The Turtles

Thursday Inspiration — Happy Together

Fandango11 Comments

For this week’s Thursday Inspiration prompt, Jim Adams has asked us to respond to this challenge by either using the word together, or going with the above picture, or by means of the song ‘Whenever, Wherever’, or by going with another song by Shakira, or with anything else that you think fits.

Last week I titled my response to Jim’s Thursday Inspiration prompt “Alone and Lonely.” The song I featured was Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Alone Again (Naturally),” a song that Songfacts called “one of the most depressing songs ever written.” This week I’ve chosen the song “Happy Together” from the Turtles.

Wow, alone and lonely to happy together. Talk about a complete 180, right? Well, not really. “Happy Together” is not a song about a couple in love. The song is about unrequited love. The desperate singer wants the girl to “imagine how the world could be so very fine,” proposing what would happen “if I should call you up.” The line in the fadeout, “How is the weather?” is when he realizes they will never be more than passing acquaintances, as he resorts to small talk to keep from bursting into tears.

The song was written by Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon and recorded by American rock band the Turtles. It was released as a single in January 1967, and peaked at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band’s first and only chart-topper there.

The song’s composers, Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon, were the bass player and drummer of the Boston area group The Magicians. The songwriters cut a demo of “Happy Together” and offered it to several artists including the Happenings, the Vogues, and the Tokens, but it was rejected by all of them.

Session guitarist Ralph Casale set the groove for the song. He said, “A chord sheet was placed in front of the musicians and we immediately proceeded to put this song together. I came up with what I considered and called a Lovin’ Spoonful feel. I created the figure and all the other musicians including Bonner and Gordon immediately understood the direction.”

Here are the lyrics to “Happy Together.”

Imagine me and you, I do
I think about you day and night, it's only right
To think about the girl you love and hold her tight
So happy together

If I should call you up, invest a dime
And you say you belong to me, and ease my mind
Imagine how the world could be, so very fine
So happy together

I can't see me lovin' nobody but you
For all my life
When you're with me, baby, the skies'll be blue
For all my life

Me and you, and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice, it had to be
The only one for me is you, and you for me
So happy together

I can't see me lovin' nobody but you
For all my life
When you're with me, baby, the skies'll be blue
For all my life

Me and you, and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice, it had to be
The only one for me is you, and you for me
So happy together

Ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba
Ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba

Me and you, and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice, it had to be
The only one for me is you, and you for me
So happy together

So happy together
And how is the weather?
So happy together
We're happy together
So happy together
Happy together
So happy together
So happy together

Song Lyric Sunday — Just the Two of Us Happy Together

Fandango19 Comments

When I first saw the theme words Jim Adams picked out — couple, together, and us — for today’s Song Lyric Sunday, two songs came to mind, “Happy Together” by the Turtles and “Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers. I decided to go with the Bill Withers song, in honor of Withers, who passed away earlier this year.

“Just the Two of Us” was written by Bill Withers, Grover Washington, Jr., William Salter, and Ralph MacDonald, and recorded by both Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers. It was released in February 1981. The song was a collaboration between jazz saxophone player Grover Washington, Jr. and singer Bill Withers. Washington wrote the music for the song with his partner Bill Salter before Withers added lyrics.

Washington and Withers first met when Withers went in to record his vocals. They were rarely together when they recorded the song, and they never got to know each other very well.

The song expresses a deep connection between a couple. No matter what happens, they can get through it together.

Here are the lyrics to the song.

I see the crystal raindrops fall
And see the beauty of it all
Is when the sun comes shining through
To make those rainbows in my mind
When I think of you some time
And I want to spend some time with you

Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us
Just the two of us
Building castles in the sky
Just the two of us
You and I

We look for love, no time for tears
Wasted water’s all that is
And it don’t make no flowers grow
Good things might come to those who wait
Not to those who wait too late
We got to go for all we know

I hear the crystal raindrops fall
On the window down the hall
And it becomes the morning dew
Darling, when the morning comes
And I see the morning sun
I want to be the one with you

Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us, just
(Just the two of us)
Just the two of us
Building big castles way up high
Just the two of us
You and I

(Just the two of us)
(We can make it, just the two of us)
(Just the two of us)

And for honorable mention, there’s this:

Weekly Song Challenge — Free, Change, and Catchy

Fandango14 Comments

C92CE795-E7CD-4F3A-B5CA-0483D21DBB31Beckie, from Beckie’s Mental Mess, tagged me to participate in Laura’s Weekly Song Challenge. Each week, Laura asks us to post music videos for our answers to her musical questions. So here we go.

1. Post a video of a song that is about breaking free.

2. Post a video of a song about changing.

3. Post a video of a song that makes you laugh and is a catchy tune.

Now, according to the rules, I’m supposed to tag two other bloggers. But this is so much fun that I’m going to open it up to everyone to have this much fun. Go for it.