Music

Song Lyric Sunday — Hide Your Love Away

Fandango14 Comments

I suspect I’m not going to be the only one to use the song, “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” by the Beatles for today’s Song Lyric Sunday prompt from Helen Vahdati. Her theme is “hide/hiding/hidden.”

“You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” was written and sung by John Lennon (writing credit Lennon-McCartney) and released on the album Help! in August 1965.

John Lennon said that he had been just knocking out pop songs at his home in Kenwood at the time, without expressing his own personal emotions to any great extent. “The period would be for songwriting,” he said, “and so every day I would attempt to write a song and it’s one of those that you sort of sing a bit sadly to yourself, ‘Here I stand, head in hand….’”

Bob Dylan was beginning to have a big influence on his songwriting around the time he wrote the song. “I started thinking about my own emotions and instead of projecting myself into a situation, I would just try to express what I felt about myself.” Although Lennon never discussed the inspiration for the lyrics, it seems to tell the story of an unrequited love and hidden feelings. Some have suggested that it was written about their manager Brian Epstein, who had to hide his homosexuality from the public.

Here are the lyrics.

Here I stand head in hand
Turn my face to the wall
If she’s gone I can’t go on
Feeling two-foot small

Everywhere people stare
Each and every day
I can see them laugh at me
And I hear them say

Hey you’ve got to hide your love away
Hey you’ve got to hide your love away

How can I even try
I can never win
Hearing them, seeing them
In the state I’m in

How could she say to me
Love will find a way
Gather round all you clowns
Let me hear you say

Hey you’ve got to hide your love away
Hey you’ve got to hide your love away

Solitary Man

Fandango7 Comments

Today’s Daily Addictions one-word prompt is “solitary.” When I saw that prompt, I knew that I would do what I’m about to do, and that is to post one of my favorite songs by Neil Diamond.

I didn’t get married until I was 32 because I wanted to wait until I could find me a girl who’d stay and wouldn’t play games behind me. Until I did, I would stay what I was: a solitary man. And then I met the future Mrs. Fandango.

So many prompts, so little time

I wasn’t able to get around to writing a post today that used all of the other daily prompts, including my own, “parking.” Hopefully I’ll get back on track tomorrow.

Song Lyric Sunday — Found You

Fandango12 Comments

Helen Vahdati’s theme for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday is “find/found.” It took me two seconds to choose the song by the Foundations, titled “Baby Now That I’ve Found You,” for my choice.

Written by Tony Macaulay and John MacLeod, the song, which was released in the the U.K. in the summer of 1967, and in the U.S. in December 1967, reached number 11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts.

When the record was first released in the U.K., there appeared to be little enthusiasm for the single until BBC’s newly founded Radio 1 began to play it. It’s a simple song about a guy pleading with his girlfriend to not leave him now that he’s found her.

The song’s co-writer, Tony Macaulay recalls, “I woke up that morning with a stinking headache and when I got to the studio and heard The Foundations, I thought they were pretty terrible. I decided my hangover was to blame, and so I gave them the benefit of the doubt. The only song I could think of was something John McLeod and I had had for some time, ‘Baby Now That I’ve Found You.’ I didn’t have a lot of faith in the song, but they recorded it with a lot of energy and I learned a lot from making that record.” It went on to become an international hit.

Here are the lyrics to the song.

Baby, (ba-da-da-da)
Now that I’ve found you,
I can’t let you go,
(Ba-da-da),
Build my world around you,
I need you so,
(Oooh)
Baby, even though,
You don’t need me,
You don’t need me,

Baby, (ba-da-da-da)
Now that I’ve found you,
I can’t let you go,
(Ba-da-da),
Build my world around you,
I need you so,
(Oooh)
Baby, even though,
You don’t need me,
You don’t need me,

Baby, baby since first we met,
I knew in this heart of mine,
(I wanna tell you)
The love we had,
Could not be bad,
I played it right,
And bide my time,

All my life I’ve waited for somebody,
To give me love like you,
Now you tell me that you wanna leave me,
(Darlin’ I just can’t let you)

Baby, (ba-da-da-da)
Now that I’ve found you,
I can’t let you go,
(Ba-da-da),
Build my world around you,
I need you so,
(Oooh)
Baby, even though,
You don’t need me,
You don’t need me,

Baby, (ba-da-da-da)
Now that I’ve found you,
I can’t let you go,
(Ba-da-da),
Build my world around you,
I need you so,
(Oooh)
Baby, even though,
You don’t need me,
You don’t need me,

All my life been looking for somebody,
To give me love like you,
Now you tell me that you wanna leave me,
(Darlin’ I just can’t let you)

Baby, (ba-da-da-da)
Now that I’ve found you,
I can’t let you go,
(Ba-da-da),
Build my world around you,
I need you so,
(Oooh)
Baby, even though,
You don’t need me,
You don’t need me,

Baby, (ba-da-da-da)
Now that I’ve found you,
I can’t let you go,
(Ba-da-da),
Build my world around you,
I need you so,
(Oooh)
Baby, even though,
You don’t need me,
You don’t need me,

Baby, (ba-da-da-da)
Now that I’ve found you,
I can’t let you go,
(Ba-da-da),
Build my world around you,
I need you so,
(Oooh)
Baby, even though,
You don’t need me,
You don’t need me,

Baby, (ba-da-da-da)
Now that I’ve found you,
I can’t let you go,
(Ba-da-da),
Build my world around you,
I need you so,
(Oooh)
Baby, even though,
You don’t need me,
You don’t need me,
[fade]

Music To My Ears

Fandango26 Comments

Music DoodleA Guy Called Bloke posted a series of 21 questions on his blog today about music, our likes, what it means to us, and its impact on us.

Here are my responses to the questions.

Q1] How important is music in your life?

It’s very important to me. Songs often bring back wonderful memories. Listening to music is therapeutic for me.

Q2] What is your most favorite type of music and what is your least favorite?

My favorite is classic rock. My least favorite is country & western.

Q3] Do you own a music collection or do you simply listen to whatever on whatever?

I have about 2500 songs in my iTunes collection, although I’ve given away most of my vinyl albums and CDs.

Q4] Are you a singer, a hummer, or a whistler?

None of the above.

PQ5] Show through links your five best songs?

I have far too many “best” songs to limit it to just five.

Q6] Have you ever been to an outdoor concert?

Many times.

PQ7] Do you ever go out to listen to music live? When was the last time you went to a concert/gig?

How about next weekend when I’ll be going to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass at Golden Gate Park, as I do every year?

Q8] Do you sometimes feel like dancing when you hear music? Under what circumstances do you dance?

I am moved to making what to most observers appears to be spastic gyrations with my body. Whether or not those movements can be considered “dancing” is highly questionable.

Q9] When do you listen to music?

In the car, at home on the the xfinity/Comcast Music Choice channel, and in my iTunes collection on my iPhone.

Q10] If you answered yes to Questions 6 & 7 – who did you go and see?

So many. Moody Blues, Billy Joel, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Don Henley, Peter Frampton, Elton John, CSNY, Jefferson Starship, Pat Benetar, America, Paul Simon, and many, many others. (I’m an old-timer and I’ve been going to live concerts since I was a pre-teen.)

Q11] Is there a song that makes you emotional?

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel. I tear up every time I hear it.

PQ12] Do you feel that you have a special connection with some types of music? Which types?

Classic Rock

Q13]  Have you ever tried singing in a karaoke bar? What was the experience like?

Yes. It was a disaster.

Q14] Do you listen to music when writing? If so which?

Yes, as background music. I listen to classic rock…what else is there?

PQ15] Have you ever gone to see a musical? What was it, provide link please.

Yes, tons. I subscribe to the local “Broadway” theater productions. Some favorites include Les Miz, Rent, Hamilton, Mamma Mia, and a whole host of others.

Q16] Do you know the lyrics to all the songs you like?

Some yes, many no, at least not all of the lyrics.

Q17] When you are listening to music – are you listening just to the music itself or the lyrics too?

Depends. If it’s background music, like when I’m blogging, mostly the music. But if I’m paying attention to the song, both the lyrics and the music.

Q18] Do you listen to music when you go cycling/jogging or when you’re working out at the gym? [or any other physical activity]

Physical activity? What’s that? I do sometimes sing when I’m walking the dog…if nobody is without earshot.

Q19] Many operas are in French, Italian or German. If you listen to opera, do you understand the libretto (text) or are you happy to get the gist (main idea)?

I don’t listen to opera.

PQ20] Are you deleting any questions, if so which ones?

No.

Q21] Do you enjoy watching music videos? What sort of music videos do you enjoy most?

Not anymore, but I used to watch MTV and VH1 back in the day.

 

Take It To The Limit

Fandango10 Comments

For my one-word prompt today, “limit,” I’m simply going to post one of my favorite Eagles’ songs, “Take It To The Limit.” It was written by Randy Meisner, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey and was released in 1975. Meisner was the lead singer on the record. I saw him sing it live in concert and he was incredible.

My favorite lines from the song are, “You can spend all your time making money / You can spend all your love making time.”

Anyway, here’s the song, followed by the lyrics.

All alone at the end of the evening
When the bright lights have faded to blue
I was thinking ’bout a woman who might have
Loved me and I never knew
You know I’ve always been a dreamer
(Spent my life running ’round)
And it’s so hard to change
(Can’t seem to settle down)
But the dreams I’ve seen lately
Keep on turning out and burning out
And turning out the same

So put me on a highway
And show me a sign
And take it to the limit one more time

You can spend all your time making money
You can spend all your love making time
If it all fell to pieces tomorrow
Would you still be mine?

And when you’re looking for your freedom
(Nobody seems to care)
And you can’t find the door
(Can’t find it anywhere)
When there’s nothing to believe in
Still you’re coming back, you’re running back
You’re coming back for more

So put me on a highway
And show me a sign
And take it to the limit one more time

Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time

Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
One more time

Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
One more time

Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
One more time

Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
One more time

Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
One more time