12/2/2024 0 Comments I love that song #32 - "We Didn't Start The Fire" by Billy Joel (1989) and Fall Out Boy (2023)This is NOT an analysis of a song, merely personal observations about a song that I love. Enjoy. "We Didn't Start The Fire" by Billy Joel A potted history of the 20th century from 1949 - 1989 in over 100 name and event checks. Released in 1989. It works so well !! [Update 2024] Towards the end of 2023, I heard a new version of this song on the Chris Moyles shown on the UK's Radio X. The band Fall Out Boy had written lyrics to bring the song up to date. Interestingly, the events were listed out of chronological order "to evoke the feeling of chaos we've experienced" <from 1989 to 2023>. I have also included links to this version below. "Little Rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, Kerouac, Sputnik, Zhou Enlai, Bridge On The River Kwai, Lebanon, Charles de Gaulle, California baseball, Starkweather Homicide, Children of Thalidomide" "Buddy Holly, Ben-Hur, Space Monkey, Mafia, Hula Hoops, Castro, Edsel is a no-go, U-2, Syngman Rhee, payola and Kennedy, Chubby Checker, Psycho, Belgians in the Congo" "Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, Dacron Dien Bien Phu Falls, "Rock Around the Clock"" "Hemingway, Eichmann, Stranger in a Strange Land Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs invasion Lawrence of Arabia, British Beatlemania Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston beats Patterson Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British Politician sex J.F.K. blown away, what else do I have to say?" <We Didn't Start The Fire> (1989) "We Didn't Start The Fire" Written by Billy Joel • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, Television North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe Rosenbergs, H-Bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom Brando, The King And I, and The Catcher In The Rye Eisenhower, Vaccine, England's got a new queen Marciano, Liberace, Santayana goodbye We didn't start the fire It was always burning since the world's been turning We didn't start the fire No, we didn't light it, but we tried to fight it Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, Dacron Dien Bien Phu Falls, "Rock Around the Clock" Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn's got a winning team Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Khrushchev Princess Grace, Peyton Place, Trouble in the Suez We didn't start the fire It was always burning since the world's been turning We didn't start the fire No, we didn't light it, but we tried to fight it Little Rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, Kerouac Sputnik, Zhou Enlai, Bridge On The River Kwai, Lebanon, Charles de Gaulle, California baseball Starkweather Homicide, Children of Thalidomide Buddy Holly, Ben-Hur, Space Monkey, Mafia Hula Hoops, Castro, Edsel is a no-go U-2, Syngman Rhee, payola and Kennedy Chubby Checker, Psycho, Belgians in the Congo We didn't start the fire It was always burning since the world's been turning We didn't start the fire No, we didn't light it, but we tried to fight it Hemingway, Eichmann, Stranger in a Strange Land Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs invasion Lawrence of Arabia, British Beatlemania Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston beats Patterson Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British Politician sex J.F.K. blown away, what else do I have to say? We didn't start the fire It was always burning since the world's been turning We didn't start the fire No, we didn't light it, but we tried to fight it Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, punk rock Begin, Reagan, Palestine, Terror on the airline Ayatollah's in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan Wheel of Fortune, Sally Ride, heavy metal suicide Foreign debts, homeless Vets, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz Hypodermics on the shores, China's under martial law Rock and Roller cola wars, I can't take it anymore We didn't start the fire It was always burning since the world's been turning We didn't start the fire But when we are gone It will still burn on, and on, and on, and on... We didn't start the fire It was always burning since the world's been turning We didn't start the fire No, we didn't light it, but we tried to fight it We didn't start the fire It was always burning since the world's been turning We didn't start the fire No, we didn't light it, but we tried to fight it We didn't start the fire It was always burning since the world's been turning We didn't start the fire No, we didn't light it, but we tried to fight it We didn't start the fire It was always burning since the world's been turning Captain Planet, Arab Spring, L.A. riots, Rodney King
Deep fakes, earthquakes, Iceland volcano Oklahoma City bomb, Kurt Cobain, Pokémon Tiger Woods, MySpace, Monsanto, GMOs Harry Potter, Twilight, Michael Jackson dies Nuclear accident, Fukushima, Japan Crimean Peninsula, Cambridge Analytica Kim Jong Un, Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man We didn't start the fire It was always burning since the world's been turning We didn't start the fire No, we didn't light it, but we're trying to fight it More war in Afghanistan, Cubs go all the way again Obama, Spielberg, explosion, Lebanon Unabomber, Bobbitt, John, bombing Boston Marathon Balloon Boy, War on Terror, QAnon Trump gets impeached twice, Polar bears got no ice Fyre Fest, Black Parade, Michael Phelps, Y2K Boris Johnson, Brexit, Kanye West and Taylor Swift Stranger Things, Tiger King, Ever Given, Suez We didn't start the fire It was always burning since the world's been turning We didn't start the fire No, we didn't light it, but we're trying to fight it Sandy Hook, Columbine, Sandra Bland and Tamir Rice ISIS, LeBron James, Shinzo Abe blown away Meghan Markle, George Floyd, Burj Khalifa, Metroid Fermi paradox, Venus and Serena Oh-oh-oh, Michael Jordan, 23, YouTube killed MTV SpongeBob, Golden State Killer got caught Michael Jordan, 45, Woodstock '99 Keaton, Batman, Bush v. Gore, I can't take it anymore We didn't start the fire It was always burning since the world's been turning We didn't start the fire No, we didn't light it, but we're trying to fight it Elon Musk, Kaepernick, Texas failed electric grid Jeff Bezos, climate change, white rhino goes extinct Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Tom DeLonge and aliens Mars rover, Avatar, self-driving electric cars SSRI's, Prince and The Queen die World trade, second plane, what else do I have to say? We didn't start the fire (we didn't start it) It was always burning since the world's been turning (oh) We didn't start the fire (we didn't start it) But when we are gone, it will still go on (oh-yeah) And on, and on, and on, and on And on, and on, and on We didn't start the fire (fire) It was always burning since the world's been turning
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This is N OT an analysis of a song, merely personal observations about a song that I love. Enjoy. "Mother" by John Lennon I first heard this on the 1975 John Lennon compilation album "Shaved Fish", but it was the opening track on the 1970 LP "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band". It is haunting and a painful listen, being a cry to both his parents, who abandoned him in his childhood. His father, Alf, left the family when John was an infant. His mother, Julia, did not live with her son, although they had a good relationship; she was hit and killed in a car accident on 15 July 1958 by a drunk off-duty policeman named Eric Clague, when Lennon was 17. The vocal is heart wrenching. "Mother, you had me But I never had you I wanted you But you didn't want me So I, I just got to tell you Goodbye" "Father, you left me But I never left you I needed you But you didn't need me" "Mother"
by John Lennon Mother, you had me But I never had you I wanted you But you didn't want me So I, I just got to tell you Goodbye Goodbye Father, you left me But I never left you I needed you But you didn't need me So I, I just got to tell you Goodbye Goodbye This is NOT an analysis of a song, merely personal observations about a song that I love. Enjoy. "One More Arrow" by Elton John A slightly maudling song, but one of my favourites from Elton John, from his "Too Low For Zero" album released in 1983. It sounds like a song about regret and loss and wishing. I seems that things have not been said that perhaps should have been said which may be why some of the words resonate with me. I liked this when I first heard it back in 1983 and still do. "He said, I want to grow up And look like Robert Mitchum And I hope that when I'm gone There'll be some say that I miss him" "He could have been a boxer But the fight game seemed so dirty We argued once he knocked me down And he cried when he thought he'd hurt me" "Strictly from the old school He was quiet about his pain And if one in ten could be that brave I would never hate again" "One More Arrow"
Written by Bernie Taupin, Elton John Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group He said, I want to grow up And look like Robert Mitchum And I hope that when I'm gone There'll be some say that I miss him He must have been romantic He must have sensed adventure And I feel the steel of his strong will In the frame around his picture And he's one more arrow flying through the air One more arrow landing in a shady spot somewhere Where the days and nights blend into one And he can always feel the sun Through the soft brown earth that holds him Forever always young He could have been a boxer But the fight game seemed so dirty We argued once he knocked me down And he cried when he thought he'd hurt me Strictly from the old school He was quiet about his pain And if one in ten could be that brave I would never hate again And he's one more arrow flying through the air One more arrow landing in a shady spot somewhere Where the days and nights blend into one And he can always feel the sun Through the soft brown earth that holds him Forever always young One more arrow One more arrow One more arrow Forever always young This is NOT an analysis of a song, merely personal observations about a song that I love. Enjoy. Ian "Youth Of Today" by Amy MacDonald From Amy MacDonald's 2007 debut album, This is The Life This song reflects the generational differences which will go on forever. Written when Amy was just 15. "And we are the youth of today Change our hair in every way And we are the youth of today We'll say what we wanna say And we are the youth of today Don't care what you have to say at all" "And we are the youth of today We'll say what we wanna say And we are the youth of today Don't care what you have to say at all" "And you say, "My children weren't the same" "My children's children they're the ones to blame" And you say, "In my day we were better behaved" But it's not your day no more" "Youth Of Today"
Written by Amy Elizabeth Macdonald • Copyright © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc Maybe if you were some spearheaded guy I would listen to what you have to say But you're just some incapable figure Thinking you're bigger than me, but you're not Yet you don't know a thing about the youth of today Stating your opinion making it ring in my head all day And you say, "My children weren't the same" "My children's children they're the ones to blame" And you say, "In my day we were better behaved" But it's not your day no more And we are the youth of today Change our hair in every way And we are the youth of today We'll say what we wanna say And we are the youth of today Don't care what you have to say at all And maybe if you had a true point of view I would listen to you But it's just your one sided feelings They keep getting in my way And you don't know a single thing about the youth of today Stating your opinion making it ring in my head all day And you say, "My children weren't the same" "My children's children they're the ones to blame" And you say, "In my day we were better behaved" But it's not your day no more And we are the youth of today Change our hair in every way And we are the youth of today We'll say what we wanna say And we are the youth of today Don't care what you have to say at all And you say, "My children weren't the same" "My children's children they're the ones to blame" And you say, "In my day we were better behaved" But it's not your day no more And we are the youth of today Change our hair in every way And we are the youth of today We'll say what we wanna say And we are the youth of today Don't care what you have to say at all This is NOT an analysis of a song, merely personal observations about a song that I love. Enjoy. Ian "Homeward Bound" by Simon and Garfunkel A lovely song about missing home and loved ones. Famously, Paul Simon scribbled the basis of the lyrics on a scrap of paper while on a train platform at Widnes while touring in the UK. ("If you have ever seen Widnes, you will know why I was desperate to leave"). In the UK, it appeared on the Sounds of Silence album in 1965 "I'm sitting in the railway station. Got a ticket to my destination." "And each town looks the same to me, the movies and the factories And every stranger's face I see reminds me that I long to be, Homeward bound," "Homeward Bound"
Songwriter Paul Simon Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group I'm sitting in the railway station. Got a ticket to my destination. On a tour of one-night stands my suitcase and guitar in hand. And every stop is neatly planned for a poet and a one-man band. Homeward bound, I wish I was, Homeward bound, Home where my thought's escaping, Home where my music's playing, Home where my love lies waiting Silently for me. Every day's an endless stream Of cigarettes and magazines. And each town looks the same to me, the movies and the factories And every stranger's face I see reminds me that I long to be, Homeward bound, I wish I was, Homeward bound, Home where my thought's escaping, Home where my music's playing, Home where my love lies waiting Silently for me. Tonight I'll sing my songs again, I'll play the game and pretend. But all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity Like emptiness in harmony I need someone to comfort me. Homeward bound, I wish I was, Homeward bound, Home where my thought's escaping, Home where my music's playing, Home where my love lies waiting Silently for me. Silently for me. This is NOT an analysis of a song, merely personal observations about a song that I love. Enjoy. "They Don't Know" by Kirsty MacColl This song formed the part of the back bone of the soundtrack to a road trip I had with school friends David Rice and Lee Horton together with another pal of David's to Yorkshire in 1979. Other tunes were "Cars" by Gary Numan and "Up The Junction" by Squeeze. I A song about a girl who hears from lots of people that the guy she's seeing isn't right for her. They just don't understand, as they've never heard of love. I just love Kirsty MacColl's voice (I always have) - it is like sunshine, and have written elsewhere on this site about her <more here> Because of poor marketing and promotion and issues with the record company, this version never became a hit but did reach #2 in the radio playlist chart. In 1983, Tracey Ullman recorded a version of "They Don't Know" (with Kirsty on backing vocals - notice particularly the instantly recognisable "Ba-by"). This version reached #2 in the UK and was also a hit in the USA), but I know which version I prefer. "You've been around for such a long time now Oh Maybe I could leave you but I don't know how" "'Cause they don't know about us And they've never heard of love" "Baby..." "They Don't Know"
Written by Kirsty Maccoll Copyright © BMG Rights Management US, LLC You've been around for such a long time now Oh Maybe I could leave you but I don't know how And why should I be lonely ev'ry night When I can be with you Oh yes You make it right And I don't listen to the guys who say that you're bad for me And I should turn you away 'Cause they don't know about us And they've never heard of love I get a feeling when I look at you wherever you go now I want to be there too They say we're crazy but I just don't care And if they keep on talking Still they get nowhere So I don't mind if they don't understand When I look at you and you hold my hand 'Cause they don't know about us And they've never heard of love Why should it matter to us if they don't approve? We should just take our chances while we've got nothing to lose Baby There's no need for living in the past Now I've found good loving gonna make it last I tell the others Don't bother me 'Cause when they look at you They don't see what I see No I don't listen to their wasted lines Got my eyes wide open and I see the signs 'Cause they don't know about us And they've never heard of love No I don't listen to their wasted lines Got my eyes wide open and I see the signs 'Cause they don't know about us and they've never heard of love This is NOT an analysis of a song, merely personal observations about a song that I love. Enjoy. "Mr Blue Sky" by the Electric Light Orchestra This is a plain brilliant pop song. From the 1977 double LP, "Out of The Blue", "Mr Blue Sky" was the final part of a suite of four songs subtitled "Concerto For A Rainy Day" which comprised side 3. "Mister Blue, you did it right But soon comes Mister Night creepin' over Now his hand is on your shoulder Never mind I'll remember you this I'll remember you this way" "Hey there Mister Blue We're so pleased to be with you Look around see what you do Everybody smiles at you" "Mr Blue Sky"
Songwriters: Jeff Lynne © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC Sun is shinin' in the sky There ain't a cloud in sight It's stopped rainin' everybody's in a play And don't you know It's a beautiful new day, hey hey Runnin' down the avenue See how the sun shines brightly in the city On the streets where once was pity Mister Blue Sky is living here today, hey hey Mister Blue Sky please tell us why You had to hide away for so long (so long) Where did we go wrong? Mister Blue Sky please tell us why You had to hide away for so long (so long) Where did we go wrong? Hey you with the pretty face Welcome to the human race A celebration, Mister Blue Sky's up there waitin' And today is the day we've waited for Oh Mister Blue Sky please tell us why You had to hide away for so long (so long) Where did we go wrong? Hey there Mister Blue We're so pleased to be with you Look around see what you do Everybody smiles at you Hey there Mister Blue We're so pleased to be with you Look around see what you do Everybody smiles at you Mister Blue Sky, Mister Blue Sky Mister Blue Sky Mister Blue, you did it right But soon comes Mister Night creepin' over Now his hand is on your shoulder Never mind I'll remember you this I'll remember you this way Mister Blue Sky please tell us why You had to hide away for so long (so long) Where did we go wrong? Hey there Mister Blue We're so pleased to be with you Look around see what you do Everybody smiles at you Mister Blue Sky 23/4/2019 0 Comments I love that song #24 - "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) by R.E.M.This is NOT an analysis of a song, merely personal observations about a song that I love. Enjoy. "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) by R.E.M. A bit of a thrash from the 1987 album, Document. The song uses the same list technique in the "tradition" of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues". I find the concept of it being the End Of The World and it really not being bothered by the idea oddly amusing. Either way, it is a good old romp! "That's great, it starts with an earthquake Birds and snakes, and aeroplanes And Lenny Bruce is not afraid" "Six o'clock, T.V. hour, don't get caught in foreign tower Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself churn!" "It's the end of the world as we know it It's the end of the world as we know it It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine" "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Written by John Michael Stipe, Michael E. Mills, Peter Lawrence Buck, William Thomas Berry • Copyright © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group That's great, it starts with an earthquake Birds and snakes, and aeroplanes And Lenny Bruce is not afraid Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn World serves its own needs, Don't mis-serve your own needs Speed it up a notch, speed, grunt, no, strength, The ladder starts to clatter With a fear of height, down, height Wire in a fire, represent the seven games And a government for hire and a combat site Left her, wasn't coming in a hurry With the Furies breathing down your neck Team by team, reporters baffled, trumped, tethered, cropped Look at that low plane, fine, then Uh oh, overflow, population, common group But it'll do, save yourself, serve yourself World serves its own needs, listen to your heart bleed Tell me with the Rapture and the reverent in the right, right You vitriolic, patriotic, slam fight, bright light Feeling pretty psyched It's the end of the world as we know it It's the end of the world as we know it It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine Six o'clock, T.V. hour, don't get caught in foreign tower Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself churn Lock him in uniform, book burning, bloodletting Every motive escalate, automotive incinerate Light a candle, light a motive, step down, step down Watch your heel crush, crush, uh oh This means no fear, cavalier, renegade and steering clear A tournament, a tournament, a tournament of lies Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I decline It's the end of the world as we know it (I had some time alone) It's the end of the world as we know it (I had some time alone) It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine (time I had some time alone) I feel fine (I feel fine) It's the end of the world as we know it (time I had some time alone) It's the end of the world as we know it (time I had some time alone) It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine (time I had some time alone) The other night I drifted nice continental drift divide Mountains sit in a line, Leonard Bernstein Leonid Brezhnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs Birthday party, cheesecake, jellybean, boom You symbiotic, patriotic, slam but neck, right, right It's the end of the world as we know it (time I had some time alone) It's the end of the world as we know it (time I had some time alone) It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine (time I had some time alone) It's the end of the world as we know it It's the end of the world as we know it It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine (time I had some time alone) It's the end of the world as we know it (time I had some time alone) It's the end of the world as we know it (time I had some time alone) It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine (time I had some time alone) It's the end of the world as we know it (time I had some time alone) It's the end of the world as we know it (time I had some time alone) It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine (time I had some time alone) This is NOT an analysis of a song, merely personal observations about a song that I love. Enjoy. "Jealous Guy" by John Lennon I first heard this shortly after John Lennon's death in 1980 by Roxy Music, and Bryan Ferry was (as often the case) mesmorising. John Lennon's version was released as a single 4 years later. The original was released on John's 1971 LP Imagine. A song of reflection and apology. "I was dreaming of the past And my heart was beating fast I began to lose control" "I was feeling insecure You might not love me anymore I was shivering inside" "I didn't mean to hurt you I'm sorry that I made you cry Oh my I didn't want to hurt you I'm just a jealous guy" "Jealous Guy"
by John Lennon I was dreaming of the past And my heart was beating fast I began to lose control I began to lose control I didn't mean to hurt you I'm sorry that I made you cry Oh my I didn't want to hurt you I'm just a jealous guy I was feeling insecure You might not love me anymore I was shivering inside I was shivering inside Oh I didn't mean to hurt you I'm sorry that I made you cry Oh my I didn't want to hurt you I'm just a jealous guy I didn't mean to hurt you I'm sorry that I made you cry Oh my I didn't want to hurt you I'm just a jealous guy This is NOT an analysis of a song, merely personal observations about a song that I love. Enjoy. "She's Always A Woman" by Billy Joel From the 1977 album, The Stranger. In honesty, this one didn't hit me until a couple of years later - it is a very mellow tune, so maybe the more upbeat songs may have had more immediate appeal. I can't put it better than good old Wickipedia: "It is a love song that Joel wrote for his then wife, Elizabeth Weber. Elizabeth had taken over management of Joel's career, and was able to put his financial affairs in order after Joel had signed some bad deals and contracts. She was a tough and savvy negotiator who could "wound with her eyes" or "steal like a thief", but would "never give in". Because of her tough-as-nails negotiating style, many business adversaries thought she was "unfeminine," but to Joel, she was always a woman" "She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes She can ruin your faith with her casual lies And she only reveals what she wants you to see She hides like a child but she's always a woman to me" "And she'll promise you more than the garden of Eden Then she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleeding But she brings out the best and the worst you can be Blame it all on yourself 'cause she's always a woman to me" "She is frequently kind and she's suddenly cruel She can do as she pleases, she's nobody's fool But she can't be convicted, she's earned her degree And the most she will do is throw shadows at you But she's always a woman to me" "She's Always A Woman"
Written by Billy Joel • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes She can ruin your faith with her casual lies And she only reveals what she wants you to see She hides like a child but she's always a woman to me She can lead you to love, she can take you or leave you She can ask for the truth but she'll never believe you And she'll take what you give her as long as it's free Yeah she steals like a thief but she's always a woman to me Oh, she takes care of herself, she can wait if she wants She's ahead of her time Oh, she never gives out and she never gives in She just changes her mind And she'll promise you more than the garden of Eden Then she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleeding But she brings out the best and the worst you can be Blame it all on yourself 'cause she's always a woman to me Oh, she takes care of herself, she can wait if she wants She's ahead of her time Oh, she never gives out and she never gives in She just changes her mind She is frequently kind and she's suddenly cruel She can do as she pleases, she's nobody's fool But she can't be convicted, she's earned her degree And the most she will do is throw shadows at you But she's always a woman to me |
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