I did Part 1 over a year ago and it was a fun post. I’ve been meaning to do this again. I remembered some of the lyrics suggested by my friends hanspostcard and allthingsthriller on the last post…I have added those to list. Thanks to both of you.
I saw her from the corner when she turned and doubled back, And started walkin toward a coffee colored Cadillac… Chuck Berry
Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose, And nothin’ ain’t worth nothin’ but it’s free… Janis Joplin/Kris Kristofferson
And I need you more than want you, And I want you for all time… Jimmy Webb
Doesn’t have a point of view / Knows not where he’s going to / Isn’t he a bit like you and me…The Beatles
Met myself a coming county welfare line,I was feeling strung out, Hung out on the line…Creedence Clearwater Revival
And you’ve got to learn to live with what you can’t rise above…Bruce Springsteen
He’d end up blowing all his wages for the week / All for a cuddle and a peck on the cheek…Kinks
Well it’s too late, tonight, To drag the past out into the light, We’re one, but we’re not the same, We get to carry each other, Carry each other…U2
You can blow out a candle but you can’t blow out a fire…Peter Gabriel
Living is easy with eyes closed,misunderstanding all you see…The Beatles
Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry cola, C-O-L-A Cola…Kinks
It was gravity which pulled us down and destiny which broke us apart…Bob Dylan
A drunkard’s dream if I ever did see one… The Band
And the sign said, The words of the prophets, are written on the subway walls, and tenement halls… Simon and Garfunkel
I lit up from Reno, I was trailed by twenty hounds, Didn’t get to sleep that night Till the morning came around…Grateful Dead
When I said that I was lying, I might have been lying…Elvis Costello
Though nothing will keep us together/We can be heroes/Just for one day…David Bowie
Lose your dreams and you. Will lose your mind…Rolling Stones
It’s a town full of losers, I’m pulling out of here to win…Bruce Springsteen
The motor cooled down, the heat went down, and that’s when I heard that highway sound…Chuck Berry
We were the first band to vomit at the bar, and find the distance to the stage too far…The Who
David John Harman (Dave Dee), Trevor Leonard Ward-Davies (Dozy), John Dymond (Beaky), Michael Wilson (Mick) and Ian Frederick Stephen Amey (Tich), who were childhood friends from Wiltshire formed a group in 1961. They were originally called Dave Dee and the Bostons. A few years later they changed their names to Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich.
They never made it big in America but they were huge in the UK. They had 13 UK Top forty hits, 8 UK Top 10’s, and 13 UK top 75, and 1 Number 1…the number 1 was LEGEND OF XANADU.
Hold Tight peaked at #4 in the UK Charts, #27 in the Australian Charts, and #8 in the New Zealand Charts in 1966.
I heard them a bit through the 80s and 90s but not much. Quentin Tarantino must have liked them because he featured this song in his movie Death Proof during the infamous crash scene.
Hold Tight
Hold tight, count to three Gotta stay close by me And hold tight, sing and shout Just ride my round-about And hold tight, shut your eyes, girl You suit me for size Forget the other guys You’ll never fall, each time you call Hold tight, hold tight, hold tight
Hold tight, make me feel What you say is for real And hold tight, Carousel Girl you’ll soon ring my bell And hold tight, we will fly swinging low, swinging high We’re gonna make the sky You’ll never fall, each time you call Hold tight, hold tight, hold tight
Hold tight, count to three Gotta stay close by me And hold tight, sing and shout Just ride my round-about And hold tight, shut your eyes, girl You suit me for size Forget the other guys You’ll never fall, each time you call Hold tight, hold tight, hold tight
This song was released in 1966 and it appears on The Who’s debut album My Generation. The song peaked at #41 in the UK but didn’t make it into the top 100 in the US. This song, along with My Generation, became anthems for The Who, as well as for the Mod movement in England.
Pete Townshend said this about it in 2000: When I wrote this song I was nothing but a kid, trying to work out right and wrong through all the things I did. I was kind of practicing with my life. I was kind of taking chances in a marriage with my wife. I took some stuff and I drank some booze. There was almost nothing that I didn’t try to use. And somehow I’m alright
I first heard this on Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy a compilation album of the band’s singles… In the UK it was more of a greatest hits LP…in America, while a few were known…most never charted.
One of my favorite albums by the Who.
From Songfacts
The song was written by Pete Townshend as a tribute to the Mods, who were trendy and often rebellious British youth.
Check out Keith Moon’s drumming on this song – he used his cymbals and toms to emphasize the vocal lines, crashing down at the end of lyrical lines. This was one of his innovations with The Who.
A 1979 rockumentary concerning the Who shares the same title.
This song has been covered by both Goldfinger and Green Day.
The Offspring song The Kids Aren’t Alright is a reference to this
The Kids Are Alright
I don’t mind other guys dancing with my girl That’s fine, I know them all pretty well But I know sometimes I must get out in the light Better leave her behind with the kids, they’re alright The kids are alright
Sometimes, I feel I gotta get away Bells chime, I know I gotta get away And I know if I don’t, I’ll go out of my mind Better leave her behind with the kids, they’re alright The kids are alright
I know if I go, things would be a lot better for her I had things planned, but her folks wouldn’t let her
I don’t mind other guys dancing with my girl That’s fine, I know them all pretty well But I know sometimes I must get out in the light Better leave her behind with the kids, they’re alright The kids are alright
Sometimes, I feel I gotta get away Bells chime, I know I gotta get away And I know if I don’t, I’ll go out of my mind Better leave her behind with the kids, they’re alright The kids are alright, the kids are alright, the kids are alright
When asked what my favorite Beatle song is…It usually depends on what Beatle mood I’m in…early, middle or late…but this one is always near the top.
The beginning of this song was based on two stories John Lennon read about in the Daily Mail newspaper. Guinness heir Tara Browne dying when he smashed his Lotus into a parked van, and an article in the UK Daily Express in early 1967 which told of how the Blackburn Roads Surveyor had counted 4000 holes in the roads of Blackburn and commented that the volume of material needed to fill them in was enough to fill the Albert Hall.
McCartney contributed the line “I’d love to turn you on.” This was a drug reference, but the BBC banned it because of another section, which they assumed was about marijuana…that guaranteed it would be huge.
George Martin once said he got chills listening to John’s voice in this song. I can relate to that.
A 41-piece orchestra played on this song. The musicians were told to attend the session dressed formally. When they got there, they were presented with party novelties (false noses, party hats, gorilla-paw glove) to wear, which made it clear this was not going to be a typical session. The orchestra was conducted by Paul McCartney, who told them to start with the lowest note of their instruments and gradually play to the highest. >>
This was recorded in three sessions: First the basic track, then the orchestra, then the last note was dubbed in.
Regarding the article about Tara Browne, John Lennon stated: “I didn’t copy the accident. Tara didn’t blow his mind out. But it was in my mind when I was writing that verse.” At the time, Paul didn’t realize the reference was to Tara. He thought it was about a “stoned politician.” The article regarding the “4000 holes in Blackburn, Lancashire” was taken from the UK Daily Express, January 17, 1967 in a column called “Far And Near.”
John’s friend Terry Doran was the one who completed John’s line, “Now they know how many holes it takes to fill…” Terry told him “fill the Albert Hall, John.”
The ban was finally lifted when author David Storey picked it as one of his Desert Island Discs.
Speaking with GQ in 2018, Paul McCartney explained this song’s origin story: “‘A Day In The Life’ was a song that John had started. He had the first verse, and this often happened: one of us would have a little bit of an idea and instead of sitting down and sweating it, we’d just bring it to the other one and kind of finish it together, because you could ping-pong – you’d get an idea. So he had the first verse: ‘I read the news today oh boy,’ and we sat in my music room in London and just started playing around with it, got a second verse, and then we got to what was going to lead into the middle. We kind of looked at each other and knew we were being a little bit edgy where we ‘I’d love to turn you on.’ We knew that would have an effect.
It worked. And then we put on another section I had: ‘Woke up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head.’ Then we finished the song up and did a big sort of epic recording of it with a big full orchestra and everything. And then did that crescendo thing in the middle of it with the orchestra, which was an idea I’d had because I’d been talking to people and reading about avant-garde music, tonal stuff and crazy ideas. I came up with this idea. I said to the orchestra, ‘You should start, all of you.’ And they sat all looking at me puzzled. We’ve got a real symphony orchestra in London who are used to playing Beethoven, and here’s me, this crazy guy out of a group and I’m saying, ‘Everyone start on the lowest note your instrument can play and work your way up to the highest at your own pace.’ That was too puzzling for them, and orchestras don’t like that kind of thing. They like it written down and they like to know exactly what they’re supposed to do. So George Martin, the producer, said to the people, ‘You should leave this note and this point in the song, and then you should go to this note and this note,’ and he left the random thing, so that’s why it sounds like a chaotic sort of swirl. That was an idea based on the avant-garde stuff I was into at the time.”
The final chord was produced by all four Beatles and George Martin banging on three pianos simultaneously. As the sound diminished, the engineer boosted to faders. The resulting note lasts 42 seconds; the studio air conditioners can be heard toward the end as the faders were pushed to the limit to record it.
The rising orchestra-glissando and the thundering sound are reminiscent of “Entry of the Gods into Valhalla” from Richard Wagner’s opera “Das Rheingold,” where after the rising glissando, Thor beats with his hammer. George Martin said in his 1979 book All You Need is Ears that the glissando was Lennon’s idea. After Lennon’s death, Martin seems to have changed his mind. In his 1995 book Summer of Love: The Making of Sgt. Pepper, he states that the rising orchestra-glissando was McCartney’s idea. >>
This being the last song on the album, The Beatles found an interesting way to close it out. After the final note, Lennon had producer George Martin dub in a high pitched tone, which most humans can’t hear, but drives dogs crazy. This was followed by a loop of incomprehensible studio noise, along with Paul McCartney saying, “Never could see any other way,” all spliced together. It was put there so vinyl copies would play this continuously in the run-out groove, sounding like something went horribly wrong with the record. Another good reason to own vinyl.
In 2004, McCartney did an interview with the Daily Mirror newspaper where he said he was doing cocaine around this time along with marijuana. “I’d been introduced to it, and at first it seemed OK, like anything that’s new and stimulating,” he said. “When you start working your way through it, you start thinking, ‘This is not so cool and idea,’ especially when you start getting those terrible comedowns.”
The movie reference in the lyrics (“I saw a film today, oh boy. The English Army had just won the war”) is to a film John Lennon acted in called How I Won The War.
McCartney’s middle section (woke up, got out of bed…) was intended for another song.
The Beatles started this with the working title “In The Life of…”
This is a rare Beatles song with a title that is not part of the lyrics. Another one is “Yer Blues.”
That’s Mal Evans doing the counting during the first transition from John to Paul. He set the alarm clock (heard on the recording) to go off at the end of his 24-bar count. Evans also helped with the composition of a couple of songs on the Sgt. Pepper album. Although he never received composer’s credit, the Beatles did pay his estate a lump sum in the 1990s for his contributions. Evans died January 5, 1976 after a misunderstanding with the police.
George Martin (from Q Magazine, July 2007): “John’s voice – which he hated – was the kind of thing that would send shivers down your spine. If you hear those opening chords with the guitar and piano, and then his voice comes in, ‘I heard the news today, oh boy’ It’s just so evocative of that time. He always played his songs to me on the guitar and I would sit on a stool as he strummed. The orchestral section was Paul’s idea. We put two pieces of songs together that weren’t connected in any way. Then we had that 24-bars-of-nothing in between. I had to write a score, but in the climax, I gave each instrument different little waypoints at each bar, so they would know roughly where they should be when they were sliding up. Just so they didn’t reach the climax too quickly. With ‘A Day In The Life,’ I wondered whether we were losing our audience and I was scared. But I stopped being scared when I played it to the head of Capitol Records in America and he was gob smacked. He said, That’s fantastic. And of course, it was.”
In the original take, the 41-piece orchestra was not used. Instead, Lennon had roadie Mal Evans count to 21 in a very trippy manner and set off an alarm clock after the 21 counts. This version is on the second Anthology CD, and is very different than the one on Sgt. Pepper.
David Crosby was at Abbey Road studios when The Beatles were recording this. In an interview with Filter magazine, he said: “I was, as near as I know, the first human being besides them and George Martin and the engineers to hear ‘A Day In The Life.’ I was high as a kite – so high I was hunting geese with a rake. They sat me down; they had huge speakers like coffins with wheels on that they rolled up on either side of the stool. By the time it got the end of that piano chord, man my brains were on the floor.”
The orchestral bit was used in the Yellow Submarine movie. Photos of different geographical areas were shown as The Beatles were apparently traveling in the submarine to try and find Pepperland.
When asked by Rolling Stone magazine what songs of his dad’s constantly surprise him, Sean Lennon said: “I’ve listened so much to that stuff that there are very few surprises. But I do think ‘A Day In The Life’ is always inspiring.”
The American rock band Hawthorne Heights originally named themselves A Day in the Life after this song. In 2003, lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist JT Woodruff changed it to their current name.
On June 18, 2010 John Lennon’s handwritten lyric sheet for this song featuring corrections and alternate crossed-out lines was auctioned at New York Sotheby’s. It was sold for $1.2 million to an anonymous American buyer.
This was rated the greatest ever Beatles song in a special collector’s edition issue by The Beatles: 100 Greatest Songs. The list was compiled to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Fab Four’s final studio album, Let It Be.
There is term for the techniques The Beatles used in arranging the final chords of this song: Deceptive Cadence. Glen Burtnik, who was a member of Styx and was also in a popular Beatles tribute band, told us: “It’s an instance where the listener assumes the next chord, or melody note, will go somewhere it doesn’t. Even though all the indications lead you to expecting a certain outcome, the writer/arranger intentionally surprises you by going someplace else musically. Not sure it’s simple to understand, as you’re conditioned to being used to the outcome.”
Peter Asher, who worked for The Beatles at Apple Records and produced the biggest hits of James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, considers this the greatest Beatles song from a production standpoint. “‘A Day In The Life’ certainly combined Beatle ideas and George Martin ideas very effectively,” he told Songfacts.
Keith Richards named his second son Tara after Tara Brown, the Guinness heir who smashes his car in Lennon’s first verse. Richard’s son was premature and died soon after birth.
A Day In The Life
I read the news today oh boy About a lucky man who made the grade And though the news was rather sad Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph He blew his mind out in a car He didn’t notice that the lights had changed A crowd of people stood and stared They’d seen his face before Nobody was really sure If he was from the House of Lords
I saw a film today oh boy The English army had just won the war A crowd of people turned away But I just had to look Having read the book I’d love to turn you on
Woke up, fell out of bed Dragged a comb across my head Found my way downstairs and drank a cup And looking up I noticed I was late Found my coat and grabbed my hat Made the bus in seconds flat Found my way upstairs and had a smoke Somebody spoke and I went into a dream
I read the news today oh boy Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire And though the holes were rather small They had to count them all Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall I’d love to turn you on
Arthur –I race cars, play tennis, and fondle women, BUT! I have weekends off, and I am my own boss.
at 1:36
The Empire Strikes Back –Try not, Do or Do Not, There is no Try
Cool Hand Luke –Calling it your job don’t make it right boss.
Airplane –There’s no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you’ll enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?
At 5:30
Anchorman –He had a voice that could make a wolverine purr and suits so fine they made Sinatra look like a hobo
At 0:036
Office Space – The thing is, Bob, it’s not that I’m lazy, it’s that I just don’t care
At 1:18
Caddyshack –Judge, give someone else a chance! You lucky devil! Come here, honey! And loosen up! You’re a lot of woman, you know? You wanna make 14 dollars the hard way?
The Breakfast Club – Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?
Full Metal Jacket –I am Gunnery Sgt. Hartman, your senior drill instructor. From now on you will speak only when spoken to, and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be ‘Sir.’ Do you maggots understand that?
0:00 – 0:013
Animal Crackers –One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know
This was the first of the group’s singles to be credited to “The Rascals,” the original name of the group, rather than “The Young Rascals” which their producer had them take in order to avoid confusion from listeners with another group “The Harmonica Rascals.”
This song peaked at #3 in the Billboard 100 in 1968. Beautiful Morning was written by Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati. The Rascals don’t get talked about as much as some of their peers… which is a shame…they were a great singles band. The band had 18 songs in the Billboard 100, 3 number 1 hits and 6 top ten hits. The Rascals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on May 6, 1997.
From Songfacts
Written by band members Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, this is an upbeat, optimistic song similar in theme to their 1967 hit “Groovin’.” While the late ’60s were a tumultuous time in America and a lot of the music dealt with social and political issues of the time, The Rascals provided hopeful songs that were a welcome relief for many listeners.
Beautiful Morning
It’s a beautiful mornin’, ah I think I’ll go outside a while And just smile Just take in some clean fresh air, boy! Ain’t no sense in stayin’ inside If the weather’s fine, and you got the time It’s your chance to wake up and plan another brand new day Either way It’s a beautiful mornin’, ah Each bird keeps singin’ his own song So long! I’ve got to be on my way now Ain’t no fun just hangin’ around I’ve got to cover ground; you couldn’t keep me down It just ain’t no good if the sun shines When you’re still inside Shouldn’t hide, still inside, shouldn’t hide Ah, oh! (Shouldn’t hide) Ah, ah, oh
(Doo, doo-wa) (Doo, doo-wa)
There will be children with robins and flowers Sunshine caresses each new waking hour Seems to me that the people keep seeing More and more each day; gotta say, lead the way It’s okay, Wednesday, Thursday, it’s okay (Ah) Monday, Wednesday, Friday, weekday, ah, ah, oh
Jimmy Ruffin was the brother of then Temptation David Ruffin. This was written by Motown writers Jimmy Dean, Paul Riser, and William Witherspoon. They wrote it for The Detroit Spinners, but Ruffin convinced the Motown writers to let him try it, and they liked what they heard.
I think Motown has been the soundtrack to more breakups than anyone else. This song peaked at #7 in the Billboard 100 in 1966. The great Smokey Robinson produced this track. He worked on many Motown classics as an artist, writer, and producer. This would be Jimmy’s biggest hit of his career.
From Songfacts
Many Motown songs deal with heartbreak, but this one is especially bleak. The poor guy has recently joined the ranks of the brokenhearted, and he’s not sure what happens next. He knows he can’t take the pain much longer, but keeps coming up empty in his search.
Originally, this contained a spoken intro:
A world filled with love is a wonderful sight
Being in love is one’s heart’s delight
But that look of love isn’t on my face
That enchanted feeling has been replaced
It was cut out before the song was released, but the version with the intro did appear on a British compilation which also included Ruffin’s version of the song in Italian (“Se Decidi Cosi”).
Other Motown acts to record this song include Diana Ross and The Supremes, who did a cover of this for their album Let the Sunshine In, and The Contours, who did it at a faster tempo. Both of these versions contain the spoken intro.
In the UK, this charted at #10 when it was first released in 1966, but make #4 when it was re-released in 1974.
Dave Stewart (not the one from Eurythmics) released a keyboard-driven version of this song in 1980 with Colin Blunstone of The Zombies on vocals. This rendition, which had Amanda Parsons and Jakko on backing vocals, made #13 UK.
The British duo Robson & Jerome took this song to #1 in the UK when they released it as a single along with covers of “Saturday Night At The Movies” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
Vonda Shepard recorded this for an episode of the TV series Ally McBeal.
The Isley Brothers recorded a version entitled “Smile” that is the same exact backing track with different lyrics and phrasing. It can be found on the Motown Sings Motown Treasures album.
Paul Young recorded this for the 1991 movie Fried Green Tomatoes. His version went to #1 on the US Adult Contemporary charts and made #22 on the Hot 100 (the only version besides Ruffin’s to make this chart).
On an episode of the TV series JAG, Col. MacKenzie plays the song on a jukebox in a bar, lamenting her breakup with Mick, the Australian naval officer. Mac, Bud (who was having romantic issues with Harriet) and Lt. Rabb (who just broke up with girl friend) are all sitting at the bar singing along with the song unaware of the others’ romantic issues.
The theme song from the 1992 Whitney Houston film The Bodyguard was Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” but according to her leading man Kevin Costner speaking at her funeral in February 2012, the first choice was this song, which ended up being used in Fried Green Tomatoes (the Paul Young version).
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted
A world filled with love is a wonderful sight Being in love is what’s heart’s delight But that look of love isn’t on my face That enchanted feeling has been replaced As I walk this land of broken dreams I have visions of many things But happiness is just an illusion Filled with sadness and confusion What becomes of the broken-hearted Who had love that’s now departed? I know I’ve got to find Some kind of peace of mind Maybe, The fruits of love grow all around But for me they come a tumblin’ down Everyday heartaches grow a little stronger I can’t stand this pain much longer I walk in shadows, searching for light Cold and alone, no comfort in sight Hoping and prayin’ for someone who care Always movin’ and goin’ nowhere What becomes of the broken-hearted Who had love that’s now departed? I know I’ve got to find Some kind of peace of mind Help me, please I’m searching though I don’t succeed But someone look There’s a growing need Oh, he is lost, there’s no place for beginning All that’s left is an unhappy ending Now what becomes of the broken-hearted Who had love that’s now departed? I know I’ve got to find Some kind of peace of mind I’ll be searching everywhere Just to find someone to care I’ll be looking everyday I know I’ve got to find a way Nothing’s gonna stop me now I’ll find a way somehow I’ll be searching everywhere
This is a song I’ve heard forever but never knew who sang it. J.J. Jackson wrote this song with Pierre Tubbs and released it in 1966. It peaked at #22 in the Billboard 100 and #4 on the R&B Singles Charts.
It’s a great R&B/Rock blast and J.J. gives a great performance with his vocals and the guitar riff is as catchy as you can get without being corny.
J. J. (not to be confused with the MTV VJay JJ Jackson) was a songwriter, arranger, and singer. He wrote his own music and worked with a number of artists, including The Shangri-Las, Jack McDuff, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Mary Wells, in the early to mid-’60s. He was a one-hit wonder on his own but it’s a great song.
But It’s Alright
You don’t know how I feel You’ll never know how I feel When I needed you to come around You always try to bring me down Oh, but I know, girl, believe me when I say that You are surely, surely gonna pay, girl But it’s all right all right girl You can hurt me but it’s all right Hey now, one day ah, you will see You’ll never find a guy like me Who’ll love you right both day and night You’ll never have to worry ’cause it’s all uptight Oh, but I’m tellin’ you girl and I know it’s true That I was made to love only you But it’s all right, all right girl You can hurt me, but it’s all right Go on, yeah
Oh, oh, yeah My my my baby, wow, yeah! But it’s all right all right girl Hey, say it’s all right all right girl Now there’s one thing I want to say, hey, yeah You’ll meet a guy who’ll make you pay He’ll treat you bad and make you sad And you will lose the love you had Oh, but I hate to say I told you so, but Baby, you gotta gotta reap what you sow But it’s all right all right girl You are payin’ now, but it’s all right So goodbye, now, goodbye, girl You’re payin’ now, say bye-bye You hurt me once, you hurt me twice Oh, but-a baby, that don’t cut no ice Hey, goodbye, baby
I remember back in 1981 when the Stones were touring across America. This song was released from the tour with a great version of Twenty Flight Rock. I bought the singles Going to a Go-Go and this one, the live album (Still Life) and then I saw the video Let’s Spend The Night Together. It was going to be the LAST tour of the Stones…uh yeah
The song was written by Jerry Ragovoy (using the pseudonym “Norman Meade”). The song was originally released by the Stones in 1964 and it peaked at #6 in the Billboard 100. This is one of the very few songs that I prefer the live version to the studio version in 1964.
Keith Richards said of this song: “In America we were basically known for heavy, slowish kind of ballads. ‘Time Is On My Side,’ ‘Tell Me,’ ‘Heart of Stone,’ that was what we were known for. Strangely enough that was our thing. Every single was a slow song. Who would believe it? You’d think they’d be clamoring for out-and-out rock and roll, but no, it was the soul ballads that happened for us in America.”
From Songfacts
This song was originally recorded by the jazz trombonist Kai Winding and his Orchestra on the Verve Records label in October 1963. His version was mostly instrumental with just the lyric “time is on my side” sung by the background trio of Cissy Houston, Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick.
The first fully vocal version was recorded by the New Orleans soul singer Irma Thomas; her version was released as the B-side of “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)” in June 1964. The Rolling Stones released their version of the song in the US on September 26, 1964, and it became their first Top 10 hit in America. Thomas’ version contains a spoken part in the middle that the Stones left out.
The lyrics were most likely written by Jimmy Norman, who was a member of The Coasters. The songwriting credit is unclear, and usually lists Jerry Ragovoy, who wrote “Piece Of My Heart” and “Try” for Janis Joplin, as the only writer, sometimes as “Norman Meade,” which he used as a pseudonym. Thomas’ original single lists the credit as “J. Norman – N. Meade.” Ragovoy, who also produced the song for Thomas, died in 2011 at age 80.
In this song, Mick Jagger has lost his girl, but he knows it’s just a matter of time until he returns. After all, he’s got “the real love, the kind that you need.”
This was one of two songs The Stones performed on their first Ed Sullivan Show appearance, October 25, 1964. The other was “Around And Around,” a Chuck Berry cover.
That February, The Beatles made their historic debut on Sullivan to crowd hysteria. The Stones hadn’t yet developed a fan base in America, but the teenage girls in the audience still went crazy. The appearance earned them lots of attention and helped send “Time Is On My Side” up the chart – it reached #6 on December 5.
The Stones returned to the show five more times, always earning a wildly enthusiastic greeting from the crowd. On their fifth appearance, they capitulated to Sullivan by changing “Let’s Spend The Night Together” to “Let’s Spend Some Time Together.”
The Rolling Stones released two versions of this song. The US single was recorded in England and is slower, with a gospel organ. The British version was recorded at Chess studios in Chicago.
This song played a key role in the suspense thriller Fallen with Denzel Washington and John Goodman.
Time Is On My Side
Time is on my side, yes it is. Time is on my side, yes it is. Now you all were saying that you want to be free But you’ll come runnin’ back (I said you would baby), You’ll come runnin’ back (like I told you so many times before), You’ll come runnin’ back to me.
Time is on my side, yes it is. Time is on my side, yes it is. You’re searching for good times but just wait and see, You’ll come runnin’ back (I said you would darling), You’ll come runnin back (Spent the rest of life with ya baby), You’ll come runnin’ back to me.
Go ahead baby, go ahead, go ahead and light up the town! And baby, do anything your heart desires Remember, I’ll always be around. And I know, I know like I told you so many times before You’re gonna come back, Yeah you’re going to come back baby Knockin’, knockin’ right on my door.
Time is on my side, yes it is. Time is on my side, yes it is. ‘Cause I got the real love, the kind that you need. You’ll come runnin’ back (I knew you would one day), You’ll come runnin’ back (Baby I told you before), You’ll come runnin’ back to me.
Time, time, time is on my side, yes it is. Time, time, time is on my side, yes it is. Time, time, time is on my side
This is a great documentary by Bruce Brown on surfing. I live in Tennessee and there are no beaches in sight but this 1966 documentary held my attention all the way through. Brown narrates this and keeps it tight and the pacing is good.
If you like surfing or not it doesn’t matter. This documentary will hold your interest as Brown goes around the world with surfers looking for the perfect wave. Brown filmed in Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, and California. The characters that surrounded the sport in that era are worth watching.
Bruce put up $50, 000 of his own money to make the film and it ended up making 30 million.
He would follow up with Endless Summer part II in 1994. I’ve watched both but I like1964 film better because of the people who followed the sport at the time. The 94 version has better camera action but I like the characters more in this one.
A few years later Bruce would work with Steve McQueen and make the documentary “On Any Sunday” about the impact of motorcycles in our culture.
This song peaked at #4 in the Billboard 100 in 1967. How Can I Be Sure was written by Rascals Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati. Another great single by The Young Rascals.
The Young Rascals formed in Garfield New Jersey in 1965. They were Eddie Brigati (vocals), Felix Cavaliere (keyboard, vocals), Gene Cornish (guitar), and Dino Danelli (drums). The group had plenty of success, songs such as “A Beautiful Morning, “Good Lovin,’” “A Girl Like You,” and “People Got to be Free.” They had three number 1 hits, 6 Top Ten hits, and a total of 18 songs in the Billboard 100 before they disbanded in 1972.
From Songfacts
This song was a follow-up to “Groovin’,” and was a huge hit. It’s a soulful ballad about the doubts of one’s first great love, particularly when the love is one-sided. The song was popular enough that it was covered by many artists, most notably David Cassidy in 1972, whose version reached #25 on the Billboard Top 100.
Like “Groovin’,” .
The Young Rascals’ original version didn’t hit in the UK and the first time it charted was in 1970 when a revival by Dusty Springfield scraped into the charts at #36. Two years later David Cassidy, who was at the time along with The Osmonds the most popular teen idol in the UK, went all the way to the top of the British singles chart with his cover.
How Can I Be Sure?
How can I be sure In a world that’s constantly changin’? How can I be sure Where I stand with you?
Whenever I Whenever I am away from you I wanna die ’cause you know I wanna stay with you
How do I know? Maybe you’re trying to use me Flying too high can confuse me Touch me but don’t take me down
Whenever I Whenever I am away from you My alibi, is tellin’ people I don’t care for you Maybe I’m just hanging around With my head up, upside down It’s a pity I can’t seem to find someone Who’s as pretty ‘n’ lovely as you
How can I be sure I really, really, really, wanna kno-o-ow I really, really, really, wanna kno-o-ow
(insturmental)
How’s the weather? Weather or not, we’re together Together, we’ll see it much better I love you, I love you forever You know where I can be found
How can I be sure In a world that’s constantly changing? How can I be sure? I’ll be sure with you.
This song was written by John and Paul together. Baby’s In Black sounded different than most of their other songs at the time. The song was in 6/8 time similar to a Waltz and most Beatle songs to that point were in 4/4 time. The song was on the Beatles for Sale album. The album peaked at #1 in the UK and was taken apart for the American market with 8 of the 14 tracks released on Beatles 65 which peaked at #1 in 1965.
The song took a different approach. Baby’s In Black is about a man who is pursuing a woman, but the woman doesn’t return the interest because she is still in mourning for her previous lover, and the reason she always dresses in black.
I’ve always liked the song because it mixes different musical styles into one. The subject matter is also not a typical boy and girl love song.
Paul McCartney: “We got more and more free to get into ourselves,” McCartney remembers. “Our student selves rather than ‘we must please the girls and make money,’ which is all that ‘From Me To You,’ ‘Thank You Girl,’ P.S. I Love You’ is about…We wanted to write something a little bit darker, bluesy, the title’s dark anyway…more grown up rather than just straight pop. It was more ‘baby’s in black’ as in mourning. Our favorite color was black, as well.”
The depressing subject matter is hidden by the upbeat music.
There is speculation that the song was written about mourning the loss of Stuart Sutcliffe after he died of a sudden brain hemorrhage. The song was a 50/50 effort by both Lennon and McCartney but started by Lennon as a response to his own mourning process (which he never really got over). The “baby in black” would be photographer Astrid Kirchherr, who dated Sutcliffe before he died.
This is one of several Beatles songs with a dual melody line – “If I Fell” is another. McCartney and Lennon sang into the same microphone, making it hard to distinguish which is the main melody line. Sheet music of the song usually displays both.
This was the first 50/50 Lennon/McCartney song written since “I Want To Hold Your Hand” a year earlier. They wrote it together sitting practically nose to nose at John’s Kenwood Estate.
Baby’s In Black
Oh dear, what can I do? Baby’s in black And I’m feeling blue Tell me, oh what can I do? She thinks of him And so she dresses in black And though he’ll never come back She’s dressed in black
Oh dear, what can I do? Baby’s in black And I’m feeling blue Tell me, oh what can I do? I think of her But she thinks only of him And though it’s only a whim She thinks of him
Oh how long will it take Till she sees the mistake She has made? Dear what can I do? Baby’s in black And I’m feeling blue Tell me, oh what can I do?
All summer long we were dancing in the sand, Everybody just kept on playing “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
Ok, I’m cheating a little on this kinda… It doesn’t mention “Beatles” but Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was the Beatles alter ego on the Sgt Peppers album.
This song was a hit for Johnny Rivers and it was written by James Hendricks. Summer Rain was on his Realization album released in 1968. It was written about the Summer of Love in 1967. The song peaked at #14 in the Billboard 100, #10 in Canada in 1968.
I like Johnny Rivers…he was strictly a singles artist and had some good songs. He did chart a lot of covers in his career. He had 29 songs in the top 100, 9 top ten songs and 1 number 1 (Poor Side of Town).
I first heard this song in the 80s on a local oldies station at the time… 96.3 in Nashville.
Summer Rain
Summer rain taps at my window West wind soft as a sweet dream My love, warm as the sunshine Sitting here by me, yeah She’s here by meShe stepped out of a rainbow Golden hair shining like moonglow Warm lips, soft as her soul Sitting here by me, now She’s here by meAll summer long we were dancing in the sand Everybody just kept on playing “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”We sailed into the sunset Drifting home, caught by a gulf stream Never gave a thought for tomorrow Let tomorrow be, yeah Let tomorrow be
She wants to live in the Rockies She says that’s where we’ll find peace Settle down, raise up a family One to call our own, yeah We will have a home
All summer long we were grooving in the sand Everybody just kept on playing “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
Winter snows drift by my window North wind blowing like thunder Our love is burning like fire She’s here by me, yeah She’s here by me Let tomorrow be
And you know something’s happening but you don’t know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones?
There is a lot of power in just that one line and the song. Not only the lyrics but the intensity that Bob sings it. When it was released everyone wanted to know who Mr. Jones was and people still wonder. Bob Dylan set it straight like only Dylan does with this statement…“I could tell you who Mr. Jones is in my life, but, like, everybody has got their Mr. Jones.”
“Ballad Of A Thin Man” was recorded on August 2, 1965, at the same session as “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues,” “Queen Jane Approximately” and “Highway 61 Revisited,” when you get those songs out of a session…you are doing alright.
The song was on the great album Highway 61 Revisited. The album peaked at #3 in the Billboard 100 and #4 in the UK in 1965.
From Songfacts
While speculations remain rampant as to who “Mr. Jones” is and what exactly this song is supposed to mean, there is no definitive answer at this time. The closest thing we’ve seen to an answer from Dylan himself appears in an interview given in Keys to the Rain: The Definitive Bob Dylan Encyclopedia, where Dylan asserts that the “Mr. Jones” in question is a real person not known by this name, who is a pinboy, wears suspenders, and “puts his eyes in his pocket” which might mean that he wears glasses.
Before launching into this song in Japan, 1986, Dylan said, “This is a song I wrote in response to people who ask questions all the time. You just get tired of that every once in a while.”
Of the many references to “Ballad of a Thin Man” found throughout media, are the lines “feel so suicidal, just like Dylan’s Mr. Jones” from the Beatles’ “Yer Blues,” “Mr. Jones is a man who doesn’t know who Mr. Jones is” from Momus’ “Who Is Mr. Jones?,” “I wanna be Bob Dylan, Mr. Jones wishes he was someone just a little more funky.” from Counting Crows’ “Mr. Jones,” and “Mr. Jones won’t lend me a hand” from Country Joe and the Fish’ “Flying High.” While we cannot speculate on the true identity of Mr. Jones, it can be said that the name “Mr. Jones” has come to symbolize for the music world the kind of old-guard “square” who “doesn’t get it,” similar to our modern usage of the mythical “Joe Sixpack.”
This is the song which Bob Dylan and his band played at the Forest Hills concert of 1965 in an attempt to soothe the unruly crowd. As Al Kooper recounts in Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards, “It had a quiet intro, and the kids persisted in yelling and booing all the way through it. Dylan shouted to us to ‘keep playing the intro over and over again until they shut up!’ We played it for a good five minutes – doo do da da, do da de da – over and over until they did, in fact, chill. A great piece of theater. When they were finally quiet, Dylan sang the lyrics to them.”
A 1966 cover of this song (titled “Mr. Jones (Ballad of a Thin Man)”) was the first single for The Grass Roots. At the time, the group was led by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri. Sloan credits Bob Dylan for sticking by him when many other musicians and industry insiders dissociated themselves from him. Sloan was an up-and-coming songwriter/producer when he wrote the incendiary hit “Eve Of Destruction,” which went to #1 in 1965, but caused a great deal of controversy and made it very difficult for him to find work.
According to Al Kooper, Bob Dylan took from Ray Charles’s “I Believe to My Soul” for “Ballad of a Thin Man.”
In a September 22, 1966 interview in Austin, Texas, a reporter asked Dylan if “Ballad of a Thin Man” was about “a newspaper reporter or something.” Dylan, who spent the entire interview mocking and evading the questions, responded with a single line: “No, it’s just about a fella that came into a truck stop once.”
The opening line, “You walk into the room with your pencil in your hand,” was at one point, “You walk into the room with a hatchet in your hand.” This was revealed in a lyric sheet that is part of Dylan’s archives in Tulsa.
Before and after their speeches, Black Panther founder Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale regularly played this song over the PA system. Insiders reported they listened to it almost obsessively. The two men felt it was speaking about the black struggle in America.
Ballad of a Thin Man
You walk into the room with your pencil in your hand You see somebody naked and you say, “Who is that man?” You try so hard but you don’t understand Just what you will say when you get home Because something is happening here but you don’t know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones?
You raise up your head and you ask, “Is this where it is?” And somebody points to you and says, “It’s his” And you say, “What’s mine?” and somebody else says, “Well, what is?” And you say, “Oh my God, am I here all alone?” But something is happening and you don’t know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones?
You hand in your ticket and you go watch the geek Who immediately walks up to you when he hears you speak And says, “How does it feel to be such a freak?” And you say, “Impossible!” as he hands you a bone And something is happening here but you don’t know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones?
You have many contacts among the lumberjacks To get you facts when someone attacks your imagination But nobody has any respect, anyway they already expect you to all give a check To tax-deductible charity organizations
Ah, you’ve been with the professors and they’ve all liked your looks With great lawyers you have discussed lepers and crooks You’ve been through all of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s books You’re very well-read, it’s well-known But something is happening here and you don’t know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones?
Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you and then he kneels He crosses himself and then he clicks his high heels And without further notice, he asks you how it feels And he says, “Here is your throat back, thanks for the loan” And you know something is happening but you don’t know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones?
Now, you see this one-eyed midget shouting the word “Now” And you say, “For what reason?” and he says, “How” And you say, “What does this mean?” and he screams back, “You’re a cow” “Give me some milk or else go home” And you know something’s happening but you don’t know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones?
Well, you walk into the room like a camel, and then you frown You put your eyes in your pocket and your nose on the ground There ought to be a law against you comin’ around You should be made to wear earphones ‘Cause something is happening and you don’t know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones?
I remember this song in Easy Rider from the cool bass line. The Blues Magoos were a psychedelic rock band formed in 1964 as the “The Trenchcoats” in the Bronx, New York. This song came off of the album Psychedelic Lollipop (Great name) in 1967. The song peaked at #5 in 1967 in the Billboard 100 and the album peaked at 21 in the same year.
By 1972 the Blues Magoos name was retired, although the group reunited for live shows in the late 2000s
The Spectres…soon to be Status Quo also covered the song in 1967.
From Songfacts
Blues Magoos were a Psychedelic Rock group from The Bronx who was part of a New York City music scene that included The Lovin’ Spoonful and The Youngbloods. “(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet” was their only hit, reaching its chart peak the first week of 1967. The band, led by lead singer Emil “Peppy Castro” Thielhem, was a huge influence on Syd Barrett and his band Pink Floyd. Thielhem later became the lead singer of the band Balance.
This song occupies an interesting little niche in music history: somewhere between Acid and Punk Rock, with a little Mothers Of Invention “Freak Out” mixed in. The band is quite boastful in the song, declaring, “Nothin’ can hold us and nothin’ can keep us down, and someday our names will be spread all over town.” Of course, they ended a one-hit-wonder, but the arrogance was part of a display that included big, stylish hair and electric blue/flashing light suits. They were hard to miss when they performed the song on various TV shows.
We Aint Got Nothin’ Yet
One day you’re up and the next day you’re down You can’t face the world with your head to the ground The grass is always greener on the other side, they say So don’t worry, boys, life will be sweet some day Oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh We made enough mistakes But you know we got what it takes
Oh, we ain’t got nothin’ yet No, we ain’t got nothin’ yet
Nothin’ can hold us and nothin’ can keep us down And someday our names will be spread all over town We can get in while the getting is good So make it on your own, yeah, you know that you could Oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh We got to make the break ‘Cause we got too much at stake
Oh, we ain’t got nothin’ yet No, we ain’t got nothin’ yet
We made enough mistakes But you know we got what it takes
Oh, we ain’t got nothin’ yet No, we ain’t got nothin’ yet
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 