Song Lyric Sunday — “Down Boys”

Even when she’s not feeling great, Helen Vahdati still manages to come up with a theme for Song Lyric Sunday. I hope she’s soon feeling 100%. Thanks for giving us “boys.”

In my world, there’s a Cars song for every occasion. Here’s “Down Boys” written by Ric Ocasek; sung by Benjamin Orr for The Cars 1980 Panorama:

“Down Boys“

you were trying to be cute
and it didn’t work out
you were trying to be charming
and it didn’t come off
you were trying to be clever
a big waste of time
you were trying to get rough
but you’re waiting in line

[Chorus:]
you can’t make it with the down boys
they don’t hear a word you say
you can’t make it with the down boys
just stay out of their way

you were trying to be sharp
but they couldn’t wait
you were trying to be eternal
but that didn’t rate
you were trying to be smooth
you’re rough on the edges
you were trying to be hysterical
well i still ain’t laughing

[Chorus]

you were trying to be in
but they left you out
you were trying to be in
two different worlds
you were trying to be in
oscillation in shame
you were trying to be in
but you’re lost in the game

[Chorus]

Song Lyric Sunday — “The Last Rose of Summer”

Most weeks, when Helen Vahdati announces the theme for Song Lyric Sunday, I have trouble deciding on a song. Either I have too many ideas to choose from or cannot think of even one. This week, as soon as I saw the theme, Last, I didn’t think twice. The only choice for me is “The Last Rose of Summer” written by Irish poet Thomas Moore in 1805. Published as a song in 1813, the poem was paired with a traditional Irish tune published in 1792.

This haunting song has been recorded by many diverse artists over the past century, but my favorite version is sung by John McDermott, one of the three original Irish Tenors. I was happy to find a video of the PBS performance that introduced me to the song. McDermott was not participating in the full performance with the Irish Tenors that night, as his mother had recently passed away, but performed this, his parent’s favorite song, in honor of them. Although he sang only the first and last verses at that time, I have provided all three verses of Moore’s lyrics. (I love McDermott’s rendition so much that I can’t resist posting a second video that is a studio version of all three verses. If I knew how, I would also post audio from McDermott’s 2005 album “A Time To Remember” of his father, Peter McDermott, singing it.)

“The Last Rose of Summer”

‘Tis the last rose of summer,
Left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone;
No flower of her kindred,
No rosebud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
Or give sigh for sigh.

I’ll not leave thee, thou lone one!
To pine on the stem;
Since the lovely are sleeping,
Go, sleep thou with them.
Thus kindly I scatter,
Thy leaves o’er the bed,
Where thy mates of the garden
Lie scentless and dead.

So soon may I follow,
When friendships decay,
And from Love’s shining circle
The gems drop away.
When true hearts lie withered,
And fond ones are flown,
Oh! who would inhabit
This bleak world alone?

Song Lyric Sunday — “First Time”

The theme chosen by Helen Vahdati for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday is “first.” My choice is by a singer/songwriter who I’ve been following since he first showed up on my PBS screen in the spring of 2008 with Irish troupe Celtic Thunder. During his eight years with Celtic Thunder, Keith Harkin shone as one of the principal singers. He was the first (and I think only) member to have one of his own compositions featured when “Lauren and I” debuted in the original show. Several more of his songs were added to the CT repertoire during his time with them. Keith was one of the first artists David Foster signed to Verve Records, which released Keith’s eponymous debut album in 2012. Irreconcilable differences in production styles resulted in Keith’s parting ways with Verve after that first album. His second album, “On Mercy Street,” was truly a solo effort: Keith wore all the hats, bringing a finished product with him when he signed with Elan Records.

One of my favorite songs from the second album is “First Time,” a sweet song Keith wrote about his now-wife, Kelsey.

“First Time”

We smoke cigarettes
We drink in the park
We always go out after it gets dark
We drink until three
She’s smiling at me with her red wine lips
And her sweet french kiss

Yeah I’m so happy I, I could almost cry
I don’t want this feeling to change, oh no

Maybe this could be the first time
Maybe this could be the first time
Maybe this could be the first time
I, I, I, I, I felt love

We wake up at ten
Feelin’ old and abused
She’s makin’ breakfast while I watch the news
She’s makin’ bacon and eggs
Coffee for the head
And it tastes so good
When you’re warm in her bed

Yeah I’m so happy I, I could almost die
She makes the best eggs in the world, oh yeah

Maybe this could be the first time
Maybe this could be the first time
Maybe this could be the first time
I, I, I, I, I felt love

Love love love
Love love love
Love love love
I felt love

Maybe this could be the first time
I, I, I, I
Maybe this could be the first time
Maybe this could be the first time
Maybe this could be the first time
I, I, I, I, I felt love
I felt love
I felt love
And it feels good.

Song Lyric Sunday — “Take What You Want”

Can you believe it? I almost forgot it’s Song Lyric Sunday! This week’s theme is the flip side of last weeks’s give/giving theme: take/taking. I’ve got a perfect song for it, too. The Cars’ “Take What You Want” video from their 1979 Musikladen performance has my favorite rock ‘n’ roll visual: Benjamin Orr’s “rock god” kick. ❤ This performance also has one of Elliot Easton’s best lead guitar solos. And, Ric Ocasek’s always cryptic lyrics include another one of my favorites: “I live on emotion / And comic relief.” I could wax rhapsodic about this song but could never match my friend sweetpurplejune (also a fan of the kick). All I can say is, I hope you enjoy it at least half as much as I do!

“Take What You Want”

Take what you want
And leave what you don’t
Take what you want
And leave what you don’t

I’m painting a face
The color is dripping
Magnesium moments
In black fairy tales

I live on emotion
And comic relief
I put this one on you
Run, run, run like a thief

Am I all alone?
Am I all alone?
Salamander sunrise
Comes at 4:44

Lingerie madness
Don’t you kick down the door
Sweet Sarah’s so wild
Don’t you know why I’m losing your head

Down the dark alley
Where rumours are spread
The room is so dark
I’m catching on fire

I’m in love with your face
It’s so confused by desire
Am I all alone? Am I all alone?
I’m winding it up

It’s running back down
I’m winding it up

t’s running back down
So take what you want

And leave what you don’t
Take it
Take it
Take it

Songwriters: Ric Ocasek

Song Lyric Sunday — “Whole Lotta Love”

Song Lyric Sunday is here again, and Helen Vahdati’s chosen theme is “give/giving.” My chosen genre is hard rock with Led Zeppelin’s 1969 song, “Whole Lotta Love.” Looking for the lyrics, I realized that lyrics sites show differing songwriting credits. One site apparently relied on an incorrect ASCAP listing that showed “Sharon” Plant instead of Robert. Although most sites correctly credit the five original band members (John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Pete Moore, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant), many omit the sixth writer, non-band-member Willie Dixon.

Willie Dixon was an American musican and songwriter who wrote “You Need Love” for bluesman Muddy Waters, who released it in 1962. The lyrics included:”Baby, you know you need coolin’ / Woman, way down inside.” In 1966 the English band Small Faces released their eponymous debut album containing a song called “You Need Loving.” Despite being a thinly-veiled copy of Willie Dixon’s song, the the album credited band members Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott as the sole writers.

Are you with me so far? In 1969, Led Zeppelin released “Whole Lotta Love,”which peaked in the U.S. at number 4 on the Billboard charts. With lyrics remarkably like Dixon’s (and, of course, the Small Faces’) and with Plant’s vocals remarkably like the Small Faces’ Steve Marriott’s, the five Zeps were the only listed writers.

Dixon did not sue the Small Faces for their duplicate of “You Need Love,” and the Small Faces did not sue Led Zeppelin (a wise move IMHO). Dixon, however, did sue Zeppelin, reaching a settlement in 1985 that included giving him writing credit on all subsequent releases.

For your listening pleasure, I’m giving (see what I did?) you videos of all three songs, together with the lyrics for “Whole Lotta Love.” Links to lyrics for the other two are up in the second paragraph. But, really, don’t you think it’d be more fun to compare their vids with the Zep lyrics?

“Whole Lotta Love“
You need coolin’, baby, I’m not foolin’,
I’m gonna send you back to schoolin’,
Way down inside, honey, you need it,
I’m gonna give you my love,
I’m gonna give you my love.

Wanna whole lotta love [4x]

You’ve been learnin’, baby, I’ve been yearnin’,
All them good times, baby, baby, I’ve been learnin’,
Way, way down inside, honey, you need it,
I’m gonna give you my love
I’m gonna give you my love.

Wanna whole lotta love [4x]

You’ve been coolin’, baby, I’ve been droolin’,
All the good times baby I’ve been misusin’,
Way, way down inside, I’m gonna give you my love,
I’m gonna give you every inch of my love,
Gonna give you my love.

Wanna whole lotta love [4x]

Yeah! All right! Let’s go!

Way down inside… woman… you need… love.

Shake for me, girl.
I wanna be your backdoor man.
Keep it coolin’, baby. [4x]