Looking Glass – Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)

It’s good to be back…I was under the weather yesterday and not a bunch better today but better all the same.

This is a song that automatically takes me back to being a kid. When it was included on the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 soundtrack…it was exposed to many kids and teens which now lives on for another generation. I rarely cover AM Gold songs because early on I covered so many of them…and this one is worth it.

No one other than Clive Davis signed this band to a contract. He knew they had hit on their hands! Well…yes he did but he didn’t think this song was it though. This song was originally the B-side to a song called “Don’t It Make You Feel Good.”It’s a good song but not Brandy. Harv Moore, a disc jockey in Washington DC, flipped the record and played “Brandy” instead. It became popular in the DC area, and quickly spread nationwide.

This song was released in 1972 and it was a big hit. It still is being played today on classic radio and in any supermarket near you. It peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #1 in Canada, and #51 in the UK.

It was written by the lead singer Elliot Lurie. Looking Glass didn’t hang around too much longer… after a minor hit the next year with “Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne,” Lurie left the band to pursue a solo career.

There is another reason why Looking Glass didn’t do more. They were originally a hard rock band from New Jersey until the success of “Brandy,” which pushed them (reluctantly) into a softer direction. Apparently, the band was never entirely pleased with the song’s success or their new direction, and they never really altered their heavier stage act to accommodate what their new listeners were used to hearing from them on the radio.

I’m sure that Lurie doesn’t mind the softness now when the song is included in movies and soundtracks.

Elliot Lurie: Brandy is a made-up individual,” he said. “The name was derived from a high school girlfriend I had whose name was Randy with an ‘R.’ Usually when I write — I still do it the same way I did back then — I strum some guitar and kind of sing along with the first things that come to mind. Her name came up. Then I started writing the rest of the song, and it was about a barmaid. I I thought Randy was an unusual name for a girl, it could go either way, and (the song was about) a barmaid, so I changed it to Brandy.”

Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)

There’s a port on a western bay
And it serves a hundred ships a day
Lonely sailors pass the time away
And talk about their homes

And there’s a girl in this harbor town
And she works layin’ whiskey down
They say, Brandy, fetch another round
She serves them whiskey and wine

The sailors say, “Brandy, you’re a fine girl” (you’re a fine girl)
“What a good wife you would be” (such a fine girl)
“Yeah, your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea”

Brandy wears a braided chain
Made of finest silver from the North of Spain
A locket that bears the name
Of the man that Brandy loved

He came on a summer’s day
Bringin’ gifts from far away
But he made it clear he couldn’t stay
No harbor was his home

The sailor said, “Brandy, you’re a fine girl” (you’re a fine girl)
“What a good wife you would be” (such a fine girl)
“But my life, my love and my lady is the sea”

Yeah, Brandy used to watch his eyes
When he told his sailor story
She could feel the ocean fall and rise
She saw its ragin’ glory
But he had always told the truth, Lord, he was an honest man
And Brandy does her best to understand

At night when the bars close down
Brandy walks through a silent town
And loves a man who’s not around
She still can hear him say

She hears him say, “Brandy, you’re a fine girl” (you’re a fine girl)
“What a good wife you would be” (such a fine girl)
“But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea”

It is, it is
Yes, it is, yes it is

He said, “Brandy, you’re a fine girl” (you’re a fine girl)
“What a good wife you would be” (such a fine girl)
“But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea”

Unknown's avatar

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

53 thoughts on “Looking Glass – Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)”

  2. Yup, heard this song so much on the AM that it wore my radio out. Their look is totally wrong for the tune. If only they would coiffed their mane and wore some snazzy clothes from Sears. Who knows? My mother, not much for rock, liked this tune.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. I spoke too soon…last night when I wrote that…I was feeling somewhat normal but my sinuses are working over time again this morning…but I do feel better than yesterday

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  7. Hope you feel better soon! I had to smile when I read about your “memories” of the song. I was kinda around when it came out and Phil is right it was played to death. Still it’s nice to listen to now and again. I really didn’t know the whole story with the band but with a name like Looking Glass, you’re not making it in hard rock anyway! I actually liked “Jimmy Loves Mary-Ann” not overplayed as much either.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. Thanks Randy!
      Yea Looking Glass is not exactly Black Sabbath lol. It sounds like a 1967 name…not the kind you would connect to hard rock.
      Yea it is played a lot but I have to say I still enjoy it. Lisa mentioned the other one…Ride Captain Ride…those two go together.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  8. Hey Max
    Gary Bellucci here. What a great song. These are excellent lyrics; they tell a complete story in an interesting way that draws you into the whole song. Man, I miss this kind of songwriting, don’t you?
    Be well.
    GB

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  9. Love the song, even if it does get a lot of airplay to this day. One of my favorite near ‘One hit wonders’ of the ’70s. And for Looking glass, even though it might have been their only real kick at the can, I’m guessing they shouldn’t be too badly upset – it’s 50 years plus, we still hear it on radio and in stores, we are still talking about it and it’s used in movies, so they probably still get decent paycheques from the royalties.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Oh I’m sure the guy is rich just off the royalities of the song…it’s in a lot of movies including one of the soundtracks that I’m going to send you. Dave give me til tonight to come around to your site…I’m feeling good and then bad…rinse and repeat.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. Oh yes…I took the day off Dave…it’s bad when you can’t even work from home. My mind is in a fog. I wouldn’t retain anything I read right now lol.

        Liked by 1 person

  10. When this song came out, a Rolling Stone reviewer – with typical RS alacrity- dismissed it by saying something like “rock bands shouldn’t try to write songs about the sea.” Or sailors, or something. He’s long forgotten, the song remains. I wrote it up not too long ago in a Guilty Pleasues post. A woman I used to work with – a traffic-stopping blonde- told me it was her wedding song. Odd. But then I talked to someone who said “Free Bird” was their prom song. Go figure.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. I can’t imagine this as a wedding song…but hey…to each his own.
      I was surprised to see how many people had the REM song The One I Love as their wedding song.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. Brandy is a song that is deeply embedded in my gray matter. Ooh, that sounds painful. Listening to Brandy is anything but painful. I love narrative songs and the story of Brandy and the men (and women) who love her is beautiful. I like the story of how he got to her name. Perfect name for a bartender/alcohol server. Thanks for the blast to the past. Happy to hear you are on the mend, Max.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  15. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like this song. It’s like an anthem for a generation, or something like that.

    “Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne” is a great song, and it was a big hit in Chicago, for whatever reason, and one or two other places, but that as about it.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  17. I recognized the song title right away and the clips confirmed I knew it from the radio, but that was all. I had no idea about Looking Glass and that they originally were a hard rock band. Stylistically, “Brandy” certainly sounds like a significant departure from their traditional music. That said, it’s a pretty catchy song with decent harmony vocals – very ’70s, but not in a bad way!

    Glad you’re feeling better and hopefully getting some rest! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. This song is part of me…I grew up with it.
      I’m feeling good and then bad…hopefully I can work tomorrow…I’ll work from home regardless…Christian I’ll catch up with your posts.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  18. Max…this is SO weird. I was scrolling through the music-on-demand choices on our cable this AM and there actually was a channel for “Yacht Rock.” I don’t recall ever hearing this genre title before…and then I’m reading the comments just now and it is mentioned again. I guess I have some catching up to do lol. GREAT song….and they played the hell outta it when it came out. Also FYI…a great clip on You Tube from the TV show King of Queens where Kevin James struggles to karaoke this song. In any case, a timeless tune!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Oh yacht rock! The funny thing is Bruce…this one was before the genre really existed…it could be the founding one…songs like Hey Nineteen, Sailing, Baby Come Back…. soft rock songs basically I would say.
      I love The King of Queens BTW…I’ll check it out.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a comment