For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday theme, the suggestion comes from Angie of King Ben’s Grandma to focus on Sweet, Honey, Sugar, Candy, or Chocolate. My selection is the song “Candy Girl” from Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. When I was growing up, The Four Seasons was my favorite group and I bought all of their record (45s). “Candy Girl” was not my favorite. Not like “Sherry” or “Walk Like a Man” or “Rag Doll” or “Dawn,” but still, a good song nonetheless.
“Candy Girl” was a hit single recorded in 1963 by the Four Seasons. It was written by Larry Santos, the first original Four Seasons single not composed by group member Bob Gaudio and/or the band’s producer Bob Crewe. The song reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and number 13 on the R&B chart, the last of the group’s entries to make the R&B chart.
This simple Doo-Wop styled ballad is about a guy who had been searching for a girl to love and this song is about having finally found her and about how great she made him feel.
Here are the lyrics to “Candy Girl.”
I've been a-searchin' all this wide world Now finally I've found my Candy girl Candy girl
I found me a girl (candy girl) She sets my heart a-whirl (candy girl) With huggin' (huggin') and kissin' (kissin') and lov-in' (She's mine) mi-ine (mine) mine Whoa-oa-oa-oh-oh (candy girl)
We get along so well (candy girl) I know just why I fell (candy girl) She's thrillin' (thrillin') oh, chillin' (chillin'), Yeah she's so divine (She's mine) mine (mine) mine Whoa-oa-oa-oh-oh (candy girl)
When we're out together Everyone knows the way we feel We both seem to glow with the glow of a love And it's plain to see Our love is real
I'm happy as can be (candy girl) She vows eternally (candy girl) To hold me (hold me) and love me (love me) Until the end of time (She's mine) mine (mine) mine Whoa-oa-oa-oh-oh
For this week’s Thursday Inspiration, Jim Adams focused on the word “head,” and he used the song “Walk Away,” by Joe Walsh when he was with the James Gang.
Jim pointed out that Walsh’s song is about the end of his relationship with his first wife. This made me think of another song that deals with a tumultuous relationship where the guy has had it with his woman’s head games. The couple clearly isn’t communicating, and the psychological manipulations are taking their toll. That song is “Head Games” from Foreigner.
“Head Games” was the title-cut and second single taken from Foreigner’s third album release. It was written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones, and was released in the U.S. in November 1979. It reached number 14 on the Billboard hot 100.
In the song, the guy complains to his girl that “no time ever seems right to talk about the reasons why you and I fight.” Then he declares that “it’s high time to draw the line, to put an end to this game, before it’s too late.” He emphatically tells her that he can’t take it anymore and doesn’t want to continue playing her head games.
For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday prompt, Jim Adams gives us the theme of Australian music. The song I chose was on a frequent rotation in the early days of MTV, when the cable channel was all music videos. It was from the Aussie group, Men at War, and the song is “Who Can It Be Now?”
“Who Can It Be Now?” was recorded by Australian band Men at Work. It was released as a single in Australia in 1981, prior to the recording of their 1981 debut album, Business As Usual. It was written by the band’s lead vocalist, Colin Hay. The song reached number 2 in Australia that year. The American release of the song, over a year later, went on to hit number 1 in October 1982.
The album, Business As Usual, was the number 1 album in the U.S. for 15 weeks, a record at the time for the longest stay at number 1 for a debut album.
Hay originally wrote the music for “Who Can It Be Now?” in a tree house he and his girlfriend made in Bermagui, New South Wales. The lyrics would not come until 1981, when Hay was living in an apartment complex in St Kilda, Victoria. He lived next to drug dealers, and people would often confuse Hay’s apartment for the dealers’. The number of people that would knock on his door unnerved him to the point where he was scared to open his door, regardless of who was there.
Here are the lyrics to “Who Can It Be Now?”
Who can it be knocking at my door?
Go 'way, don't come 'round here no more
Can't you see that it's late at night?
I'm very tired, and I'm not feeling right
All I wish is to be alone
Stay away, don't you invade my home
Best off if you hang outside
Don't come in, I'll only run and hide
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be knocking at my door?
Make no sound, tip-toe across the floor
If he hears, he'll knock all day
I'll be trapped, and here I'll have to stay
I've done no harm, I keep to myself
There's nothing wrong with my state of mental health
I like it here with my childhood friend
Here they come, those feelings again!
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Is it the man come to take me away?
Why do they follow me?
It's not the future that I can see
It's just my fantasy
Yeah
Hoo, hoo, hoo
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Oh oh oh who can it be now?
Oh where we are
Who can it, who can it
Oh who can it now
Oh where we are
Yeah yeah yeah
Di, host of Pensivity101, is once again standing in for Melanie, of Sparks from a Combustible Mind, for today’s Truthful Tuesday prompt. This week Di is asking about musical preferences. She wants to know…
Do you enjoy the same kind of music as your spouse/partner/significant other. If not, do you listen to your own preferences in another room or using headphones, or not bother?
My answer is yes, my wife and I enjoy the same kind of music, which is rock ‘n roll music. Specifically the genre known as “classic rock.” It covers around two and a half decades, from the 60s through the 70s and into the early to mid 80s. And, for the most part, we like the same musical artists from that era. It’s what keeps our marriage together.
When we’re at home we have the SiriusXM Classic Vinyl channel on the television for background music when we’re not actually watching something on TV. In the car, we have the same SiriusXM Classic Vinyl station tuned in, although sometimes we will listen to my iTunes on my iPhone via our car’s Apple Play connection. And, of course, my iTunes collection is, for the most part, classic rock.
For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, Jim Adams is featuring a suggestion from Di at Pensitivity101 to go with novelty songs. I wanted to select one that most of you won’t have heard of, and that song is “Beep Beep” from The Playmates. Raise your hand if you ever heard this song.
“Beep Beep” was a 1958 novelty single by The Playmates. It was written by Carl Cicchetti and Donald Claps, also known as Chic Hetti and Donny Conn, the band’s arranger/pianist and drummer, respectively.
“Beep Beep” appeared on the Billboard chart for 15 weeks and peaked at number 4 in November 1958. The song was also known as “Little Nash Rambler” or simply “Nash Rambler.” The Nash Rambler was a model of car produced by Nash Motors in 1950. It was a small, bubble-shaped car that was to become the first compact car manufactured and sold in America.
Nash Rambler
At the time, the status symbol in American cars was the Cadillac or similar large cars, sometimes referred to as “land yachts.” A lot of Americans looked down their noses at compact cars such as the Nash Rambler. The humor of this song revolves around the ironic race between a prized Cadillac and a scornful little Nash Rambler, with a stunner punchline.
The song is built around accelerando, where the tempo of the song gradually increases, commensurate, in this case, with the increasing speed of the drivers.
Interesting tidbit #1: In December 1958, Time Magazine credited the popularity of “Beep Beep” with helping Nash Motors break sales records. In November 1958, the company doubled its previous year’s production record.
Interesting tidbit #2: This song, although not a chart hit, was enormously popular in the UK. It was played just about every week for nearly 20 years on the long-running BBC Radio show “Children’s Favorites” (later “Junior Choice”). But while “Beep Beep” was a huge favorite, the original recording was actually banned by the BBC because advertising in songs wasn’t allowed. Hence the words “Cadillac” and “Nash Rambler” were definitely out. The Playmates decided to re-record the song for the UK market. Cadillac became “limousine” and Nash Rambler “bubble car.” The ending on the UK version was just slightly different than the U.S. version.
Here are the lyrics to “Beep Beep.”
While riding in my Cadillac, what, to my surprise, A little Nash Rambler was following me, about one-third my size. The guy must’ve wanted it to pass me up As he kept on tooting his horn. Beep! Beep! I'll show him that a Cadillac is not a car to scorn.
I pushed my foot down to the floor to give the guy the shake, But the little Nash Rambler stayed right behind; he still had on his brake. He must have thought his car had more guts As he kept on tooting his horn. Beep! Beep! I'll show him that a Cadillac is not a car to scorn.
My car went into passing gear and we took off with gust. And soon we were doin' ninety, must have left him in the dust. When I peeked in the mirror of my car, I couldn't believe my eyes. The little Nash Rambler was right behind, you'd think that guy could fly.
Now we're doing a hundred and ten, it certainly was a race. For a Rambler to pass a Caddy would be a big disgrace. The guy must've wanted to pass me up As he kept on tooting his horn. Beep! Beep! I'll show him that a Cadillac is not a car to scorn.
Now we're doing a hundred and twenty, as fast as I could go. The Rambler pulled alongside of me as if I were going slow. The fellow rolled down his window and yelled for me to hear, Hey, buddy, how can I get this car out of second gear?
This, That, and the Other 