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

Song Lyric Sunday: “It’s All In The Game”

The minute I saw this week’s prompt, “game”, the only song that immediately played in my head was the old pop standard “It’s All In The Game”. Although recorded by many over the years, Tommy Edwards’ 1958 doo-wop recording is the definitive version, peaking at #1 on the Billboard charts. His earlier 1951 waltz-time recording is notable primarily in contrast to the 1958 hit. That Carl Sigman wrote the lyrics in 1951 set to music written 40 years earlier isn’t the most interesting fact related to this song. That honor belongs to the composer, Charles Gates Dawes, who was the Comptroller of the Currency in the U.S. Treasury Department when he wrote the music. Even that pales when compared with Mr. Dawes’ other claims to fame. He was Vice-President to Calvin Coolidge, making him the only V.P. with #1 hit. Impressive? But wait, there’s more. He was a Nobel laureate, having won the Peace Prize in 1925. He followed his V.P. stint with an ambassadorship to the United Kingdom. Learning about Dawes’ accomplishments bowled me over. My American Studies degree may make me just a little biased, but his pedigree blew my mind. Not only was his father a Civil War general under Ulysses S. Grant, but one of his great-great grandfathers, William Dawes, rode with Paul Revere that April night in 1775, rousing the militia to defend against the British. Whew! Even the 1958 “All In The Game” seems almost anti-climactic now.

“It’s All In The Game”

Many a tear has to fall but it’s all in the game
All in the wonderful game that we know as love
You have words with him and your future’s looking dim
But these things your hearts can rise above

Once in a while he won’t call but it’s all in the game
Soon he’ll be there at your side with a sweet bouquet
And he’ll kiss your lips and caress your waiting fingertips
And your hearts will fly away

(Soon he’ll be there at your side) with a sweet bouquet
Then he’ll kiss your lips and caress your waiting fingertips
And your hearts will fly away

Writer/s: CARL SIGMAN, CHARLES GATES DAWES
Publisher: MUSIC SALES CORPORATION,
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Response to Song Lyric Sunday

Song Lyric Sunday — “A Dream Away” — The Cars

I just can’t get this particular challenge and this past Sunday’s prompt, dream, out of my mind. Don’t get me wrong: I love ELP’s “I’ll Be Watching Over You” that I chose as my response. But I debated with myself for quite a while, weighing that one against The Cars’ “A Dream Away”. In the end, my choice was based on two factors. First, ELP’s song seemed “dreamier”, whereas The Cars’ contender seemed, well, not exactly nightmarish but like it would produce more of a restless night, belying its title. Second, I love Greg Lake’s voice; Ric Ocasek’s, not so much.

When it comes right down to it, though, it’s The Cars’ song that I haven’t been able to get out of my mind. Usually whether or not I like a Cars song depends almost entirely on whether or not Benjamin Orr’s rich, melodious voice is the one I’ll be hearing. Surprisingly, however, Ocasek’s vocals aren’t as brusque as usual. In fact, singing the thought-provoking lyrics he wrote, he has an almost Orr-like sensual delivery. Ocasek’s lyrics tend to be cryptic yet vivid, as many dreams are. Orr’s pulsing bass line kicks in at around 00:30 to generate a sense of urgency in this dreamworld. You may not get a restful night, but you won’t soon forget the dreamscape Ocasek paints.

“A Dream Away”
Five in the morning, all alone in your room
Door locked tight, private moon
No faces to face, no one to blame
Nonexistent inside this frame

You better
Take it on the run
Take it on the run
Yeah

There’s a cheetah walking high
Liquid whispers, dragonfly
Charleston booties, painted toes
Drop the knot, ivory soul

You better
Take it on the run
Take it on the run
Yeah

The good life is just a dream away
I said, The good life is just a dream away

Choke emotion, lose control
Chicken counters, fill your bowls
The lonely crowd, is decomposed
Lost obsession, future froze

Well, take it on the run
Take it on the run
Take it on the run
Take it on the run
Take it on the run

The good life is just a dream away
I said, the good life is just a dream away

Response #2 to Song Lyric Sunday - Dream
Response to FOWC - Nightmare