Songs Lyrics and YT- Youtube Music Videos

Leonard Cohen - Bird On The Wire

Leonard Cohen - Bird On The Wire Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Songs From A Room
Released: 1969

Bird On The Wire Lyrics

Like a Bird On The Wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
Like a worm on a hook,
Like a knight from some old fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee.
If I, if I have been unkind,
I hope that you can just let it go by.
If I, if I have been untrue
I hope you know it was never to you.

Like a baby, stillborn,
Like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me.
But I swear by this song
And by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee.
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch,
He said to me, "You must not ask for so much."
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door,
She cried to me, "Hey, why not ask for more?"

Oh like a bird on the wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir have tried in my way to be free.

Writer/s: COHEN, LEONARD
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Bird On The Wire

Speaking of this song in a 1993 interview with Song Talk, Cohen explained: "It was begun in Greece because there were no wires on the island where I was living to a certain moment. There were no telephone wires. There were no telephones. There was no electricity. So at a certain point they put in these telephone poles, and you wouldn't notice them now, but when they first went up, it was about all I did – stare out the window at these telephone wires and think how civilization had caught up with me and I wasn't going to be able to escape after all. I wasn't going to be able to live this 11th-century life that I thought I had found for myself. So that was the beginning.

Then, of course, I noticed that birds came to the wires and that was how that song began. 'Like a drunk in a midnight choir,' that's also set on the island. Where drinkers, me included, would come up the stairs. There was great tolerance among the people for that because it could be in the middle of the night. You'd see three guys with their arms around each other, stumbling up the stairs and singing these impeccable thirds. So that image came from the island: 'Like a drunk in a midnight choir.'"

Ron Cornelius ran Cohen's band for four years. Here's what he told us about this song:
"Bird On The Wire is a classic in my book. Leonard has a home on an island in Greece called Hydra, and from his living room, there's an electric wire you can see, and that's where he got the idea. He just happened to mention that one night because me and a friend that was a road manager for him all over the world, Bill Donovan, we went and stayed a couple of weeks there but Leonard just went there to open the house up and then he split for Montreal and we stayed there by ourselves, he said, 'see that wire, that's the wire right there.' When I was their there still was not a gasoline engine on the island anywhere."

In 1990, the title was used for a movie starring Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn - well, sort of; the song and movie were changed to "Bird On A Wire," which is how many people who cover the song do it, including The Neville Brothers, who sang the version used in the movie.

Joe Cocker, Willie Nelson, Joe Bonamassa, Tim Hardin and Johnny Cash have all recorded versions of this song.

Glen Campbell - Galveston

Glen Campbell - Galveston Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Galveston
Released: 1969

Galveston Lyrics

Galveston oh Galveston
I still hear your sea winds blowing
I still see her dark eyes glowing
she was 21 and I love Galveston

Galveston oh Galveston
I still hear your sea waves crashing
while I watch the cannon's flashing
I clean my gun and dream of Galveston

I still see her standing by the water
standing there looking out to sea
and is she waiting there for me
on the beach where we used to run

Galveston oh Galveston
I am so afraid of dying
before I dry the tears she's crying
before I watch your seabirds flying in the sun
at Galveston at Galveston

Writer/s: WEBB, JIMMY L
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Galveston

This was written by songwriter Jimmy Webb, who also wrote Campbell's hits "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and "Wichita Lineman." Webb also wrote "MacArthur Park," which was a hit for both Richard Harris and Donna Summer, and "Up-Up and Away," which was recorded by The 5th Dimension.

When we spoke with Jimmy Webb in 2011, he said: "Glen was very, very good at commercializing my songs. He could come up with great intros and great solos, great breaks, and he wrote perfect strings, because he wrote very little. It was a minimalist approach and it just left Glen out there with the song and the guitar. I tended to write a little bit more as an arranger, and probably too much. So I could have done better to have stayed out of Glen's way, I think."

Galveston is a city on the coast of Texas that attracts lots of hurricanes. Webb was on a beach in Galveston when he wrote this. He made up the story about a soldier in the Spanish-American war and the girl he left behind. Most songwriters never find themselves in places like Galveston or Wichita, but Webb found inspiration in the people he encountered in these places.

The Vietnam War was going on when Campbell released this. It was considered an antiwar song.

The Hawaiian singer Don Ho was the first to record this song, releasing it as the B-side of his single "Has Anybody Lost A Love?" in 1968. Ho recalled that when he appeared on Campbell's show The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour in 1969, he gave Campbell a copy of the single and told him, "I didn't have any luck with this, maybe you will."

Little Richard, who speaks his mind and doesn't hand out praise lightly, said of this song: "When Glen Campbell says one word 'Galveston' - it shakes me up. It takes me, man, that's the whole soul of it right there."

This made the CMT Top Ten list of all-time great country music songs. (thanks, Charles - Charlotte, NC)

David Nail covered this for his 2014 I'm a Fire album. "Him being a huge hero of mine, it was very important for me to show that I had such a fondness for him," Nail explained to Taste of Country of his connection to Campbell. "I made a little elementary school note 'check yes or no' and just listened to the songs and held it up to my producer Frank Liddell, knowing full well that he would most likely pick 'Galveston.'"

Nail turned the song into a duet with Lee Ann Womack. The songbird is married to Liddell, and he was able to get her to join Nail for its recording. "My wife is a huge Glen Campbell fan, so she came and sang on it," said Liddell. "I think it's one of the most beautiful things on the record."

Three Dog Night - One

Three Dog Night - One Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Three Dog Night
Released: 1969

One Lyrics

One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do
Two can be as bad as one
It's the loneliest number since the number one

No is the saddest experience you'll ever know
Yes, it's the saddest experience you'll ever know

'Cause one is the loneliest number that you'll ever do
One is the loneliest number, whoa-oh, worse than two

It's just no good anymore since you went away
Now I spend my time just making rhymes of yesterday

One is the loneliest number
One is the loneliest number
One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do

One is the loneliest
One is the loneliest
One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do

It's just no good anymore since you went away

(number)
One is the loneliest (number)
One is the loneliest (number)
One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do

(number)
One is the loneliest (number)
One is the loneliest (number)
One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do

(number)
One...! (one is the loneliest number that you'll ever do)
(number)
One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do
(number)
One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do

Writer/s: NILSSON, HARRY EDWARD
Publisher: Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

One

This was written by Harry Nilsson, a popular songwriter who had hits as a singer with "Everybody's Talkin'" and "Without You." Nilsson was inspired to write "One" from the rhythm of a telephone busy signal that he kept hearing.

This is about loneliness. It was used in the film Recess: School's Out when the character of TJ is lonely and bored after all his friends go to summer camps. (thanks, Brett - Edmonton, Canada)

This was the first song on Three Dog Night's first album. It was one of 21 US Top 40 hits for the group, who did very well with songs written by other artists. Other hits by Three Dog Night include "Joy to the World" (written by Hoyt Axton), "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" (written by Randy Newman) and "The Show Must Go On" (written by Leo Sayer).

Aimee Mann covered this for the 1999 film Magnolia. It was used in the title sequence, and became part of a soundtrack that put Mann back in the spotlight. In the '80s, she was lead singer of the group Til Tuesday.

Three Dog Night had three members at the time that were capable of singing lead vocals. This track went to Chuck Negron.

In Episode 6, "Mistaken Identity" of Season 1 of the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Will and Carlton are locked in with a criminal who sings this song at the end of the show. (thanks, Stephen - Cupertino, CA)

This song was used on the Family Guy episode "Brian Wallows And Peter's Swallows," were it was played at a laser show. (thanks, Sean - Surrey, BC, Canada)

The Beta Band did a cover of this (titled "Won") on their album Hot Shots II, which had nothing to do with the movie Hot Shots Part Deux. (thanks, Tom - Jenkintown, PA)

Edwin Starr - Twenty-Five Miles

Edwin Starr - Twenty-Five Miles Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Twenty-Five Miles
Released: 1969

Twenty-Five Miles Lyrics

Hey hey uh huh huh huh huh oh
Uh huh huh huh huh huh yeah
It's twenty five miles from home
Girl, my feet are hurting mighty bad
Now I've been walking a three day, two lonely nights
You know that I'm mighty mad
But I got a woman waiting for me
That's gonna make this trip worthwhile
You see she's got the kind of lovin' and a kissing
A make a man go stone wild
So I got to keep on walkin'
I got to walk on, oh ho ho
I, I, I, I'm so tired
But I just can't lose my stride

I got fifteen miles to go now
And I can hear my baby calling my name
It's as if as though I'm standing at her front door
I can hear that doggone plain
Now I'll be so glad to see my baby
And hold her in my arms
Now when I kiss her lips
I turn a back over flip and I'll forget these feet of mine
I got to keep on walkin'
I got to walk on oh ho ho
I, I, I, I, I'm so tired but I just can't lose my stride
Walk on let me tell you ya'll I, I, I, I, I, I'm so tired
But I just can't lose my stride
Come on feet don't fail me now
I got ten more miles to go
I got nine, eight, seven, six, eight, six
I got a five more miles to go
Now over the hill just around the bend
Huh although my feet are tired I can't lose my stride
I got to get to my baby again
Writer/s: Berns, Bert / Wexler, Jerry / Bristol, Johnny William / Starr, Edwin / Fuqua, Harvey
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Twenty-Five Miles

This was the first hit for Motown (Gordy Records) after Berry Gordy's corporation bought Starr's Ric-Tic label.

The "walking" that is heard on the record was that of Starr, the Originals ("Baby I'm for Real"), and the studio janitor all marching on a single wooden board. (thanks, Brad Wind - Miami, FL)

Louis Armstrong - We Have All The Time In The World

Louis Armstrong - We Have All The Time In The World Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Her Majesty's Secret Service Soundtrack
Released: 1969

We Have All The Time In The World Lyrics

We Have All The Time In The World
Time enough for life to unfold
All the precious things love has in store
We have all the love in the world
If that's all we have
You will find we need nothing more
Every step of the way will find us

With the cares of the world far behind us
We have all the time in the world
Just for love nothing more nothing less only love
Every step of the way will find us
With the cares of the world far behind us
We have all the time in the world
Just for love nothing more nothing less only love

Writer/s: DAVID, HAL/BARRY, JOHN
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

We Have All The Time In The World

This was not a hit when it was first released, but became very popular 30 years later when it was used in a UK ad campaign for Guinness beer.

This was the theme song to the 1969 Bond film Her Majesty's Secret Service. George Lazenby played Bond in that one, with Diana Rigg as the Bond girl. (thanks, Ben - London, England, for above 2)

The recording session for this turned out to be Armstrong's last.

The Rascals - People Got to Be Free

The Rascals - People Got to Be Free Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Freedom Suite
Released: 1969

People Got to Be Free Lyrics

All the world over, so easy to see
People everywhere just wanna be free
Listen, please listen, that's the way it should be
There's peace in the valley, People Got to Be Free

You should see
What a lovely, lovely world this'd be
Everyone learned to live together, ah hah
Seems to me
Such an itty bitty thing should be
Why can't you and me learn to love one another?

All the world over, so easy to see
People everywhere just wanna be free (wanna be free)
I can't understand it, so simple to me
People everywhere just got to be free

If there's a man
Who is down and needs a helpin' hand
All it takes is you to understand and
To pull him through, ah hah
Seems to me
We got to solve it individually, ah ah
And I'll do unto you what you do to me
Said, no

Hear the shoutin' from the mountains on out to the sea
No two ways about it, people have to be free (they gotta be free)
Ask me my opinion, my opinion will be
Natural situation for a man to be free

Get right on board now, huh, huh

Yeah oh, what a feelin's just come over me
Love can move a mountain, make a blind man see
Everybody sing it now come on let's go see
Peace in the valley now, we all can be free

See that train over there?
Now that's the train of freedom
It's about to 'rrive any minute, now
You know it's been'a long, long overdue
Look out 'cause it's a'comin' right on through
Ha, ha, yeah, ha, ha, yeah

Writer/s: BRIGATI, EDWARD J/CAVALIERE, FELIX
Publisher: EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

People Got to Be Free

This was written in reaction to the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. The song obtained a double meaning when Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated before the single was released.

Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records briefly blocked the single's release as he thought the Rascals' career would be hurt by a political record. He was partly right: although "People Got to Be Free" was the group's biggest hit (#1 for five weeks), it was also their last Top Ten single.

This was the third #1 hit for the group (after "Good Lovin'" and "Groovin'"), but the first under their original name. In 1966-67 all their singles were credited to the "Young Rascals," a name imposed upon them by Atlantic Records to avoid confusion with the Harmonica Rascals.

Their followup single, the #24 "A Ray of Hope," was written for the Kennedy family after RFK's death and prompted a thank-you letter from the fallen senator's little brother, Ted. (thanks, Brad Wind - Miami, FL, for all above)

The 5th Dimension - Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In

The 5th Dimension - Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: The Age Of Aquarius
Released: 1969

Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In Lyrics

When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
Age of Aquarius
Aquarius
Aquarius

Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind's true liberation
Aquarius
Aquarius

When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
Age of Aquarius
Aquarius
Aquarius
Aquarius
Aquarius

Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in
Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in
Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in

Oh, let it shine, c'mon
Now everybody just sing along
Let the sun shine in
Open up your heart and let it shine on in
When you are lonely, let it shine on
Got to open up your heart and let it shine on in
And when you feel like you've been mistreated
And your friends turn away
Just open your heart, and shine it on in

Writer/s: MAC DERMOT, GALT/RADO, JAMES/RAGNI, GEROME /
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In

This was written for the rock opera Hair, where it became an anthem for young people who grew their hair out and protested the US government. In the book By the Time We Got to Woodstock: The Great Rock 'n' Roll Revolution of 1969 , Bruce Pollock writes:
Among the many people calling the publisher in 1968 for a lock of Hair's mystique was the L.A. producer Bones Howe, who'd been working with the 5th Dimension since engineering "Up-Up and Away" for their first album in 1967. He'd produced hits for the Turtles ("It Ain't Me Babe") and the Association ("Windy"); he'd been a personal guest of Lou Adler at the Monterey Pop Festival where he was perhaps the only West Coast guy in attendance to appreciate Laura Nyro's gruesome performance. Later he delivered Laura's "Stoned Soul Picnic" to the 5th Dimension, for which it was their biggest r&b hit. He was shuttling back and forth between his home in L.A. and the studio in New York working on the vocals for the Stoned Soul Picnic album when the group told him they wanted to do "Aquarius."

"The thing that bothered me about it was that there'd been other releases of 'Aquarius,'" said Bones, "and none had done anything, so I was concerned about what we would do that would be any different. I went to see the show and there's a place where they do "The Flesh Failures" and at the end of the song is just a three bar repeated thing of 'Let the sunshine in' where Ragni was swinging across the stage on a chandelier and there was all kinds of craziness going on. That really stayed with me and I came out of the theater saying, I wonder if I could stick that on the end of 'Aquarius' and make that the ending. So I went back to the hotel and I called the publisher. I mean you don't mess with the music from a Broadway show. I started my professional career in 1956 and I knew a lot about what you can and what you can't do with songs. I said, look the 5th Dimension would like to record 'Aquarius,' but I'd like to make it a medley and I'd like to use the last three bars of 'The Flesh Failures' and I don't want to do it without permission. So he said okay, you can go ahead and do it."

The next problem was to go ahead and do it. "The record was plotted in the fall of '68 and more or less finished in January of '69," Bones said. "I had to do a lot of work with my vocal arranger, Bob Alsivar. Because they couldn't sing both songs in the same key, we had to do a modulation; we figured out how I was going to do the instrumental arrangement so we could change keys. The record itself is the result of a conglomeration of things. I began as a jazz musician and I know the standard repertoire pretty well. I kept thinking about a song called 'Lost in the Stars' and trying to find something to give you that kind of impression. I described it to Bill Holman and he wrote that beautiful woodwinds and strings part that's in the intro. We did the track in L.A. and the vocals in Las Vegas where the 5th Dimension were opening for Frank Sinatra. We were working in that studio in Las Vegas where you used to have to stop when the train went by. Once when we were doing practice runs while the train passed Billy started that riff at the end 'oh let the sunshine…' so I said, wait, let me put that on a separate track at the end. There were a lot of happy accidents making the record."

That the Age of Aquarius (harmony, understanding, sympathy, trust, mystic crystals, revelations) announced to mainstream America by the song had already irrevocably given way to Richard Nixon's vision of law and order troubled Bones Howe not in the least. "I was in my thirties then; I was never part of that culture," he said. "But I made records they liked. I spent my life in the studio. Sometimes I went to the Trip and the Crescendo and all of those places on Sunset Strip because I worked with so many of those people. I was the engineer on 'Eve of Destruction' when the Mamas and Papas came to sing backup vocals. I was there the first night they were there and did their first three albums."

The 5th Dimension was a highly popular ensemble group during the late '60s and early '70s. It originally consisted of Billy Davis, Jr., Marilyn McCoo, Lamonte McLemore, and Ron Townson, who were quickly joined by Florence LaRue. They at first called themselves the Versatiles, and owed their rise to Motown Records and Johnny Rivers, who had just started his own record company. This song turned out to be their biggest hit, staying at #1 for six weeks. The 5th Dimension performed several more hits over the years until 1975, when Davis and McCoo got married and left the group. The original group reunited in 1990 for a tour, capitalizing on the growing nostalgia for the music of its era. (thanks, Mike - Santa Barbara, CA)

The Age of Aquarius is when the sun is in the constellation Aquarius during the springtime. The next time that this will happen is 2448. We are currently in the age of Pisces. (thanks, Derick - West Hartford, CT)

This song won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1970. It was the second time the group won the Record of the Year, two years previously they won the award for "Up-Up and Away."

This appeared in the movie Forrest Gump, and has a big part in the movie The 40 Year Old Virgin, where at the end of the movie the cast performs the song in Hippie costumes to celebrate the de-flowering of the virgin. (thanks, Dawson - Draper, UT)

In he movie Apollo 13, there are some scenes where the astronauts are filming live feeds from space from inside the spaceship for viewing on television (the live feeds were commonly featured on network TV in the early days of space flight). In the movie, the astronauts play Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit In The Sky" as the background music and theme song for the TV appearances. Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell has since stated that the real song used as the "Theme Song" was "Aquarius," as Aquarius was the name of the Lunar Landing Module that ultimately served as the crew's lifeboat when the mission went awry. (thanks, justin - Canton, IL)

Ex-Soul Coughing frontman Mike Doughty used the "Let the sunshine in" refrain as the chorus for "Fort Hood," a song from his 2008 album Golden Delicious. (thanks, Joshua - La Crosse, WI)

The Edwin Hawkins Singers - Oh Happy Day

The Edwin Hawkins Singers - Oh Happy Day Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Oh Happy Day
Released: 1969

Oh Happy Day Lyrics

Oh Happy Day (oh happy day)
Oh happy day (oh happy day)
When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
He washed my sins away (oh happy day)
Oh happy day (oh happy day)

He taught me how to watch, fight and pray, fight and pray
And live rejoicing every, everyday

Oh happy day

He taught me how

Oh happy day (oh happy day)
Oh happy day (oh happy day)
Oh happy day (oh happy day)

Writer/s: HAWKINS, EDWIN
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Oh Happy Day Song Chart

This is the only traditional Gospel song ever to crossover and become a hit on the Pop charts. "Oh Happy Day" is a Protestant hymn that dates from 1755. It is included in the standard Baptist hymnal.

Edwin Hawkins was a pianist at Ephesian Church of God in Christ in Berkeley, California when he came up with the popular Latin/Soul version of this song in 1968. In an October 23, 2009 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, he explained that "Oh Happy Day" was one of eight arrangements he put together for the Northern California State Youth Choir, which was made up of 46 singers ages 17 to 25, and the plan was to sell an album of the songs to finance a trip to a church youth conference in Washington, D.C. The tracks were quickly recorded live in church on a two-track tape machine (industry standard at the time was eight-track), but the records weren't pressed in time for the trip. They did attend the conference, and the choir placed second in a singing competition, where they performed 2 of Hawkins' arrangements, but not "Oh Happy Day," which Hawkins said was "Not our favorite song."

500 copies of the album were made, and one of them found its way to the popular DJ Abe "Voco" Kesh at KSAN-FM in San Francisco. Other stations followed, and Buddah Records signed Hawkins to a record deal, rechristening the Northern California State Youth Choir "The Edwin Hawkins Singers" for their reissue of the album, which became a huge hit.

The female lead is Dorothy Morrison, who signed her own deal with Buddah Records when this became a hit.

This song was recorded for the Gospel market, and its secular success didn't go over well with everyone at the church: local officials of the denomination circulated a petition asking secular radio stations to stop airing the song. Hawkins had a different take. He told The Chronicle: "I think they thought they were doing the right thing. What confused me about it was they were teaching us all our lives that we were to take the message everywhere."

Dan Sorkin, who was a famous DJ on radio station KSFO in San Francisco, was a big supporter of this song and gave it a huge push on his morning show. He even interviewed Dorothy Morrison and Edwin Hawkins.

This won a Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance.

This is the song that the late Beatle George Harrison claimed he got the idea for "My Sweet Lord," not The Chiffons' "He's So Fine" which he was blamed for. (thanks, Jeff - Boston, MA)

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Lodi

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Lodi Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Green River
Released: 1969

Lodi Lyrics

Just about a year ago
I set out on the road
Seekin' my fame and fortune
Lookin' for a pot of gold
Thing got bad and things got worse
I guess you know the tune
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again

Rode in on the Greyhound
I'll be walkin' out if I go
I was just passin' through
Must be seven months or more
Ran out of time and money
Looks like they took my friends
Oh Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again

A man from the magazine
Said I was on my way
Somewhere I lost connections
Ran out of songs to play
I came into town, a one night stand
Looks like my plans fell through
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again

If I only had a dollar
For every song I've sung
Every time I had to play
While people sat there drunk
You know, I'd catch the next train
Back to where I live
Oh Lord, stuck in a Lodi again
Oh Lord, I'm stuck in a Lodi again

Writer/s: JOHN C. FOGERTY
Publisher: CONCORD MUSIC GROUP, INC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Lodi Song Chart

This song is a reflection on John Fogerty's days with The Golliwogs, an early version of Creedence Clearwater Revival. They had to struggle for success, playing wherever they could with dilapidated equipment and an often indifferent audience. He did not want a return to the Bad Old Days.

Lodi is a city in California located in the central valley, about 30 miles south of Sacramento and 75 or 100 miles east of San Francisco/Oakland. Fogerty and his earlier band often performed in "nowhere towns" like Lodi.

Fogerty sometimes covered this at concerts after he became a solo artist. (thanks, Brett - Edmonton, Canada, for above 2)

Drummer Doug Clifford claimed the band played a show in Lodi in their early days. Said Clifford: "There were nine people in there, they were all locals, they were all drunk and all they did all night was tell us to turn it down."

Al Wilson recorded this. His version was issued on Soul City Records in America and on Liberty Records in the United Kingdom. It was played extensively in the few underground "Northern Soul" clubs of England during the late 1960s and early 70s, getting its first exposure at the famous Twisted Wheel Club Allnighters in Manchester, England. (thanks, Gra - Stafford, England)

In a radio interview, John Fogerty said when he was young his parents took him and his brother to camp at Lodi lake (called Smith lake then) and they hated camping there. So later on they wrote a song about Lodi using their old hated for the place. (thanks, George - Stockton, CA)

Tesla did an acoustic version of this song that was included on their 1990 live album, Five Man Acoustical Jam. Each band member got to pick a song to cover for the set, and Tesla drummer Troy Luccketta chose "Lodi" since he was born there.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Green River
Released: 1969

Bad Moon Rising Lyrics

I see the bad moon arising.
I see trouble on the way.
I see earthquakes and lightnin'.
I see those bad times today.

Don't go around tonight,
Well it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.

I hear hurricanes a blowing.
I know the end is coming soon.
I fear rivers over flowing.
I hear the voice of rage and ruin.

Well don't go around tonight,
Well it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.

Hope you got your things together.
Hope you are quite prepared to die.
Looks like we're in for nasty weather.
One eye is taken for an eye.

Well don't go around tonight,
Well it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.

Don't come around tonight,
Well it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.

Writer/s: JOHN C. FOGERTY
Publisher: CONCORD MUSIC GROUP, INC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Bad Moon Rising Song Chart

In Rolling Stone issue 649, John Fogerty explained that the lyrics were inspired by a movie called The Devil And Daniel Webster, in which a hurricane wipes out most of a town. This is where he got the idea for the words "I feel the hurricane blowin', I hope you're quite prepared to die." Overall, he said the song is about the "apocalypse that was going to be visited upon us."

This became the theme song of the demonstrators during the People's Park riots in Berkeley, California, in 1969.

This was used in two science-fiction movies of the 1980s: An American Werewolf In London (1981) and Twilight Zone: The Movie (1982). In the former, it plays as the main character is awaiting a full moon and wondering if he will turn into a werewolf.

This contains a classic misheard lyric. The line "There's a bad moon on the rise" is often heard as "There's a bathroom on the right." Not only do many people sing the wrong lyrics, but John Fogerty himself sang the "bathroom on the right" lyric once during the "Premonition" concert. It can be heard after the last verse of the song quite plainly.

Fogerty would often have fun with this trope, sometimes pointing to a nearby bathroom from the stage when he got to the famous misheard line. (thanks, Gene - Hammond, IN)

The music makes this sound like a happy song, but the lyrics are very bleak, describing events that indicate a coming apocalypse.

As a result of this song, American football player Andre Rison's nickname was "Bad Moon," as in "Bad Moon Risin'." Rison was an all-pro wide receiver, but is also famous for having his house burned down by Lisa (Left Eye) Lopes, a singer with TLC who was his girlfriend at the time.

This has been covered by Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen, Bo Diddley, Type O Negative, 16 Horsepower, Reels, Spitballs, Blue Aeroplanes, Lagwagon, Battlefield Band, Ducky Boys, Acoustic Shack, Ventures, Meteors, and Rasputina. (thanks, Brett - Edmonton, Canada)

Argentine soccer fans came up with a new version of this song after their team advanced to the World Cup finals in 2014 while the host country, Brazil, was eliminated in the semi-final. Set to the tune of this song, Argentines chanted, "Brasil, decime qué se siente tener en casa tu papa," which means "Brazil, tell me how it feels to be bossed around in your own home."

Even the team members were heard singing this taunt, but in the end Argentina did not take home the trophy, as they lost in the final to Germany, the team that beat Brazil.

Tommy James & the Shondells - Crystal Blue Persuasion

Tommy James & the Shondells - Crystal Blue Persuasion Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Cellophane Symphony
Released: 1969

Crystal Blue Persuasion Lyrics

Look over yonder
What do you see?
The sun is a'rising
Most definitely

A new day is coming
Ooh ooh
People are changing
Ain't it beautiful
Crystal Blue Persuasion

Better get ready
To see the light
Love, love is the answer
Oooh ooh
And that's all right

So don't you give up now
So easy to find
Just look to your soul
And open your mind

Crystal blue persuasion
Mmm, mmm
It's a new vibration
Crystal blue persuasion
Crystal, blue persuasion

Maybe tomorrow
When he looks down
On every green field
And every town
All of his children
And every nation
They'll be peace and good brotherhood

Crystal blue persuasion
Yeah
Crystal blue persuasion
Aha
Crystal blue persuasion
Aha
Crystal blue persuasion
Aha
Ohhhh
Crystal blue persuasion
Aha

Writer/s: GRAY, EDDIE MORLEY / VALE, MIKE / JAMES, TOMMY
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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Crystal Blue Persuasion Song Chart

In our interview with Tommy James, he explained: "'Crystal Blue' was interesting. First of all, I was becoming a Christian at that time, and we never thought a thing about it. We never thought that doing something semi-religious was any big deal. We didn't think of it as being politically incorrect or anything like that. We just did what felt right. I wrote 'Crystal Blue Persuasion' with Eddie Gray and Mike Vale. Eddie came up with the little guitar riff, and Mike and I did the lyrics. And it just felt very right as a sort of semi-religious poetic song, but it turned out to be one of the hardest records I've ever made.

We went in and had a set of drums, we had guitars, we had keyboards, and by the end, we just realized we had totally overproduced the record. It just was not 'Crystal Blue Persuasion' anymore. It was a nice track, but wasn't right. So we had to produce the record, and then we had to un-produce the record. And one by one we just started pulling the instruments out, until we ended up with a conga drum, a bongo, a tambourine, a flamenco guitar, and a very light-sounding bass. We took out the drums completely. We took out all the keyboards except one, which was a Hammond. And basically ended up with about four instruments on it. And suddenly it became 'Crystal Blue Persuasion,' the song that we had written. It has kind of an effervescent sound about it, a lot of atmospherics that just weren't there when it had all those instruments on it. Suddenly when you emptied out the record it sounded like 'Crystal Blue' again. It had that light airy sound, which it needed to be right. And it took us about 6 weeks to do all that. It really was a very intricate un-production, pulling all the things out. Actually, it was tougher than putting them in because you didn't want to mess up the record, but you wanted to empty it out. So it came out and went #1 for us. It was the follow-up to 'Sweet Cherry Wine.' We were in Hawaii when it went #1, and I often think of Hawaii as I think of 'Crystal Blue Persuasion.'"

When we asked James if "Crystal Blue" is a reference to the Book of Revelation, he replied: "Yes, it is. It's out of the Bible. The imagery was right out of Chapter 19 of the Book of Revelation, about the lake of crystal, and just what John sees. The imagery was just right there. 'Crystal blue persuasion,' although those words aren't used together, it was what the image meant to me."

The lyrics, "It's a new vibration," are about James becoming Christian, but many listeners had their own interpretation. He explained: "Of course, everybody thinks if they don't understand what you're talking about it must be about drugs. But it wasn't. We were going through a real interesting time back then, and a very wonderful time. Everybody in the band, by the way, became Christian. And we're very proud of it. And 'Crystal Blue Persuasion' was sort of our way of saying that in a kind of pop record way."

This would have made a great performance at Woodstock, and the song was peaking on the charts at the time of the famous festival. Tommy James & the Shondells were invited to appear, but, as Tommy explains: "Like dopes we turned it down. I gotta tell you what – we were in Hawaii at the foot of Diamond Head. This was in August of '69, and we played a date in Hilo, and then we had two weeks off and then we were gonna play in Honolulu. They put us at these gorgeous mansions at the foot of Diamond Head, right on the ocean. And our biggest decision of the day was, Do I go in the ocean or in the swimming pool? We were sitting around drinking margaritas, and it was wonderful. And I get this call from JoAnn, my secretary, and she said, 'Artie Kornfeld was up,' Artie Kornfeld was one of the principals at Woodstock, and he was also a friend of mine. He produced the Cowsills and a whole bunch of other acts, and he was very successful producer. We had the same lawyer. And so she said, 'Artie was up and asked if you could play at this pig farm up in upstate New York.' I said, 'What?!?' 'Well, they say it's gonna be a lot of people there, and it's gonna be like a really important show.' And I said, 'Did I hear you right? Did you say would I leave paradise, fly 6,000 miles, and play a pig farm? Is that what you just asked me?' She said, 'Well, you could put it like that, but it's gonna be a big show. It's important.' I said, 'Well, I'll tell you what, if I'm not there, start without us, will you please?' And I hung up the phone. And they did. And by Thursday of that week we knew we messed up really bad. (laughing) But in the end I think I got probably more mileage out of that story."

The Supremes - Someday, We'll Be Together

The Supremes - Someday, We'll Be Together Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Cream of the Crop
Released: 1969

Someday, We'll Be Together Lyrics

Someday we'll be together
Say it, say it again
Someday we'll be together
You're far away from me my love, and just as sure my,
My baby as there are stars above,
I wanna say, I wanna say, I wanna say some day we'll be together;
Yes we will, yes we will say some day we'll be together.
Someday day, some sweet day we will be together
I know, I know, I know, I know

My love is yours, baby
Oh, right from the start
You, you, you possess my soul now honey
And I know, I know you won my heart.
And I wanna say someday (some sweet day) we'll be together.
Ah,yes we will, yes we will
someday we'll be together, tell everybody now
Ah,yes we will, yes we will
Long time ago my, my sweet thing, I made a big mistake, honey.
I say, I said goodbye.
Oh, Oh baby ever ever, ever, never, never since that day now,
Now all I, all I wanna do ah is cry, cry,cry, cry
Oh hey, hey, hey
How long are you, every night,
Just to kiss your sweet, sweet lips,
Hold you ever so tight and I wanna say
Someday we'll be together.
Oh, yes we will, yes we will.
Someday we'll be together.
Oh, yes we will, yes we will.
Someday we'll be together.
Ah, honey, honey
some day we'll be together.
Yes we will, yes we will

Writer/s: FUQUA, HARVEY / BRISTOL, JOHNNY / BEAVERS, JACKEY
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Someday, We'll Be Together Song Chart

This was a remake of a song originally recorded by the duo Johnny & Jackey (Johnny Bristol and Jackey Beavers) in 1961. Motown Records brought in Bristol to produce a new version of the song for Jr. Walker & the All-Stars, but Motown chief Berry Gordy decided to give it to Diana Ross as her first solo single away from The Supremes. Bristol struggled to get the sound he wanted from Ross, and encouraged her along the way, which made it onto tape: That's him coaching Diana through the song, offering "Sing it pretty" and "You better" along the way.

Motown decided to release this as by "Diana Ross and the Supremes," even though Ross was the only member of the group whose voice is on the recording - the backing vocals are by session artists. The next song Ross recorded, which was "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)," became her first solo single.

Janet Jackson sampled this on her 1993 hit single "If."

The Who - See Me, Feel Me

The Who - See Me, Feel Me Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Tommy
Released: 1969

See Me, Feel Me Lyrics

See Me
Feel Me
Touch Me
Heal Me
See Me
Feel Me
Touch Me
Heal Me
Listening to you, I get the music
Gazing at you, I get the heat
Following you, I climb the mountain
I get excitement at your feet
Right behind you, I see the millions
On you, I see the glory
From you, I get opinion
From you, I get the story
Listening to you, I get the music
Gazing at you, I get the heat
Following you, I climb the mountain
I get excitement at your feet
Right behind you, I see the millions
On you, I see the glory
From you, I get opinion
From you, I get the story

Writer/s: PETER TOWNSHEND
Publisher: ABKCO MUSIC INC PETE TOWNSHEND CATALOG, FABULOUS MUSIC LTD, SPIRIT MUSIC GROUP
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

See Me, Feel Me Song Chart

This is the last song on Tommy, the first "Rock Opera." It tells the story of a deaf, dumb, and blind kid who becomes a pinball champion and is idolized by his followers. This was a very uplifting song to end the rock opera. The show got mostly good reviews.

The Who performed the album from start to finish on their tour. Roger Daltrey sang this as the character Tommy.

The message of unification and hope in this song was inspired by Meher Baba, a guru Pete Townshend was following. Townshend wrote Tommy in an attempt to bring people together through rock music.

Tommy was made into a play as well as a movie. The 1975 movie starred Jack Nicholson, Ann Margaret, Tina Turner and Elton John. Daltrey played Tommy and Keith Moon was the evil Uncle Ernie.

On Tommy, this is played as one song with "We're Not Gonna Take It," which follows this on the single release.

Some of the names Townshend considered before settling on "Tommy" were "Deaf, Dumb and Blind Boy," "The Amazing Journey," and "Brain Opera."

The Who played all of Tommyat Woodstock, and they performed this song just as the sun was rising on the third morning of the festival in 1969. That image from Woodstock helped launch Roger Daltrey's career as a sex symbol and The Who's success in America.

This title of this song is also the title of a Biopic about Who drummer Keith Moon. The full title of the movie is See Me, Feel Me: Keith Moon Naked for Your Pleasure. It is produced by Who frontman Roger Daltrey and Mike Myers plays Moon. (thanks, Mike - Syracuse, NY)

Shocking Blue - Venus

Shocking Blue - Venus Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Best Of The Shocking Blue
Released: 1969

Venus Lyrics

Venus Song Chart

The group's guitarist Robbie Van Leeuwen wrote this song. The group is from The Netherlands, which led to an interesting translation problem when Shocking Blue lead singer Mariska Veres sang the English lyrics. Van Leeuwen wrote the first line down incorrectly: what was supposed to be "A goddess on the mountain top" he wrote as "A goddness on the mountain top," and that's exactly how Veres sang it. Most listeners didn't notice, and the many cover versions corrected the error, but the result was a #1 hit with a misspoken first line thanks to a typo.

The female vocal trio Bananarama recorded this in 1986. It was one of the first songs they started performing when they formed the band in 1979, but they wanted to record original songs first so they would be taken seriously.

Their version was produced by the team of Stock, Aitken and Waterman, who worked on hits by Rick Astley ("Never Gonna Give You Up"), Dead or Alive ("You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)") and Kylie Minogue ("I Should Be So Lucky").

The distinctive guitar riff was taken from The Who's "Pinball Wizard."

This was produced by Jerry Ross, who also produced another Dutch group, Tee Set, who performed "Ma Belle Amie". Ross also produced an album of orchestral arrangements of his (primarily) Dutch stable of hits, under the name Jerry Ross Symposium. (thanks, Jeff - Scottsdale, AZ)

In the US, both this and the Bananarama cover version reached #1, making it one of the few songs to do so. Strangely, in the UK both Shocking Blue and Bananarama reached #8 with "Venus" and both spent 13 weeks on the chart with the song. (thanks, Adam - Dewsbury, England)

On an episode of the MTV cartoon Beavis And Butthead, Butthead makes up his own lyrics to this but gets frustrated when he can't think of anything that rhymes with "Venus."

In Shocking Blue's home country, this never made it to #1. After its success in the States, the song was re-released, but climbed no further that #3 on the Dutch pop chart.

In 1959, Frankie Avalon had a US #1 hit with the same title. There were two other instances of different songs with identical titles reaching #1 on the Billboard charts. "My Love" was #1 for Petula Clark in 1966 and another "My Love" turned the trick for McCartney & Wings in 1973. Then "Best Of My Love" topped the charts for the Eagles in 1973 and a different song of the same title was #1 for The Emotions in 1977. (thanks, Rick - Calgary, Canada)

Blind Faith - Presence Of The Lord

Blind Faith - Presence Of The Lord Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Blind Faith
Released: 1969

Presence Of The Lord Lyrics

I have finally found a way to live
Just like I never could before.
I know that I don't have much to give,
But I can open any door.

Everybody knows the secret,
Everybody knows the score.
I have finally found a way to live
In the color of the Lord.

I have finally found a place to live
Just like I never could before.
And I know I don't have much to give,
But soon I'll open any door.

Everybody knows the secret,
Everybody knows the score.
I have finally found a place to live
In the Presence Of The Lord.
In the presence of the Lord.

I have finally found a way to live
Just like I never could before.
And I know I don't have much to give,
But I can open any door.

Everybody knows the secret,
I said everybody knows the score.
I have finally found a way to live
In the color of the Lord.
In the color of the Lord.

Writer/s: Langley, John / Abbott, Steve / Tilley, Ian / Lole, Simon / Traditional, / Writer, Unknown
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Presence Of The Lord Song Chart

Eric Clapton wrote this song, which is a testimony of faith. It's the first song he wrote all the lyrics for.

Steve Winwood sang lead, as he did with all of the Blind Faith songs. Clapton wanted him to sing it because he knew Winwood could hit the high notes.

This was Blind Faith's only album. They broke up after one difficult tour.

The song is about how Clapton was becoming more comfortable with his life. He had just left Cream at the peak of it's popularity, and was looking forward to playing with Blind Faith.

The album cover was a photo of a young girl with no clothes on holding a model spaceship. According to photographer Bob Seidemann, who shot the cover, he had the idea but did not have someone to pose. While riding the London subway, he saw a young girl who would be perfect and asked her to pose for the cover. He went to the girl's house to ask her parents' permission to pose topless for the cover. They agreed, but the girl backed out. However, the girl's younger sister begged the parents to let her pose instead. They agreed and the younger sister ended up posing for the cover. Seidemann called the image "Blind Faith" and Eric Clapton made that the name of the group. (thanks, Joel - Chicago, IL)

Blind Faith - Can't Find My Way Home

Blind Faith - Can't Find My Way Home Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Blind Faith
Released: 1969

Can't Find My Way Home Lyrics

Come down off your throne and leave your body alone, somebody must change
You are the reason I've been waiting so long, somebody holds the key
Well, I'm near the end and I just ain't got the time
And I'm wasted and I Can't Find My Way Home

Come down on your own and leave your body alone, somebody must change
You are the reason I've been waiting all these years, somebody holds the key
Well, I'm near the end and I just ain't got the time
And I'm wasted and I can't find my way home

Writer/s: WINWOOD, STEVE
Publisher: Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Can't Find My Way Home Song Chart

Blind Faith was a Supergroup made up of Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech. This is their only album.

Winwood wrote this and sang lead. Many critics noted that Blind Faith sounded a lot more like Winwood's old band Traffic than Clapton's Cream, which is what Clapton was going for.

Clapton played acoustic guitar on this, which he rarely did. In his previous group, Cream, he played long, intense solos, something he wanted to get away from with Blind Faith.

The album cover was a photo of an 11-year-old girl. She was naked and holding a model spaceship, which caused a lot of controversy. They released an alternate cover with a picture of the band when stores refused to carry the original.

Clapton sometimes plays this at his concerts, with a member of his band singing. His bass player Nathan East would often sing it.

A common misconception is that Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood reunited at the Crossroads Guitar Festival, July 28, 2007, however, the first true live reunion occurred two months earlier at an event called Countryside Rocks at Highclere Castle, Hampshire, UK on May 19, 2007. Steve Winwood performed his set and Eric came on later as a guest. Together they played this song as well as "Watch Your Step," "Presence of the Lord," "Crossroads," "Little Queen Of Spades," "Had to Cry Today" and "Gimme Some Lovin'." (thanks, William - Melbourne, Australia)

The band House of Lords covered this on their 1990 album Sahara. Other artists to record it include Joe Cocker, Yvonne Elliman, Gilberto Gil and Widespread Panic. (thanks, Amanda - Amawalk, NY)

Stevie Wonder - My Cherie Amour

Stevie Wonder - My Cherie Amour Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: My Cherie Amour
Released: 1969

My Cherie Amour Lyrics

La la la la la la, la la la la la la
My Cherie Amour, lovely as a summer day
My cherie amour, distant as the milky way
My cherie amour, pretty little one that I adore
You're the only girl my heart beats for
How I wish that you were mine
In a cafe or sometimes on a crowded street
I've been near you, but you never noticed me
My cherie amour, won't you tell me how could you ignore
That behind that little smile I wore
How I wish that you were mine
La la la la la la, la la la la la la
La la la la la la, la la la la la la
Maybe someday, you'll see my face amoung the crowd
Maybe someday, I'll share your little distant cloud
Oh, cherie amour, pretty little one that I adore
You're the only girl my heart beats for
How I wish that you were mine
La la la la la la, la la la la la la
La la la la la la, la la la la la la

Writer/s: COSBY, HENRY / MOY, SYLVIA / WONDER, STEVIE
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

My Cherie Amour Song Chart

The title is French for "My Dearest Love."

Wonder wrote this song in 1967 when he was a student at Michigan School for the Blind, recording a rough version and putting into his trusty "tape box," where he kept his song ideas. He wrote the song for his girlfriend at the time, Marcia, and the song was originally titled "Oh My Marcia."

By the time he recorded the song, Marcia was out of the picture, so Wonder changed the title to "My Cherie Amour."

Motown songwriter/producers Henry Cosby and Sylvia Moy wrote this with Wonder, who was 19 at the time. Wonder was recording at age 12, and was writing songs in his teenage years. On his later hits, Wonder did almost all of the writing and production himself, but early on, he had a lot of help from the Motown staff.

This was first released as the B-side of Wonder's single "I Don't Know Why (I Love You)" in January 1969. Many disc jockeys flipped the single and played "My Cherie Amour," so Motown reissued the single with the sides reversed. In July 1969, "My Cherie Amour," reached its US peak of #4 on the Hot 100, and in August, the song was used as the title track to Wonder's album.

This song plays a part in the 2012 movie Silver Linings Playbook. Bradley Cooper's character, Pat, goes off the rails when he comes home to find his wife cheating on him while this song - their wedding song - is playing. From that point on, the song becomes a trigger for Pat, who loses his mind when he hears it.

In the book the film was adapted from, it's a different song that makes Pat go crazy: "Songbird" by Kenny G.

Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay

Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Nashville Skyline
Released: 1969

Lay Lady Lay Lyrics

Lay Lady Lay
Lay across my big brass bed
Lay lady lay
Lay across my big brass bed

Whatever colors you have in your mind
I show them to you and you see them shine

Lay lady lay
Lay across my big brass bed
Stay lady stay
Stay with your man a while
Until the break of day
Let me see you make him smile

His clothes are dirty but his, his hands are clean
And you are the best thing that he's ever seen

Stay lady stay
Stay with your man a while

Why wait any longer for the world to begin
You can have your cake and eat it too
Why wait any longer for the one you love
When he's standing in front of you

Lay lady lay
Lay across my big brass bed
Stay lady stay
Stay while the night is still ahead

I long to see you in the morning light
I long to reach for you in the night

Stay lady stay
Stay while the night is still ahead

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

Lay Lady Lay Song Chart

Dylan wrote this for the 1969 movie Midnight Cowboy. Harry Nilsson's "Everybody's Talkin'," which was released the year before, was chosen for the theme song instead.

Harry Nilsson wrote "I Guess the Lord Must Be In New York City" for the same movie. The director had asked for a song that sounded like Nilsson's previous recorded cover of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talking." The director finally decided to use the older "Everybody's Talking," and was proven right when the song won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Male. (thanks, Leo - Hilversum, Netherlands)

This was one of many Dylan songs covered by The Byrds, who also recorded "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Just Like A Woman," and "The Times They Are A-Changin'." There are two versions of the song on their 2002 Dylan cover compilation, The Byrds Play Dylan.

They Byrds version bubbled under at #132 US in 1969; other charting renditions of the song in America were by Ferrante & Teicher (#99, 1970) and the Isley Brothers (#71, 1972).

Many radio stations refused to play this simply because of the use of the word "lay" in the title, assuming it referred to sex (i.e. "get laid"). Despite the accusation of being "Sexually Titled," Dylan denied any sexual terminology.

Cassandra Wilson covered this for her album Glamoured. In 2001, shortly after the release of his Love and Theft album, Bob Dylan himself went on record as saying "I love everything she does," and said she was the only good thing on the radio (which, he mentioned, "makes hideous sounds"). (thanks, Brett - Edmonton, Canada, for above 2)

Dylan's vocals were slightly sped up, producing a higher vocal.

Grammatically, the correct title for this song would be "Lie Lady Lie," but that wouldn't sing very well. English teachers will tell you that Dylan's title is a command to place the lady on the bed, but Dylan isn't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his strict adherence to the rules of grammar. Neither is Eric Clapton, who did something similar with "Lay Down Sally."

The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back

The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5
Released: 1969

I Want You Back Lyrics

When I had you to myself, I didn't want you around
Those pretty faces always make you stand out in a crowd
But someone picked you from the bunch, one glance is all it took
Now it's much too late for me to take a second look

Oh baby, give me one more chance
(To show you that I love you)
Won't you please let me back in your heart
Oh darlin', I was blind to let you go
(Let you go, baby)
But now since I've seen you it is on
(I Want You Back)
Oh I do now
(I want you back)
Ooh ooh baby
(I want you back)
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
(I want you back)
Na na na na

Trying to live without your love is one long sleepless night
Let me show you, girl, that I know wrong from right
Every street you walk on, I leave tear stains on the ground
Following the girl I didn't even want around

Let me tell ya now
Oh baby, all I need is one more chance
(To show you that I love you)
Won't you please let me back in your heart
Oh darlin', I was blind to let you go
(Let you go, baby)
But now since I've seen you it is on

All I want
All I need
All I want!
All I need!

Oh, just one more chance
To show you that I love you
Baby baby baby baby baby baby!
(I want you back)
Forget what happened then
(I want you back)
And let me live again!

Oh baby, I was blind to let you go
But now since I've seen you it is on
(I want you back)
Spare me of this cost
(I want you back)
Give me back what I lost!

Oh baby, I need one more chance, hah
I'd show you that I love you
Baby, oh! Baby, oh! Baby, oh!
I want you back!
I want you back!

Writer/s: PERREN, FREDDIE / MIZELL, ALPHONSO / RICHARDS, DEKE / GORDY JR, BERRY
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

I Want You Back Song Chart

This was the first Jackson 5 single released by Motown Records. It launched their career and went to #1 in the US, as did their next three releases: "ABC," "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There."

Michael Jackson sang lead. He was 11 years old and the youngest of the group. There was one younger Jackson brother named Randy, who replaced Jermaine in the group in 1977.

This was written by a team of Motown writers called The Corporation. The head of the label, Berry Gordy, was one of the writers. They were based in California, unlike most Motown writers who were in the Detroit offices.

Michael Jackson reminded Berry Gordy of Frankie Lymon, another teenage star. Gordy helped write this as if he was writing for Lymon.

The original title was "I Want To Be Free." It was Gordy's idea to change it to "I Want You Back" and make it more of a love song.

This was intended for Gladys Knight & The Pips, and at one point Diana Ross was going to record it, but Berry Gordy decided to change the title and some of the lyrics and use it for his newly-signed group of boys, the Jackson 5.

Gordy went out of his way to make this a hit. He was very high on The Jackson 5, and felt they were the perfect group to prove that Motown could continue it's success through the '70s. At the time, this was the most expensive Motown single ever recorded.

When this topped the Hot 100, the 11-year-old Michael Jackson became the youngest person to feature in an American #1.

Two popular songs sampled this in 2001: Jay Z used it on "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" and it was also used on Lil' Romeo's "My Baby." It was also sampled on the Kris Kross hit "Jump."

The sci-fi Soul singer-songwriter Janelle Monáe covered this as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of her The Electric Lady album. She explained to A.V.Club that she chose this particular tune as it resonated with her. "There are so many amazing Michael Jackson songs from different stages of his career," she said, "and that happened to be one of my favorite stages. It makes people happy, and I love the tone, and musically, it has a lot of places to go for our orchestra. It has a lot of odd instrumentation."

"The version I did does not sound like the Jackson 5 original recording," Monáe continued. "I wanted to interpret it my way and record it differently, while continuing to pay homage to him, but I saw it in a different light. I'm really excited to let you guys hear it because you'll get a chance to hear that song from my perspective. I had a dream about it and how I wanted it to be recorded."