The Grammy’s were held a few weeks ago, and Jay –Z’s Empire State of Mind song was widely tipped to win song of the year. It didn’t, but it picked up a rap award. This track is an ode to New York, which got me thinking about “New York” songs.
So my top ten this week is “New York”. However, my list is about songs with New York in the title, rather than songs that are necessarily about New York. Some on the list below aren’t really about NY, and there are many great New York songs that don’t feature New York in the title.
I have never been to New York, but know many friends and colleagues that have, and they all speak very highly of the place.
PS – list has been prepared very quickly today, apologies for any grammatical errors.
10 - Englishman in New York – Sting
A search of my music collection revealed that I only had 9 songs with “New York” in the title. So I had to find another, and this track from Sting just sneaks into the list.
9 - New York Telephone Conversation – Lou Reed
I think in an earlier post I talked about picking up Lou Reed’s Transformer last year and quite enjoying it. This is a quirky little song from it, but most enjoyable.
8 - New York – U2
From their great return to form album “All that you can’t leave behind”, this New York song is a great. Bono’s vocals suit the track beautifully, as he describes New York in song.
7 - Piazza, New York Catcher – Belle and Sebastian
I have a few friends that are big B & S fans, but I have never quite taken the plunge although I suspect if I did, I would really like their music. However, the quirky soundtrack to the film Juno contains a couple of their tracks, including this one, which is an enjoyable listen from start to finish.
6 - New York City Cops – The Strokes
The Strokes burst onto the music scene in 2001 with their blistering debut album, but it almost could have gone wrong for them. Their album was scheduled for release in September, and contained this song, which contains the line “New York City Cops, they ain’t too smart”, which if you remember back to what was going on in September 2001, was not going to endear you to the American public. As I understand it, the US release of their album was quickly changed to remove this track. Despite the lyric, it’s a great rock track.
5 - Sammy and Doofus and our Man in New York – James Reyne
A media release on Reyne’s website describes this song as “raucous white funk”, and that description alone is probably enough to make you worry about the worthiness of the song. Luckily for me though, I was pleasantly surprised about how great this song is. I have been a fan of Reyne’s solo work for a while, but he usually delivers ballads and rock songs, so this was a huge departure for him, but no less enjoyable, particularly as the lyrics were as cynical as ever. I am also led to believe that the doofus in the song is Richard Wilkins…hehehe
4 - New York State of Mind – Billy Joel
Although some people think he is a bit daggy, I like a lot of Billy Joel’s stuff, and this particular ode to New York is a fantastic ballad…not sure what else to say.
So now we get to the top three, and these songs stand out well above the rest of the list. All three could have made it to the number one spot, but there can only be one number one…
3 - New York Mining Disaster – The Bee Gees
An amazing, shivers down your spine type of song, this ballad takes place in a mine, and one of the trapped people, fearing they are going to die, produces a photo of his wife to show to Mr Jones. Sadly, last year there were several mining disasters – Chile had a happy ending for some, New Zealand not so. And now with the Christchurch earthquake, some would be going through this same feeling of being trapped in rubble. Its probably more poignant than ever now.
2 - New York, New York – Frank Sinatra
Time to inject some swing into the list, and where else to go but to Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. What can you say about this classic? Its infectious, it’s a toe tapper, and could very easily have made it into number one.
1- Fairytale of New York – The Pogues
I have given top spot to this classic Pogues track. One of the best Christmas songs of all time, this song is about some Irish immigrants, feuding in New York City at Christmas time. It is a wonderful song, bitter sweet at times, and uniquely Pogues, taking from the Irish folk tradition and giving it their own take.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Hills and Mountain songs - The Top 10
Ok everyone, welcome back to the top 20 Hills and Mountain songs. In the last post, I mentioned that there would be six hills, and four mountains in the top ten, with six songs by Aussies, two Brits, and two Americans and one group appearing twice in the top ten. How did you go with guessing what they might be?
10 - Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain) – INXS
A great song to start off the top ten, this one starts with a simple three note strum and builds from there. Its typical INXS, with a bit of rock in there, but catchy enough to call it a pop song.
9 - Violet Hill – Coldplay
I talked about Violet Hill in the top 10 “V” songs, so I won’t go into this one again, other than to say I really enjoy this track.
8 - King of the Mountain – Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil were great at wrapping up some powerful rock music, with passionate vocal delivery, all in a few minutes of a song. This one is no exception. A great rock track.
7 - Kosciuszko – Midnight Oil
So there you go, Midnight Oil was the group that appears twice, and hey, Kosciuszko is a mountain, so whats wrong with including it on the list?? Another great rock song from the Oils.
6 - King of the Hill – Tim Rogers
One of the stand out tracks on Tim’s 2004 album Spit Polish, this is a great little song that just rolls along. Nice stuff.
5 - Lights on the Hill – Slim Dusty
I once heard this song described (possibly by Slim himself) as the happiest sad song ever written. And that is a pretty apt description for the track, penned by Slim’s wife joy. The song is about a nasty car accident, where a driver is blinded by the lights on the hill and ends up dying. But the music is totally upbeat and cheerful, almost at odds with the lyrical content. I really like the song, I hope that doesn’t say anything about me…
4 – The Fool on the Hill – Beatles
Given their extensive back catalogue, the Beatles seem to make regular appearances on my list. This is a nice little song, with Paul taking the lead vocals.
3 - Middle of the Hill – Josh Pyke
Josh Pyke has been getting a good run in my recent lists, probably more so that my like of his stuff would warrant, but he has had appropriate tracks for the recent themes. This one however, is a genuinely good track, and possibly my favourite Josh Pyke track. I really love the lyrics in this track. As a sample, check out this: “When i was a kid i grew up in a house, On a hill not the top not the bottom but the middle and i still remember where i cracked my head in the vacant lot theres a row of tiny houses there now and we used to light fires in the gutters and i could cool my head on the concrete steps but the girl down the street hit my sister on the head with a stick and we hid behind my father as he knocked on her parents door to tell them what she did but the parents were drunk so they really didn’t give a shit”. And so it goes on, great great stuff.
2- Blueberry Hill – Fats Domino
What a beautiful song, there is just no other way of describing it. Whenever I hear it, it always brings a smile to my face. Even yesterday, I flicked the TV on and there was an old Happy Days episode, and what song should be playing in the background…you guessed it, Blueberry Hill. Lovely lovely stuff.
1 - River Deep, Mountain High – Ike and Tina Turner
My top hills and mountain song goes to Tina Turner’s River Deep Mountain High. A classy rock song, I was first introduced to it via Jimmy Barnes cover, which is excellent, but you can’t beat Tina’s original. The accolades for this song are pretty high – producer Phil Spector claimed it to be his best work, and George Harrison described it as a perfect record from start to finish. Although the song is credited to Ike and Tina, Spector famously paid Ike to stay away from the studio, so that his controlling instincts would not interfere with the recording process, and its only Tina’s vocals that can be heard on the track. It has now become one of Tina’s signature tunes.
So there it is, my top twenty hills and mountain songs. All feedback welcome – what have I left off the list that should be there? And also, suggestions for future topics are also gratefully received.
10 - Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain) – INXS
A great song to start off the top ten, this one starts with a simple three note strum and builds from there. Its typical INXS, with a bit of rock in there, but catchy enough to call it a pop song.
9 - Violet Hill – Coldplay
I talked about Violet Hill in the top 10 “V” songs, so I won’t go into this one again, other than to say I really enjoy this track.
8 - King of the Mountain – Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil were great at wrapping up some powerful rock music, with passionate vocal delivery, all in a few minutes of a song. This one is no exception. A great rock track.
7 - Kosciuszko – Midnight Oil
So there you go, Midnight Oil was the group that appears twice, and hey, Kosciuszko is a mountain, so whats wrong with including it on the list?? Another great rock song from the Oils.
6 - King of the Hill – Tim Rogers
One of the stand out tracks on Tim’s 2004 album Spit Polish, this is a great little song that just rolls along. Nice stuff.
5 - Lights on the Hill – Slim Dusty
I once heard this song described (possibly by Slim himself) as the happiest sad song ever written. And that is a pretty apt description for the track, penned by Slim’s wife joy. The song is about a nasty car accident, where a driver is blinded by the lights on the hill and ends up dying. But the music is totally upbeat and cheerful, almost at odds with the lyrical content. I really like the song, I hope that doesn’t say anything about me…
4 – The Fool on the Hill – Beatles
Given their extensive back catalogue, the Beatles seem to make regular appearances on my list. This is a nice little song, with Paul taking the lead vocals.
3 - Middle of the Hill – Josh Pyke
Josh Pyke has been getting a good run in my recent lists, probably more so that my like of his stuff would warrant, but he has had appropriate tracks for the recent themes. This one however, is a genuinely good track, and possibly my favourite Josh Pyke track. I really love the lyrics in this track. As a sample, check out this: “When i was a kid i grew up in a house, On a hill not the top not the bottom but the middle and i still remember where i cracked my head in the vacant lot theres a row of tiny houses there now and we used to light fires in the gutters and i could cool my head on the concrete steps but the girl down the street hit my sister on the head with a stick and we hid behind my father as he knocked on her parents door to tell them what she did but the parents were drunk so they really didn’t give a shit”. And so it goes on, great great stuff.
2- Blueberry Hill – Fats Domino
What a beautiful song, there is just no other way of describing it. Whenever I hear it, it always brings a smile to my face. Even yesterday, I flicked the TV on and there was an old Happy Days episode, and what song should be playing in the background…you guessed it, Blueberry Hill. Lovely lovely stuff.
1 - River Deep, Mountain High – Ike and Tina Turner
My top hills and mountain song goes to Tina Turner’s River Deep Mountain High. A classy rock song, I was first introduced to it via Jimmy Barnes cover, which is excellent, but you can’t beat Tina’s original. The accolades for this song are pretty high – producer Phil Spector claimed it to be his best work, and George Harrison described it as a perfect record from start to finish. Although the song is credited to Ike and Tina, Spector famously paid Ike to stay away from the studio, so that his controlling instincts would not interfere with the recording process, and its only Tina’s vocals that can be heard on the track. It has now become one of Tina’s signature tunes.
So there it is, my top twenty hills and mountain songs. All feedback welcome – what have I left off the list that should be there? And also, suggestions for future topics are also gratefully received.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Top 20 Hills and Mountain songs - PART ONE
Hi Everyone
This week’s theme is top 20 Hills and Mountain songs. I know that in the past, some have commented on my theme inspirations, and this one is no exception. I have just returned from a holiday with my wife, down to Tasmania. Amongst other things, we went to the Fed Cup tennis while we were there. Sitting in the tennis stadium, my seats faced the impressive looking mountains in that area. So that is the reason for the topic. And, you have to let me make one dodgy joke before we start – these are hill songs, not to be confused with Hillsong, the church movement!!!
Ok, onto the list. It’s a top twenty, and will be over two weeks. Here are 20-11.
20 - Big Rock Candy Mountain – Harry McClintock
An old, old song that came to my attention on the “O Brother Were Art Thou?” soundtrack. It is a country song about a hobo’s idea of paradise (eg. In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, The jails are made of tin. And you can walk right out again, As soon as you are in.)
19 - Hamilton Hill – Basement Birds
In earlier posts I have talked about enjoying the Basement Birds album, but this song is interesting because its an instrumental, the only instrumental on their album. When I went to see them live, before they started this song they introduced it by saying to the crowd “if you know the words to this next track, please sing along!”. Funny stuff.
18 - The Mountain – Hoodoo Gurus
This track comes from the Hoodoo Guru’s sixth studio album “Crank”, which contains the well known song “The Right Time”. The last track is a great song, “The Mountain”, which is pretty much exactly what you would expect from the Hoodoo Gurus…power rock, lovely stuff.
17 - Mountain – Chocolate Starfish
Does anyone remember Chocolate Starfish? They were huge for about five minutes in the nineties, having a hit with a cover of “You’re So Vain”, and also this song, “Mountain”, a great ballad. My wife recently picked up a 90’s compilation CD and we rediscovered this track. Great song.
16 - Its All Downhill from Here – Paul Kelly
From Kelly’s excellent “Comedy” album, I have often wondered if this song was autobiographical or not. The lyrics might indicate that its about struggling to adjust with being famous: “I was taught not to speak to strangers, But strangers always seemed to know my name, And they bought and sold my pleasure, my disgust and my shame.” But maybe I am on completely the wrong tram with that hypothesis.
15 - Lone Pine Hill – Justin Townes Earle
I was given Justin Townes Earle’s album “The Good Life” last year, and I really enjoy it. It’s a country album, containing a host of tracks that sound like they are old country standards, although most were actually written by Earle. This one is described by allmuisc.com as a “period gunman’s saga”.
14 - High on a Mountain Top – Loretta Lynn
I discussed Lynn’s “Van Lear Rose” in an earlier post, and this is another from that album, which was produced by Jack White from the White Stripes. This is probably a more traditional country sounding song than many others on the album, very enjoyable though.
13 - Misty Mountain Hop – Led Zeppelin
Some people may be shocked that this classic rock track is only #13 on my list, but the truth is, I actually don’t know the song very well. Led Zep IV has been on my must get albums list for some time, but I have just never got around to it. To be honest with you, I am not exactly sure where I have heard this song, probably on the radio, maybe at a friend’s place. Probably with more listens, it would shoot much higher up on the list.
12 - Mountain Dew – The Pogues
A traditional Irish folk song, this version was a bonus track on their album “If I should fall from grace with god”, the song is actually an ode to a drink (“But give me enough of the rare old stuff, That's made near Galway Bay, Come gougers all from Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim too, We'll give them the slip and we'll take a sip, Of the real old mountain dew.) For another piece of trivia, the classic Pogues song “Fairytale of New York” makes mention of this traditional Irish folk song (“And then he sang a song, The Rare Auld Mountain Dew, I turned my face away, And dreamed about you.”)
11 - Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Jimmy Barnes
Ok, I know I have committed a big sin by including the Aussie rockers version on the list, and not the original Motown version, but the truth is that I am more familiar with Barnesy’s version, and he does a good enough job with it. The first concert I ever went to was Jimmy Barnes for his “Soul Deep” tour, which was where he covered all these great soul tracks.
So there is part one, the top ten is coming up next week. To give you a bit of a hint, there are six hills, and four mountains in the top ten. Six songs are by Aussies, two Brits, and two Americans. One group appears twice in the top ten.
As always, feel free to leave your questions, criticisms, comments, thoughts or suggestions…
This week’s theme is top 20 Hills and Mountain songs. I know that in the past, some have commented on my theme inspirations, and this one is no exception. I have just returned from a holiday with my wife, down to Tasmania. Amongst other things, we went to the Fed Cup tennis while we were there. Sitting in the tennis stadium, my seats faced the impressive looking mountains in that area. So that is the reason for the topic. And, you have to let me make one dodgy joke before we start – these are hill songs, not to be confused with Hillsong, the church movement!!!
Ok, onto the list. It’s a top twenty, and will be over two weeks. Here are 20-11.
20 - Big Rock Candy Mountain – Harry McClintock
An old, old song that came to my attention on the “O Brother Were Art Thou?” soundtrack. It is a country song about a hobo’s idea of paradise (eg. In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, The jails are made of tin. And you can walk right out again, As soon as you are in.)
19 - Hamilton Hill – Basement Birds
In earlier posts I have talked about enjoying the Basement Birds album, but this song is interesting because its an instrumental, the only instrumental on their album. When I went to see them live, before they started this song they introduced it by saying to the crowd “if you know the words to this next track, please sing along!”. Funny stuff.
18 - The Mountain – Hoodoo Gurus
This track comes from the Hoodoo Guru’s sixth studio album “Crank”, which contains the well known song “The Right Time”. The last track is a great song, “The Mountain”, which is pretty much exactly what you would expect from the Hoodoo Gurus…power rock, lovely stuff.
17 - Mountain – Chocolate Starfish
Does anyone remember Chocolate Starfish? They were huge for about five minutes in the nineties, having a hit with a cover of “You’re So Vain”, and also this song, “Mountain”, a great ballad. My wife recently picked up a 90’s compilation CD and we rediscovered this track. Great song.
16 - Its All Downhill from Here – Paul Kelly
From Kelly’s excellent “Comedy” album, I have often wondered if this song was autobiographical or not. The lyrics might indicate that its about struggling to adjust with being famous: “I was taught not to speak to strangers, But strangers always seemed to know my name, And they bought and sold my pleasure, my disgust and my shame.” But maybe I am on completely the wrong tram with that hypothesis.
15 - Lone Pine Hill – Justin Townes Earle
I was given Justin Townes Earle’s album “The Good Life” last year, and I really enjoy it. It’s a country album, containing a host of tracks that sound like they are old country standards, although most were actually written by Earle. This one is described by allmuisc.com as a “period gunman’s saga”.
14 - High on a Mountain Top – Loretta Lynn
I discussed Lynn’s “Van Lear Rose” in an earlier post, and this is another from that album, which was produced by Jack White from the White Stripes. This is probably a more traditional country sounding song than many others on the album, very enjoyable though.
13 - Misty Mountain Hop – Led Zeppelin
Some people may be shocked that this classic rock track is only #13 on my list, but the truth is, I actually don’t know the song very well. Led Zep IV has been on my must get albums list for some time, but I have just never got around to it. To be honest with you, I am not exactly sure where I have heard this song, probably on the radio, maybe at a friend’s place. Probably with more listens, it would shoot much higher up on the list.
12 - Mountain Dew – The Pogues
A traditional Irish folk song, this version was a bonus track on their album “If I should fall from grace with god”, the song is actually an ode to a drink (“But give me enough of the rare old stuff, That's made near Galway Bay, Come gougers all from Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim too, We'll give them the slip and we'll take a sip, Of the real old mountain dew.) For another piece of trivia, the classic Pogues song “Fairytale of New York” makes mention of this traditional Irish folk song (“And then he sang a song, The Rare Auld Mountain Dew, I turned my face away, And dreamed about you.”)
11 - Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Jimmy Barnes
Ok, I know I have committed a big sin by including the Aussie rockers version on the list, and not the original Motown version, but the truth is that I am more familiar with Barnesy’s version, and he does a good enough job with it. The first concert I ever went to was Jimmy Barnes for his “Soul Deep” tour, which was where he covered all these great soul tracks.
So there is part one, the top ten is coming up next week. To give you a bit of a hint, there are six hills, and four mountains in the top ten. Six songs are by Aussies, two Brits, and two Americans. One group appears twice in the top ten.
As always, feel free to leave your questions, criticisms, comments, thoughts or suggestions…
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Back to School Special - Top Ten "Spelling" songs
Hi,
Sorry for the delay, but I have been on holidays, so only just getting back to this now.
Schools around the country have recently gone back to start the new school year, so this week’s list is a “back to school special”. The top ten spelling songs!!
So what do I mean by spelling songs – basically any song where at some point in the lyrics, the singer spells out a word. A couple of disclaimers – I am not including acronyms in this, so YMCA by the Village People is ineligible, likewise Back in the USSR by the Beatles, and a heap of songs with USA in the lyrics.
Only ten on the list this week, mainly because I haven’t had much time to do this, and also, I actually can’t think of too many songs at the moment (although there must surely be thousands out there!)
10 – That Word (Love) – The Rockmelons
Spelling: L-O-V-E
To start the list off, I will go with some early 90’s radio friendly pop from the Rockmelons, featuring Deni Hines on lead vocals. The spelling is in the chorus and is a major component of the song.
9 - I’m Henry The VIII, I am – Herman’s Hermits
Spelling: H-E-N-R-Y
Moving back in time, to the sixties, and Herman’s Hermits little novelty ditty about the former King. For some reason this song always makes me smile, particularly the bit after the first verse where they sing “second verse, same as the first”, and then proceed into the next verse. Interestingly, throughout the track, they use a rather cockney accent and pronounce Henry more like Enery. Late in the song, the spelling of Henry (in the conventional style) occurs.
8 – Asshole – Dennis Leary
Spelling: A-S-S-H-O-L-E
Hehehe – yes, I realize the irony of having a back to school special and then putting this song on the list, but hey, I never said I was a good role model! I remember this song from the 90’s, and at that time, it was considered to be stretching the boundaries a fair bit. I even remember a number of music video shows not even prepared to run it. It is basically Leary describing how much of a charming individual he is. The spelling occurs near the end, in almost a chant style.
7 - I’m a Man – Bo Diddley
Spelling: M-A-N
Featuring a killer blues riff, in this song Diddley basically proclaims his manhood. The spelling of M-A-N recurs throughout the song.
6 – ROCK in the USA – John Mellencamp
Spelling: R-O-C-K
Included for the spelling of ROCK, not USA. An ode to 60’s rock, this upbeat rocking track is from Mellencamp’s Scarecrow album. The spelling occurs in the chorus.
5 – Jimmy Jazz – The Clash
Spelling: J-A-Z-Z
London Calling by the Clash is one of my all time favourite albums. The Clash are usually lauded as a punk band, but there is far more than just punk in this album, with moments of reggae, ska, jazz, soul, rockabilly all shining through. Jimmy Jazz is one of those great songs, that probably doesn’t get its credit given how many other gems feature on the album. The spelling comes towards the end of the song.
4- Gloria – Van Morrison
Spelling: G-L-O-R-I-A
This song has virtually become a rock and roll staple. Not being a musician, I don’t know much about such things, but I am led to believe that this song is quite simple to play, so a lot of up and coming guitarists learn how to play it. I just enjoy it for what it is, a great rock song.
3 – Rumble – You Am I
Spelling: R-A-D-I-O
The only song on my list that doesn’t spell out a word from its title, this is a catchy rocker from Aussie band You Am I. It packs a punch from start to finish (and in a dodgy segue from me, it even has a punching theme by mentioning boxer Lionel Rose in the lyrics). The spelling is part of the chorus.
2 - Lola – The Kinks
Spelling: L-O-L-A or C-O-L-A
What a song! Ray Davies tale of meeting a boy who he thought was a girl has to be one of rock’s greatest, particularly the great power riff that begins the song. There is spelling throughout the song, of Lola, and also of its rhyme Cola. For some more useless trivia, originally the song mentioned coca cola, but this was changed to the more generic cherry cola, because the BBC had a policy against product placement.
1 – Respect – Aretha Franklin
Spelling: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
The top spot just had to go to Aretha’s anthem. The story of this song fascinates me. It was written and originally recorded by Otis Redding. The way Otis sings it, it is about a man coming home and expecting to get some respect from his woman. Aretha though, changed it around so that its about a woman expecting some respect from the man, and Aretha’s version has become a bit of a chick anthem. The famous spelling of RESPECT was not included in Redding’s version, and arguably it is Franklin’s delivery of these lines that makes her version so memorable.
So there you have it, our back to school spelling songs special. I hope you enjoyed, and as always, please post your thoughts/comments/suggestions below. I look forward to hearing from you.
Cheers
Dean
Sorry for the delay, but I have been on holidays, so only just getting back to this now.
Schools around the country have recently gone back to start the new school year, so this week’s list is a “back to school special”. The top ten spelling songs!!
So what do I mean by spelling songs – basically any song where at some point in the lyrics, the singer spells out a word. A couple of disclaimers – I am not including acronyms in this, so YMCA by the Village People is ineligible, likewise Back in the USSR by the Beatles, and a heap of songs with USA in the lyrics.
Only ten on the list this week, mainly because I haven’t had much time to do this, and also, I actually can’t think of too many songs at the moment (although there must surely be thousands out there!)
10 – That Word (Love) – The Rockmelons
Spelling: L-O-V-E
To start the list off, I will go with some early 90’s radio friendly pop from the Rockmelons, featuring Deni Hines on lead vocals. The spelling is in the chorus and is a major component of the song.
9 - I’m Henry The VIII, I am – Herman’s Hermits
Spelling: H-E-N-R-Y
Moving back in time, to the sixties, and Herman’s Hermits little novelty ditty about the former King. For some reason this song always makes me smile, particularly the bit after the first verse where they sing “second verse, same as the first”, and then proceed into the next verse. Interestingly, throughout the track, they use a rather cockney accent and pronounce Henry more like Enery. Late in the song, the spelling of Henry (in the conventional style) occurs.
8 – Asshole – Dennis Leary
Spelling: A-S-S-H-O-L-E
Hehehe – yes, I realize the irony of having a back to school special and then putting this song on the list, but hey, I never said I was a good role model! I remember this song from the 90’s, and at that time, it was considered to be stretching the boundaries a fair bit. I even remember a number of music video shows not even prepared to run it. It is basically Leary describing how much of a charming individual he is. The spelling occurs near the end, in almost a chant style.
7 - I’m a Man – Bo Diddley
Spelling: M-A-N
Featuring a killer blues riff, in this song Diddley basically proclaims his manhood. The spelling of M-A-N recurs throughout the song.
6 – ROCK in the USA – John Mellencamp
Spelling: R-O-C-K
Included for the spelling of ROCK, not USA. An ode to 60’s rock, this upbeat rocking track is from Mellencamp’s Scarecrow album. The spelling occurs in the chorus.
5 – Jimmy Jazz – The Clash
Spelling: J-A-Z-Z
London Calling by the Clash is one of my all time favourite albums. The Clash are usually lauded as a punk band, but there is far more than just punk in this album, with moments of reggae, ska, jazz, soul, rockabilly all shining through. Jimmy Jazz is one of those great songs, that probably doesn’t get its credit given how many other gems feature on the album. The spelling comes towards the end of the song.
4- Gloria – Van Morrison
Spelling: G-L-O-R-I-A
This song has virtually become a rock and roll staple. Not being a musician, I don’t know much about such things, but I am led to believe that this song is quite simple to play, so a lot of up and coming guitarists learn how to play it. I just enjoy it for what it is, a great rock song.
3 – Rumble – You Am I
Spelling: R-A-D-I-O
The only song on my list that doesn’t spell out a word from its title, this is a catchy rocker from Aussie band You Am I. It packs a punch from start to finish (and in a dodgy segue from me, it even has a punching theme by mentioning boxer Lionel Rose in the lyrics). The spelling is part of the chorus.
2 - Lola – The Kinks
Spelling: L-O-L-A or C-O-L-A
What a song! Ray Davies tale of meeting a boy who he thought was a girl has to be one of rock’s greatest, particularly the great power riff that begins the song. There is spelling throughout the song, of Lola, and also of its rhyme Cola. For some more useless trivia, originally the song mentioned coca cola, but this was changed to the more generic cherry cola, because the BBC had a policy against product placement.
1 – Respect – Aretha Franklin
Spelling: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
The top spot just had to go to Aretha’s anthem. The story of this song fascinates me. It was written and originally recorded by Otis Redding. The way Otis sings it, it is about a man coming home and expecting to get some respect from his woman. Aretha though, changed it around so that its about a woman expecting some respect from the man, and Aretha’s version has become a bit of a chick anthem. The famous spelling of RESPECT was not included in Redding’s version, and arguably it is Franklin’s delivery of these lines that makes her version so memorable.
So there you have it, our back to school spelling songs special. I hope you enjoyed, and as always, please post your thoughts/comments/suggestions below. I look forward to hearing from you.
Cheers
Dean
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