This song is from their second album Radio City. Their other guitarist Chris Bell had left the band leaving Alex Chilton as the only guitarist. In this song Chilton’s guitar is pushed to the front and after about a 46 second intro the song is on it’s way.
It’s a bluesy, funky, rocky, and soulful riff all built into one. Alex just takes off on the guitar with this one all through the song. The guitar has a tone that you don’t hear everyday. Whenever I’m playing guitar I go back to their albums to try to emulate a tone that Chilton found.
Alex Chilton was not the only one writing songs on the album. Bassist Andy Hummel wrote or co-wrote five of the albums’s 12 tracks. Jody Stephens pitched in and co-wrote one song with Chilton and Hummel.
Chilton remained the constant variable that made the band’s music soar. His September Gurls is among the band’s finest songs and one of the prototypical power pop songs.
Radio City is not as polished as their debut album but it’s just as good and many say better.
O My Soul
O my soul mama I lose control Go ahead and shake if you wanna And I’ll never know Wull come on You know it’s alright We’ve got all night You’re driving me mad And you shouldn’t do that We’re going to get on up And drink till we drop. You’re really a nice girl And I think you’re the most And when we’re together I feel like a boss
Trying to see you I’d know off your doors dying to see you I’m down on the floor.
I can’t get a license To drive my car But I don’t really need it If I’m a big star. Never you mind Go on and have a good time.
The song was written by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew and Fats released it in 1955.
Fats Domino really liked Cheap Trick’s version of the song…reportedly it was his favorite cover version of his song. Domino gave Cheap Trick his gold record for his 1955 single, which is held by guitarist Rick Nielsen! That is really special.
The song peaked at #35 in the Billboard 100, #10 in Canada, and #24 in New Zealand in 1979. It was from the album Cheap Trick at Budokan in 1979. Dave at A Sound Day had a nice write up about the album…that is probably why I thought of this one. Another live version of song, recorded in 1999, was released on the 2001 album Silver.
I’m a huge Fats Domino fan…I first heard Fats on Happy Days as a kid. This song and Blueberry Hill are the first songs I remember by him.
This was the first song to crossover from the R&B charts to the mostly white pop charts of the day. Like several other songs previously heard exclusively in black bars or nightclubs, it was covered by the crooning Pat Boone.
Concerned about how people would respond to the title…Pat was going to change it to “Isn’t It A Shame” but the producers realized that would not exactly be the same.
Yea Pat Boone covered it…like he did other songs. I usually am not negative in my posts but no I don’t like Pat Boone’s renditions of those great rock and roll songs. Saying that…did it help the artists he covered? Yes it gave Domino and Little Richard’s songs a boost…it’s a shame (No pun intended) it took that to help Fats and Little Richard.
Pat Boone: “When I recorded their songs, my records of their songs sold 10 times that – and introduced them to the white audiences, or the pop audiences. So, they were grateful for my having recorded their songs. And of course, we became friends, as well.”
From Songfacts
This is a heartache song about a breakup that was the other partner’s fault. Domino wrote it with Dave Bartholomew, who worked on most of Domino’s hits.
Boone’s cover was a huge hit, going to #1 on the US Pop charts and reaching #7 in the UK. This gave Domino’s original recording a boost, and helped it cross over.
Like he did on “I’m Walking,” Domino made sure the beginning of this song was quite memorable, since if the hook comes right at the beginning, it’s more likely to be heard.
You may not know the lyrics, but you probably know how the song starts:
You made… (bomp bomp) Me cry… (bomp bomp) When you said… (bomp bomp) Goodbye… (bomp bomp) Ain’t that a shame
This was a favorite songwriting trick of Domino’s, as he looked for a good, simple section to start a song. And even though songs like this one were often attached to melancholy lyrics, it was the sound that Domino felt was important – if he could make it sound happy, it would evoke pleasant memories.
This was Fats Domino’s first hit song that was not recorded in New Orleans, where the singer lived. He recorded it on March 15, 1955 in a Hollywood studio when he was on tour in Los Angeles. Imperial Records had the engineers compress Fats’ vocals and speed up the song a bit to make the song sound less bluesy and give it more mainstream appeal. This also made it more difficult for other artists to cover the song.
In 1960, Domino recorded a sequel called “Walking To New Orleans,” where he leaves and goes back to his hometown.
This was used in the 1973 movie American Graffiti. It was also used in the movie October Sky.
Cheap Trick’s 1978 cover went to #35 in the US and helped make their At Budokan album a huge hit. A portion of the first guitar solo in their version, played by Rick Nielsen, is lifted from the opening harmonica riff from the Beatles’ “Please Please Me.” That same riff is also used in the guitar outro to the track “The House is Rockin’ (Domestic Problems)” from the band’s 1980 album Dream Police. According to Nielsen, Cheap Trick got the idea to record the song after hearing John Lennon’s 1975 cover version.
In 2007, this was used in commercials for Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper. >>
This was the first song that John Lennon learned to play. Lennon later recorded the song in a duet with Yoko Ono, and his fellow Beatle Paul McCartney also recorded the song.
A sample of this song is used as a response to an alien invasion in Buchanan & Goodman’s 1956 hit, “The Flying Saucer.”
Jon Batiste and Gary Clark, Jr. performed this in tribute to Domino at the Grammy Awards in 2018 along with “Maybellene,” in honor of another rock legend who died in 2017, Chuck Berry.
Ain’t That A Shame
You made me cry When you said goodbye
Ain’t that a shame My tears fell like rain Ain’t that a shame You’re the one to blame
You broke my heart When you said we’ll part
Ain’t that a shame My tears fell like rain Ain’t that a shame You’re the one to blame
Oh well goodbye Although I’ll cry
Ain’t that a shame My tears fell like rain Ain’t that a shame You’re the one to blame
You made me cry When you said goodbye
Ain’t that a shame My tears fell like rain Ain’t that a shame You’re the one to blame
Oh well goodbye Although I’ll cry
Ain’t that a shame My tears fell like rain Ain’t that a shame You’re the one to blame
This is a duet with blues legend B.B. King. American blues musicians were a big influence on U2, and the group had a great admiration for King. I bought Rattle and Hum when it came out and thoroughly enjoyed it. This song and Angel of Harlem sold it enough for me to get it.
In 1987, King played a show in Dublin and found out U2 would be in the audience. U2 had just released The Joshua Tree and were very popular, especially in their native Ireland. After the show, King was honored to meet the band and humbled to find out they were big fans. He asked Bono to think of him sometime when he was writing a song, and later on this was the result.
King performed “When Love Comes to Town” with the band for the first time during their Joshua Tree tour at a concert in Fort Worth, Texas on November 24, 1987. Parts of this show as well as the soundcheck were included in the U2 concert documentary Rattle And Hum, which contains a scene where Bono is rehearsing this with King.
The song peaked at #68 in the Billboard 100, #41 in Canada, and #6 in the UK, and #4 in New Zealand in 1989.
After King died on May 14, 2015, U2 paid tribute to him during a show in Vancouver the following night during the Innocence + Experience Tour by playing “When Love Comes to Town” for the first time in 23 years.
From Songfacts
B.B. King opened for U2 on their 1989 “Lovetown” tour, which went through New Zealand, Japan, Ireland, Germany, and Holland. King joined U2 when they played this, which usually occurred near the end of their set.
The version used on Rattle And Hum was recorded with B.B. King at Sun Studios in Memphis, where King is royalty. This was one of several new songs on the album, which was a combination of live cuts from their 1987 tour and studio recordings.
This was a huge career boost for B.B. King. Although he was revered in the blues community, he wasn’t well known in the world of rock or pop. His association with U2 brought him a huge number of new fans and changed the dynamic of his audience, which became split between blues purists and rock fans who learned about him through U2. Many of King’s older fans did not appreciate the newcomers.
Admiration between King and Bono on this song was mutual; King was amazed that Bono could write such mature lyrics at such a young age, and Bono was blown away by King’s vocal. “I gave it my absolute everything I had in that howl at the start of the song,” Bono said. “Then B.B. opened his mouth, and I felt like a girl.”
This won the MTV Video Music Award for best video from a film in 1989. The video provided B.B. King with his first exposure to the MTV audience.
Near the beginning of their 1989 tour with B.B. King, U2 threw him a surprise birthday party. They invited King on a boat for what he thought was a fishing trip, but as soon as they left shore, they released balloons and sang Happy Birthday. That night, they had a fireworks display in his honor.
This was B.B. King’s biggest hit in the UK.
B.B. King got another career boost when he teamed up with Eric Clapton in 2000 to record an album called Riding With The King. Many blues legends remain in rock obscurity, but his collaborations with U2 and Clapton gave King a higher profile than any blues musician has achieved. After his recording with Clapton, King opened a series of nightclubs under his name. It helped that King remained a skilled guitarist and powerful vocalist into his 60s.
This was included on U2’s compilation, The Best Of 1980-1990.
BB King played his Gibson “Lucille” guitar probably through a Lab Series amp on this song.
Adam Clayton: “We discovered a common bond between us and some of these older artists like B.B. King. When we met him there was a whole world of understanding and nothing needed to be said. That has been the payoff of working ten years to get into this position. We no longer have to prove ourselves. It’s in the music and people can hear it.”
When Love Comes To Town
I was a sailor, I was lost at sea I was under the waves Before love rescued me I was a fighter, I could turn on a thread Now I stand accused of the things I’ve said
Love comes to town I’m gonna jump that train When love comes to town I’m gonna catch that flame Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down But I did what I did before love came to town
I used to make love under a red sunset I was making promises I was soon to forget She was pale as the lace of her wedding gown But I left her standing before love came to town
I ran into a juke joint when I heard a guitar scream The notes were turning blue, I was dazing in a dream As the music played I saw my life turn around That was the day before love came to town
When love comes to town I’m gonna jump that train When love comes to town I’m gonna catch that flame Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down But I did what I did before love came to town
When love comes to town I’m gonna jump that train When love comes to town I’m gonna catch that flame Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down But I did what I did before love came to town
I was there when they crucified my Lord I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword I threw the dice when they pierced his side But I’ve seen love conquer the great divide
When love comes to town I’m gonna catch that train When love comes to town I’m gonna catch that flame Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down But I did what I did before love came to town
I’m continuing my education on early Pink Floyd. Love what I’m hearing. This one is so sixties that you can smell the incense.
When I first heard this I thought one thing…sixties James Bond…and there is not more cooler than that. Cool guitar riff to open this one up.
It was on Pink Floyd’s debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. It was written by Syd Barrett.
This song is essentially an ode to Syd Barrett’s cat, Sam. However, it was rumored that it might refer to another man in some kind of relationship with Jenny Spires, who was Barrett’s girlfriend at the time.
In the line, ” Jennifer Gentle you’re a witch,” “Jennifer Gentile” is said to refer to Spires.
Jenny Spires
Rob Chapman, A Very Irregular Head – The Life of Syd Barrett‘Lucifer Sam’ is the odd track out on the Piper album. Neither lengthy instrumental nor three-minute fairy tale, its taut style is a throwback to the Floyd’s earlier raw R&B. ‘Lucifer Sam’ has a compact form and driving riff that would have made it a prime candidate for a single (or at least a perfectly serviceable B-side) if there hadn’t already been stronger contenders. It’s a character song like ‘Arnold Layne’ rather than a still-life study like ’The Scarecrow,’ and by Syd’s oblique standards it is specific and direct. Jenny Spires appears thinly disguised as Jennifer Gentle and although the whole thing wiffs of stoned paranoia (‘that cat’s something I can’t explain’ – it’s just a cat, Syd, there really is nothing to explain) and menacing undertones it also possesses a nimble and playful wit.
Lucifer Sam
Lucifer Sam, Siam cat Always sitting by your side Always by your side That cat’s something I can’t explain
Jennifer Gentle you’re a witch You’re the left side He’s the right side Oh, no! That cat’s something I can’t explain
Lucifer go to sea Be a hip cat, be a ship’s cat Somewhere, anywhere That cat’s something I can’t explain
At night prowling sifting sand Hiding around on the ground He’ll be found when you’re around That cat’s something I can’t explain
It’s good to know somethings just don’t change. This could have been recorded in 1980 and we would not have known. We need consistent things in life and AC/DC gives that to us.
This is a new sneak peak single off of their upcoming album.
Well…they continue their tradition of a riff and a few chords and it works every single time. Brian Johnson, Cliff Williams, and Phil Rudd are back with them and they are coming out with a new album called…Power Up.
The album will contain unreleased songs that were written by Angus and his late brother Malcolm, who died in 2017.
“This record is pretty much a dedication to Malcolm, my brother,” Angus Young said… “It’s a tribute for him like ‘Back in Black’ was a tribute to Bon Scott.”
Here is a youtube comment I had to copy over:
by Thor Odinson
And ACDC came back to save the world.
Shot In The Dark
[Verse 1] I need a pick me up A Rollin’ Thunder truck I need a shot of you That tattooed lady wild Like a mountain lion I got a hunger, that’s the loving truth
[Pre-Chorus] You got a long night coming And a long night pumping You got the right position The heat of transmission
[Chorus] A shot in the dark Make you feel alright A shot in the dark All through the whole night A shot in the dark Yeah, electric sparks A shot in the dark Beats a walk in the park, yeah
[Verse 2] Blast it on the radio Breaking on the TV show Send it out on all the wires And if I didn’t know any better Your mission is to party Till the broad daylight
[Pre-Chorus] You got a long night coming And a long night going You got the right position The heat of transmission
[Chorus] A shot in the dark Make you feel alright A shot in the dark All through the whole night A shot in the dark Yeah, elеctric sparks A shot in the dark Beats a walk in the park, yеah
[Bridge] My mission is to hit ignition
[Chorus] A shot in the dark Make you feel alright A shot in the dark All through the whole night A shot in the dark Yeah, electric sparks A shot in the dark Beats a walk in the park, yeah
One of the best feel-good songs of all time. The reggae-influenced I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash. The song peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #1 in Canada and #5 in the UK in 1972. The song was written by Johnny Nash and a hit again for Jimmy Cliff in 1993.
It’s one of the first songs I remember.
I Can See Clearly Now
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright) Sun-Shiny day.
I think I can make it now, the pain is gone All of the bad feelings have disappeared Here is the rainbow I’ve been prayin’ for It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright) Sun-Shiny day.
Look all around, there’s nothin’ but blue skies Look straight ahead, nothin’ but blue skies
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright) Sun-Shiny day.
This is the title song to the soundtrack album of the movie Magical Mystery Tour. In reality it was more of a very expensive home movie but I do like it. Like Paul McCartney said…where else would you see a video of the Beatles doing I Am The Walrus?
They began on the song two weeks after Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was released.
In the 60s a “Mystery Tour” was a bus trip to an unknown destination. They were popular in England at that time…many times they ended up to see the Blackpool lights.
The song peaked at #2 in the UK. It was not released as a single in the US. The song was written by Lennon and McCartney. Paul’s concept and Lennon helped with the lyrics.
“Magical Mystery Tour” was released as the title track to a six-song double EP in the United Kingdom on 8 December 1967. It was the first example of a double EP in Britain. In the United States, the double EP was stretched to an LP by adding five songs previously released as singles.
Paul McCartney:“’Magical Mystery Tour’ was co-written by John and I, very much in our fairground period. One of our great inspirations was always the Barker. ‘Roll up! Roll up!’
Paul McCartney: “It used to just be called a mystery tour, up north,” “When we were kids, you’d get on a bus, and you didn’t know where you were going, but nearly always it was Blackpool. From Liverpool, it was inevitably Blackpool and everyone would go, ‘Oooo, it was Blackpool after all!’ Everyone would spend time guessing where they were going, and this was part of the thrill. And we remembered those. So much of The Beatles’ stuff was a slight switch on a memory; in ‘Penny Lane,’ the nurse and the barber and the fireman were just people we saw on a bus route, but this time they’d be with us. So we’d always just heighten the reality to make a little bit of surreality. That we were interested in.”
From Songfacts
Five months after recording this, The Beatles started making a TV special with this as the title track. The special aired in the UK in 1967, but didn’t appear in the US until 1976 when it was released in theaters, becoming the fourth Beatles movie. The film, which was an early precursor of today’s reality TV shows, didn’t go over well with critics or fans.
When they started recording this, they only had the title, a little bit of music, and the first line. Paul McCartney wrote the verses, John Lennon the refrain.
The carnival barker at the beginning is Paul McCartney.
In the 1978 movie The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash directed by former Monty Python member Eric Idle, this song is parodied by the title “Tragical History Tour.”
Charles Manson used to refer to life as “A Magical Mystery Tour” after hearing this song. He later warped other Beatles songs (“Helter Skelter,” “Piggies,” “Blackbird”) to explain a race war named Helter Skelter. He used to say that the Beatles were telling it like it is.
Magical Mystery Tour
Roll up roll up for the Mystery Tour Roll up roll up for the Mystery Tour
Roll up That’s an invitation Roll up for the Mystery Tour Roll up To make a reservation Roll up for the Mystery Tour
The Magical Mystery Tour Is waiting to take you away Waiting to take you away
Roll up Roll up for the Mystery Tour Roll up Roll up for the Mystery Tour
Roll up They’ve got everything you need Roll up for the Mystery Tour Roll up Satisfaction guaranteed Roll up for the Mystery Tour
The Magical Mystery Tour is hoping to take you away Hoping to take you away
The Mystery Tour
Ah
The Magical Mystery Tour Roll up Roll up for the Mystery Tour
Roll up That’s an invitation Roll up for the Mystery Tour Roll up To make a reservation Roll up for the Mystery Tour
The Magical Mystery Tour Is coming to take you away Coming to take you away
The Magical Mystery Tour Is dying to take you away Dying to take you away Take you today
Walter and Eric said they’d put him on a network TV show The White House said, “Put the thing in the blue room” The Vatican said, “No, it belongs to Rome” And Jody said, it’s mine but you can have it for seventeen million
This is one Creedence song that you don’t hear everyday…that doesn’t make it any less of a song than their others.
It’s about a farmer called Jody who finds a UFO and become famous. The event first triggers fear and later greed. Between the lines, there’re also sarcastic remarks on American show business, media and politics.
The character of “Jody” comes up in other songs of John Fogerty. Jody is in Almost Saturday Night, Hey Tonight and this one of course.
The song name checks different people and places. Ronald Reagan, Spiro Agnew, The White House, Hollywood, and the Vatican. Also in the mix are news reporters Walter Cronkite and Eric Sevareid.
It Came Out Of The Sky was never released as a single in America. In the UK it was backed with Side of the Road. It didn’t get much airplay there and didn’t chart.
The song was on the album Willy and the Poor Boys…a great album that peaked at #3 in the Billboard Album Charts, #2 in Canada, and #10 in the UK in 1970. Creedence had 18 songs in the top 100 and 9 top 10 hits yet no number 1’s in the Billboard 100…which I still find hard believe.
The song appeared in an episode of Better Call Saul and WKRP…the classic episode of Turkey’s Away.
It Came Out Of The Sky
Oh, it came out of the sky, landed just a little south of Moline Jody fell out of his tractor, couldn’t believe what he seen Laid on the ground and shook, fearin’ for his life Then he ran all the way to town screamin’ it came out of the sky
Well, a crowd gathered ’round and a scientist said it was marsh gas Spiro came and made a speech about raising the Mars tax The Vatican said, “Woe, the lord has come” Hollywood rushed out an epic film And Ronnie the popular said it was a communist plot
Oh, the newspapers came and made Jody a national hero
Walter and Eric said they’d put him on a network TV show The White House said, “Put the thing in the blue room” The Vatican said, “No, it belongs to Rome” And Jody said, it’s mine but you can have it for seventeen million
Oh, it came out of the sky, landed just a little south of Moline Jody fell out of his tractor, couldn’t believe what he seen Laid on the ground a shakin’, fearin’ for his life Then he ran all the way to town screamin’ it came out of the sky Oh
Growing up I watched Chico and the Man and I still do occasionally. I remember that Freddie Prinze was a huge star. He was a hit with kids and adults a like.
Freddie became a star practically overnight and burned brightly…but unfortunately, it was only for a brief amount of time. I was just 10 when he died and it seemed unreal a talented twenty-two year old tv star/comedian would kill himself.
He was a comedian whose real name was Frederick Karl Pruetzel. He was born in 1954 in New York. His mother was of Puerto Rican descent and his father was of Hungarian roots…two things he used in his comedy.
He worked in clubs in the early seventies and then he got his break. He appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson on December 6, 1973, and Johnny called him over to his couch to talk to him. That was a dream to performers then. Being called to the couch meant Johnny liked you and could make your career. Remember no internet or other exposure to this big of an audience. He became a star overnight. Freddie was 19 years old.
Within a few months, he was starring with Jack Albertson on the hit show Chico and the Man.
The show had a supporting cast of Scatman Crothers and Della Reese. It had a cool factor with teenagers at the time because of Freddie. Chico and the Man was not the greatest sitcom ever but a good one that captured a talented young comedian on his way up.
Freddie came out with a 70’s catchphrase “Looking Good” with a comedy album of the same name. He appeared in one TV movie called The Million Dollar Rip-Off and an HBO On Location: Freddie Prinze and Friends.
He suffered from depression and he had a dependency on drugs that kept growing like his fame.
Through all of this, he got married and had a son…the actor Freddie Prinze Jr… His wife started to move toward a divorce and a despondent Prinze shot himself in a hotel room and died the next day on January 29, 1977, only 3 years after his introduction to the world by Johnny Carson.
People don’t remember how big Freddie was then. He was so young and vibrant when he made it…he was just 22 years old when he died.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday so far…I heard this song and liked it right away. Jimmy Buffett did a cover but I prefer John’s rawer version.
It came out in 2003 on the album “Beneath This Gruff Exterior” which peaked at #73 on the Billboard Album Charts. I don’t see any chart history on this song. John’s reputation has always been better than his chart success but other artists have covered his songs with great chart success…Bonnie Raitt being one.
John mentions “Wes and Jimmy” and that would be Jazz musicians Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith.
This song really spoke to me the first time I heard it. It wasn’t a massive hit but occasionally I’ll hear it on radio.
Window On The World
A broken promise i kept too long A greasy shade and a curtain drawn A broken glass and a heart gone wrong That’s my window on the world
A cup of coffee in a shaky hand Wakin’ up in a foreign land Tryin’ to act like i got somethin’ planned That’s my window on the world
[Chorus 1:] That’s my window on the world Could you stand a little closer, girl Don’t let mama cut those curfs That’s my window on the world
In broad daylight that circus tent pulled up stakes I don’t know where it went A close dark room with a busted vent That’s my window on the world
I think about you when i’m countin’ sheep I think about you, then i can’t sleep I think that ocean is just so deep That’s my window on the world
[Chorus 2:] That’s my window on the world Could you stand a little closer, girl The queen of Sheba meets the duke of earle That’s my window on the world
Down on indiana avenue Wes and jimmy, man they played the blues I guess they were only passin’ through That’s my window on the world
[Chorus 1:] That’s my window on the world Could you stand a little closer, girl Don’t let mama cut those curfs That’s my window on the world
[Chorus 2:] That’s my window on the world Could you stand a little closer, girl The queen of Sheba meets the duke of earle That’s my window on the world
I listened to Pearl today and was remembering Janis who died 50 years ago on this date at the Landmark Motor Hotel (now Highland Gardens Hotel) while working on her album Pearl.
Janis Joplin is my favorite rock/blues female singer. I like a gravelly voice and Janis had that covered. She put her soul in every song and left everything on stage. Like her or not she was genuine. She had a rough life growing up in Port Arthur Texas being bullied in High School and College and finally making it in 1967 with Big Brother and the Holding Company when she moved to San Francisco.
Move Over was the first track on the Pearl album, which sold four million copies and hit #1 on the charts, all after Joplin passed away. She wrote this one herself and recorded it the same day as Trust Me and Me And Bobby McGee.
The album was released January 11, 1971, three months after her death. It peaked at #1 in the Billboard Album Charts, #1 in Canada, and #20 in the UK.
Janis went on the Dick Cavett Show on September 25, 1970, to perform “Move Over.” On the show, she stated that the song was about men…specifically the guy who tells you your relationship is over but won’t move on, thus equating the way some guys hold on love to the way one would dangle a carrot in front of a mule.
Move Over
You say that it’s over baby, Lord You say that it’s over now But still you hang around me, come on Won’t you move over
You know that I need a man, honey Lord You know that I need a man But when I ask you to you just tell me That maybe you can
Please don’t you do it to me babe, no! Please don’t you do it to me baby Either take this love I offer Or just let me be
I ain’t quite a ready for walking, no no no no I ain’t quite a ready for walking And what you gonna do with your life Life all just dangling?
Oh yeah Make up your mind, honey You’re playing with me, hey hey hey Make up your mind, darling You’re playing with me, come on now Now either be my loving man I said-a, let me honey, let me be, yeah
You say that it’s over, baby, no You say that it’s over now But still you hang around me, come on Won’t you move over
You know that I need a man, honey, I told you so You know that I need a man But when I ask you to you just tell me That maybe you can
Hey! Please don’t you do it to me, babe, no Please don’t you do it to me baby Either take this love I offer Honey let me be
I said won’t you, won’t you let me be Honey, you’re teasing me Yeah, you’re playing with my heart, dear I believe you’re toying with my affections, honey
I can’t take it no more baby And furthermore, I don’t intend to I’m just tired of hanging from the end of a string, honey You expect me to fight like a goddamned mule Wah, wah, wah, wah, honey
Don’t you think it’s sometimes wise not to grow up?
100 Years Ago has a good melody and it changes it’s focus in the last three-quarters of the way through…a good song with an interesting outro. It’s an album cut and you never hear much on the radio. It’s worth a listen. If you see them in concert and want to hear this song…don’t hold your breath.
It was only played on the first two performances of European Tour of 1973, and has not been performed live since. Come on guys! Play it again…it’s not like the world can’t do without another version of Satisfaction.
I took an instant liking to this song. It starts with a little country influence and then ends with a funky free for all. I have the new version of Goats Head Soup and this one cleaned up really well.
The album peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, The UK, and Canada in 1973.
The Stones recorded this at Kingston’s Dynamic Sound Studios in November and December, 1972. Jagger performs lead vocals and is accompanied by Mick Taylor on backing. Taylor performs the song’s guitars while Keith Richards and Charlie Watts perform bass and drums, respectively. Nicky Hopkins provides piano while Billy Preston performs clavinet.
“100 Years Ago”
Went out walkin’ through the wood the other day And the world was a carpet laid before me The buds were bursting and the air smelled sweet and strange And it seemed about a hundred years ago Mary and I, we would sit upon a gate Just gazin’ at some dragon in the sky What tender days, we had no secrets hid away Well, it seemed about a hundred years ago Now all my friends are wearing worried smiles Living out a dream of what they was Don’t you think it’s sometimes wise not to grow up? Wend out walkin’ through the wood the other day Can’t you see the furrows in my forehead? What tender days, we had no secrets hid away Now it seems about a hundred years ago Now if you see me drinkin’ bad red wine Don’t worry ’bout this man that you love Don’t you think it’s sometimes wise not to grow up? You’re gonna kiss and say good-bye, yeah, I warn you You’re gonna kiss and say good-bye, yeah, I warn you You’re gonna kiss and say good-bye, oh Lord, I warn you And please excuse me while I hide away Call me lazy bones Ain’t got no time to waste away Lazy bones ain’t got no time to waste away Don’t you think it’s just about time to hide away? Yeah, yeah!
And now the young monsieur and madame have rung the chapel bell “C’est la vie”, say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
Now when I hear this song I think of Pulp Fiction because it was feature in the 1994 classic.
The song peaked at #14 in the Billboard 100, #11 in Canada, and #23 in the UK in 1964.
You Never Can Tell was written at a time when Chuck Berry was in prison…he also wrote Nadine in there. He was convicted in late 1961 of violating the Mann Act. Berry served one and one-half years in prison, from February 1962 to October 1963.
When he returned he was now facing the British invasion with the Beatles and the other bands out of England.
This song was released on his album St. Louis to Liverpool album in 1964. The album peaked at #124 in the Billboard Album Charts. The album included No Particular Place To Go and Promised Land.
In 1977, Emmylou Harris had a Top 10 Country hit with her version, which she renamed “(You Never Can Tell) C’est La Vie.”
From Songfacts
This song tells the story of a teenage couple getting married and staying together. Many of Berry’s songs are written from the perspective of young people, but this one even takes a dig at the older generation: “‘C’est la vie,’ say the old folks,” Berry sings. (“C’est la vie'” is French for “That’s life”).
Most songs that describe a young couple in love on their way to adulthood don’t end well, as disaffection or tragedy strikes. This song is unusual in that the couple does just fine, settling in with a nice record collection and some Roebuck furniture. As they settle into married life, their love stays strong. It’s not the storyline you’d expect, but you never can tell.
This was one of the new batch of hits Berry produced after being released from prison in 1963 after serving 20 months for “transporting an underage female across state lines for immoral purposes.” Berry had met a 14-year-old girl in Mexico who he brought back to St. Louis to work in his nightclub.
There is very little guitar on this track, which is driven by piano and saxophone.
When Berry sings, “The Coolerator was crammed with TV dinners and ginger ale,” he’s referring to a brand of refrigerator called a Coolerator that was popular in the 1950s.
This was featured in the 1994 film Pulp Fiction. It was used in the scene where Uma Thurman and John Travolta dance to it in the twist contest at Jack Rabbit Slim’s.
This is quoted in Stephen King’s 1995 novel, Rose Madder, when Norman – a policeman with a violent temper – contemplates his new promotion: “It made him think of a Chuck Berry song, one that went ‘C’est la vie, it goes to show you never can tell.'”
King referenced the tune again in The Institute (2019) to describe a successful teenage marriage like the one in the song.
You Never Can Tell
It was a teenage wedding, and the old folks wished them well You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle And now the young monsieur and madame have rung the chapel bell “C’est la vie”, say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
They furnished off an apartment with a two room Roebuck sale The coolerator was crammed with TV dinners and ginger ale But when Pierre found work, the little money comin’ worked out well “C’est la vie”, say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
They had a hi-fi phono, boy, did they let it blast Seven hundred little records, all rock, rhythm and jazz But when the sun went down, the rapid tempo of the music fell “C’est la vie”, say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
They bought a souped-up jitney, ’twas a cherry red ’53 They drove it down to Orleans to celebrate the anniversary It was there that Pierre was married to the lovely mademoiselle “C’est la vie”, say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
Introducing the Scruffs. I love that name for a band. They have been around since the 70s and have released an album in 2011.
Big Star wasn’t the only power pop band in Memphis in the 70s. This band formed in Memphis in 1974. It was started by writer/guitarist/vocalist Stephen Burns along with guitarist David Branyan, bassist Rick Branyan, and drummer Zeph Paulson.
“She Say Yea” was influenced by the Beatles and Byrds but also early 70s American power pop greats like the Raspberries and Big Star.
They used Big Star’s same studio (Ardent) and their producer Jim Dickinson who along with Big Star worked with the Rolling Stones, Carmen McRae, Delaney & Bonnie, Jerry Jeff Walker, Dee Dee Warwick, Ronnie Hawkins, Sam & Dave, Dion, Brook Benton, Lulu, Sam the Sham and others.
I have heard some great power pop in the last 10 years but for me the golden era of Power Pop was in the 70s and 80s…I do believe in the last ten years it has made a comeback with newer bands…but I love these seventies bands that with a little more luck could have had major success.
The Scruffs released their debut album in 1977 named Wanna Meet the Scruffs? The single from the album was Break the Ice with She Say Yea as the B side. Another single off the album was Shakin’ / Teenage Girls…we will go over that one in a few weeks.
All 13 tracks were written by guitarist Stephen Burns though lead guitarist Dave Branyan gets partial credit for three numbers.
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 