Tag: Song

Blog, Song Lyric Sunday

Song Lyric Sunday – The Voice Within

by  •  • 5 Comments

Our friend Di from Pensitivity101 has provided the prompts this week for Song Lyric Sunday. They are Sounds, Talk, Voice and Words. I came across a beautiful song called ‘The Voice Within’ by Christina Aguilera. I hope you enjoy it.

The Song

“The Voice Within” is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her fourth studio album, Stripped (2002). The song was written by Christina Aguilera and Glen Ballard, with production handled by Ballard. It is a piano-driven ballad talks about trusting oneself and one’s instincts. “The Voice Within” was released as the fifth and final single from Stripped on 5 June 2003. by RCA Records.

Upon its release, “The Voice Within” received mainly positive reviews from music critics, who called it an inspirational ballad and praised Aguilera’s strong vocals on the track. Some likened the song to works by Celine Dion and Mariah Carey. Commercially, “The Voice Within” achieved moderate success on charts worldwide, peaking within the top ten of charts in several countries including Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and it reached number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

The song’s music video was directed by David LaChapelle, who previously directed the music videos for “Dirrty” (2002) and “Can’t Hold Us Down” (2003). It was filmed in black and white as a one shot. He explained to MTV News that the video’s concept, “There’s all kinds of connotations to the word ‘stripped.’ I wanted to strip it down to one take. Just her and this incredible voice. And really not have anything that is going to overshadow that. She’s trying to grow as an artist and along the way she’s taking all kinds of risks and a lot of times people let those things overshadow her ability and her talent. I wanted to bring it all back as a sort of bookend to this album”. The video begins with a close-up scene of Aguilera and zooms out to her wearing a slip and sitting in an abandoned prop room. In one continuous black and white shot, Aguilera walks through several rooms, exits the building, and finally lays on a light box. The video was filmed at a deserted theater in downtown Los Angeles. It was inspired by neorealist works. The video was nominated for three 2004 MTV Video Music Awards: Best Female Video, Viewer’s Choice, and Best Cinematography.

Courtesy of Fandom

The Lyrics

Young girl, don’t cry
I’ll be right here when your world starts to fall
Young girl, it’s alright
Your tears will dry, you’ll soon be free to fly

When you’re safe inside your room you tend to dream
Of a place where nothing’s harder than it seems
No one ever wants or bothers to explain
Of the heartache life can bring and what it means

When there’s no one else
Look inside yourself
Like your oldest friend
Just trust the voice within
Then you’ll find the strength
That will guide your way
You’ll learn to begin
To trust the voice within

Young girl, don’t hide
You’ll never change if you just run away
Young girl, just hold tight
And soon you’re gonna see your brighter day

Now in a world where innocence is quickly claimed
It’s so hard to stand your ground when you’re so afraid
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold
When you’re lost outside look inside to your soul

When there’s no one else
Look inside yourself
Like your oldest friend
Just trust the voice within
Then you’ll find the strength
That will guide your way
You will learn to begin
To trust the voice within

Yeah…
Life is a journey
It can take you anywhere you choose to go
As long as you’re learning
You’ll find all you’ll ever need to know (be strong)
You’ll break it (hold on)
You’ll make it (be strong)
Just don’t forsake it because
(No one can tell you what you can’t do)
No one can stop you, you know that I’m talking to you

When there’s no one else
Look inside yourself
And like your oldest friend
Just trust the voice within
Then you’ll find the strength
That will guide your way
You will learn to begin
To trust the voice within

Young girl don’t cry
I’ll be right here when your world starts to fall

Written by Christina Aguilera and Glen Ballard

Blog, Song Lyric Sunday

Song Lyric Sunday – No Single? No Number 1

by  •  • 14 Comments

This week, for Song Lyric Sunday, Jim Adams has asked us to find songs that never made it to Number One. We all know of some that fall into this category but in my search for a favorite of mine, “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin, I remembered why they never really had any number 1 singles. They just didn’t cut any. They were strictly an album and live performance group. Enjoy reading about it below.

How Did Led Zeppelin Never Have a No. 1 Single?

There are only a few bands that have sold more records than Led Zeppelin. The list starts with The Beatles (183 million albums in the U.S.) and continues with heavyweights like Elvis (No. 3) and the Eagles (No. 4). Garth Brooks (No. 2) is also on this list.

After that comes Zeppelin at No. 5 with a certified 111 million records sold in America. Whatever way you want to measure the band’s popularity, you’ll find plenty of data backing up Zeppelin.

Going by No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, you’ll find the band with seven. Led Zeppelin II, the band’s biggest chart hit, hung around for 117 weeks after spending the better part of two months at No. 1. Then there’s Led Zeppelin IV, which sold over 23 million copies.

In fact, there’s only one milestone the band didn’t claim over the years: a No. 1 hit single on the Billboard Hot 100. Here’s how Zeppelin never made its way there.

When you look at a band like The Beatles, you see a group built for the Hot 100 charts — especially early on in the Fab Four’s time together. Their songs were short and catchy, simple and bright. Maybe “she loves you,” but either they’d “wanna hold your hand” so you might “love me do.”

Led Zeppelin’s debut album kicked off with the riotous “Good Times Bad Times” and built up to haunting “Dazed and Confused” on Side One. These songs weren’t built for a pop marketplace. Though Atlantic released “Good Times Bad Times” as a single in 1969, no one knew Zeppelin at the time.

From early on, the band considered itself a band that sold albums, not singles. When “Whole Lotta Love” became a centerpiece of the band’s live shows, the record company wanted to release it as a single. The only problem? It was over five-and-a-half minutes long.

Meanwhile, its psychedelic middle section scared AM radio stations enough to warrant an edit of the song. (FM stations played it in its entirety.) But the band hated the edited version, turning them off singles further. 

While “Whole Lotta Love” sold over 900,000 copies and peaked at No. 4, the band refused to release it in the UK.

While conventional wisdom said you needed singles and constant TV appearances, Jimmy Page and Zeppelin manager Peter Grant decided to go the opposite route. If you wanted to buy “Dazed and Confused” or “Stairway to Heaven,” you had to buy the whole album.

For those who wanted a taste of Zeppelin’s epic live performances, you had to buy a ticket. What started as a technique to build mystique and sell more albums became an absolute cash-cow for the band.

By the time it released Led Zeppelin IV, the band’s records were so in demand it stayed on the Billboard 200 charts for over five years (281 weeks). After Houses of the Holy, there was only one thing to do: Bring the record label in-house. Thus Swan Song was born.

Physical Graffiti, Zeppelin’s first release on its own label, became the fastest album to ever reach No. 1 (two weeks) when it shot there in 1975. That answered the question: Why sell a $0.99 single when you can sell an album for $11.98?

Considering Physical Graffiti sold more than 16 million copies over the years, that strategy speaks for itself. Zeppelin never wanted a single and never needed one. The band almost begrudgingly had a No. 1 hit but it didn’t matter.

Courtesy of cheatsheet.com

The Lyrics

You need cooling
Baby I'm not fooling
I'm gonna send ya
Back to schooling

Way down inside
A-honey you need it
I'm gonna give you my love
I'm gonna give you my love, yeah

Wanna whole lotta love
Wanna whole lotta love
Wanna whole lotta love
Wanna whole lotta love

You've been learning
Um baby I been learning
All them good times baby, baby
I've been year-yearning

A-way, way down inside
A-honey you need-ah
I'm gonna give you my love, ah
I'm gonna give you my love, ah oh

Whole lotta love
Wanna whole lotta love
Wanna whole lotta love
Wanna whole lotta love (I don't want more)

You've got to bleed on me, yeah
Ah ah
Ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
(No no no no)
Ah, love
Love love love love love

You've been cooling
And baby I've been drooling
All the good times, baby
I've been misusing

A-way, way down inside
I'm gonna give ya my love
I'm gonna give ya every inch of my love
I'm gonna give ya my love

Yeah
Alright
Let's go

Wanna whole lotta love
Wanna whole lotta love
Wanna whole lotta love
Wanna whole lotta love

Way down inside
Woman, you need it
Love

My, my, my, my
My, my, my, my
Lord
Shake for me girl
I wanna be your backdoor man

Hey, oh, hey, oh, hey, oh
Ooh yeah
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Cool, my, my baby

Keep it cooling baby
A-keep it cooling baby
A-keep it cooling baby
Ah, keep it cooling baby
Ah, ah ha, oh

Writer/s: James Patrick Page, John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Robert Anthony Plant 
Publisher: Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Blog, Song Lyric Sunday

Song Lyric Sunday – Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda!

by  •  • 5 Comments

This week’s Song Lyric Sunday is about songs originally offered to one or more artists and got turned down only to be recorded by someone else resulting in the song becoming a big hit. Researching this subject I found plenty of songs that were recorded fairly recently and I was surprised at how many hits by Rihanna were actually intended for someone else. Same goes for Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears, even Adele. I was trying to find something from much earlier but did not, so I’m hoping a fellow blogger will surprise me here today.

My thanks to Fandango for hosting today’s SLS while Jim takes a vacation.

The song I have chosen is a Santana and Michelle Branch collaboration, the Game of Love, which Santana had originally wanted Tina Turner to record with him. However, record producer Clive Davis, rejected the idea because he wanted someone younger to appeal to a more youthful audience. Although Songfacts doesn’t mention it, there was a suggestion, from another source, that the song was offered to Rob Thomas. He evidently turned it down because he thought it would be regarded as Smooth 2, his earlier mega hit with Santana. Who knows for sure? As it turned out Clive Davis was right. The finished product with Michelle Branch’s lovely voice and Santana’s magic made it a big hit.

The Song

Gregg Alexander, who records as The New Radicals (“You Get What You Give”) wrote this song with Rick Nowels, whose co-writes include “Standing Still” for Jewel and “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” for Belinda Carlisle. Alexander recorded a demo, and the song sat around for about a year until Nowels’ manager sent the song to Clive Davis, head of Arista Records, when Santana was looking for songs. With no Latin flavor, it was an unlikely song for Carlos Santana to record, but he went for it, making it the first single from his group’s album Shaman, the follow-up to their 1999 blockbuster Supernatural.
This song is about the conflicted emotions that go along with love. The way this story plays out, it was love at first sight (“One kiss and boom you’re the only one for me”) but now they’re apart. The soothing melody belies a dark lyric, as the singer seems kind of dependent:

You roll me
Control me
Console me
Please hold me
You guide me
Divide me into me

She figures it’s all in the game of love, but he might have other ideas.
Michelle Branch is the lead vocalist on this song. She earned an audition through the song’s writer, Gregg Alexander, who suggested her – members of his band The New Radicals also played in Branch’s touring band. “I didn’t think I got it,” Branch told Songfacts. “I was really nervous. I went on tour and thought that was the end of it, and then I got a call saying they loved my version and they had decided that I was the singer.

The next thing you know, I was going to Chicago to film the music video. The first time I met Carlos was on set for ‘The Game Of Love.'”
Branch was still a teenager when she recorded her vocal, but she had the poise and confidence to suggest a change to the lyric. Instead of “a little bit of laughs,” she wanted “a little bit of lust,” and the line “I’m telling you my babe” changed to “I’m turning in my bed.” Her suggestions were politely declined.

In her Songfacts interview, she said: “I was thinking of being lovesick, unable to sleep, turning in the bed. Like lusting after someone. But they wanted it a little more lighthearted. But I love the song and I’m honored that I was chosen to sing it.”

Tina Turner was reportedly Santana’s first choice as vocalist and even recorded it with him. Details are sketchy, but it seems label boss Clive Davis rejected Turner and went with Branch for youth appeal; most of Santana’s hits around this time were with vocalists a generation younger than him, like Rob Thomas and Wyclef Jean.

The Tina Turner version was finally released in 2007 as part of the Ultimate Santana collection. When it was issued, Santana made this statement to the Associated Press:

“Queens come and go – there’s only one Tina Turner. I love Michelle, and she did a great interpretation of it. It’s just that with all honor and respect to Michelle, there’s the girl and there’s the woman, and Michelle is unfolding into a woman. But it takes time to go from a girl to a woman.”

Michelle Branch released her breakthrough album The Spirit Room in 2001 when she was 18. “The Game Of Love” gave her next one, Hotel Paper, released in 2003, a nice push – it went to #2 in the US and sold a million copies.

The video was directed by Paul Fedor, who was known for darker fare like Alice in Chains’ “Get Born Again” and Marilyn Manson’s “The Nobodies.” The “Game Of Love” video shows Santana and Branch performing the song on the streets of Chicago as a number of couples suck face.

Michelle Branch was an excellent pairing for Santana. She was a TRL favorite with a young, female fanbase, but sounded great to the ears of Santana fans, who were much older. Branch wrote her own songs and was a student of emotions, able to sing convincingly about romantic love before she had experienced it herself. She could also play acoustic guitar, providing a nice symmetry in the video while Carlos Santana played electric.

Branch did so well that when Santana released their next album, All That I Am, in 2005, she once again got the call to sing the first single, “I’m Feeling You.” She was the only guest vocalist to appear on both the Shaman and All That I Am albums.

The song’s co-writer Gregg Alexander was a bit of mystery man around this time, having moved to London where he wrote songs under assumed names. For this one, he used Alex Ander.
Michelle Branch joined Santana from time to time to perform this song on the group’s 2002 tour; they first performed it together in Los Angeles on October 12.
Branch was thrilled to record with Santana; her mom used to play their 1970 album Abraxas in the house.

Courtesy of Songfacts

The Lyrics

Tell me
Just what you want me to be
One kiss
And boom you're the only one for me
So please tell me
Why don't you come around no more?
'Cause right now
I'm crying outside the door of your candy store

It just takes a little bit of this, a little bit of that
It started with a kiss
Now we're up to bat
A little bit of laughs, a little bit of pain
I'm telling you my babe
It's all in the game of

Love is
Whatever you make it to be
Sunshine
Instead of this cold lonely sea
So please baby
Try and use me for what I'm good for
It ain't saying goodbye
It's knocking down the door of your candy store

It just takes a little bit of this, a little bit of that
It started with a kiss
Now we're up to bat
A little bit of laughs, a little bit of pain
I'm telling you baby
It's all in the game of love
It's all in this game of love

You roll me
Control me
Console me
Please hold me
You guide me
Divide me
Into me

So please tell me
Why don't you come around no more?
'Cause right now
I'm dying outside the door of your loving store

It just take a little bit of this, a little bit of that
It started with a kiss
Now we're up to bat
A little bit of laughs, a little bit of pain
I'm telling you my babe
It's all in the game of love
All in this game of love
It's all in the game of love
Let's play the game of love

Roll me
Control me
Please hold me
I'm out here on my own
On my own

Writer/s: Gregg Alexander, Richard Nowels 
Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Blog, One Liner Wednesday

One Liner Wednesday – Christmas Songs

by  •  • 6 Comments

Just about every TV commercial right now is Christmas related. When you turn on the radio you hear Christmas songs and carols playing non stop. It is that time of year after all and it helps most people get into the spirit of the season. Talking of spirit and songs, I came across this the other day which cleverly incorporates them both.

Enjoy this holiday season and sing/drink responsibly!

For Linda G. Hill’s One Liner Wednesday

Blog, Song Lyric Sunday

Song Lyric Sunday – Spirit – Lion

by  •  • 7 Comments

Lion, Tiger, Bear, Eagle and Shark are the prompts for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, hosted by our friend Jim Adams.

Plenty of material to choose from once you start looking. The Lion King is a favorite musical of mine and this beautiful song, ‘Spirit” by Beyonce is perfect for the prompt. It refers to our path in life and need for strength while facing the unknown as in Simba’s journey after the death of his father, Mufasa I hope you enjoy it along with the beautifully produced video.

The Song

Beyoncé recorded this inspirational song for the soundtrack of the live-action remake of The Lion King and the companion album The Lion King: The Gift. It plays in the film during a pivotal scene with Nala, Simba’s childhood best friend and future love interest. Beyoncé also stars in the movie as the voice of the powerful Nala.

The Lion King tells the story of Simba, a young lion who struggles to succeed his father as King of the Pride Lands. The song starts off with a chant in Swahili, which translates as “long live the king.” The phrase acts as encouragement for the lion and his spirit to prevail.

Beyoncé co-wrote and co-produced this song of strength with:

Swedish-Persian songwriter IIya Salmanzadeh, who has co-penned several of Ariana Grande’s hits, including “Problem,” “No Tears Left to Cry,” “God Is A Woman” and “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored .”

English dance/hip-hop singer and producer Labrinth. Best known for his own hit single “Beneath Your Beautiful,” Labrinth has also contributed to tunes by Noah Cyrus (“Make Me (Cry)”), The Weeknd (“Losers”) and Nicki Minaj (“Majesty”).

Beyoncé produced and curated The Lion King: The Gift companion album. She said that the songs were inspired by the remake’s storyline, which “gives the listener a chance to imagine their own imagery, while listening to a new contemporary interpretation.”

The song’s music video features shots of Beyoncé rocking some colorful gowns against picturesque landscapes (parts of the visual were shot at Havasu Falls in Arizona). Those scenes are interspersed with clips from The Lion King. Her daughter, Blue Ivy, also makes a brief appearance when she joins her mom among a troupe of dancers.

Beyoncé told ABC News’ Robin Roberts the concept of the video is “to show how God is the painter and natural beauty in nature needs no art direction.”

“It’s the beauty of color, the beauty of melanin, the beauty of tradition,” she added.

The Lyrics

Uishi kwa muda mrefu mfalme
(Uishi kwa, uishi kwa)
Uishi kwa muda mrefu mfalme
(Uishi kwa, uishi kwa)

Yeah, yeah, and the wind is talkin'
Yeah, yeah, for the very first time
With a melody that pulls you towards it
Paintin' pictures of paradise

Sayin' rise up to the light in the sky, yeah
Watch the light lift your heart up
Burn your flame through the night

Whoa, spirit
Watch the heavens open (open), yeah
Spirit, can you hear it callin'? (Callin')
Yeah

Yeah, yeah, and the water's crashin'
Trying to keep your head up high
While you're tremblin', that's when the magic happens
And the stars (stars) gather by (gather by)
By your side

Sayin' rise up to the light in the sky, yeah
Let the light lift your heart up
Burn your flame through the night

Yeah, spirit
Watch the heavens open (open), yeah
Spirit, can you hear it callin'? (Callin')
Yeah (yeah)

Your destiny is comin' close
Stand up and fight
So go into that far off land
And be one with the great I am, I am
Boy becomes a man

Whoa, spirit
Watch the heavens open (open), yeah
Spirit, can you hear it callin'? (Callin'?) Yeah
Spirit, yeah, watch the heavens open, open, yeah
Spirit, spirit, can you hear it callin'? (Callin')
Yeah (yeah)

Your destiny is comin' close
Stand up and fight
So go into a far off land
And be one with the great I am

Writer/s: Beyonce Gisselle Knowles, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Timothy Lee Mckenzie 
Publisher: Walt Disney Music Company
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Courtesy of Songfacts

Blog, Song Lyric Sunday

Song Lyric Sunday – Born on the Bayou

by  •  • 13 Comments


Our host for Song Lyric Sunday, Jim Adams, has given us the prompts of Birth, Death and Life this week. Thanks Jim, because now I can use one of my favorite Creedence Clearwater Revival songs, Born on the Bayou. I love vintage CCR and have included the best version of the song along with a video of the band from Woodstock. John Fogerty can still rock that song to this day!

The Song

Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty, who wrote the song, had never actually been to a bayou when he wrote the song – he researched it in encyclopedias and imagined a bayou childhood for the song’s narrative. Fogerty, who is from the very unswamplike Berkeley, California, got his first look at a bayou courtesy of John Fred, the one-hit wonder who sang “Judy In Disguise (with Glasses).” Fred was from Louisiana, and when Creedence played a show in Baton Rouge in 1969, he met Fogerty at a rehearsal and offered to take him to a real bayou. They drove 15 minutes to Bayou Forche, where they ate some crabs and crayfish, giving Fogerty the idea for this song.
In Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitar Songs” issue, Fogerty explained that the song originated when Creedence Clearwater Revival were booked at San Francisco’s Avalon Ballroom in 1968. Said Fogerty: “We were the #7 act on the bill, bottom of the totem pole. And as the first guys to go on, we were the last to soundcheck before they opened the doors. It was like, ‘Here’s the drums, boom, boom; here’s the guitar, clank, clank.’ I looked over at the guys and said, ‘Hey, follow this!’ Basically, it was the riff and the attitude of ‘Born on the Bayou,’ without the words.”

Drummer Doug Clifford remembers it happening in the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. >>
Fogerty says the song was inspired by gospel music and popular movies. He explained in Bad Moon Rising: The Unofficial History of Creedence Clearwater Revivial, “‘Born on the Bayou’ was… about a mythical childhood and a heat-filled time, the Fourth of July. I put it in the swamp where, of course, I had never lived. I was trying to be a pure writer, no guitar in hand, visualizing and looking at the bare walls of my apartment. ‘Chasing down a hoodoo.’ Hoodoo is a magical, mystical, spiritual, non-defined apparition, like a ghost or a shadow, not necessarily evil, but certainly otherworldly.”

Hoodoo was the name of a 1976 solo album by Fogerty that he never released. By his own account, it was terrible. A couple of singles leaked out, though. Unfortunately for Fogerty, at least one (“You’ve got the Magic”) can be found on Youtube.
Fogerty considers this his favorite CCR song. He performed it on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in November 2005. >>
This was the first song Creedence played in their set at Woodstock in 1969. They were a big part of the festival, performing 11 songs on the second day. The band first hit the stage at 3:30 am when the majority of the Woodstock crowd was zonked out. Fogerty recalled:

“We were ready to rock out and we waited and waited and finally it was our turn … there were a half million people asleep. These people were out. It was sort of like a painting of a Dante scene, just bodies from hell, all intertwined and asleep, covered with mud.

And this is the moment I will never forget as long as I live: A quarter mile away in the darkness, on the other edge of this bowl, there was some guy flicking his Bic [lighter], and in the night I hear, ‘Don’t worry about it, John. We’re with you.’ I played the rest of the show for that guy.”

The Foo Fighters covered this song at “Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast” following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.


Doug Clifford said “Born on the Bayou” is his favorite CCR song, “bar none.”
“Born on the Bayou,” “Proud Mary,” and “Choolgin'” were all connected in John Fogerty’s mind. In Bad Moon Rising, he said, “I was writing these at night, and I remember that Bobby Kennedy got killed during this time. I saw that late at night. They kept showing it over and over. ‘Bayou’ and ‘Proud Mary’ and ‘Chooglin” were all kind of cooking at that time. I’d say that was when the whole swamp bayou myth was born—right there in a little apartment in El Cerrito. It was late at night and I was probably delirious from lack of sleep. I remember that I thought it would be cool if these songs cross-referenced each other. Once I was doing that, I realized that I was kind of working on a mythical place.”
This is referenced in Stephen King’s 1978 short story collection, Night Shift. It plays on the truck stop jukebox in the story “Trucks.”

The Lyrics

Now, when I just was a little boy
Standin' to my Daddy's knee
My poppa said "Son, don't let the man get you
And do what he done to me

I can remember the fourth of July
Runnin' through the backwood bare
And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin'
Chasin' down a hoodoo there
Chasin' down a hoodoo there

Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou

Wish I was back on the Bayou,
Rollin' with some Cajun Queen.
Wishin' I where a fast freight train
Just a chooglin' on down to New Orleans
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou

I can remember the fourth of July,
Runnin' through the back wood bare.
And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin'
Chasin' down a hoodoo there
Chasin' down a hoodoo there

Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou

Written by John Fogerty
Blog, Happiness

Summer Sentiments

by  •  • 27 Comments

Summer Sentiments

In the summertime
when days are long
and the heat lingers
into the night
Memories are made
and captured
like fireflies in a jar
Fascinating, full of wonder
Replaying moments
over and over
and holding on tight
so not one may escape
Until that bittersweet moment
when you must release 
and set them free


Copyright © 2021 Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing
All Rights Reserved

Lillian is hosting D’Verse Poets tonight and has
Sent us back in time.  She asked us to find a song that was a hit on our birthday at any time in the past.  We used a website called http://mybirthdayhits.com/ It was a fun thing to look up.  On one of my birthdays, the song “In the Summertime” by Mungo Jerry was #1 for seven weeks.  Whenever I hear it I immediately smile.  It brings back many memories for me.  I have included it below.  I hope you enjoy too.

Word prompts 

Escape - RDP
Bittersweet - Word if the Day

Blog, Song Lyric Sunday

Song Lyric Sunday – My Sweet Lord

by  •  • 28 Comments

The prompts for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday are Delightful, Pleasant and Sweet suggested by our friend Paula from Light Motifs. It wouldn’t surprise me if we have some repeats again this week as there are a lot of songs with the word ’Sweet’ in the title. I was spoilt for choice but I have picked a favorite, ”My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison. I will never get tired of hearing it. There is a lot of history behind this song so I hope you enjoy reading about it too.

The Song

This was Harrison’s first single as a solo artist, and it was his biggest hit. The song is about the Eastern religions he was studying.

Highly unusual for a hit song, Harrison repeats part of a Hindu mantra in the lyric when he sings, “Hare Krishna… Krishna, Krishna.” When set to music, this mantra is typically part of a chant that acts as a call to the Lord. Harrison interposes it with a Christian call to faith: “Hallelujah” – he was pointing out that “Hallelujah and Hare Krishna are quite the same thing.”

In the documentary The Material World, Harrison explains: “First, it’s simple. The thing about a mantra, you see… mantras are, well, they call it a mystical sound vibration encased in a syllable. It has this power within it. It’s just hypnotic.”


In 1971, Bright Tunes Music sued Harrison because this sounded too much like the 1963 Chiffons hit “He’s So Fine.” Bright Tunes was controlled by The Tokens, who set it up when they formed the production company that recorded “He’s So Fine” – they owned the publishing rights to the song.

During the convoluted court case, Harrison explained how he composed the song: He said that in December 1969, he was playing a show in Copenhagen, Denmark, with the group Delaney and Bonnie, whose piano player was Billy Preston (who contributed to some Beatles recordings). Harrison said that he started writing the song after a press conference when he slipped away and started playing some guitar chords around the words “Hallelujah” and “Hare Krishna.” He then brought the song to the band, who helped him work it out as he came up with lyrics. When he returned to London, Harrison worked on Billy Preston’s album Encouraging Words. They recorded the song for the album, which was released on Apple Records later in 1970, and Harrison filed a copyright application for the melody, words and harmony of the song. Preston’s version remained an album cut, and it was Harrison’s single that was the huge hit and provoked the lawsuit, which was filed on February 10, 1971, while the song was still on the chart.

In further testimony, Harrison claimed he got the idea for “My Sweet Lord” from The Edwin Hawkins Singers’ “Oh Happy Day,” not “He’s So Fine.”

When the case was filed, Harrison’s manager was Allen Klein, who negotiated with Bright Tunes on his behalf. The case was delayed when Bright Tunes went into receivership, and was not heard until 1976. In the meantime, Harrison and Klein parted ways in bitter fashion, and Klein began consulting Bright Tunes. Harrison offered to settle the case for $148,000 in January 1976, but the offer was rejected and the case brought to court.

The trial took place February 23-25, with various expert witnesses testifying. The key to the case was the musical pattern of the two songs, which were both based on two musical motifs: “G-E-D” and “G-A-C-A-C.” “He’s So Fine” repeated both motifs four times, “My Sweet Lord” repeated the first motif four times and the second motif three times. Harrison couldn’t identify any other songs that used this exact pattern, and the court ruled that “the two songs are virtually identical.” And while the judge felt that Harrison did not intentionally copy “My Sweet Lord,” that was not a defense – thus Harrison was on the hook writing a similar song without knowing it. Harrison was found guilty of “subconscious plagiarism” in a verdict handed down on August 31, 1976.

Assessing damages in the case, the judge determined that “My Sweet Lord” represented 70% of the airplay of the All Things Must Pass album, and came up with a total award of about $1.6 million. However, in 1978 Allen Klein’s company ABKCO purchased Bright Tunes for $587,000, which prompted Harrison to sue. In 1981, a judge decided that Klein should not profit from the judgment, and was entitled to only the $587,000 he paid for the company – all further proceeds from the case had to be remitted back to Harrison. The case dragged on until at least 1993, when various administrative matters were finally settled.

The case was a burden for Harrison, who says he tried to settle but kept getting dragged back to court by Bright Tunes. After losing the lawsuit, he became more disenfranchised with the music industry, and took some time off from recording – after his 1976 album Thirty Three & 1/3, he didn’t release another until his self-titled album in 1979. He told Rolling Stone, “It’s difficult to just start writing again after you’ve been through that. Even now when I put the radio on, every tune I hear sounds like something else.”

This was recorded at Abbey Road studios using the same equipment The Beatles used. There were some familiar faces at the sessions who had contributed to Beatles albums, including John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Billy Preston and Eric Clapton. Bobby Whitlock was friends with Harrison and Clapton, and played keyboards on the album. When Songfacts spoke with Whitlock, he shared his thoughts:

“That whole session was great. George Harrison, what a wonderful man. All the time that I ever knew him, which was from 1969 to his passing, he was a wonderful man. He included everyone on everything he did because there was enough for all.”

Whitlock adds, “All during the sessions, the door would pop open and in would spring three or four or five Hare Krishnas in their white robes and shaved heads with a pony tail coming out the top. They were all painted up, throwing rose petals and distributing peanut butter cookies.”

This was the first #1 hit for any Beatle after the band broke up. Harrison became the first Beatle to release a solo album when he issued Wonderwall Music, the soundtrack to the movie Wonderwall, in 1968.

When this song was released, the phrase “Hare Krishna” was associated with a religious group called the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, whose members would often approach passengers in airports, seeking donations and trying to solicit members. Individuals in this group became popularly known as “Hare Krishnas,” with a generally negative connotation.

The Lyrics

My sweet Lord
Mm, my Lord
Mm, my Lord

I really want to see you
Really want to be with you
Really want to see you, Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord

My sweet Lord
Mm, my Lord
Mm, my Lord

I really want to know you
Really want to go with you
Really want to show you, Lord
That it won't take long, my Lord

(Hallelujah)
My sweet Lord
(Hallelujah)
Mm my Lord
(Hallelujah)
My sweet Lord
(Hallelujah)

Really wanna see you
Really wanna see you
Really wanna see you, Lord
Really wanna see you, Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord

(Hallelujah)
My sweet Lord
(Hallelujah)
Mm, my Lord
(Hallelujah)
My my my Lord
(Hallelujah)

I really wanna know you
(Hallelujah)
Really wanna go with you
(Hallelujah)
Really wanna show you, Lord
That it won't take long, my Lord
(Hallelujah)

Mmm
(Hallelujah)
My sweet Lord
(Hallelujah)
My my Lord
(Hallelujah)

Mmm my Lord
(Hare Krishna)
My my my Lord
(Hare Krishna)
Oh my sweet Lord
(Krishna, Krishna)
Oohh
(Hare Hare)
Now I really wanna see you
(Hare Rama)
Really wanna be with you
(Hare Rama)
Really wanna see you, Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord
(Hallelujah)
Mmmm my Lord
(Hallelujah)
My my my Lord
(Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord
(Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord
(Krishna, Krishna)
My Lord
(Hare Hare)
Mmmm
(Gurur Brahma)
Mmmm
(Gurur Vishnu)
Mmmm
(Gurur Devo)
Mmmm
(Maheshwara)
My sweet Lord
(Gurur Sakshaat)
My sweet Lord
(Parabrahma)
My, my my Lord
(Tasmayi Shree)
My, my my my Lord
(Guruve Namah)
My sweet Lord
(Hare Rama)
(Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord
(Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord
(Krishna Krishna)

Writer/s: George Harrison 
Publisher: CONCORD and MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, DistroKid
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Courtesy of Songfacts
Blog, Song Lyric Sunday

Song Lyric Sunday – Spirit in the Sky

by  •  • 11 Comments

This week Jim Adams has prompted us with Bird, Fly, Sky and Wing for the Song Lyric Sunday challenge. I have chosen Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum. Considering it was written and recorded in 1969, I think it still sounds great today. Turn the volume up high, it’s even better!

“Spirit in the Sky” makes several religious references to Jesus, although Greenbaum is Jewish. In a 2006 interview with the New York Times, Greenbaum told a reporter he was inspired to write the song after watching Porter Wagoner singing a gospel song on TV. Greenbaum said: “I thought, ‘Yeah, I could do that,’ knowing nothing about gospel music, so I sat down and wrote my own gospel song. It came easy. I wrote the words in 15 minutes.” 

Greenbaum had previously been a member of psychedelic jug band Dr. West’s Medicine Show and Junk Band. When they split up he won a solo contract with producer Erik Jacobsen for Reprise Records. Jacobsen had previously worked with The Lovin’ Spoonfuland the song was included on Greenbaum’s first solo album. 

The resulting sound was an “oddly compelling” combination of gospel and hard rock music, with loud drums, distorted electric guitar, clapping hands, and tambourines. The production team brought in the Stovall Sisters, an Oakland-based gospel trio, to sing backing vocals. Because of the song’s length and lyrics, the record company was initially reluctant to issue it, but was finally released as a single after two other singles from the album had poor sales. “Spirit in the Sky” became a worldwide hit, and was at the time the best-selling single ever for the Reprise label. 

About the song, Greenbaum has been quoted as saying, “It sounds as fresh today as when it was recorded. I’ve gotten letters from funeral directors telling me that it’s their second-most-requested song to play at memorial services, next to ‘Danny Boy’.”

Greenbaum’s version appears in a 2019 TV commercial for Budweiser.

Lyrics

Spirit in the Sky
Norman Greenbaum

When I die and they lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place that's the best
When I lay me down to die
Goin' up to the spirit in the sky
Goin' up to the spirit in the sky
That's where I'm gonna go when I die
When I die and they lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place that's the best

Prepare yourself you know it's a must
Gotta have a friend in Jesus
So you know that when you die
He's gonna recommend you
To the spirit in the sky
Gonna recommend you
To the spirit in the sky
That's where you're gonna go when you die
When you die and they lay you to rest
You're gonna go to the place that's the best

Never been a sinner I never sinned
I got a friend in Jesus
So you know that when I die
He's gonna set me up with
The spirit in the sky
Oh set me up with the spirit in the sky
That's where I'm gonna go when I die
When I die and they lay me to rest
I'm gonna go to the place that's the best
Go to the place that's the best

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Norman Greenbaum
Spirit in the Sky lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc,
The Bicycle Music Company
Blog, Love

Wherever You Will Go

by  •  • 31 Comments

Wherever You Will Go

My child
from long before I saw you
I loved you
we were contiguous
attached biologically
and therefore emotionally
 
We will always be connected
No matter where
on this earth we will be
I will feel your joy
and also, your pain
Your blood coursing in my veins
 
The one thing in my life
of which I am proud
giving life to you
So you could
spread your wings
and do amazing things
 
When I am gone
Who will light your shadows?
If I could, then I would
I’ll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I’ll go wherever you will go
 
 
Christine Bolton – Poetry for Healing ©

Image by Gisela Merkuur from Pixabay

Gospel Isosceles is hosting D'Verse Poetics and has asked us
to share a song that has brought us to tears, and write a poem
about it.  I have chosen a song called "Wherever You Will Go" by The Calling.  It reminds me of my son when he was a teenager and how, as a parent, I wanted to protect him, always.  I cry whenever I hear it.  In the last stanza of my poem I have used some words from the song.
Below is the video.  I hope you enjoy it.







 
 

	    

	    	

	    	
	

	


	
 

 





		
		
					

			
			
			




	
	
%d bloggers like this: