Category Archives: Song Lyric Sunday

Song Lyric Sunday: A Rose By Any Other Name

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Jim Adams is the host for Song Lyric Sunday.
This week’s theme is  Died at the Age of 27 Club.

Today, I’m not strictly following the prompt because I’ve chosen The Rose by Bette Midler. Who, at the age of 76, is not a member of the 27 Club.

But The Rose is taken from the 1979 film of the same name which was loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin. Who, unfortunately, is a member of this select club.

Yup, she left a fabulous back catalogue of music, but this beautiful song must rate as one of the best tributes, ever! Enjoy.

Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you, its only seed

It’s the heart, afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It’s the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It’s the one who won’t be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul, afraid of dying
That never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun’s love
In the spring becomes the rose

Songwriter(s): Amanda McBroom
© Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Third Story Music, Inc.

And here’s a bonus track: Janis rocking out with Tom Jones…

Song Lyric Sunday: Sweet and Sour

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Jim Adams is the host for Song Lyric Sunday. This week’s theme is Sweet, Honey, Sugar, Candy, Chocolate suggested by Angie of King Ben’s Grandma.

Today is the turn of Annie Lennox with her 1992 hit Walking on Broken Glass. The track is from her solo debut album Diva, which I played to death, much to the delight of my neighbours. Not.

But listening to it again for the first time in twenty-odd years, I find it (sorry, Annie fans) bland. It all seems a bit too polished and pure. This is the only standout song on it for me these days.

Makes me wary of revisiting other music I thought was the bee’s knees just in case those sweet songs have also soured for me over time!

But at least Walking on Broken Glass still holds up under my overly critical eye. And what a cracker it is, with a gorgeously sumptuous video. Check out the cameos by John Malkovich and Hugh Laurie.

Has a broken heart ever looked and sounded more lovely?

Walking on, walking on broken glass
Walking on, walking on broken glass

You were the sweetest thing that I ever knew
But I don’t care for sugar honey if I can’t have you
Since you’ve abandoned me
My whole life has crashed
Won’t you pick the pieces up
‘Cause it feels just like I’m walking on broken glass

Walking on, walking on broken glass

Walking on, walking on broken glass

The sun’s still shining in the big blue sky
But it don’t mean nothing to me
O-o-oh let the rain come down
Let the wind blow through me
I’m living in an empty room
With all the windows smashed
And I’ve got so little left to lose
That it feels just like I’m walking on broken glass

Walking on, walking on broken glass

And if you’re trying to cut me down
You know that I might bleed
‘Cause if you’re trying to cut me down
I know that you’ll succeed
And if you want to hurt me
There’s nothing left to fear
‘Cause if you want to hurt me
You do it really well my dear

Now every one of us was made to suffer
Every one of us is made to weep
We’ve been hurting one another
Now the pain has cut too deep
So take me from the wreckage
Save me from the blast
Lift me up and take me back
Don’t let me keep on walking (don’t let me keep on walking)
I kept on walking on
Keep on walking on broken glass

Walking on, walking on broken glass [repeat to fade]

Songwriter: Annie Lennox
© La Lennoxa Music Co. Ltd.

Song Lyric Sunday: Do You Come From A Land Down Under?

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Jim Adams is the host for Song Lyric Sunday.
This week’s theme is Australian Music.

Welcome to clickbait Sunday! The title is a line from Men at Work’s 1981 hit Land Down Under, which does not feature in today’s Oz fest. Even though, it is a cracking song with a great video.

Instead, I bring you The Pushbike Song by The Mixtures. Released in 1970, this particular piece of Antipodean artistry drove my mother nuts. I fell in love with this song as a nipper. And, whenever it came on the radio, which it did every summer during the seventies, I insisted we all do the bicycle dance!

Imagine the scene, an excitable toddler and her forbearing family stomping around with exaggerated leg lifts. Lucky for them, I soon outgrew the cute stage, and they left me to prance about the place on my own until I realised what a sad puppy I was. These days, I dance like I’ve something wrong with me to rock classics.

But here’s to memory lane with two video versions. This is the LINK for the “real” one, but I prefer this skit from the Paul Hogan show in all its unreconstructed comic genius!

Ridin’ along on my pushbike, honey
When I noticed you
Ridin’ downtown in a hurry, honey
Down South Avenue

You looked so pretty
As you were ridin’ along
You looked so pretty
As you were singing this song

Well, I put on the speed and I tried catching up
But you were pedalling harder too
Ridin’ along like a hurricane, honey
Spinning out of view

You looked so pretty
As you were ridin’ along
You looked so pretty
As you were singing this song

Sing this song

A-round, round, wheels goin’ round, round, round
Down up pedals, down up down
But I gotta get across to the other side of town
Before the sun goes down

Hey, hey, hey

Now we’re riding along on the bicycle, honey
That’s a bicycle built for two
A-lookin’ at my honey in the rear-view mirror
And now I got a better view

You looked so pretty
As you were ridin’ along
You looked so pretty
As you were singing this song

Sing this song

A-round, round, wheels goin’ round, round, round
Down up pedals, down up down
But I gotta get across to the other side of town
Before the sun goes down

Hey, hey, hey

Songwriters: Idris Lloyd Jones / James Evan Jones
© Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc

Song Lyric Sunday: Gimme Dat Ding!

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Jim Adams is the host for Song Lyric Sunday.
This week’s theme is Novelty Songs suggested by Di of pensitivity101.

Gimme Dat Ding by The Pipkins is quite possibly the worst novelty song ever. And the bar is set high in this category when you consider the competition: The Birdie Song, Shaddap You Face and anything produced in celebration of English Football (with the honourable exception of Vindaloo by Fat Les).

But this dreadful ditty is a world-class earworm and will burrow its way so deep into your psyche that you will never be able to erase it from your memory.

Unbelievably, the musical monstrosity made it to number six in the UK and nine on the US Billboard Hot 100. Australia showed some sense and only allowed it to reach 67 on their charts.

But enough of my yakking because here it is in all its mind-numbing glory!

That’s right, That’s right
I’m sad and blue
‘Cause I can’t do the Boogaloo
I’m lost, I’m lost
Can’t do my thing
That’s why I sing

Gimme, Gimme Dat Ding Ah…
Gimme Dat, Gimme Dat [Repeat until you lose the will to live]

Ah, what good’s a metronome
Without a bell for ringing
Not once, can’t anybody ever tell he’s swinging
How can you tell the rhythm written on the bar
How can you ever hope to know where you are?

[More Gimme Dat Dings, repeat the last verse, and if you are still with the groove throw in a piano solo and a final round of Gimme Dat Ding – congratulations, you made it!]

Songwriters: Albert Hammond & Mike Hazlewood
© BMG Rights Management

Still with me? Then try the song in Finnish…(I quite like this version!)

Song Lyric Sunday: He Sounds Like a Drag

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Jim Adams is the host for Song Lyric Sunday. The theme this week is Sounds, Talk, Voice, Words suggested by Di of pensitivity101.

What’s that sound? It’s a blast from the past with John, Olivia and the cast warbling their way through Summer Loving from the musical Grease.

Ignore post-modern re-analysis: Yes, she has to change to get her man, but (NEWSFLASH!!) he also has to change his ways to win the girl. So far, so equal, and remember, this movie is set in the 1950s when men were men and women did girly things in the kitchen.

Don’t view it through a modern lens because this film is fun! It has the oldest high-schoolers on the planet, but who cares? Only fuss-budgets and killjoys.

I love all the songs on the soundtrack, but my favourite is Stockard Channing belting out Look at me I’m Sandra Dee. Sandy’s transformation was a massive eye-opener for a bookish pre-teen. But, pregnancy scare aside, who wouldn’t want to be the queen of the snarks, Betty Rizzo? And she gets the killer line in Summer Nights!

Summer lovin’, had me a blast
Summer lovin’, happened so fast
I met a girl crazy for me
Met a boy cute as can be

Summer days drifting away
To uh, oh those summer nights

Oh well, oh well, oh well oh, uh
Tell me more, tell me more
Did you get very far?
Tell me more, tell me more
Like does he have a car?

She swam by me, she got a cramp
He ran by me, got my suit damp
I saved her life, she nearly drowned
He showed off splashing around

Summer sun, something’s begun
But uh, oh those summer nights

Oh well, oh well, oh well oh, uh
Tell me more, tell me more
Was it love at first sight?
Tell me more, tell me more
Did she put up a fight?

Took her bowling in the arcade
We went strolling, drank lemonade
We made out under the dock
We stayed out till ten o’clock

Summer fling don’t mean a thing
But uh, oh those summer nights

Tell me more, tell me more
But you don’t gotta brag
Tell me more, tell me more
‘Cause he sounds like a drag

He got friendly holding my hand
Well, she got friendly down in the sand
He was sweet, just turned eighteen
Well, she was good, you know what I mean

Summer heat, boy and girl meet
But uh, oh those summer nights

Tell me more, tell me more
How much dough did he spend?
Tell me more, tell me more
Could she get me a friend?

It turned colder, that’s where it ends
So I told her we’d still be friends
Then we made our true love vow
Wonder what she’s doin’ now

Summer dreams ripped at the seams
But, oh, those summer nights

Tell me more, tell me more

Songwriters: Jim Jacobs / Warren Casey
© Edwin H. Morris & Co. Inc.