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The Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City

The Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful
Released: 1966

Summer In The City Lyrics

Hot town, Summer In The City
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city

All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head

But at night it's a different world
Go out and find a girl
Come-on come-on and dance all night
Despite the heat it'll be alright

And babe, don't you know it's a pity
That the days can't be like the nights
In the summer, in the city
In the summer, in the city

Cool town, evening in the city
Dressing so fine and looking so pretty
Cool cat, looking for a kitty
Gonna look in every corner of the city
Till I'm wheezing like a bus stop
Running up the stairs, gonna meet you on the rooftop

But at night it's a different world
Go out and find a girl
Come-on come-on and dance all night
Despite the heat it'll be alright

And babe, don't you know it's a pity
That the days can't be like the nights
In the summer, in the city
In the summer, in the city

Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city

All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head

But at night it's a different world
Go out and find a girl
Come-on come-on and dance all night
Despite the heat it'll be alright

And babe, don't you know it's a pity
That the days can't be like the nights
In the summer, in the city
In the summer, in the city

Writer/s: STEVE BOONE, MARK SEBASTIAN, JOHN SEBASTIAN
Publisher: BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, CARLIN AMERICA INC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Summer In The City

This song contrasts what it's like to live in a large city during the day and during the night. According to the song, it's difficult to walk around a crowded and hot city during the day, but it's great at night because you have plenty of opportunities to chase women.

The sound of car horns and traffic was the first time these sounds appeared on a hit song. A year later, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff used the idea when they produced the Soul Survivors track "Expressway (To Your Heart)."

Was used at the beginning of the movie Die Hard: With A Vengeance. The song plays throughout the opening credits, showing different scenes of New York City until a building blows up.

From 2006-2007, the piano portion was used in various Gatorade ads depicting the history of the sports drink, which was created in 1965.

The song was a collaboration between John Sebastian, The Lovin Spoonful's bassist Steve Boone, and the frontman's brother (and non-group member) Mark Sebastian. John Sebastian recalled to Uncut magazine June 2014: "That song that came from an idea my brother Mike had. He had this great chorus, and the release was so big. I had to create some kind of tension at the front end to make it even bigger. That's where that jagged piano part comes from."

"Steve contributed the middle eight, which I thought sounded like Gershwin, so we hired a radio sound effects engineer to come in with records of horns and traffic, a real New York City thing."

This is used during the looting sequence on The Simpsons episode "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge."

The song served as the theme song for German art-director Wim Wenders' first film, 1970's Summer in the City. It plays during an incongruous scene in which the protagonist Hans is seen walking on a brutally cold day, surrounded by snow.

Wilson Pickett - Mustang Sally

Wilson Pickett - Mustang Sally Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Wilson Pickett's Greatest Hits
Released: 1966

Mustang Sally Lyrics

Mustang Sally, think you better slow your mustang down
Mustang Sally, think you better slow your mustang down
You been running all over the town now
Oh! I guess I'll have to put your flat feet on the ground

All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride
All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride
All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride

One of these early mornings, oh, you gonna be wiping your weeping eyes
I bought you a brand new mustang 'bout nineteen sixty five
Now you come around signifying a woman, you don't want to let me ride
Mustang Sally, think you better slow your mustang down
You been running all over the town now
Oh! I guess I'll have to put your flat feet on the ground

All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride
All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride
All you want to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, ride

Writer/s: BONNY RICE
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SPRINGTIME MUSIC INC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Mustang Sally

This song is about a girl who lives a wild life in her brand new Mustang car. The singer bought her the car, which transformed her into "Mustang Sally," and now she's running around town, paying little attention to her sugar daddy. Picket warns her that she needs to slow it down with one of the great threats in Soul music history: "Guess I have to put your flat feet on the ground!"

This song was written by Bonny Rice, also known as Sir Mack Rice. Bonny started singing with a vocal group called the Five Scalders in 1955 and joined The Falcons in 1957. Eddie Floyd was also in The Falcons, and Mack later wrote songs for him when he went solo. In 1960, Wilson Pickett joined The Falcons and sang lead on their 1962 hit "I Found A Love," and left the group for a solo career later that year.

In 1963, The Falcons broke up, and in 1965, Rice wrote a song called "Mustang Mama" after visiting his friend, the actress/singer Della Reese, in New York City. Reese told him that she was thinking about buying her drummer Calvin Shields a new Lincoln for his birthday, which Rice, being from Detroit, thought was a great idea. When he mentioned this to Shields, the drummer replied, "I don't want a Lincoln, I want a Mustang."

As Rice explained on the 2007 Rhythm & Blues Cruise, he had never heard of a Mustang before, but Shields filled him in. They went for a drive and saw a billboard for a Mustang - Rice couldn't believe Shields wanted such a small car instead of a big ol' Lincoln. When he returned to Detroit, Rice started writing the song as "Mustang Mama," with the chorus "ride, Sally, ride." His publisher knew Aretha Franklin well, and brought Rice by her house, and he sang some of the song for her. Aretha suggested he change the title to "Mustang Sally" to better suit the chorus.

In May of 1965 Bonny Rice released his original version of this song as Sir Mack Rice, and it hit the R&B charts, peaking at #15. Wilson Pickett came across the song when Rice was booked to play at The Apollo theater, and the headliner Clyde McPhatter didn't show. Rice called his old bandmate Pickett, who performed in McPhatter's place. When Pickett heard Rice perform "Mustang Sally," he decided to record it himself. His version hit the R&B and Pop charts a year and a half after Rice originally recorded the song.

Mack Rice later sang with Ollie and the Nightingales, joining them in 1970. He was also a staff songwriter for Stax Records, and wrote the hits "Respect Yourself" for the Staple Singers and "Cheaper To Keep Her" for Johnny Taylor.

This song was recorded at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. FAME had been operating since 1959 and had a big hit recording "When A Man Loves A Woman" for Percy Sledge. The Muscle Shoals musicians were building a reputation as some of the best in the business, and they caught the attention of Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records, which was Pickett's label. Wexler sent Pickett (a native of Prattville, Alabama) to record there, and the sessions produced this song and also his hit "Land Of 1,000 Dances." Wexler started sending more acts to Muscle Shoals, and in 1969, some of their top musicians, including guitarist Jimmy Johnson and drummer Roger Hawkins, left FAME and formed their own studio a few miles away, financed by Wexler. This became Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, where Paul Simon, Bob Seger, Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd The Rolling Stones, Cher and hundreds of other acts would record in the '70s.

According to Rolling Stone magazine's Top 500 Songs, "Mustang Sally nearly ended up on the studio floor - literally. After Pickett finished his final take at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the tape suddenly flew off the reel and broke into pieces. But the session engineer, the legendary Tom Dowd, calmly cleared the room and told everyone to come back in half an hour. Dowd pieced the tape back together and saved what became one of the funkiest soul anthems of the '60s."

Spooner Oldham, who is one of the top Muscle Shoals musicians and co-writer of the hits "I'm Your Puppet" (James and Bobby Purify) and "Cry Like a Baby" (The Box Tops), played the keyboard on this song. The keyboards are one of the most distinctive parts of the song, but they weren't on the demo - Spooner had to create the part so he could play on the record (and get paid). When we spoke with Oldham in 2011, he told us: "I was sitting on a stool, and we listened to a demo of Sir Mack Rice who wrote the song, and the first thing I noticed was there was no keyboard on that record. But I'm here, I want the job - what am I going to do that will work within that song? And I just closed eyes for a second, daydreaming, and said, 'I wonder what it would sound like if I pretended I was a Harley Davidson motorcycle and was driving through the studio, what would that sound like?' There's a little pause in that record where there's not much going on, and I do rorp-rorp-rorp kind of revving engine thing. And Jerry Wexler liked it, because he later tried to get me to do it again when I was in New York. Of course, I didn't, it was specific for that song."

This was featured in the 1991 movie The Commitments, which was about an Irish Soul band. Pickett's music got a lot more exposure after the movie came out.

Other films that used the song include Road House (1989), Miss Congeniality (2000), Bandits (2001), and P.S. I Love You (2007).

TV shows that have used the song include The Wonder Years, Miami Vice, and My Name Is Earl.

Petula Clark - A Sign Of The Times

Petula Clark - A Sign Of The Times Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: My Love
Released: 1966

A Sign Of The Times Lyrics

It's A Sign Of The Times
That your love for me is getting so much stronger
It's a sign of the times
And I know that I won't have to wait much longer
You've changed a lot somehow from the one I used to know
For when you hold me now, it feels like you never want to let me go

It's a sign of the times
That you call me up whenever you feel lonely
It's a sign of the times
That you tell your friends that I'm your one and only
I'll never understand the way you treated me
But when I hold your hand, I know you couldn't be the way you used to be

Maybe my lucky star at last decided to shine
Maybe somebody knows how long I've waited to make you mine, mmh

I'll never understand the way you treated me
But when I hold your hand, I know you couldn't be the way you used to be

Maybe my lucky star at last decided to shine
Maybe somebody knows how long I've waited to make you mine

It's a sign of the times
That you kiss me now as if you really mean it
It's a sign of the times
And a year ago I never could have seen it
Don't ever change your mind and take your love away
Just leave the past behind and, baby, only think of how it is today

It's a sign of the times
It's a sign of the times
It's a sign of the times
It's a sign of the times

It's a sign of the times

Writer/s: TONY HATCH
Publisher: BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

A Sign Of The Times

You would expect a song from the '60s called "A Sign Of The Times" to have a heavy political or social context, kind like the Prince song with a similar title. There is no weighty meaning in this one, however, as Petula sings about a guy who has finally stopped neglecting her, and she couldn't be happier. Like most of Petula's hits, it was written by the British songwriter Tony Hatch.

In our 2013 interview with Petula Clark , we asked her what she thought of this song when she heard it. "I loved it," she replied. "It had a slightly different feel. 'A Sign of the Times,' I suppose you might expect some big political statement or something, but it was just a straight ahead love song. I think Tony [Hatch] rather liked finding titles that made you think, like 'Don't Sleep In The Subway.' People would think, is it about drugs? Is it about this? And these were just straightforward songs."

In 1999, this song was used in a commercial for the department store of Target, emphasizing how the store has changed with the times.

The Supremes - Things Are Changing

The Supremes - Things Are Changing Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Anthology
Released: 1966

Things Are Changing Lyrics

Things Are Changing

This was written and produced by Phil Spector. It is about unity and how everyone is equal and is able to make whatever accomplishments and received whatever jobs they desire, regardless of their race, creed, or color.

This was released as a promotional single for the Advertising Council's Public Service Announcement for the Equal Employment Opportunities Campaign. This song's first appearance on an album was on the third version of their compilation Anthology in 1995. It later appeared on the fourth version of Anthology in 2001.

Tommy McLain - Sweet Dreams

Tommy McLain - Sweet Dreams Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Sweet Dreams
Released: 1966

Sweet Dreams Lyrics

Sweet, Sweet Dreams of you
Every night I go through
Why can't I forget my past and live my life anew
Instead I'm having sweet dreams about you

You, you don't love me, it's plain
I should have know you'd never wear my name
I, I should hate you girl, the whole night through
Instead I'm having sweet dreams about you

I, I should hate you girl, the whole night through
Instead I'm having sweet dreams about you
Instead I'm having sweet dreams about you

Writer/s: DON GIBSON
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Sweet Dreams

This Country classic was written by the Tennessee songwriter Don Gibson in 1955. The song conveys the frustration and resignation that he was never going to make that girl his own but that she would always be there in his dreams.

Don Gibson wrote this song while he was working as a songwriter for Acuff-Rose publishing. It became his first hit as a songwriter when Faron Young recorded it, taking it to #2 on the Country chart in 1956.

Gibson started recording as a solo artist in 1957, and the following year scored a #1 Country hit with "Oh Lonesome Me," which he also wrote. With his solo career established, Gibson released his own version of "Sweet Dreams" as a single in 1960, taking it to #6 on the Country chart and cracking the Hot 100 at #93. Patsy Cline revived the song in 1963, making #5 Country and #44 on the Hot 100 with her version. When the Louisiana songwriter Tommy McLain recorded it in 1966, his version became the biggest mainstream hit, going to #15 on the Hot 100 tally.

Other artists who recorded the song include Reba McEntire, Loretta Lynn and Emmylou Harris.

Elvin Bishop recorded this on his 2005 album Gettin' My Groove Back. His version is an instrumental featuring a slide guitar. Said Bishop: "Slide is kind of like the voice I never had. I can sing as high or as low as I want to, put as much sustain, as much treble... Tommy McLain is the record I really like. They called it 'Swamp Pop' in the '70s. He sang a really soulful version of that, it's what I base my version on. Using my slide like his voice." (Check out our interview with Elvin Bishop.)

Bob Dylan - Visions Of Johanna

Bob Dylan - Visions Of Johanna Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Blonde On Blonde
Released: 1966

Visions Of Johanna Lyrics

Ain't it just like the night to play tricks when you're tryin' to be so quiet?
We sit here stranded, though we're all doin' our best to deny it
And Louise holds a handful of rain, temptin' you to defy it
Lights flicker from the opposite loft
In this room the heat pipes just cough
The country music station plays soft
But there's nothing, really nothing to turn off
Just Louise and her lover so entwined
And these Visions Of Johanna that conquer my mind

In the empty lot where the ladies play blindman's bluff with the key chain
And the all-night girls they whisper of escapades out on the "D" train
We can hear the night watchman click his flashlight
Ask himself if it's him or them that's insane
Louise, she's all right, she's just near
She's delicate and seems like the mirror
But she just makes it all too concise and too clear
That Johanna's not here
The ghost of 'lectricity howls in the bones of her face
Where these visions of Johanna have now taken my place

Now, little boy lost, he takes himself so seriously
He brags of his misery, he likes to live dangerously
And when bringing her name up
He speaks of a farewell kiss to me
He's sure got a lotta gall to be so useless and all
Muttering small talk at the wall while I'm in the hall
How can I explain?
It's so hard to get on
And these visions of Johanna, they kept me up past the dawn

Inside the museums, infinity goes up on trial
Voices echo this is what salvation must be like after a while
But Mona Lisa musta had the highway blues
You can tell by the way she smiles
See the primitive wallflower freeze
When the jelly-faced women all sneeze
Hear the one with the mustache say, "Jeez, I can't find my knees"
Oh, jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule
But these visions of Johanna, they make it all seem so cruel

The peddler now speaks to the countess who's pretending to care for him
Sayin', "Name me someone that's not a parasite and I'll go out and say a prayer for him"
But like Louise always says
"Ya can't look at much, can ya man?"
As she, herself, prepares for him
And Madonna, she still has not showed
We see this empty cage now corrode
Where her cape of the stage once had flowed
The fiddler, he now steps to the road
He writes ev'rything's been returned which was owed
On the back of the fish truck that loads
While my conscience explodes
The harmonicas play the skeleton keys and the rain
And these visions of Johanna are now all that remain

Writer/s: DYLAN BOB, BOB DYLAN
Publisher: BOB DYLAN MUSIC CO
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Visions Of Johanna

Dylan (from Rolling Stone magazine): "It's easier to be disconnected than connected. I've got a huge hallelujah for all the people who're connected, that's great, but I can't do that."

Al Kooper, who was a prolific session musician, played the Hammond B3 organ. Kooper went on to become a successful producer and worked on some of Lynyrd Skynyrd's most famous tracks.

Dylan wrote this song while he was dating folk singer Joan Baez, but was falling in love with his first wife Sara.

In her 1975 song "Winds of the Old Days," Joan Baez seems to be making the case that she is Johanna. Sample lyrics: "A decade flew past her and there on the page, she read that the prince had returned to the stage," "Most of the sour grapes are gone from the bough, ghosts of Johanna will visit you there."

In their June 1997 issue, Mojo magazine named this one of their 100 Greatest Psychedelic Classics. Jon Savage wrote of the song: "As early as 1963's 'Lay Down Your Weary Tune,' Dylan was exploring the egoless surrender to the universe that would characterise the first, benign phase of psychedelia. From 1965 on, his gnomic, gnostic utterances laid down the parameters for what would follow, as The Beatles, The Byrds and The Rolling Stones fell under his spell. Dylan issued disclaimers - "I never have and never will write a drug song... It's just vulgar," he exclaimed on the last night of his 1966 world tour - but this 'Visions Of Johanna,' taken from the night before, has the infinitesimal focus of acid-time compression."

The Rolling Stones - Stupid Girl

The Rolling Stones - Stupid Girl Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Aftermath
Released: 1966

Stupid Girl Lyrics

I'm not talking about the kind of clothes she wears
Look at that Stupid Girl
I'm not talking about the way she combs her hair
Look at that stupid girl

The way she powders her nose
Her vanity shows and it shows
She's the worst thing in this world
Well, look at that stupid girl

I'm not talking about the way she digs for gold
Look at that stupid girl
Well, I'm talking about the way she grabs and holds
Look at that stupid girl

The way she talks about someone else
That she don't even know herself
She's the sickest thing in this world
Well, look at that stupid girl

Well, I'm sick and tired
And I really have my doubts
I've tried and tried
But it never really works out

Like a lady in waiting to a virgin queen
Look at that stupid girl
She bitches 'bout things that she's never seen
Look at that stupid girl

It doesn't matter if she dyes her hair
Or the color of the shoes she wears
She's the worst thing in this world
Well, look at that stupid girl

Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up, shut-up, shut-up
Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up, shut-up, shut-up
Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up

Like a lady in waiting to a virgin queen
Look at that stupid girl
She bitches 'bout things that she's never seen
Look at that stupid girl

She purrs like a pussycat
Then she turns 'round and hisses back
She's the sickest thing in this world
Look at that stupid girl

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

Stupid Girl

Keith Richards (1971): "Songs like "Under My Thumb" and "Stupid Girl" were all a spin-off from our environment - hotels, and too many dumb chicks. Not all dumb, not by any means, but that's how one got."

Mick Jagger (1995): "It's much nastier than Under My Thumb. Obviously, I was having a bit of trouble. I wasn't in a good relationship. Or I was in too many bad relationships. I had so many girlfriends at that point. None of them seemed to care they weren't pleasing me very much. I was obviously in with the wrong group"

Frank Sinatra - That's Life

Frank Sinatra - That's Life Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: That's Life
Released: 1966

That's Life Lyrics

That's Life, that's what people say
You're riding high in April,
Shot down in May
But I know I'm gonna change that tune,
When I'm back on top, back on top in June

I said, that's life, and as funny as it may seem
Some people get their kicks,
Stompin' on a dream
But I don't let it, let it get me down,
'Cause this fine old world it keeps spinnin' around

I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate,
A poet, a pawn and a king
I've been up and down and over and out
And I know one thing:
Each time I find myself flat on my face,
I pick myself up and get back in the race

That's life, I tell ya, I can't deny it,
I thought of quitting, baby
But my heart just ain't gonna buy it
And if I didn't think it was worth one single try,
I'd jump right on a big bird and then I'd fly

I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate,
A poet, a pawn and a king
I've been up and down and over and out
And I know one thing:
Each time I find myself layin' flat on my face,
I just pick myself up and get back in the race

That's life, that's life
And I can't deny it
Many times I thought of cuttin' out but my heart won't buy it
But if there's nothing shakin' come here this July
I'm gonna roll myself up in a big ball and die
My, my

Writer/s: GRAMMER, BILLY/BEAM, DENNIS/ROSE, BOB
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

That's Life

The "scowl" in Sinatra's voice was a result of producer Jimmy Bowen telling Sinatra, after the recording session, to get out of his car and back in the studio to re-record the vocal. This made Frank VERY angry, which is evident in the song. That was the exact "feel" that Bowen wanted.

This very optimistic song was written by Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon. Kay became a successful music publisher, and Gordon made a mark as a producer. Sinatra had a lot of ups and downs in his personal and professional life, and this song was a great showcase for his spirit and resilience. The phrase "That's Life" is often used to convey disappointment, but here Sinatra sees all the good things that life brings.

This was one of two Sinatra songs - the other being "Strangers in the Night" - prominently featured in the '80s comedy License to Drive. Les (Corey Haim) takes his crush (Heather Graham) out for a wild night in his grandpa's Cadillac, which has a Sinatra cassette stuck in the tape player. This song plays when Les and his friends frantically chase a drunk who steals the car for a joyride (and sings along to Sinatra's tune).

The Who - A Quick One While He's Away

The Who - A Quick One While He's Away Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: A Quick One
Released: 1966

A Quick One While He's Away Lyrics

Her mans been gone, for nigh on a year
He was due home yesterday, but he ain't here
Her mans been gone, for nigh on a year
He was due home yesterday, but he ain't here
Down your street, your crying is a well known sound
Your street is very well known. throughout your town
Your town is very famous for the little girl
Whose crying can be heard all around the world
We have a remedy, you'll appreciate
No need to be so sad, he's only late
We'll bring you flowers and things
Help pass your time
We'll give him eagles wings
Then he can fly to you
La la la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la
We have a remedy
Fa la la la la la la
We have a remedy
Fa la la la la la la
We have a remedy
Fa la la la la la la
We have a remedy
Fa la la la la la la
We have a remedy?
We have!
Little girl guide
Why don't you stop your crying
Here comes Ivor the dirty old sooty engine driver to make you feel all right
Yeah, yeah!
My name is Ivor, I'm an engine driver
I know him well, I know why you feel blue
Just cause he's late, don't mean he'll never get through
He told me he loved you
He ain't no liar, I ain't either
So let's have a smile for an old engine driver
Let's have a smile for an old engine driver
Soon be home
Soon be home
We'll soon,
We'll soon, soon, soon be home
Soon be home
Soon be home oh yeah
We'll soon,
We'll soon, soon, soon be home
Soon be home
Soon be home
Dang, dang, dang, dang
Dang, dang, dang, dang
Cello, cello, cello, cello
Cello, cello, cello, cello
Cello, cello, cello, cello
Cello, cello, cello, cello
I can't believe it
Do my eyes deceive me
Am I back in your arms
Away from all harm
It's like a dream to be with you again
Aw!
Can't believe that I'm with you again
Ba ba, bo bo ba ba, ba ba
I missed you and I must admit
I've kissed a few and once did sit
On Ivor the engine driver's lap
And later with him had a nap
You are forgiven
You are forgiven
You are forgiven
You are forgiven
Know you're forgiven
Come on baby, baby forgiven
Know that you lied
Know you're forgiven
Know that you made me cry
Baby
You are forgiven
You know you're forgiven
You're all forgiven!

Writer/s: PETER TOWNSHEND
Publisher: T.R.O. INC.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

A Quick One While He's Away

The Who had 10 minutes left to fill on the LP. Kit Lambert, The Who's manager, suggested to Pete Townshend that he write "something linear... perhaps a 10 minute song." Townshend responded by saying that rock songs are "2:50 by tradition!" Lambert then told Townshend that he should write a 10 minute story comprised of 2:50 songs.

The song was a "mini-opera," paving the way for the other mini-opera "Rael" and eventually full length rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia.

The plot of the story is simple. A girl is sad that her boyfriend is away. Her friends suggest that she take a substitute lover, Ivor The Engine Driver. When the boyfriend returns, she confesses her infidelity and is forgiven.

The Who performed this on the Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus, which was going to be a TV special. It never aired on television but it was released on VHS in 1996 and DVD in 2004. The Who's performance of this was included in The Kids Are Alright, a 1979 film about The Who.

According to legend, Rock And Roll Circus didn't air because the Rolling Stones felt that they were showed up by The Who. Jethro Tull, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithful, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Mitch Mitchell all appeared on Rock And Roll Circus.

A live version of this song appears on Live At Leeds and the soundtrack for The Kids Are Alright.

The Who wanted to put Cellos on the track but Kit Lambert said they couldn't afford it. So they sang "cello, cello, cello, cello," where the Who thought they should go.

This was used in the Wes Anderson film Rushmore starring Jason Shwartzman and Bill Murray.

The Righteous Brothers - (You're My) Soul And Inspiration

The Righteous Brothers - (You're My) Soul And Inspiration Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Soul And Inspiration
Released: 1966

(You're My) Soul And Inspiration Lyrics

Girl, I can't let you do this
Let you walk away
Girl, how can I live through this
When you're all I wake up for each day?

Baby, you're my soul and my heart's inspiration
You're all I've got to get me by
You're my soul and my heart's inspiration
Without you baby, what good am I?

I never had much goin'
But at least I had you
How can you walk out knowin'
I ain't got nothin' left if you do?

Baby, you're my soul and my heart's inspiration
You're all I've got to get me by
You're my soul and my heart's inspiration
Without you baby, what good am I, oh what good am I?

Baby, I can't make it withoutcha.
And I'm, I'm tellin' ya, honey-you're my
reason for laughin', for cryin', for livin', and for dyin'.

Baby, I can't make it without you
Please, I'm begging you baby
If you go it will kill me
I swear it, Dear, my love can't bear it

You're my soul and my heart's inspiration
You're all I've got to get me by
You're my soul and my heart's inspiration
Without you baby, what good am I, what good am I?

Mm-mm-mm Mm-mm-mm
Mm-mm-mm
Writer/s: MANN, BARRY / WEIL, CYNTHIA
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

(You're My) Soul And Inspiration

With soaring vocals and a symphonic arrangement, this song bears a strong resemblance to the Righteous Brothers' breakout hit, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." That song was written by the Brill Building songwriting duo of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, and produced by Phil Spector. When it became a #1 hit in 1965, Spector asked Mann and Weil to write another one, and they came up with "Soul And Inspiration." They saw it as a carbon copy of "Lovin' Feelin'," however, and didn't deliver it to Spector.

By 1966, The Righteous Brothers had signed a $1 million deal with MGM Records and needed a hit to please their new corporate overlords. Medley remembered the tune Mann and Weil had scrapped, and asked them to revive it. They reluctantly delivered the song to Medley, who produced it himself, using many of Spector's techniques.

Released as their first single for MGM, "(You're My) Soul And Inspiration" returned the duo to the top of the Hot 100, where it stayed for three weeks.

The song's co-writer Cynthia Weil said of this song: "It will always be Lovin' Feelin' sideways to me."

The listening public seems to agree: While the song remains a Righteous Brothers favorite, it never had a popular resurgence like "Lovin' Feelin'" or "Unchained Melody," and is rarely heard in movies, TV shows or commercials.

Johnny Rivers - Secret Agent Man

Johnny Rivers - Secret Agent Man Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Greatest Hits
Released: 1966

Secret Agent Man Lyrics

There's a man who leads a life of danger
To everyone he meets he stays a stranger
With every move he makes another chance he takes
Odds are he won't live to see tomorrow

Secret Agent Man, secret agent man
They've given you a number, I know they've take away your name

Beware of pretty faces that you find
A pretty face can hide an evil mind
Ah, be careful what you say
Or you'll give yourself away
Odds are you won't live to see tomorrow

Secret agent man, secret agent man
They've given you a number, I know they've take away your name

Secret agent man, secret agent man
They've given you a number, oh they've taken away your name

Swingin' on the Riviera one day
And then layin' in the Bombay alley next day
Oh, don't you let you let the wrong word slip
While kissing persuasive lips
Odds are you won't live to see tomorrow

Secret agent man, secret agent man
They've given you a number, oh they've take away your name

Secret agent man

Writer/s: BARRI, STEVE / SLOAN, P. F.
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Secret Agent Man

This was the theme for a TV show called Secret Agent, starring Patrick McGoohan. Unlike many TV themes, the song held up on its own with a distinctive dueling guitar sound.

This is an example of "Spy" music. The sound implied action and was associated with James Bond movies.

P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri, who at the time were just starting the band The Grass Roots, wrote this song. Secret Agent was a US adaptation of a hit show in England called Dangerman, and CBS needed a 15-second theme to replace the British version. Sloan wrote of the song (from his website): "Somebody thought I should do a full length instrumental of the song. So I did. Meanwhile the song was picked by CBS and Johnny Rivers recorded the quick 15-second song for the TV show. The Ventures, the genius guitar instrumental group, heard the demo and recorded and released the song way before Rivers even had a finished song. The publishers asked me to finish the song, Rivers recorded it, not one of his favorite songs back then, but he's happier with it now."

Some of the artists to record this song include Hank Williams Jr., Devo and Blues Traveler.

P.F. Sloan wrote the riff for this song first, then came up with the lyric that went, "Look out Danger Man..." When the title of the show was changed to Secret Agent, he says it was a breakthrough. "That changed everything," he told us. "The lyric just came together in no time at all. It just worked immediately."

This was used in commercials for Wal-Mart and also for Chase credit cards. Some of the many movies to use the song include Repo Man, Bowfinger, Can't Buy Me Love, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.

According to P.F. Sloan, Johnny Rivers didn't like this song, and was content to record just the quick TV version until The Ventures charted with it. Both acts recorded for subsidiaries of Liberty Records, and the label was able to convince Rivers to record it.

Sloan told us in 2014 that Rivers had clearly embraced the song. "I saw him about two months ago and I've got to say he did an absolutely killer version," he said. "Johnny must have sang that song half a million times, and he still sings it with so much gusto, and the audience goes nuts. That's something great to see."

The Ventures instrumental version peaked at #54 US on March 26, 1966. Rivers' version hit its peak on April 23. His rendition is substantially longer, running 3:03 vs. 2:17.

Wayne Fontana - Pamela, Pamela

Wayne Fontana - Pamela, Pamela Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Wayne Fontana
Released: 1966

Pamela, Pamela Lyrics

Pamela, Pamela
Remember the days
Of inkwells and apples
And books and school plays
Where little Brer Rabbit kissed Pooh in the wood
And Fluff was the cat that sat on the rug
Oh, Pamela
I remember so well

When Laurel and Hardy were shown at the flicks
With sticky red lollies on splintery sticks
Pigtails and ribbons and crushes on miss
Secret discussions about a first kiss
But you were young
And everything was new
Impatient to do things you couldn't do
Oh, Pamela, Pamela
You started to grow
Answers to questions you wanted to know

When the rest of your childhood
Forgets as a dream
And the harshness of life
Dims those peaches and cream

When Laurel and Hardy were shown at the flicks
With sticky red lollies on splintery sticks
Pigtails and ribbons and crushes on miss
Secret discussions about a first kiss
But you were young
And everything was new
Impatient to do things you couldn't do

Writer/s: GOULDMAN, GRAHAM
Publisher: EMI Music Publishing, SCHUBERT MUSIC PUBLISHING INC.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Pamela, Pamela

This early Graham Gouldman composition was recorded by Wayne Fontana. Backed by "Something Keeps Calling Me Back," it was Fontana's last hit.

Graham Gouldman was born in 1946, and although Laurel & Hardy made their last film appearance in 1951, it is unlikely Gouldman intended the line alluding to them to be taken literally ("When Laurel & Hardy were shown at the flicks...). Rather, this is a song about nostalgia, what for some people may truly be the happiest days of their lives - schooldays - but only for some. A parallel can be found in the epic song "Love Chronicles" in which Al Stewart recalls the first time he ever kissed a girl, in his kindergarten arithmetic class.

Donovan - Sunshine Superman

Donovan - Sunshine Superman Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Sunshine Superman
Released: 1966

Sunshine Superman Lyrics

Sunshine came softly through my a-window today
Could've tripped out easy a-but I've a-changed my ways
It'll take time, I know it but in a while
You're gonna be mine, I know it, we'll do it in style
'Cause I made my mind up you're going to be mine

I'll tell you right now
Any trick in the book now, baby, all that I can find
Everybody's hustlin' just to have a little scene
When I say we'll be cool I think that you know what I mean
We stood on a beach at sunset, do you remember when?
I know a beach where, baby, a-it never ends
When you've made your mind up forever to be mine

Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
I'll pick up your hand and slowly blow your little mind
'Cause I made my mind up you're going to be mine
I'll tell you right now
Any trick in the book now, baby, all that I can find

Superman or Green Lantern ain't got a-nothin' on me
I can make like a turtle and dive for your pearls in the sea, yeah
A you-you-you can just sit there a-thinking on your velvet throne
'Bout all the rainbows a-you can a-have for your own
When you've made your mind up forever to be mine
I'll pick up your hand and slowly blow your little mind
When you've made your mind up forever to be mine

I'll pick up your hand
I'll pick up your hand

Writer/s: LEITCH, DONOVAN
Publisher: Peermusic Publishing
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Sunshine Superman

Donovan first met his future wife, Linda Lawrence, in 1965 when she was recovering from a broken relationship with Rolling Stones founding member Brian Jones. The pair dated briefly, but not wanting the scrutiny and uncertainty of being a pop star's girlfriend all over again, Lawrence broke it off at the end of the year. Donovan responded with this song.

"It's not a normal love song, the singer told Mojo magazine June 2011. "On the face of it, the song is about being with Linda again. But sunshine is a nickname for acid. The Superman is the person capable of entering higher states because it's not easy to go into the fourth dimension and see the matrix of the universe in which everything is connected.

The line, 'everybody's hustling' referred to the pop scene at the time, where you could lose yourself very easily. Gyp (Mills - Donovan's lifelong friend and tour manager) would always keep my feet on the ground; we had left home at 16 to busk so we could see fame for what it is."

Donovan was good friends with The Beatles, and they were both making very innovative and trippy music at the time. Donovan's producer Mickie Most told him not to play the Sunshine Superman album to Paul McCartney under any circumstances, because he knew McCartney would be tempted to do something similar.

Donovan recalled to Uncut magazine: "My arse was being sued by Pye after Sunshine Superman so , my masterwork, sat on the shelves for seven months. If you date it, it was at least a year and a half before Sgt Pepper and I remember Mickie saying to me, 'Don't play it to McCartney' but of course everybody was sharing with everyone else and nicking from each other."

"I played it to McCartney anyway," he continued. "But they were already there, anyway, and George Martin was doing something similar with The Beatles, working out arrangements from ideas they had in their heads. George Martin was The Beatles' guy and John Cameron was my guy and they both had an appreciation of jazz which was key."

Originally, the "Sunshine Superman" single was subtitled "For John And Paul," a reference to Lennon and McCartney.

Jimmy Page played lead guitar on this. Page was a session musician at the time.

Donovan was recording for Pye Records when he was working on this. Pye also had Mickie Most under contract, but he moved to CBS before the album could be released. This prompted a lawsuit that delayed release of the album, so it didn't come out in the US until September, 1966, and wasn't released in the UK until 1967. This was unfortunate for Donovan, because this would have been considered much more innovative if it was released on schedule.

This was one of the first ever overtly psychedelic pop records. Donovan played down the drug implications of the song, but they were certainly implied: "Sunshine" was a name for LSD.

This was Donovan's first collaboration with arranger, musician and jazz fan John Cameron, who developed a new sound for him. Cameron played the harpsichord on this recording.

In the video for The Beatles "A Day In The Life" you can see a close up of "Sunshine Superman" playing on a spinning turntable.

Donovan had a fleeting love affair with the model Linda Lawrence in 1965. He bumped into her four years later and they married in 1970. Donovan said in an interview with The Guardian newspaper May 24, 2005, "Linda's in all the songs. 'Sunshine Superman,' 'Hampstead Incident,' 'Young Girl Blues'... Linda's the muse."

Learn more about Superman in the Song Images .

This was used in the 2010 "Snow Trip" television commercials for the Honda Accord.

The song was Donovan's only single to reach #1 on the Hot 100 . "Gypsy Dave [Donovan's creative companion] and I went off to Greece with about three quid in my pocket," he recalled to Billboard magazine. "The phone rang, and Ashley Kozak, my manager, said 'Get yourself back to Athens, you've got a first-class ticket to London. 'Superman''s released and it's #1 all over the world.'"

Imani Coppola sampled the instrumental track for her 1997 single "Legend of a Cowgirl," which peaked at #32 in the UK.

Donovan - Season Of The Witch

Donovan - Season Of The Witch Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Sunshine Superman
Released: 1966

Season Of The Witch Lyrics

When I look out my window,
Many sights to see.
And when I look in my window,
So many different people to be
That it's strange, so strange.

You've got to pick up every stitch,
You've got to pick up every stitch,
You've got to pick up every stitch,
Mmm, must be the Season Of The Witch,
Must be the season of the witch, yeah,
Must be the season of the witch.

When I look over my shoulder,
What do you think I see?
Some other cat looking over
His shoulder at me
And he's strange, sure he's strange.

You've got to pick up every stitch,
You've got to pick up every stitch,
Beatniks are out to make it rich,
Oh no, must be the season of the witch,
Must be the season of the witch, yeah,
Must be the season of the witch.

You've got to pick up every stitch,
The rabbits running in the ditch,
Beatniks are out to make it rich,
Oh no, must be the season of the witch,
Must be the season of the witch,
Must be the season of the witch.

When I look out my window,
What do you think I see?
And when I look in my window,
So many different people to be
It's strange, sure is strange.
You've got to pick up every stitch,
You've got to pick up every stitch,
The rabbits running in the ditch,
Oh no, must be the season of the witch,
Must be the season of the witch, yeah,
Must be the season of the witch.
When I look, when I look.

Writer/s: MACLEOD, COLIN DAVID
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Season Of The Witch

One of the first songs to fit the "psychedelic" genre, Donovan recorded it in May 1966, shortly before his highly publicized arrest for possession of marijuana.

The genesis of this song goes back to an evening at folk music notable Bert Jansch's house in north London, when fellow acoustic master John Renbourn showed Donovan a D ninth chord. From that Donovan built up a riff that, according to the memories of those present, he then played solidly for the next seven hours.

"There was a feeling, even then, that all was not perfect in the Garden of Eden," he said of the song in an interview with Mojo magazine June 2011. "Dealers were moving into bohemia and hard drugs were on the fringes. The song was also prophetic. It was about the bust, although of course I couldn't know that then."

During Led Zeppelin's soundchecks, they often warmed up by playing this. The song allows for lots of jamming when played live, which makes it a popular cover for many bands.

This song is ideal for long jams. The two main chords (A and D) are played during the verses, and during the chorus there are three chords (A, D and E). In Mojo magazine, January 2005, Donovan said: "Season of the Witch' continues to be a perennial influence because it allows a jam – not a 12-bar or Latin groove, but a very modern jam. Led Zeppelin used to warm up every day to it on the road during the soundcheck. It makes me very proud that I've created certain forms that other bands can get off on, to explore, be experimental, or just break the rules."

Donovan's producer was Mickie Most, an interesting character who oversaw many hit records in the '60s and '70s (for more on Mickie, see our interview with Alan Merrill of The Arrows ).

In the same Mojo interview, Donovan said: "I remember the bass line going down and Mickie saying, 'We've got a problem. The engineers are saying that they can't turn the bass up.' I said, Why? They said, 'Well, it's going into the red.' And so he said to the engineers, 'Look, you go into the red, I'm giving you permission. Go in the red! That's the bass sound I want. Very, very loud.' And they said, 'Well, we'll have to have a meeting.' So they went upstairs and had a meeting about whether the bass should go into the red. And they came down, they said, 'No, I'm sorry, the equipment can't stand it.' So Mickie Most said, 'Look, I've just made a record deal with your boss Clive Davis for $5 million and seven bands. And he's given me $1m right now. So do you think if I phone him up, you'd give me a little bit more bass?' And they looked at each other, and immediately realized that their jobs were on the line. They said, 'OK, you've got more bass.' We got more bass the needle went into the red, the equipment didn't blow up. I guess next time they made that needle, they did that thing by just moving the red bit a bit farther to the right, like in Spinal Tap: 'My amp goes up to 11!'"

This song was covered by Al Kooper (Blood Sweat & Tears, The Blues Project) and Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills Nash & Young) on the historically significant 1968 album Super Session. That gives us an excuse to tell a fun story: Stills was brought in midway through recording the album to replace Mike Bloomfield (Butterfield Band, Electric Flag). Now, Kooper was originally enthusiastic to play with Bloomfield, but Bloomfield had a habit of ditching at the worst possible time. So when he showed up at Al Kooper's house, Bloomfield complained of an infected toe, then proceeded to use the most expensive crystal bowl in the house to soak his toe in.

A photo of this (the toe) ended up on the back cover of the Super Session album. Then Mike Bloomfield simply disappeared in the morning, leaving only a note saying that he'd had insomnia. It wouldn't even be the last time he stood up Al Kooper!

In his memoir Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards , Al Kooper mentions that he's been moved to cover this song after a trip to London, when he'd heard Donovan's "Season of the Witch" coming out of every shop on King's Road.

"Fast" Eddie Hoh played drums on this song. He also played drums on the Super Session cover. Eddie Hoh also played percussion for The Mamas & The Papas, The Monkees, and dozens of other acts.

Other covers of this very portable song include Vanilla Fudge on a 1960s single and several of their 2000s albums, Luna on a 1996 single, and Joan Jett on her Naked album of 2004.

Many came across the song for the first time in late 2010 after it was used in an ad for Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.

The Who - I'm A Boy

The Who - I'm A Boy Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Meaty, Beaty, Big And Bouncy
Released: 1966

I'm A Boy Lyrics

One girl was called Jean Marie
Another little girl was Felicity
Another little girl was Sally Joy
The other was me, and I'm A Boy

My name is Bill, and I'm a head case
They practice making up on my face
Yeah, I feel lucky if I get trousers to wear
Spend evenings taking hairpins from my hair

I'm a boy, I'm a boy
But my ma won't admit it
I'm a boy, I'm a boy
But if I say I am, I get it

Put your frock on, Jean Marie
Plait your hair, Felicity
Paint your nails, little Sally Joy
Put on this wig, little boy

I'm a boy, I'm a boy
But my ma won't admit it
I'm a boy, I'm a boy
But if I say I am, I get it

Want to play cricket on the green
Ride my bike across the street
Cut myself and see my blood
Want to come home all covered in mud

I'm a boy, I'm a boy
But my ma won't admit it
I'm a boy. I'm a boy
But if I say I am, I get it

Writer/s: PETER TOWNSHEND
Publisher: T.R.O. INC.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

I'm A Boy

This is about a boy whose mother wants him to be a girl, while the boy longs to assert his real sexual identity. The controversial subject of cross-dressing was probably the reason why this failed to reach the American Top 100.

Pete Townshend wrote this for a Rock Opera he was composing called "Quads," which was about a future where parents could choose the sex of their children. That opera never happened. It is possible that Townshend had his old title in mind when a few years later he came up with the title for "Quadrophenia."

Roger Daltrey in Q magazine March 2008: "I always thought The Who went through a weird period after 'My Generation' (November 1965) that lasted until we did 'Magic Bus' (October 1968). I thought it all went a bit sloppy. But 'I'm A Boy' and 'Pictures Of Lily' were from that period when I'd been allowed back into the band (Daltrey had been asked to leave after beating up Keith Moon over his heavy use of amphetamines). My ego had been crushed. I was insecure and it showed in my voice. When I first heard those songs, I was like, 'Oi, what's this all about?' I didn't think I could find the right voice for them. You can hear it when you listen to them now, but my insecurity made those songs sound better. It was a happy accident."

Daltrey told Uncut magazine: "On 'I'm A Boy', I tried to sing it like a really, really young kid, like an eight-year-old. Not the voice of an eight-year-old but the sentiment – and I think that came across."

Bob Dylan - Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands

Bob Dylan - Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Blonde On Blonde
Released: 1966

Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands Lyrics

With your mercury mouth in the missionary times,
And your eyes like smoke and your prayers like rhymes,
And your silver cross, and your voice like chimes,
Oh, do they think could bury you?
With your pockets well protected at last,
And your streetcar visions which you place on the grass,
And your flesh like silk, and your face like glass,
Who could they get to carry you?

Sad-eyed lady of the lowlands,
Where the sad-eyed prophet says that no man comes,
My warehouse eyes, my Arabian drums,
Should I put them by your gate,
Or, sad-eyed lady, should I wait?

With your sheets like metal and your belt like lace,
And your deck of cards missing the jack and the ace,
And your basement clothes and your hollow face,
Who among them can think he could outguess you?
With your silhouette when the sunlight dims
Into your eyes where the moonlight swims,
And your match-book songs and your gypsy hymns,
Who among them would try to impress you?

Sad-eyed lady of the lowlands,
Where the sad-eyed prophet says that no man comes,
My warehouse eyes, my Arabian drums,
Should I put them by your gate,
Or, sad-eyed lady, should I wait?

The kings of Tyrus with their convict list
Are waiting in line for their geranium kiss,
And you wouldn't know it would happen like this,
But who among them really wants just to kiss you?
With your childhood flames on your midnight rug,
And your Spanish manners and your mother's drugs,
And your cowboy mouth and your curfew plugs,
Who among them do you think could resist you?

Sad-eyed lady of the lowlands,
Where the sad-eyed prophet says that no man comes,
My warehouse eyes, my Arabian drums,
Should I leave them by your gate,
Or, sad-eyed lady, should I wait?

Oh, the farmers and the businessmen, they all did decide
To show you the dead angels that they used to hide.
But why did they pick you to sympathize with their side?
Oh, how could they ever mistake you?
They wished you'd accepted the blame for the farm,
But with the sea at your feet and the phony false alarm,
And with the child of a hoodlum wrapped up in your arms,
How could they ever, ever persuade you?

Sad-eyed lady of the lowlands,
Where the sad-eyed prophet says that no man comes,
My warehouse eyes, my Arabian drums,
Should I leave them by your gate,
Or, sad-eyed lady, should I wait?

With your sheet-metal memory of Cannery Row,
And your magazine-husband who one day just had to go,
And your gentleness now, which you just can't help but show,
Who among them do you think would employ you?
Now you stand with your thief, you're on his parole
With your holy medallion which your fingertips fold,
And your saintlike face and your ghostlike soul,
Oh, who among them do you think could destroy you?

Sad-eyed lady of the lowlands,
Where the sad-eyed prophet says that no man comes,
My warehouse eyes, my Arabian drums,
Should I leave them by your gate,
Or, sad-eyed lady, should I wait?

Writer/s: BOB DYLAN
Publisher: BOB DYLAN MUSIC CO
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands

This song is about Sara Lownds, who was Dylan's wife at the time. The title of the song was created from her name: SAd eyed lAdy of the LOWlaNDS.

On the song "Sara" from the album Desire, Dylan sings: "Staying up for nights in the Chelsea Hotel writing Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands for you." In his book Revolution in the Air: The Songs of Bob Dylan 1957-1973, Clinton Heylin writes that most of the song was written in an 8-hour stretch in a Nashville studio while the musicians waited for Dylan to finish it. Said Dylan: "It started out as just a little thing, but I got carried away somewhere along the line."

This took up the whole fourth side of the album, but it didn't need to as it is just under 11-minutes long. But if Blonde On Blonde had not been a double album, some other album would hold the title of first double album ever released. (thanks, Ed - Perth, Australia, for above 2)

When Dylan finally called the band members he hired in to record this song, it was 4 a.m. Typical of Dylan, he didn't tell them much about the song - he just had them play. They were surprised when the song kept going for 11 minutes, and more surprised when Dylan was happy with the first take.

The video to the right is from "The Denver Tapes," recorded March 1966. In this recording, Dylan calls this "The best song I ever wrote." (Thanks, Edna - Madrid, Spain)

The Lovin' Spoonful - Nashville Cats

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The Lovin' Spoonful - Nashville Cats Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful
Released: 1966

Nashville Cats Lyrics

Nashville Cats

This song is a celebration of the remarkable musicianship of Nashville, Tennessee guitar pickers who have been "Playin' since they's babies." John Sebastian held for the Nashville musicians in very high esteem. (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)

The lyrics refer to the Sun Records company. While Sun was best known for first recording Elvis Presley, it also released songs by Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison. (thanks, Ed - Cincinnati, OH)

The Mamas & the Papas - Monday, Monday

The Mamas & the Papas - Monday, Monday Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears
Released: 1966

Monday, Monday Lyrics

Monday, Monday
So good to me
Monday morning
It was all I hoped it would be

Oh, Monday morning
Monday morning couldn't guarantee
That Monday evening you would still
Be here with me

Monday, Monday
Can't trust that day
Monday, Monday
Sometimes it just turns out that way

Oh, Monday morning you gave me no warning
Of what was to be
Oh, Monday, Monday
How could you leave and not take me

Every other day
Every other day
Every other day of the week is fine (fine), yeah
But whenever Monday comes
But whenever Monday comes
You can find me crying all of the time

Monday, Monday
So good to me
Monday morning
It was all I hoped it would be

But, Monday morning
Monday morning couldn't guarantee
That Monday evening you would still
Be here with me

Monday, Monday
Can't trust that day
Monday, Monday
It just turns out that way
Oh, Monday, Monday

Won't go away
Monday, Monday
It's here to stay
Oh, Monday, Monday

Writer/s: PHILLIPS, JOHN EDMUND ANDREW
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Monday, Monday

While awaiting the release of "California Dreamin'," band member Denny Doherty was prodding songwriter John Phillips to come up with some new material. Phillips said he would come back in the morning with "A song with universal appeal." Ignoring the sarcastic comments from the group members, Phillips came up with this. It's about the lousy feeling that comes with the end of the weekend and beginning of another workweek.

In a Songfacts interview, Alan Merrill relates the story of how his cousin - the noted songwriter Laura Nyro - got invited to the Monterey Pop Festival, which was her first major live appearance. Songwriter John Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas called her up and invited her to join them in Monterey. She hung up and told the news to her cousin Alan, who asked "That's great isn't it?" Nyro responds, "No, I've never done a gig. All I've ever done is recording." She had great anxiety about not having her own stage act. This anxiety, together with the personal problems of The Mamas & The Papas (Doherty was drinking heavily at the time, trying to get over Michelle Phillips and their affair), might have contributed to the gloomy atmosphere cast over the Monterey festival which had such dismal reviews. (Check out our interview with Alan Merrill .)

This was the first Hot 100 chart-topper with a day in the week in the title, and the only one with "Monday." ("Manic Monday" by the Bangles and "Rainy Days And Mondays" by the Carpenters both stalled at #2.)

Denny Doherty, who sang lead on this song for The Mamas & the Papas thought very little of "Monday Monday" when they recorded it. "Nobody likes Monday, so I thought it was just a song about the working man," he said. "Nothing about it stood out to me; it was a dumb f--kin' song about a day of the week."

As you can imagine, he was taken by surprise when the song became a huge hit.

Doherty wasn't alone in his incredulity: Mama Cass and Michelle Phillips didn't like the song either, and John Phillips claimed he had no idea what the song meant.

The Mamas & the Papas used top-tier Los Angeles studio musicians on their recordings. On this track, Larry Knechtel played keyboards, Joe Osborn played bass, Hal Blaine was on drums and P.F. Sloan played guitar. Sloan was the baby of the bunch, just 20 years old when the song was released. He describes it as a "magical session," and says that he gave Blaine the idea for the drum riff based on a song P.F. had worked on when he was a member of the Grass Roots. Sloan used a tremolo effect on his guitar part, which he overdubbed later.

This was the first #1 US hit by a group comprised of at least two men and two women.

"Monday, Monday" was the group's third single. "Go Where You Wanna Go" was issued first and went nowhere, but their next release was "California Dreamin'," which was a phenomenon. When that song was having its run, radio stations started playing "Monday, Monday" off the album, so by the time it was released as a single, it was already widely anticipated and quickly rose to #1.