Songs Lyrics and YT- Youtube Music Videos

AC/DC - Back In Black

AC/DC - Back In Black Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Back In Black
Released: 1980

Back In Black Lyrics

Back In Black
I hit the sack
I've been too long I'm glad to be back (I bet you know I'm,)
Yes, I'm let loose
From the noose
That's kept me hanging about
I've been looking at the sky
'Cause it's gettin' me high
Forget the hearse 'cause I never die
I got nine lives
Cat's eyes
Abusin' every one of them and running wild

[Chorus]
'Cause I'm back
Yes, I'm back
Well, I'm back
Yes, I'm back
Well, I'm back, back
(Well) I'm back in black
Yes, I'm back in black

Back in the back
Of a Cadillac
Number one with a bullet, I'm a power pack
Yes, I'm in a bang
With a gang
They've got to catch me if they want me to hang
'Cause I'm back on the track
And I'm beatin' the flack
Nobody's gonna get me on another rap
So look at me now
I'm just makin' my play
Don't try to push your luck, just get out of my way

'Cause I'm back
Yes, I'm back
Well, I'm back
Yes, I'm back
Well, I'm back, back
(Well) I'm back in black
Yes, I'm back in black

Well, I'm back, yes I'm back
Well, I'm back, yes I'm back
Well, I'm back, back
Well I'm back in black
Yes I'm back in black

Ho yeah
Oh yeah
Yes I am
Oh yeah, yeah oh yeah
Back in now
Well I'm back, I'm back
Back, I'm back
Back, I'm back
Back, I'm back
Back, I'm back
Back
Back in black
Yes I'm back in black

Out of the sight

Writer/s: BRIAN JOHNSON, MALCOLM MITCHELL YOUNG, ANGUS MCKINNON YOUNG
Publisher: J. ALBERT & SON(INTERNATIONAL) PTY. LTD.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Back In Black Song Chart

This was released five months after lead singer Bon Scott died. The song is a tribute to Scott, and the lyrics, "Forget the hearse 'cause I never die" imply that he will live on forever through his music. With Brian Johnson on lead vocals, the Back In Black album proved that AC/DC could indeed carry on without Scott. (thanks, Nathan - Willow Spring, NC)

Brian Johnson made quite a statement with this song, quickly endearing himself to AC/DC fans and leaving little doubt that the band made the right pick to replace Bon Scott. Johnson had been in a group called Geordie, which Scott saw in 1973. After that show, Scott talked up the Geordie lead singer to his bandmates, and in 1980 when they were looking for a replacement, AC/DC's producer Mutt Lange suggested him. At the time, Johnson was working as a windshield fitter and had recently reunited Geordie.

The band got the idea for the title before writing any of the song, although Malcolm Young had the main guitar riff for years and used to play it frequently as a warm-up tune. After Bon Scott's death, Angus Young decided that their first album without him should be called Back In Black in tribute, and they wrote this song around that phrase. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)

The album had a black cover with the band's logo on it, which was a tribute to Bon Scott. They didn't want it to feel mournful, however, and needed a title track that captured the essence of their fallen friend. They were certainly not going to do a ballad, so it fell on Brian Johnson to write a lyric that would rock, but also celebrate Scott without being morbid or literal.

Johnson says he wrote "Whatever came into my head," which at the time he thought was nonsense. To the contrary, lines about abusing his nine lives and beating the rap summed up Scott perfectly, and his new bandmates loved it.

Bon Scott had several lyrical ideas for the album, but those were abandoned by the band in favor of new lyrics by Brian, Malcolm and Angus. Former AC/DC manager Ian Jeffrey claims to still have a folder that contains lyrics of 15 songs written for Back In Black by Bon, but Angus insists that all of Bon's notebooks were given to his family.

This song was recorded in The Bahamas and produced in New York by Mutt Lange. Back In Black was one of the first big albums Lange produced. He went on to work with Def Leppard, Celine Dion, and Shania Twain (who he married in 1993). In the late-'70s, he produced two albums for the band Clover, which featured Huey Lewis on harmonica and Alex Call on lead vocals. Call explains Lange's production style:

"Mutt is a real studio rat. He is Mr. Endurance in the studio. When we were making the records with him, he'd start working at 10:30, 11 in the morning and go until 3 at night, night after night. He is one of the guys that really developed that whole multi-multi-multi track recording. We'd do 8 tracks of background vocals going, "Oooooh" and bounce those down to one track and then do another 8, he was doing a lot of that. A lot of the things you hear on Def Leppard and that kind of stuff, he was developing that when he worked with us. We were the last record he did that wasn't enormous, and that's not his fault, he did a really good job with us. Mutt is famous for working long hours. The story I heard about one of the Shania sessions, he had Rob Hajakos, who's one of the famous fiddle session men down here (Nashville). Rob was playing violin parts for like seven or eight hours and finally he said, 'Can I take a break,' and Mutt says, 'What do you mean take a break?' Rob goes, 'Have you ever held one of these for eight hours under your chin?' Mutt really loves to record, he loves music and he's a real perfectionist and an innovator. An unbelievable commercial hook writer." (Check out our full interview with Alex Call.)

This was the title track to AC/DC's most popular album. It has sold over 19 million copies in the US, the 6th highest ever. Worldwide, it has sold over 40 million.

The Beastie Boys sampled this on their 1985 single "Rock Hard," a single released in 1985 on Def Jam Records. They sampled it without AC/DC's permission, so AC/DC refused to allow the Beastie Boys to include the song on their 1999 compilation album Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science. (thanks, Jimoh - New York, NY)

A remastered version is included on the 1997 Bon Scott tribute album, Bonfire.

The Atlanta Falcons football team used this as their theme song for a while. The Falcons also went through an MC Hammer phase, when they used "2 Legit 2 Quit" and let the rapper roam their sidelines.

This was used as the backing track to a bootleg version of Eminem's 1999 hit "My Name Is" The song fits surprisingly well under Eminem's rap.

Missy Elliott did a remix of this song called "Get Your Freak On (AC/DC remix)" that is played in the beginning of the movie The Rundown, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Sean William Scott. (thanks, Steve - Kitchener, Canada)

The Appalachian State Mountaineers football team use this song before and during their games, where it is a crowd favorite. The team colors are gold and black. (thanks, Laura K. - Toccoa, GA)

This features in a commercial for the 2015 Chevy Colorado pickup truck, where a mundane guy in a generic sedan is soundtracked with "Rainy Days And Mondays," which becomes "Back In Black" when a much more exciting fellow comes into the shot and drives off in his black Colorado.

Kurt Cobain was given his first guitar for his 14th birthday, and this was the first song that he learned to play.

Iron Maiden - Back In The Village

Iron Maiden - Back In The Village Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Powerslave
Released: 1984

Back In The Village Lyrics

Turn the spotlights on the people,
Switch the dial and eat the worm.
Take your chances, kill the engine,
Drop your bombs and let it burn.

White flags shot to ribbons,
The truce is black and burned,
Shellshock in the kitchen,
Tables overturned.

[Chorus]
Back In The Village again,
In the village.
I'm back in the village again.

Throwing dice now, rolling loaded,
I see sixes all the way.
In a black hole, and I'm spinning
As my wings get shot away.

No breaks on the inside,
Paper cats and burning barns,
There's a fox among the chickens,
And a killer in the hounds.

Questions are a burden
And answers are a prison for oneself
Shellshock in the kitchen
Tables start to burn.

[Chorus]

But still we walk into the valley
And others try to kill the inner flame
We're burning brighter than before
I don't have a number, I'M A NAME!

[Chorus]

Writer/s: DICKINSON, BRUCE / SMITH, ADRIAN FREDERICK
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Back In The Village

One of the band's musical adaptations of the old BBC television series, The Prisoner. "The Village" was the name of the prison in this Patrick McGoohan series. (thanks, Jeff - Haltom City, TX)

Layered over the line "I see sixes all the way" is a whisper, which is apparently singer Bruce Dickinson saying the number 666. It is a reference to the first album that featured Dickinson on vocals, The Number of the Beast.

Bruce Dickinson, a licensed pilot and airplane fan, inserted much pilot terminology in here (he did the same in "Aces High" and "Tailgunner"). For example: "Take your chances, kill the engine, drop your bombs and let them burn" and "In a black hole, and I'm spinning, as my wings get shot away." There is also the line "There's a fox among the chickens," which some have interpreted as a reference to guided missiles (a radar guided missile= "fox 1", infrared guided air to air missile= "fox 2", etc.) A Napalm missile is a "fox six", hence, "I see sixes all the way." (thanks, Brett - Edmonton, Canada, for above 2)

Nina Simone - Young, Gifted And Black

Nina Simone - Young, Gifted And Black Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Black Gold
Released: 1969

Young, Gifted And Black Lyrics

To be Young, Gifted And Black,
Oh what a lovely precious dream
To be young, gifted and black,
Open your heart to what I mean

In the whole world you know
There are billion boys and girls
Who are young, gifted and black,
And that's a fact!

Young, gifted and black
We must begin to tell our young
There's a world waiting for you
This is a quest that's just begun

When you feel really low
Yeah, there's a great truth you should know
When you're young, gifted and black
Your soul's intact

Young, gifted and black
How I long to know the truth
There are times when I look back
And I am haunted by my youth

Oh but my joy of today
Is that we can all be proud to say
To be young, gifted and black
Is where it's at

Writer/s: Irvine, Weldon / Simone, Nina
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Young, Gifted And Black

Originally called "To Be Young, Gifted and Black," Nina Simone wrote this song with a poet named Weldon Irvine, who contributed lyrics. It was a relaxed session, Simone's daughter Lisa remembered. "One of the first things I remember as a child was being in the studio when she and Weldon Irvine were working on 'Young, Gifted and Black.' Weldon was very laid-back and talented. He and my mother got along well. A personality like my mother's was offset very well by his laid-back personality. The first things I think about were his eyes, which were very big. He was the man when it came to organ and piano."

The author Lorraine Hansberry, famous for her play A Raisin in the Sun, was an inspiration for this song. After Hansberry died in 1965, a collection of her works was published under the title To Be Young, Gifted and Black, which was also made into an off-Broadway play. Simone wrote the song to honor her memory.

Simone told Irvine she wanted lyrics that "will make black children all over the world feel good about themselves forever." It proved to be a tall order for Irvine. He recalled to journalist Oliver Wang:

"It was the only time in my life that I wrestled with creating," he said. "Usually, I just open the door and it comes. I was in my Ford Galaxie on my way to the bus station to pick up a girlfriend from down South. I stopped at a red light at Forty-First Street and Eighth Avenue when all the words came to me at once. I tied up traffic at that red light for fifteen minutes, as I scribbled on three napkins and a matchbook cover. A whole bunch of irate taxi drivers were leaning on their horns. I wrote it, put it in the glove compartment, picked up the girl, and didn't look at it until she got back on the bus to go home." When he read it, he thought, "I didn't write this. God wrote it through me."

This was released as a single in 1969 and reached its Hot 100 peak of #76 in January 1970. Simone released an album in 1970 called Gifted & Black, but it didn't include this track. Simone did include the song on her live album Black Gold, which was released later that year. That album was recorded at the New York Philharmonic Hall in October 1969.

The single runs just 2:46, but the live version stretches to 9:34.

In the UK, the duo Bob & Marcia recorded the most popular version of this song, taking it to #5 in March 1970. Bob Andy and Marcia (pronounced "Mar-See-a") Griffiths were successful reggae solo singers in their native Jamaica. Producer Harry J put them together to record their reggae version of this song, which became the first UK hit to incorporate a reggae string section. A year later, Bob & Marcia hit #11 UK with "Pied Piper," then resumed their solo careers. Griffiths became a member of Bob Marley's backup group, and had a hit on her own with "Electric Boogie."

Simone's live album Black Gold, which included this song, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1971. That category was dominated by Aretha Franklin, who won it every year from 1968-1975, beating Simone twice (Nina was also nominated in 1968 for "You'll Go to Hell"). Franklin's "Don't Play That Song" was the 1971 winner, but Aretha loved "Young, Gifted And Black" and visited Simone in Barbados to personally ask permission to cover it. Franklin included it on her 1972 album, also titled Young, Gifted and Black. Franklin's performance of the song was the Grammy winner in 1973.

Harry J produced the Bob & Marcia version, recording it at his studio and releasing it on his Harry J Record label. The year before, Harry J had a #9 hit with "Liquidator," which he recorded with his reggae group The Harry J. All Stars. In 1981 he produced "The Bed's Too Big Without You," a #35 UK hit for Jamaican singer Sheila Hylton.

Boris Gardiner played bass on the Bob & Marcia version. He went on to have three UK Top 20 hits, including a #1 in 1986 with his light reggae version of the Mac Davis song "I Wanna Wake Up With You."

The Rolling Stones - Paint It Black

The Rolling Stones - Paint It Black Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Aftermath (U.S.)
Released: 1966

Paint It Black Lyrics

I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colors anymore, I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

I see a line of cars and they're all painted black
With flowers and my love, both never to come back
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away
Like a newborn baby it just happens ev'ryday

I look inside myself and see my heart is black
I see my red door and I must have it painted black
Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black

No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue
I could not foresee this thing happening to you
If I look hard enough into the setting sun
My love will laugh with me before the morning comes

I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colors anymore I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

I want to see your face painted black, black as night, black as coal
Don't want to see the sun, flying high in the sky
I want to see it painted, painted, painted, painted black, yea

Writer/s: RICHARDS, KEITH / JAGGER, MICK
Publisher: Abkco Music, Inc.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Paint It Black Song Chart

This is written from the viewpoint of a person who is depressed; he wants everything to turn black to match his mood. There was no specific inspiration for the lyrics. When asked at the time why he wrote a song about death, Mick Jagger replied: "I don't know. It's been done before. It's not an original thought by any means. It all depends on how you do it."

The song seems to be about a lover who died:

"I see a line of cars and they're all painted black" - The hearse and limos.

"With flowers and my love both never to come back" - The flowers from the funeral and her in the hearse. He talks about his heart being black because of his loss.

"I could not foresee this thing happening to you" - It was an unexpected and sudden death.

"If I look hard enough into the setting sun, my love will laugh with me before the morning comes" - This refers to her in Heaven. (thanks, Daryn - Mays Landing, NJ)

The Rolling Stones wrote this as a much slower, conventional soul song. When Bill Wyman began fooling around on the organ during the session doing a takeoff of their original as a spoof of music played at Jewish weddings. Co-manager Eric Easton (who had been an organist), and Charlie Watts joined in and improvised a double-time drum pattern, echoing the rhythm heard in some Middle Eastern dances. This new more upbeat rhythm was then used in the recording as a counterpoint to the morbid lyrics.

Stones guitarist Brian Jones played the sitar on this track. He made good television by balancing the instrument on his lap during appearances.

Keith Richards: "We were in Fiji for about three days. They make sitars and all sorts of Indian stuff. Sitars are made out of watermelons or pumpkins or something smashed so they go hard. They're very brittle and you have to be careful how you handle them. We had the sitars, we thought we'd try them out in the studio. To get the right sound on 'Paint It Black' we found the sitar fitted perfectly. We tried a guitar but you can't bend it enough." (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)

This was used as the theme song for Tour Of Duty, a CBS show about the Vietnam War which ran from 1987-1989.

On the single, there is a comma before the word "Black" in the title, rendering it, "Paint It, Black." This of course changes the context, implying that a person named "Black" is being implored to paint. While some fans interpreted this as a statement on race relations, it's far more likely that the rogue comma was the result of a clerical error, something not uncommon in the '60s.

Mick Jagger: "That was the time of lots of acid. It has sitars on it. It's like the beginnings of miserable psychedelia. That's what the Rolling Stones started - maybe we should have a revival of that."

U2 did a cover for the 7" B-side of "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses," and used some of it in live versions of "Bad." Other artists who have covered the song include Deep Purple, Vanessa Carlton , GOB, Tea Party, Jonny Lang, Face to Face, Earth Crisis, W.A.S.P., Rage, Glenn Tipton, Elliott Smith, Eternal Afflict, Anvil, and Risa Song.

Jack Nitzsche played keyboards. Besides working with The Stones, Nitzsche arranged records for Phil Spector and scored many movies. Nitzsche had an unfortunate moment when he appeared on the TV show Cops after being arrested for waving a gun at a guy who stole his hat. He died of a heart attack in 2000 at age 63.

The Stones former manager Allen Klein owned the publishing rights to this song. In 1965, The Stones hired him and signed a deal they would later regret. With Klein controlling their money, The Stones signed over the publishing rights to all the songs they wrote up to 1969. Every time this is used in a commercial or TV show, Klein's estate (he died in 2009) gets paid.

This is featured in the closing credits of the movie The Devil's Advocate. It is also heard at the end of Stanley Kubrick's movie Full Metal Jacket, where it serves as an allegory of the sorrow of the sudden death in the song relating to the emotional death of the men in the film, and of all men in war. (thanks, Joseph - Taree, Australia)

"Paint It Black" was referenced in the second verse of the song "Thirteen" by Big Star:

Won't you tell your Dad get off my back?
Tell him what we said 'bout "Paint It Black"
Rock 'n' Roll is here to stay
Come inside where it's OK
And I'll shake you

(thanks, John - Tipperary, Ireland)

This song was used in the movie Stir Of Echoes with Kevin Bacon. In the movie, Bacon's character hears the first few chords of it in a memory, but could not think of the song. It drives him crazy through most of the movie. (thanks, Mary - Phoenix, AZ)

Talking on his Absolute Radio show, Stones' co-guitarist Ronnie Wood disclosed that Keith Richards has trouble remembering how to play this song. He revealed, "We always have this moment of hesitation where we don't know if Keith's going to get the intro right."

Keith Richards: "What made 'Paint It Black' was Bill Wyman on the organ, because it didn't sound anything like the finished record until Bill said, 'You go like this.'"

Ciara recorded a breathy, stirring cover for the 2015 movie, The Last Witch Hunter. The R&B star told Rolling Stone that it was a surprise for her when she got the call from Universal Publishing and Lionsgate to record the tune. "When they asked me to do this, I was like, 'Absolutely. This would be an honor,'" she said. "I had never thought to cover this song. It was never on my radar to cover it, but when the opportunity came along, I was very thrilled, because I love what the producer Adrianne Gonzales did."

"The direction that she went in was actually a sound I've always wanted to play with, and it just didn't get any better than being able to cover a Rolling Stones song," Ciara continued. "I feel like it pushes the edge and the limit for me, in reference to what people probably expect from me. So this was so many cool things in one. It was a huge honor, and then creatively I just got to really have some fun that I don't usually do in my music."

Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun

Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Superunknown
Released: 1994

Black Hole Sun Lyrics

In my eyes, indisposed
In disguises no one knows
Hides the face, lies the snake
The sun in my disgrace
Boiling heat, summer stench
'Neath the black the sky looks dead
Call my name through the cream
And I'll hear you scream again

Black Hole Sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come (Won't you come)

Stuttering, cold and damp
Steal the warm wind tired friend
Times are gone for honest men
And sometimes far too long for snakes
In my shoes, a walking sleep
And my youth I pray to keep
Heaven sent hell away
No one sings like you anymore

Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come

Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come (Black hole sun, Black hole sun)

Won't you come (Black hole sun, Black hole sun)
Won't you come (Black hole sun, Black hole sun)
Won't you come (Black hole sun, Black hole sun)

Hang my head, drown my fear
Till you all just disappear

Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come

Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come (Black hole sun, Black hole sun)
Won't you come (Black hole sun, Black hole sun)
Won't you come (Black hole sun, Black hole sun)
Won't you come (Black hole sun, Black hole sun)
Won't you come (Black hole sun, Black hole sun)
Won't you come (Black hole sun, Black hole sun)
Won't you come
Won't you come

Writer/s: CHRIS CORNELL
Publisher: BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Black Hole Sun Song Chart

The band is named after a sculpture in Seattle called "Soundgarden," and longtime speculation was that this song got its name from another Seattle sculpture called "Black Sun," by the artist Isamu Noguchi. (The piece is located in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill. It looks kind of like a huge, black doughnut and is aimed so you can see the Space Needle through the middle of it.)

Chris Cornell stated in a 2014 interview with Entertainment Weekly that the title came from something he heard on the news - he thought the anchor said "black hole sun," but he really was saying something else. Cornell started thinking about the phrase and decided to write a song around it, as he felt it was a thought-provoking title. He wrote the lyrics first, then composed the music based on the images he came up with.

This song was written entirely by Chris Cornell. "If I write lyrics that are bleak or dark, it usually makes me feel better," the Soundgarden frontman said.

This song is certainly bleak, with references to snakes, a dead sky, and the summer stench. It's one of the more morose songs to get consistent airplay, and it helped associate the Grunge sound with depression and angst. Cornell, however, was simply expressing some dark thoughts in song - he was not suffering or crying for help in the manner of Kurt Cobain.

In our interview with Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil , he said of this song: "We'd had singles before. But that was easily our biggest hit. That was more singer/songwriterish. Chris went that direction of singer/songwriter guy, and the band was more accepting because of the success of singer/songwriting stuff as opposed to more guitar oriented rock. It was more vocal accompaniment rock, some guitar. So we started utilizing a little bit more of that."

This song got a lot of radio play because the Alternative format and "Grunge" sound were popular at the time and Top 40 radio stations were playing a lot of songs by artists like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots. It didn't make the Hot 100 because it wasn't released as a single and therefore ineligible for the chart (it did make #24 on Billboard's Airplay chart). Holding back singles was a common ploy around this time, as it encouraged fans to buy the albums. Accordingly, Superunknown went to #1 in America, far better than the #39 peak of their previous album, Badmotorfinger.

This won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. They also won Best Metal Performance that year for "Spoonman."

The song was covered by Peter Frampton on his 2006 instrumental album Fingerprints. The lyrics were replaced by Frampton on guitar, playing through his trademark "talk box," through which he simulated the pitch of the vocals, but not the words. The only distinguishable words (played through the talk box) in the rendition are "Black hole sun, won't you come," which can be heard in the verses after the bridge/guitar solo. Fingerprints won the 2007 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album. (thanks, Colin - North Dartmouth, MA)

The surreal Howard Greenhalgh-directed video finds the band performing the song in an open field as a suburban neighborhood are swallowed up by a black hole. Speaking with Artist Direct in a 2012 interview, Cornell said that at the time he had made a number of videos with directors who didn't understand where the band was coming from and he was disillusioned with the whole process. "We just read treatments for it, and Howard Greenhalgh's treatment just read weird as the video turned out," he recalled.
"I suggested we just pick one that we want, try to find a great one, and let the guy do whatever he wants," continued Cornell. "We should just be there and not emote, not pretend to be excited to play the song, deadpan, stand there, and do absolutely nothing. We chose his treatment because it seemed interesting. I told him on the phone, 'We're not going to do anything. You're not going to get anything out of us. We're just going to stand there because we don't want to do this anymore.'. Somehow, for whatever reason, he loved that.
I love the video because it worked. It just happened to be a guy with a great idea who happened to believe in our notion that we're reluctant video stars who are going to give you nothing. The contrast of us giving you nothing and your vision is actually going to be better than if we're jumping around acting like crazy rock people and you're doing these flash jump-cut edits and crazy lighting. We're weird enough as it is, and we're tired of trying to not be. It worked. It was a big lesson. If you get out of somebody's way, or collaborate in the right way, a good thing can come out of it."

Chris Cornell got the idea for this song while driving home from Bear Creek Studio, near Seattle, where Soundgarden were recording a version of "New Damage" for a charity album. He recalled to Uncut magazine August 2014: "I wrote it in my head driving home from Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, a 35-40 minute drive from Seattle. It sparked from something a news anchor said on TV and I heard wrong. I heard 'blah blah blah black hole sun blah blah blah'. I thought that would make an amazing song title, but what would it sound like? It all came together, pretty much the whole arrangement including the guitar solo that's played beneath the riff."

"I spent a lot of time spinning those melodies in my head so I wouldn't forget them," he continued. "I got home and whistled it into a Dictaphone. The next day I brought it into the real world, assigning a couple of key changes in the verse to make the melodies more interesting. Then I wrote the lyrics and that was similar,a stream of consciousness based on the feeling I got from the chorus and title."

Cornell reflected on the song's lyrical content to Uncut: "What's interesting to me is the combination of a black hole and a sun," he said. "A black hole is a billion times larger than a sun, it's a void, a giant circle of nothing, and then you have the sun, the giver of all life. It was this combination of bright and dark, this sense of hope and underlying moodiness."

"I even liked the way the words looked written down," Cornell added. "I liken it to Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, where there's a happy veneer over something dark. It's not something I can do on purpose but occasionally it will happen by accident."

Sir Mix-A-Lot - Baby Got Back

Sir Mix-A-Lot - Baby Got Back Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Mack Daddy
Released: 1992

Baby Got Back Lyrics

Oh, my, God Becky, look at her butt
It is so big, she looks like
One of those rap guys' girlfriends
But, ya know, who understands those rap guys?
They only talk to her, because,
She looks like a total prostitute, 'kay?
I mean, her butt, is just so big
I can't believe it's just so round, it's like out there
I mean gross, look
She's just so, black

I like big butts and I can not lie
You other brothers can't deny
That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist
And a round thing in your face
You get sprung, want to pull up tough
'Cause you notice that butt was stuffed
Deep in the jeans she's wearing
I'm hooked and I can't stop staring
Oh baby, I want to get wit'cha
And take your picture
My homeboys tried to warn me
But with that butt you got makes (me so horny)
Ooh, Rump-o'-smooth-skin
You say you want to get in my Benz?
Well, use me, use me
'Cause you ain't that average groupie
I've seen her dancin'
To hell with romancin'
She's sweat, wet,
Got it goin' like a turbo 'Vette
I'm tired of magazines
Sayin' flat butts are the thing
Take the average black man and ask him that
She gotta pack much back
So, fellas (Yeah) Fellas (Yeah)
Has your girlfriend got the butt? (Hell yeah)
Tell 'em to shake it (Shake it) Shake it (Shake it)
Shake that healthy butt
Baby Got Back (L.A. fits with the Oakland booty)

Baby got back (L.A. fits with the Oakland booty)

I like 'em round, and big
And when I'm throwin' a gig
I just can't help myself, I'm actin' like an animal
Now here's my scandal
I want to get you home
And ugh, double-up, ugh, ugh
I ain't talkin' bout Playboy
'Cause silicone parts are made for toys
I want 'em real thick and juicy
So find that juicy double
Mix-a-Lot's in trouble
Beggin' for a piece of that bubble
So I'm lookin' at rock videos
Knock-kneed bimbos walkin' like hoes
You can have them bimbos
I'll keep my women like Flo Jo
A word to the thick soul sistas, I want to get with ya
I won't cuss or hit ya
But I gotta be straight when I say I want to fuck
Til the break of dawn
Baby got it goin' on
A lot of simps won't like this song
'Cause them punks like to hit it and quit it
And I'd rather stay and play
'Cause I'm long, and I'm strong
And I'm down to get the friction on
So, ladies (yeah) Ladies (yeah)
If you want to role in my Mercedes (yeah)
Then turn around, stick it out
Even white boys got to shout
Baby got back

Baby got back
Yeah, baby, when it comes to females
Cosmo ain't got nothin'
To do with my selection
Thirty six-twenty four- thirty six
Ha ha, only if she's 5'3

So your girlfriend rolls a Honda, playin' workout tapes by Fonda
But Fonda ain't got a motor in the back of her Honda
My anaconda don't want none
Unless you've got buns, hon
You can do side bends or sit-ups
But please don't lose that butt
Some brothers want to play that hard role
And tell you that the butt ain't gol'
So they toss it and leave it
And I pull up quick to retrieve it
So Cosmo says you're fat
Well I ain't down with that
'Cause your waist is small and your curves are kickin'
And I'm thinkin' bout stickin'
To the beanpole dames in the magazines
You ain't it, Miss Thing
Give me a sista, I can't resist her
Red beans and rice didn't miss her
Some knucklehead tried to dis
'Cause his girls are on my list
He had game but he chose to hit 'em
And I pull up quick to get wit 'em
So ladies, if the butt is round,
And you want a triple X throw down
Dial 1-900-MIXALOT
And kick them nasty thoughts
Baby got back

Baby got back

(Little in the middle but she got much back)
(Little in the middle but she got much back)
(Little in the middle but she got much back)
(Little in the middle but she got much back)

Writer/s: RAY, ANTHONY L.
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Baby Got Back Song Chart

This song is about women with big butts, and the men who love them. Mix-a-Lot got the idea for this when he was watching the Super Bowl on TV. A Budweiser beer commercial came on with models who were way too skinny for his taste.

This started a trend of rap "booty" songs. Wreckx-N-Effect had a hit soon after with "Rump Shaker," and rappers have been singing the praises of "the bubble" ever since.

The outrageous video was briefly banned by MTV. This added to the song's popularity, as Mix-a-Lot played up the controversy. Years later, many rap videos featured dancers with big, healthy butts. The dancers in modern hip-hop videos usually have bigger rumps than those in "Baby Got Back," since in 1992, it was a lot harder to find models with a juicy bubble.

This song opens with two Valley Girls disparaging a black woman with a big butt. It was the first successful Valley Girl integration since the Frank Zappa song "Valley Girl."

This brought Sir Mix-a-Lot national fame; previously he was locally popular in Seattle. After trying to follow up with other butt-related songs, he fell into obscurity as a performer, but did have another hit as a songwriter: he wrote the Pussycat Dolls hit "Don't Cha" with Cee-Lo Green. Despite having just this one hit, he is still a big part of rap history - his old mixer is on display at the Experience Music Project in Seattle.

Cameron Diaz dances to this in the movie Charlie's Angels. It has also been used in the movies Happy Feet, Jackass: The Movie, Shrek and Shark Tale.

A young and nervous Ytossie from the reality TV show Temptation Island I was one of the bootie-shaking performers in the video for this song.

In 2005, this was used in back-to-school commercials for Target with the lyrics changed to "Baby Got Backpack."

This song has been covered by Throwdown, a Heavy Metal band, and Agent Felix, a Pop-Punk band. (thanks, Logan - Bellevue, WA)

Mix-a-Lot wasn't the first to use the phrase "Silicone Sisters" to refer to surgically enhanced women - Bruce Springsteen used it in his first single, "Blinded By The Light."

The sketch comedy show In Living Color did a parody of this by "Trail Mix-a-Lot" called "Baby Got Snacks." In this version, the front man (Jamie Foxx) raps about being into obese women. (thanks, Mike - Santa Barbara, CA)

A cover of the song was sung in the Glee episode 'Sadie Hawkins,' which aired on January 24, 2013 in the US. The Fox TV show's version was borrowed from an interpretation by singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton, who was more than a little miffed not to be acknowledged. "It sounds like it actually uses the audio from my recording - not the vocals obviously, but the instruments sound EXTREMELY similar," he wrote on his blog.

Coulon added: "They got in touch with my peeps to basically say that they're within their legal rights to do this, and that I should be happy for the exposure (even though they do not credit me, and have not even publicly acknowledged that it's my version - so you know, it's kind of SECRET exposure)."

Speaking with TMZ in 2014, Sir Mix-A-Lot said that Jennifer Lopez was the inspiration for the song, particularly during her time on In Living Color as one of the show's Fly Girl dancers.

AC/DC - Play Ball

AC/DC - Play Ball Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Rock or Bust
Released: 2014

Play Ball Lyrics

Listen!
Pick me up
Fill my cup
Pour me another round
Come on in, mix in the sin
Come in and join the crowd
I said it’s party time
When I’m on the loose
Make it feel alright
Listen, drinks all around
I’m in the mood
Because the night is mine

Let’s Play Ball
Shoot it down the wall
Let’s play ball, baby
Battin’ down the stalls
Play, play, play ball

Listen Sid, light me up
I’m in love
I’m all regional now
Dive on in and swim in the gin
Come on, shout it out loud

Let’s play ball
Shoot it down the wall, yeah
Let’s play ball
Battin’ down the stalls, yeah
Play, play, play ball

Let’s play ball
Shootin' down the wall
Let’s play ball
And never stall
Let’s play ball
Let’s play ball
Let’s play ball
Play, play, play ball

Writer/s: MALCOLM MITCHELL YOUNG, ANGUS MCKINNON YOUNG
Publisher: J. ALBERT & SON(INTERNATIONAL) PTY. LTD.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Play Ball Song Chart

The first taste of music from AC/DC's Rock or Bust album was heard on September 27, 2014 when this aptly title song was used as part of a promotional trailer for TBS' American League baseball playoff coverage.

It wasn't the first time that the Australian rockers have been paired with the sport. The practice of using a heavy metal theme song to signal the entrance of a relief pitcher began in 1998, when the San Diego Padres started playing "Hell's Bells" to accompany Trevor Hoffman's taking the mound. Other pro players that have used the band's songs as their walk on music include Chad Billingsley, Adam Castro, Brendan Donnelly and Adam Dunn.

Rock Or Bust was the first AC/DC album in the band's history on which Malcolm Young doesn't appear. The band's former guitarist officially departed the band due to serious dementia and Stevie Young – nephew of the Young brothers – plays rhythm guitar on disc. He previously played with AC/DC during their 1988 Blow Up Your Video tour, while Malcolm Young was in rehab.

The song's performance-based music video was shot on October 3-4, 2014 with director David Mallet at Black Island Studios in Middlesex, England. Phil Rudd was unable to attend due to murder allegations which were later dropped. Bob Richards of Shogun filled in for him on drums, whilst Stevie Young took his uncle Malcolm's place. Mallet, who's been working with the band since their 1986 "You Shook Me All Night Long" clip said : "They are the same band they were – they have never come out with any pretence to be anything else than the best rock'n'roll band in the world."

"It's just as thrilling doing stuff with them now as it was all those years ago," he added. "That's because the records are just as good."

Rock or Bust was AC/DC's second album in a row with producer Brendan O'Brien, following Black Ice. This was the first time the band had used the same producer on consecutive albums since Mutt Lange helmed 1980's Back in Black and then For Those About to Rock.

Brian Johnston told Shaun Keaveny and Steve Lamacq of BBC Radio 6 Music about O'Brien's production. "Seven days a week, [Brendan] kept the adrenaline pumped all the time and he calls everybody by both their names. He never says 'Brian' or 'Angus.' He's, like, 'Angus Young. C'mon! I want you in here now. Let me get that magic from you. What do you got for me? Brian Johnson, downstairs now. Sing, baby, sing.' And it turned out wonderful. We were excited, and I think that's great, 'cause it comes through in songs. If you sing a song twelve times to get it right, you can tell. If you sing a song just a couple of times, like I did, you can tell it's fresh and it's new. And it was the same for Ang, and it was the same for everyone. [Brendan is] wonderful to work with."

Angus Young added: "He keeps everyone moving, so nobody's sitting around, going, 'What am I doing next?' Once we had a track down, he would go, 'Right. I'm gonna take this. I'm going down with Brian.' He'd get Brian up. 'While I am doing that, you guys get this track together and start knocking it out. Know all your bits.' So when he'd come back out, we would more or less [have] the track all in order and ready to go."

The video also shows clips of different sports, with an emphasis on female athletes in bikinis. Asked about the visual during an interview on the Australian television program, The Project, Angus Young said: "I've gotta admit. When they watched the Olympics, I'm always the one… I mean, I tuned in for the bikini beach volleyball. That's one of my favorite sports. If that wasn't on, I don't think I'd be watching."

This was used to soundtrack two commercials from Beats Electronics that aired in early 2015, promoting the Apple-owned company's Powerbeats2 Wireless and Studio Wireless headphones. AC/DC have rarely licensed its music for advertising, although the band have twice allowed "Back In Black" to be used: In 2011 they gave permission for the song's opening riff to feature during a commercial for Walmart, and a few years later, the track featured in a commercial for the 2015 Chevy Colorado pickup truck.

Kendrick Lamar - The Blacker the Berry

Kendrick Lamar - The Blacker the Berry Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: To Pimp A Butterfly
Released: 2015

The Blacker the Berry Lyrics

Everything black, I don't want black
I want everything black, I ain't need black
Some white some black, I ain't mean black
I want everything black
Everything black, I don't want black
I want everything black, I ain't need black
Some white some black, I ain't mean black
I want everything black

Six in the morning, fire in the street
Burn baby burn, that's all I wanna see
And sometimes I get off watching you die in vain
It's such a shame they may call me crazy
They may say I suffer from schizophrenia or something but homie you made me
Black don't crack my nigga

I'm the biggest hypocrite of 2015
Once I finish this, witnesses will convey just what I mean
Been feeling this way since I was 16, came to my senses
You never liked us anyway, fuck your friendship, I meant it
I'm African-American, I'm African
I'm black as the moon, heritage of a small village
Pardon my residence
Came from the bottom of mankind
My hair is nappy, my dick is big, my nose is round and wide
You hate me don't you?
You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture
You're fuckin' evil I want you to recognize that I'm a proud monkey
You vandalize my perception but can't take style from me
And this is more than confession
I mean I might press the button just so you know my discretion
I'm guardin' my feelins, I know that you feel it
You sabotage my community, makin' a killin'
You made me a killer, emancipation of a real nigga

The Blacker the Berry, the sweeter the juice
The blacker the berry, the bigger I shoot
I said they treat me like a slave, cah' me black
Woi, we feel a whole heap of pain, cah' we black
And man a say they put me in a chain, cah' we black
Imagine now, big gold chain full of rocks
How you no see the whip, left scars pon' me back
But now we have a big whip, parked pon' the block
All them say we doomed from the start, cah' we black
Remember this, every race start from the block, just remember that

I'm the biggest hypocrite in 2015
Once I finish this, witnesses will convey just what I mean
I mean it's evident I'm irrelevant to society
That's what you're telling me, penitentiary would only hire me
Curse me till I'm dead
Church me with your fake prophesizing that I'mma be another slave in my head
Institutionalize manipulation and lies
Reciprocation of freedom only live in your eyes
You hate me don't you?
I know you hate me just as much as you hate yourself
Jealous of my wisdom and cards I dealt
Watchin' me as I pull up, fill up my tank then peel out
Muscle cars like pull ups, show you what these big wheels bout
I'm black and successful, this black man meant to be special
CAT scans on my radar bitch, how can I help you?
How can I tell you that I'm making a killin'?
You made me a killer, emancipation of a real nigga

The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
The blacker the berry, the bigger I shoot
I said they treat me like a slave, cah' me black
Woi, we feel a whole heap of pain, cah' we black
And man a say they put me in a chain, cah' we black
Imagine now, big gold chain full of rocks
How you no see the whip, left scars pon' me back
But now we have a big whip, parked pon' the block
All them say we doomed from the start, cah' we black
Remember this, every race start from the block, just remember that

I'm the biggest hypocrite in 2015
When I finish this if you listenin' I'm sure you will agree
This plot is bigger than me, it's generational hatred
It's genocism, it's grimy, little justification
I'm African-American, I'm African
I'm black as the heart of a fuckin' Aryan
I'm black as the name of Tyrone and Dareous
Excuse my French but fuck you, no fuck ya'll
That's as blunt as it gets
I know you hate me, don't you?
You hate my people, I can tell because it's threats when I see you
I can tell because your ways deceitful
Know I can tell because you're in love with the Desert Eagle
Thinkin' maliciously, he get a chain then you gone bleed him
It's funny how Zulu and Xhosa might go to war
Two tribal armies that want to build and destroy
Remind me of these Compton crip gangs that live next door
Beefin' with Piru's, only death settle the score
So don't matter how much I say I like to preach with the Panthers
Or tell Georgia State "Marcus Garvey got all the answers"
Or try to celebrate February like it's my B-Day
Or eat watermelon, chicken and Kool-Aid on weekdays
Or jump high enough to get Michael Jordan endorsements
Or watch BET cause urban support is important
So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street?
When gang banging make me kill a nigga blacker than me?
Hypocrite!

Writer/s: SAMUELS, MATTHEW / CAMPBELL, JEFFREY / LEWIS, KEN / KOZMENIUK, STEPHEN / EPSTEIN, ZALE / KOLATALO, BRENT / DUCKWORTH, KENDRICK
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

The Blacker the Berry Song Chart

This impassioned, racially charged song features lyrics that celebrate Lamar's African-American heritage, and takes on social issues and hatred. The Compton rapper concludes by referencing his own hypocrisy of being outraged over the 2012 killing of African American teenager Trayvon Martin while gang violence still plagues neighborhoods.

The song title and its ideals are pulled from Wallace Thurman's 1929 novel of the same name, which explores colorism and racial discrimination within the black community.

Lamar quotes 2Pac's 1993 single "Keep Your Head Up," when he raps, "The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice." That line most likely references The Jungle Brothers song "Black Woman," which includes the lyric, "the darker the berry, the sweeter the juice."

The single art shows a mother and her twins, from the tribe of the Surma, in the Valley of the Omo of Ethiopia. It was taken by Italian photographer Giordano Ciprian.

Boi-1da came up with the beat with the help of Stephen "Koz" Kozmeniuk, whilst Terrace Martin added the jazz part at the end. Martin explained his contribution to Billboard magazine: "I was listening to the record, zoning out... what he's talking about is a perfect time for what's going on in life. It's a soulful record, it's a record that needed to be done, and it's like the modern times of Public Enemy. It's a black record. It's a record about being black and being proud at the end of the day."

"It inspired me to counteract what he was doing with something hella jazzy. He just got done talking about 'hypocrites' and pro-black s--t, and I'm like, 'Let me calm that down because we [are about to] cause a riot out here!'"

The song's hook is performed by Jamaican Dancehall artist Assassin, who is notable for his vocal contribution on Kanye West's Yeezus track, "I'm In It."

This is the official song of the NBA 2014-2015 regular season.

Lamar told Rolling Stone that he begun writing the song's lyrics when he saw the news of Trayvon Martin's murder. "It just put a whole new anger inside me," he said.

Lalah Hathaway, often referred to as the First Daughter of Soul, sings the track's intro. The daughter of soul singer Donny Hathaway and a classically trained vocalist, the songstress' performance on Snarky Puppy's "Something" garnered widespread praise due for her astonishing ability to sing multiple notes at one time and earned Hathaway her first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance.

Jazz pianist Robert Glasper is a frequent collaborator of co-producer Terrace Martin and he ended up contributing to this song. He recalled to Billboard magazine: "Terrace was like, 'Let's get a band together and go in the studio, and just try to come up with some ideas for Kendrick's record.' [The riff] was a little something I came up with in the studio, and we just started jamming on it. It was just something to have, and in the end it was like, 'Oh, I don't think we're going to use any of it for the songs.' But then they ended up tagging it on the end of 'The Blacker The Berry.'"

Lamar concludes the song by rapping:

So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street
When gang banging make me kill a n---a blacker than me, hypocrite

MTV News asked the Compton rapper who he was talking about on the last verse? "A few people think it's just talk and it's just rap; no, these are my experiences," he replied. "When I say, 'Gang banging made me kill a n---a blacker than me,' this is my life that I'm talking about. I'm not saying you, you might not even be from the streets."

"I'm not speaking to the community, I'm not speaking of the community," K-Dot added. "I am the community."

The Doors - Back Door Man

The Doors - Back Door Man Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: The Doors
Released: 1967

Back Door Man Lyrics

Wha, yeah!, c'mon, yeah, yeah, c'mon, yeah
I'm a Back Door Man, I'm a back door man
The men don't know, but the little girl understand

Hey, all you people that tryin' to sleep
I'm out to make it with my midnight dream, yeah
'Cause I'm a back door man, the men don't know
But the little girls understand, all right, yeah

You men eat your dinner, eat your pork and beans
I eat more chicken, than any man ever seen, yeah, yeah
I'm a back door man, wha, the men don't know
But the little girl understand

Well, I'm a back door man
I'm a back door man
Whoa, baby, I'm a back door man
The men don't know
But the little girls understand

Writer/s: WILLIE DIXON
Publisher: BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Back Door Man Song Chart

A Willie Dixon blues song from 1961, this has been covered by John Hammond Jr. and Howlin' Wolf, among others. The Doors decided to cover this after their guitarist Robby Krieger heard John Hammond Jr.'s version.

A "Back Door Man" is a guy who has relations with a woman while her husband has been out slaving away to provide for her. The usual guilty perpetrator if a wife was caught cheating was a regular tradesman caller (Ice Man, Insurance Salesman etc.). He would then run out the back door as the husband entered the front door.

The "Back Door Man" theme has been taken up in several Soul and Blues songs, including "Back Door Santa" by Clarence Carter. (thanks, Gary - Thetford, England, for above 2)

At a show at Winterland in San Francisco, The Doors stopped in the middle of this when their taped performance came on The Jonathan Winters Show. They watched the segment from a TV on stage, picked up their instruments, and finished the song.

In 2000, the surviving members of the Doors taped a VH1 Storytellers episode with guest vocalists filling in for Morrison. Former Cult lead singer Ian Astbury sang on this track. He became their new lead singer when Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek re-formed The Doors a few years later. Astbury told us: "I can really say that for me it was authentic. It wasn't something I was doing as a career move. It's something I did because I was an absolutely venerated devotee. I put them in a very, very high place." (Read more about his Doors experience in our interview with Ian Astbury .)

The Doors played a lot of Blues songs in their early days when they were playing clubs, but this is the only one they recorded until 2 years later, when they did "Crawling King Snake" on LA Woman.

The Doors performed this at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. The Doors didn't play well, as Morrison was worried about his trial resulting from a Miami concert where he was accused of exposing himself to the crowd. Morrison was convicted of indecent exposure, but died while the case was under appeal. In 2010, the governor of Florida granted Morrison a posthumous pardon after a fan requested a review of the case.

The Doors were playing this in New Haven, Connecticut on December 9, 1967 when Jim Morrison was arrested on stage for "giving an indecent or immoral exhibition." He was angry about being confronted backstage by police after he was seen in an allegedly sexual encounter with a young girl. When he took the stage, during the middle section of this song, he said this before three officers arrested him, making him the first rock star arrested in mid-performance:

"We started talking and we wanted some privacy and so went into this little show room. We weren't doing anything. You know, just standing there talking, and then this little man in a little blue suit and a little blue cap came in there. He said 'Whatcha doin' there?' 'Nothin'.' But he didn't go away, he stood there and then he reached round behind him and brought out this little black can of something. It looked like shaving cream. And then he sprayed it in my eyes. I was blinded for about 30 minutes."

Jim Morrison left out lyrics from the original version about being accused of murder.

The Doors often opened their concerts with this song. Typically, the concerts ended with "The End." They rarely did encores. (thanks, John - Topeka, KS)

Led Zeppelin - Black Dog

Led Zeppelin - Black Dog Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Led Zeppelin 4
Released: 1971

Black Dog Lyrics

Black Dog Song Chart

The title does not appear in the lyrics, and has nothing to do with the song itself. The band worked up the song at Headley Grange, which was a mansion in Hampshire, England. Headley Grange was out in the country, surrounded by woods. A nameless black Labrador Retriever would wander the grounds, and the band would feed it. When they needed a name for this track - which didn't have an obvious title - they thought of the canine and went with "Black Dog."

Zeppelin bass player John Paul Jones got the idea for this song after hearing Muddy Waters' 1968 album Electric Mud. He wanted to try "Electric Blues with a rolling bass part," and "a riff that would be like a linear journey."

Jones rarely had completed songs together, but the bits and pieces he brought to Led Zeppelin's writing sessions proved worthy. When they started putting the album together, Jones introduced this riff, the song started to form. The first version Jones played was comically complex. "It was originally all in 3/16 time, but no one could keep up with that," he said.

When the mobile recording studio (owned by The Rolling Stones) showed up at the mansion, this song was ready to go and recorded there.

This is the first track on Led Zeppelin 4, which became the band's best-selling album. A wide range of musical styles show up on the set, with "Black Dog" exemplifying the blues-rock that was the bedrock of the band's sound.

The album itself is technically untitled, with symbols on the cover instead of words., but since it was their fourth album, it became known as Led Zeppelin 4. Some fans also referred to it as "ZoSo," which is a rough translation Jimmy Page's symbol.

In this song, Robert Plant is singing about a woman who appeals to his prurient interests, but is clearly no good for him - he tells himself he'd rather have a "steady rollin' woman" come his way.

Robert Plant explained in an interview with Cameron Crowe: "Not all my stuff is meant to be scrutinized. Things like 'Black Dog' are blatant, let's-do-it-in-the-bath type things, but they make their point just the same."

The start-and-stop a cappella verses were inspired by Fleetwood Mac's 1969 song "Oh Well." Before Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac in 1974, they were more of a Blues band led by guitarist Peter Green. Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes performed "Oh Well" on their 1999 tour and included it on the album Live At The Greek.

The lyrics never approached "Stairway To Heaven" level scrutiny, but were still subject to some interesting interpretations. Jimmy Page's interest in the occultist Aleister Crowley, combined with the image of the Hermit (from the Tarot) in the album art and the band's disappearance when they set off to Headley Grange to record, led some listeners to conclude that the titular dog was some kind of hellhound, and that the line, "Eyes that shine burning red, dreams of you all through my head," had something to do with Satan.

The sounds at the beginning are Jimmy Page warming up his guitar. He called it "Waking up the army of guitars."

Even by Led Zeppelin standards, this is a very complex song musically, with a chaotic blend of riffs and time signatures that make it very difficult to play and a testament to the band's musicianship. When the drums and guitar kick in, they're actually playing completely different patterns, which is something devised by John Paul Jones. The only real consistent element in the song are the vocal interludes. This is not a song you'd want to dance to.

The songwriting credits on this one read: John Paul Jones/Jimmy Page/Robert Plant. Some bands - like U2 and R.E.M. - would credit every member on their original songs, but Zeppelin decided amongst themselves who would get the credits (and associated royalties). Page and Plant were almost always listed (Plant handled lyrics), but whether Jones or Bonham showed up as a writer depended on their contributions. This track was one where Jones clearly deserved a credit; he is also listed on the album as a co-writer of "Rock And Roll," "Misty Mountain Hop" and "When The Levee Breaks."

Robert Plant's vocal was recorded in just two takes, marking one of his most memorable performances. His vocal booth was the drawing room at the Headley Grange mansion, which engineer Andy Johns set up with egg crates covering the walls as a sound-soak.

The guitars are heavily layered. Four separate Jimmy Page guitar tracks were overdubbed. Page recorded the guitar directly into a 1176 limiter preamp (manufactured by Universal Audio), distorted the stages of it, and then sent that to a normally operating limiter. In other words, no guitar amplifier was used in the recording process. (thanks, Kevin - San Antonio, Texas, TX)

It has been claimed that John Paul Jones arranged the complicated time signatures so nobody would be able to cover the song. Asked about the allegations during Australia's Triple M Led Zeppelin special, he responded by saying the story was just a myth, adding: "I actually wrote it in rehearsal from Jimmy's house on the train. My dad was a musician and he showed me a way of writing down notation on anything. And so I wrote the riff to 'Black Dog' on the back of a train ticket which I unfortunately don't have."

Plant sampled this on his solo hit "Tall Cool One."

"Whole Lotta Love" made #4 on the US Hot 100, and "Black Dog" was their next highest-charting song. Most of their tracks were not released as singles, and fans of the band were far more likely buy the albums.

As Robert Plant sings every line after the music stops, you can faintly hear Bonham tapping his drumsticks together to keep the time. (thanks, Adrian - Wilmington, DE)

This was one of the few songs for which John Paul Jones used a pick to play his bass.

Robert Plant would sometimes improvise some of the lyrics in concert, substituting lines like, "I've got a girl that loves me so love me so sweet jelly roll." (thanks, Thomas - Toronto, Canada, for above 2)

Apparently, Fergie from the Black-Eyed Peas can knock out a killer version of this song. Slash from Guns 'N' Roses told NME, March 22, 2010: "I first heard Fergie three years ago at a fundraiser in LA, where I was one of many guests with the Black-Eyed Peas. I was going to play during a rock medley, and in walks this little blonde girl from Orange County, and she sang 'Black Dog‚' better than any guy I'd ever heard.'' (thanks, DeeTheWriter - Saint Petersburg, Russia Federation)

Note the lyrics, "Baby, when you walk that way, watch your honey drip, can't keep away." In 1981, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page formed a group called The Honeydrippers, which scored a hit with a remake of "Sea of Love."

Page and Plant performed an updated version of this song on their 1995 tour.

Led Zeppelin cover band Dread Zeppelin did a version of this mixed with Elvis' "Hound Dog" called "You Ain't Nuthin' But A Black Dog." Their lead singer is an Elvis impersonator.

In 2015, this was used in a commercial for the video game Destiny: The Taken King. Game action takes place as the song plays in the background.

Black Box - Ride On Time

Black Box - Ride On Time Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Dreamland
Released: 1989

Ride On Time Lyrics

Ooh, doin' the ride on
Uhh, uhh, doin' the ride on
Put a hump in your back
Shake your sacroiliac
And ride on
Let's take a ride

Ride on
Baby do the ride on
Mama do the ride on
Ride on
Ride on
Baby do the ride on
Mama do the ride on
Ride on

Doin' the ride on
Ooh, oww doin' the ride on

Ride on
Baby do the ride on
Mama do the ride on
Ride on
Ride on
Baby do the ride on
Mama do the ride on
Ride on

It ain't what you know, it's what you feel
Don't worry about being right, just be for real
We're gonna do it to the max, when we do it
We're gonna do it, do it good, when we do it

Put a hump in your back
Shake your sacroiliac
And ride on
Let's take a ride

Ride on
Baby do the ride on
Mama do the ride on
Ride on

It ain't what you know, it's what you feel
Don't worry about being right, just be for real
We're gonna do it to the max, when we do it
We're gonna do it, do it good, when we do it

Put a hump in your back
Shake your sacroiliac
And ride on
Let's take a ride

Ride on
Baby do the ride on
Mama do the ride on
Ride on
Ride on
Baby do the ride on
Mama do the ride on
Ride on

Ride on (put a hump in your back)
Baby do the ride on (shake your sacroiliac)
Mama do the ride on (let's take a ride)
Ride on

Ride on (It ain't what ya know)
Baby do the ride on (it's what ya feel)
Mama do the ride on (Don't worry about being right just be for real)
Ride on

Ride on
Baby do the ride on
Mama do the ride on
Ride on
Ride on
Baby do the ride on
Mama do the ride on
Ride on
Ride on
Baby do the ride on
Mama do the ride on
Ride on

Writer/s: HARTMAN, DAN/LIMONI, MIRKO/DAVOLI, DANIELE / SEMPLICI, VALERIO
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Ride On Time

Black Box was made up of three Italian producers: Mirko Limoni, Daniele Davoli and Valerio Semplici. They also recorded as Groove Groove Melody.

Was the biggest-selling single in the UK in 1989. It spent 6 weeks at #1. It is still one of the top 100 best selling singles ever in most of Europe.

The success of this record was marred with controversy when it was revealed that the vocals had been sampled from Loleatta Holloway's "Love Sensation," a disco song written and produced by Dan Hartman and released in 1980. The group had hired French model Katrin Quniol to pose as their singer. Quniol couldn't speak English and had trouble lip synching the song on music shows. It has been argued that the combination of Black Box's excellent production, Holloway's powerful voice and Quinol's good looks made the record such a success, but the controversy still tarnishes the record.

Although this was by far their biggest hit, Black Box didn't make much money from it as Holloway sued them. There is still no love lost between them. Black Box later claimed that Holloway was crying crocodile tears and pointed out that she got an expensive fur coat out of the compensation money they had to pay her. Holloway still maintains she was upset that the group had "stolen her voice" and to add insult to injury they pretended someone else was singing the song, and that even though she won the case she still felt that the damage had been done.

Other producers later sampled Holloway's vocals from "Love Sensation," including Cevin Fisher on "(You Got Me) Burning Up" and Marky Mark And The Funky Bunch on the US chart topper "Good Vibrations." Unlike Black Box, both credited Loleatta Holloway.

A few remixed versions have been released over the years, some with Holloway's vocals removed and replaced by a soundalike session singer, though one was released in 2003 credited as Black Box featuring Loleatta Holloway.

Apart from this song and two instrumentals, all the songs on Black Box's debut album Dreamland featured vocals from Martha Wash, one half of The Weather Girls. Wash was uncredited and the group still used Katrin Quniol to lip-sync the songs for the videos. Sadly for Wash, this wasn't an unusual experience for her as around the same time, her vocals were featured on C+C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)," again lip-synched by a model in the video.

Among the songs on Dreamland is a cover of Earth, Wind & Fire's "Fantasy." (thanks, Adam - Dewsbury, England, for all above)

Daniele Davoli (from 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh): "People were dancing to the new piano sound, even though it sounded quite different. The piano sound wasn't that big in Italy until after we had the success in England. Mirko came to the club where I was DJing. I would play the keyboard and sampler, but it was such a small sampler, I only had space for 2 or 3 lines. The main sound I created was a wah-wah-wah-wah-wah effect and incorporated into nearly every record I played. Mirko said to me, 'I couldn't help noticing that, what was it?' I said, 'It was from this acapella that I got from an old record.' Mirko said, 'Bring it in to the studio and I think we can do something with it.'" (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)

The Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go?

The Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go? Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Combat Rock
Released: 1982

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Lyrics

Darling you got to let me know
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
If you say that you are mine
I'll be here till the end of time
So you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go?

It's always tease tease tease
You're happy when I'm on my knees
One day is fine, and next is black
So if you want me off your back
Well come on and let me know
Should I Stay or should I go?

Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know

This indecision's bugging me
Esta indecision me molesta
If you don't want me, set me free
Si no me quieres, librame
Exactly whom I'm supposed to be
Digame quien tengo ser

Don't you know which clothes even fit me?
Sabes que ropas me queda?
Come on and let me know
Me tienes que decir
Should I cool it or should I blow?
Me debo ir o quedarme?

Split

Should I stay or should I go now?
Me entra frio por los ojos
Should I stay or should I go now?
Me entra frio por los ojos
If I go there will be trouble
Si me voy va a haber peligro
And if I stay it will be double
Si me quedo va a ser doble
So you gotta let me know
Me tienes que decir
Should I cool it or should I blow?

Should I stay or should I go now?
Me entra frio por los ojos
If I go there will be trouble
Si me voy va a haber peligro
And if I stay it will be double
Si me quedo va a ser doble
So you gotta let me know
Should I stay or should I go

Writer/s: JONES, MICK / STRUMMER, JOE
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Song Chart

One of the more popular songs by The Clash, this one uses a very unusual technique: Spanish lyrics echoing the English words.

Singing the Spanish parts with Joe Strummer was Joe Ely, a Texas singer whose 1978 album Honky Tonk Masquerade got the attention of The Clash when they heard it in England. When Ely and his band performed in London, The Clash went to a show and took them around town after the performance. They became good friends, and when The Clash came to Texas in 1979, they played some shows together. They stayed in touch, and when The Clash returned to America in 1982, they played more shows together and Ely joined them in the studio when they were recording Combat Rock at Electric Ladyland Studio in New York.

In our 2012 interview with Joe Ely, he explained: "I'm singing all the Spanish verses on that, and I even helped translate them. I translated them into Tex-Mex and Strummer kind of knew Castilian Spanish, because he grew up in Spain in his early life. And a Puerto Rican engineer (Eddie Garcia) kind of added a little flavor to it. So it's taking the verse and then repeating it in Spanish."

When we asked Ely whose idea the Spanish part was, he said, "I came in to the studio while they were working out the parts. They'd been working on the song for a few hours already, they had it sketched out pretty good. But I think it was Strummer's idea, because he just immediately, when it came to that part, he immediately went, 'You know Spanish, help me translate these things.' (Laughs) My Spanish was pretty much Tex-Mex, so it was not an accurate translation. But I guess it was meant to be sort of whimsical, because we didn't really translate verbatim."

According to Strummer, Eddie Garcia, the sound engineer, called his mother in Brooklyn Heights and got her to translate some of the lyrics over the phone. Eddie's mother is Ecuadorian, so Joe Strummer and Joe Ely ended up singing in Ecuadorian Spanish.

About two minutes in, you can hear Mick Jones say, "Split!" While it sounds like it could be some kind of statement related to the song, Joe Ely tells us that it had a much more quotidian meaning. Said Ely: "Me and Joe were yelling this translation back while Mick Jones sang the lead on it, and we were doing the echo part. And there was one time when the song kind of breaks down into just the drums right before a guitar part. And you hear Mick Jones saying, 'Split!' Just really loud, kind of angry. Me and Joe had snuck around in the studio, came up in the back of his booth where he was all partitioned off, and we snuck in and jumped and scared the hell out of him right in the middle of recording the song, and he just looked at us and says, 'Split!' So we ran back to our vocal booth and they never stopped the recording."

The line, "If you want me off your back" was originally the sexually charged line "On your front or on your back." In April 1982, the famed '60s producer Glyn Johns was brought in to slash the album down and make it into a mainstream-friendly single-LP. In addition to cutting parts of songs out, he insisted that Mick Jones re-record this line, fearing that US radio stations would not touch a record with such a sexually suggestive line.

These sessions as a whole were in bad blood, with Jones furious that his original mixes of his songs were being massacred against his will, and it was this combined with other factors (such as the return of controversial manager Bernie Rhodes) which resulted in the breakdown of the band and Jones' sacking in 1983.

Mick Jones in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh said, "Should I Stay Or Should I Go? wasn't about anything specific and it wasn't pre-empting my leaving The Clash. It was just a good rocking song, our attempt at writing a classic."

In a 2009 Rolling Stone article on The Clash, they state that Jones wrote this song about his girlfriend Ellen Foley, who acted on the TV series Night Court and sang with Meat Loaf on "Paradise By the Dashboard Light."

It was speculated that the song was also a comment on Jones' position in the band, pre-empting his sacking in 1983 by over a year and a half. Strummer pondered this in interviews, as did Jones. "Maybe it was pre-empting my leaving" he noted in 1991, although he did conclude that it was more likely about a "personal situation" - presumably his relationship with Foley.

Psychobilly is the punk version of rockabilly; it's a fusion genre which also gets a nice sound out of elements of everything from doo-wop to blues, but with that punk edge to it. "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" resembles early punk, almost retro style, and so could be called rockabilly. More than anything, it compares very nicely with The Cramps.

"Should I Stay Or Should I Go?" is possibly one of the most covered Clash songs by dint of being one of the most popular. Just some of the groups to cover this song include Living Colour, Skin, MxPx, Weezer, ZZ Top, and The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Anti-Flag covered the song at various festival dates in 2012, and more memorable versions exist by Die Toten Hosen and Australian pop star Kyle Minogue. It even shows up in "Weird Al" Yankovic's "Polkas On 45" medley - a takeoff on the "Stars On 45 Medley."

As a UK #1 single, what song did it replace as #1 on the UK charts? "Do the Bartman" by The Simpsons. Speaking of charts, while this song was their only #1 in the UK, The Clash got even less respect in the US; their highest chart on the Billboard was #8 for "Rock the Casbah". That's amazing when you consider how much airplay they get on the radio.

Introduced into The Clash's live set in Paris in September 1981, "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" sat awkwardly in the set after Jones was fired - it was a hugely popular song so fans expected it to be played, but its author and singer was no longer in the band.

For a while in 1984 it was performed with new guitarist Nick Sheppard singing lead vocals, with the song developing into an aggressive Metal thrash with bellowed Punk-style vocals. In the end The Clash Mark II dropped the song altogether, although not before they also added some nasty lyrics about Jones (as was common in the post-Jones Clash, sadly). Two much more representative versions are the version of the song filmed at Shea Stadium in 1982 (supporting The Who) for the music video, and the version from Boston in 1982 that features on the From Here To Eternity live compilation.

Ice Cube and Mack 10 did a rap remake of this song for the 1998 Clash tribute album Burning London.

This was re-released as a single in February 1991 after it was used in a Levi's jeans television ad. It went to #1 in the UK, but didn't chart in the US.

Cheekily, Mick Jones used a vocal sample from this track on one of his post-Clash projects, Big Audio Dynamite. You can hear it on their song "The Globe."