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The Beach Boys - Caroline, No

The Beach Boys - Caroline, No Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Pet Sounds
Released: 1966

Caroline, No Lyrics

Where did your long hair go
Where is the girl I used to know
How could you lose that happy glow
Oh, Caroline no

Who took that look away
I remember how you used to say
You'd never change, but that's not true
Oh, Caroline you

Break my heart
I want to go and cry
It's so sad to watch a sweet thing die
Oh, Caroline why

Could I ever find in you again
The things that made me love you so much then
Could we ever bring 'em back once they have gone
Oh, Caroline no

Writer/s: WILSON, BRIAN DOUGLAS / ASHER, TONY
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Caroline, No

This is a heartbreaking song about a girl who is moving on with her life, leaving the singer to wonder why she changed and what went wrong. Brian Wilson considers it one of his most successful ballads, along with "In My Room," "Surfer Girl" and "God Only Knows." He calls these ballads, "sweet, pretty, angelic songs that people liked."

Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson wrote this song with the lyricist Tony Asher, who also worked with him on "God Only Knows." It was a very personal song for both writers. Wilson married his first wife, Marilyn, in December, 1964, and the couple were going through many changes in their relationship. In the notes for the reissued album Wilson explained: "We were young, Marilyn nearing 20 and me closing in on 24, yet I thought we'd lost the innocence of our youth in the heavy seriousness of our lives."

Wilson took his concept of lost innocence to Asher, who drew from his own personal experience to complete the lyrics. Asher had recently broken up with his girlfriend, Carol, who moved across the country to New York City. When Asher visited her, he was struck by how much she had changed - her new haircut inspired the first line in the song.

Asher wrote a lyric in the song as "Carol, I Know," which Wilson interpreted as "Caroline, No," which both men agreed was a much more interesting title.

Brian Wilson put a variety of unusual instruments on this track, including harpsichord, ukulele and vibraphone. He used some of the top Los Angeles session players on the recording, including Hal Blaine on drums, Carol Kaye on bass and Glen Campbell on guitar. Blaine created a unique percussion sound by hitting an empty, upside-down water bottle, which is what you hear at the beginning of the track.

Brian Wilson recorded this without the rest of the group - on the single it's listed as "Brian Wilson," not "The Beach Boys." The released version was recorded a half step slower so that when played back, the vocal would sound a little higher in pitch. (The same technique McCartney used on "When I'm Sixty Four" - the acetate is in the original key of C major as opposed to C# on "Pepper".) It was supposed to give the vocal a more "youthful" sound. (thanks, Barry Kesten - Bellmore)

This was the last song on the original version of the Pet Sounds album. At the end of the song, the sounds of a passing train and barking dogs come in. The train came from a sound effects reel, but the dogs were original: Brian Wilson brought his pooches Banana and Louie into the studio and recorded their barks. This was done to tie in the "Pet Sounds" concept.

This song was referenced in the third verse of Neil Young's "Long May You Run," which is addressed to his famous Pontiac hearse; "Maybe the Beach Boys have got you now, with those waves singing Caroline, oh Caroline, no." (thanks, Ekristheh - Halath)

Simon & Garfunkel - I Am A Rock

Simon & Garfunkel - I Am A Rock Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Sounds Of Silence
Released: 1966

I Am A Rock Lyrics

A winter's day
In a deep and dark
December,
I am alone,
Gazing from my window to the streets below
On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow.
I Am A Rock,
I am an island.

I've built walls,
A fortress deep and mighty,
That none may penetrate.
I have no need of friendship, friendship causes pain.
It's laughter and it's loving I disdain.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

Don't talk of love,
But I've heard the words before,
It's sleeping in my memory.
I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that have died.
If I never loved I never would have cried.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

I have my books
And my poetry to protect me,
I am shielded in my armor,
Hiding in my room, safe within my womb.
I touch no one and no one touches me.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

And a rock feels no pain,
And an island never cries.

Writer/s: SIMON, PAUL
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

I Am A Rock

This song is about a recluse locking himself away from the world. When he says, "I am a rock, I am an island," he means away from everything and everyone. It's far from autobiographical, as Paul Simon was doing his best to write a hit song with this effort, and didn't write it for himself. The use of the word "Rock" is interesting in that Simon considered himself a folk singer, and didn't associate himself with Rock music. In the vast majority of songs with the word "rock" in the lyrics, it is used to imply music or lifestyle, but for Simon, it was just a piece of stone. He did the same thing in 1973 for his song "Loves Me Like A Rock."

This song has one of more perplexing histories of recordings and releases. Written by Paul Simon before he hit it big as a musician, the song was offered to the duo Chad and Jeremy, who turned it down. Simon then recorded it himself for his UK solo album (released in America 1981) The Paul Simon Songbook, which was released in the UK in August, 1965. The single was issued in September but didn't chart despite a performance by Simon on the show Ready, Steady. Go!

Simon was going solo at this time because the Simon & Garfunkel 1964 debut album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. had stiffed, and the duo split up. Late in 1965, the producer Tom Wilson overdubbed and remixed a track from that album, "The Sound Of Silence," and it became a huge hit. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were summoned back to the studio, where they recorded the singles "I Am A Rock" and "Homeward Bound," which were included on their Sound of Silence album. These songs were recorded with producer Bob Johnston at one of the Columbia Records studios in New York City, and now released with a more contemporary sound, "I Am A Rock" became a hit for the duo.

In the UK, this was released three times in a one year span: first as the original Paul Simon single in 1965, then in the summer of 1966 it was released as an EP and again as a single. The song was very popular there in 1966, but the chart position suffered because the sales of the single were diluted by multiple releases.

The guitarist on the Simon & Garfunkel hit version of this song was Ralph Casale , who was a top session player in the '60s. He remembers organist Al Kooper and drummer Bobby Gregg - both associated with Bob Dylan - also performing on the song. Describing the sessions, Ralph told us: "The band was booked from 7:00 p.m. into the wee hours of the morning. I was given a lead sheet for 'I Am A Rock' with just chords and asked to play the electric twelve string guitar. The producer wanted a sound similar to the Byrds. It was important that session players became familiar with the current hits because many times producers describe the style they want by referring to well known groups. Paul Simon sang the figure he wanted me to play between verses and asked me to play it in thirds. The rest was left to me. 'Homeward Bound' was on that same date."

Lou Christie - Rhapsody In The Rain

Lou Christie - Rhapsody In The Rain Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Rockin' And Rollin'
Released: 1966

Rhapsody In The Rain Lyrics

Baby the raindrops play for me
A lonely rhapsody 'cause on our first date
We were makin' out in the rain

And in this car our love went much too far
It was exciting as thunder
Tonight I wonder where you are

Refrain:
The windshield wipers seemed to say
"Together - together - together - together"
And now they are saying
"Oh, ne...ver, ne...ver"
Ooh-wee, ooh-wee, baby

[Chorus]
Rhapsody In The Rain
Rhapsody in the rain
Angels keep cryin' for me (don't... stop)
Angels keep cryin' for me (don't... stop)

Baby, I'm parked outside your door
Remember makin' love, makin' love, we were makin' love in the storm
(sha-la-la-la la-la)

Refrain 2:
And then a flash from above
Lightning - lightning - lightning - lightning
Just li-ike our love
It was exciting, exciting
Ooh-wee, ooh-wee, baby

[repeat chorus]

Bridge:

guitar solo:

Yesterday, bring back yesterday

[repeat chorus]

Coda:
Rhapsody in the rain

Writer/s: HERBERT, TWYLA / CHRISTIE, LOU
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Rhapsody In The Rain

The Catholic Church helped get this banned on many radio stations, which only made people want to hear it more (You'd think they'd have learned after banning Gary U.S. Bonds' "Quarter To Three"). It's mild by today's standards, but a hot topic back when you didn't sing about "Makin' love in the storm" with a teenage girl. (thanks, Uncle - Philly, PA)

Christie (in Goldmine magazine): "I had priests and nuns calling to complain. Even Time magazine did an article on it, saying I was corrupting the youth."

The music was based on Tchaikovsky's "Romeo And Juliet."

According to Christie, the original lyrics were changed from: "We were makin' out in the rain" to "We fell in love in the rain" and "In this car, we went too far" to "Our love came like a falling star."

The Mamas & the Papas - I Saw Her Again

The Mamas & the Papas - I Saw Her Again Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: The Mamas And The Papas
Released: 1966

I Saw Her Again Lyrics

I Saw Her Again last night
And you know that I shouldn't
To string her along's just not right
If I couldn't I wouldn't

But what can I do, I'm lonely too
And it makes me feel so good to know
You'll never leave me
I'm in way over my head

Now she thinks that I love her
Because that's what I said
Though I never think of her
But what can I do, I'm lonely too

And it makes me feel so good to know
You'll never leave me
Every time I see that girl
You know I want to lay down and die

But I really need that girl
Don't know why I'm livin' a lie
It makes me want to cry
I saw her again last night

And you know that I shouldn't
To string her along's just not right
If I couldn't I wouldn't
But what can I do, I'm lonely too

And it makes me feel so good to know
You'll never leave me

But what can I do, I'm lonely too
And it makes me feel so good to know
You'll never leave me
Every time I see that girl

You know I want to lay down and die
But I really need that girl
Don't know why I'm livin' a lie
It makes me want to cry

I saw her again last night
And you know that I shouldn't
To string her along's just not right
If I couldn't I wouldn't

I'm in way over my head
Now she thinks that I love her
Because that's what I said
Though I never think of her

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

I Saw Her Again

This song was written by John Phillips, the leader of the Mamas And The Papas, about the affair between his wife, Michelle Phillips (a Mamas And Papas member), and Denny Doherty (also a Mamas And Papas member), which ultimately led to Michelle Phillips' unceremonious dismissal from the band and John and Michelle's divorce. Ironically enough, Doherty received a songwriting credit. The sessions for this album must have been as uncomfortable as were the sessions when Fleetwood Mac was recording the Rumours album 10 years later and the personal relationships in that band were imploding. (thanks, Dave - St. Paul, MN)

Lou Adler produced this song, and Bones Howe was the engineer for the session. According to Bones, the part around the 1:45 mark where "I saw her" is repeated twice was a happy accident. Said Bones: "We were punching vocals in, and when we came to that part where the rhythm stops and the group goes, 'I saw her again last night,' I just punched in early. They came in early, and so we stopped. And then we went back and started again, and I punched in at the beginning of the vocal, they started two bars later or whatever it was. And when I played it back, the vocal went, 'I saw her - I saw her again.' It was a mistaken punch. And Lou said, 'I love it! Leave it in.' It was an error, it was a mistake. But Lou was wise enough, it caught his ear and he left it. And I learned something from that. You go with your gut. If something catches - they could be - there are wonderful mistakes that happen in the studio and you have to learn to catch those when they happen and use them."

Small Faces - Hey Girl

Small Faces - Hey Girl Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Small Faces
Released: 1966

Hey Girl Lyrics

Girl, hold my hand
Girl, I know you'll understand
That I've been waiting for a long, long time
Think every thing's gonna turn out fine

Hey, hey, it's alright
Hey, hey, it's alright
Hey, hey, my, my, my
Hey, hey, yeah, yeah

Girl, treat me kind
And girl, I think you'll find
That no one can love you better than me
Close your eyes and I think you'll see

Hey, hey, it's alright
Hey, hey, my, my, my
Hey, hey, come on children
Hey, hey, my, oh, my

When I think of what I've missed
It makes me laugh inside
All the girls that I ain't kissed
Just to keep my pride
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

So girl, look around
And girl, see what we've found
We've found something we can't fight
Don't think twice it'll be alright now

Hey, hey, it's alright
Hey, hey, I said my, my, my, yeah
Hey, hey, it's alright
Hey, yeah, hey, yeah, it's alright

Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, yeah, hey, yeah, it's alright
Hey, ow, hey, ooh, it's alright
Hey, ooh, hey, yeah it's alright

Hey hey, c'mon shake your hand
Hey, hey, alright a promised land
Hey, hey, yeah woh, it's alright
Hey, hey, you know what I mean, it's alright
Well, I say alright alright, alright

Writer/s: MARRIOTT, STEVE/LANE, RONALD
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Hey Girl

This commercially-leaning single was written by Small Faces band members Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane. It was a compromise between the band and their manager Don Arden as Arden wanted a very radio-friendly song. Keyboardist Ian McLagan recalled to Uncut magazine: "Just a little pop song. Steve and Ronnie were being shrewd. After that, they were the writers. I was music musically frustrated in the studio at this point, but live we were raw and raucous."

Released on May 6, 1966 with the B-side "Almost Grown," the song peaked at #10 on the UK singles chart.

McLagan remembered to Uncut: "In those early days, the bridge of 'Hey Girl,' which goes to a minor key became a pattern. Steve would ask me to play a solo on piano and organ for a new song and I'll be thinking, 'hang on haven't played this bridge before?' They were writing very fast."

The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind

The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Friday On My Mind
Released: 1966

Friday On My Mind Lyrics

Monday mornin' feels so bad
Ev'rybody seems to nag me
Comin' Tuesday I feel better
Even my old man looks good
Wed'sday just don't go
Thursday goes too slow
I've got Friday On My Mind

Gonna have fun in the city
Be with my girl, she's so pretty
She looks fine tonight
She is out of sight to me
Tonight I'll spend my bread, tonight
I'll lose my head, tonight
I've got to get to night
Monday I'll have Friday on my mind

Do the five day grind once more
I know of nothin' else that bugs me
More than workin' for the rich man
Hey! I'll change that scene one day
Today I might be mad, tomorrow I'll be glad
'Cause I'll have Friday on my mind

Gonna have fun in the city
Be with my girl, she's so pretty
She looks fine tonight.
She is out of sight to me
Tonight I'll spend my bread, tonight
I'll lose my head, tonight
I've got to get to night
Monday I'll have Friday on my mind
Writer/s: Young, George Redburn / Vanda, Harry
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Friday On My Mind

This song was co-written by Easybeats guitarists George Young and Harry Vanda, who were the primary songwriters in the group (Young is the older brother of Malcolm and Angus Young from AC/DC). Vanda described the song as reminiscent of the days where the band members lived in hostels in Sydney as "New Australians," where they hung out for the end of the week because of the fun it brought.

Previously, the band's main songwriting team had been George Young and lead singer Stevie Wright. Vanda and Young produced The Easybeats' later albums and after the group broke up in 1969, formed their own group, Flash And The Pan, which had a few successes during the late '70s and early '80s. They also continued writing and producing hits for other artists like AC/DC and John Paul Young. (thanks, Melanie - Adelaide, Australia, for above 2)

This song has quite a buildup. After the opening cymbal crash, its just a staccato guitar for the next 20 seconds underscoring Stevie Wright's vocal where he runs through the days of the week, explaining why Monday-Thursday don't excite him. The bass finally comes in as he gets closer to the weekend. Finally, 30 seconds into the song, we hit Friday and the drums come in to play.

This energy carries into the chorus, where we hear about the plans for the weekend. But then it's back to Monday, and we do the "five-day drag once more." This time, however, the tempo is faster and he's even more optimistic, knowing that his time will come. The second chorus is even more energetic and repeats to close out the song. All of this is packed into 2:47, making it one of the more distinctive and energetic hits of the era.

The Easybeats were already huge in their native Australia when they recorded this song, but this was their first hit outside of that country. After scoring several Aussie hits in 1965, they got an international distribution deal in 1966. In the UK, "Come And See Her" was their first single, and in the US, "Make You Feel Alright (Women)" was chosen. Their second single in each territory was "Friday On My Mind," which was their breakthrough (the song was also a monster in Australia, where it was #1 for eight weeks).

The group was not able to capitalize, falling victim to drug abuse, management struggles, and internal strife. It was six month before their next single, "Who'll Be The One," appeared, and listeners were underwhelmed.
They never had another US hit and in the UK managed just one more: "Hello, How are You," which made #20 in 1968.

The group recorded this song in London with producer Shel Talmy, who is famous for his work with The Who.

David Bowie did a popular cover on his 1973 album Pin Ups, and Peter Frampton recorded a version for his 1981 album Breaking All the Rules. The only artist to take it back to the charts is Gary Moore, who reached #26 UK with his 1987 rendition.

"Friday on My Mind" has been on the minds of Australians since 1967, earning the #1 position on APRA's list of Ten Best Australian Songs.

This was also released as a single by Australian singer Peter Doyle in 1976. He produced an incredibly punchy version, but it was never a hit. (thanks, Gwyneth - Wales)

Richard Chamberlain - Holly Golightly

Richard Chamberlain - Holly Golightly Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Breakfast At Tiffany's
Released: 1966

Holly Golightly Lyrics

Holly Golightly

"Holly Golightly" is the opening song from the 1966 flop musical Holly Golightly. Written by Bob Merrill, it is a passable number that was sung originally by Richard Chamberlain as Jeff. Although the show didn't make it to Broadway, it was revived for the London stage with a limited season in September 2013 where it was known by the more familiar name Breakfast At Tiffany's. (thanks, Alexander Baron - London, England)

Bob Dylan - Rainy Day Women #12 And #35

Bob Dylan - Rainy Day Women #12 And #35 Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Blonde On Blonde
Released: 1966

Rainy Day Women #12 And #35 Lyrics

Rainy Day Women #12 And #35

With the line, "Everybody Must Get Stoned," this song is often associated with smoking marijuana, although Dylan insists it isn't, stating, "I have never and never will write a 'drug song.'" It is more likely about trials of relationships with women, and Dylan has hinted that it could have a Biblical meaning. Answering a question about people interpreting this song to be about getting high, Dylan told Rolling Stone in 2012: "These are people that aren't familiar with the Book of Acts."

The Book of Acts is from the Gospel of Luke, and contains an account of a stoning: "Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God... And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul."

In this story, Stephen received his sentence after giving a speech to authorities who were going to kill him no matter what he said. This relates to how Dylan felt about his critics, who were going to figuratively "stone" him no matter what he did. (More on the meaning of "stoned" in popular songs .)

The "official" explanation of how this song got its name: A woman and her daughter came into the recording studio out of the rain. Dylan guessed their ages correctly as 12 and 35.

A less official explanation: The song is about two women who came into the studio on a rainy day. Dylan apparently read an article about punishment for women in Islamic states - hence "Everybody must get stoned" because relationships are a trial and error thing. (thanks, Dave - Ballarat, Australia)

If you multiply 12 by 35, you get 420, a number commonly associated with smoking marijuana. 420 came about because five high school students in California could only smoke at 4:20 in the afternoon. This time was after school and before their parents came home, so it was a good time for them to get high. (thanks, Dave - Boise, ID)

This was one of the few songs Dylan released that was a traditional hit record, reaching the Top 10 in both the US and UK, and spending a week at #2 in America behind "Monday Monday" by The Mamas & The Papas. Perhaps relishing the opportunity to turn a song that repeats "everybody must get stoned" into a radio hit, Dylan cut the song down to 2:26 for the single release. On the Blonde On Blonde album, where it is the first track, the song runs 4:33. The single cuts out two verses and some instrumental passages.

Many radio stations received a publication called the Gavin Report that discussed new songs, and this one was described as a "drug song." Many stations refused to play it, but Dylan was so influential at the time that the song had no trouble getting plenty of airplay.

You can hear Dylan burst out laughing in this song. According to Down the Highway: the Life of Bob Dylan by Howard Sounes, the musicians were having a lot of fun in the studio, passing around joints and swapping instruments as they kept the mood light and jovial.

This song was covered by The Black Crowes for the 1995 album Hempilation, a collection of songs about marijuana. (thanks, Tim - Columbus, OH)

Guitarist and bassist Charlie McCoy played the trumpet on this. He recalled to Uncut magazine March 2014: "(Producer, Bob) Johnston said,'Tonight he wants to do a song with a Salvation Army sound – we need a trumpet and trombone.' I said, 'Does the trumpet need to be good?' He's said, 'no!' I kept track: It took 40 hours to cut Blonde on Blonde."

The Monkees - Last Train To Clarksville

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The Monkees - Last Train To Clarksville Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: The Monkees
Released: 1966

Last Train To Clarksville Lyrics

Last Train To Clarksville

This was written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, a songwriting team who came up with many songs for the Monkees. They also wrote songs for Chubby Checker and Jay & the Americans.

Boyce and Hart wrote this as a protest to the Vietnam War. They had to keep this quiet in order to get it recorded, but it is about a guy who gets drafted and goes to fight in the war. The train is taking him to an army base, and he knows he may die in Vietnam. At the end of the song he states, "I don't know if I'm ever coming home."

Bobby Hart said of writing this song: "We were just looking for a name that sounded good. There's a little town in Northern Arizona I used to go through in the summer on the way to Oak Creek Canyon called Clarksdale. We were throwing out names, and when we got to Clarksdale, we thought Clarksville sounded even better. We didn't know it at the time, [but] there is an Air Force base near the town of Clarksville, Tennessee - which would have fit the bill fine for the story line. We couldn't be too direct with The Monkees. We couldn't really make a protest song out of it - we kind of snuck it in."

Hart got the idea for the lyrics when he turned on the radio and heard the end of The Beatles "Paperback Writer." He thought Paul McCartney was singing "Take the last train," and decided to use the line when he found out McCartney was actually singing "Paperback Writer." Hart knew that The Monkees TV series was pitched as a music/comedy series in the spirit of The Beatles movie A Hard Day's Night, so he knew emulating The Beatles would be a winner. To do that, he made sure to put a distinctive guitar riff in this song, and wrote in the "Oh No-No-No, Oh No-No-No" lyrics as a response to the Beatles famous "Yeah Yeah Yeah."

The only Monkee to appear on this song was Micky Dolenz, who sang lead. The four members of the group were chosen from over 400 applicants to appear on a TV show based on The Beatles movie A Hard Day's Night. The show was about a fictional band, so the members were chosen more for their looks and acting ability than for their musical talent.

Session musicians played on the Monkees albums, usually some combination of Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, James Burton, David Gates, Carol Kaye , Jim Gordon and Hal Blaine. According to the liner notes on the 1994 reissue of the album, however, members of a group called the Candy Store Prophets did the instrumental backing on this track at a session that took place July 25, 1966 at RCA Victor Studios in Hollywood. The Candy Store Prophets were Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart's band, and included Boyce on acoustic guitar, Gerry McGee on electric guitar, Larry Taylor on bass and Billy Lewis on drums. Additional musicians on this track were Wayne Erwin and Louie Shelton on guitar, and Gene Estes on percussion.

Often reported as having played guitar on this track is Jesse Ed Davis, a Native American whose accomplishment included backing George Harrison at the Concert for Bangla Desh and playing the solo on Jackson Browne's first hit, "Doctor My Eyes."

This was The Monkees' first single. It was released shortly after their TV show started on NBC and got a lot of publicity as a result. The Monkees followed it up with another hit, "I'm A Believer," and had several more chart entries before their show was canceled in 1968. Eventually, the group wrote their own songs and played their own instruments. (thanks to Lucy at Monkeeland.com for helping us out)

When this song was released as a single, it went straight to #1, knocking "96 Tears" by ? & the Mysterians down to #2.

The Monkees took a lot of heat when they became successful recording artists without playing on their songs. Their drummer Micky Dolenz explained in The Wrecking Crew film: "I think there was a lot of resentment in the recording industry that we’d come out of nowhere, left field, and sort of just shot right to the top without having to kind of go through the ropes. The music industry back then was pretty crooked, and some people say even to this day. And I didn’t know at the time anything about the business end of it, but all of the sudden, the radio stations, the rack jobbers, the distributors, all these people that had a lot of power at that time - all of the sudden, they had to start playing the Monkees songs; they had to start racking them, they had to start distributing them. They had no choice. It was just so huge because of the television show. And that’s the first time anything like that had ever happened. And I think that probably created a lot of resentment."

There is a certain lyrical dissonance in this song, as the upbeat music is contrasted with lyrics about being shipped off to war. Carol Kaye , who played bass on the session, told us, "The tempo of the tune was a good tempo. And that's the main thing is to keep that tempo going. Back in the '60s, you're playing for people who dance. And if the tempo is 1-2-3-4, that's a dance tempo. So you're going to keep the tempo up, that's important. So no, the mood of the song is not critical if the tempo is high, if the tempo is fast. If it's slow, yeah, it's kind of critical, and it depends upon how much is happening in the tune, too."

Ike & Tina Turner - River Deep, Mountain High

Ike & Tina Turner - River Deep, Mountain High Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: River Deep, Mountain High
Released: 1966

River Deep, Mountain High Lyrics

When I was a little girl I had a rag doll
The only doll I've ever owned
Now I love you just the way I loved that rag doll
But only now my love has grown

And it gets stronger in every way
And it gets deeper let me say
And it gets higher day by day

Do I love you my oh my
River Deep, Mountain High
If I lost you would I cry
Oh how I love you baby, baby, baby, baby

When you were a young boy did you have a puppy
That always followed you around
Well I'm gonna be as faithful as that puppy
No I'll never let you down

'Cause it goes on and on like a river flows
And it gets bigger baby and heaven knows
And it gets sweeter baby as it grows

Do I love you my oh my
River deep, mountain high
If I lost you would I cry
Oh how I love you baby, baby, baby, baby

I love you baby like a flower loves the spring
And I love you baby like a robin loves to sing
And I love you baby like a schoolboy loves his bag
And I love you baby river deep mountain high

Writer/s: SPECTOR, PHIL/BARRY, JEFF/GREENWICH, ELLIE
Publisher: EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

River Deep, Mountain High

This was written by Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, and Phil Spector. Greenwich and Barry were a husband and wife songwriting team who had written hits like "Hanky Panky" and "Do Wah Diddy Diddy." Spector was a legendary producer famous for his "Wall Of Sound" recording technique, which he had used with great success on other songs he worked on with Greenwich and Barry, including hits by The Ronettes and The Crystals. Greenwich, Barry and Spector each had separate ideas for songs which they combined to form this, and melody is a composite of 3 different unfinished songs.

It had been over a year since Spector had produced a hit record, and he went all out on this. When it flopped in America, he was shocked and very upset. He announced his retirement, went into seclusion and stopped working until 1970, when he returned to the studio to work on The Beatles Let It Be album and produce solo works by George Harrison and John Lennon.

This was written specifically for Tina Turner to sing. Spector was sure her powerful vocals would help make this a hit.

Although this is credited to Ike And Tina Turner, Ike had no part in the recording process. Phil Spector wanted his own people to record this, and made sure Ike was not in the studio during the sessions.

Bob Krasnow, the then president of the Blue Thumb label, for whom Ike and Tina recorded in the late 1960s, was interviewed in Rolling Stone magazine (issue 93) in 1971. He recalled how Phil Spector, who'd been won over by Ike and Tina's work as a substitute act in the rock and roll film T'N'T Show hooked up with the Turners: "Spector had just lost The Righteous Brothers, and at the same time, Ike was unhappy (having switched to Kent Records). Spector's attorney Joey Cooper called and said Phil wanted to produce Tina - and that he was willing to pay $20,000 in front to do it! So Mike Maitland [then president at Warners] gave them their release, and they signed with Philles (Phil Spector's record label.)"

Spector offered $20,000 upfront to Ike Turner in exchange for total control over the production. He happily counted the money and agreed to stay away from the sessions, even though his name still appeared on the record. When it flopped in America, though Spector was distraught, Ike wasn't, as it meant the end of their association and put him back in charge.

In Rolling Stone magazine's Top 500 Songs, Tina Turner is quoted as saying of the recording of this, "I must have sung that 500,000 times. I was drenched with sweat. I had to take my shirt off and stand there in my bra to sing."

Spector used over 20 top session musicians for the recording, including Hal Blaine, Leon Russell and Glen Campbell. The completed record cost around $22,000, at the time an unbelievable price tag for a single. On bass for these sessions was Carol Kaye, who told us, "It felt like another thing that was going to be a hit, but to walk in the booth and there's a ton of people in the booth and there's a ton of us out in the studio, it almost felt like a party. And you know that something that feels like a party is not going to be a hit record. It's not the feeling of sitting down and cutting a record, which is business. You've got to take care of business.

But the arrangement was nice and the feeling was good and Tina was there to sing. I'm sure that they put her voice on again after that. So I thought it was going to be another hit, but that's the feeling that was on the date to me. It didn't quite feel like a normal record date." (Here's our full interview with Carol Kaye .)

In 1995, Spector agreed to produce a version of this with Celine Dion. The sessions were a disaster, and her version from these sessions was never released.

Other versions have been recorded by The Animals, Deep Purple, and Neil Diamond. Darlene Love recorded a version in 2004 for a Tina Turner tribute album called What's Love.

The actor Dennis Hopper did the photo for the cover of the River Deep, Mountain High album. Krasnow recalled in the same Rolling Stone interview: "Dennis Hopper did the cover on that LP. He was broke on his ass in Hollywood and trying photography. He said he'd like to do the cover. He took us to this sign company, where there was this 70-foot high sign for a movie, with one of those sex stars - Boccaccio '70 or something. And he shot them in front of that big teardrop. Then the gas company had a big sign, and Hopper took them there and shot them in front of a big burner."

The Supremes and Four Tops recorded this for the 1970 album The Magnificent 7, their version charting at #14 in the US. It was produced by the husband-and-wife songwriting team of Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. It was the first hit that the Supremes had with the Four Tops, a pairing inspired by the Supremes success with the Temptations before Diana Ross went solo. (thanks, Jerro - New Alexandria, PA)

The Byrds - Eight Miles High

The Byrds - Eight Miles High Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Fifth Dimension
Released: 1966

Eight Miles High Lyrics

Eight Miles High and when you touch down
You'll find that it's stranger than known
Signs in the street that say where you're going
Are somewhere just being their own

Nowhere is there warmth to be found
Among those afraid of losing their ground
Rain gray town known for its sound
In places small faces unbound

Round the squares huddled in storms
Some laughing some just shapeless forms
Sidewalk scenes and black limousines
Some living some standing alone

Writer/s: GENE CLARK, DAVID CROSBY, ROGER MC GUINN
Publisher: BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, HORI PRO ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, Reservoir One Music, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Eight Miles High

Many people believe this song is about drugs, but the band claimed it was inspired by a flight where singer Gene Clark asked guitarist Roger McGuinn how high they were in the sky. McGuinn told him six miles, but for the song they changed it to eight.

This story was likely a smokescreen to keep the song in the good graces of sensitive listeners. The band had been doing a lot of drugs at the time, including LSD, which is the likely inspiration. If the band owned up to the drug references, they knew it would get banned by some radio stations, and that's exactly what happened when a radio industry publication reported that the song was about drugs and that stations should be careful about playing it. As soon as one station dropped it, others followed and it quickly sank off the charts.

In his book Echoes , Gene Clark said that he wrote the song on his own with David Crosby coming up with one key line ("Rain gray town, known for its sound"), and Roger McGuinn arranging the song with help from Crosby.

In the Forgotten Hits newsletter, McGuinn replied: "Not true! The whole theme was my idea... Gene would never have written a song about flying. I came up with the line, 'Six miles high and when you touch down.' We later changed that to Eight because of the Beatles song 'Eight Days a Week.' I came up with several other lines as well. And what would the song be without the Rickenbacker 12-string breaks?"

This song is often cited in discussions of "Acid Rock," a term that got bandied about in 1966 with the release of Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde album. The genre covers a kind of psychedelic music that became popular at the time, and also the look and lifestyle that went with it. "Acid Rock" was hailed as a pathway to higher consciousness and derided as senseless drug music. At the end of the '60s, the term petered out, as rock critics moved on to other topics for their think pieces.

The band recorded this on their own, but Columbia Records made them re-record it before they would put it on the album, partly because they had contracts with unions. The Byrds liked the first version better.

Don McLean referred to this in his song "American Pie," which chronicles the change in musical style from the '50s to the '60s. The line is "Eight miles high and falling fast- landed foul out on the grass." McLean could be sardonically implying that the song is about drugs, since "foul grass" was slang for marijuana. (thanks, Brett - Edmonton, Canada)

Husker Du recorded a noise-pop version in 1985. (thanks, Paul - Glasgow, Scotland)

The Royal Guardsmen - Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron

The Royal Guardsmen - Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron
Released: 1966

Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron Lyrics

Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron

This is a novelty song about the imaginary World War I antics of Charlie Brown's pet beagle in the comic strip Peanuts. It spawned three sequels: "The Return of the Red Baron," "Snoopy's Christmas," and "Snoopy for President." Of the three, "The Return of the Red Baron" is the only one that hit the Hot 100 (#15), but "Snoopy's Christmas" became a seasonal favorite. Learn more about Snoopy and the real Red Baron in the Song Images .

There really was a Red Baron. His name was Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (Baron Von Richthofen), and just like the lyrics state, he had 80 confirmed kills as a fighter pilot in World War I. In the song, he meets his demise when Snoopy shoots him down in a dogfight, but in real life, he died when his plane crashed in France.

The German muttering as the beginning roughly translates to: "We will now sing together the song of a pig-headed dog, and our beloved Red Baron."

The band's singer Chris Nunley came up with this part and did the vocal. He was studying German in college at the time.

Like all of the band's Snoopy songs, this was written by their producer Phil Gernhard and Laurie Records staff songwriter Dick Holler.

Originally known as The Posmen, The Royal Guardsmen formed in Ocala, Florida, where they earned a deal with Laurie Records after developing a live following in the area.

The band was comprised of:
Barry Winslow (vocals, guitar)
Chris Nunley (vocals)
Tom Richards (guitar)
Bill Balough (bass)
Billy Taylor (organ)
John Burdett (drums)

The "Royal Guardsmen" name came from a model of amplifier made by Vox called the Royal Guardsman. They took the name because it sounded British, which gave them the illusion of being part of the British Invasion.

In 1975 Charles Schultz told author David Manning White, "We threatened to put a stop to (the record) until we were included in the success." The band never met Snoopy's creator, though Chris says, "We heard through our label (Laurie) and producer that Charles Schultz liked our songs."

This song went to #2 US the last week of 1966. It was held out of the top spot by The Monkees song "I'm A Believer."

The Royal Guardsmen didn't set out to become Snoopy troubadours. Their first single was "Baby Let's Wait" (written by Lori Burton and Pam Sawyer), but it went nowhere. When this song became an unexpected breakout hit, further Snoopy songs followed - made possible in part because while the Red Baron is shot down at the end of this song, we never see the crash.

The band did have some minor hits with non-Snoopy material. "Airplane Song (My Airplane)" (#46) and "Wednesday" (#97) charted in 1967. The following year, "I Say Love," written by band members Bill Taylor Barry Winslow, made #72. "Baby Let's Wait" became their last Hot 100 hit when it was re-released and made #35.

Lead vocals on this and the other Snoopy songs were done by Barry Winslow, who played guitar in the group. This put their singer Chris Nunley in the position of gamely acting out the songs ("look... up in the sky...") during performances. Winslow told us, "I really wanted to split the chores with Chris, but the
label said no."

This was a huge hit in Australia, where it went to #1 for five weeks in 1967. The last two weeks of that year, "Snoopy's Christmas" was the #1 song in that country.

The Royal Guardsmen reunited in 2005 to play some gigs. The following year, they released "Snoopy vs. Osama," which finds the cartoon beagle hunting down Osama bin Laden.

Barry Winslow became a Contemporary Christian artist, releasing an album called Transition in 2003.

In case they ran into copyright issues, the group recorded another version of this song called Squeaky vs. the Black Knight . It was never released, but promotional copies have appeared.

Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made For Walkin' Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Boots
Released: 1966

These Boots Are Made For Walkin' Lyrics

You keep saying you got something for me
Something you call love but confess
You've been a'messin' where you shouldn't 've been a'messin'
And now someone else is getting all your best

These boots are made for walking,
And that's just what they'll do
One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you

You keep lyin' when you oughta be truthin'
You keep losing when you oughta not bet
You keep samin' when you oughta be a'changin'
Now what's right is right but you ain't been right yet

These boots are made for walking,
And that's just what they'll do
One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you

You keep playing where you shouldn't be playing
And you keep thinking that you'll never get burnt (HAH)
I just found me a brand new box of matches (YEAH)
And what he knows you ain't had time to learn
These boots are made for walking,
And that's just what they'll do
One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you

Are you ready, boots? Start walkin'

Writer/s: HAZLEWOOD, LEE
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

Nancy is Frank Sinatra's daughter. She is best known for this song, but is far from a one-hit-wonder: she charted 10 times on the US Top-40 from 1966-1968, with six solo hits, three duets with Lee Hazlewood and one with her dad - the #1 "Somethin' Stupid." She also appeared in several movies, including Speedway with Elvis Presley.

Nancy was on the same record label as her famous father, but they were going to drop her because her first few singles flopped. Things changed when they teamed her with producer Lee Hazlewood, who wrote this for her and had her lower her delivery. The first attempt was "So Long Babe," which was a minor hit and the second was "These Boots are Made For Walkin'." Nancy regretted the song, saying in 1971, "The image created by 'Boots' isn't the real me. 'Boots' was hard and I'm as soft as they come."

But then Lee had written the song for himself: "It was a party song I had written 2 or 3 years before that. It was a joke to begin with. I had written a beautiful song for her, 'The City Never Sleeps At Night,' and she wondered if it would sell. I replied, 'Three times more than 'So Long Babe,' and that did 60,000. We're building up your career.' I changed my mind and put it on the back of 'Boots' and that sold 6 million."

Lee Hazlewood said of this song: "When 'Boots' was #1 in half the countries in the world, Nancy came over to my house, and she was crying. She said, 'They didn't pick up on my option at Reprise and they said I owed them $12,000.' I said, 'You're kidding, we've got the biggest record in the world.' I rang my lawyer in New York and I rang Nancy the next day and said, 'How would you like $1 million? I've got 3 labels that are offering that for you right now and I can get something pretty good for myself as well.' She talked to her father and he said she could write her own contract with Reprise - after all she was selling more records than him at the time." (Quotes from 1000 UK #1 Hits .)

Nancy Sinatra recalled in the documentary The Wrecking Crew that Lee Hazlewood was going to record the song himself, but she talked him out of it. Said Sinatra, "When a guy sings it, the song sounds harsh and abusive, but it's perfect for a little girl."

Hazlewood had a long and distinctive career as a songwriter, producer and performer. He did a series of duets with Nancy Sinatra in the mid-'60s where he often had her play up the sexuality of the songs. Hazlewood also worked with Duane Eddy, and enjoyed a resurgence in the '90s when a younger generation discovered his earlier solo efforts.

Hazlewood often drew inspiration for his songs from regular people. In a Blender magazine interview, he said he was in a Texas bar when some patrons started razzing an older guy about his younger girlfriend and how she controlled him. The man responded by putting his feet on a barstool and saying, "I know what you think - that she might be the boss. But I am the boss of my house, and these boots will walk all over her the day that I'm not."

Talk about a "walking" bass line - to accompany the image of boots walking all over a man, Chuck Berghofer was brought in to play the string bass (Carol Kaye played the electric). Hazelwood had him play short sliding notes to get the sound.

This was covered by country singer Billy Ray Cyrus on the same album as "Achy Breaky Heart" entitled Some Gave All. Other artist to cover the song include LaToya Jackson and Crispin Hellion Glover. (thanks, Doogen - Evansville, IN)

In the 1987 movie Full Metal Jacket, this was used in a scene where a prostitute solicits business in Vietnam. Another popular movie appearance of the song was in the 1994 film Prêt-Á -Porter. This version was sung by Sam Phillips, who was always a big fan of the song. She told us that she would like to someday do a drastically different take on the song, as she feels the definitive version - Sinatra's - has already been done.

Megadeth did a cover of this for Killing is my Business... and Business is Good. The original edition included the uncensored version, but subsequent pressings include a censored, heavily bleeped version, due to songwriter Lee Hazlewood's refusal to grant the group the rights to re-release the version with its altered lyrics intact. (thanks, Kyle - Montreal, Canada)

Jessica Simpson and Willie Nelson did a duet on this song for the soundtrack of the 2005 movie The Dukes Of Hazzard. Their version was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis with some additional lyrics written by Simpson. Nelson played Uncle Jessie in the movie and Simpson played Daisy Duke. In the video, a brawl breaks out at The Boar's Nest but it turns into a hoedown when a bunch of girls come in wearing daisy duke shorts. Their version was used in a TV ad campaign for Pizza Hut starring Simpson. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)

The Fixx recorded this for the 2002 album When Pigs Fly: Songs You Never Thought You'd Hear . Cevin Soling, who was the album's executive producer, explains how this came together: "The way I first became aware of that song was through a very, very strange cover that I don't think has ever been released, of that song. I used to listen to the Dr. Demento Show, and there was this band, Barnes And Barnes, who were known for having done the song 'Fish Heads.' They did this cover of 'These Boots Are Made For Walkin',' only they called it 'These Newts Are Made For Crawling.' I was pretty little, but that was essentially how I got to learn the song. And yeah, it was a great track, and the strange parody cover was sort of responsible for that.

(The Fixx) took a long time on that track, because they were kind of going back and forth, because they really were kind of perfectionist about things, and they weren't just going to do something if they didn't think they could do it well. They made, I think, 3 attempts at it before they finally were happy. But they took it all very seriously." (Check out our interview with Cevin Soling.)

In 1996, Nancy Sinatra gave the famous white go-go boots she wore to promote this song to the Hard Rock Cafe in Beverly Hills. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)

Stan Cornyn, music executive and celebrated writer of liner notes, waxed poetic about Nancy Sinatra in the notes for this song:

"'How should I sing this?'
'Like a 16-year-old girl who's been dating a 40-year-old man, but it's all over now.'
She looks good, dresses good, lives good, eats, drinks, loves, breathes, dances, sings, cries good. Five-foot-three and tiger eyes. A mouth made for lollipops or kisses, stingers or melting smiles. Ninety-five pounds of affection. She's been there already. Barely in her twenties, she looks younger. That look, like Lolita Humbert, like Daisy Clover. The power to exalt, or to destroy, wanting only the former, but unafraid to invoke the latter if the time comes. The eyes that see through, know more, look longer. Unafraid to pull on the boots again, toss off a burnt out thing with a casual 'So long, babe,' and get.

A young, fragile, living thing, on its own in a wondrous-wicked-woundup-wasted-wild-worried-wisedup-warmbodied world. On her own. Earning her daily crepes and Cokes by singing the facts of love. Her voice tells as much as her songs. No faked up grandeur, her voice is like it is: a little tired, little put down, a lot loving.
No one is born sophisticated. It's a place you have to crawl to, crawling out of hayseed country, over miles of unsanded pavement, past Trouble, past corners and forks with no auto club signs to point you, till you get there and you wake up wiser.

She's arrived. She sings you about the long crawl. And makes you have to listen."

Eileen Goldsen recorded versions in French, Italian, and German in 1966. The German version ("Die Stiefel sind zum wandern") was prominently featured in the 2013 Orphan Black episode "Instinct."

Dusty Springfield - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me

Dusty Springfield - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Dusty Springfield's Golden Hits
Released: 1966

You Don't Have To Say You Love Me Lyrics

When I said I needed you
You said you would always stay
It wasn't me who changed but you and now you've gone away
Don't you see that now you've gone
And I'm left here on my own
That I have to follow you and beg you to come home

You Don't Have To Say You Love Me just be close at hand
You don't have to stay forever I will understand
Believe me, believe me I can't help but love you
But believe me I'll never tie you down
Left alone with just a memory
Life seems dead and quite unreal
All that's left is loneliness there's nothing left to feel

You don't have to say you love me just be close at hand
You don't have to stay forever
I will understand believe me, believe me
You don't have to say you love me just be close at hand
You don't have to stay forever
I will understand, believe me, believe me

Writer/s: VICKI WICKHAM, SIMON NAPIER-BELL, VITO PALLAVACINI, GIUSEPPE (PINO) DONAGGIO
Publisher: SPIRIT MUSIC GROUP
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

You Don't Have To Say You Love Me

Originally, this was a Italian song composed by Pino Donnagio. Springfield heard Donnagio perform it at the San Remo festival and asked her friend Vicki Wickham, who produced the British TV show Ready Steady Go, to write some English lyrics for it. With the help of Yardbirds manager Simon Napier-Bell, she did.

In the book 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, Simon Napier-Bell is quoted as saying: "Vicki and I used to eat together, and she told me that Dusty wanted a lyric for this song. We went back to her flat and started working on it. We wanted to go to a trendy disco so we had about an hour to write it. We wrote the chorus and then we wrote the verse in a taxi to wherever we were going. It was the first pop lyric I'd written, although I've always been interested in poetry and good literature. We'd no idea what the English lyric said. That seemed to be irrelevant and besides, it is much easier to write a new lyric completely."

Springfield didn't read much into the lyrics of her previous hits "Wishin' And Hopin'" and "I Only Want to Be With You," where she sang from the perspective of a woman who was perhaps a little over-devoted to her man. This song had a much more profound effect on the singer. She said that he cried when she first heard the song.

Other hit versions in the UK were by Elvis Presley (1971 #9), Guys And Dolls (1976 #5) and Denise Welch (1995 #23). As part of a series of re-releases of Elvis songs in the UK in 2007, Presley's live version re-entered the UK chart at #16.

This one didn't come easy for Springfield - it took her 47 takes to record.

Elvis Presley's version reached #11 in the US in 1970. Maureen McGovern also recorded it for her 1992 album Baby I'm Yours." (thanks, Jerro - New Alexandria, PA, for above 2)

Janis Ian - Society's Child

Janis Ian - Society's Child Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Janis Ian
Released: 1966

Society's Child Lyrics

Society's Child

Janis was 13 when she began working on this, 14 when she finished. She started it while waiting outside the office of her guidance counselor, who was kind enough to call Janis in for consults every time she had a science class. After that, she wrote most of it on the school bus.

This song is about an interracial romance. Janis was living in an all-black neighborhood in East Orange, New Jersey, where she was one of five white kids in the school. She told us: "I saw it from both ends. I was seeing it from the end of all the civil rights stuff on the television and radio, of white parents being incensed when their daughters would date black men, and I saw it around me when black parents were worried about their sons or daughters dating white girls or boys. I don't think I knew where I was going when I started it, but when I hit the second line, 'face is clean and shining black as night,' it was obvious where the song was going."

Janis: "I don't think I made a conscious decision to have the girl cop out in the end, it just seemed like that would be the logical thing at my age, because how can you buck school and society and your parents, and make yourself an outcast forever."

Janis didn't write this about a particular person: "My parents were the complete opposite of the parents in the song. They wouldn't have cared if I married a Martian, as long as I was happy... I felt bad for my Dad because everyone assumed he was a racist."

This was about the 10th song Janis wrote. Her first was a song called "Hair Of Spun Gold," which was published in Broadside when she turned 13. Broadside was an underground magazine that published folk songs by artists like Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger before they hit the mainstream. They invited her to sing it at one of their periodic shows they put on in Greenwich Village, where it got a huge reaction. Broadside kept asking Janis back, and "Society's Child" became one of the songs that became part of these performances.

Shadow Morton is a songwriter and producer who worked with The Shangri-Las before discovering Janis. This is how she describes their first meeting: "The way we got it cut was I was hanging around with the Reverend Gary Davis trying to learn guitar from him. His wife took a liking to me and told the owner of The Gaslight Cafe, Clarence Hood, that she needed me to open for the Reverend Gary. I did and this guy came running back stage and said 'kid, I'm going to make you a star,' which was such a cliché because I was into being a folk singer, I didn't need to be a star. Plus, at 14, you don't need to earn a living. I met him after school the next day and he took me up to Shadow Morton's office. Shadow was in one of his periodic funks, thinking he was going to leave the music business. He was sitting there with his cowboy boots on the desk, sunglasses and hat pulled over his head reading the New York Times, and he said 'yeah, go ahead.' So I sang him some songs, and realized he wasn't listening. Apparently, although I don't remember it, I pulled out a cigarette lighter and lit his newspaper on fire and left. A few minutes later he realized his newspaper was burning, put it out in the trash can, and thought 'what am I walking away from here.' He caught up with me in the elevator, pulled me back and actually listened. For some reason he decided this was the one we would cut, and a week later we were in the studio cutting it."

Janis: "I was pleased with the chorus because I had just learned to play an F-sharp minor chord. I had no idea it was unusual to have the chorus slowed down, but it became a real problem when we went to cut it."

At the time, many folk musicians looked down on pop radio, but Janis thought it was cool because they were playing Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone," even though many of her fellow musicians thought he sold out.

Janis recorded this with six studio musicians. At a time when 3-4 songs were often cut in a three-hour session, they worked for two-and-a-half hours on this song without making much progress. The breakthrough came when the upright bass player, a jazz musician named George Duvivier, had everyone stop and really listen to the lyrics and get an idea what the song was about. They nailed it on the next take.

At the time, many studio musicians were just trying to crank out hit records, and rarely thought much about the lyrics and what the song was about. Having a jazz player in the session made a huge difference because he was willing to work with the vocalist.

Shadow Morton took this to 22 record companies before Verve/Folkways, a spin-off of MGM Records, took it as a tax loss. They signed artists like Janis, Richie Havens, and Laura Nyro expecting them to lose money. They did believe in the song and pushed hard to promote it. The song got some great reviews and isolated airplay in places like Flint, Michigan and parts of New York City. It gained some momentum as part of the protest movement, and also benefited from the rise of FM radio, which was willing to take a chance on songs like this.

Janis: "Lyrics in pop music were not a big issue until Dylan, and he was thought of as kind of a fluke."

The big break for this song came when Leonard Bernstein's producer saw Janis perform it at The Gaslight, and got her on his upcoming television special. The show had a huge audience - it was on Sunday night at 8, in a time when most people got only 3 or 4 stations and there was very little music on TV. Bernstein loved it and criticized radio stations for not playing it. The next day Janis' record company started promoting it in trade magazines and many radio stations picked it up. It was never a #1 hit because radio stations in many areas took a while before they added it, but this slow progression kept the song popular for a long time.

For most of the '90s, Janis dropped this from her set list because no one wanted to hear it, but then a lot of people who grew up listening to it started coming to her shows and asking for it. Many of these people were Vietnam veterans who heard the song because it was widely played on Radio Free Europe and on US military bases.

The original title was "Baby, I've Been Thinking." It was Shadow Morton's idea to change the title. (Check out the full Janis Ian interview.)

This was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2001.

In 2008, Janis Ian released her autobiography, which she titled Society's Child. She told About.com: "I just took the first three months of 2007 and went through all my old journals, went through a lot of old letters I had friends send back to me, a bunch of old press clippings. I kind of made a map of my life. I attached a time to when the songs were written, when the records were made, when songs were hits. And then once I decided to do a prologue and open it with the 'Society's Child' chapter, it all pretty much fell into place." (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)

According to the 2010 United States Census, Janis Ian's home city of East Orange has a population of just 64,270, yet it has spawned a host of other successful artists including Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston, Queen Latifah, Gordon MacRae, Young & Company, Naughty By Nature as well as Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens, the writers of Madonna's first hit, "Holiday."

Donovan - Mellow Yellow

Donovan - Mellow Yellow Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Mellow Yellow
Released: 1966

Mellow Yellow Lyrics

I'm just mad about Saffron
Saffron's mad about me
I'm just mad about Saffron
She's just mad about me

[Chorus: ]
They call me Mellow Yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow

I'm just mad about Fourteen
Fourteen's mad about me
I'm just mad about Fourteen
She's just mad about me

[Chorus]

Born high, forever to fly
Wind velocity nil
Want to high, forever to fly
If you want your cup our fill

[Chorus]

(So mellow, he's so mellow)

Electrical banana
Is gonna be a sudden craze
Electrical banana
Is bound to be the very next phase

They call it mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow

[Chorus]

(Oh so mellow, oh so mellow)

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

Mellow Yellow

In an interview with the June 18, 2011 edition of the NME, Donovan was asked what the song was actually about? He replied: "Quite a few things. Being mellow, laid-back, chilled out. 'They call me Mellow Yellow, I'm the guy who can calm you down.' Lennon and I used to look in the back of newspapers and pull out funny things and they'd end up in songs. So it's about being cool, laid-back, and also the electrical bananas that were appearing on the scene - which were ladies vibrators."

Donovan set out to capture the mellow vibe of the '60s with this song, adding what he called "cool, groovy phrases." These phrases were interpreted in ways he never imagined, as people came up with lots of ideas as to what the song meant. Most of these interpretations concerned drugs, but there were even rumors that the song was about abortion.

When this song came out in 1966, there was a widespread rumor that it was about getting high on banana skins. The idea was that you scraped the fibers off of a banana skin and cooked them over a low fire. This was supposed to release the hallucinogenic qualities. Of course, it was never true! (thanks, Victor - Boston, MA)

This was used in popular commercials for The Gap, and also in ads for the soda Mello Yello.