Song Lyric Sunday — Dancing in the Street

Finally! It’s Sunday and time for my favorite prompt of the week: Helen Vahdati’s Song Lyric Sunday. This week’s theme is “street.”

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street” has been my favorite summer song since I first heard it when it was released in 1964. Written by Marvin Gaye, William “Mickey” Stevenson, and Ivy Jo Hunter, this is a song that makes your feet start dancing, whether the rest of your body wants to or not. I dare you not to dance!

“Dancing In The Street“
Calling out around the world
Are you ready for a brand new beat
Summer’s here and the time is right
For dancing in the street

They’re dancing in Chicago (dancing in the street)
Down in New Orleans (dancing in the street)
In New York City (dancing in the street)

All we need is music, sweet music
There’ll be music everywhere
There’ll be swinging, swaying, and records playing
Dancing in the street

Oh, it doesn’t matter what you wear
Just as long as you are there
So come on, every guy, grab a girl
Everywhere around the world

They’ll be dancing (dancing in the street)
They’re dancing in the street (dancing in the street)

It’s an invitation across the nation
A chance for folks to meet
There’ll be laughing, singing, and music swinging
Dancing in the street

Philadelphia, P-A (dancing in the street)
Baltimore and D.C. now (dancing in the street)
Can’t forget the Motor City (dancing in the street)

All we need is music, sweet music
There’ll be music everywhere
There’ll be swinging, swaying, and records playing
Dancing in the street

Oh, it doesn’t matter what you wear
Just as long as you are there
So come on, every guy, grab a girl
Everywhere around the world

They’re dancing
They’re dancing in the street (dancing in the street)
Way down in L.A. (dancing in the street)
Every day, they’re dancing in the street (dancing in the street)
Let’s form a big, strong line (dancing in the street)
Get in time, we’re dancing in the street (dancing in the street)
Across the ocean blue (dancing in the street)
Me and you, we’re dancing in the street

Song Lyric Sunday — “I Talk To The Wind”

As is often the case when Helen Vahdati announces the theme for Song Lyric Sunday, this weeks’ theme — speak — brought a host of songs to mind. My choice out of those is the whimsical “I Talk To The Wind” from King Crimson’s 1969 debut album, In The Court of the Crimson King. Known as a seminal prog rock band, they are also known for their personnel turnover; three of the five original members left during and after their tour in support of their first album. Those first five (Greg Lake, Ian McDonald, Michael Rex Giles, Peter John Sinfield, and Robert Fripp) are credited on several internet sites as having written this song. The U.S. Copyright Office, however, shows Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield as the sole writers.

https://youtu.be/doiCJSxOG2o

“I Talk To The Wind”

Said the straight man to the late man
Where have you been
I’ve been here and I’ve been there
And I’ve been in between

I talk to the wind
My words are all carried away
I talk to the wind
The wind does not hear
The wind cannot hear

I’m on the outside looking inside
What do I see
Much confusion, disillusion
All around me

I talk to the wind
My words are all carried away
I talk to the wind
The wind does not hear
The wind cannot hear

You don’t possess me
Don’t impress me
Just upset my mind
Can’t instruct me or conduct me
Just use up my time

I talk to the wind
My words are all carried away
I talk to the wind
The wind does not hear
The wind cannot hear

Said the straight man to the late man
Where have you been
I’ve been here and I’ve been there and
I’ve been in between

Song Lyric Sunday – “Bye Bye Love”

Did you really think I’d pass up the opportunity to share a Cars song, sung by Benjamin Orr, and right on point for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday theme: Break? Just as my other Song Lyric Sunday pick is my favorite in Poco’s ouevre, Bye Bye Love is my hands-down favorite Cars song. Written, as are all Cars songs, by Ric Ocasek, this is not your Everly Brothers’ Bye Bye Love. For a special treat, even if only for me and sweetpurplejune, I’ll be giving you two BBL videos. The first is circa 1978 when the Cars were just starting out, garnering national and intenational attention*. The second, a 1995 performance, features Benjamin Orr and his band, some seven years after the Cars’ breakup. Enjoy:

“Bye Bye Love”

I can’t feel this way much longer
Expecting to survive
With all these hidden innuendoes
Just waiting to arrive

It’s such a wavy midnight
And you slip into insane
Electric angel rock and roller
I hear what you’re playin’

It’s an orangy sky
Always it’s some other guy
It’s just a broken lullaby
Bye bye love
Bye bye love
Bye bye love
Bye bye love

Substitution mass confusion
Clouds inside your head
Involving all my energies
Until you visited

With your eyes of porcelain and of blue
They shock me into sense
You think you’re so illustrious
You call yourself intense

It’s an orangy sky
Always it’s some other guy
It’s just a broken lullaby
Bye bye love
Bye goo’ bye love
bye bye love
Bye bye love

Substitution mass confusion
Clouds inside your head
Well foggin’ all my energies
Until you visited

With your eyes of porcelain and of blue
They shock me into sense
You think you’re so illustrious
You call yourself intense

It’s an orangy sky
Always it’s some other guy
It’s just a broken lullaby
Bye bye love
Bye bye love
Bye bye love
Bye bye loveWriter/s: RIC OCASEK
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

*Edited 3/23/2019 to note that the first selected video is no longer available.

“Just A Little Bit Of Magic” in Song Lyric Sunday

It’s Sunday and time for one of my favorite prompts/challenges: Helen Vadahti’s Song Lyric Sunday! This week’s theme is “break”. The first thought in my mind was “break up song,” but that’s just too gloomy for the lovely day here in New England. That must be why Poco’s peppy “Pickin’ Up The Pieces” permeated my pate. (OK, I won’t do that again.) Richie Furay created some great songs for Poco. Written fresh off the 1968 breakup of Furay’s prior band, Buffalo Springfield, “Pickin’ Up the Pieces” is rumored to be a reference to that breakup. This is off their 1969 debut album of the same name. In my opinion, it’s one of the best and is my favorite. Lyrics are posted after the video, if you want to sing along.

“Pickin’ Up The Pieces”

Well there’s just a little bit of magic
In the country music we’re singin’
So let’s begin
We’re bringin’ you back down home where the folks are happy
Sittin’ pickin’ and a-grinnin’
Casually, you and me
We’ll Pick Up The Pieces, uh-huh

Somebody yelled out at me
Country music and company kind of makes it
On a Sunday afternoon
Picnic lunches of yesterday
Should still have a place in your heart today
Think it over
‘Cause we’ll all be goin’ home so soon

[Repeat first verse]

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/poco/pickinupthepieces.html

Song Lyric Sunday: “Think It Over”

Helen Vahdahti’s Song Lyric Sunday prompt this week is “think.” Naturally my first thought is The Cars, which creates a dilemma. Do I go with “You Might Think,” winner of MTV’s inaugural Video of the Year Award in 1984, beating out (incredibly) Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video? This is, after all, Song Lyric Sunday, and “You Might Think” is chock-full of Ric Ocasek’s more-pop-y-than-usual lyrics. Or do I go with the lesser-known “Think It Over?” Ocasek’s simple lyrics aren’t his best, but the music more than compensates, in my opinion. There’s an understated yet driving mix of live instruments combined with original band-programmed synth. Then there’s Benjamin Orr’s Elvis-inflected vocals.

For me, part of the fun of Song Lyric Sunday is discovering either new singers, bands, and/or songwriters or deeper cuts from musicians I’m already familiar with. I hope you’ll enjoy discovering one of my favorite songs from The Cars “Shake It Up” album.

“Think It Over”
Every time I see you I got to jump and shout
I haven’t got a clue what it’s all about
Ooh I never had a dream that looked so much like you
I’ll do anything that you want me to

(Think it over, think it over)
There’s nothin’ you can do to make me wanna stop
(Think it over, think it over)
Ooh every time you run around it makes me want to pop

What’s it gonna take to make you change your line?
What’s it gonna take to get your valentine?
How can I be sure that you’re the one for me?
I only know that you wanted to be free

(Think it over, think it over)
There’s nothin’ you can do to make me wanna stop
(Think it over, think it over)
Every time you run around it makes me want to pop
Nothin’ you can do to make me wanna stop

Every time you run around makes me want to pop
Nothin’ you can do to make me wanna stop
Think it over
Pop…
Pop

Every time I see you I got to jump and shout
I haven’t got a clue what it’s all about
I never had a dream that looked so much like you
Well I’ll do anything that you want me to

(Think it over, think it over)
There’s nothin’ you can do to make me wanna stop
(Think it over, think it over)
Every time you run around it makes me want to pop
(Think it over, think it over)

Well nothin’ you can do to make me wanna stop
(Think it over, think it over)
E-every time you run around it makes me want to pop
There’s nothin’ you can do to make me wanna stop
Every time you run around it makes me want to pop
There’s nothin’ you can do to make me wanna stop
Think it over
Yeah

(Think it over)
(Think it over)
(Think it over)
Think it over
(Think it over)
Think it over
(Think it over)
(Think it over)
Think it over
(Think it over)
(Think it over)

Nothin’ you can do
Nothin’ you can do
(Think it over)
Nothin’ you can do
Nothin’ you can do
(Think it over)
Nothin’ you can do
Nothin’ you can do
(Think it over)
You gotta think it over

Nothin’ you can do
Nothin’ you can do
(Think it over)
Nothin’ you can do
Think it over
Nothin’ you can do
(Think it over)
Nothin’ you can do
Nothin’ you can do
(Think it over)
Nothin’ you can do but think it over

Nothin’ you can do
Nothin’ you can do
(Think it over)
Nothin’ you can do
Nothin’ you can do
(Think it over)
Nothin’ you can do, nothin’ you can do
Nothin’ you can do, nothin’ you can do
But think it over
(Think it over)
Nothin’ you can do
Nothin’ you can do