This was on the album Coda it was released two years after John Bonham’s death and features outtakes from sessions throughout their career. I heard this one more than the others on the album.
Recorded in 1978 at a studio in Sweden owned by Abba, this song was intended for the Led Zeppelin album In Through the Out Door, but it didn’t make the cut. Ozone Baby peaked at #14 in the Mainstream Rock Songs Charts in 1982. Coda was released in 1982 and peaked at #6 in the Billboard Album Charts in 1983.
Coda is by no means a great album but it does have some enjoyable tracks like Wearing and Tearing and Darlene. It’s not like they set out to record an album… it was released to honor contractual commitments to Atlantic Records.
From Songfacts
The entire band’s instrumentals come in right at the opening with Robert Plant’s vocals starting in soon after. This was Zeppelin’s typical style, a straightforward “get it done” 12-bar-blues attitude without very much pretension. It shows something of their character that they were consistent in doing this on one of the last songs done by the classic lineup.
Another telling sign of Zeppelin’s character: How many drummers do most bands go through? Next to the bass, the drummer is usually the most-rotated spot. Not Zeppelin! Lose the drummer, and that’s it, the band calls it quits – but to be fair, growing tensions within the band could have broken them up anyway.
A bit of rock history trivia: Led Zeppelin today is remembered as practically having walked on water. One easily forgets that back when these albums were coming out, while they had a huge fan base, rock critics panned them almost unanimously. Rolling Stone raspberried every single Zep album.
Ozone Baby
I hear ya knock on my door I ain’t been saving this scene for ya honey Don’t wantcha ringin’ my bell It’s too late for you to be my honey
Oh, it’s my love Oh, it’s my own true love
Oh, it’s my love Oh, it’s my own true love
Don’t want you wasting my time Tired of ya doing the things that you do It’s no use standing in line Follow the line, you better follow queue
I say, oh, it’s my love Oh, it’s my own true love
Oh, it’s my love Oh, it’s my own true love, my my own
I could sail a river run dead, but I know it’s dead I could I wish for a million, yeah but I know it’s dead I could cry within the darkness, I sail away I save a lifetime forever? But you know, you know, you know what I say
And I say oh, it’s my love Oh, it’s my own true love
Oh, it’s my love Oh, it’s my own true love, my my own
Oh, it’s my love Oh, it’s my own true love
Oh, it’s my love Oh, it’s my own true love, my own true love My own true love, my own true love My own true love I said Oh, it’s my love Oh, it’s my own true love Oh, it’s my love Oh, it’s my own true love, my own
Mid-Sixties pop classic. If I Needed Someone is a George Harrison song that was on the album Rubber Soul. In America this was one of the four songs left off of Capital’s version of Rubber Soul…it was included on Yesterday and Today…an album that Capital put together for the American market. It was originally issued only in the United States and Canada
George Harrison said the song was influenced by the Byrds: “It was based on the twelve-string figure from ‘The Bells Of Rhymney’ by The Byrds.”
McCartney called the song the first “landmark” song written by George for the Beatles.
George Harrison: “It was like a million other songs written around one chord, a D chord actually.” “If you move your fingers about you get various little melodies. That guitar line, or variations on it, is found in many a song, and it amazes me that people still find new permutations of the same notes.”
As a guitarist, there are many songs that have been written around the D chord by moving your fingers in different positions. Here Comes The Sun, Woman by Lennon, Free Falling, Sweet Home Alabama, and like George said…a million others.
On January 24th, 1996, “If I Needed Someone” got its first and only release on a single. The Capitol series of “For Jukebox Only” singles paired the song as the b-side to “Norwegian Wood” and was printed on both black and green vinyl.
The Hollies received an early version of the song and then quickly recorded their own version of the song and released it as their next single at the end of 1965. It reached #20 in the UK, making it the first George Harrison composition to make the charts.
George made it known he didn’t like their version…but to me, the Hollies did a good job.
From Songfacts
This was written by George Harrison, who got the idea from a few of The Byrds’ songs including “The Bells of Rhymney” and “She Don’t Care About Time.” It was not Ravi Shankar that introduced George to the wonderment of sitar, but Byrd traveler David Crosby shortly after Shawn Phillips had shown him the basic steps. In 1965 The Beatles toured the US and visited Ravi at World Pacific Studios where The Byrds had permanent residency. It was also here that Roger McGuinn’s Rickenbacker jingle jangle influenced Harrison’s “If I Needed Someone.” In turn, The Byrds were influenced by Harrison’s 12-string guitar work. >>
Former Byrds guitarist Roger McGuinn recalled to Christianity Today magazine: “George Harrison wrote that song after hearing the Byrds’ recording of “Bells of Rhymney.” He gave a copy of his new recording to Derek Taylor, the Beatles’ former press officer, who flew to Los Angeles and brought it to my house. He said George wanted me to know that he had written the song based on the rising and falling notes of my electric Rickenbacker 12-string guitar introduction. It was a great honor to have in some small way influenced our heroes the Beatles.”
If I Needed Someone
If I needed someone to love You’re the one that I’d be thinking of If I needed someone
If I had some more time to spend Then I guess I’d be with you my friend If I needed someone Had you come some other day Then it might not have been like this But you see now I’m too much in love
Carve your number on my wall And maybe you will get a call from me If I needed someone Ah, ah, ah, ah
If I had some more time to spend Then I guess I’d be with you my friend If I needed someone Had you come some other day Then it might not have been like this But you see now I’m too much in love
Carve your number on my wall And maybe you will get a call from me If I needed someone Ah, ah
I’ve never been a fan of the Jefferson Airplane/Starship or just plain Starship but this one has good memories connected to it. It was released in 1978 and it peaked at #8 in the Billboard 100, #9 in Canada, and #24 in New Zealand. This is the last output by the band that I liked.
Marty Balin sang this song…whenever I think of Marty Balin I think of when he was in The Jefferson Airplane at Altamont. He stood up to the Hells Angels and got walloped over the head for his trouble. Paul Kantner (guitar player for the Airplane) then announced what happened. It went something like this.
Kantner to the crowd:“Hey man, I’d like to mention that the Hell’s Angels just smashed Marty Balin in the face and knocked him out for a bit. I’d like to thank you for that.”
A Hell’s Angel grabs a microphone: “Is this on? If you’re talking to me, I’m gonna talk to you.”
Kantner:“I’m not talking to you, I’m talking to the people who hit my lead singer in the head.”
Hell’s Angel:“You’re talking to my people.”
Kantner: “Right.”
Hell’s Angel: “Let me tell you what’s happening: You are what’s happening.”
Paul Kantner, Marty Balin and later Keith Richards stood up to the Angels at Altamont.
Precious love I’ll give it to you Blue as the sky and deep in the Eyes of a love so true Beautiful face You make me feel Lite on the stairs and lost in the Air of a love so real
And you can count on me girl You can count on my love Woman You can count on me baby You can count on my love to see You through
Emerald eyes and China perfume Caught in the wheel and lost in The feel of a love so soon Ruby lips You make my song Into the night and saved by the lite Of a love so strong
See you through Oh You can count on me girl You can count on my love
Some songs can be written by anyone. Songs can be very popular but generic. Some can only be written by certain songwriters. This would be one of those songs. Ray Davies’s songs have their own DNA. This was on the great 1968 album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society.
This nostalgic song is a favorite of mine. This is a big jump from You Really Got me to…”We are the Sherlock Holmes English-speaking Vernacular, God save Fu Manchu, Moriarty and Dracula.”
Ray Davies: “You have to remember that North London was my village green, my version of the countryside. The street and district I grew up in was called Fortis Green, and then there was Waterlow Park and the little lake. I sang in the choir at St James’s Primary School until I was about 10, then I trained myself to sing out of tune so I could hang around with a gang called the Crooners instead. Our Scottish singing teacher Mrs. Lewis said, ‘Never mind, Davies – I hear crooners are making a lot of money these days.'”
From Songfacts
A very reflective and nostalgic song written by lead singer Ray Davies, this is about the innocent times in small English towns, where the village green was the community center. The entire album was based on this theme.
This plays in the movie Hot Fuzz as Sgt. Angel is jogging through a village.
Some critics thought the album’s snapshots of village life were partly inspired by performances by the Kinks in rustic Devon. Instead, they were based on memories of his growing up in London.
Ray Davies namechecks various fictional characters that bring back childhood memories, such as music hall act Old Mother Riley and Mrs. Mopp, who was a character from the wartime radio comedy, ITMA.
We are the Draught Beer Preservation Society.
God save Mrs. Mopp and good old Mother Riley.
Davies explained to Q magazine: “The people in it are all characters I liked as a kid or people my family could relate to, like Old Mother Riley and Mrs Mopp. Because I used to love listening to the BBC Light Programme on Sundays, like Round The Horne with Kenneth Williams. A time when the population was allowed to be trivial.”
Village Green Preservation Society
We are the Village Green Preservation Society. God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety. We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society. God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties.
Preserving the old ways from being abused. Protecting the new ways, for me and for you. What more can we do?
We are the Draught Beer Preservation Society. God save Mrs. Mopp and good old Mother Riley. We are the Custard Pie Appreciation Consortium. God save the George Cross, and all those who were awarded them.
Oooh…
We are the Sherlock Holmes English-speaking Vernacular. God save Fu Manchu, Moriarty and Dracula. We are the Office Block Persecution Affinity. God save little shops, china cups, and virginity. We are the Skyscraper Condemnation Affiliates. God save Tudor houses, antique tables, and billiards.
Preserving the old ways from being abused. Protecting the new ways, for me and for you. What more can we do?
We are the Village Green Preservation Society. God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety. We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society. God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties.
The guitar on this is so simple yet so powerful. Some Clash songs take me a couple of listens to really like…this one was instant. The song peaked at #45 in the Billboard 100, #17 in the UK and #40 in Canada in 1982 and #1 in the UK in 1992.
The song was off of Combat Rock (Dave at “A Sound Day” has a writeup about the album) released in 1982. This was when I was watching MTV and every few minutes that year you knew The Who was supposedly on their last tour (They are in Nashville Thursday Night) and The Clash was opening up for them.
Mick Jones wrote this about his girlfriend Ellen Foley, who acted on the TV series Night Court and sang with Meat Loaf on “Paradise By the Dashboard Light.”
From Songfacts
One of the more popular songs by The Clash, this one uses a very unusual technique: Spanish lyrics echoing the English words.
Singing the Spanish parts with Joe Strummer was Joe Ely, a Texas singer whose 1978 album Honky Tonk Masquerade got the attention of The Clash when they heard it in England. When Ely and his band performed in London, The Clash went to a show and took them around town after the performance. They became good friends, and when The Clash came to Texas in 1979, they played some shows together. They stayed in touch, and when The Clash returned to America in 1982, they played more shows together and Ely joined them in the studio when they were recording Combat Rock at Electric Ladyland Studio in New York.
In our 2012 interview with Joe Ely, he explained: “I’m singing all the Spanish verses on that, and I even helped translate them. I translated them into Tex-Mex and Strummer kind of knew Castilian Spanish, because he grew up in Spain in his early life. And a Puerto Rican engineer (Eddie Garcia) kind of added a little flavor to it. So it’s taking the verse and then repeating it in Spanish.”
When we asked Ely whose idea the Spanish part was, he said, “I came in to the studio while they were working out the parts. They’d been working on the song for a few hours already, they had it sketched out pretty good. But I think it was Strummer’s idea, because he just immediately, when it came to that part, he immediately went, ‘You know Spanish, help me translate these things.’ (Laughs) My Spanish was pretty much Tex-Mex, so it was not an accurate translation. But I guess it was meant to be sort of whimsical, because we didn’t really translate verbatim.”
According to Strummer, Eddie Garcia, the sound engineer, called his mother in Brooklyn Heights and got her to translate some of the lyrics over the phone. Eddie’s mother is Ecuadorian, so Joe Strummer and Joe Ely ended up singing in Ecuadorian Spanish.
About two minutes in, you can hear Mick Jones say, “Split!” While it sounds like it could be some kind of statement related to the song, Joe Ely tells us that it had a much more quotidian meaning. Said Ely: “Me and Joe were yelling this translation back while Mick Jones sang the lead on it, and we were doing the echo part. And there was one time when the song kind of breaks down into just the drums right before a guitar part. And you hear Mick Jones saying, ‘Split!’ Just really loud, kind of angry. Me and Joe had snuck around in the studio, came up in the back of his booth where he was all partitioned off, and we snuck in and jumped and scared the hell out of him right in the middle of recording the song, and he just looked at us and says, ‘Split!’ So we ran back to our vocal booth and they never stopped the recording.”
The line, “If you want me off your back” was originally the sexually charged line “On your front or on your back.” In April 1982, the famed ’60s producer Glyn Johns was brought in to slash the album down and make it into a mainstream-friendly single-LP. In addition to cutting parts of songs out, he insisted that Mick Jones re-record this line, fearing that US radio stations would not touch a record with such a sexually suggestive line.
These sessions as a whole were in bad blood, with Jones furious that his original mixes of his songs were being massacred against his will, and it was this combined with other factors (such as the return of controversial manager Bernie Rhodes) which resulted in the breakdown of the band and Jones’ sacking in 1983.
Mick Jones in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh said, “Should I Stay Or Should I Go? wasn’t about anything specific and it wasn’t pre-empting my leaving The Clash. It was just a good rocking song, our attempt at writing a classic.”
It was speculated that the song was also a comment on Jones’ position in the band, pre-empting his sacking in 1983 by over a year and a half. Strummer pondered this in interviews, as did Jones. “Maybe it was pre-empting my leaving” he noted in 1991, although he did conclude that it was more likely about a “personal situation” – presumably his relationship with Foley.
Psychobilly is the punk version of rockabilly; it’s a fusion genre which also gets a nice sound out of elements of everything from doo-wop to blues, but with that punk edge to it. “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” resembles early punk, almost retro style, and so could be called rockabilly. More than anything, it compares very nicely with The Cramps.
“Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” is possibly one of the most covered Clash songs by dint of being one of the most popular. Just some of the groups to cover this song include Living Colour, Skin, MxPx, Weezer, ZZ Top, and The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Anti-Flag covered the song at various festival dates in 2012, and more memorable versions exist by Die Toten Hosen and Australian pop star Kyle Minogue. It even shows up in “Weird Al” Yankovic’s “Polkas On 45” medley – a takeoff on the “Stars On 45 Medley.”
As a UK #1 single, what song did it replace as #1 on the UK charts? “Do the Bartman” by The Simpsons. Speaking of charts, while this song was their only #1 in the UK, The Clash got even less respect in the US; their highest chart on the Billboard was #8 for “Rock the Casbah”. That’s amazing when you consider how much airplay they get on the radio.
Introduced into The Clash’s live set in Paris in September 1984, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” sat awkwardly in the set after Jones was fired – it was a hugely popular song so fans expected it to be played, but its author and singer was no longer in the band.
For a while in 1984 it was performed with new guitarist Nick Sheppard singing lead vocals, with the song developing into an aggressive Metal thrash with bellowed Punk-style vocals. In the end The Clash Mark II dropped the song altogether, although not before they also added some nasty lyrics about Jones (as was common in the post-Jones Clash, sadly). Two much more representative versions are the version of the song filmed at Shea Stadium in 1982 (supporting The Who) for the music video, and the version from Boston in 1982 that features on the From Here To Eternity live compilation.
Ice Cube and Mack 10 did a rap remake of this song for the 1998 Clash tribute album Burning London.
This was re-released as a single in February 1991 after it was used in a Levi’s jeans television ad. It went to #1 in the UK, but didn’t chart in the US.
Cheekily, Mick Jones used a vocal sample from this track on one of his post-Clash projects, Big Audio Dynamite. You can hear it on their song “The Globe.”
This is a key song in the ’80s-themed Netflix series Stranger Things. It was first used in the second episode (2016), where the character Jonathan Byers introduces it to his younger brother, Will to distract him when their parents fight, telling him it will change his life. When Will gets abducted into an alternate universe, the song becomes a way for him to communicate, and a source of comfort. The song is used several times throughout the series.
To secure the rights, music supervisor Nora Felder had to explain to the band how it would be used. Through scene descriptions, she convinced them they would honor the song.
Should I Stay Or Should I Go
Darling you got to let me know Should I stay or should I go? If you say that you are mine I’ll be here 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 is fine, and next is black So if you want me off your back Well come on and let me know Should I Stay or should I go?
Should I stay or should I go now? Should I stay or should I go now? If I go there will be trouble And if I stay it will be double So come on and let me know
This indecision’s bugging me Esta indecision me molesta If you don’t want me, set me free Si no me quieres, librame Exactly whom I’m supposed to be Digame quien tengo ser
Don’t you know which clothes even fit me? Sabes que ropas me queda? Come on and let me know Me tienes que decir Should I cool it or should I blow? Me debo ir o quedarme?
Split
Should I stay or should I go now? Me entra frio por los ojos Should I stay or should I go now? Me entra frio por los ojos If I go there will be trouble Si me voy va a haber peligro And if I stay it will be double Si me quedo va a ser doble So you gotta let me know Me tienes que decir Should I cool it or should I blow?
Should I stay or should I go now? Me entra frio por los ojos If I go there will be trouble Si me voy va a haber peligro And if I stay it will be double Si me quedo va a ser doble So you gotta let me know Should I stay or should I go
The song peaked at #94 in the Billboard 100 in 1986. The song was on Lifes Rich Pageant which peaked at 21 in 1986. A musician friend of mine invited me over to listen to this album. We must have played it 5 times through by night time.
Bill Berry (drummer) said the song was specifically about Acid Rain, which occurs when the burning of fossil fuels releases sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, causing rain to be acidic and threatening the environment.
Michael Stipe said about the song: “I was reading an article in Boston when I was on tour with the Golden Palominos, and Chris Stamey showed me this article about this guy that did an experiment from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, whereby he dropped a pound of feathers and a pound of iron to prove that there was… a difference in the… density? What did he prove? I don’t even know. They fall just as fast.”
From Songfacts
The video was filmed upside down in a rock quarry, and snippets of the environmentally concerned words flash on-screen throughout: “Buy” the sky, “Sell” the sky, etc.
Before it ended up on the Lifes Rich Pageant album, R.E.M. performed a variation of this song on tour promoting their previous album, Fables of the Reconstruction. Peter Buck remembered in the liner notes for Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011: “And pretty much every day Michael had different lyrics or a different melody; we changed the bridge a hundred times. On the Lifes Rich Pageant anniversary box set, there is a version that is kind of what we used to do on stage. Michael wrote new words and melodies during the making of the record, which all took a bit of getting used to since we were so used to the previous versions. But no question, the one on the record is so superior.”
We didn’t forget to add that possessive apostrophe to the album title. The band intentionally left it out, or so the story goes. “We all hate apostrophes,” Peter Buck proclaimed. “There’s never been a good rock album that had an apostrophe in the title.” Beatles fans may disagree – A Hard Day’s Night and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band both employ the punctuation mark. Maybe Buck’s oft-quoted comment is meant to be taken with a dose of irony, or maybe he’s just a Stones fan (that band shunned the apostrophe for Their Satanic Majesties Request).
Fall On Me
There’s a problem feathers iron Bargain buildings, weights and pulleys Feathers hit the ground before the weight can leave the air Buy the sky and sell the sky and tell the sky and tell the sky
Don’t fall on me (what is it up in the air for?) (it’s gonna fall) Fall on me (if it’s there for long) (it’s gonna fall) Fall on me (it’s over, it’s over me) (it’s gonna fall)
There’s the progress we have found (when the rain) A way to talk around the problem (when the children reign) Building towered foresight (keep your conscience in the dark) Isn’t anything at all (melt the statues in the park) Buy the sky and sell the sky and bleed the sky and tell the sky
Don’t fall on me (what is it up in the air for?) (it’s gonna fall) Fall on me (if it’s there for long) (it’s gonna fall) Fall on me (it’s over, it’s over me) (it’s gonna fall)
Don’t fall on me
Well, I could keep it above But then it wouldn’t be sky anymore So if I send it to you, you’ve got to promise to keep it whole
Buy the sky and sell the sky and lift your arms up to the sky And ask the sky and ask the sky
Don’t fall on me (what is it up in the air for?) (it’s gonna fall) Fall on me (if it’s there for long) (it’s gonna fall) Fall on me (it’s over, it’s over me) (it’s gonna fall)
Don’t fall on me (what is it up in the air for?) (it’s gonna fall) Fall on me (if it’s there for long) (it’s gonna fall) Fall on me (it’s over, it’s over me) (it’s gonna fall)
Fall on me, don’t fall on me (what is it up in the air for?) (it’s gonna fall) Fall on me (if it’s there for long) (it’s gonna fall) Fall on me (it’s over, it’s over me) (it’s gonna fall)
This song was on the album “Born In The USA.” released in 1984. I was a Jr in high school and this song hit like a blast. Bruce had been huge when Born To Run was released in 1975 but since then he had been popular but this album placed him in the stratosphere. He was reluctant to release the album because Bruce had a clue on how big this album was going to be and he didn’t know how comfortable he would be with that.
When you are 17 years old and waiting for your life to start… then hear the lyrics Well, we busted out of class, Had to get away from those fools, We learned more from a three-minute record, baby Than we ever learned in school… it gets your attention.
I think every song on the album could have been released as a single. This one did not chart but remains a strong song. Steven Van Zandt convinced Springsteen to include this song on the album because Bruce was going to leave it off.
From Songfacts
Springsteen wrote this about the inspirational power of rock music. It came to represent his friendship with members of his band.
This was the last song chosen for the album. E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt had to convince Springsteen to put it on. Van Zandt had left the band, but remained close to Springsteen and would eventually play with him again.
The original title was “Brothers Under The Bridges.”
Part of the chorus provided the title for Jean-Claude Van Damme’s first movie, No Retreat, No Surrender.
Springsteen often performed a slower version of this at concerts. The version on the box set Live 1975-1985 is a slower, solo performance.
No Surrender
Well, we busted out of class Had to get away from those fools We learned more from a three-minute record, baby Than we ever learned in school Tonight I hear the neighborhood drummer sound I can feel my heart begin to pound You say you’re tired and you just want to close your eyes And follow your dreams down
Well, we made a promise we swore we’d always remember No retreat, baby, no surrender Like soldiers in the winter’s night With a vow to defend No retreat, baby, no surrender
Well, now young faces grow sad and old And hearts of fire grow cold We swore blood brothers against the wind Now I’m ready to grow young again And hear your sister’s voice calling us home Across the open yards Well maybe we’ll cut someplace of our own With these drums and these guitars
‘Cause we made a promise we swore we’d always remember No retreat, baby, no surrender Blood brothers in the stormy night With a vow to defend No retreat, baby, no surrender
Now on the street tonight the lights grow dim The walls of my room are closing in There’s a war outside still raging You say it ain’t ours anymore to win I want to sleep beneath Peaceful skies in my lover’s bed With a wide open country in my eyes And these romantic dreams in my head
Once we made a promise we swore we’d always remember No retreat, baby, no surrender Blood brothers in a stormy night With a vow to defend No retreat, baby, no surrender No retreat, baby, no surrender
I’m So Glad appeared on Cream’s debut album Fresh Cream. Cream covered this song and did something that other bands (looking at you Led Zeppelin) should have done. The writer of the song was Skip James an American Delta blues singer, guitarist, pianist and songwriter who was born in 1902. Cream went out of their way to make sure that Skip received royalties off of the song.
Because of Cream’s diligence, James had at least some comfort in his last days. Skip had the opportunity to see Cream perform his song on stage before he succumbed to cancer in 1969 but his widow sent a thank you letter to Jack Bruce for covering his song.
The song didn’t chart but the album did at #39 in 1968.
I’m So Glad
[Chorus:] I’m so glad I’m so glad I’m glad, I’m glad, I’m glad
Don’t know what to do Don’t know what to do Don’t know what to do
Tired of weeping Tired of moaning Tired of groaning for you
[Chorus]
Tired of weeping Tired of moaning Tired of groaning for you
This song was one of my favorite Lennon tribute songs.
This song is a tribute to John Lennon, who was murdered in 1980. Elton John’s songwriting partner Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics, but Elton certainly felt a connection to the song, as he was good friends with Lennon and is the Godfather of Lennon’s second son, Sean. Elton appeared onstage with John at his final concert in 1974.
Empty Garden peaked at #13 in the Billboard 100, #8 in Canada, #14 in New Zealand, and #51 in the UK in1982
Some of the other songs that are tributes to John are Queen – Life Is Real, George Harrison – All Those Years Ago, Paul McCartney – Here Today, Bob Dylan – Roll On John, and Paul Simon – The Late Great Johnny Ace.
From Songfacts
In the John/Taupin songwriting partnership, Bernie writes the lyrics first and Elton then puts them to music. When writing for the Jump Up album, Elton had some melodies handy and asked Taupin to write words to those, which he did. Taupin has described those songs as “awful” and said, “it’s a very messy album.” “Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny),” however, was written their traditional way with the lyrics first, and Taupin has said that it’s the only good song on the album.
When he performed this at a sold-out Madison Square Garden show in August 1982, Elton was joined onstage by Lennon’s wife Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon.
Empty Garden
What happened here As the New York sunset disappeared I found an empty garden among the flagstones there Who lived here He must have been a gardener that cared a lot Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop And now it all looks strange It’s funny how one insect can damage so much grain
And what’s it for This little empty garden by the brownstone door And in the cracks along the sidewalk nothing grows no more Who lived here He must have been a gardener that cared a lot Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop And we are so amazed, we’re crippled and we’re dazed A gardener like that one no one can replace
And I’ve been knocking but no one answers And I’ve been knocking most of the day Oh and I’ve been calling, oh hey hey Johnny Can’t you come out to play
And through their tears Some say he farmed his best in younger years But he’d have said that roots grow stronger, if only he could hear Who lived there He must have been a gardener that cared a lot Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop Now we pray for rain, and with every drop that falls We hear, we hear your name
And I’ve been knocking but no one answers And I’ve been knocking most of the day Oh and I’ve been calling, oh hey hey Johnny Can’t you come out to play
And I’ve been knocking but no one answers And I’ve been knocking most all the day Oh and I’ve been calling, oh hey hey Johnny Can’t you come out, can you come out to play, Johnny Can’t you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny Can’t you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny Can’t you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny Can’t you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny Can’t you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny Can’t you come out to play in your empty garden, Johnny
This was Buffalo Springfield’s only top 40 hit. I’ve always liked the song, especially Neil Young’s harmonics on guitar. The album Buffalo Springfield was the band’s first album, and this song was not originally included on it. After “For What It’s Worth” became a hit single, it replaced “Baby Don’t Scold Me” on re-issues of the album.
According to BMI, the song’s publishing house, “For What It’s Worth” been played 8 million times on TV and radio since its release. In 2014, it came in at number three on Rolling Stone‘s readers poll of the best protest songs.
For What It’s Worth peaked at #7 in the Billboard 100 and #9 in Canada.
From Songfacts
Written by Buffalo Springfield guitarist Stephen Stills, this song was not about anti-war gatherings, but rather youth gatherings protesting anti-loitering laws, and the closing of the West Hollywood nightclub Pandora’s Box. Stills was not there when they closed the club, but had heard about it from his bandmates.
In the book Neil Young: Long May You Run: The Illustrated History, Stephen Stills tells the story of this song’s origin: “I had had something kicking around in my head. I wanted to write something about the kids that were on the line over in Southeast Asia that didn’t have anything to do with the device of this mission, which was unraveling before our eyes. Then we came down to Sunset from my place on Topanga with a guy – I can’t remember his name – and there’s a funeral for a bar, one of the favorite spots for high school and UCLA kids to go and dance and listen to music.
[Officials] decided to call out the official riot police because there’s three thousand kids sort of standing out in the street; there’s no looting, there’s no nothing. It’s everybody having a hang to close this bar. A whole company of black and white LAPD in full Macedonian battle array in shields and helmets and all that, and they’re lined up across the street, and I just went ‘Whoa! Why are they doing this?’ There was no reason for it. I went back to Topanga, and that other song turned into ‘For What It’s Worth,’ and it took as long to write as it took me to settle on the changes and write the lyrics down. It all came as a piece, and it took about fifteen minutes.”
Notable when you consider this song’s success, the group quietly recorded this without involving their producers Charles Greene and Brian Stone, with whom they had had immense dissatisfaction about the recording of their album up until then. Greene and Stone had insisted on recording each musician separately and then combining them later into mono to stereo tracks, which produced a tinny sound. This was the first time the group’s united performance was caught on tape. (Thanks to Dwight Rounds for his help with this. Dwight is author of The Year The Music Died, 1964-1972.)
This was used in a commercial for Miller beer. The anti-establishment message was, of course, ignored and the song was edited to avoid the line “There’s a man with a gun over there, telling you-you’ve got to beware.” The commercial replaced this line by pulling up the chorus of “Everybody look what’s going down.”
Songwriting powerhouses Jim Messina and Neil Young were also in Buffalo Springfield, but Stills wrote this song himself. Young has never allowed his songs to be used in commercials, and wrote a song bashing those who do called “This Note’s For You.”
This song helped launch the band to stardom and has remained one of the era’s most enduring protest songs, but Stephen Stills, who authored the tune, had very different feelings than many might expect. He said, “We didn’t want to do another song like ‘For What It’s Worth.’ We didn’t want to be a protest group. That’s really a cop-out and I hate that. To sit there and say, ‘I don’t like this and I don’t like that’ is just stupid.”
Public Enemy sampled this on their 1998 song “He Got Game,” which was used in the movie of the same name. Stephen Stills appears on this song.
This song gets covered a lot – for a weird experience, check out the cover versions of “For What It’s Worth” done by Ozzy Osbourne on the Under Cover album and Queensryche on their Take Cover album. Both of them pretty much murder it.
This song plays during the opening credits of the movie Lord Of War starring Nicolas Cage, and was used in the movie Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks.
Buffalo Springfield
There’s something happening here What it is ain’t exactly clear There’s a man with a gun over there Telling me I got to beware
I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound Everybody look what’s going down
There’s battle lines being drawn Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong Young people speaking their minds Getting so much resistance from behind
It’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound Everybody look what’s going down
What a field-day for the heat A thousand people in the street Singing songs and carrying signs Mostly say, hooray for our side
It’s s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound Everybody look what’s going down
Paranoia strikes deep Into your life it will creep It starts when you’re always afraid You step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop, hey, what’s that sound Everybody look what’s going down Stop, hey, what’s that sound Everybody look what’s going down Stop, now, what’s that sound Everybody look what’s going down Stop, children, what’s that sound Everybody look what’s going down
This was not a hit but it was a very poignant song about John Lennon after he was murdered. It was on the Tug of War album and it is a very touching song of Paul having an imaginary conversation with John. It’s a very personal side of Paul that he doesn’t show a lot.
The Tug of War album was a very good album. It peaked at #1 in 1982 and it would be his last #1 album until Egypt Station peaked at #1 in 2018.
The song peaked at #46 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts.
Paul on the song: “After John died, there’d been a lot of talk about who did what and who liked who and did the Beatles argue. I was almost buying into this idea that me and John were fighting all the time. But I remembered it wasn’t true, so I wrote the song about how, ‘if you were here, you might say this or those… but I know better.’
I remember well some of the things we did. It was really for me thinking about John. We had a great relationship and like any family, there are always arguments, there’s always disputes, but in the end, we loved each other and I wanted to make a song where I actually said “I love you” to John, so that was that song.
It’s quite emotional because it came from a real feeling about him, and I wanted to correct the record in my mind as much as in any one else’s mind. There were some photos from that period which were really beautiful, and there’s just him and me working and you could see we loved each other. So, once all these rumors go about, you almost buy into them yourself. So that song helped me set the record straight.”
From Songfacts
McCartney wrote this for John Lennon after his tragic death on December 8, 1980. He sings of the years they spent together in much detail.
Paul McCartney: “The truth of the matter is when John died it was so weird for everyone and obviously for those of us that were near to him it was doubly, triply weird and then there was the obvious sort of thing is anyone going to write a song about John because obviously certainly we all felt deeply enough and normally when we felt deeply enough we committed it to song. I was wondering if I was going to do it but I thought I’m not going to sit down and try to do it but if anything comes sometime I’ll do it. I was one day just sitting quietly in this little room with my guitar and these chords started coming out and I started having these thoughts as if I was talking to myself to John about our relationship and stuff and obviously one of the things that had been funny for me was this idea of when the Beatles broke up we became enemies for a time. But I knew we weren’t and I know for a fact he knew we weren’t too because independently of each other we’d talked nicely of each other but there was a pride thing of two men very difficult business and all that.” (Transcribed from this interview.)
McCartney told The London Times December 5, 2009, that in this song, “I’m talking to John in my head. It’s a conversation we didn’t have.” He added that they were reconciled again by the time of the tragedy: “We were mates. God, that was so cool. It was the saving grace. Because it got a bit sticky after the Beatles. No, we were really good mates again – it was lovely, actually. Performing this song, in New York, where he was killed, is a very emotional affair. The last verse, where I sing ‘and if I said I really loved you, and was glad you came along,’ it’s like singing it to your dad who died.”
During the Q&A Mojo Magazine Session in November 2009, McCartney said that this song is his most difficult to perform: “I realize I’m telling this man that I love him, and it’s like, ‘Oh my god’, like I’m publicly declaring it in front of all these people I don’t know! It’s a good thing to do, though.”
McCartney performed this live on his 2002 release Back In The US.
Here Today
And if I say I really knew you well What would your answer be? If you were here today Ooo ooo ooo, here today
Well, knowing you You’d probably laugh and say That we were worlds apart If you were here today Ooo ooo ooo, here today
But as for me, I still remember how it was before And I am holding back the tears no more Ooo ooo ooo, I love you, ooo
What about the time we met? Well, I suppose that you could say That we were playing hard to get Didn’t understand a thing But we could always sing
What about the night we cried? Because there wasn’t any reason Left to keep it all inside Never understood a word But you were always there with a smile
And if I say I really loved you And was glad you came along And you were here today Ooo ooo ooo, for you were in my song Ooo ooo ooo, here today
If I had to pick out favorite cruising songs…this would be in the top 5. A great song by an underappreciated band. This song peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #1 in Canada, and #9 in the UK.
This was the second of three #1 hits for The Rascals, after “Good Lovin'” and before “People Got to Be Free.”
The song was off of the album of the same name in 1967 and it peaked at #5 in the Billboard Chart.
From Songfacts
Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati of The Rascals wrote this song after they realized that because of their work schedule, they could see their girlfriends only on Sunday afternoons. It’s implied that these Sunday afternoons are spent with a nice romp. Cavaliere told Seth Swirsky, who was shooting footage for his documentary Beatles Stories, “I met this young girl and I just fell head over heels in love. I was so gone that this joyous, wonderful emotion came into the music. Groovin’ was part of that experience. If you look at the story line, it’s very simple: we’re groovin’ on a Sunday afternoon because Friday and Saturdays are when musicians work. The simplicity of it is that Sundays you could be with your loved one. And the beauty of is this joyous bliss that at that time I equated with a person, but that’s the beauty of music – when it’s an example of what you do it lasts forever. You’re in love forever because of that moment in time that you captured, and that’s what was happening with Groovin’.”
The record company executives who worked on “Groovin'” didn’t particularly like the song, but as they listened to the playback, influential New York DJ Murray the K overheard it and pronounced it a #1 record. Unbeknownst to the group, Murray went to Atlantic Records president Jerry Wexler and demanded it be released. As the program manager and top DJ on the first FM rock station (WOR-FM), Murray the K had this kind of clout, and also the rare ability to connect with listeners and recognize what songs would become hits. The Rascals, who started out as The Young Rascals, were playing at The Gordion Knot club on York Avenue when Murray picked them as his “house band” – the group that backed him up at personal appearances. It was that relationship (based on Murray’s gut sense that the band had genuine potential) that drove his partisan support.
In the US, this spent two weeks at #1, then two weeks at #2 (as Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” took over to top spot), then returned to the top for two more weeks.
The term “Groovy” was becoming popular around this time, and the title of this song is a variation on the term. The first popular “Groovy” song was “A Groovy Kind Of Love,” and the first popular use in lyrics was in “59th Street Bridge Song.”
Smokey Robinson got the idea for his song “Cruisin'” from this one – his original hook was “I love it when we’re groovin’ together,” but he thought “cruisin'” was more intimate.
Groovin
Groovin’, on a Sunday afternoon Really couldn’t get away too soon
I can’t imagine anything that’s better The world is ours whenever we’re together There ain’t a place I’d like to be instead of
Groovin’, down a crowded avenue Doin’ anything we like to do
There’s always lots of things that we can see We can be anyone we want to be And all those happy people we could meet just
Groovin’, on a Sunday afternoon Really couldn’t get away too soon
Ah-ha-ha Ah-ha-ha Ah-ha-ha
We’ll keep on spending sunny days this way We’re gonna talk and laugh our time away I feel it comin’ closer day by day Life would be ecstasy, you and me endlessly
Groovin’, on a Sunday afternoon Really couldn’t get away too soon
Stevie Wonder in the 60s and 70s was unbeatable. Not discounting his 80s output but for me, it’s hard to beat his 70s output.
Higher Ground peaked at #4 in the Billboard 100, #29 in the UK, and #9 in Canada. The song was on the album Innervisions ($4) released in 1973. Right after the album was released Stevie was riding in a car when it collided it with a logging truck. Some logs crashed through the windshield and hit Stevie. He was in a coma for 4 days with a severe brain contusion.
Steve Wonder on the song: I would like to believe in reincarnation. I would like to believe that there is another life. I think that sometimes your consciousness can happen on this earth a second time around. For me, I wrote “Higher Ground” even before the accident. But something must have been telling me that something was going to happen to make me aware of a lot of things and to get myself together. This is like my second chance for life, to do something or to do more, and to value the fact that I am alive.
From Songfacts
The lyrics deal with getting a second chance (“So darn glad he let me try it again”) and making the most of it. Strangely, Wonder recorded it three months before he was almost killed on his way to a benefit concert in Durham, North Carolina. The car he was riding in was behind a truck carrying a load of logs, which stopped suddenly, sending a log through the windshield and hitting Wonder in the head. The accident put Wonder in a coma for four days. His road manager and good friend, Ira Tucker Jr., knew that Stevie liked to listen to music at high volume, so he tried singing this song directly into his ear. At first he got no response, but the next day, he tried again and Wonder’s fingers started moving in time with the song – the first sign that he was going to recover.
Recalling his time in the coma, Wonder said, “For a few days I was definitely in a much better spiritual place that made me aware of a lot of things that concern my life and my future and what I have to do to reach another higher ground. This is like my second chance for life, to do something or to do more and to face the fact that I am alive.”
Innervisions was released on August 3, 1973, just three days before Wonder’s accident.
Guided by a mix of Christian morality and astrological mysticism, Wonder believed he was writing a “special song” whose lyrics suggested a coming day of judgment. “I did the whole thing in three hours” he told Q magazine. It was almost as if I had to get it done. I felt something was going to happen. I didn’t know what or when, but I felt something.”
When he turned 21, Wonder renegotiated his deal with Motown Records, taking control of his recordings by forming his own production and publishing companies. Motown was very regimented in terms of what musicians and producers were used on recordings, but Stevie wanted to do most of this work himself. In 1971, he teamed with the engineers Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil and began a constant cycle of recording in which he played most of the instruments himself. On this track, Wonder is the only credited musician, listed as playing Hohner clavinet, drums, and Moog bass.
In 1993 UB40 included a cover version on their Promises And Lies album that reached #45 in the US and #8 in the UK.
Wonder was a huge influence on The Red Hot Chili Peppers, who remade this with a more uptempo beat on their Mother’s Milk album. They even thank him in the lyrics by adding the phrase “You know what Stevie says.” Their version helped introduce many listeners to Wonder. >>
Wonder sang an a cappella version of this song with Alicia Keys at the Grammy Awards in 2006.
Higher Ground
People keep on learnin’ Soldiers keep on warrin’ World keep on turnin’ ‘Cause it won’t be too long
Powers keep on lyin’ While your people keep on dyin’ World keep on turnin’ ‘Cause it won’t be too long
I’m so glad that he let me try it again ‘Cause my last time on earth I lived a whole world of sin I’m so glad that I know more than I knew then Gonna keep on tryin’ Till I reach my highest ground
Lovers keep on lovin’ Believers keep on believin’ Sleepers just stop sleepin’ ‘Cause it won’t be too long Oh no
I’m so glad that he let me try it again ‘Cause my last time on earth I lived a whole world of sin I’m so glad that I know more than I knew then Gonna keep on tryin’ Till I reach my highest ground
Woo! Till I reach my highest ground No one’s gonna bring me down Oh no Till I reach my highest ground
Don’t let nobody bring you down (they’ll sho ‘nough try) God is gonna show you higher ground
“I’ve got a chip on my shoulder that’s bigger than my feet”…you didn’t see lines like this in early pop songs very much. The song was the A Hard Day’s Night album released in 1964. The song was going to be in the film but it got replaced by Can’t Buy Me, Love. “I wrote that for ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ but Dick Lester didn’t even want it,” John explained, “He resurrected ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ for that sequence instead.”
The song did get released as a single in the US in 1964 and peaked at #25 in the Billboard 100.
John Lennon on the Dylan influence – “I’d started thinking about my own emotions,” “Instead of projecting myself into a situation, I would try to express what I felt about myself, which I’d done in my books. I think it was Dylan who helped me realize that – not by any discussion or anything, but by hearing his work.”
Cynthia Lennon said this: “It reflects the frustration he [John Lennon] felt at that time. He was the idol of millions, but the freedom and fun of the early days had gone.”
I’ll Cry Instead
I’ve got every reason on earth to be mad ‘Cause I just lost the only girl I had If I could get my way I’d get myself locked up today But I can’t, so I’ll cry instead
I’ve got a chip on my shoulder that’s bigger that my feet I can’t talk to people that I meet If I could see you now I’d try to make you sad somehow But I can’t, so I’ll cry instead
Don’t want to cry when there’s people there I get shy when they start to stare I’m gonna hide myself away But I’ll come back again someday
And when you do you’d better hide all the girls I’m gonna break their hearts all round the world Yes, I’m gonna break them in two And show you what your lovin’ man can do Until then I’ll cry instead
When I think of the Everly Brothers this is not the first song that springs to my mind but it is a lovely ballad by them. The melody of this song is beautiful. It is a reworking of a French song recorded in 1955 by Gilbert Becaud called Je T’Appartiens.
The song peaked at #7 in the Billboard 100, #13 in the UK in 1960.
Just before this became a hit, The Everly Brothers left their original label, Cadence Records, and signed with Warner Brothers for a $100,000 bonus, which was huge at the time.
From Songfacts
The first English version of this song was released in 1957 by an actress named Jill Corey, who recorded it with Jimmy Carroll and his orchestra. This version went to #57 in 1957, two years before The Everly Brothers version.
Don Everly heard an instrumental rendition on the 1959 album Chet Atkins In Hollywood and fell in love with the melody. When he found out there were lyrics, he brought the song to producer Archie Bleyer. Wesley Rose, owner of the publishing company Acuff-Rose that signed the Everly Brothers as songwriters and connected them with Bleyer’s Cadence label, sparred with Bleyer over the tune but lost. Don recalled: “I went to Archie and told him I wanted to do it with strings. Wesley just sat there pouting through the whole session like a kid.”
This was one of the first pop songs to use a string section – eight violins and a cello were used. It was also the first Everly Brothers song to use strings.
This was the first Everly Brothers song they did not record in Nashville. It was done in New York.
In America, six other versions of this song charted in the ’60s:
Betty Everett & Jerry Butler (#5, 1964) Arthur Prysock (#124, 1966) Nino Tempo & April Stevens (#127, 1968) Glen Campbell & Bobbie Gentry (#36, 1969)
Willie Nelson returned the song to the charts in 1982 when he took it to #40.
Bob Dylan recorded this on his 1970 album Self Portrait. We asked Ron Cornelius, who played guitar on the album, why Dylan recorded it. He replied: “No one would be being truthful with you to tell you what was ever in Bob Dylan’s mind. No Way.”
Gilbert Becaud – Je T’Appartiens
Let It Be Me
I bless the day I found you I want to stay around you And so I beg you, let it be me
Don’t take this heaven from one If you must cling to someone Now and forever, let it be me
Each time we meet love I find complete love Without your sweet love what would life be
So never leave me lonely Tell me you love me only And that you’ll always let it be me
Each time we meet love I find complete love Without your sweet love what would life be
So never leave me lonely Tell me you love me only And that you’ll always let it be me
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