Laura, over at Lauravent69, offers up another of her Weekly Song Challenges. This week’s theme seems to be all about attitude, whether it’s remembering your teenage attitude, you discovering your inner attitude, or having a kickass bad attitude.
Laura’s rules are simple: Copy rules and add to your own post, pinging back to Laura’s original post (link above). Then post music videos for your answers to the musical questions. And finally tag two other people to participate! Sorry. I’m tagging anyone else who wants to give it a shot.
So let me give you some attitude.
1. Post a video of a song that makes you think about being a teenager.
2. Post a video of a song that is about finding your voice.
3. Post a video of a song that represents an “I’ll kick your ass attitude.”
For today’s Song Lyric Sunday theme, Jim Adams gave us Cards/Dice/Gamble/Lose/Win. There are lots of songs that covers those topics, but the one that I chose may not be that obvious. I decided to go with the Eagles’ “Desperado.” How could I not? It’s my wife’s favorite song.
Written by Glenn Frey and Don Henley, “Desperado” appeared on the 1973 album Desperado. Although the song was never released as a single, it is one of the Eagles’ best known songs. I chose it for this week’s prompt because of references to the Queen of Diamonds and the Queen of Hearts.
Ostensibly, this song is about a cowboy who refuses to fall in love, but some have suggested that it’s a metaphor about a young man who discovers guitars, joins a band, pays his dues, and suffers for his art.
Don Henley began writing parts of this in the late ’60s, but it wasn’t arranged into a song until his songwriting teammate Glenn Frey came along. Henley explained in the liner notes for an Eagles compilation album that, “Glenn came over to write one day, and I showed him this unfinished tune that I had been holding for so many years. I said, ‘When I play it and sing it, I think of Ray Charles and Stephen Foster. It’s really a Southern gothic thing, but we can easily make it more Western.’ Glenn jumped right on it, filled in the blanks and brought structure. And that was the beginning of our songwriting partnership. That was when we became a team.”
Linda Ronstadt, who was a huge recording star at the time, recorded this song and released her version on her album Don’t Cry Now, which was issued a few months after the Eagles version. Before the Eagles formed, members of the group played in Ronstadt’s backup band. Her recording of the song gave it a big boost.
Here are the lyrics to “Desperado.”
Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses You been out ridin’ fences for so long now Oh, you’re a hard one I know that you got your reasons These things that are pleasin’ you Can hurt you somehow
Don’t you draw the Queen of Diamonds, boy She’ll beat you if she’s able You know the Queen of Hearts is always your best bet
Now, it seems to me some fine things Have been laid upon your table, But you only want the ones that you can’t get
Desperado, oh, you ain’t gettin’ no younger Your pain and your hunger, they’re drivin’ you home
And freedom, oh freedom, well that’s just some people talkin’ Your prison is walking through this world all alone
Don’t your feet get cold in the winter time? The sky won’t snow and the sun won’t shine It’s hard to tell the night time from the day You’re losin’ all your highs and lows; Ain’t it funny how the feeling goes away?
Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses? Come down from your fences; open the gate It may be rainin’, but there’s a rainbow above you You better let somebody love you, before it’s too late
For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, Jim Adams chose the theme “Dad/Father/Barbecue” in honor of today being Father’s Day in the U.S. The song I chose is “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin.
“Cat’s in the Cradle” is a folk rock song by Harry Chapin from his 1974 album Verities & Balderdash. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1974. It was Chapin’s only number 1 hit song.
“Cat’s in the Cradle” tells the story young boy who dreams of growing up to be just like his father. But his father doesn’t have time to be with his son because he’s so busy with his work. Initially, this doesn’t seem like a big deal because of the demands of his hectic life working and paying bills and because his son is so young. Over time, though, both father and son grow into a switching of life roles. The father realizes that his son’s busy life means that roles have reversed and it’s now the son who has no time to spend with his older father. With a heavy heart, the old man realizes that his boy has, indeed, grown up to be just like him.
The song is based on a poem that Harry’s wife, Sandy, wrote. She said the original idea for “Cat’s In The Cradle” came to her when she was on a long drive and would listen to country music, because words would keep her awake better than just music. “And I heard a song,” she said, “I can remember the story, but I don’t remember who sang it or what the title was, but an old couple was sitting at their breakfast table and looking out the window, and they saw the rusted swing and the sandbox, and they were reminiscing about the good old days when all the children were around and then the grandchildren, and how it passed, and now it’s all gone.”
It took the birth of his own son for Harry to decide to turn the poem his wife wrote into a song. Chapin would introduce the song at all his concerts and say, “This is a song my wife wrote to zap me because I wasn’t home when our son Josh was born.”
But Chapin’s wife said that the poem was actually inspired by the awkward relationship between her first husband, James Cashmore, and his father, not as a slam on Harry’s missing the birth of his son.
On July 16, 1981, Chapin died at the age of 38 in a car accident as he was driving on the Long Island Expressway on his way to perform at a free concert scheduled for later that evening.
Here are the lyrics to this melancholy song.
My child arrived just the other day He came to the world in the usual way But there were planes to catch and bills to pay He learned to walk while I was away And he was talkin’ ‘fore I knew it, and as he grew He’d say “I’m gonna be like you, Dad You know I’m gonna be like you”
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon Little boy blue and the man on the moon When you comin’ home, Dad I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then You know we’ll have a good time then
My son turned ten just the other day He said, “Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let’s play Can you teach me to throw”, I said “Not today I got a lot to do”, he said, “That’s ok” And he walked away but his smile never dimmed And said, “I’m gonna be like him, yeah You know I’m gonna be like him”
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon Little boy blue and the man on the moon When you comin’ home, Dad I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then You know we’ll have a good time then
Well, he came from college just the other day So much like a man I just had to say “Son, I’m proud of you, can you sit for a while” He shook his head and said with a smile “What I’d really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys See you later, can I have them please”
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon Little boy blue and the man on the moon When you comin’ home son I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then, Dad You know we’ll have a good time then
I’ve long since retired, my son’s moved away I called him up just the other day I said, “I’d like to see you if you don’t mind” He said, “I’d love to, Dad, if I can find the time You see my new job’s a hassle and the kids have the flu But it’s sure nice talking to you, Dad It’s been sure nice talking to you”
And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me He’d grown up just like me My boy was just like me
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon Little boy blue and the man in the moon When you comin’ home son I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then, Dad We’re gonna have a good time then
For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, Jim Adams is gettin’ jiggy with us. His theme is Desire, Lust, Romance, and Passion. Alrighty then. Let’s go with “Lady Marmalade” by LaBelle.
“Lady Marmalade” was written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan. The song is famous for its sexually suggestive chorus of “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?” The English translation, for those unfamiliar with that refrain, is “Do you want to go to bed with me tonight?” The song first became a popular hit when it was recorded in 1974 by the American girl group, LaBelle.
This was the only hit credited to LaBelle. Patti LaBelle, the lead singer of the trio, recorded in the Sixties as Patti LaBelle and The Blue Belles
The song was inspired by New Orleans prostitutes in the French Quarter, which was near the city’s red-light district. Labelle’s recording turned the song into an outrageous party anthem which went along with their glamorous look and sexual persona, earning them a huge following in the gay community. The song was highly suggestive and it did ruffle some feathers, partly because it seemed to glamorize prostitution.
In an interview, LaBelle claimed she didn’t know the real meaning of the song until much later. “I swear I had no idea for a while what it meant, until I asked Bob Crewe, who recorded it. I asked him what ‘voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?’ meant. When he told me, I said, ‘Oh gosh, what will my mother think?’”
Here are the lyrics to the song.
Hey Sister, Go Sister, Soul Sister, Go Sister Hey Sister, Go Sister, Soul Sister, Go Sister
He met Marmalade down in old New Orleans Struttin’ her stuff on the street She said ‘Hello, Hey Joe, you wanna give it a go? Mmm, mmm
Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya Da Da Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya here Mocha-choca-lata Ya Ya Creole Lady Marmalade
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
He sat in her boudoir while she freshened up The boy drank all her magnolia-wine On the black satin sheets where oh I swear he started to freak
Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya Da Da Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya here Mocha-choca-lata Ya Ya Creole Lady Marmalade
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Hey, hey, hey Touching her skin feelin’ silky smooth The color of cafe au lait Made the savage beast inside Roar until it cried, more, more, more
Now he’s back home doing 9 to 5 Living his grey flannel life But when he turns off to sleep Old memories creep, more, more, more
Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya Da Da Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya here Mocha-choca-lata Ya Ya Creole Lady Marmalade
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir? Creole Lady Marmalade
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya Da Da Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya here Mocha-choca-lata Ya Ya Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya here
For this week’s Weekly Song Challenge, Laura has asked us to be quite colorful. Well, at least to post videos of songs about colors, using the word “color,” or by artists with a color in their name.
Laura has given us these three simple rules.
Copy these rules and add them to your own post, pinging back to her original post.
Post music videos for your answers to the musical questions.
Tag two people to participate!
Okay. Ready. Set. Go.
1. Post a video of a song that either in the title or lyrics mentions the color blue.
2. Post a video of a song that has the word color in either the title or the lyrics.
3. Post a video of a song by an artist or band with a color as part of their name.
I’m a well known rule breaker and I’m going to break Laura’s third rule about tagging two other people to participate. I’m just going to throw caution to the wind and open Laura’s challenge up to anyone who wants to join in the fun.
Laura, over at Lauravent69, offers up another of her Weekly Song Challenges. This week’s theme seems to be all about attitude, whether it’s remembering your teenage attitude, you discovering your inner attitude, or having a kickass bad attitude.
For this week’s 