C’mon — you know as well as I do that that “thing” underneath the fridge is definitely scary. Or maybe somebody like Glen Beck or Dennis Kucinich makes you tremble in fear. Or maybe it’s just green tea that makes you faint.
Whatever the case, the Uncles have you covered! We’re peeling back out own inner protective layers to reveal some of our own neuroses and fears, as realized in songs written and performed by other people (who obviously eavesdropped on our deepest, darkest thoughts to pen the lyrics — scary!).
Sure, there are things that scare me - plenty of ‘em. I’m just not sure how many have been summed up in songs that haven’t already been claimed by my fellow Uncles.
But there are things that scare me - death, dismemberment and loss being the big three. I try not to let fear rule my life and daily existence. Imagine me, a person who loves to ski down rock chutes, through tight stands of trees, off of cliffs into steep, snow-laden bowls, being so overcome by fear that I hesitate during a crucial point in my descent? That could - and likely would - be lethal. Same thing goes for my go-for-broke descents on my marathon bike rides: I can’t dwell on the potential for harm, I simply must go.
Fear is just part of living. It’s not the biggest controlling factor in my life, but it’s there - and it’s here, in this playlist, so enjoy!
“Kid Fears” - Indigo Girls (from In With The Out Crowd) Fear: loss of innocence
This song is a bit of a catch-all of common childhood fears and neuroses. I remember seeing the Indigo Girls perform this song at the 1991 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, with David Wilcox singing the refrain that Michael Stipe sang on the album version. This song speaks on many levels, but mostly seems to be a plea to bring back the simple, primal fears of childhood as a replacement for the complex issues of adulthood.
“Taking It All To Tennessee” - Vance Gilbert (from Somerville Live) Fear: losing touch with close friends
Having a best friend move away is tragic, no matter your age. This song was written in response to Vance’s close friend, Ellis Paul, moving to Tennessee from Massachusetts. It’s one of those songs that lays out the raw feelings of hurt and betrayal that, while often irrational, do exist but get buried under a sense of obligation not to hurt any feelings.
“Mother” - John Lennon & Elephant’s Memory (from Christmas Present) Fear: not reconciling with one’s parents
My relationship with my parents isn’t what many would call good. Then again, few can say that they have 100% wonderful relationships with their parents, so I’m certainly not alone. John Lennon had a very tenuous relationship with his natural parents. His mother, Julia, was not the best mother, eventually ceding parental responsibilities to her sister, Mimi. While Julia taught John to play the banjo and guitar, she wasn’t a close parent, and was killed when John was 17. His father, Alf, was an itinerant sailor who drifted in and out of his son’s life. And this song, written while Lennon was under the treatment of Arthur Janov and his “primal scream” therapy, is an open-book plea to his departed/estranged parents.
“The Sun Is Burning” - Simon & Garfunkel (from Old Friends) Fear: nuclear holocaust
When I was young, there was a TV movie that raised the hackles of many parents across America: The Day After. This movie depicted a nuclear attack and the after-effects of such devastation. Life was changed in a quick, blinding flash, and those who didn’t die often suffered a more gruesome, painful descent into death. This song, one of the earliest from Simon & Garfunkel, paints a rosy picture of life that is brought to an end by a nuclear bomb.
“Psycho Killer” - Talking Heads (demo version) Fear: being the victim of a murderous rampage
David Byrne is a weird dude - cool, but weird. I tend to like almost everything he does, both musically and socially (he’s a huge proponent of cycling over automobile as urban personal transit, amongst other things), but he’s still a weird guy. And this, one of the earliest songs by the Talking Heads, is proof positive. Only RISD could produce this kind of warped sensibility, right? This is the demo recording they made for CBS Records, back in the day.
“Let The Devil In” - TV on the Radio (from Return to Cookie Mountain) Fear: the devil
An eerie tune by a group that scares me: so talented, yet not always able to reel in the talent to make something that’s truly lovely. This song is scary, in and of itself, so it all fits.
“Boris The Spider” - The Who (from A Quick One) Fear: arachnophobia
John Entwistle’s classic tune about a curious spider named Boris. He meets a sticky end.
“Careful With That Axe, Eugene” - Pink Floyd (from Atom Heat Mother Goes On The Road) Fear: dismemberment by axe blade
Roger Waters has always had a rather…. obscure and frightening sensibility to his songwriting. While much of it has centered around the death of his father during World War II, some of his early writing for Pink Floyd involved mistakes that had tragic results. The roots of this one-line song are often disputed: some think it’s a reference to how Jerry Garcia lost part of his finger, others think that it’s a reference to a horror film. Whatever the case, Waters’ blood-curdling scream at the mid-point of the song is one for the ages. This performance is from a live concert in Montreaux, Switzerland, in 1970.
Since Mandel and Sam decided that the side two medley from Abbey Road was out, I also disqualified using any of the “Fingertips” from They Might Be Giants’ Apollo 18 (such a great album, purposely built to be played in shuffle mode).
So I bring you 18 short songs. Some lack lyrics, but all are complete and lovely in their own right.
“Our Prayer” - The Beach Boys
Such a lovely opening to an album (SMiLE!) that never saw the light of day - at least not as a Beach Boys affair. Dig the interwoven voices of the Wilson brothers, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston as they sing a lovely little prayer.
“I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” - John Denver
Old campfire song standards work, and this song, from Denver’s final studio album before his untimely death, is one that’ll stick with you and take you back…. way back.
“Tip-Toe Thru’ The Tulips With Me” -Tiny Tim
The falsetto of Tiny Tim kept the vaudeville show tune alive for the 1960s generation.
“Eruption” - Van Halen
EVH’s guitar acrobatics here are…. just plain WOW.
“A Hard Day’s Night” - Peter Sellers
Before he recorded The Beatles, George Martin’s oversaw a lot of comedy recordings by groups like The Goons. Peter Sellers was a member of said comedy troupe, and The Beatles were huge fans of Sellers, so the natural crossover was for Sellers to put his touch on this Lennon-McCartney nugget.
“Rave On” - Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly made the most of the time he had on this mortal coil, and “Rave On” is a song that influenced many rock acts to follow.
“Not Fade Away” - The Rolling Stones
This early Stones nugget shows sonic influence from “Rave On,” don’t you think? I do. (And it’s kind of a trick question, as this song is a Buddy Holly song.)
“Johnny Saucepan” - Moxy Früvous
A tongue twister of a song from one of my favorite folk groups.
“Mercedes Benz” - Janis Joplin
One of Janis’ best: a politically charged message delivered with a drunken-yet-immediate fury by one of the best soul singers of the past 50 years.
“If You’ve Got The Money I’ve Got The Time” - Willie Nelson
In just over two minutes, Willie proposes lots of fun things to do on a night out.
“Rejected Commercial Jingles: Twister®” - Paul And Storm
This is what it is….
“Shoehorn With Teeth” - They Might Be Giants
While I exempted the “Fingertips” from this list, I couldn’t omit all the TMBG canon.
“Bookends Theme” - Simon & Garfunkel
“Time it was/and what a time it was….” Such a sad lament. This is the mono mix, which is very, very tough to find.
“Prologue” - Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk’s Tour de France work netted some lovely, short sonic statements.
“People Are Strange” - Brave Combo
I doubt that Morrison and Manzarek envisioned this song as a strident polka. But Brave Combo sure did.
“T.V.” - Cheryl Wheeler
If you need some reasons not to watch, Cheryl Wheeler will provide them.
“If Only” - The Kooks
British power pop can be quick and tidy, too - take that, Oasis!
“Song For The Asking” - Simon & Garfunkel
Yes, it’s a second S&G song, but a perfect closer.
Enjoy these - then go out and listen to Pink Floyd’s “Echoes” or something similarly long.
Led Zeppelin came up with the best title for this kind of exercise. Sadly, nobody else has taken them up on the challenge to name another song by the same title.
Pity.
I went with a song title that’s basically a wistful platitude. Enjoy the different connotations.
Song Title: “It’s Only Love”
Artists: The Beatles. This is the version of the song I think of when I hear the title. Gotta love John’s double-tracked vocals in the chorus. Elvis Presley. It’s all about the pelvis…. Carey Ott. Opened for Thomas Dolby on his last tour, fun, folk-styled music. Simply Red. Memo to the 80s: you may be back, but this is too much. Ben Taylor. Offspring of James Taylor and Carly Simon - and you can hear the lineage in his singing. The Tractors. Lovin’ me some country.
This post is late in coming, so I’ll just let the tunes speak for themselves.
“Too Old To Rock & Roll” - Jethro Tull
Ian Anderson laments about his age - and then tells ‘em all to sod off!
“Wanted Dead Or Alive” - Bon Jovi
A classic song about life on the rock & roll gravy train.
“Life In The Fast Lane” - The Eagles
An alternate view of the rock & roll lifestyle and its rough-and-tumble ways.
“One Of My Turns” - Roger Waters
Want happy? Pink, the protagonist of The Wall, is not your guy. But this song about having a mental breakdown on tour is very much a facet of the rock & roll lifestyle.
“The Heart Of Rock And Roll” - Huey Lewis & The News
Now this is more upbeat!
“Long Live Rock” - The Who
I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Every generation has its musical cornerstones. Call them what you will - most would call them “idols” (in a much truer sense than the manufactured meat grinder that is American Idol or Pop Idol) - but they helped define entire generations.
Michael Jackson was one of them for my generation: the kids of the 1970s, who were born in the days of disco, punk, heavy metal and orchestral rock and were the original target audience for MTV (back when it really was “Music Television” and showed videos at all hours of the day and night). Sure, his rise to stardom started in the 1960s with The Jackson 5, which launched a young, pitch-perfect, dance happy kid into stardom (and effectively dragged his siblings along for the ride). But Michael really hit his stride when I was starting to become a fan of pop and rock music.
Thriller was one of the first albums I ever bought, if not the first, with my own money. I listened to that tape until it had stretched beyond playability. I owned a “Thriller” jacket because he looked quite cool in the video. I learned the moonwalk after seeing his incredible performance on “Motown 25″ (sure, he lip-synched the song, but it was the dance that had everybody talking).
I even briefly switched to Pepsi after the pyrotechnics incident out of solidarity – yes, I was a fan.
But most of all, I loved the magic of his music. Off The Wall and Thriller are wall-to-wall sonic tapestries that are solid from the first beat to the last. The infectious (if repetitive) bassline of “Billie Jean,” or the Van Halen guitar solo in “Beat It,” or the tour de force of “Thriller,” or the dance-’til-you-drop beat of “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” – all are model pop songs.
Sure, his star faded from there, but there were still occasional glimpses of brilliance, even as his personal life became increasingly erratic and eccentric. His third album with Quincy Jones, Bad, had a few nuggets, including the title song, which spawned a parody by “Weird Al” Yankovic that so impressed MJ that he allowed Al and crew to use the same set for the parody video (click the links for the two videos). Black Or White was a catchy song and had a wonderful video with excellent use of the then-emergent video morph technology. And “Scream” (a duet with his sister, Janet) had a video that still stands as the most expensive of all time - and the song isn’t too bad, either.
And sometimes MJ would collaborate with similarly high-wattage stars, like Paul McCartney:
And in 1985, he and Quincy Jones helped bring about “USA for Africa” and the “We Are The World” song and video:
(A brief aside: my 6th grade class performed this song at our graduation, and on the first run-through there were a lot of kids doing their best Cyndi Lauper, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Willie Nelson impersonations - things that did not please our music teacher.)
My fandom didn’t last too long, however. The first blow was when he outbid Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono for the ownership of ATV Music (née Northern Songs), which meant that The Beatles’ song catalog was suddenly open to the highest bidder for use in ad campaigns (my Beatles fandom far outweighs that of MJ, and always has). And the rumors and allegations of child molestation were tough to disbelieve, given that MJ always seemed a bit too eager to be around children.
MJ’s childhood was nothing that I’d wish upon anybody, but I also think that his adulthood was equally tragic. His constant battle to become somebody else – the pseudo-castrati voice, the horrendous plastic surgeries, the shift in skin coloration – pointed to a never-fulfilled need to treat deep psychological and emotional wounds. But the insular world of superstardom likely blinded him to this necessity, to his own detriment.
He tried to seek solace in isolation, and was about to stage a massive comeback-cum-farewell concert series in London. And now he is no more.
But we have the music, that glorious music.
Michael: may you finally find peace.
(Note: this post was adapted from my blog, randomduck.)
It’s far too much fun to find songs about sex, and sometimes it’s a bit too easy. There are the obvious culprits: George Michael’s entire Faith album deals with relationships and sex, Two Live Crew did quite a few lewd numbers about fornication, and AC/DC’s “You Shook Me” is a favorite of sex-crazed teens (and these days, many of their parents, too).
But I wanted to shake that up a bit: throw in a few obvious ones, as well as some songs that are a bit more obscure, or those performed by songwriters not known for writing sexually-charged songs. They’re the songs that would have Salvador Dali saying “oooOOOooo!” (Hat tip to Craig Ferguson for that riff.)
“Sit On My Face” - Monty Python (from Monty Python Sings!)
Obvious? Oh yes, but it’s quite blatant about it’s intent: let’s get down, do some 69, and sound like a proper army regiment as we do it. Hmmm….
“Duncan” - Paul Simon (from Paul Simon)
I was telling sprite as I ws prepping this list that I didn’t think that Paul Simon had a sex song in his catalog. However, he had two: “Cecilia” and this song, “Duncan,” which talks about a sexual encounter that, in modern interpretation, could swing either way. “She took me to the woods/Saying here comes something and it feels so good/And just like a dog I was befriended/I was befriended” - you make the call!
“Iowa” - Dar Williams (from Out There Live)
Dar often introduces this song (her most overt sing-along at most shows) by citing its inspiration in the “bosomy” hills of Iowa. And the song mentions how these hills make Ms. Williams wish she “had a way with women.” Can’t argue with that, right?
“The Town Crotch” - Jonathan Coulton (from Thing A Week Three)
Every town/neighborhood/school/building has one of these.
“Ice Cream Man” - Tom Waits (from The Early Years - Volume 1)
The “ice cream” served by this guy is not something you’d want to serve your innocent children.
“Rudebox” - Robbie Williams (from Rudebox)
It’s Robbie Williams - no relation to Dar, and certainly a bit more overt in his sexual mischievousness - who is shaking his “rudebox” and rhyming “Durex” with “sex.” That’s fitting, as condoms and sex go together like…. Robbie Williams and having a career that’s successful everywhere except the United States.
“Add It Up” - Violent Femmes (from Add It Up (1981-1993))
The Violent Femmes’ ode to nerdy teenage lust is perfectly delivered in this live performance in front of nerdy teenage fans - what’s not to like?
A wise sage once told me “drugs are the answer.” He then gave up his IT job and fled to Cape Cod to run a B&B.
Dar Williams one mused “There’s so much to see through/Like our parents do more drugs than we do.”
And I’m sure that Ms. Williams indulged a bit in the land of…. “chemical creative enhancement.” It’s been a lure of composers since the days of Mozart (and likely earlier), and continues to be part of songwriting lore. And some of the best have chronicled their drug adventures in song.
“I Want A New Drug” - Huey Lewis & The News (from Time Flies: The Best Of Huey Lewis & The News)
Huey Lewis came into his prime in the 1980s, when cocaine was all the rage amongst the rock star elite. The one problem? All the nasty side-effects. So Lewis asks for a better drug that has zero side effects, one that makes him feel like he does when he’s alone with the object of his affections. I blame good ‘ol endorphins and hormones, man.
“My Drug Buddy” - Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield (from Rare On Air, Vol. 1)
One of The Lemonheads’ lesser-known tracks, this song talks about scoring some kind of illicit substance, then finding a place to use it. Simple and effective, this sparse arrangement (recorded for an NPR show) makes the whole deal seem a bit creepy.
“Cold Turkey” - John Lennon & Plastic Ono Band (from Live Peace In Toronto 1969)
In the latter days of The Beatles, John Lennon was fueled by drugs. In particular, 1968 and 1969 saw him addicted to heroin, like many of his peers. His attempt to shake the smack monkey resulted in this song - appropriately titled “Cold Turkey.” He describes the agony of withdrawal from the addictive substance, and this live performance from his one-off peace activism concert in Toronto includes painful warbling from Yoko Ono, who was also shaking the smack, and manic guitar playing by Eric Clapton, who was still very much addicted to the stuff.
“Cocaine” - Bob Dylan (from Live At The Gaslight)
Sure, Johnny Cash and Eric Clapton (via J.J. Cale) mused about cocaine. But Dylan beat ‘em all to the punch with his folk song about having “cocaine all around my brain.” The song was penned by Woody Guthrie and Cisco Harrison, and its lyrical construct and contents hearken back to Tin Pan Alley more than the rock-and-roll circus (which Dylan had yet to join). But as a song telling the tale of too much cocaine, this one works quite well.
“Addicted To Drugs” - Kaiser Chiefs (from Off With Their Heads)
This song doesn’t really say much about drug use, other than its protagonist saying that the subject of his warnings is “addicted to drugs.” Seems fitting.
“Another Irish Drinking Song” - Da Vinci’s Notebook (from Brontosaurus)
Alcohol is a drug (a depressant), and this ditty plays upon the cliché “Irish pub song” by pointing out what really happens when a person drinks non-stop all night. Tongues firmly in cheek, DVN does a nice, four-part harmony job while warning of drinking in excess.
“Who Needs The Peace Corps?” - Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention (from We’re Only In It For The Money)
Frank Zappa was about as anti-drug as anybody coming out of the 1960s could be. He took pride in his straight-edge ways, and used every available opportunity to poke a bit of fun at the “trippy, hippy” generation. “Forgive me ‘cos I’m stoned” is one of the refrains of this song, which skewers not only the “tune in, turn on, drop out” culture of San Francisco, but also the then-new Peace Corps. It’s classic Zappa, to say the least.
“Smoke Two Joints” - Richard Cheese (from Tuxicity)
The ultimate Vegas lounge lizard parody artist, Mr. Cheese skewers Bob Marley’s ode to smoking reefer. Irie, all you cool cats and kittens!
Just remember: don’t drink/smoke/toot/snort/shoot and drive, okay?
Okay, I didn’t pick this months selections. But as folks have told me when I mentioned this month’s topic to them, this is “definitely a theme chosen by a guy.”
Yup, there’s testosterone all over this theme, and I’ve tried to find truly angry stuff in my collection.
And there isn’t much, at first glance. But I knuckled down and found these for your perusal. And yes, there’s one angry chick in the mix (a word of warning: said track is extremely explicit - you’ve been warned).
“Run Like Hell” - Roger Waters (from The Wall: Live In Berlin 1990)
This song is straightforward: a general, egging on his followers to get with the program or run for their own survival. I chose this version because Waters really pours himself into the verses, which were traditionally a two-vocalist setup with Pink Floyd (even the Gilmour-led Floyd had Dave singing this part with Guy Pratt, Waters’ replacement on bass).
“Angry” - Paul McCartney (from Press To Play)
Yup - Paul is rip rarin’ mad in this song, which is a bit of a departure for him. Where his earlier songs of distress - “I’m Looking Through You” being the classic one - were a bit more obtuse, this one is direct: he’s angry at you and ready to take it to the ring.
“Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” - Elton John (from Greatest Hits or Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road)
The title says it all, really.
“I Will Not Go Quietly” - Don Henley (from The End Of The Innocence)
Don Henley is known for being passionate about his causes (e.g. the preservation of Walden Pond and its surrounding woods), and this song clearly states that he will not stand down. Note the harmonies from the then-hot Axl Rose.
“Natalie’s Rap” - The Lonely Island (feat. Natalie Portman) (from Incredibad)
This is the song I warned about. Originally aired on Saturday Night Live, the “interview” in this song is performed by former SNL cast member, Chris Parnell, while the rapping and singing are handled by Natalie Portman and Andy Samberg. It’s definitely not what you expect to hear from Ms. Portman (namely, that she’s a violent woman), and this version lacks the censors’ handiwork. Like I said: you’ve been warned.
“Run For Your Life” - Cowboy Junkies (from This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute To The Beatles’ Rubber Soul)
One of John Lennon’s more misogynist and overtly disturbing songs, Cowboy Junkies slow it down, change the sexes of both protagonist and antagonist, and in the process make it a far more disturbing outing. You feel a bit creeped out by Margo Timmins’ vocals by the end.
“(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love & Understanding” - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (from Armed Forces)
This song is a response to the others: can’t we all just get along?
“Dear Amelia” - Vance Gilbert
Vance Gilbert, fellow alumnus of Connecticut College, wrote this lovely ode to Amelia Earhart, pioneer of women’s aviation. The song asks many open questions of the fallen pilot, asking if she was aware of her fate, if it was all some cruel joke, and informs her (in the present day) of all that has happened since she went down in the south Pacific all those years ago.
“John Sinclair” - John Lennon John Sinclair is a poet and civil rights activist who served a 10 year prison term in the 1970s for possession of marijuana - the only crime Nixon’s government could easily peg on the man. John Lennon was a close friend of Sinclair (who also dabbled in music management), and wrote this song as a protest against the rather draconian sentence given for a minor narcotics infraction. Lennon was familiar with these brushes with the law, having been arrested for marijuana possession in London by the infamous Detective Pilcher, whose busts of 60s entertainers often involved planting evidence in order to facilitate arrest.
“He Was My Brother” - Simon & Garfunkel
One of Paul Simon’s more pure folk protest songs (and a clear musical nod to Dylan’s “He Was A Friend Of Mine”), the words of this song directly address the 1964 slayings of civil rights workers in Mississippi. Simon knew at least one of the men murdered in this incident (which became the subject of the 1988 film, Mississippi Burning), and wrote this song as a raw, emotional reaction to the violence that the murders encapsulated.
“Ohio” - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
“Tin soldiers and Nixon’s comin’/We’re finally on our own/This summer I heard the drummin:/Four dead in Ohio.” It’s a potent opening couplet to a powerful song, delivered in brilliant four-part harmony. Largely a product of Neil Young, this song uses every musical trick in CSNY’s arsenal, and to great effect. The subject of the song - the Kent State University shootings - still stands as one of the more powerful events in the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War.
“Murder” - David Gilmour
Not only were the other Beatles and Elton John affected by the murder of John Lennon, but David Gilmour, guitarist extraordinaire of Pink Floyd, also felt some anger at the loss of his fellow musician. So on his 1984 solo album, About Face, Gilmour wrote this open letter to Mark David Chapman, Lennon’s murderer. As a song, this is one of Gilmour’s strongest solo writing efforts, and it really captures the feelings of those who really wanted a piece of Chapman for what he did.
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We all have things that scare us.
It’s far too much fun to find songs about sex, and sometimes it’s a bit too easy. There are the obvious culprits: George Michael’s entire Faith album deals with relationships and sex, Two Live Crew did quite a few lewd numbers about fornication, and AC/DC’s “You Shook Me” is a favorite of sex-crazed teens (and these days, many of their parents, too).
