#song of the day
Blaze of Glory
Written and Performed by Jon Bon Jovi
One of the very first CDs I ever bought (or rather, had my mother get for me) was the soundtrack to the forthcoming movie Young Guns II. My friend and I were looking through the CD rack at KMart in our small town and found it.
“Wait, they made a second movie?”
“How have we not heard of this?”
“I have to have this CD. Mom…?”
Yeah, we were big fans of the first Young Guns. I watched that movie to death, and can still probably say every line of dialog including the voice overs right with the actors. Young Guns II was not as good, but it came with a tremendous soundtrack.
“William H Bonny… You are not a god.”
“Why don’t you pull the trigger and find out?”
And then it goes into this song. Vest and chaps clad Jon Bon Jovi at a drive in theater playing an acoustic and singing his Jersey Boy heart out. I was entranced. By this heavy rhythm and the images flickering on the screen in the background. “This is it,” 15-year-old me thought. “This is the new movie. And I have the soundtrack.”
I listened to this whole thing obsessively in the time prior to seeing the film. Mostly so that I could sing along when the songs came on in the movie. Not that I was the singing along type, but it was something I could do. If I wanted.
But so much changed for me that summer. First real girlfriend. First kiss. First make out sessions. First ‘Dear John’ letter. First heartbreak. Sometimes, I want to go back to that kid and say, “Don’t worry, it’ll be better soon.” Other times I want to go back and laugh in his face. “Hah! You don’t know SHIT. This is NOTHING!!” Poor me.
Life, okay. Summer, good. Song awesome.
Lyrics:
I wake up in the morning
And I raise my weary head
I got an old coat for a pillow
And the earth was last night’s bed
I don’t know where I’m going
Only God knows where I’ve been
I’m a devil on the run
A six gun lover
A candle in the wind
When you’re brought into this world
They say you’re born in sin
Well at least they gave me something
I didn’t have to steal or have to win
Well they tell me that I’m wanted
Yeah I’m a wanted man
I’m colt in your stable
I’m what Cain was to Abel
Mister catch me if you can
I’m going down in a blaze of glory
Take me now but know the truth
I’m going down in a blaze of glory
Lord I never drew first
But I drew first blood
I’m no one’s son
Call me young gun
You ask about my conscience
And I offer you my soul
You ask If I’ll grow to be a wise man
Well I ask if I’ll grow old
You ask me if I known love
And what it’s like to sing songs in the rain
Well, I’ve seen love come
And I’ve seen it shot down
I’ve seen it die in vain
Shot down in a blaze of glory
Take me now but know the truth
‘Cause I’m going down in a blaze of glory
Lord I never drew first
But I drew first blood
I’m the devil’s son
Call me young gun
Each night I go to bed
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
No I ain’t looking for forgiveness
But before I’m six foot deep
Lord, I got to ask a favor
And I’ll hope you’ll understand
'Cause I’ve lived life to the fullest
Let this boy die like a man
Staring down the bullet
Let me make my final stand
Shot down in a blaze of glory
Take me now but know the truth
I’m going out in a blaze of glory
Lord I never drew first
But I drew first blood
and I’m no one’s son
Call me young gun
I’m a young gun
Pepper
Written and Performed by Butthole Surfers
You know those songs that come on gently, then the chorus hits and you just throw your fist in the air and scream, “Fuck yeah!”? This is definitely one of them.
Not gonna get all gushy on the musicianship, or the beauty of any part of this. There’s just one simple line that stands out for me:
“I can taste you on my lips and smell you in my clothes.”
The number of times I’ve walked away from having seen my favorite dancer with this exact feeling… Fuck yeah, indeed.
Lyrics:
Mikey got with Sharon, Sharon got Sheriee
She was sharin’ Sharon’s outlook on the topic of disease
Mikey had a facial scar and Bobby was a racist
They were all in love dying they were doin’ it in Texas
Tommy played piano like a kid out in the rain then he lost his leg in Dallas he was dancin’ with the train
They were all in love with dying they were drinkin’ from a fountaun
That is pouring like an avalanche coming down the mountain
I don’t mind the sun sometimes the images it shows
I can taste you on my lips and smell you in my clothes
Cinnamon and sugary and softly spoken lies
You never know just how you look through other people’s eyes
Some will die in hot pursuit and firey auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit while sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life and drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like and avalanche coming down the mountain
I don’t mind the sun sometimes the images it shows
I can taste you on my lips and smell you in my clothes
Cinnamon and sugary and softly spoken lies
You never know just how you look through other people’s eyes
Another Mikey took a knife while arguing in traffic
Flipper died a natural death he caught a nasty virus
Then there was the ever-present football player rapist they were all in love with dying they were doin’ it in Texas
Holly caught a bullet but it only hit his leg
While it should have been a better shot he got him in the head
They were all in love with dying they were drinkin’ from a fountain
That was pouring like an avalanche coming down the mountain
I don’t mind the sun sometimes the images it shows
I can taste you on my lips and smell you in my clothes
Cinnamon and sugary and softly spoken lies
You never know just how you look through other people’s eyes
Woman Woman
Performed by AWOLNATION
Written by Aaron Bruno
They have such an odd sound, AWOLNATION does. I wanted to discount them as one of those bands that I wouldn’t ever be into. But, between this and Sail, I couldn’t ignore what I was finding. This is a crank up the volume and rock hard with it kind of band.
I liked this one the first time I heard it. What’s not to like? It’s catchy, it’s simple, it’s not obnoxiously overdone and it’s just… Fun. There’s some part of me that says, “Check out the video. It’s full of naked women. Woo hoo!” But, then I remember that I’m not 12.
The message in this song is something that kind of feels continued from yesterday. Southern Cross was someone that lost their relationship and was trying to sail away from the memory. Woman Woman is a bit more my speed. The relationship falls apart, so do I, drinking to excess in the effort of choking any kind of emotion that my heart might feel. And while the sentiment isn’t exactly the same (I’m much better without her and actively seeking to find new love), I still feel some connection to this.
Lyrics:
Last night I fell apart
Broke from my swollen heart
Born at a simple time
Raised with a simple mind
You may be a natural woman
You may be a natural woman
You may be a natural woman
You may be a natural woman
I may be worthless without you
I’ll never decide to replace you
Amen, the worst is behind us now
Woman, woman (oh)
I may be worthless without you
I’ll never decide to replace you
Amen, the worst is behind us now
Woman,woman
Woman
You may be a natural woman
You may be a natural woman
You may be a natural woman
You may be a natural woman
Last night I fell apart
Choked on my drunken heart
I may be worthless without you
I’ll never decide to replace you
Amen, the worst is behind us now
Woman, woman
I may be worthless without you
I’ll never decide to replace you
Amen, the worst is behind us now
Woman, woman
Woman.
You may be a natural woman
You may be a natural woman
You
(Ah-ah-ah)
Who’s that woman, woman?
Is that woman, woman?
Be my woman, woman
Won’t you see me in the dark?
Who’s that woman, woman?
Is that woman, woman?
Be my woman, woman
Won’t you see me in the dark?
I may be worthless without you
I’ll never decide to replace you
Amen, the worst is behind us now
Woman, woman (oh)
I may be worthless without you
I’ll never decide to replace you
Amen, the worst is behind us now
Woman, woman
Woman, woman
You may be a natural woman
You may be a natural woman
You may be a natural woman
You may be a natural woman
Southern Cross
Performed by Crosby, Stills and Nash
Written by Stephen Stills, Rick Curtis and Michael Curtis
You hear that? More specifically, do you not hear that? That whining sound… It’s not there. It’s CS&N, not CSN&Y. That’s it. They sound so much better without the Y.
Beautiful harmonies are how CS&N made their reputation. The leftovers from the Hollies, Buffalo Springfield, and the Byrds (all bands known for harmonies in their own right), formed this amazing sounding super group.
And super they were. It turns out, the guys play instruments sometimes, but that’s not what you go to CS&N for. The voices… Goodness me, the voices.
And this song in particular. Stills takes the “stone” brought to him by the Curtis brothers, cuts and polishes it and creates this gem.
Sailing away from your troubles. How manly is that? Super manly. He left his lady behind… Or possibly, she left him, and then he sailed southeast and just marveled at the stars.
This one tends to make me tear up a bit. But it rarely fails to make “Mood of the Day” lists of mine when I want to build playlists for a day or so.
Lyrics:
Got out of town on a boat goin’ to Southern islands
Sailing a reach before a followin’ sea
She was makin’ for the trades on the outside
And the downhill run to Papeete
Off the wind on this heading lie the Marquesas
We got eighty feet of the waterline nicely making way
In a noisy bar in Avalon I tried to call you
But on a midnight watch I realized why twice you ran away
Think about
Think about how many times I have fallen
Spirits are using me larger voices callin’
What Heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten
(Around the world) I have been around the world
(Lookin’) Lookin’ for that woman girl
(Who knows she knows) Who knows love can endure
And you know it will
When you see the Southern Cross for the first time
You understand now why you came this way
Cause the truth you might be runnin’ from is so small
But it’s as big as the promise, the promise of a comin’ day
So I’m sailing for tomorrow my dreams are a dyin’
And my love is an anchor tied to you tied with a silver chain
I have my ship and all her flags are a’ flyin’
She is all that I have left and music is her name
Think about
Think about how many times I have fallen
Spirits are using me larger voices callin’
What Heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten
(I’ve been around the world) I have been around the world
(Lookin’) Lookin’ for that woman girl
Who knows love can endure
And you know it will, and you know it will yes
So we cheated and we lied and we tested
And we never failed to fail it was the easiest thing to do
You will survive being bested
Somebody fine will come along make me forget about loving you
And the southern cross
Piece of My Heart
Performed by Big Brother and the Holding Company
Written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns
Erma Franklin originally recorded this piece in 1967. Her version has kind of a jazzy, peppy feel to it. Like a, “Hey, everything is cool, but it could be a bit better, ya know? You could do better” vibe to it. There’s horns, and some of the usual understated instrumentation of the era. It had a pretty badass bass line to it, too. But it was Janis fronting BB&tHC that gave this the screaming pain that we’ve come to know and love.
That same bass line is still there, and it’s still pretty badass. But a trio of guitar solos, heavy on the distortion, were added between verses to really accentuate what Janis brings. Because it just isn’t Acid Rock without guitar distortion.
In my younger days, I used to call her “The Screaming Bitch.” I still do occasionally, but damned if that gravelly, SoCo fueled screech of hers isn’t just one of my favorite voices out there. This particular song takes me back to AIT at Ft Eustis. Every morning, after PT, we’d come in, shower and shave, then go back to our bay to get dressed for class, and hopefully go get breakfast. While we were getting dressed, someone would put on a CD. And without fail, it would either be Offspring’s Smash, or Janis Joplin’s Greatest Hits. Even now, I can still vividly recall the sound of 30 guys groaning in unison.
This song has been covered to death, too. Is this a testament to Ragovoy and Berns lyrics? Hell no, it’s all about Janis. So much so, that when Faith Hill recorded it for her debut album, she hadn’t heard it before and wasn’t allowed to listen to Janis’s version so that what she sang wasn’t colored by it. She re-recorded it for her third album four years later.
It’s been done by Steven Tyler, Melissa Etheridge, Jenny Morris, Sammy Hagar, Bonnie Tyler (her version is way too cutesy), Beverly Knight… Hell, even Etta James did a cover of it before she died.
What’s not to love? We’ll take that piece.
Lyrics:
Didn’t I make you feel
Like you were the only man
Didn’t I give you everything
That a woman possibly can
Lord but with all the love I give you
It ain’t never enough
Well, I’m gonna show you baby
That a woman can be tough
So, come on, come on, come on, come on and
Break it
Break another little piece of my heart now baby
Take it
Take another little piece of my heart now honey
You can have it
Have another little piece of my heart now baby
You know you’ve got it
If it makes you feel good
You’re out on the street looking good
And you know, deep down in your heart
That it ain’t right
No you never ever hear me when I cry at night
Though I tell myself that I can’t stand my pain
But when you hold me in your arms, I say it again
So, come on, come on, come on, come on and
Break it
Break another little piece of my heart now baby
Take it
Take another little piece of my heart now honey
You can have it
Have another little piece of my heart now baby
You know you’ve got it
If it makes you feel good
Leather and Lace
Performed by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley
Written by Stevie Nicks
From Wikipedia: Leather and Lace was released in October 1981 as the second single from Nicks’ 1981 solo debut album Bella Donna. Nicks wrote the song for Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter’s duet album Leather and Lace, but the song was not included on that album. Nicks’ version, a duet with Eagles singer Don Henley, peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for three weeks in January 1982.
Stephanie Lynn Nicks is one of the greatest songwriters ever. Separate from that, she’s one of the greatest singers ever. A beautiful contralto with a lovely and controlled vibrato make her voice quite unique. When Stevie is singing, it doesn’t sound like anyone else. Her style in general is the “airy fairy” that many female musicians down the road wished they could be, from her platform boots to her veils and scarves. This woman is just a million kinds of awesome.
The song itself is a simple piece of piano, guitar and drums, Stevie’s voice handling the first verse and chorus, followed by Don Henley bringing up the second verse and harmonies in the second chorus. The lyrics tell of a woman quite sure of herself, knowing the strength of her attraction. The man she sings to is insecure and unsure of himself (Could you ever love a man like me?), but feels the attraction nonetheless. Are they destined to be lovers forever? Possibly more? Differences abound, but they meet in the middle exchanging gifts of themselves.
She:
Is love so fragile and the heart so hollow
Shatter with words impossible to follow
You’re saying I’m fragile, try not to be
I search only for something I can’t see
I have my own life
And I am stronger than you know
But I carry this feeling
When you walked into my house
That you won’t be walking out the door
Still I carry this feeling
When you walked into my house
That you won’t be walking out the door
Lovers forever, face to face
My city, your mountains
Stay with me, stay
I need you to love me
I need you today
Give to me your leather
Take from me my lace
He:
You in the moonlight
With your sleepy eyes
Could you ever love a man like me?
And you were right
When I walked into your house
I knew I’d never want to leave
Sometimes I’m a strong man
Sometimes cold and scared
And sometimes I cry
But that time I saw you
I knew with you to light my nights
Somehow I’d get by
First time I saw you
I knew with you to light my nights
Somehow I would get by
Both:
Lovers forever, face to face
My city, your mountains
Stay with me, stay
I need you to love me
I need you today
Give to me your leather
Take from me my lace
Lovers forever, face to face
My city, your mountains
Stay with me, stay
I need you to love me
I need you today
Give to me your leather
Take from me my lace
I Sure Can Smell the Rain
Performed by Blackhawk
Written by Walt Aldridge and John Jarrard
From Wikipedia: This song was the third single from the self-titled EP for the country band Blackhawk. It was released August 22, 1994, peaking at number 9 on the BillboardHot Country Singles & Tracks and the Canadian RPMCountry Tracks charts. It is an introspective ballad about a relationship falling apart.
*sigh*
So, I’m busily playing SongPopthe other night, and one of the songs that comes up is Modern Day Delilah by KISS. I didn’t recognize it, and thought it might be a cover, even though that’s not something KISS does. So, I pulled up YouTube to watch a 34-year-old music video from Van Stephenson (the song I was hoping for). A lovely trip down memory lane that was. But the comments section was loaded with RIP comments. Further down the internet rabbit hole I went, finding that he had died from cancer back in 2001 and that he had sang with Blackhawk. Wait, Blackhawk? The country band? Turns out, Van was a prolific country writer, having written for Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers, Dan Seals, Janie Fricke, John Anderson, and with partner Dave Robbins, wrote for Restless Heart.
But what does that have to do with this song? Well, nothing, it’s just that good old rabbit hole: KISS, to Van, to Blackhawk to this song. This fucking song. First off, the melody. It’s a country song, so you know that it’s got a generally simple rhythm, never overpowering. The harmonies are excellent, as one would expect with the pedigrees of its vocalists (Henry Paul of the Outlaws and the aforementioned Van Stephenson). The lyrics…
I don’t want to say I felt it myself, but it was there. I felt this one so deep:
She’d still say ‘I love you’ if I asked,
But she never volunteers.
Somehow what she never says
Means more than all the other words I hear
I saw it. I saw it. I knew, but I didn’t want to know. I need to start writing fun ones….
She hasn’t done a thing
That really has to mean she’s going anywhere
I haven’t seen it showing in her eyes
But I swear it must be there
I don’t know why I feel it so strong
But I feel it just the same
I can’t see a single storm cloud in the sky
But I sure can smell the rain
She’d still say “I Love You” if I ask
But she never volunteers
Somehow what she never says
Means more than all the other words I hear
Still she should win an Oscar
If she’s lying when she says that nothing’s changed
I can’t see a single storm cloud in the sky
But I sure can smell the rain
Every day I brace myself
To hear the words I’m scared she’s gonna say
And every night I thank the Lord
Somehow I dodged a bullet one more day
Sometimes there are things a man just knows
That he really can’t explain
I can’t see a single storm cloud in the sky
But I sure can smell the rain
I can’t see a single storm cloud in the sky
But I sure can smell the rain
Way Down We Go
Performed by Kaleo
Written by Daníel Kristjánsson, Davíð Antonsson, Jökull Júlíusson and Rubin Pollock
Yes, I copied and pasted the writer credits from Wiki. Because, wow, those Icelandic names.
From Wikipedia: The song was written by the band, and co-produced by the band. It’s been used all over TV and the big screen, showing up in Collateral Beauty, Logan, Orange is the New Black, Suits, Supergirl, The Blacklist, Notorious, Lucifer, Grey’s Anatomy, Teen Wolf, Blindspot, Eyewitness andThe Vampire Diaries. Also in ads for Boots UK andRiverdale.
Why so much TV and film use? Well, just its rhythm suggests of emotion in turmoil. Songwriter and singer Jökull Júlíusson has a voice that carries through some extreme highs and lows of feeling the way a song representing a heartbreaking drama should.
In a TV Guide article about the proliferation of this song, there was mention of one showrunner asking his staff for a bunch of songs they currently like. Send like, 10 songs that sound like our show. This one came up often.
This song stikes a similar chord with me, being the emotional touchstone that it is for all those Hollywood execs. It is a three-and-a-half minute capture of a dramatic shift, oftentimes in a downward direction, in life and the situations it can contain therein.
Hear this song. Don’t just listen. Like many things of Icelandic origin, this is a thing of beauty.
Oh, father tell me, do we get what we deserve?
Oh, we get what we deserve
And way down we go
Oh, way down we go
Say, way down we go
Way down we go
Whoa, you let your feet run wild
Time has come as we all go down
Yeah but for the fall—oh, my—
Do you dare to look him right in the eyes?
‘Cause they will run you down, down 'til the dark
Yes, and they will run you down, down 'til you fall
And they will run you down, down to your core
Yeah, 'til you can’t crawl no more
And way down we go
Way down we go
Say, way down we go
'Cause they will run you down, down 'til you’re caught
Way down we go
Whoa, baby, yeah
Whoa, baby
Baby
Way down we go
Yeah
And way down we go
Way down we go
Say, way down we go
Way down we go
Santeria
Performed by Sublime
Written by Bradley Nowell, Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson
From Wikipedia: The song includes the bassline and guitar riff from Sublime’s earlier song Lincoln Highway Dub from the 1994 album Robbin’ the Hood. Santeria is an Afro-Cuban religion, practiced in Cuba, South Florida, and exported to other areas in the Caribbean. It tells of a jealous ex-boyfriend who is planning to take revenge on the man who stole his girlfriend. The music video was filmed in 1997 after the death of Bradley Nowell, who makes a cameo via stock footage. During the video, his beloved Lou Dog is seen along with the rest of Sublime remembering him. The song reached number three on the US Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks.
Oh, Bradley… The story I tell to anyone that listens is how he got the stuff he overdosed on in Chico CA. And where he got it from. And how that piece of filth that sold it to him is still a free man. But, since I can’t verify the story, I won’t name names here (Libel is a hell of a thing, you know).
But about Santeria. I was pondering a Sublime song for SotD on the way down to work this evening, and when I mentioned needing to write this, a coworker suggested Santeria. It’s a fun little tale of stolen love with a dash of planned revenge thrown in. Personally, I can identify extra strongly with the sentiment. The lost and stolen love and her new man who needs to have “that barrel straight down Sancho’s throat.” Well, I don’t feel quite that strongly about it these days.
Yeah, yeah. Great song, fun little Ska Punk vibe. Sublime was fun, and this fits right in with that.
I don’t practice Santeria
I ain’t got no crystal ball
Well, I had a million dollars but I, I’d spend it all.
If I could find that Heina, and that Sancho that she’s found.
Well, I’d pop a cap in Sancho and I’d slap her down.
What I really wanna know, mah baby, mmmm…
What I really wanna say I can’t define.
Well, it’s love, that I need. Oh…
My soul will have to wait till I get back, to find a Heina of my own.
Daddy’s gonna love one and all.
I feel the break, feel the break, feel the break and I gotta live it up.
Oh, yeah, uh huh.
Well, I swear that I.
What I really wanna know, ah baby.
What I really wanna say I can’t define, got love make it go.
My soul will have to…
[Instrumental break]
Oh…
What I really wanna say, mah baby.
What I really wanna say is I’ve got mine, and I’ll make it, oh yes I’m coming up.
Tell Sanchito that if he knows what is good for him he best go run and hide.
Daddy’s got a new Forty-Five.
And I won’t think twice to stick that barrel straight down Sancho’s throat.
Believe me when I say that I got somethin’ for his punk ass.
What I really wanna know, mah baby.
Oh, what I really wanna say is there’s just one, way back, and I’ll make it, yeah.
My soul will have to wait, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Zombie
Performed by The Cranberries
Written by Dolores O’Riordan
From Wikipedia: Zombieis a protest song written about the 1993 IRA bombing in Warrington, England, in memory of two young victims, Jonathon Ball and Tim Barry. Released in September of ‘94 as the lead single from The Cranberries second studio album, No Need to Argue. It reached number one on the charts in Australia, Belgium, France, Denmark and Germany, peaking at number 18 on the US Mainstream Top 40 chart (number one on the US Alternative chart). At the time of me writing this, the video is one of the 250 most viewed videos on YouTube, with over 660 million views.
On this particular day, the day after Ms O’Riordan’s death, why Zombie? Why not something pretty like Linger? Well, that’s easy. Sometimes, a band makes a song that sounds like no other song they’ve done previously. Not to say that all of their work sounds the same, there’s a clear variance in their other works. But nothing else that The Cranberries had produced up to and including that time sounded like Zombie. It’s an angry grunge sound for which some anger needed to be let loose.
This song… This beautiful protest of violence in the name of Irish independence. I don’t have the words to sell someone on it that hasn’t heard it. Ms O’Riordan’s voice would be all that I’d need if I hadn’t heard it. Lingeris sweet and pretty. Telling me that that voice growls out a chorus that would make Courtney Love green with envy? I’m sold.
From SongFacts: On August 31, 1994, Just a few weeks after this song was released, the IRA declared a ceasefire after 25 years of conflict, leading some critics of The Cranberries to wonder if the IRA was willing to call a truce to make sure the group didn’t release any more songs about them.
RIPDolores O’Riordan 1971 - 2018
Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence caused such silence
Who are we mistaken
But you see it’s not me
It’s not my family
In your head, in your
Head they are fighting
With their tanks and their bombs
And their bombs and their guns
In your head,
In your head they are cryin’
In your head, in your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie
Hey, hey
What’s in your head, in your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie
Hey, hey, hey, oh
Dou, dou, dou, dou
Dou, dou, dou, dou
Dou, dou, dou, dou
Dou, dou, dou, dou
Another mother’s breakin’
Heart is taking over
When the violence causes silence
We must be mistaken
It’s the same old theme since nineteen-sixteen
In your head,
In your head they’re still fightin’
With their tanks and their bombs
And their bombs and their guns
In your head, in your head they are dyin’
In your head, in your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie
Hey, hey
What’s in your head, in your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie
Hey, hey, hey
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Hey, oh, ya, ya-a
Thanks for Nothing
Performed by Downtown Fiction
Written (Most likely) by Cameron Leahy
I seriously can’t find a writer credit for this damn thing. Everything just credits the band in general. I know it is possible that all of them collaborated on the writing process, but there’s nothing I can find that says that specifically. What I can find (Songfacts.com), suggests that Leahy wrote Thanks for Nothing saying, “When I wrote that song I had just gone through a break-up, so I had some inspiration. It wasn’t really even a song I was writing for the record. I just felt like it had to be written.”
I find the song to be poppy as hell, bordering on being overly so for my taste. Bordering, mind you. It’s got a very familiar vibe to it conjuring up the pop-punk style that was prevalent in 2011 when it was released. Their sound, unfortunately, doesn’t feel unique, calling back bits of Bowling for Soup and even Miley Cyrus.
As for the lyrics themselves, well… Now we’re speaking my language. Yes, break-ups suck. But, as the man says, “the sun still shines when you’re not around.” It ended, your reason for getting up in the morning, and your main driving force for happiness. But the world still turns and life isn’t over. And since it takes some real finesse to write “Fuck You” into a song, they opted with the more radio friendly “kiss my ass.”
Do I recommend this one? Well, it’s not my usual taste, but occasionally, fluffy is good. This is fluffy.
I know the sun still shines when you’re not around
I’m taking it easy in the worst part of town
And now i find that it wasn’t meant to last
I got one thing to say and that’s
Thanks for nothing kiss my ass
I want some money|
I want some fame
Want everybody
To know my name
Want you to see me
In shining lights
Think about me when you’re with him that night
I know the sun still shines when you’re not around
I’m taking it easy in the worst part of town
And now I find that it wasn’t meant to last
I got one thing to say and that’s
Thanks for nothing kiss my ass
Thanks for nothing kiss my ass
Yeah
I wrote a letter
I never sent
But I forgotten
Just how it went
It doesn’t matter that much to me
Yours is the last face I ever want see
Because the sun still shines when you’re not around
I’m taking it easy in the worst part of town
And now I find that it wasn’t meant to last
I got one thing to say and that’s
Thanks for nothing kiss my ass
The sun still shines when you’re not around
I’m taking it easy in the worst part of town
And now I find that it wasn’t meant to last
I got one thing to say and that’s
Thanks for nothing kiss my ass
Thanks for nothing kiss my ass
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh [2x]
I see the sun still shines when you’re not around
I’m taking it easy in the worst part of town
And now I find that it wasn’t meant to last
I got one thing to say and that’s
Thanks for nothing kiss my ass
The sun still shines when you’re not around
I’m taking it easy in the worst part of town
And now I find that it wasn’t meant to last
I have one thing to say and that’s
Thanks for nothing kiss my ass
Thanks for nothing kiss my ass
Thanks for nothing kiss my ass
Thanks for nothing kiss my ass
Thanks for nothing kiss my ass
Kiss my ass
Kiss my ass
Oh kiss my ass
Drive
Performed by Incubus
Written by Brandon Boyd, Mike Einziger, Chris Kilmore, Alex Katunichand Jose Pasillas
In cu bus: a male demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women.
From Wikipedia: Singer Brandon Boyd says, “The lyric is basically about fear, about being driven all your life by it and making decisions from fear. It’s about imagining what life would be like if you didn’t live it that way.” The song is widely described as mellow, featuring mostly acoustic instruments and grounded both musically and lyrically in a relaxing and positive ambiance making the song a departure and exception from their original alt-metal, nu metal and funk metal roots.
This song has everything. Smooth vocals, good instrumentation, a cool video (Rotoscoping? Sweet!), and good lyrics. And it’s not an exceptionally heavy sound at any point. The guitar work isn’t too crunchy/fuzzy, the drums aren’t hammered on overmuch. It’s just kind of… Simple. I like it a lot.
There’s nothing in it that really stands out for me, Boyd’s voice gets the job done, and the lyrics are simple enough to not really drive at something deep seated in me. It feels like a song of hope. Much more so than the one Robert Plant famously referred to as being one.
Sometimes I feel the fear of the uncertainty stinging clear
And I can’t help but ask myself how much I’ll let the fear take the wheel and steer
It’s driven me before, and it seems to have a vague
Haunting mass appeal
Lately I’m beginning to find that I should be the one behind the wheel
Whatever tomorrow brings, I’ll be there
With open arms and open eyes, yeah
Whatever tomorrow brings, I’ll be there, I’ll be there
So if I decide to waiver my chance to be one of the hive
Will I choose water over wine and hold my own and drive, oh oh
It’s driven me before, and it seems to be the way
That everyone else gets around
Lately, I’m beginning to find that when I drive myself, my light is found
Whatever tomorrow brings, I’ll be there
With open arms and open eyes, yeah
Whatever tomorrow brings, I’ll be there, I’ll be there
Would you choose water over wine… hold the wheel and drive?
Whatever tomorrow brings, I’ll be there
With open arms and open eyes, yeah
Shake It Out
Performed by Florence and the Machine
Written by Florence Welch and Paul Epworth
From Wikipedia: Welch elaborated the songwriting process of the song adding that it can be compared to a really good hangover cure.. She stated, “I wanted to just shake something out, shake out these regrets, shake out these things that haunt you. It was one of those songs that came in about half an hour and when you’ve got a hangover, it is almost like a hangover cure. You’re like, thank you! I don’t want everyone to think that I always write songs with a hangover! Cause I don’t, I really don’t. But with this one I have to say there was a bit of one lurking in my mind as I wrote it. It was like I was trying to write a hangover cure. Shake It Out is a four-and-a-half-minute gothic pop and rock song which contains swelling, gospel-flavored pop, with churchy organ and pounding drums setting a cathartic scene for Welch’s fiery singing.
And the glowing reviews of its composition just continue on from there, gushing about its anthemic quality and the sheer ecstasy of her voice conjuring up spiritual rebirth. The lyrics themselves are riddled with cliches but the delivery just takes away any part of you that might find it trite. It’s the sort of song that was meant to be recorded at Abbey Road and stands tall among its contemporaries from there.
Holy shitballs, is this one a punch in the gut. I like to think it’s easy to pick out one great and resonant moment from any good song, but this one… Obviously, I liked it from the first time I heard it. It’s everything I love above all else in song: a well crafted rhythm with the absolute perfect voice accompanying it. Did I mention the voice second? Oh, I’m dead wrong. This woman, this elemental goddess brings the goods from the first line to the very end.
My personal moment of “wow, does this ever evoke the feels” is in the first verse:
And I’ve been a fool and I’ve been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I’m always dragging that horse around
All of his questions, such a mournful sound
Tonight I’m gonna bury that horse in the ground
A call to arms, indeed. Cut the ties that bind and get rid of them for good. Bury them and walk away. When I felt things, it was deeper and more meaningful than “she” ever did. And time is healing up the damage that’s done to my well-being, but there are days… and even writing this, reading these gushing reviews about the force of nature that is Florence Welch. This isn’t just sonically beautiful, it’s epically beautiful.
Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play
And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues drawn
It’s always darkest before the dawn
And I’ve been a fool and I’ve been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I’m always dragging that horse around
All of his questions, such a mournful sound
Tonight I’m gonna bury that horse in the ground
So I like to keep my issues drawn
But it’s always darkest before the dawn
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it’s hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa
And I am done with my graceless heart
So tonight I’m gonna cut it out and then restart
‘Cause I like to keep my issues drawn
It’s always darkest before the dawn
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it’s hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa
And it’s hard to dance with a devil on your back
And given half the chance would I take any of it back
It’s a fine romance but it’s left me so undone
It’s always darkest before the dawn
Oh whoa, oh whoa…
And I’m damned if I do and I’m damned if I don’t
So here’s to drinks in the dark at the end of my road
And I’m ready to suffer and I’m ready to hope
It’s a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat
'Cause looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Well what the hell I’m gonna let it happen to me, yeah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it’s hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it’s hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa
Madness
Written by Matt Bellamy
Performed by Muse
According to Wikipedia, Madnessis an electronic rock, synthpop, soft rock and R&B song. Well, now, that’s a mouthful isn’t it? The song is written by singer Matt Bellamy, during personal reflection after having had a fight with his girlfriend (Kate Hudson… Yes, that Kate Hudson). It draws musical influence from Queen’s I Want to Break Free, George Michael’s FaithandI Want Your Sex and has some of Depeche Mode’s “calm, languid and sweet” feel.
To me… I just feel. Good Lord, does Bellamy’s voice do awesome things here, especially the final verse, and into the close. That super cool synth bass effect from Chris Wolstenholme’s built-into-his-bass touchpad just adds to the awesome. Like everything else I’ve heard from Muse (and I’ve been nothing but late to their party, which is why I’m just now writing about a five year old song), it’s a huge indulgence for the ears. There’s enough going on to be sonically beautiful, without drifting into overwhelming territory. I think Knights of Cydonia was a bit much the first few times, whereas MadnessI liked from the first time I heard it.
Possibly the most resonant part of the song for me comes from Bellamy’s pained realization “I need to love.” The admission of “I have finally seen the light, and I have finally realized,” with “what you mean” and “what you need.” I still feel the want, that powerful need to feel that. It wasn’t really a revelation to me that I had been living without that depth of feeling, since I hadn’t felt it for a good while even before my ex-wife became my ex-wife. But damned if some English guy didn’t absolutely nail my pain with four little words.
Sonically beautiful? So much yes.
I, I can’t get these memories out of my mind
And some kind of madness has started to evolve
I, I tried so hard to let you go
But some kind of madness is swallowing me whole
I have finally seen the light
And I have finally realized
What you mean
And now, I need to know is this real love
Or is it just madness keeping us afloat?
And when I look back at all the crazy fights we had
Like some kind of madness
Was taking control
And now I have finally seen the light
And I have finally realized
What you need
And now I have finally seen the end (Finally seen the end)
And I’m not expecting you to care (Expecting you to care)
But I have finally seen the light (Finally seen the light)
I have finally realized (Realized)
I need to love
I need to love
Come to me,
Trust in your dream
Come on and rescue me
Yes I have known, I can be wrong
Maybe I’m too headstrong
Our love is
Madness
Rock Lobster
Performed by The B-52s
Written by Fred Schneider and Ricky Wilson
There would be no (Just Like) Starting Over. No Beautiful Boy. No Watching the WheelsorWoman. No Double Fantasy period… Without Rock Lobster. Upon hearing this, after most of five years while raising his and Yoko’s son Sean, John Lennon said to himself “It’s time to get out the old axe and wake the wife up!”
An age ago, I asked on Facebook, “what’s the song of the day,” and one of the responses was Panic! At the Disco’s Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time. Fair enough, I’m sure I can find… Well, the Wiki page tells fuck all about the song. There’s more about the video than the song itself. And the 11 member panel of writers credited with the song had some familiar names. A little cross comparison took me back to this surf classic originally released in ‘78 and released to the masses in ‘80. This is a song with story behind it.
And it’s not just the story of inspiring Lennon. This is a great piece of music. Surf Rock is generally fun as hell anyway, and this one is no different. Simple “beach day” lyrics and an iconic guitar riff that’s repeated throughout (and sampled by PatD for Good Time). As silly as it seems, this one will always be worth a listen.
We were at a party
His earlobe fell in the deep
Someone reached in and grabbed it
It was a rock lobster
Rock lobster
Rock lobster
We were at the beach
Everybody had matching towels
Somebody went under a dock
And there they saw a rock
It wasn’t a rock
It was a rock lobster
Rock lobster
Rock lobster
Rock lobster
Rock lobster
Motion in the ocean
His air hose broke
Lots of trouble
Lots of bubble
He was in a jam
S'in a giant clam
Rock rock
Rock lobster
Down, down
Lobster rock
Lobster rock
Let’s rock!
Boy’s in bikinis
Girls in surfboards
Everybody’s rockin’
Everybody’s fruggin’
Twistin’ ‘round the fire
Havin’ fun
Bakin’ potatoes
Bakin’ in the sun
Put on your nose guard
Put on the Lifeguard
Pass the tanning butter
Here comes a stingray
There goes a manta-ray
In walked a jelly fish
There goes a dog-fish
Chased by a cat-fish
In flew a sea robin
Watch out for that piranha
There goes a narwhal
Here comes a bikini whale!
Rock lobster
Rock lobster
Rock lobster
Rock lobster
Love him or hate him (he was a terrible father to Julian and a terrible husband in general), but never deny his impact. It’s now been 36 years….
First on the charts… Saturday
The number one song on this day 48 years ago…
Hey Jude
Performed by The Beatles
Written by Paul McCartney (and also credited to John Lennon)
In May of ‘68, John and Cynthia Lennon separated due to his relationship with Yoko Ono (it would be a few more years before he left the band because of her. Yes, I blame Yoko. Bitch). Paul McCartney was good friends with Cynthia and went to visit her, writing a song that he would sing to her and John’s son Julian along the way that he called “Hey, Jules.” It later evolved to the title it would eventually become known by, mostly because Paul thought it “sounded better.”
This song is over seven minutes long. In a time when that was an unheard of length for a song that might become popular within the culture, this was a huge risk. The song MacAurther Park had suggested that a lengthy “hit” was possible, but Richard Harris’ song was not universally a hit. Still, the gamble paid off, and Hey Jude is listed as number eight on Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest songs of all time.
There’s so much lore attached to this song. There’s the spat between Paul and George Harrison about a reduced role in Paul’s songs. The drums not joining in during the first 50 seconds, which allowed Ringo Starr time to leave the studio for a bathroom break during the first take (which was used as the master) and snuck in behind Paul to join in right on cue. Then there was someone, stories differ over it being John or Paul, that can be heard saying “Fucking hell” about 2:58 into the song.
Paul, to his credit, still loves this song. He still plays it, just as he did while he was honing it, for “anyone too polite to refuse.” And seriously, who is going to refuse Paul frikkin’ McCartney?
Like much of the music of this era, I came into my enjoyment for it during my late teens and early to mid twenties. For me, in a career filled with many of the greatest songs ever written, this is the standout. Hey Jude is the signature song of The Beatles. Enjoy!
Hey, Jude, don’t make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
Hey, Jude, don’t be afraid
You were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better
And anytime you feel the pain,
Hey, Jude, refrain
Don’t carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it’s a fool
Who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah nah
Hey, Jude, don’t let me down
You have found her, now go and get her
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
So let it out and let it in,
Hey, Jude, begin
You’re waiting for someone to perform with
And don’t you know that it’s just you,
Hey, Jude, you’ll do
The movement you need is on your shoulder
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah nah yeah
Hey, Jude, don’t make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her under your skin
Then you’ll begin to make it better, better, better, better, better… oh!
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude (Jude)
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude (don’t make it bad, Jude)
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude (take a sad song and make it better)
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude (oh, Jude)
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude (Jude, hey, Jude, whoa)
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude (ooh)
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude [fade out]
Goodnight Saigon
Written and performed by Billy Joel
It’s Veteran’s Day, and I started off my SotD writing up a bit about Hey Jude. It can wait, because today is Veteran’s Day. So, how about a song dedicated to the Vets of the Vietnam War?
Goodnight Saigon is not just a dedication, but a benediction of the bonds of Marine brotherhood. The experiences the combat vets of the day went through are highlighted in every lyric. It purposely does not use “I” and instead uses “we,” continuing with the unity and brotherhood themes.
It slowly builds, driving it’s way up from the nearly whispered first line, “We met as soul mates on Parris Island” and coming to a crescendo at “We promised our mothers we’d write.” The simple chorus is often sung in drunken refrain by veterans and civilians alike, their bonds having been forged by a full variety of sources.
We were less than ten years removed from Vietnam when this song came out. The pain of the experience was still entirely too fresh in the minds of everyone that had lived through it. The song was criticized for not taking a side at the time. “And who was wrong? And who was right? It didn’t matter in the thick of the fight.” I find the criticism unfounded. This song is of the vets, about the vets and for the vets. They who had to do something that is considered distasteful, and war is, at the very least, distasteful. But they deserved everything we could give them back here at home. This sentiment still rings true today, as soldiers come home from the assorted Desert Wars of the modern age.
There was a time when we said “America is number one thanks to our veterans.” Today, don’t forget to hug a vet. They still need it, and are still worthy of it.
lyrcis:
We met as soul mates
On Parris Island
We left as inmates
From an asylum
And we were sharp
As sharp as knives
And we were so gung ho
To lay down our lives
We came in spastic
Like tameless horses
We left in plastic
As numbered corpses
And we learned fast
To travel light
Our arms were heavy
But our bellies were tight
We had no home front
We had no soft soap
They sent us Playboy
They gave us Bob Hope
We dug in deep
And shot on sight
And prayed to Jesus Christ
With all of our might
We had no cameras
To shoot the landscape
We passed the hash pipe
And played our Doors tapes
And it was dark
So dark at night
And we held on to each other
Like brother to brother
We promised our mothers we’d write
And we would all go down together
We said we’d all go down together
Yes we would all go down together
Remember Charlie
Remember Baker
They left their childhood
On every acre
And who was wrong?
And who was right?
It didn’t matter in the thick of the fight
We held the day
In the palm
Of our hand
They ruled the night
And the night
Seemed to last as long as six weeks
On Parris Island
We held the coastline
They held the highlands
And they were sharp
As sharp as knives
They heard the hum of our motors
They counted the rotors
And waited for us to arrive
And we would all go down together
We said we’d all go down together
Yes we would all go down together
Throwback Thursday
Crimson and Clover
Performed by Tommy James and the Shondells
Written by Tommy James and Peter Lucia
In 1968, singer Tommy James had had enough of the sound direction his group had taken. He was given artistic control by the record label, and departed the usual writers to try something entirely new for him.
The title, Crimson and Clover, was something James came up with waking up one morning, it being a combination of his favorite color and favorite flower. There is, of course, much debate in the music community about this psychedelic classic’s title’s meaning, ranging from a lit joint, to taking a girl’s virginity in the grass. The lyrics were written first in collaboration with bassist Mike Vale, but didn’t fit with Tommy’s vision. A second attempt with drummer Peter Lucia brought things to fruition. Rumor is that Lucia claims the idea for the title, having watched a high school football game between his hometown of Morristown NJ (in crimson), and Hapatcong (green, or “clover”).
The famous vocal effect at the end was created by plugging the microphone into a guitar amp with the tremolo turned on, and the output from the amp recorded.
So this has been covered and sampled all over the place. An Italian language version hit number one in ‘69. Joan Jett’s version hit number seven in ‘82. It’s been done by Deadsy and Cher, Dolly Parton and even Prince. It was definitely sampled by Jarvis Cocker in his ‘06 piece Black Magic. It was possibly borrowed for the Hanukkah Song made famous by Adam Sandler.
For me, it was the last song on one side of an old record I liked to listen to. My mother had a multi-record set call (something like) Greatest Hits of Rock n’ Roll. The record in question had the likes of I’m a Believer, Hang on Sloopy, Green Tambourine, and Mr. Tambourine Man. I was big on the Monkees, so I listened to this a ton. Years later, it’s the last song on the album that still catches my attention. A little lovely psychedlia is what I’m after for the next few days, and this is among the loveliest.
Oh
Now I don’t hardly know her
But I think I could love her
Crimson and clover
Ah
I wish she’d come walking over
Now I’ve been waiting to show her
Crimson and clover
Over and over
Yes (da-da, da-da, da-da)
My my, such a sweet thing (da-da, da-da, da-da)
I want to do everything (da-da, da-da, da-da)
What a beautiful feeling (da-da, da-da, da-da)
Crimson and clover (da-da, da-da, da-da)
Over and over
Crimson and clover, over and over
Crimson and clover, over and over
Crimson and clover, over and over
Crimson and clover, over and over
Crimson and clover, over and over
Crimson and clover, over and over
Wild Card Wednesday
Save Tonight
Written and Performed by Eagle-Eye Cherry
There was a point in ‘97 where this song was inescapable. The half brother of Nenah Cherry (same mother) brought us this catchy “we’re going on a date” song.
Eh, I never thought it was anything special, as by that time, I had the “love of my life” and all of our nights were just for each other. It’s still got a sweet sentiment. The storyteller mentions, a couple times, having a bottle of wine and just spending time together.
This has no standout for me musically, and lyrically it’s not especially poignant. I mean, hell, at first glance, it’s about a “meaningful overnight relationship.”
I really wish I had more to say about this one, but it’s a reader request, and it’s one I don’t have a strong attachment to.
Lyrics:
Go on and close the curtains
‘Cause all we need is candlelight
You and me, and a bottle of wine
To hold you tonight (oh)
Well we know I’m going away
And how I wish - I wish it weren’t so
So take this wine and drink with me
And let’s delay our misery
Save tonight and fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I’ll be gone
Save tonight and fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I’ll be gone
There’s a log on the fire
And it burns like me for you
Tomorrow comes with one desire
To take me away (ohh it’s true)
It ain’t easy to say good-bye
Darlin’ please, don’t start to cry
'Cause girl you know I’ve got to go (oh)
And Lord I wish it wasn’t so
Save tonight and fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I’ll be gone
Save tonight and fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I’ll be gone
Tomorrow comes to take me away
I wish that I, that I could stay
But girl you know I’ve got to go (oh)
And Lord I wish wasn’t so
Save tonight and fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I’ll be gone
Save tonight and fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I’ll be gone
Save tonight and fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I’ll be gone
Save tonight and fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I’ll be gone
Tomorrow I’ll be gone
Tomorrow I’ll be gone
Tomorrow I’ll be gone
Tomorrow I’ll be gone
Save tonight
Save tonight
Save tonight
Save tonight
Oh that’s right
Save tonight
Save tonight
[fade out]
