Greatest Dylan Songs and the Greats Who Have Covered Them
Greatest Dylan Songs and the Greats Who Have Covered Them by Roxanne McDonald
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How many roads must a man walk down Before you call him a man? Yes, ‘n’ how many seas must a white dove sail Before she sleeps in the sand? Yes, ‘n’ how many times must the cannon balls fly Before they’re forever banned? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind, The answer is blowin’ in the wind.How many times must a man look up Before he can see the sky? Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man have Before he can hear people cry? Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows That too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind, The answer is blowin’ in the wind.How many years can a mountain exist Before it’s washed to the sea? Yes, ‘n’ how many years can some people exist Before they’re allowed to be free? Yes, ‘n’ how many times can a man turn his head, Pretending he just doesn’t see? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind, The answer is blowin’ in the wind. ~”Blowin’ in the Wind”; Bob Dylan; Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan |
“Like a Rolling Stone”; Highway 61 Revisited – named #1 Greatest Song of All Time by Rolling Stone; named #3 of 100 Greatest Rock Songs by Digital Dream Door
Anberlin
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Michael Bolton
Judy Collins
Cher
The Creation
Drive-By Truckers
Eiffel 65
The Four Seasons
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
John Cougar Mellancamp
Johnny Thunders
The Rolling Stones
Mick Ronson
Phil Lesh and Friends
Rotary Connection
Spirit
Neil Young
The Young Rascals
“Blowin’ in the Wind”; Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan – named #14 of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone; included in “NPR 100” as one of the 100 most important American musical works of the twentieth century
Alanis Morissette
Bender [“Futurama”]
Chet Atkins
Sam Cook
John Fogerty
Etta James
The guinea pig in Dr. Doolittle
Joan Baez for Jenny, a.k.a. Bobbie Dylan [played by ] in Forrest Gump
Lemar
Marge Simpson
Marlene Dietrich
Elvis
Peter, Paul, & Mary
Dolly Parton
Stevie Wonder
Neil Young (read more…)
Rambling on a Piece of Rock
Rambling on a Piece of Rock by Roxanne McDonald
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What makes a song? What makes a song a favorite? What makes a song the greatest of all time? |
1. “Like a Rolling Stone,” Bob Dylan
2. “Satisfaction”, The Rolling Stones
3. “Imagine”, John Lennon
4. “What’s Going On,” Marvin Gaye
5. “Respect”, Aretha Franklin
6. “Good Vibrations,” The Beach Boys
7. “Johnny B. Goode,” Chuck Berry
8. “Hey Jude,” The Beatles
9. “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Nirvana
10. “What’d I Say,” Ray Charles
Top 10 of Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”
What does it mean to say “I love that song!”? How does one explain or justify, if, say, he or she has a grade hanging over the head and is forced to, a “favorite” song?
Most challenging, yet, is how does one go about discriminating between such a massive passel of “great” songs to come up with that definitive fav?
Besides the obvious universality of music in general, that is, what is it that makes us like or love a particular piece and, further, share this profound appreciation whether we can articulate it or not?
The air-quotes as necessarily irritating as they are, here I sit, wondering such things.
Best Bob Dylan Songs
Best Bob Dylan Songs by Roxanne McDonald
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It ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe That light I never knowed An’ it ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe I’m on the dark side of the road Still I wish there was somethin’ you would do or say To try and make me change my mind and stay We never did too much talkin’ anyway So don’t think twice, it’s all right~”Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right;” Bob Dylan; The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan |
Well-respected musicologist Paul Friedlander, in his explication of music analysis, “The Rock Window: A Systematic Approach to an Understanding of Rock Music,”
defines what goes into and what can come of, by way of good critical review, the quintessential rock song. He names the components and subcomponents to consider as, for instance, the music (the ensemble, the rhythmic emphasis, the instrumental style, and the vocal solo); the lyrics (the meaning and the message); the artist’s/artists’ history; and the societal context/impact.
Some consider these as they name their favorite Dylan songs…, some just unconsciously know and name what they like.
Top Ten Blues Artists
Top Ten Blues Artists by Roxanne McDonald
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Some we have had the luxury of having seen in concert; some we revere as our personal favorites; others we might disagree on. But all stunning, stellar talents who have changed our way of thinking, our lives, or even our world. |
Muddy Waters – Maybe I was and still am too green to fully appreciate the seasoned superiority of style, but when I first heard and saw Muddy Waters jamming on that harp in 1976, I knew that as much as I loved rock and roll, my indoctrination in blues music made blues a close runner up.
Etta James – I can’t get enough of this dignified Diva, and neither can her thousands of fans: sixty-nine years young and STILL rocking the tours.
Young Johnny Lang – Has he paid his dues to the Blues? Is he old enough to merit a place on the list? Just listen to “Wander This World” or other selections, and you will agree that Lang has one of the oldest souls in the genre…despite how he was a teenager when he made his debut.
J.J. Cale – I forgive you if you say, “Who?” But you likely know him even if you think you don’t: he is the mastermind author behind “After Midnight”, popularized by Eric Clapton; “Cocaine”, also an Eric Clapton chart-topper; and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Call Me the Breeze.” But I will always know him by the first J.J. Cale song I was introduced to, “Crazy Mama.”
Stevie Ray Vaughan – We were gifted with his brilliant guitar playing and ripped off when he died way too young, going down in a helicopter at the age of thirty-six [thirty-five (thanks, W.A. for the correction)]. Still, we can play a few licks of “Pride and Joy” or “Lovestruck” and have not only instant identification but bittersweet gratification…from the one Rolling Stone mag names as #7 on their list of Top 100 Guitarists of All Time.
Great Dedication Songs of Grieving
Great Dedication Songs of Grieving by Roxanne McDonald
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I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel; you were famous, your heart was a legend. You told me then you preferred handsome men, but for me you would make an exception. Aw, but you got away, didn’t you, babe? You just turned your back on the crowd. You got away, I never once heard you say, “I need you,” “I don’t need you,” and all of that jivin’ around. Leonard Cohen; “Chelsea Hotel #2”; for Janis Joplin |
I was thinking how when I lose a loved one, the one tribute “song” I fall back on to read at the services is the most powerful grieving piece I know: “Funeral Blues”, by W.H. Auden.
But there are so many more dedicated love and loss pieces one might read, listen to, use to pay tribute, or use to get through the healing process.
Leonard Cohen “Chelsea Hotel” on The Essential Leonard Cohen–a cheeky renaissance song for Janis Joplin
Eric Clapton “Son & Sylvia,” on Reptile—a song for his departed uncle; and “Tears in Heaven,” on –as a response to the death of his four-year-old son, Conor, who died after falling from an open window. Or…, another argument holds that Clapton wrote it about his mother, while yet another…. Whatever. The song is evocative.
L.A. Guns “Ballad of Jayne,” on A Night on the Strip—written about and in tribute to 50s pin-up girl and silver screen star Jayne Mansfield
Elton John “Candle in the Wind,” on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road—written for Marilyn Monroe and later re-dedicated as “Goodbye English Rose” to Princess Diana
Notorious B.I.G. “Miss You,” on Life After Death—a song dedicated to a “lost friend”
Diana Ross “Missing You”–a striking and evocative song for Marvin Gaye
Puff Daddy, Faith Evans, and featuring 112 “I’ll be Missing You,” on No Way Out—written and performed for legendary rapper Notorious B.I.G., who was gunned down in 1997 [and whose murderer has still not been identified]
Guns ‘n Roses “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”—while not written by Guns ‘n Roses [written by Bob Dylan], became a moving tribute song for Freddie Mercury, Oueen frontman who died of AIDS. [Guns n’ Roses performed the song when they played the Wembley Stadium in London. You can see and hear the complete song performance at Kewego
http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoaftMQH.html
Mike and the Mechanics “The Living Years”—not written for anyone in particular, but performed at the funeral of the legendary Jerry Garcia [The Grateful Dead]
Cream “Crossroad Blues” done by several bands since, the song is interpreted in various ways—as an allusion to original author Robert Johnson’s “selling his soul to the devil”, as Wikipedia cites it; and as reference to an African-American speaker who is expressing fears of being caught at the crossroads and lynched.
Vince Gill “Go Rest High on that Mountain;” on Vince Gill: When Love Finds You—not sure who the song was written for in particular, but from what I read around the net, it is played at funerals all around the country [if not the world].
Beverly Mitchell “Angels” wrote the song for a friend who had died when Mitchell was young. [This is all hearsay, though, so any updates would be appreciated.]
Sarah McLachlan “In the Arms of an Angel” –written, reportedly, for Jimmy Chamberlain, Smashing Pumpkins drummer who died of a heroin overdose in 1996.
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part X
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part X by Roxanne McDonald
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When I was younger, so much younger than today/I never needed anybody’s help in anyway/But now these days are gone, I’m not so self- assured/Now I find I’ve changed my mind and opened up the doors./Help me if you can, I’m feeling down/And I do appreciate you being ’round/ Help me get my feet back on the ground/Won’t you please, please help me? “Help!”; The Beatles; 1962-1966 |
91. blue on black/tears on a river/push on a shove/it don’t mean much/joker on jack/match on a fire/cold on ice/a dead mans touch/whisper on a scream/doesn’t change a thing/ don’t bring you back/blue on black….
“Blue on Black;” Kenny Wayne Shepherd; Trouble Is…
92. Hey, Rapunzel, hey Raputa the Beauta….
Duke and the Drivers
93. You pull into a drive-in and you find a place to park/You hop into the backseat where you know it’s nice and dark/You’re just about to move in and you’re thinking it’s a breeze/There’s a light in your eye, and then a guy says, “Out of the car, Longhair!/Louise, you’re coming with me, Local Police!”/And it’s all because Your mama don’t dance and your daddy don’t rock and roll…./When evening rolls around, and it’s time to go to town/Where do you go to rock and roll?
“Your Mama Don’t Dance;” Loggins & Messina; Loggins & Messina
94. Been walking my mind to an easy time, my back turned towards the sun/Lord knows, when the cold wind blows, it’ll turn your head around/Well, there’s hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come/ Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground….
“Fire and Rain;” James Taylor; Sweet Baby James
95. Life is too short to have sorrow/You may be here today and gone tomorrow/You might as well get what you want/So go on and live, baby, go on and live/Tell it like it is….
“Tell it Like it Is”; Neville Brothers; The Very Best of The Neville Brothers
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part IX
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part IX by Roxanne McDonald
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He’s a real nowhere man/Sitting in his nowhere land/Making all his nowhere plans/for nobody. Doesn’t have a point of view/Knows not where he’s going to/Isn’t he a bit like you and me? “Nowhere Man;” The Beatles; Rubber Soul |
81. I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?/I want to know, have you ever seen the rain/Coming down on a sunny day?
“Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” Creedence Clearwater Revival; Chronicle, Vol.1
82. I’m gonna take a freight train, down at the station/I don’t care where it goes/Gonna climb me a mountain, the highest mountain, Lord/Gonna jump off, nobody gonna know./Can’t you see, can’t you see, what that woman, she been doin’ to me?
“Can’t You See?” The Marshall Tucker Band; The Marshall Tucker Band
83. You can’t stop us on the road to freedom/You can’t keep us ’cause our eyes can see/Men with insight, men in granite/Knights in armor bent on chivalry./She’s as sweet as tupelo honey/She’s an angel of the first degree/
She’s as sweet as tupelo honey/Just like honey from the bee.
“Tupelo Honey”; Van Morrison; Tupelo Honey
84. How can u just leave me standing/Alone in a world that’s so cold?/Maybe I’m just 2 demanding/Maybe I’m just like my father–2 bold/Maybe you’re just like my mother/She’s never satisfied/Why do we scream at each other?/ This is what it sounds like/When doves cry.
“When Doves Cry;” Prince; Purple Rain
85. I caught you knockin’ at my cellar door/I love you, baby, can I have some more/Ohh, ohh, the damage done./I hit the city and I lost my band/I watched the needle take another man/Gone, gone, the damage done./I sing the song because I love the man/I know that some of you don’t understand/ Milk-blood to keep from running out./I’ve seen the needle and the damage done/A little part of it in everyone/But every junkie’s like a settin’ sun.
“The Needle and the Damage Done;” Neil Young; Harvest
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part VIII
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part VIII by Roxanne McDonald
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Try to see it my way/Do I have to keep on talking till I can’t go on?/While you see it your way/Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone/We can work it out/We can work it out/Think of what you’re saying/ You can get it wrong and still you think that it’s alright/Think of what I’m saying/We can work it out and get it straight, or say good night/We can work it out/We can work it out/Life is very short, and there’s no time/For fussing and fighting, my friend/I have always thought that it’s a crime/So I will ask you once again/Try to see it my way…. “We Can Work it Out;” The Beatles; The Beatles 1 |
72. Queen bee, baby/Pray that you may be left on your own/Nothin’ she’ll give you, gonna outlive you/But the queen bee’s never gonna be alone….
“Queen Bee”; Barbra Streisand; A Star is Born
72. Sing a song of sad young men/Glasses full of rye/All the news is bad again so/Kiss your dreams goodbye./All the sad young men/Sitting in the bars/Knowing neon nights/Missing all the stars….
“Ballad of the Sad Young Men;” Roberta Flack; Take Five
73. We can’t afford to be innocent/Stand up and face the enemy/Its a do or die situation/We will be invincible/And with the power of conviction/There is no sacrifice/Its a do or die situation/We will be invincible….
“Invincible”; Pat Benatar; Seven the Hard Way
74. Oh don’t lean on me man, cause you can’t afford the ticket/I’m back from suffragette city/Oh don’t lean on me man, cause you aint got time to check it/You know my suffragette city/Is outta sight…she’s all right.
“Suffragette City”; David Bowie; Ziggy Stardust
75. She said, “I’d like to address this meeting of the Harper Valley P.T.A.: …Well, there’s Bobby Taylor sittin’ there and seven times he’s asked me for a date/Mrs. Taylor sure seems to use a lot of ice whenever he’s away/And Mr. Baker, can you tell us why your secretary had to leave this town?/And shouldn’t widow Jones be told to keep her window shades all pulled completely down?/Well, Mr. Harper couldn’t be here ’cause he stayed too long at Kelly’s Bar again/And if you smell Shirley Thompson’s breath, you’ll find she’s had a little nip of gin/Then you have the nerve to tell me you think that as a mother I’m not fit/Well, this is just a little Peyton Place and you’re all Harper Valley hypocrites.”
“Harper Valley P.T.A.”; Jeannie C. Riley; Greatest Hits
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part VII
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part VII by Roxanne McDonald
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I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel/you were famous, your heart was a legend./You told me again you preferred handsome men/but for me you would make an exception./And clenching your fist for the ones like us who are oppressed by the figures of beauty/you fixed yourself, you said, “Well never mind, we are ugly but we have the music.” “Chelsea Hotel No. 2”; Leonard Cohen; The Essential Leonard Cohen |
61. Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been/Lives in a dream/Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door/Who is it for?/All the lonely people/Where do they all come from?/All the lonely people/Where do they all belong?
“Eleanor Rigby;” The Beatles; The Beatles 1
62. oh babe/he wants you/but he just can’t get it on as you planned/and i guess a girl just can’t understand/how much a guy goes through/all she has to do is let herself/she doesn’t have to get herself up/on cue/like a performing seal/in a zoo/how was last night’s/performance babe?/was it better than/the night before?/are the old credentials/any good any good any good any more/or is the act beginning to bore you?/he can sing!/he can dance!/he can juggle!/he’s a regular one-man band/his costume’s a little tattered/his label says made in japan/but he beats his battered drum/and he rattles his empty can/and he somehow gets/his flag to fly/looka him/looka him/he’s a man!
“Don’t Put Him Down;” Dory Previn; Live at Carnegie Hall
63. You keep lyin’ when you oughta be truthin’/You keep losing when you oughta not bet/You keep samin’ when you oughta be a’changin’/What’s right is right but you ain’t been right yet/These boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do/One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.
“These Boots are Made for Walkin’;” Nancy Sinatra; Boots
64. Now if there’s a smile on my face/It’s only there trying to fool the public/But when it comes down to fooling you/Now honey that’s quite a different subject/But don’t let my glad expression/Give you the wrong impression/Really I’m sad, oh I’m sadder than sad/You’re gone and I’m hurtin’ so bad/Like a clown I pretend to be glad/Now there’s some sad things known to man/But aint too much sadder than/The tears of a clown, when there’s no one around….
“Tears of a Clown;” Smokey Robinson
65. When tears come down like falling rain/You’ll toss around, and call my name/You’ll walk the floor the way I do/Your cheatin’ heart, will tell on you.
“Your Cheatin’ Heart”; Hank Williams
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part VI
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part VI by Roxanne McDonald
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I needed you, I knew I was in danger/of losing what I used to think was mine/You let me love you till I was a failure…/Your beauty on my bruise like iodine./I asked you if a man could be forgiven/And though I failed at love, was this a crime?/You said, Don’t worry, don’t worry, darling…/There are many ways a man can serve his time. “Iodine”; Leonard Cohen; Mojo Presents |
51. Nights in white satin/Never reaching the end/Letters I’ve written/Never meaning to send./Beauty I’d always missed/With these eyes before/Just what the truth is/I cant say anymore./‘Cause I love you/Yes, I love you/Oh, how, I love you.
“Nights in White Satin;” The Moody Blues; This is the Moody Blues
52. Now it seems those yester dreams/Were just a cruel/And foolish game we used to play.
“Yester-me, Yester-you, Yesterday”; Stevie Wonder; 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Stevie Wonder
53. The hours that were yours/echo like empty rooms/The thoughts we used to share, I now keep alone./I woke last night and spoke to you/not thinking you were gone./It felt so strange to lie awake, alone./No regrets, no tears goodbye/Don’t want you back, we’d only cry, again/Say goodbye, again.
“No Regrets;” Tom Rush; The Circle Game
54. Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?/It took me years to write, will you take a look?/It’s based on a novel by a man named Lear/And I need a job/So I want to be a paperback writer/Paperback writer…. It’s a dirty story of a dirty man/And his clinging wife doesn’t understand.
“Paperback Writer;” The Beatles; The Beatles 1
55. Let’s roll for freedom/Let’s roll for love/We’re going after Satan/On the wings of a dove/Let’s roll for justice/Let’s roll for truth/Let’s not let our children/Grow up fearful in their youth/Time is runnin’ out/Let’s roll.
“Let’s Roll”; Neil Young
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part V
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part V by Roxanne McDonald
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I cannot follow you, my love/You cannot follow me/I am the distance you put between/all of the moments that we will be/You know who I am, you’ve stared at the sun/Well I am the one who loves/changing from nothing to one. “You Know Who I Am;” Leonard Cohen; Songs from a Room |
41. Superman or Green Lantern aint got nothin on me/I’ll make like a turtle and dive for your pearls in the sea. “Sunshine Superman;” Donovan; Sunshine Superman
42. Strolling down the highway with my shoes in my hand/I don’t talk much I’m a quiet man/Beauty and silence both run deep/And running like crazy while you are asleep/You got news for me, I got nothing for you/Don’t pin your blues on me/Just go ahead and do whatever you wish to.
“Quiet Man;” John Prine; John Prine
43. Baby, everything is alright, uptight, clean out of sight.
“Uptight (Everything’s Alright)”; Stevie Wonder; At the Close of the Century
44. She’s got a ticket to ride, but she don’t care. “Ticket to Ride;” The Beatles; The Beatles 1
45. Woman so willing the sweet cause in vain/You make love, you break love/It’s a all the same when it’s…when it’s over.
“Manic Depression;” Jimi Hendrix; BBC Sessions
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part IV
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part IV by Roxanne McDonald
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Everybody knows that the dice are loaded/Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed/Everybody knows that the war is over/Everybody knows that the good guys lost/Everybody knows the fight is fixed/the poor stay poor and the rich get rich/That’s how it goes/Everybody knows that the boat is sinking/Everybody knows that the captain lied/Everybody’s got this broken feeling/Like their Momma or there dog just died/Everybody’s hands are in their pockets/Everybody wants a box of chocolates/and a long stem rose/ Everybody knows. “Everybody Knows” Leonard Cohen; The Essential Leonard Cohen |
31. Nice girls not one with a defect, cellophane shrink- wrapped, so correct./Red dogs under illegal legs./She looks so good that he gets down and begs. “Watching the Detectives”; Elvis Costello; The Very Best of Elvis Costello
32. And the seasons they go round and round/And the painted ponies go up and down/Were captive on the carousel of time/We cant return we can only look behind from where we came/And go round and round and round in the circle game.
“The Circle Game;” Tom Rush; The Circle Game
33. I’m in love with a woman who don’t even appeal to me.
“Things Have Changed;” Bob Dylan; Time Out of Mind
34. Here comes ol’ flat top/He come groovin’ up slowly/He’s got Joo Joo eyeball/He one holy roller/He got hair down to his knees/Got to be a joker he just do what he please…./He wear no shoeshine/He’s got toe jam football/He’s got monkey finger/He shoot Coca-Cola/He say “I know you, you know me”/One thing I can tell you is you got to be free…./Come together, right now, over me.
“Come Together”; The Beatles; Abbey Road
35. Tell me what it takes to let you go/Tell me how the pain’s supposed to go/Tell me how it is that you can sleep in the night/Without thinking you lost everything that was good in your life to the toss of the dice?
“What it Takes;” Aerosmith; Get a Grip
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part III
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part III by Roxanne McDonald
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Many men have loved the bells/You fastened to the rein/And everyone who wanted you/They found what they will always want again.Your beauty lost to you yourself/Just as it was lost to them./Oh take this longing from my tongue/Whatever useless things these hands have done./Let me see your beauty broken down/Like you would do for one you love. “Take This Longing;” Leonard Cohen; New Skins for the Old Ceremony |
21. You say you want a revolution/Well you know/we all want to change the world/You tell me that it’s evolution. Well you know/We all want to change the world/But when you talk about destruction/Don’t you know you can count me out…. You say you got a real solution/Well you know/we’d all love to see the plan/You ask me for a contribution/Well you know/We’re doing what we can/But when you want money for people with minds that hate/All I can tell you is brother you have to wait…. You say you’ll change the constitution/Well you know/we all want to change your head/You tell me it’s the institution/Well you know/You better free your mind instead/But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao/You ain’t going to make it with anyone anyhow/Don’t you know it’s gonna be alright.
“Revolution”; The Beatles; [The White Album]
22. They called you the wild one/said stay ‘way from her/said she could love no one if she tried/…I’ll never get over how good it felt/When you finally kissed [held] me/I’ll never regret/Baby those few hours/Will grow in my head forever. “Wild One, Forever;” Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers; Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
23. You forget the sun in its jealous sky as we walk in fields of gold.
“Fields of Gold;” Sting; Fields of Gold
24. I don’t want to be in love but you’re makin’ me/Let me up I’ve had enough. Girl you’re breakin’ me
“Breakin’ Me;” Johnny Lang; Wander This World
25. Don’t you know heartaches are heroes when their pockets are full?
“Seven Year Ache;” Rosanne Cash; Seven Year Ache
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part II
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics Part II by Roxanne McDonald
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And who by fire, who by water/who in the sunshine, who in the night time/who by high ordeal, who by common trial/who in your merry merry month of May/who by very slow decay/and who shall I say is calling? “Who by Fire;” Leonard Cohen; New Skin for the Old Ceremony |
11. No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue/I could not foresee this thing happening to you/If I look hard enough into the settin’ sun/My love will laugh with me before the mornin’ comes…. I see my red door and I want it painted black/No colors anymore I want them to turn black.
“Paint it Black;” Rolling Stones; Hot Rocks
12. I’ve been loving you too long to stop now….
“I’ve Been Lovin’ You Too Long;” Otis Redding; The Ultimate Otis Redding
13. There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold/And she’s buying a stairway to heaven/When she gets there she knows if the stores are closed/With a word she can get what she came for/There’s a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure/‘Cause you know sometimes words have
Two meanings….
“Stairway to Heaven;” Led Zeppelin; Led Zeppelin IV
14. I can’t believe the news today/Oh, I can’t close my eyes/And make it go away/How long…/How long must we sing this song?
“Sunday Bloody Sunday”; U2; War
15. His sister’s black but she is sho’nuff pretty/Her skirt is short but Lord her legs are sturdy/To walk to school she’s got to get up early/Her clothes are old but never are they dirty/Living just enough, just enough for the city.
“Living for the City;” Stevie Wonder; Innervisions
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics
Ten of Top 100 Song Lines and Lyrics by Roxanne McDonald
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Oh I want you, I want you, I want you/On a chair with a dead magazine/In the cave at the tip of the lily/In some hallways where love’s never been/On a bed where the moon has been sweating/In a cry filled with footsteps and sand/Take this waltz, take this waltz/Take its broken waist in your hand. “Take This Waltz;” Leonard Cohen; Mojo Presents |
Some obvious, some obscure…many yet to come. So this, I guess, is Part I.
As a writer, I have always had a thing for the play of words, the metaphors and symbols, the poetry of two, the music of many, the sublime.
I have for as long as I have been able to hold a pencil kept little books of collected favorites—from great quotes from Bartlett’s or Oxford companions to lyrics from album liners and ears.
Now I recreate the long ago-recorded flora ledgia, one at a time and as I think of them.
1. It’s Amazing/With the blink of an eye you finally see the light/It’s Amazing/When the moment arrives that you know you’ll be alright.
“Amazing”; Aerosmith; Get a Grip
2. If everyone cared and nobody cried/If everyone loved and nobody lied/f everyone shared and swallowed their pride/ We’d see the day when nobody died.
“If Everybody Cared;” Nickelback; All the Right Reasons
3. Mother, mother/There’s too many of you crying./Oh, brother, brother, brother/There’s far too many of you dying./That’s Right/You know we’ve got to find a way/To bring some lovin’ here today.
“What’s Goin’ On”; Marvin Gaye; Anthology
4. Jesus died of somebody’s sins, but not mine.
“Gloria”; Patti Smith; Horses
5. I’m sick of love…, but I’m in the thick of it.
“Love Sick”; Bob Dylan; Time Out of Mind
(read more…)
Top Ten TV Music Themes
Top Ten TV Music Themes by Roxanne McDonald
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Finding favorites lists to differ when it comes to best TV theme songs or musical themes, this pop culture fanatic goes on a cyber-search. |
And included in the search for the rankings of others, she discovers a few favorites of her own—those she sings boisterously along with, those she—like many of us–can’t get out of her head.
Stylus Magazine asserts that criteria should include a) not annoying; b) representative; c) able to stand on its own. Here are the top ten of ALL TIME, according to Stylus:
Nerf Herder’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Raposo and Nicholl’s Three’s Company
Jim Gilstrap’s Good Times
Mark Snow’s The X-Files
Lalo Schifrin’s Mission: Impossible
Stu Phillips’ Knight Rider
Portnoy and Angelo’s Cheers
Dolores Clayman’s Hockey Night in Canada
Barri and Sloan’s Secret Agent Man
Mort Stevens’ Hawaii Five-O
Top Ten Rock Bands
Top Ten Rock Bands by Roxanne McDonald
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Then I can go absolutely coo coo with my fervent list-making and do top 10 female artists, top 10 blues artists, etc., etc., etc.!
MSNBC, of course NBC one of the oldest and most legendary television networks in its own right, has determined the top ten best rock bands ever. Or, rather, reporter/contributor Eric Olsen does, conceding that the list is of course purely subjective.
I would like to see if I can come up with my own list, taking it as a challenge not to make a list but to limit myself to a short list like this.
I mean, how do I fit The Partrideg Family in there when I only have ten slots?
Heh heh. You don’t know if I’m kidding….
So. Anyway.
I like to make my own rules, just barely teetering on those fringes (or dangling from them by two fingers), so I will add my list with cheats and cut corners and all.
Top Ten Greatest Rock and Roll Artists
Top Ten Greatest Rock and Roll Artists by Roxanne McDonald
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Just as fitting only ten onto the list of greatest albums of all time was a daunting, restrictive task, so counting down the top ten best rock and roll stars becomes a super jam of a challenge. |
But Vh1 did it (well, the top 100 greatest list)…by polling Vh1 viewers/listeners, and Rock on the Net (affiliated) followed up that with a separate survey.
Here are the first ten of 100 of their respective lists, followed by my pitiful attempts to do my own survey for one:
Vh1 Top Ten Greatest Rock and Roll Artists, with Rock on the Net Results (voters who agree, in brackets)
1. Beatles [1]
2. Rolling Stones [9]
3. Jimi Hendrix [7]
4. Led Zeppelin [5]
5. Bob Dylan [13]
6. James Brown [46]
7. David Bowie [14]
8. Elvis Presley [3]
9. The Who [90]
10. The Police [34]
Top Ten Greatest Albums of All Time
Top Ten Greatest Albums of All Time by Roxanne McDonald
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A nearly impossible list to come up with: even Rolling Stone resorts to naming the top 100. |
Still, what better way to wile the time than to try to jam only ten of your most favorite albums into a limited “greatest” list?
And while I follow such criteria as lyrical appeal (being a writer who digs words as much as and usually more than the music) and personal aesthetic value, I’m thinking that I will toss in another “rule”: consider the Rolling Stones Top 10 albums givens, and not include them on my own list. (Plus, that will make it easier, will free up the slots…).
Plus, I am going to cheat a little, and double up (rather than do what I could do, and make a top 20 list, or something); and will also name “Greatest Hits” albums, while you rock purists will likely bristle at this fan faux pas…as I was turned onto certain artists by way of their compiled hits albums, and have nostalgic fondness….
Anyway.
Top Ten Greatest Albums of all Time from the Rolling Stone
Top 100 List
1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles
2. Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys
3. Revolver, The Beatles
4. Highway 61 Revisited, Bob Dylan
5. Rubber Soul, The Beatles
6. What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye
7. Exile on Main Street, The Rolling Stones
8. London Calling, The Clash
9. Blonde on Blonde, Bob Dylan
10. The Beatles (”The White Album”), The Beatles