Top ten "Father" songs

Its Father’s Day in Australia on Sunday, and this is particularly special for me because it will be my first one as a parent.  My life is a lot more full on than it was pre children, but much more rewarding. In honour of this, I had to do a list of top father songs. To make it a bit easier, because there are a lot to choose from, I have restricted the list to songs that contain father/dad/papa in the titles – regardless of whether they are about parenthood or not. Hope you enjoy, this is a high calibre list of tracks!

 

10 - That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine – The Everly Brothers

A folk standard that has been covered by many is what we kick of today’s list with. I have put in the Everly Brothers version, but there are a host of them I could have gone with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPB9BEniPoA

 

9 - My Father’s Eyes – Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton never met his father. In addition, he tragically lost his son at age four after falling out of an apartment window. Eric draws parallels between these in this track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IigRv6B763k

 

8 - Going About My Father’s Business – Paul Kelly

I think regular readers of this blog will know that I am a big Paul Kelly fan, and in the context of all the great songs that he has, this is probably one that hasn’t stood out as much for me, but its simple message of the way we repeat the sins of our parents does pack a punch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-z-7Aa0gs0

 

7 - Daddy Sang Bass – Johnny Cash

Its sing along time – and there is a part for the whole family in this one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGUP8oc9Bgs

 

6 - Papa Don’t Preach – Madonna

It might be every Dad’s nightmare that their young daughter comes home and announces that she is pregnant. Madonna manages to address this difficult topic and make a great 80’s pop song at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G333Is7VPOg

 

5- Good Rocking Daddy – Daddy Cool

I should probably award bonus points because the band has Daddy in the title, the song has Daddy in the title, the album has Daddy in the title, and the album also has another track with Daddy in the title. It’s a fun song, but of course it has nothing to do with fatherhood at all, its really just a boast about…well, have a listen and figure it out for yourselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuuoktA-naI

and if that doesn’t do it for you, go with the other song off that album – Daddy Cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tU92q2kQvk

 

4- Don’t Cry Daddy – Elvis Presley

This song makes you realise how good Elvis’s voice actually was, a great ballad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8YHBvX4QtM

 

3- Daddy’s Gonna Make You a Star – Company of Strangers

Company of Strangers was a 90’s side project featuring James Reyne and Daryl Braithwaite, amongst others. This track was one of the best from that collaboration, a great song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rULSu3v_Log

 

2- Father’s Day – Weddings, Parties, Anything

What a song! Would have loved to have put this one at number one, but couldn’t quite make room, although it came close. I am very lucky to be a happy marriage and have a stable family life, but for many Dad’s out there, with shared or limited custody of their children, this song is like an anthem. It is a songwriting masterpiece, check out this great verse:

What of the darling wife that once I had?
Well I'm pleased to say that she still talks to me
But I try not to think of what went wrong
Because if I say that i was right
She might say that she was right
And the only rights I care about are visiting rights, yeah

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYKNqftCkSQ

 
1- Father and Son – Cat Stevens

As I said, it takes a damn good song to beat Father’s Day to the top of this list, and that is exactly what we have here. Cat Stevens sums up generation gaps and communication difficulties between fathers and sons all in one short, but amazing track! Wow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q29YR5-t3gg

 

So that is my top ten song with father/dad in the title – what are your favourites?

top ten "Henry" songs

I have a son called Henry, so this week, its time to look at the top ten Henry songs. Some of these I already knew about, but some were new discoveries for me. We have to give two honourable mentions - the Wiggles  for “Henry the Octopus” a bit of children’s entertainment right there; and also the New Riders of Purple Sage for their track “Henry”, which I discovered was listed in Toby Creswell’s “1001 Songs”, so I looked up online. It very nearly made the list. Given the subject matter of some of the songs, not necessarily sure that this list should be a tribute to my son, but anyway…

 

10 - There’s a Hole in the Bucket – Harry Belafonte

Poor Henry, all he was trying to do was fix his bucket. It turns out, you need a bucket to fix a bucket! What a dilemma. Others may say poor Liza though, having to put up with Henry’s endless questions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElLpKewnxp4

 

9 - The Legend of John Henry’s Hammer – Johnny Cash

An American folk legend, John Henry took on a machine and beat it, although the machine had the last laugh as Henry’s amazing feat took its toll. This song tells the story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztvmyW8BWxE

 

8 - Henry’s Men – the Bushwackers

Next up, some Australian folk and a tribute to the characters of Henry Lawson’s works.

https://myspace.com/bushwackersband/music/song/henry-s-men-52165303

 

7 - Save the Bones for Henry Jones – Nat King Cole

I couldn’t make room for this in my Jones songs, or my dog songs, so finally I am able to include it on a list. Great stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2eusOFmOg8

 

6 - I’m Henry the Eighth, I am – Herman’s Hermits

A silly but enjoyable song from Herman’s Hermits about a man who is the eighth husband (the previous seven were also called Henry) of the woman next door. My favourite part is still where they sing that the second verse is same as the first!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4OS17lqHiE

 

5 - Hey Henry – Etta James

A new discovery for this list. Etta James is best known for her stunning track “At Last” but this is a swinging little number.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-XUqp4b2Zc

 

4 - Please, Mrs Henry – Bob Dylan and the Band

Onto the Basement Tapes albums, and this track. Not really sure what is going on here, are they too drunk to move and requesting assistance from Mrs Henry? Are they propositioning Mrs Henry? Or is it all of the above?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMSzoAGczVg

 

3 - Papa Won’t Leave You Henry – Nick Cave

Surely Nick should get extra marks for having a “Henry” song on a “Henry” album – namely “Henry’s Dream”. 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die describes this track as “chilling, cataclysmic”, which is probably a fair description. It builds in intensity and almost takes on epic proportions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoFxUJtSp4g

 

2 - Don’t Ya Tell Henry – Bob Dylan and the Band

Bob and the Band are back with the Basement Tapes album. The album has a bit of an anything goes feel to it, and this is quite a catchy song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnuamddLyGI

 

1 - Henry Lee – Nick Cave

So, a shootout between Bob Dylan and the Band, and Nick Cave for the top four spots sees them taking two each, but Nick gets number one for Henry Lee. Adapted from a traditional song, and with PJ Harvey lending a hand on the vocals, it’s a stunning track about a murder, which is no real surprise considering it comes from the “Murder Ballads” album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzmMB8dTwGs

 

So there you have it – don’t ya tell Henry what you think of the list, place a comment on this site instead.

top twenty "dog" songs - Part Two (The Top Ten is revealed...)

Hello. Well, after our last instalment, where amongst other things we  loved our dog, walked our dog, taught an old dog new tricks, stayed in the doghouse and then in response the dog dug up our back garden and started talking, its now time to look at the top ten!

10 - Dirty Old Egg Sucking Dog – Johnny Cash

Johnny’s dog is in in trouble for getting in the hen house and stealing the eggs. Of course, its probably a metaphor for something far more naughty – eg. somebody fooling around in someone else’s “hen house”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2GRTUcKbb0

For a bit of fun, check this one out – Johnny singing this track on the Muppet Show. Poor Rowlf wasn’t quite expecting those lyrics!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9X3iF6ntXQ

 

9 - Three Legged Dog – Cruel Sea

A groovy instrumental piece of music…very cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7k0wRla_BE

 

8 - Ol’ Red – Blake Shelton

Ol’ Red is the prison’s resident tracking dog. So confident are the prison authorities in Red’s ability that they taunt the prisoners to try and escape, knowing that Red will track them down in no time.  But the prisoner who narrates this story has other ideas. He gets the plum job in the prison, which is taking Red on a daily walk. So he arranges for an accomplice on the outside to pen a female dog out on the walking route, and what do you know it, Ol’ Red falls in love. The prisoner then stops taking Red to see his companion for a few days, so of course when he does escape, the expert tracking dog has other things on his mind. Great story and a great track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asxrMSVrJ08

 

7 - Black Dog on My Shoulder – Manic Street Preachers

The black dog is often used as a term to describe depression, and I think that is what is going on in this track. Winston Churchill famously described his depression struggles with the black dog metaphor, and Churchill is name dropped in this track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m6PP6l2Duw

 

6 - Golden Retriever – Super Furry Animals

I am not really all that familiar with the Super Furry Animals, but many of my friends are fans, and I remember them playing this song to me some time ago, and I loved it, it is just so damn catchy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNB3WWkNVhM

 

5 - Sleeping Dogs – Merril Bainbridge

I am not ashamed to say that I like Merril Bainbridge’s music. Interestingly, her big hit “Mouth”, a pop classic, is not really representative of her music, which is sweet music, almost bordering on folk. This one though is about as hard rock as Merril gets – and the borrowing of the Bee Gees lyrics work well too (but don’t worry, she gave them credit)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyT5lGuY1LU

 

4 - Like a Dog – Powderfinger

A biting (pardon the pun) political protest song, this is classic Powderfinger. From the Odyssey Number Five album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1nJg2BzOt8

 

And now we come to the top three, which stand well above the others. You have no idea how many times I have switched the order around of these three, really struggling to decide. I even considered awarding a three way tie for the top spot, but thought that is a bit of a cop out.  So here they are, the top three.  And if I made this list again tomorrow, I dare say the order of these three would change again.

 

3- Black Dog – Led Zeppelin

A regular in lists about the greatest rock riffs of all time, I am not sure it really has much to do with a dog at all, but the title is apparently a nod to a dog that wandered around the studio when they were recording this album. Some classy rock right there!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npQbPpDF6hA

 

2- Hey Bulldog – The Beatles

Based around a piano riff, this rocker was originally recorded for the Yellow Submarine movie, but I think it originally got cut from the final movie. It’s a highly underrated Beatles track, with John providing the lead vocals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWdLPGKQRXc

 

1 - Hound Dog – Elvis Presley

Of course, there is nothing wrong with Big Mama Thornton’s original version of Hound Dog, but then Elvis got his paws (sorry, couldn’t resist) on this track, and turned it into this brilliant piece of rock and roll that it is known as.  Interestingly though, many that are familiar with Thornton’s version still choose that as the better version. In fact, I even seem to recall that Leiber and Stoller, the legendary songwriters that penned the track were initially unhappy with Elvis’ versions, and were actually reluctant to work with him further – so some persuasion was needed to get them onboard for the Jailhouse Rock movie, for which they wrote many of the tracks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzQ8GDBA8Is

 (and in case you don't know it, here is a link to Big Mama Thornton's version...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4tILEQ5dDM

So that is the top twenty dog songs. As always, your feedback is most welcome……let me know, have I made a dog’s breakfast of this list?

top twenty "dog" songs - Part One (20-11)

One my children’s favourite toys at the moment is a toy dog that makes barking sounds as you pull it along. In addition, I FINALLY got around to purchasing Led Zep IV the other day, which of course contains  a famous dog song. So inspired by these two things I thought I would make a top dogs list.

There are so many to pick from, and some good songs have missed out, so it’s a top twenty this time around. Some of these songs are all about dogs, others not so much, but I hope you enjoy it now that I have let the dogs out!

Here is part one ....

 

20 - Martha My Dear – The Beatles

We start off with Paul’s piano based ditty about a sheepdog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SbCIFbJQDk

 

19 - You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks – Seasick Steve

I only recently picked up a Seasick Steve best of, and I am really enjoying it. This is trademark Steve, a great blues track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5661DlLWV80

 

18 – Move it On Over – Hank Williams

Hank’s been staying out late again, and his wife has banished him to the doghouse. The lyrics mention a little dog, a big dog, a skinny dog, a fat dog, an old dog, a new dog, a nice dog, a bad dog (x2), a short dog, a tall dog, a good dog, a cold dog and a hot dog – so I think it qualifies for the list.

 When I first heard it, I was amazed at the similarities between it, an undisputable country song and Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock, widely regarded as instrumental in the breakthrough of rock and roll. Doing some further research, it seems that Hank’s song has its basis in two other songs from the 1920’s, so there is the evolution of music right there!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lza3NVH6Ig

 

17 - Diamond Dogs – David Bowie

A rocking track from Bowie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36lWAcY9IXE

 

16 - I Love my Dog – Cat Stevens

The Cat loves his dog as much as he loves you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWT2qHVftGk

 

15 - Dog – Mark Seymour

Originally a Hunters and Collectors track from their album Human Frailty, Seymour reworked it for his Titanic album. I have enjoyed his solo work more than his work with the Hunnas, and many of his solo re-recordings of Hunters and Collectors tracks are great. This is such an example.

http://www.markseymour.com.au/player/titanic/13.mp3

 

14 - Walking the Dog – Rolling Stones

Next up, some early era Rolling Stones. It’s a cover of a Rufus Thomas track, his has more of a funky feel to it than the Stones version, which is blues rock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bzl4UU2wa4

 

13 - Lester – Crowded House

A rare Crowded House number from the BSides and Rarities Afterglow album, it is the story of Neil Finn’s dog getting hit by a car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr3u-qBNrCE

I think Lester’s plight might have also inspired another Neil Finn penned track – Anytime from his One Nil solo album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpUcz8xhqvI

 

12 -Lady with Dog – Stardust Five

Stardust Five are a side project of Paul Kelly’s band, and on this track, Kelly puts on a great vocal performance, conveying his despair with the dog that keeps digging up his backyard and peeing on his rug.

http://www.last.fm/music/Stardust+Five/Stardust+Five

 

11- Dogs are Talking – The Angels

Crank up your stereo, its time for some great 80’s rock from the Angels (not to be confused with the 60’s girl group of “My Boyfriend’s Back” fame)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSXYiZsajgI

 

So there you have it, that is part one of my list about man’s best friends. Was I barking mad to include any of these tracks? Send through your thoughts and any suggestions for the top ten.

Top ten "crazy" songs

With two young babies, I would have to be crazy to try and revive this blog site. Its not that bad - I spend most of my time thinking up the lists on the train to and from work (when I am not asleep on the train that is), but it does take time to write them up etc…

So, because I must be crazy, here are my top ten “crazy” songs….

10 - Crazy in Love – Beyonce

Yeah, yeah, this song is all right for a commercial pop song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViwtNLUqkMY

But I prefer this stripped back cover from English pop group the Magic Numbers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRwRS6oRZB4

 

9 - Crazy for You – Madonna

You have to admire the way Madonna keeps reinventing herself over her career, but this is a nice little pop song from early period Madonna.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHutZXREZ0E

 

8 - Crazy – Seal

Seal has probably been a bit overexposed in Australia in recent times (for those not from down under he is a judge on the Australian version of the voice), but this really is a good track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fc67yQsPqQ

 

7 -Crazy as it Seems – Sara Storer

Time for a change of pace after the chart topping pop tracks I have started this list with and onto Australian country songbird Sara Storer. In this song she talks about some of the crazy things she does when arguing with her partner. Gotta love her voice though!

http://www.last.fm/music/Sara+Storer/_/Crazy+As+It+Seems

6 - She Drives Me Crazy – Fine Young Cannibals

Back to the 80’s again to hear the Fine Young Cannibals get driven crazy by a female.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=majFrn3j1Co

Tom Jones did a good cover too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7mXlKhdBCM

 

5- Crazy – Patsy Cline

Possibly the most famous “crazy” song that there is, it was written by Willie Nelson (before he had become a big name in his own right), and this lovely ballad ended up being Cline’s signature tune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OVtpnpCOKM

 

4 - Crazy – Icehouse

Yet another song with Crazy as the title, but different to Seal and Patsy Cline’s craziness. Whereas Patsy sung about being crazy for loving someone, Iva Davies went the other way around and accused the partner of being crazy for wanting to be with a guy like him. I think we can all relate to that sentiment at times, when we wonder how our partners manage to put up with our idiosyncrasies. Great song, from a great album too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TSDjivoy-0

 

3 - Most People I Know (Think That I’m Crazy) – Bill Thorpe

What is there to say about this song? Regarded as one of Australian music’s classics, it’s a brilliant piece of guitar rock from the early 1970’s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtJq56cp_dk

 

2 - Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen

No doubt there are more complex and challenging Queen tracks that this one, but I think this is a gem. Its catchy and virtually flawless as a pop song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE34cSvZCd8

 

1 - Crazy – Gnarls Barkley

There are a few catchy songs on this list, but the number one goes to Gnarls Barkley and their song Crazy. This is not the sort of genre I am normally into, but this song is brilliant.  Despite being a 2006 release with modern production and the like, it has a retro feel to it which I think makes it all the more enjoyable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd2B6SjMh_w

So there is my list. Was I crazy to leave your “crazy” song off?

And no crazy frogs allowed, sorry.