 – Pulp.
Think this is a simple song, it tells the story of the narrator falling for a childhood friend called Deborah, who is more popular than he is, and he is wondering what it would be like to meet again when they are older. From the album Different Class, 1995.
It
has some good lyrics but I have chosen the ones below, they are sad really. In
some ways it is similar to Wind Beneath
My Wings, which is later in the list. Common
People is another one I really like from this band, again some really good
lyrics, but I am going for this one.
You were the first girl at school to get breasts,
And Martyn said that you were the best,
Oh, the boys all loved you,
but I was a mess,
I had to watch them trying to get you undressed,
We were friends, that was as far as it went,
I used to walk you home sometimes but it meant,
Oh, it meant nothing to you,
Cause you were so popular.
29. All the Young Dudes – Mott The Hoople.
Well, Billy rapped all night about his suicide,
How he’d kick it in the head when he was twenty-five,
Speed jive, don’t want to stay alive when you’re twenty-five,
And Wendy’s stealing clothes from Marks & Sparks,
And Freddy’s got spots from ripping off stars from his face.
Funky little boat,
The television man is crazy,
Saying we’re juvenile delinquent wrecks,
Man, I need a TV when I’ve got T. Rex,
Hey brother you guessed I’m a dude.
All the young dudes:
30. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John.
From the double album of the same name,
it was first released in 1973. The image was taken from the film the Wizard of Oz. In the film Dorothy and
friends follow the yellow brick road in search of the magical Wizard of Oz, only to find they had what
they were looking for all along. That could happen to a lot of people in their
lives.
I have read that the lyrics are about
giving up a life of opulence for one of simplicity in a rural setting:
When are you gonna come down?
When are you going to land?
I should have stayed on the farm,
I should have listened to my old man.
You know you can’t hold me forever,
I didn’t sign up with you,
I’m not a present for your friends to open,
The boy’s too young to be singing,
The blues, ah, ah.
Chorus:
So goodbye yellow brick road,
Where the dogs of society howl,
You can’t plant me in your penthouse,
I’m going back to my plough.
31. This Wheels on Fire – Brian Auger & The Trinity & Julie Driscoll.
What
is this song about? Well, it’s not easy to find out, but one I came up with is
about God, and rejecting his judgment for your own – hence free will:
We’re going
to meet again and wait,
So, I’m going
to unpack all my things,
And sit
before it gets too late,
No man alive
will come to you,
With another
tale to tell,
But you know
that we shall meet again,
If your
memory serves you well.
This wheel’s
on fire,
Rolling down
the road,
Best notify
my next of kin,
This wheel
shall explode!
What do you think?
32. Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond.
Again, with Neil I could have chosen many of his songs: Forever in Blue Jeans – I am…I Said – Cherry, Cherry – Solitary Man – America. And the list goes on. This did in fact become an anthem for the England football team during Euro 2020 (held in 2021 because of Covid). The chorus everyone sings to is below:
Hands,
touching hands,
Reaching out,
touching me, touching you.
Sweet
Caroline,
Good times
never seemed so good,
Sweet
Caroline,
I believe
they never could,
Sweet
Caroline,
Good times
never seemed so good.
Poor old Johnny Ray,
Sounded sad
upon the radio,
Moved a
million hearts in mono,
Our mothers
cried,
Sang along,
who’d blame them?
You’re grown
(you’re grown up)
So, grown
(you’re grown up)
Now I must
say more than ever,
(Come on
Eileen)
Toora loora
toora loo rye ay,
And you can
sing just like our fathers.
34. Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin.
From the album Led Zeppelin IV, 1971. An interesting fact I found out while researching this tune is, that it is 7.5 minutes long, which is about the time it takes a person to smoke a cigarette?
I have
been told a few theories of what people think it’s about. One of the main ones
is drugs, these are the first few lines, make your own mind up:
There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold,
And she’s
buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets
there she knows, if the stores are closed,
With a word
she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and
she’s buying a stairway to heaven.
There’s a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure,
Cause you
know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by
the brook, there’s a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all
of our thoughts are misgiven,
You know.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven!
According to social scientists, is a clear reference to drug use. I think I went for this one as I really like the tune.
35. Lola – The Kinks.
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Another group I could have gone for many songs, but I do like the lyrics in this, it about a chap being picked up in a Soho night club by a transvestite. In the song you would hear on the radio a person would hear the line. Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry cola. Because of advertising it was changed from, coca cola. I have a version where it says the latter, the song is from the 1970 album of the same name.
My wife
Anne and I saw Ray Davis at the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank in London,
some years ago, he was very good. I like all the lines in the song that point
to the fact that Lola is not a female, but the last few lines says it all:
And I’d never ever kissed a woman before,
But Lola
smiled and took me by the hand,
And said,
“Dear boy, I’m gonna make you a man,”
Well, I’m not
the world’s most masculine man,
But I know
what I am and I’m glad I’m a man,
And so is
Lola!
La-la-la-la Lola.
36. Brimful of Asha – Cornershop.
The recording originally reached 60 on the UK charts in 1997. After a remixed version by DJ Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook) it became a critical success, reaching number 1 in the UK and 16 in the US. From the album, When I was Born for the 7th Time. The lyrics are a tribute to Asha Bhosle, she did playback singing for over a thousand Bollywood movies. I like it as it has a really good beat. I also love the name of the band if you think about the group’s heritage:
There’s dancing,
Behind the movie
scenes,
Behind the
movie scenes,
She’s the one
that keeps the dream alive,
From the
morning,
Past the
evening,
To the end of
light.
Brimful of
Asha on the 45,
Well, it’s a
brimful of Asha on the 45,
Brimful of
Asha on the 45,
Well, it’s a
brimful of Asha on the 45.
37. Golden Brown – The Stranglers.
What is the song about? In his book in 2001, The Stranglers. Hugh Cornwell states “Golden Brown’ works on two levels. It’s about heroin and also about a girl.” Essentially the lyrics describe how “both provided me with pleasurable times.” It came from the bands sixth album La folie, 1981. I will put a few lines below and you the reader can make up your own mind. I know which one I think it is from the lines below?
Golden brown texture like sun,
Lays me down
with my might she runs,
Throughout
the night,
No need to
fight,
Never a frown
with golden brown.
Golden brown
finer temptress,
Though the
ages she’s heading west,
From far
away,
Stays for a
day,
Never a frown with golden brown.
38. Don’t Cry for me Argentina – Julie Covington.
This is well up there in the top songs for me, from
the musical and film. This was recorded by Julie in 1976 for the concept album Evita, then later included in the 1978
musical of the same name. I have seen the film many times and I think Madonna
is very good, she has grown on me over the years.
We saw the show at the open-air theatre in Regents
Park last summer (2019) which I really enjoyed. I did some research on Eva
Peron at the time, and while I did know a reasonable amount about her it was
very interesting. Her story really is one of “from rags to riches.” If you have not looked into her I would
recommend it, there are some other very good songs from the show.
The
original play was, lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. As I
like researching things it is very interesting how they came up with this idea.
I have chosen a few lines below which I think sum up a lot about Eva:
And as for fortune and as for fame,
I never
invited them in,
Though it
seemed to the world, they were all I desire,
They are
illusions, not the solutions they promised to be,
The answer
was here all the time, I love you and hope you love me.
Don’t cry for
me Argentina.
Don’t cry for
me, Argentina,
The truth is
I never left you,
All through
my wild days,
My mad existence,
I kept my promise,
Don’t keep your distance.
39. Atomic – Blondie.
This was from their fourth album Eat to the Beat, written by Debbie Harry and Jimmy Destri, 1979. It was used in the film Bend it like Beckham. The song was one of 67 banned by the BBC during the Gulf War, because of the bombing connotations. Along with many other Blondies songs I really like this.
Regarding what this is about, well that’s not so easy to find out. I will do a few lines below for you the reader to think about:
When I met
you in the restaurant you could tell I was no debutante,
You asked me
what’s my pleasure?
“A movie or a
measure?”
I’ll have a
cup of tea and tell you of my dreaming’
Dreaming’ is
free,
Dreaming’
dreaming is free.
Tonight, make
it magnificent.
Tonight, make
me tonight,
Your hair is
beautiful,
Oh, tonight.
40. Sugar, Sugar – The Archies.
Whenever I hear this it instantly takes me
back to being 17/18 and, in the clubs, I used to go to then with my mates, Kew Boathouse, The Castle Richmond, Walton
Hop, Woking Atlanta, Bennies Feltham. My mates and I would be dancing, with
any females who would dance with us.
It is a love song, and here are a few lines below:
Sugar,
Ah, honey,
honey,
You are my
candy girl,
And you got
me wanting you.
I just can’t
believe,
The
loveliness of loving you,
I just can’t
believe it’s true,
I just can’t
believe,
The wonder of
this feeling, too,
I just can’t
believe it’s true.
Ah sugar!
41. Sailing – Rod Stewart.
From the album Atlantic Crossing (Deluxe Edition) 1975. I can’t hear this song without thinking of the time I spent in the Falkland Islands in the early 1980’s. We did sail there and any sing along there always ended with this and the workers waving their arms in the air.
I
really like Rod, and have seen him live. I like his gravelly voice, and I like many
others of his songs. My wife Anne and I saw him live in London just before
Christmas in 2005, he was really good, it was very enjoyable.
This song was rereleased when it was used for the BBC TV documentary Sailor in 1976. Below are a few lines from this song which I really like:
I am sailing,
I am sailing,
Home again,
‘Cross the sea,
I am sailing,
Stormy waters,
To be near you,
To be free.
Can you hear me? Can you hear me?
Trough the dark night, far away,
I am dying, forever crying,
To be with you, who can say.
42. My Sweet Lord – George Harrison.
My sweet Lord,
Oh, my Lord,
My sweet
Lord,
My sweet
Lord.
I really wanna be with you,
I like to see
you Lord,
Oh, it takes
so long.
43. Baker Street – Gerry Rafferty.
Winding your way down on Baker Street,
Light in your
head and dead on your feet,
Well, another
crazy day,
You’ll drink
the night away,
And forget
about ev’rything.
He’s got this
dream about buying some land,
He’s gonna
give up the booze and the one-night stands,
And then
he’ll settle down,
In some quite
little town,
And forget about ev’rything.
44. Wind of Change – Scorpions.
It is
set in Moscow, Moskva is the river
which runs through the city and Gorky Park is an urban park in the
city, named after the writer Maxim Gorky. These are the opening lines below:
Follow the Moskva,
Down to Gorky
Park,
Listening to
the wind of change,
An August
summer night,
Soldiers
passing by,
Listening to
the wind of change,
Did you ever
think,
That we could be so close, like brothers.
45. Man, on the Moon – REM.
I have liked this for a long time and again the tune. I thought I had an idea what it was about, but now I have looked at the lyrics, well the truth is, I haven’t got a clue. I have looked at what people think, and I have given up, but here are a few lines below. What do you think? From the album Automatic for the People, 1992: For anyone who does not know, REM stands foe, rapid eye movement.
Moot the Hopple and the Game of Life,
Yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah,
Andy Kaufman
in the wrestling match,
Yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah,
Monopoly,
twenty-one checkers, and chess,
Yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah,
Mr Fred
Blassie in a breakfast mess,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
46. Eaton Rifles – The Jam.
This choice was between this and Going Underground which I believe was the bigger hit for this band, about nuclear war, it has a similar tune.
Eaton
is not far from where we live, and the second line says: There’s a row going on near Slough. It would seem that the lyrics
are having a go at the leaders, politicians sending the common man to war (WW1) while they sit giving orders,
sipping sherry? Here’s the first verse.
Sup up your beer and collect your fags,
There’s a row
going on near Slough,
Get out your
mat and pray to the west,
I’ll get mine
out and pray for myself,
Thought you
were smart when you took them on,
All that
rugby puts hairs on your chest,
What chance
have you got against a crest?
Hello-hooray, what a nice, for the Eaton rifles, Eaton rifles.
47. Baggy Trousers – Madness.
Son Paul, used to play Madness all the time when he was young which drove us made. But fast forward a few years when we were working together we were in a shop looking at records in London and they had a Greatest Hits out, he got the video and I got the CD as there were so many songs one there that I liked. When I read the lyric of this it does remind me of school, see what you think:
Naughty boys in nasty schools,
Headmasters
breaking all the rules,
Having fun
and playing fools,
Smashing up
the woodwork tools,
All the
teachers in pub,
Passing
‘round the ready-rub,
Trying not to
think of when,
The
lunch-time bell will ring again.
I think we may have gone to the same school?
48. Ruby – Kaiser Chiefs.
I like this song as well as the tune. When this first came out we had a lad working for us, called Simon, and he used to sing it at work all the time, it would drive you mad.
What’s
is the song about? What I have found out is that he, is in love with Ruby, and
she is playing him along. See what you think? From the album: Yours Truly, Angry Mob, 2007.
Let it never be said,
That romance
is dead,
‘Cause
there’s so little else,
Occupying my
head,
There is
nothing I need,
Except the
function to breath,
But I’m not
really fussed,
Doesn’t
matter to me,
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby.
49. Two Tribes – Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
I wanted one of their songs in here and it was between a few. Relax – Welcome to the Pleasuredome – The Power of Love, etc.
It is
an anti-war song, which I like. In the video that went with it, it showed the
leaders of the countries who wanted to go to war having to fight it out between
them, which I think might make them think twice? From the album From Wasteland to an Artificial Paradise.
1984:
When two tribes go to war,
A point is
all you can score,
(Score them,
score them al)
When two
tribes go to war,
A point is
all you can score,
(Working for
the black gas)
Cowboys number one,
Born-again
poor man’s son,
(Poor man’s
son)
On the air
America,
I modelled
shirts by Van Heusen
(Working for
the black gas)
50. Nineteen – Paul Hardcastle.
From the album of his name, in 1985, then in 1991 on an album called Wizard. It was about the average age of the soldiers fighting for the USA in the Vietnam War being 19, when WW11 was 26, and how they were treated when they went home, and their mental health issues. I will put a lot of lines below as I think it is so powerful, and what it says about war. The war lasted 20 years:
In 1965 Vietnam seemed like just another foreign war, but it wasn’t,
It was
different in many ways, as so were those that did the fighting,
In WWII the
average age of the combat soldier was twenty-six,
In Vietnam he
was nineteen,
In
inininininin, Vietnam he was nineteen.
According to a Veteran’s Administration study,
Half of the
Vietnam combat veterans suffered from what psychiatrist’s call,
Post-traumatic
stress disorder,
Many vets
complain of alienation, rage, or guilt,
Some succumb
to suicidal thoughts,
Eight to ten
years after coming home,
Almost eight
thousand men,
Are still
fighting the Vietnam War.
None of them received a hero’s welcome.
I remember watching a documentary about the war at the time on TV and thinking because of my age at the time if I was American or if Britain was involved I would have been called up!
51. Rubber Bullets – 10cc.
I went to a party at the local county jail,
All the cons
were dancing and the band began to wail,
But the guys
were indiscreet,
They were
brawling in the street,
At the local
dance at the local county jail.
“Well the band were playing, and the booze began to flow.”
But the sound
came over on the police car radio,
Down at
Precinct 49.
Having a
tear-gas of a time,
Sergent Baker
got a call from the governor of the county jail.
Load up, load up, load up with rubber bullets.
And
just one more line I love:
“We all got balls and brains, but some’s got balls and chains.”
52. Wake Me Up Before You Go – Go – Wham.
I have put this in because my daughter Julie (Ju Ju) played this all the time. I was working overseas at the time and when I was home on leave in the summer of 1984 this was on forever along with my son’s Paul Two Tribes. When I went back the family made a tape up for me to play which they had all talked on, you’ve guessed it, this kept coming up, and she put a copy in my suitcase! Good memories:
Jitterbug (4 times)
You put the
boom-boom into my heart,
You send my
soul sky-high,
When your
lovin’ starts,
Jitterbug
into my brain,
Goes a
bang-bang-bang,
‘til my feet
do the same.
53. Matthew & Son – Cat Stevens.
Another I really liked when I was young. I knew what the song about, but I think it is a song that I appreciate more now that I am older and of course worked for a few, Matthew and Son’s, if you don’t know the song, some lyrics below will give you some idea about it.
Stevens
formally converted to the Muslim faith in 1977, taking the name Yusuf Islam the
next year. From the album of the same name.1967:
Up at eight, you can’t be late,
For Matthew
& Son, he won’t wait.
Watch them
run down to platform one,
And thee
eight-thirty train to Matthew & Son.
Matthew &
Son, the works never done, there’s always something new,
The files in
your head, you take them to bed, you’re never ever though.
And they’ve been working all day, all day, all day!
There’s a five-minute break and that’s all you take,
For a cup of
cold coffee and a piece of cake.
54. I Do it for You – Bryan Adams.
While a
lot of people moaned about how long it was at the top spot it is a song I
really like it. It was the main song from the film above, but was not sung until
the end. I enjoyed the film also. It’s a real love song:
Look into my eyes,
You will see,
What you mean
to me,
Search your
heart,
Search your
soul,
And when you
find me there,
You’ll search
no more.
Don’t tell me
it’s not worth tryin’ for,
You can’t
tell me it’s not worth dyin’ for,
You know it’s
true,
Everything I do, I do it for you.
55. Islands in the Stream – Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers.
From the album Dolly Parton Live from London 2008. This is one of the most classic duets of all time, bring together two of country’s most iconic stars. This was a song written by The Bee Gees and was a hit for them in 1998. They decided to write it as a R&B tune for Marvin Gaye, but it later transformed into a country-pop crossover. Another love song.
Baby, when I met you there was peace unknown,
I set out to
find you with a fine-tooth comb,
I was soft
inside,
There was
something going on.
You do
something to me that I can’t explain,
Hold me
closer and I feel no pain,
Every beat of
my heart,
We got
something going on.
56. Long Shot Kick de Bucket – The Pioneers.
It was Starbright, Combat, Corazon,
Long Shot on
the rear,
It was a
Starbright, Combat, Corazon,
Long Shot on
the rear,
Combat fell,
Long Shot fell,
All we money
gone a hell,
All we money
gone a hell,
And Long
Shot, him kick de bucket,
Long Shot
kick de bucket.
I will say the race was at Caymanas Park, and Combat fell and brought down Long Shot! And hell, they lost all their money, not to worry about poor Long Shot, who did, kick de bucket!
57. The Israelites – Desmond Dekker and the Aces.
In the research I have done, few
people seem to know what its about. I was always under the impression it was
about poor people trying to make a living, what do you think?
I get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir,
So that every
mouth can be fed, ohhh, ohhh,
The
Israelites, ah, ah, ah.
My wife and
my kids, they packed up and leave me,
Darling, she
said, I was yours to be seen, ohhh (oh, oh, oh)
The Israelites.
Shirt them
a-tear up, trousers a-gone,
I don’t want
to end up like Bonnie and Clyde,
Ohhh (oh, oh,
oh) the Israelites.
58. Red, Red Wine – UB40.
I do prefer this version, but I do like
a lot of Neil’s songs. From the album Labour of Love, 1983:
Red, red wine goes to my head,
Makes me forget that I still need her so,
Red, red wine, it’s up to you,
All I can do I’ve done,
Memories won’t go, memories won’t go.
I’d have sworn that time,
Thoughts of you leave my head,
I was wrong, now I find,
Just one find makes me forget.
59. Young Gifted and Black – Bob & Marcia.
As I
have already said I went with mates to the IOW rock concert in 1970. All the
way on the train my mate (best friend) Eddie Armstrong was singing this song
all the time. Everyone was telling him to “shut up,” but he never stopped. Fast
forward 18 years, the job I was working on, we had a chap Martin start, who
came from Feltham, were I had lived. We didn’t know each other but we knew
people we both knew. He only knew Eddie as ‘Fast Eddie’ which I never knew him
as, he said he had died a few years before. Well while I had lost touch with
him and his family, I knew his Mum would have let me know, I didn’t believe it.
I was thinking of it all day. So, I would ring her that night and clear it up.
I finished work that night and got in my car to go home, I turned the engine on
and, this was playing. I was stunned, but knew then Eddie was dead. I rang his
Mum that night, and she had lost my address and was unable to contact me. I
cried that night:
Young, gifted and black,
Oh, what a
lovely precious dream,
To be young,
gifted and black,
Open your
heart to what I mean.
In the whole
world you know,
There are
billon boys and girls,
Who are
young, gifted and black,
And that’s a
fact.
60. Moon River – Andy Williams.
What is
it about? I always put it down as a romantic, love song. Which I think it is,
but when a person reads the lyrics it is, “two
drifters, off to see the world.” It also mentions my huckleberry friend. What
is “huckleberry? One’s huckleberry” is, the very person for the job. 1961.
Moon river, wider than a mile,
I’m crossing
you in style someday,
Oh, dream
maker, your heart breaker,
Wherever
you’re going, I’m going your way.
Two drifters,
off to see the world,
There’s such
a lot of world to see.
We’re after
the same rainbows end, waiting around the bend,
My
huckleberry friend, moon river and me.
61. I will always love you – Whitney Houston.
Dolly
had a number one with it twice in the US, when it first came out, then in 1982
on the sound track to the film The Best
Little Whorehouse in Texas. Whitney was number one in the US for 14 weeks
and then made the top three there after here death in 2012. It was number one
in the UK for 10 weeks in 1992. It is a song that must have made a lot of
money. Personally, I preferred Whitney’s version and really like her as a
singer. I think the lines below explain what the song means:
If I should stay,
I would only
be in your way,
And so I’ll
go, but I know,
I’II think of
you every step of the way.
And I will
always love you,
I will always
love.
Bitter-sweet
memories,
That’s I’m
taking with me,
Good-bye,
please don’t cry,
‘Cause we
both know that I’m not,
What you
need.
62. In the Ghetto – Elvis Presley.
I was never really an Elvis fan as a child, but I
could not leave him out. I think I was influenced by friends who never liked
him very much, but there is no getting way from how much he was liked and how
successful he was. As well as his songs he made 31 films. I have chosen this
song, as it is so poignant and very sad. As the baby grows up and becomes an angry
young man and dies with a gun in his hand, In
the Ghetto! 1969.
As the snow flies,
On a cold and
grey Chicago morn’
A poor little
baby child is born,
In the
ghetto,
And his mama
cries,
‘Cause if
there’s one thing that she don’t need,
It’s another
hungry mouth to feed,
In the ghetto.
63. Woodstock – Matthews Southern Comfort.
This
was a “one hit wonder” for this band.” I think the person telling the story is
trying to break free from the hassles of life in a city when they came across a
“child of God” on their way to the 1969 Woodstock
rock concert. I also think they had taken some kind of illegal substance
when a person sees the lines like:
Then can I walk beside you,
I have come
here to lose the smog,
And I feel
like a cog,
In something
turning,
Well maybe
it’s the time of year,
Or maybe the
time of man,
I don’t know
who I am,
But life is
for learning.
By the time I
got to Woodstock, they were half a million strong,
Everywhere there
were songs and celebration,
And I dreamed
I saw the bombers riding shotgun in the sky,
Turning into
butterflies above our nation.
We are
stardust, we are golden,
And we have to get ourselves back to the garden.
64. Walk Like an Egyptian – The Bangles.
I do like this song and also because it reminds of my daughter Claire Anne. I was sat in the dining room and this was on the radio, she just walked into the room started singing it and did the moves as she went, then left by the other door as if we were not there.
From the album, Different Light, 1986. It is supposedly about people on a North Sea
ferry watching people walking a round in rough seas and one said, “they are
walking like Egyptian’s.” Again,
great lyrics, like:
The blonde waitresses take their trays,
They spin
around and they cross the floor,
They’ve got
the moves (oh whey oh)
You drop your
drinks and they bring you more.
All the
school kids so sick of books,
They like the
punk and metal band,
When the
buzzer rings (oh whey oh)
They’re
walking like an Egyptian.
65. House of the Rising Sun – The Animals.
I remember this very much from my childhood, I was about 12 when it came out. What is it about? I always thought it was about a brothel. In my research it mentions this, but also about a woman who killed her father, an alcoholic gambler who had beaten his wife, her mother. The song also struck a chord with the troops in Vietnam and formed an indelible association with that conflict. From the album The Animals, 1964.
There is a house in New Orleans,
They call The
Rising Sun,
And it’s been
the ruin of many a poor boy,
And God, I
know I’m one.
Mother was a
tailor, yeah, yeah,
Sewed my Levi
Jeans,
My father was
a gamblin’ man, yeah, yeah,
Down, way
down in New Orleans.
Oh mother, tell your children,
Not to do what I have done,
Spend your lives in sin and misery,
In
the House of the Rising Sun.
In the House of the Rising Sun.
66. Hit me with your Rhythm Stick – Ian Dury and the Blockheads.
In the deserts of Sudan,
And the
gardens of Japan,
From Milan to
Yucatan,
Every woman
and every man
Hit me with
your rhythm stick,
Hit me! Hit
me!
Je t’adore,
ich liebe dich,
Hit me! Hit
me! Hit me!
Hit me with
your rhythm stick,
Hit me
slowly, hit me quick,
Hit me! Hit
me! Hit me!
In the wilds
of Borneo,
And in the vineyards
of Bordeaux,
Eskimo,
Arapaho,
Move their
body to and fro.
A joke I remember from the time was: What is top of the Irish hit parade? Hit me with your Shovel Mick.
67. Rotterdam (or anywhere) – Beautiful South.
And the women tug their hair,
Like they’re
trying to prove it won’t fall out,
And all the
men are gargoyles,
Dipped long
in Irish stout.
The whole
place is pickled,
The people
are pickled for sure,
And no one
knows if they’ve done more here,
Than they
ever would do in a jar.
This could be
Rotterdam or anyway,
Liverpool or
Rome,
‘Cause
Rotterdam is anywhere,
Anywhere alone,
Anywhere
alone.
68. The Devil Went Down to Georgia – The Charlie Daniels Band.
It is
about the Devil having a bet with “Johnny” as who can play the fiddle the best.
The Devil bets his fiddle of gold against Johnny’s soul. You know who won,
don’t you? If you don’t I would recommend a listen. From the album Million Mile Reflections 1979, also from the film – Coyote Ugly, 1979.
The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin’ for a soul to steal,
He was in a
bind ‘cause he was way behind,
And he was
willin’ to make a deal.
When he came
across this young man sawin’ on a fiddle and playin’ it hot,
And the devil
jumped up on a hickory stump,
And said,
“boy, let me tell you what.”
“I guess you
didn’t know but I’m fiddle player too,
And if you’d
care to take a dare, I’ll make a bet with you.
Now you play
a pretty good fiddle, boy,
But give the
devil his due,
I’ll bet a
fiddle of gold against your soul,
‘Cause I think I’m better than you!
69. Weather with You – Crowded House.
It is
a about a person who is troubled and are always on their own in a room. This
brings the line, walking ‘round the room
singing Stormy Weather. Ultimately the theme of the song, of course, that
you are creating your own weather, you are making your own environment. From
the album Woodface 1991.
Walking ‘round the room singing Stormy Weather,
At
Fifty-Seven Mount Pleasant Street,
Well, it’s
the same room, but everything’s different,
You can fight
the sleep, but not the dream.
Things ain’t
cookin’, in my kitchen,
Strange
affliction wash over me,
Julius
Caesar, and the Roman Empire,
Couldn’t
conquer the blue sky.
Well, there’s
a small boat made of china,
It’s going
nowhere on the mantelpiece,
Well do I lie
like a loungeroom lizard,
Or do I sing
like a bird released?
70. Barcelona – Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe.
I had this
perfect dream,
Un sueno me
envolvio,
This dream
was me and you,
Tal vez estas
aqui,
I want all
the world to see,
Un instinto
me guiaba,
A miracle
sensation,
My guide and
inspiration,
Now my dream
id slowly coming true,
The wind is a
gentle breeze,
El canto
vuela,
They’re
calling us together,
Guiding us
forever,
Wish my dream
would never go away.
71. I Don’t Feel like Dancin – Scissor Sisters.
I have always just liked this song. Now I have researched it is in fact sad in many ways. I did read that Jake Shears from the band who wrote it, was suffering from depression at the time, and it’s about him putting on a brave face at the time. He really didn’t want to dance, but he did it anyway. See what you think? From the 2006 album, Ta-Dah:
Wake up in the morning with a head like. “What ya done?”
This used to
be the life but I don’t need another one,
Good luck
cuttin’ nothin’, carryin’ on, you wear them gowns,
So how come I
feel so lonely when you’re up getting’ down?
So, I play along when I hear that favourite song,
I’m gonna be
the one who gets it right,
You better
know when you’re swingin’ ‘round the room,
Looks like
magic’s solely yours tonight.
But I don’t
feel like dancin’ when the old Joanna plays,
My heart
could take a chance but my two feet can’t find a way,
You think
that I could muster up a little soft shoe gentle sway,
But I don’t
feel like dancin’, no sir, no dancin’ today.
72. Melting Pot – Blue Mink.
Melting
pot is a metaphor for a society where many different types of people blend
together as one. Would the world be a better place if the words below came
true? I think it would, but I can’t see it happening, not for a long time
anyway.
I am
not sure if the second to last word in line six can be used these days? What
they meant was a little bit of all of us would be a good thing:
Take a pinch of white man,
Wrap him up
in black skin,
Add a touch
of blue blood,
And a little
bitty bit of red Indian boy,
Oh, like
Curly Latin kinkies,
Oh, Lordy,
Lordy, mixed with Chinkees, yeah,
You know you
lump it all together,
And you get a
recipe for a get along scene,
Oh, what a beautiful
dream,
If it could
only come true, you know, you know.
What we need is a great big melting pot,
Big enough,
enough, enough to take, the world and all it has got,
And keep it
stirring for a hundred years or more,
And turn out
coffee coloured by the score.
Would the world live together without fighting each other then? I am not sure, what do you think?
From the album of the same name, 1970. The lyrics are so profound, it’s about being there for someone, just a really nice song:
When you’re weary, feeling small,
When tears
are in your eyes, I will dry them all,
I’m on your
side, oh, when times get rough,
And friends
just can’t be found.
Like a bridge over troubled water,
I will lay me
down,
Like a bridge
over troubled water,
I will lay me
down.
When you’re down and out,
When you’re
on the street,
When evening
falls so hard,
I will
comfort you,
I’ll take
your part,
Oh, when
darkness comes,
And pain is
all around.
74. Tom’s Diner – Suzanne Vega & DNA.
Suzanne did
this version with DNA (1992) with music, I like them both, the beat
in the DNA one is really good. I can just
imagine her sat drinking her coffee and watching this all happening:
I am sitting in the morning,
At the diner
on the corner,
I am waiting
at the counter,
For the man
to pour the coffee,
And he fills
it only half way,
And before I
can argue,
He is looking
out the window,
At somebody
coming in,
“It’s always
nice to see you,” says the man behind the counter,
To the woman
who is shaking her umbrella,
And I look
the other way, as they kiss their hellos,
I’m
pretending not to see them.
When you look at the lyrics it is just a very simple song, which I really like.
75. What’s Going On? – 4 Non-Blondes.
25 years and I’m alive here still,
Trying to get
up that great big hill of hope,
For a
destination,
I realized
quickly when I knew I should,
That the
world was made for this,
Brotherhood
of man,
For whatever
that’s means,
So, I cry
sometimes when I’m lying in bed,
Just to get
it all out of my head,
And I’m, I am
feeling a little peculiar,
So, I wake in
the morning and I step outside,
And take a
deep breath and I get real high,
And I scream
from the top of my lungs,
What’s goin’
on?
76. Bat Out of Hell – Meat Loaf.
A song I have always liked, it was Meat Loafs and composer Jim Steinman’s debut album in 1977. The album was developed from a musical, Neverland, a futuristic rock version of Peter Pan. A bat out of hell relates to speed, and this is about motorbikes, it is 9 minutes 52 seconds long. When a person looks at the first verse it would make one wonder what is going on? What do you think?
The sirens are screaming, and the fires are howling,
Way down in
the valley tonight,
There’s a man
in the shadows with a gun in his eye,
And a blade
shinning oh so bright,
There’s evil in
the air and thunder in the sky,
And a killers
on the bloodshot streets,
And down in
the tunnels where the deadly are rising,
Oh, I swear I
saw a young boy down in the gutter,
He was
starting to foam in the heat.
77. Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Middler.
They
were in the same class at school. When they were young they spent all their
time playing together and everywhere they went they would be holding hands.
Beverly
was killed in a car crash with some of her friends in 1996 aged 15. My daughter
Jean came close to being in the car that night.
Beverly was into music, because of her parents,
but she loved this song and the film Beaches
which it came from. I was asked to do a eulogy at her funeral, which I did,
but it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. This song was played
along with Bo Rap and another. Every time I hear the song I think of Bev and
have tears in my eyes.
If you do not know the words, they are worth
looking up. But be warned, have a handkerchief handy! We also played this at my
sister Linda’s funeral on the 13th November 2020. Just a little
taster below:
Did you ever know that you’re my hero?
You’re everything I would like
to be,
I can fly higher than an eagle,
For you are the wind beneath my
wings,
It might have appeared to have gone unnoticed,
But I have got it all here in my
heart,
I want you to know, I know the
truth, of course I know it,
I would be nothing without
you.
78. If I Could Turn Back Time – Cher.
It is
said that she didn’t like the song to start with, but it grew on her, it was
seen as a major comeback for her in the late 1980’s. It is of course another love
song:
If I could turn back time,
If I could
find a way,
I’d take back
those words that’ll hurt you and you’d stay,
I don’t know
why I did the things I did,
I don’t know
why I said the things I said,
Prides like a
knife it can cut deep inside,
Words are
like weapons, they wound sometimes.
I didn’t really mean to hurt you,
I didn’t want
to see you go,
I know I made
you cry, but baby,
If I could
turn back time!
She wasn’t very nice to that person, was she?
79. The Days of Pearly Spencer – Mark Almond.
A tenement, a dirty street,
Walked and
worn out shoes less feet,
Inside it’s
long and so complete,
Watched by
shivering sun,
Old eyes in a
small child’s face,
Watching as
the shadows race,
Trough walls
and cracks leave no trace,
And
daylight’s brightness shuns.
The days of
Pearly Spencer,
The race is
almost run.
80. Nessun Dorma – Luciano Pavarotti.
In the
opera, Turandot by Franco Alfano and
Giacomo Puccini this is sung by Prince Calaf, who wanted to marry Princess
Turandot. Calaf then starts singing Nessun
Dorma which means “nobody shell
sleep.” Of course, it is normally
sung in Italian but I do have it in English.
I really
liked Pavarotti, never got to see him live and sadly he died in 2007 aged 71.
And of course, it always brings back memories of Italia 90:
No-one sleeps… no-one sleeps,
Even you, O
Princess,
In your cold
room,
Watch the
stars,
Which tremble
with love,
And hope!
But my secret is locked within me,
No-one shall
know my name!
No, no, I
shall say it on your mouth,
When the light breaks.
81. Yellow – Coldplay.
From the year 2000, properly the first song I have put in from the 21st century. It comes from the album of the same name. It’s a song I like a lot.
Chris
Martin who wrote it, is said to have named it after the book Yellow Pages when
he was writing it. It is a love song.
Just
looking back, I can see it is in fact the second from the 21st
century after, I don’t feel like Dancin, The
Scissor Sisters.
Look at the stars,
Look how they
shine for you,
And
everything you do,
Yeah, they
were all yellow.
I came along,
I wrote a
song for you,
And all the
things you do,
And it was
called yellow.
So, I took my turn,
What a thing
to ‘ve done,
It was all yellow.
82. Happy Together – The Turtles.
While I remember the song and it is their best-seller. The reason I have put this in is because we saw them on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Disneyland Florida in 2013, while we were on holiday with my wife Anne, daughter Jean her then husband Paul and his Mum and Dad Gill and Will. They had many groups popping up here and there as you walked around, it was really good. We also stayed for the fireworks at the end of the night which was spectacular. It must cost a fortune doing that every night. This is a love song, from the 1967 album of the same name.
Imagine me and you, I do
I think about
you day and night, it’s only right,
To think
about the girl, you love and hold her tight,
So happy
together.
If I should call you up, invest a dime,
And you say
you belong to me and ease my mind,
Imagine how the world could be, so very fine,
So happy
together.
83. On the Road Again – Canned Heat.
From the 1967 album, Boogie with Canned Heat. This is a song I remember from my youth. I would have been about sixteen when this came out and it was played it all the time in the arcade and youth clubs I used to go to.
While I
have sort off always known what it is about, “being on the road again,” just
reading the lyrics, well I can only say, it is very sad:
Well, I’m so tired of crying,
But I’m out
on the road again,
I’m on the
road again,
Well, I’m so
tired of crying,
But I’m out
on the road again,
I’m on the
road again,
I ain’t got
no woman,
Just to call
my special friend.
I have just done the first verse, (above) but take it from me, it is a very sad song!
84. Rasputin – Boney M.
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I choose this song after hearing it on the radio a little while ago and that was the first time for ages. Another band whose music I like. I always thought I knew what the song was about but now I have read the lyric and what it is meant to be about, it is more complicated that I thought. I am not going to write here what’s it’s meant to be about. It is worth listening to and maybe looking it up to read about.
They lived a
certain man in Russia long ago,
He was big
and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow,
Most people
looked at him with terror and with fear,
But to Moscow
chicks he was such a lovely dear,
He could
preach the Bible like a preacher,
Full of
ecstasy and fire,
But he also
was the kind of teacher,
Women would
desire.
85. Crocodile Shoes – Jimmy Nail.
I really like Jimmy, firstly as an actor, mainly as Oz, in Auf Wiedersehen Pet, also in Spender. Again, I could have gone for a few songs from this artist, Ain’t no doubt – Love Don’t Live Here Anymore. He did in fact have over 20 songs. I went for this but it is a very sad song about someone losing their love and feels the only friend he has got left is, those, Crocodile Shoes. 1994:
Wine, beer and spirits take me down,
The lights
are low and there’s no one else around,
The waitress
sure looks pretty and that’s a bad sign,
I smile at
her still you’re always on my mind.
With your crocodile shoes.
Crocodile
shoes, crocodile.
I’ve lost so much in a short time,
Don’t see my kids, how I miss my wife,
I let the world slip through hands,
And now I’m talking to the only friends I have.
Crocodile Shoes.
86. Rock DJ – Robbie Williams.
Me with the floorshow,
Kickin’ with
your torso,
Boys getting
high,
And the girls
getting even more so,
Wave your
hands if you’re not with a man,
Can I kick it
(yes you can)?
I got (funk)
We got
everybody,
I’ve got the
gift,
Gonna stick
it in the goal,
It’s time to
move your body.
87. (I can’t Get No) Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones.
While I was compiling this list, I put the Stones down then thought about a song when I got to them. I was 12 or 13 when this came out. It’s said that at the time the youngsters were, Beatles or Stones. Well I was in to The Dave Clarke Five, which I will come on to later.
I do
like the Stones but I don’t have a stand out song from them. I have been
looking at their back catalogue, well it just amazing the amount they have done
and their records sales. From the album Out
of Our Heads, 1965. Reading the lyrics, the chap, “just can’t get, no satisfaction.”
I can’t get no satisfaction, I can’t get no satisfaction,
'Cause I try
and I try and I try and I try,
I can’t get no, I can’t get no,
When I’m driving in my car, and the man come on the radio,
He’s tellin’
me more and more about some useless information,
Supposed to
fire my imagination.
I can’t get no, oh, no, no, no, hey, hey, hey,
That’s what I say.
88. Stop the Cavalry – Jona Lewie.
I am only going to do this one Christmas song as it is my favourite and I will explain later, I will also mention here some of the others I like, there are many, so here are just a few. Do They Know It’s Christmas? A Fairytale of New York, White Christmas, Little Drummer Boy, the list goes on.
Going
back to Stop the Cavalry, 1980. I do believe it was never meant to be
a Christmas song, but it had that word in it! It is not a long song and has a
lot of, dub-dub-a-dum-dum, in it. I
really like the tune but the main reason I like it is because its another one
about peace. Some lines are below, and a question for the reader. Do you know
the name of his girlfriend in the song? Answer at the end:
Hey Mr Churchill comes over here,
To say we’re
doing splendidly,
But it’s very
cold out here in the snow,
Marching to
and from the enemy,
Oh, I say
it’s tough, I have had enough,
Can you stop
the cavalry?
If I get home to tell the tale,
I’ll run for
all presidencies’,
If I get
elected, I’ll stop,
I will stop
the cavalry.
His girlfriend’s name is… Drum-roll – Mary Bradley. Did you get it? Without cheating of course.
89. Wuthering Heights – Kate Bush.
From the album The Kick Inside, 1978. An interesting thing I found out while researching this one was that Bush wrote this song at 18, she had been inspired by the BCC adaptation of the novel and also found out she shared her birthday with the author Emily Bronte.
One
of the things I really like about this song is that it is sang so powerfully
with so much emotion and passion, as if she living it, she really gives it
everything. Some lines that have so much feelings in them are:
Out on the wily, windy moors,
We’d roll and
fall in green,
You had a
temper like my jealousy,
Too hot, too
greedy,
How could you
leave me?
When I needed
to possess you?
I heated you,
I loved you, too.
Bad dreams in the night,
They told me
I was going to lose the fight,
Leave behind
my wuthering, wuthering, Wuthering Heights.
Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy,
I’ve come
home, I’m so cold.
Let me in
your window.
In 2022 Kate went to number 1 again with, Running Up hat Hill
90. Close to You – The Carpenters.
I chose this Carpenter song because of the part in the middle. I saw it in a film where the chap “sprinkled moon dust in your hair.” Again, a lot of songs to choose from but I really do like this song, and it is a real love song when a person reads the lyrics.
I saw
the film of the Carpenters story some
years ago, it was very sad, Karen was only 32 when she died in 1983. From the
1970 album of the same name:
Why do birds suddenly appear,
Every time
you are near?
Just like me,
they long to be,
Close to you.
Why do stars fall down from the sky,
Every time
you walk by?
Just like me,
they long to be,
Close to you.
On the day that you were born the angles got together,
And decided
to create a dream come true,
So, they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue.
91. Games Without Frontiers – Peter Gabriel
Hans plays with Lotte, Lotte plays with Jane,
Jane plays
with Willi, Willi is happy again,
Suki plays
with Leo, Sacha plays with Britt,
Adolf builds
a bonfire, Enrico plays with it,
It’s a
knockout.
If looks
could kill, they probably will,
In games
without frontiers-war without tears,
Games without
frontiers-war without tears.
Andre has a red flag, Chiang Ching’s is blue,
They all have
hills to fly them on except for Lin Tal Yu,
Dressing up
in costumes, playing silly games,
Hiding out in
tree-tops shouting rude names,
It’s a
knockout!
92. Cockles and Mussels. – William Crisp.
In Dublin’s fair city,
Where the
girls are so pretty,
I first set
my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she
wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Though
streets broad and narrow,
Crying,
“Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!”
The last verse is:
She died of a fever,
And no one
could save her,
And that was
the end of sweet Molly Malone,
But her ghost
wheels her barrow,
Through
streets broad and narrow,
Crying,
“Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh.”
93. Cats in the Cradle – Harry Chapin.
From the album Verities & Balderdash, 1974. Well when a person reads the lyrics to this song it is so sad. I will explain if you don’t know it. The person has a son and he is always too busy with work and other things to play and have time with his son, and his son said, “I’m gonna be like him.” And the son did, here’s the last verse, the father is old and now wants to have time with his son:
I’ve long since retired, my son moved away,
I called him
up just the other day,
I said, “I’d
like to see you if you don’t mind?”
He said, “I’d
like to, dad, if I can find the time,
You see, my
new job’s a hassle, and the kids have flu,
But it’s sure
nice talking to you dad.”
And as I hung
up the phone, it occurred to me,
He’d grown up
just like me,
My boy was
just like me.
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy
blue and the man in the moon,
“When you
coming home son?” I don’t know when.”
But we’ll get
together then, dad,
We’re gonna
have a good time then.
94. Bits and Pieces – Dave Clark 5.
I have put one in from this band because I was into them in the early 60’s mainly because of my mates, Bobby Baynham in particular, he loved the drumming, which I also like a good drummer. This was released as a single in 1964. While they did make a lot of songs in the 11 years together, they broke up in 1970. From the album, Glad all Over, which was also the name of their first hit.
Since you left me and you said goodbye,
(I’m in
pieces, bits and pieces)
All I do is
sit and cry,
(I’m in
pieces bits and pieces)
You went away
and left me in misery,
(I’m in
pieces bits and pieces)
And that’s
the way it’ll always be.
You said you loved me and you’d always be mine,
(I’m in
pieces, bits and pieces)
We’d be
together ‘till the end of time,
(I’m in pieces
bits pieces)
Now you say
it was just a game,
(I’m in
pieces bits and pieces)
But all
you’re doin’ is leavin’ me pain.
95. Walking on the Moon – The Police.
Another band a person could choose many songs from, ie: Every Breath You Take, Message in A Bottle, Roxanne, etc. I always thought it was a love song, and have not changed my mind since reading the lyrics. From the 1979 album, Reggatta de Blanc. I have to say there are a lot of repeated lines in it.
Giant steps are what we take,
Walking on
the moon,
I hope my
legs don’t break,
Walking on
the moon.
We could walk for ever,
Walking on
the moon,
We could live
together,
Walking on,
walking on the moon.
Some may say,
I’m wishing
my life away,
No way,
And if it’s
the price I pay,
Some say,
Tomorrow’s
another day,
You stay,
I may as well
play,
Keep it up, keep it up.
That line goes on for some time!
96. Whiskey in the Jar – Thin Lizzy
It was between this and the Boys are Back in Town, for this band. I went for this one because of the history behind it. This is an old and traditional Irish song. The song is about a highway man in Ireland, in the Cork and Kerry mountains. He robs Captain Farrell an officer in the British army. He is then betrayed by Molly, it is not clear if she is his sweetheart or wife? The song ends with him in prison, after he shoots the captain when he comes looking for him. Happy little tune.
As I was goin’ over the Cork and Kerry mountains,
I saw Captain
Farrell and his money he was a countin’,
I first
produced my pistol and then the rapier,
I said,
“Stand and deliver, or the devil he may take you.”
Musha ring dum a doo dam a da,
Whack for my
daddy-o,
Whack for my
daddy-o,
There’s
whiskey in the jar-o.
I took all of his money and it was a pretty penny,
I took all of
his money and I brought it home to Molly,
She swore
that she’d love me, never would she leave me,
But the devil take that woman, for you know she tricked me easy.
97. The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde – Georgie Fame.
It was in the late 1960’s when the film and song came out, the film in 67 and the song in 68. I was told years ago they wrote the song after seeing the film, not sure if that is true?
I saw
it on the cinema, as I said before I used to go every Sunday afternoon with my
mates at Hounslow. I liked it at the
time, but now I’m older, and hopefully a bit wiser, ha-ha, I see they were just
murdering criminals. I will do the last couple of verses below, which sums it
up:
They used to laugh about dyin’,
But deep
inside ‘am they knew,
That pretty
soon they’d be lyin,
Beneath the
ground together,
Pushing up
daisies to welcome the sun,
And the
morning dew.
Acting upon reliable information,
A fed’ral
deputation laid a deadly ambush.
When Bonnie
and Clyde came walking in the sunshine,
A half a
dozen carbines opened up on them.
In the song there is a lot of gun fire at this point.
Bonnie and Clyde, they lived a lot together,
And finally,
together, they died.
98.Another Day in Paradise. – Phil Collins.
I do
like Phil and a lot of his songs, we have another from him, coming up next. From
the 1989 album But Seriously.
She calls out to the man in the street,
“Sir, can you
help me?
It’s cold and
I’ve nowhere to sleep,
Is there
somewhere you can tell me?”
He walks on, doesn’t look back,
He pretends
he can’t hear her,
Starts to
whistle as he crosses the street,
Seems
embarrassed to be there.
Oh, think twice, ‘cause it’s another day for you and me in paradise,
Oh, think
twice, ‘cause it’s another day for you and me in paradise,
You and me in
paradise.
Think about it?
99. Jesus, He Knows Me – Genesis.
You see the face on the TV screen,
Coming at you
every Sunday,
See the face
on the Billboard,
That man is
me.
On the cover
of the magazine,
There’s no
question why I’m smiling,
You buy a
piece of paradise,
You buy a
piece of me.
I’ll get you everything you wanted,
I’ll get you everything you need,
You don’t need to believe in the hereafter,
Just believe in me.
100. Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash.
Darling, you got to let me know,
Should I stay or should I go?
If you say that you are mine,
I’ll be there ‘till the end of time,
So, you got to let me know,
Should I stay or should I go?
It’s always tease, tease, tease,
You’re happy when I’m on my knees,
One day it’s fine and next time it’s black,
So, if you want me off your back,
Well, come on and let me know,
Should I stay or should I go?
101. Ghost Town – The Specials.
Another interesting story behind this song. Addressing themes of urban decay, deindustrialisation, unemployment, and inner-city violence, it also came out at a time when riots were occurring in Brittan. I was always led to believe the town was Coventry.
The band
were falling out between themselves at the time of recording, and split up
shortly after. When I looked it up it says the genre was Reggae, two-tone, the
Reggae part surprised me. The song spent three weeks at number one in 1981.
From the album Friday night, Saturday
morning:
This town (town) is coming like a ghost town,
All the clubs
have been closed down,
This place (town)
is coming like a ghost town,
Bands won’t
play no more,
Too much
fighting on the dance floor.
The verse below is later in the song. I found it interesting and was thinking it is like times which we have been through, what do you think?
This town (town) is coming like a ghost town,
Why must the
youth fight against themselves?
Government
leaving the youth on the shelf,
This place
(town) is coming like a ghost town,
No job to be
found in the country,
Can’t go on
no more,
The people
getting angry.
102. Ride a White Swan – T-Rex.
What is
about? Well, after reading what people think, I have to say, I still haven’t
got a clue, that’s not completely true. It came from the Hippie and psychedelic drug
era. I know what I think, how about you?
Ride it on out like a bird in the sky ways,
Ride it out
like you were a bird,
Fly it all
out like an eagle in a sunbeam,
Ride it on
out like you were a bird.
Wear a tall
hat like a druid in the old days,
Wear a tall
hat and a tattooed gown,
Ride a white
swan like people of the Beltane,
Wear your
hair long, babe you can’t go wrong.
Take a bright
star and place it on your fore-head,
Say a few
spells and baby, there you go,
Take a black
cat and sit it on your shoulder,
And in the
morning, you’ll know all you know, oh.
103. Wandrin’ Star – Lee Marvin
While I said I would only do one musical and there are so many I like, I heard this for the first time for ages a short time ago and I have story that goes with it. The song is really good, I think it is finished off with Lee’s growly voice. I love the lyrics also. I think it is about a man who was born to wander and never settle. I will do the normal lyrics below but I really like these. “Do you know where hell is? Hell is hello. Heaven is goodbye for ever, it’s time for me to go.” From the 1970 film Paint Your Wagon. The ‘B’ side is I talk to the Trees by Clint Eastward. It worth listening to the song and also watching the film if you have never seen it, it’s very funny at times. Now for the story below.
This got
to number one in 1970 here in the UK, which made the charts "very uncool" with a
lot of people at the time. You have to remember the names of both sides of the
record for this story. I was talking to a mate of mine in our local pub, The Feltham Hotel, and he said, “can you
believe the number one is, I was Born Under a Wandering Tree?” He didn’t
laugh at this point so I take it he thought that was the title:
I was born under a wandrin’ star,
I was born
under a wandrin’ star.
Wheels are
made for rollin’,
Mules are
made to pack,
I’ve never
seen a sight that didn’t look better looking back.
I was born
under a wandrin’ star.
Mud can make
you prisoner, and plains can bake you dry,
Snow can burn
your eyes, but only people make you cry.
Home is made
for comin’ from, for dreams of going to,
Which with
any luck will never come true?
104. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes – The Platters.
I just thought this was a love song but looking it up, it says, the singer describes how he is in love, but his friends told him he was blind to the truth. “when your hearts on fire (being in love) the smoke gets in your eyes.” Making him blind to what is happening. From the 1959 album Remember When.
Esso Blue (the oil that was used in heaters) made an advert in the 1970’s using this song that was very funny. It is worth a laugh looking up the old Esso Blue adverts on YouTube.
They aske me how I knew,
My true love
was true,
Oh-oh-oh-oh,
I, of course replied,
Something
here inside,
Cannot be
denied” (Ooh, ooh ooh)
They said, “Someday you’ll find,
All who love
are blind,”
Oh-oh-oh-oh
When your hearts on fire,
You must
realize,
Smoke gets in
your eyes.
105. Galway Girl – Ed Sheeran.
I’ve always liked this, the tune etc, and I do like Irish music. I have now read the lyrics and I didn’t realise what it was about as such. It is about the night he meets the Galway Girl. The lyrics are really good. It sounds a bit of a wild night!
From the
2017 album Divide. At this point it
is worth mentioning the film Ed was in about the Beatles songs, Yesterday. A really good film, if you
haven’t seen it and you like Beatles music, it is well worth a watch:
She played the fiddle in an Irish band,
But she fell
in love with an English man,
Kissed her on
the neck and then I took her by the hand,
Said, “Baby,
I just want to dance.”
I meet her on Grafton Street right outside of the bar,
She shared a
cigarette with me while her brother played the guitar,
She asked me
what does it mean, the Gaelic ink on your arm?
Said it was
one of my friends’ songs, do you want to drink on?
She took a
Jamie as a chaser, Jack for the fun,
She got Arthur
on the table with Johnny riding a shotgun,
Chatted some
more, one more drink at the bar,
Then put Van
on the jukebox, got up to dance.
106. Bright Side of the Road – Van Morrison.
Just a song I have always liked, another love song, it has just got a good feel about it, The Bright Side of the Road. I like the music of this Northern Irish singer/song writer, who is a Sir and OBE. This is Included on his 1979 album, In to the music. It is a coincidence that Van was mentioned in the song above.
From the dark end of the street,
To the bright
side of the road,
We’ll be
lovers once again,
On the bright
side of the road.
Little darlin,’ come with me,
Won’t you
help me share my load,
From the dark
end of the street,
To the bright
side of the road.
And into this
life we’re born,
Baby,
sometimes, sometimes we don’t know why,
And time
seems to go by so fast,
In the
twinkling of an eye,
Let’s enjoy
it while we can (let’s enjoy it while we can)
Won’t you
help me share my load (help me share my load)
From the dark
end of the street,
To the bright
side of the road.
107. Vogue – Madonna.
I was never a Madonna fan to start with, but I have to say she grown on me over the years, and I do in fact now like a lot her songs. I have always known about the magazine Vogue but knew little more than that, but now understand a lot more about it. Vogue means the prevailing fashion or style at a particular time. The song now makes more sense, now I know that. I have just read that it has also caused controversy regarding the people that the song is about. From the album I’m Breathless - 1990:
Vogue (vogue)
Beauty’s where you find it (move to the music)
Vogue (vogue)
Beauty’s where you find it (go with the flow)
Greta Garbo and Monroe,
Dietrich and
DiMaggio,
Marlon
Brando, Jimmy Dean,
On a cover of
a magazine.
Grace Kelly, Harlow, Jean,
Picture of a
beauty queen,
Gene Kelly,
Fred Astaire,
Ginger
Rogers, dance on air.
They had style, they had grace,
Rita Haywood
gave good face,
Lauren,
Katherine, Lana too,
Bettie Davis,
we love you.
108. The Only Way is Up – Yazz & The Plastic Population.
We’ve been broken down,
To the lowest
turn,
Bein’ on the bottom line,
Sure, ain’t
no fun.
But if we should be evicted,
Huh, from our
homes,
We’ll just
move somewhere else,
And still
carry on.
The only way is up, baby,
For you and
me now.
Now we may not know, huh,
Where our
next meal is coming from,
But with you
by my side,
I’ll face what is to come.
109. Shotgun – George Ezra.
Homegrown alligator, see you later,
Gotta hit the
road, gotta hit the road,
Something
changed in the atmosphere,
Architecture
unfamiliar,
I could get
used to this.
Time flies by the yellow and green,
Stick around
and you’ll see what I mean,
There’s a
mountaintop that I’m dreaming of,
If you need
me you know where I’ll be.
I’ll be riding shotgun underneath the hot sun,
Feeling like
a someone (someone)
I’ll be
riding shotgun underneath the hot sun,
Feeling like
a someone.
110. Oh, Micky – Toni Basil.
This is was released in 1982. Toni was an American singer and choreographer, it was on her debut album, Word of Mouth. It was one of those songs which seemed to be on all the time when it came out, I found it really catchy and put it on here when heard it on the non-stop-oldies one afternoon and realised I had not heard it for so long.
Looking at the lyrics it seems she wants to take their relationship to
the next level, so what you think? As it was Toni’s only top 40 hit, so it is
classed as a, one hit wonder:
Oh, Mickey, you’re so fine,
You’re so
fine, you blow my mind,
Hey Mickey,
Hey, Mickey.
Oh, Mickey,
you’re so fine,
You’re so
fine, you blow my mind,
Hey Mickey,
Hey Mickey.
Oh Micky, what a pity you don’t understand,
You take me by
the heart when you take me by the hand,
Oh Micky,
you’re so pretty, can’t you understand,
It’s guys
like you Micky,
Oh, what you
do Micky, do Micky,
Don’t break my heart, Micky.
111.Bang, Bang. – BA Robinson.
This is a song from 1979, the album Asylum. I think BA was well known for his song writing. I remember first hearing this and wanting to hear it again. I think the lyrics are good and it is well worth listening to if you have not heard it for a long time, or of course ever before. It again is a love song but it is of famous people in history. I had a Scottish roommate for 9 months in Algeria called BA Robinson. Here are some of the lyrics below:
The straight jacket of true love’s fine? Bang, bang,
If you’re
Houdini in your spare time? Bang, bang,
Lord Nel and
Lady Hamilton they fought for love,
When he came
home from war he gave her what for love,
The mighty
fall when love has called.
Vampire friends desire to lust, fang, fang,
They fall on necks
then fall in love, pang, pang,
The Marquis
de Sade was happy with a stoke of love,
Sherlock
Holmes alone preferred a little toke of love.
Bang, bang, the mighty fall,
Bang, bang,
when love has called,
Bang, bang,
the mighty fall.
Tony and Cleo struck out for the free down Egypt’s way,
But Caesar
had squeezed her in Rome on his quilt for a day,
Hey, hey.
112. Band on the Run. –Paul McCartney and Wings.
This is the one I am going for Paul out of the Beatles, of course. It was his fifth album since leaving the band in 1970 and his third with Wings. The album of the same name was released 1973. A fact I came across regarding this album was that it was recorded at EMI’s studio in Lagos, Nigeria as he wanted to make an album in exotic location. But shortly before they went the drummer and guitarist left the group. So, with no time to recruit he went into the studios with his wife Linda and Danny Lane. Macca ended up playing the drums along with other instruments. They also got robbed in the street at knife point there losing a bag with tapes and new song lyrics in it. It is some story. Here are some lyrics I like:
If I ever get out of here,
Thought of
giving it all away,
To registered
charity,
All I need is
a pint a day,
If I ever get
outta here,
(if we ever
get outta here)
Well, the rain exploded with a mighty crash,
As we fell
into the sun,
And the first
one said to the second one there,
“I hope
you’re having fun.”
Band on the run, band on the run,
And the
jailer man and sailor Sam,
Were
searching everyone,
For the band
on the run, band on the run,
For the band
on the run, band on the run.
113. You’re Sixteen – Ringo Starr.
You come on like a dream, peaches and cream,
Lips like
strawberry wine.
You’re
sixteen, you’re beautiful and you’re mine.
You’re all ribbons and curls, ooh, what a girl,
Eyes that
sparkle and shine,
You’re
sixteen, you’re beautiful and you’re mine.
You’re my baby, you’re my pet,
We fell in love on the first
night we met,
You touched my hand, my heart
went pop,
Ooh, when kissed, I could not stop.
114. Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor.
Sinead is an Irish singer-song writer, this song is from her 1989 second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. It was written by Prince; Sinead’s version was released in 1990. It was named the number one world single by the Billboard Music Awards.
This
is another love song but it is about someone being dumped. I think it is really
sad:
It’s been seven hours and 15 days,
Since you
took your love away,
I go out
every night and sleep all day,
Since you took
your love away,
Since you
been gone, I can do whatever I want,
I can see whomever
I choose.
I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant,
But nothing,
I said
nothing can take away these blues,
‘Cause
nothing compares,
Nothing compares to you.
115. Nine Million Bicycles – Katie Melua.
This is a love song which I really like, it is so soft and I like Katie’s voice. It was written by Mike Batt, it was on her second album, Piece by Piece, the record was released in 2005.
Katie
was born in was born in Kutaisi, Georgia in 1984. She also had a hit with, The Closest
Thing to Crazy.
There are nine million bicycles in Beijing,
That’s a
fact.
It’s a thing
we can’t deny,
Like the fact
that I will love you till I die.
We are twelve billion light years from the edge,
That’s a
guess,
No-one can
say it’s true,
But I know I
will always be with you.
I’m warmed by the fire of your love every day,
So, don’t
call me a lair,
Just believe everything I say.
116. You’re Moving Out Today – Carole Bayer Sager.
A song from 1977. We, the family had just moved to Bracknell from Derby and I was working as a hod-carrier at the time and they had Radio 1 playing all the time and we would all sing along to it when it came on. Written by Carole Bayer Sager, Bette Middler and Bruce Roberts. Another with great lyrics which are very funny, here are some below:
I stayed out late one night and you moved in,
I didn’t mind
‘cause of the state you were in,
May I remind
you that it’s been a year since then.
Today the landlady, said to me,
(What did she
say?)
Your loony
friend just made a pass at me,
(Slap him in
the face)
Perhaps you
might enjoy a cottage by the sea.
So, pack your toys,
Your pretty
boys away,
Your 45’s
away,
Your alibis
away,
Your Spanish
flies away,
Your
one-more-tries away,
Your old tie-dyes
away,
You’re moving
out today.
I’m so sorry,
I’m so sorry.
117. Iko, Iko – The Belle Stars.
The version above was a cover on the soundtrack to the film Rain Man 1989. It is a tune I have always liked and always find myself jigging and dancing to it when I hear it. It turns out the song, originally titled “Jock-a-Mo,” was actually written in 1953 by James “Sugar Boy” Crawford. It tells of a parade collision between two “tribes” of Mardi Gras Indians. See what you think of some of the lyrics below:
My gran-ma and your gran-ma were,
Sit-tin’ by
the fire,
My grand-ma
told,
Your grand-ma
I’m gon-na set your flag on fire.
Talk-in’ ‘bout, Hey now! I-KO, I-KO, un-day,
Jock-a-mo
fee-no ai na—n,
Jock-a-mo fee
na-n,
Look at my king all dressed in red,
I-KO, I-KO,
un-day, I bet-cha five dole-lars he’ll kill you dead,
Jock-a-mo fee
na-n.
118. Uptown Top Ranking – Althea & Donna.
This is another song that seemed to be being played all the time I was on the hod, in 1978. This is another Reggae song which just gets my body moving every time I hear it. When this happens, it reminds me of of when Anne and I went on a Caribbean cruise in 2009. People (including us) would walk past a Reggae band, of which there were many and they would go into the Reggae Zone where they would dance as they walked passed.
In the lyrics while it’s on about the
night out some of the words are like the song above, and are from Jamaica, I
think:
See me ‘pon de road, I ‘earin’ you out to me,
True you see me in me in m’pants and ting,
See me in me ‘alter back,
Sey me gi’ you ‘eart attack,
Gimme little bass, make m’wine up m’waist,
Uptown top ranking.
See me in m’Benz and ting, oh,
Drivin’ tru Constant Spring,
Dem check sey me come from Cosmo Spring,
But a true dem no know an’ting,
Dem no know sey we top rankin,’ oh,
Uptown top rankin.’
119. You Can Call Me Al – Paul Simon.
If you
have never seen the video with Chevy Chase it is well worth a look. What is it about?
I have read it is about a man having a mid-life crisis (which I can see in the
lyrics) and was also inspired by his visit to South Africa and his experience with their culture. I do find it a
fun song. See what you think:
A man walks down the street,
He says, “why
am I soft in the middle now?
Why am I soft
in the middle?
The rest of
my life is so hard,
I need a
photo-opportunity,
I want a shot
at redemption,
Don’t want to
end up a cartoon,
In a cartoon
graveyard,”
Bonedigger,
Bonedigger,
Dogs in the
moonlight,
Far away in
my well-lit door,
Mr Beerbelly,
Beerbelly,
Get these
mutts away from me,
You know, I
don’t find this stuff amusing anymore.
If you’ll be my bodyguard,
I can be your
long-lost pal,
I can call
you Betty,
And Betty,
when you call me, you can call me Al.
120. It’ a Mystery – Toya Wilcox.
I like Toya, she has been around for some time now, in fact over forty years. August 2021, she has got a new album coming out that she wrote during the Covid lockdown.
Toya’s
husband, Robert Fripp is a guitarist, they have been married since 1986. He was
the founder of the rock group King Crimson. I like a lot of her songs but
choose this one. One could only guess what it is about? It's a Mystery! From the album, Anthem, 1981:
Somewhere in the distance,
Hidden from
view,
Suspended in
the atmosphere,
Waiting to
come through,
Sometimes
it’s so far away,
Sometimes
it’s very nearer,
Sound being
carried by the wind,
Just loud
enough to hear, feel its power within me,
Bells ringing
within my head,
So often I
have heard it cry,
But forgotten
what it said,
It’s a mystery, it’s a mystery.
121. Africa – Toto.
One line says, “As sure as sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti.” I did hear that it is not true, so, I have looked it up. Mount Kilimanjaro is in the Alpine Desert, the mount is 292 km from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. But of course, the writers have used “poetic licence.” I flew past Kilimanjaro early one morning on my way to South Africa, it is some sight.
I hear the drums echoing tonight,
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation,
She’s coming in, 12:30 flight,
The moonlight wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation.
I stopped an old man along the way,
Hopping to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies,
He turned to me as if to say, “Hurry boy, it’s waiting there for you.”
It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you,
There’s nothing a hundred men or more could ever do,
I bless the rains down on Africa,
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had (ooh, oo
122. Seventy-Six Trombones – Robert Preston.
This was from the film The Music Man 1962. I haven’t done a lot of tunes from musicals as I could do so many. I did say at one point that “I would only do one!!!”
I heard
this on the show tunes (EPOS) one Sunday lunch time and it brought back so many
memories from my childhood. My mate Bobby and I used to sing it a lot:
Seventy-six trombones led the big parade,
With a
hundred & ten cornets close at hand.
They were
followed by rows and rows,
Of the finest
virtuosos,
The cream of
every famous band.
Seventy-six
trombones caught the morning sun,
With a
hundred & cornets right behind.
There were
over a thousand reeds,
Springing up
like weeds,
There were
horns of every shape & size.
There were copper bottom timpani in horse platoons,
Thundering,
thundering, all along the way.
Double bell
euphoniums and big bassoons,
Each big
bassoon having its big fat say.
123. Convoy – C W McCall.
Ah, breaker one-nine, this here’s the Rubber Duck,
You gotta
copy on me, Pig Pen, c’mon?
Ah, yeah,
10-4, Pig Pen, fer shure, fer shure.
By golly,
it’s clean clear to Flag Town, c’mon,
Yeah, that’s
a big 10-4 there, Pig Pen.
Yeah, we
definitely got the front door, good buddy,
Mercy sakes
alive, looks like we got us a convoy!
Was the dark of the moon on the sixth of June,
In a Kenworth
pullin’ logs,
Cab-over Pete
with a reefer on,
And Jimmy haulin’ hogs,
‘Bout a mile outta Shaky Town,
I says, “Pig
Pen, this is the Rubber Duck,
And I am
about to put the hammer down.”
124. I Don’t Like Mondays – The Boomtown Rats.
I am choosing this because of the story behind
it, it is very sad. A 16-year-old school girl Brenda Spencer shot and killed
two adults and injured 8 children and one police officer, in her school
playground. She was sentenced to life in prison with a chance of parole after
25 years. She is still in prison in October 2021, 42 years on. When asked why
she did it, she said, “I don’t like Mondays. This will liven up the day:”
The silicon chip inside her head,
Gets switched
to overload,
And nobody’s
gonna go to school today,
She’s gonna
make them stay at home.
And daddy
doesn’t understand it,
He always
said she was as good as gold,
And he can
see no reasons,
‘Cause there
are no reasons,
What reason
do you need to be shown?
I don’t like
Mondays,
(Tell me why)
I don’t like
Mondays,
(Tell me why)
I don’t like
Mondays,
I wanna shoot
the whole day down.
125. Ob La Di, Ob La Da – Marmalade.
This is another bit of cheating by me. As it is a Beatles song, the big hit was with Marmalade 1968. The Beatles are credited with writing 229 songs. I have just found out that the phase of Ob La Di, Ob La Da is from the Yoruba tribe (Nigerian) and means “life goes on.” It is a story of two people meeting and going on to live, “Happy ever after in the marketplace.”
Desmond has a barrow in the marketplace,
Molly is the
singer in a band,
Desmond says
to Molly, “Girl, I like your face.”
And Molly
says this as she takes him by the hand.
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da,
Life goes on,
bra,
La-la, how
the life goes on,
Ob-la-di,
ob-la-da,
Life goes on
bra,
La-la, how
life goes on.
Hey,
Happy ever
after in the marketplace,
Mollie lets
the children a hand (foot)
Desmond stays
at home and does her pretty face,
And in the
evening, she’s a singer with the band.
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, Life goes on, bra.
126. Lady in Red – Chris de Burgh.
The song was written by Chris in reference to his wife Diane, who used to come and watch him perform at his parent’s hotel. Of course it’s a love song. It was released on the album Into the Light 1986. This song has turned up in a few films over the years, some being – American Psycho – Dodgeball – Baby Mama – Working Girl:
I’ve never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight,
I’ve never
seen you shine so bright,
I’ve never
seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance,
They’re
looking for a little romance, given half a chance.
I have never
seen that dress you are wearing…
Or the
highlights in your head that catch your eyes!
I have been
se blind.
The lady in red is dancing with me, cheek to cheek.
There’s
nobody here, it’s just you and me, it’s where I wanna be.
But I hardly
know this beauty by my side.
I’ll never forget, the way you look tonight.
127. Any Dream Will Do – Jason Donovan.
I have chosen this cover by Jason, mainly because it was in the stage play Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, first out in 1968. It is generally the beginning and the concluding song of the show.
It
has also been recorded by Donny Osmond and Lee Mead, child singer Christopher
as a B-side to We Will Rock You. It was number-hit in Ireland in 1974 for Joe
Cuddy in. It was voted Broadway song of the Year in 1981 and won a Ivor
Novella Award in 1991.
I closed my eyes,
And drew back
the curtain (uh-huh)
To see for
certain, (uh-huh)
What I
thought I knew.
Far, far away,
Someone was
weeping (uh-huh)
But the world
was sleeping (uh-huh)
Any dream
will do, the second verse.
1, 2, 3, 4,
I wore my
coat,
With golden
lining (hu-huh)
Bright
colours shining (uh-huh)
Wonderful and
new.
And in the east,
The dawn was
breaking (uh-huh)
And the world
was waking (uh-huh)
Any dream
will do.
128. Johnny Reggie – The Piglets.
Another song from my youth, well 1971, I was 19 years old. I was working away from home in Scunthorpe when this came out. I used to sing it all the time at work, to the point that I got the nickname, Tommy Reggie.
It was a novelty song credited to The Piglets and directed by Jonathan King. In his autobiography King said that the vocalists were session singers, “coached to sound like teenage scrubbers!” His words:
What’s he like Mavis?
He’s a real
tasty geezer.
He’s grown his hair a bit but smooth and not too long,
An’ wears a
baseball shirt with number seventeen on.
He looks great in his big white basketball boats,
He’s stupid
over football,
An’ he looks
me in the eye when he shoots.
Reggie, Reggie, Reggie,
Here comes Johnny Reggie.
He’s a tasty
geezer, an’ I’m his – here – inside.
129. Man, I Feel Like a Woman – Shania Twain.
This came from her third album Come on Over in 1997 and became the bestselling studio album by a female act in any genre and the bestselling country album of all time, selling over 40 million copies worldwide.
I do
like the song a lot and I used to hear it a lot as it was at a time when I
spent a lot of time going back and forward to work around the M25:
Let’s go girls,
Come on.
I’m goin’ out tonight, I’m feelin’ alright,
Gonna let it
all hang out,
Wanna make
some noise, really raise my voice,
Yeah, I wanna
scream and shout.
No inhibitions, make no conditions,
Get a little
outta line,
I ain’t gonna
act politically correct,
I only want
to have a little fun and,
Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy,
Forget I’m a
lady,
Men’s shirts,
short skirts,
Oh, oh, oh,
really go wild,
Yeah, doin’
it in style.
130. Linger – The Cranberries.
This is another song I like a lot and is a very sad love song. From the 1993 Everybody Else is Doing it, So Why Can’t We?
The
Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick. They were originally
known as the Cranberry Saw Us and were formed in 1989 by the lead singer Niall
Quinn, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawer:
If you, if you could return,
Don’t let it
burn,
Don’t let it
fade,
I’m sure I’m
not being rude,
But it’s just
your attitude,
It’s tearing
me apart,
It’s ruining
every day.
I swore, I
swore I would be true,
And honey so
did you,
So why were
you holding my hand?
Is that the
way we stand?
Were you
lying all the time?
Was it just a
game to you?
131. With a Little Help From my Friends – Joe Cocker.
This is from the debut album of Joe’s from May 1969 of the same name. Again, it is another Beatles song by Lennon and McCartney and was on their album, Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Without looking it up I think it was sang by Ring on there? While John Lennon claimed it was not about drugs, many people did not believe him. There are mentions of getting “high, with a little help from my friends.”
The
album for Cocker was certified gold in the US and peaked at number 35 on the Billboard 200. Cockers version was the
theme song to the TV series The Wonder
Years, during the 1980’s and 1990’s:
What would you do if I sang out of tune?
Would you
stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your
ears, then I’ll sing you a song,
I will try
not to sing out of key, yeah.
Oh, baby I get by,
(By with a
little help from my friends)
All I need is
my buddies,
(Try with a
little help from my friends)
I said, I’m
gonna get high,
(High with a
little help from my friends)
Oh, yeah.
132. You’re so Vain – Curly Simon.
The main thing about this song since it came out in 1972, is who is it about? It is in fact from her album called No Secrets, which is contradictory!
So, who
is it about? Most people thought it was about actor Warren Beatty, who the
singer dated in the early 1970’s. There are other names such as, Mick Jagger,
her ex-husband James Taylor, David Bowie, producer David Geffen and even Cat
Stevens. She did in fact say in later years it was about Beatty, more
specifically the second verse, which I will put at the bottom of what follows:
Son of a gun.
You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht,
Your hat
strategically dipped below one eye,
Your scarf it
was apricot,
You had one
eye in the mirror, as you watched yourself gavotte,
And all the girls
dreamed that they’d be your partner,
They’d be
your partner and,
Your so vain,
You probably
think this song is about you,
You’re so vain (you’re so vain)
I bet you
think this song is about you,
Don’t you,
don’t you?
Well you had me several years ago,
When I was
still quite naïve,
When you said
that we made such a pretty pair,
And that you
would never leave.
But you gave
away the things you loved,
And one of them was me,
I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee, cloud in my coffee, and you’re so…
133. Always Look on the Bright Side of Life – Monty Python.
I have put this in for a few reasons. Firstly, I do think it is funny in the film, The Life of Brian. It was sung by Eric Idle at the end of the film when they were all being crucified on the crosses. Secondly it has also become a common singalong at public events, such as football matches and many funerals.
Thirdly, we were a ship on a cold, dark autumns evening coming home from
Belgium when a fire broke out in the restaurant we were eating in. We had to
all go on deck, put life jackets on and sit under the life boats. I got
everyone on the deck signing this. Oh, by the way, didn’t sink:
Some things in life are bad,
They can
really make you mad,
Other things
just make you swear and curse,
When you’re
chewing on life’s gristle,
Don’t
grumble, give a whistle,
And this’ll
help things turn out for the best,
And.
Always look on the bright side of life,
Always look
on the light side of life.
If life seems
jolly rotten,
There’s
something you’ve forgotten,
And that’s to
laugh and smile and dance and sing,
When you’re
feeling in the dumps,
Don’t be
silly chumps,
Just purse
your lips and whistle, that’s the thing,
And…
134. Black & White – Pete Seeger.
This song was written in 1954 by David I Arkin and Earl Robinson. It was first recorded by Pete Seeger featuring an African American child, in 1956 it was on the album Love Songs for Friends & Foes.
While
the lyrics do repeat their selves a bit (a lot of songs do) I think it is just
a feel-good song, and of course does tell us how we should all live together!
The ink is black, the page is white,
Together we
learn to read and write,
A child is black,
a child is white,
The whole
world looks upon the sight,
A beautiful
sight.
And now a child can understand,
That this is
the law of all the land,
All the land.
The World is black, the world is white,
It turns by
day and then by night.
A child is
black, a child is white,
Together they
grow and see the light,
To see the
light.
And now we can plainly see,
We’ll have a
dance of liberty,
Liberty.
135. Day O (The Banana Boat Song) – Harry Belafonte.
I have always liked this song, “The Banana Boat Song” 1956. I would have been 3 or 4 at the time but it is a song that has always been there for me. I have to say this was also played in the film Beetlejuice. I will do more on that in my Best Films.
While I always sort of knew what it is
about, but when I was researching this I found out some more. It comes from
Jamaica’s banana-growing culture. At the end of the nights work, a banana
counter, known as “tally man,” would figure out much each worker would be paid.
“Come Mister Tally Man, tally me banana; daylight come me wan’
go home:
Day-o, day-o,
Daylight comes and we want to go home.,
Day, is a day, is a day, is a day, is a day, is a day-o,
Daylight come and we want to go home.
Work all night on a drink of rum,
(Daylight come and we want go home)
Stack banana ‘til the morning come,
(Daylight come and we want to go home)
Come Mister tally man, tally me banana
(Daylight come and we want to go home)
Come Mister tally man, tally me banana,
Daylight come and we want go home.
136. Bright Eyes – Art Garfunkel.
Is it a kind of dream?
Floating out on the tide,
Following the river of death downstream,
Oh, is it a dream?
There’s a fog along the horizon,
A strange glow in the sky,
And nobody seems to know where it goes,
And what does it mean?
Oh, is it a dream?
Bright eyes, burning like fire,
Bright eyes, how can you close and fail?
How can the light that burned so brightly?
Suddenly burn so pale?
Bright eyes.
137. Hotel California – The Eagles.
This was the fifth album by this American rock band. It was recorded at Criteria and Record Plant studios in 1976. It was nominated for Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
Hotel
California was not a real hotel. It was the bands interpretation of the high
life people lead in Los Angeles:
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair,
Warm smell of
colitis, rising up through the air,
Up ahead in
the distance, I saw a shimmering light,
My head grew
heavy and my sight grew dim,
I had to stop
for the night,
There she
stood in the doorway,
I heard the
mission bell,
I was
thinking to myself,
“This could
be heaven, or this could be hell.”
Then she lit
up a candle and she showed me the way,
There were
voices down the corridor,
I thought I
heard them say…
Welcome to
the Hotel California,
Such a lovely
place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely
face,
Plenty of
room at the Hotel California,
Any time of
year (any time of year)
You can find
it here.
138. Mr Blue Sky – ELO (Electric Light Orchestra)
This is a song I have always liked, it was on the bands seventh studio album, Out of the Blue, and was released in 1977, it was written and produced by the bands front man Jeff Lynn.
It is
a “happy” song and was once voted “the happiest song ever. In a poll of 1,300
adults ranging from 30 to 55-year olds on Greatest Hits Radio, the most likely
song to put a person in a good mood:
Sun is shinin’ in the sky,
There ain’t a
cloud in sight,
It’s stopped
rainin’ everybody’s in the play,
And don’t you
know,
It’s a
beautiful new day, hey, hey.
Runnin’ down
the avenue,
See how the
sun shines brightly in the city,
On the
streets where once was pity,
Mr, Blue Sky
is living here today, hey, hey.
Mr Blue Sky
please tell us why,
You had to
hide away for so long (so long)
Where did we
go wrong?
139. Rainy Days and Mondays – The Carpenters.
Another one I had forgotten about until I heard it on Steve Wright’s None Stop Oldies today, November 2021. They are another band that I could chose from many songs. I have always known it is a sad song, a person can guess that just from the title, but reading the lyrics she always goes to the one she loves.
Karen
Carpenter was 32 when she died in 1983. I saw a film about her once, it was
very sad. She had a long and unpublicized struggle with anorexia and died of
heart failure.
Talkin’ to myself and feelin’ old,
Sometimes I’d
like to quit,
Nothin’ ever
seems to fit,
Hanging
around,
Nothin’
around,
Nothin’ to do
but frown,
Rainy days
and Mondays always get me down.
What I’ve got
they used to call the blues,
Nothin’ is
really wrong,
Feelin’ like
I don’t belong,
Walkin’
around,
Some kind of
lonely clown,
Rainy days
and Mondays always get me down.
Funny, but it
seems I always wind up here with you,
Nice to know
somebody loves me,
Funny, but it
seems that it’s the only thing to do,
Run and find
the one who loves me (the one who loves me)
140. Abraham, Martin and John – Marvin Gaye.
This song was written by Dick Holler in 1968 and was his most famous song. The song is about the passing of Abraham Lincoln, John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jnr and Bobby Kennedy. While they were all assassinated the latter two were murdered early that year.
The
song does repeat its self a bit, but it is a song I like a lot as it is tribute
to four great men. And of course, the first three are mentioned at the end of
American Pie.
I do
like a lot of Marvin Gaye music. He like the others was assassinated on the 1st
of April in 1984. Has shot by his own father, Marvin Gaye Snr, in California
USA. He had intervened in an argument between his parents.
Has anybody here,
Seen my old
friend Abraham,
Can you tell
me, where he’s gone?
He freed a
lot of people,
But it seems
the good die young,
I just looked
around,
I just looked
around,
And he was
gone,
Has anybody
here,
Seen my old
friend John,
Can you tell
me where he’s gone?
He freed a
lot of people,
But it seems
the good die young,
I just looked
around,
And he was
gone.
Has anybody
here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell
me, where he’s gone?
He freed a lot of people,
I just looked
around,
And he was
gone.
141. Let the River Run – The St Thomas Choir of Men and Boys of New York City.
This is a song, written, composed and performed by Carly and released in 1989 and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year. It also was the theme to the 1988 film Working Girl.
I will
tell the truth and say that I heard this on the radio and had not heard it for
a long time and put it in, then realised I had already done a Carly song, so as
I like it I looked up to see who else had done it. The above was also on the
soundtrack to the film.
Let the river run,
Let the
dreamers wake the nation,
Come, the New
Jerusalem,
Sliver cities
rise,
The morning
lights the streets that lead them,
And sirens
call them with a song.
It’s asking
for the taking,
Trembling,
shaking,
Oh, my heart
is aching.
We’re coming
to the edge,
Running on
the water,
Coming
through the fog,
Your sons and
daughters.
142. 99 Red Balloons – Neha.
The song talks about the singer buying 99 red balloons in a shop and letting them go for fun. The song, is it little bit hard to understand, i.e. what is it about? It is meant to be about the dreams of the German people that were lost after WII. The 99 balloons represent the many dreams that each person had. While I have always liked the song it was not until lately that I knew what it was meant to be about. I am not sure what I think now that I have read about it. See what you think:
You and I in a little toy shop,
Buy a bag of
balloons with the money we’ve got.
Set them free
at the break of dawn,
Till one by
one, they were gone.
Back at base,
bugs in the software,
Flash the
message, “Something’s out there!”
Floating in
the summer sky,
Ninety-nine
red balloons go by.
Ninety-nine
red balloons,
Floating in the summer in the summer sky,
Panic bells,
it’s red alert!
There’s
something here from somewhere else!
The war
machine spring into life,
Open up one
eager eye,
Focusing it
on the sky,
When
ninety-nine red balloons go by.
99 Decision
Street,
Ninety-nine
ministers meet,
To worry,
worry, super-scurry,
Call the
troops out in a hurry,
This is what
we’ve waited for,
This is it,
boys, this is war,
The president
is on the line,
As ninety-nine red balloons go by.
This is the last Blog I am going to do for a short while, but, "I'll be back!"
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