This, That, and the Other

My theme for this year’s A to Z Blogging Challenge is classic rock songs. Each day during the month (except for the first four Sundays, I will post a classic rock song: a video from YouTube, along with a brief bit of background about the song and the recording artist(s).

This is much more difficult than I thought it would be. For every letter of the alphabet there are dozens of fantastic classic rock songs to choose from and picking just one song for each letter is maddening. But this is what I signed up for.

My N song is “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature” from The Guess Who.

“No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature” was a medley by the Canadian rock band, The Guess Who. It was released on their 1970 album, American Woman, as the B-side of the “American Woman” single without the “New Mother Nature” section. The single was officially released as “American Woman/No Sugar Tonight” and peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, for three weeks.

Randy Bachman, who left The Guess Who before the song was released and later formed the group Bachman-Turner Overdrive, wrote “No Sugar Tonight.” Burton Cummings, the lead vocalist for the band wrote “New Mother Nature.” When Bachman first presented his unfinished “No Sugar Tonight” to his label, he was told that the song was too short. Bachman was not done with “No Sugar Tonight,” and Cummings was not finished with “New Mother Nature.” The two of them expanded the song by adding Bachman’s song to the song Cummings was working on to make a complete piece on the album. On the album, “No Sugar Tonight” goes seamlessly into “New Mother Nature,” and disc jockeys usually play them together.

Bachman’s inspiration for “No Sugar Tonight” came from an experience he had in downtown Berkeley, California. He was walking and talking with a band mate when he looked up and saw four big biker guys walking on the same sidewalk approaching them. Bachman made up his mind to cross the street rather than confront the bikers. Just as he was stepping off the sidewalk, a car came to a skidding stop and a biker lady got out of the car, walked over to one of the bikers and engaged in a heated conversation with him. When the argument ended, the biker lady walked back to the car, opened the door, turned around, then shouted to the biker, “And one more thing, honey, you ain’t getting no sugar tonight.” The car took off and Bachman crossed the street, went back to his hotel, and started writing the song based on that experience.

The second half of the song, Cummings’ “New Mother Nature,” was also an unfinished piece. It focused on the singer’s decision to break free from the person and situation he was in, and to go out on his own. He realizes that he needs to make a change, and pulls strength from the new mother nature, a representation of his possible new beginning. The chorus “She’s gettin’ us all” reinforces that the singer isn’t alone in his journey and there is hope for us all in liberation.

There is some speculation of a darker side to “New Mother Nature,” where reference to Jocko may be about a drug dealer and how the song is about the struggle with drug addiction. The new mother nature who is taking over and getting us all is about how the addiction has you as you struggle to gain control of it. Apparently Cummings wasn’t very forthcoming about the meaning of his lyrics.

Here are the lyrics to “ No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature.”

Lonely feeling
Deep inside
Find a corner
Where I can hide
Silent footsteps
Crowding me
Sudden darkness
But I can see

No sugar tonight in my coffee
No sugar tonight in my tea
No sugar to stand beside me
No sugar to run with me

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In the silence
Of her mind
Quiet movements
Where I can find
Grabbing for me
With her eyes
Now I'm falling
From her skies

No sugar tonight in my coffee
No sugar tonight in my tea
No sugar to stand beside me
No sugar to run with me

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Jocko says "Yes" and I believe him
When we talk about the things I say
She hasn't got the faith or the guts to leave him
When they're standing in each other's way
You're tripping back now to places you've been to
You wonder what you're gonna find
You know you've been wrong but it won't be long
Before you leave 'em all far behind

'Cause it's the new mother nature taking over
It's the new splendid lady come to call
It's the new mother nature taking over
She's gettin' us all
She's gettin' us all

Jocko said "No" when I came back last time
It's looking like I lost a friend
No use callin' 'cause the sky is fallin'
And I'm getting pretty near the end
A smoke-filled room in a corner basement
The situation must be right
A bag of goodies and a bottle of wine
We're gonna get it on right tonight

'Cause it's the new mother nature taking over
It's the new splendid lady come to call
It's the new mother nature taking over
She's gettin' us all
She's gettin' us all

(Lonely feeling) Jocko says "Yes" and I believe him
(Deep inside) When we talk about the things I say
(Find a corner) She hasn't got the faith or the guts to leave him
(Where I can hide) When they're standing in each other's way
(Silent footsteps) You're tripping back now to places you've been to
(Crowding me) You wonder what you're gonna find
(Sudden darkness) You know you've been wrong and it won't be long
(But I can see) Before you leave 'em all far behind

'Cause it's the new mother nature taking over
It's the new splendid lady come to call
It's the new mother nature taking over
She's gettin' us all
She's gettin' us all

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