“Well, We All Shine On…” (Image Source)
On This Date in 1970: John Lennon wrote, recorded and mixed the song “Instant Karma.” The single, which was produced by Phil Spector, was released 11 days later. What a great song!
Tag Archives: lyrics
Smoke On The Water: Fire In The Sky
Rare Photo of the Casino Burning Courtesy of Montreux Music Juxtaposed With a Shot of 1,721 Guitarists All Playing “Smoke on the Water” In Unison
On This Date, December 3rd in 1971: During a concert by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention at a casino in Montreux, Switzerland, a fire started after an audience member shot a flare gun at the ceiling. The building burned down but there were no fatalities. Deep Purple were in Montreux at the time to record their album Machine Head and watched the fire burn from their hotel window.
Continue reading Smoke On The Water: Fire In The Sky
Lyrics of the Day: Queen’s “Doing Alright”
Queen Circa 1973
Today, November 24th, marks the 19th anniversary of the passing of Queen’s lead vocalist, Freddie Mercury; who, seriously was like a god to me. In memory of Freddie’s passing I wanted to post the lyrics to my very favorite Queen song, “Doing Alright” off of their self titled, 1973 debut. Even though Freddie didn’t write the lyrics to this song, it having been composed by Brian May and Tim Staffell, of May and Roger Taylor’s former band, Smile, no one could have sung it any better than Fred. This song is amazing, especially the part where the band goes from a jazz breakdown into a full on, righteous metal shred. You should download it on iTunes right now if you don’t already own it. RIP Freddie!
Yesterday my life was in ruin
Now today I know what I’m doing
Got a feeling I should be doing all right
Doing all right
Where will I be this time tomorrow?
Jumped in joy or sinking in sorrow
Anyway I should be doing all right
Doing all right
Should be waiting for the sun
Looking round to find the words to say
Should be waiting for the skies to clear
There ain’t time in all the world
Should be waiting for the sun
And anyway I’ve got to hide away
Yesterday my life was in ruin
Now today God knows what I’m doing
Anyway I should be doing all right
Doing all right
MacArthur’s Park is Melting in The Dark
Holy shit. I was just in the local bodega buying a bottle of dish washing liquid and a housewarming gift for some friends I’m visiting later (pot holder / oven mitt / dish towel set – so cute!) and Donna Summer’s extended disco dance mix of “MacArthur Park” came on. And I almost lost my shit right in there the store, because that song is just insane. You know, it’s Donna’s version that goes on for, like, 20 minutes and just takes off on its own little journey? Hot damn, what a great fucking song.
When I was a kid in the ’60s, listening to Richard Harris’s overwrought, melodramatic version of this arguably enigmatic song, I thought the lyrics were meant to be taken literally, and I could not comprehend why the fuck someone would leave a fucking cake out in the rain. I mean, what the hell? It used to just kill me; wondering why the person singing had left what must have obviously been a very delicious cake (hence the degree of chagrin caused by this careless act) out in the rain? And why would they “never have that recipe again”? What did it all mean, and why did it feel like the world was ending over some fancy pastry every time Harris sang that line? Even back then, I was a big fan of cake, so “MacArthur Park” never failed to cause me significant emotional distress. Because, anyone can see that cake left out in the rain is bad news.
Of course, now that I’ve lived life to adulthood, and had the opportunity to have my heart stomped-on and ground into tiny pieces of detritus, I understand that the lyrics to “MacArthur Park” are a metaphor for tragically lost love. It’s a sad song, for sure.
Even now, I would still rather have the cake.
When We Called Out for Another Drink, The Waiter Brought a Tray
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On This Date, June 24th, in 1967: Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” entered the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it would later peak at Number 5 (In the UK it hit #1 on June 8th). Lyrically inspired a party the band members attended where everyone was tripping on LSD (I’m pretty sure The Beatles were at that party) the song was written by the band around a melody composed by the group’s organist, Matthew Fisher, who was inspired by the chord progression of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Orchestral Suite in D,” composed between 1725 and 1739. As of 2009, “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” is the most played song in the last 75 years in public places in the UK. What a great song.