Monday, August 18, 2008
Music Fundamentals - Intervals
by: Nigel Rowles
Intervals are the fundamental building blocks of music allowing us to read and write music, and most importantly, to help us construct chords and harmonies. However words like major, minor, augmented, diminished, enharmonic and compound leave many people a bit confused, hopefully this article will throw some light on the subject.
The ‘distance’ between two notes is known as an interval. This is the difference in pitch between two notes. The size or amount of distance is measured numerically.
If we consider the C scale there are 8 notes; C D E F G A B C numbered from 1 through to 8. As an example the interval from C to G is a 5th as G is 5 notes above C. The interval from C to F is a 4th as F is 4 notes above C.
All intervals are measured from the first note of the scale. These intervals are given a name as well as a numeric value and in order of progression they are: C-D is a major 2nd, C-E is a major 3rd, C-F is a perfect 4th, C-G is a perfect 5th, C-A major 6th, C-B major 7 and finally C-C is a perfect octave.
The intervals that are perfect are so called because they have a certain purity about them that comes from the overtones and upper-partials that are contained within them (these will be explained in another article)
Intervals can be raised or lowered by a half-step/semitone. If a major interval is chromatically reduced by a half-step it becomes a minor interval e.g. C-E is a major 3rd, if it is lowered by a half-step (from C-Eb) the interval becomes a minor 3rd.
If a perfect interval is chromatically reduced by a half-step it becomes a diminished interval i.e. a perfect 4th lowered by a half-step becomes a diminished 4th.
If major or perfect intervals are raised by a half-step then they become an augmented interval i.e. a perfect 5th would become an augmented 5th.
Compound intervals are those that extend into the 2nd octave. C to D (in the next octave) is called either a major 9th or a compound major 2nd. C to F (next octave) is a perfect 11th or a compound perfect 4th.
Enharmonic intervals are those that differ in name but not pitch, for example C-G# is an augmented 5th and C-Ab is a minor 6th.
When intervals are inverted they reverse the relative position of the notes. C-G (perfect 5th) becomes G-C which is a perfect 4th, a 3rd would become a 6th. Perfect intervals when inverted remain perfect e.g. C-G being a perfect 5th would become a perfect 4th when inverted, a major becomes minor, minor becomes major, diminished becomes augmented and augmented becomes diminished.
These rules apply to all scales.
About The Author
Nigel Rowles 1986 Diploma in Music – Classical Guitar Major. I have been performing for 34 years either as solo instrumentalist, in duos, trios and in rock bands playing guitar or bass guitar. 10 years ago I started teaching guitar, bass and music theory which led me to independently writing, producing and publishing The Guitar Instruction, Musicianship & Reference Manual with DVD on Left & Right Hand Techniques. http://www.nofretguitarlessons.com.au
The Profiles of Some Famous Guitarists
by: Patrick Carpen
Most of us are quite enchanted by the magic of guitar. The mesmerizing tune and sweet tingling of the guitar strings have enamored many a man who has later moved on to become musical legends in their individual niche. There is a roster of famous and successful guitarists who have mastered this enigmatic art of music.
Amongst the many legendary stalwarts, Jimi Hendrix undoubtedly tops the list of profiles of famous guitarists. A genius in its truest sense, the legendary Hendrix was born in 1942. An American by birth, the maestro was a singer and lyricist, and is considered around the globe as one of the most influential and enigmatic personas in the ambit of rock music. One of the milestones in his career was his 1967 performance at the Monterey Pop Festival which raised him to instant fame in the United States and was followed by many accolades.
Besides earning a huge name and fame for himself through his forte as a great singer and musician, the legendary maestro also improvised the art of rock music in his own signature way, and he incorporated a number of innovations and techniques into the older forms of rock and jazz music. Quite recently, Hendrix was inducted into the USA's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
The very meaning of rock music becomes insignificant without the mention of B. B. King, the master craftsman in the art of music. An ingenious guitarist and singer-cum-song writer in the American Blues, B.B. King was considered the Third Greatest Guitarist of All Time in the 2003 listing of Rolling Stone magazine.
The legendary musician started his journey in the world of music in 1946, and worked in the local R&B radio channel as a vocalist. However, soon after this he began recording under big names and became a prominent figure among the best musicians in the R&B music scene. Some of his greatest all time hits during this period include, "Whole Lotta Love," "Every Day I Have the Blues," "You Know I Love You," and "Please Accept My Love." Amidst his many achievements as a successful singer and composer, is included his most recent felicitation at the Three Deuces Building in Greenwood, Mississippi, for his maiden in radio broadcasting. Also, a grand memorial in the name of B. B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center is all set to be inaugurated on September 13, 2008, in Indianola, Mississippi.
Robert Johnson is another of the famous names in the world of guitar and its magic. Born on May 8, 1911, as Robert Leroy Johnson, the veteran guitarist was one of the brightest stars in the entire Delta Blues group. The period between 1936 and 1937 saw him in great guns when he claimed and proved his forte as a brilliant guitarist and lyricist, as well as an awesome singer. Often regarded as the "Grandfather of Rock-and-Roll," Robert Johnson is believed to have been a great influence in the world of rock music, inspiring many legends of the same genre, including Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers Band, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Black Keys, and many others. Eric Clapton, another legend of the same kind, has called Johnson "the most important blues musician who ever lived."
About The Author
Patrick Carpen is the designer, writer and owner of the website http://guitaring.infobay.ws/
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Dire Straits - Private Investigations
Private Investigations Lyric
Its a mystery to me
The game commences
For the usual fee
Plus expenses
Confidential information
Its in a diary
This is my investigation
Its not a public inquiry
I go checking out the report
Digging up the dirt
You get to meet all sorts
In the line of work
Treachery and treason
Theres always an excuse for it
And when I find the reason
I still cant get used to it
And what have you got at the end of the day ?
What have you got to take away ?
A bottle of whisky and a new set of lies
Blinds on the window and a pain behind the eyes
Scarred for life
No compensation
Private investigations
Song Notes : "Dire Straits exploded onto the UK music scene in 1978 with the single "Sultans Of Swing" and a unique guitar style from frontman and songwriter Mark Knopfler. Four years later they released a single in an entirely different style. "Private Investigations" begins with a lengthy acoustic introduction; the words are spoken, whispered, rather than sung"
"In Michael Oldfield's illustrated history of the band to date - published in 1984 - Knopfler said the song was sparked off by something he'd read about Philip Marlowe, adding "You hear different interpretations of it, but to me it's deliberately movie." Philip Marlowe was the private detective created by the American novelist Raymond Chandler. The Marlowe novels could have been tailor made for film noir, a style of cinema that evolved in the United States after the Second World War, low budget gangster films and such made in black and white and portraying the underside of the American dream. Marlowe found his way onto both the big screen and TV."Private Investigations" captures the genré more than any other song, including contemporary songs. If it had been written thirty years earlier it would almost certainly have won an Oscar for a film noir soundtrack"
Dire Straits - Your Latest Trick
Your Latest Trick Lyric
All the late night bargains have been struck
Between the satin beaus and their belles
And prehistoric garbage trucks
Got the city to themselves
Echoes roars dinosaurs
They're all doing the monster mash
And most of the taxis, most of the whores
Are only taking calls for cash
I don't know how it happened
It all took place so quick
But all I can do is hand it to you
And your latest trick
My door was standing open
Security was laid back and lax
But it was only my heart got broken
You must have had a pass key made out of wax
You played robbery with insolence
And I played the blues in twelve bars down Lover's Lane
And you never did have the intelligence to use
The twelve keys hanging off my chain
I don't know how it happened
It all took place so quick
But all I can do is hand it to you
And your latest trick
Now it's past last call for alcohol
Past recall has been here and gone
The landlord he finally paid us all
The satin jazzmen have put away their horns
And we're standing outside of this wonderland
Looking so bereaved and so bereft
Like a Bowery bum when he finally understands
The bottle's empty and there's nothing left
I don't know how it happened
It was faster than the eye could flick
But all I can do is hand it to you
And your latest trick
Dire Straits - Once Upon a Time in the West (1980)
Once Upon a Time in the West Lyric
Some people get a cheap laugh breaking up the speed limit
Scaring the pedestrians for minute
Crossing up progress driving on the grass
Leaving just enough room to pass
Sunday driver never took a test
Oh yeah, once upon a time in the west
Yes it's no use saying that you don't know nothing
It's still gonna get you if you don't do something
Sitting on a fence that's a dangerous course
Ah, you could even catch a bullet from the peace-keeping force
Even the hero gets a bullet in the chest
Oh yeah, once upon a time in the west
Mother Mary your children are slaughtered
Some of you mothers ought to lock up your daughter
Who's protecting the innocenti
Heap big trouble in the land of plenty
Tell me how we're gonna do what's best
You guess once upon a time in the west
Oh yeah once upon a time in the west
Oh yeah once upon a time in the west
Oh yeah once upon a time in the west
Once upon a time in the west
Dire Straits - Ride Across The River
Ride Across The River Lyric
I'm a soldier of freedom in the army of man
We are the chosen, we're the partisan
The cause it is noble and the cause it is just
We are ready to pay with our lives if we must
Gonna ride across the river deep and wide
Ride across the river to the other side
I'm a soldier of fortune, I'm a dog of war
And we don't give a damn who the killing is for
It's the same old story with a different name
Death or glory, it's the killing game
Gonna ride across the river deep and wide
Ride across the river to the other side
Nothing gonna stop them as the day follows the night
Right becomes wrong, the left becomes the right
And they sing as they march with their flags unfurled
Today in the mountains, tomorrow the world
Gonna ride across the river deep and wide
Ride across the river to the other side
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
Brothers in Arms Lyric
These mist covered mountains are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands and always will be
One day you'll return to your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn to be brothers in arms
Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I've witnessed your suffering as the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm you did not desert me
My brothers in arms
There's so many different worlds, so many different suns
And we have just one world but we live in different ones
Now the sun's gone to hell and the moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell, every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight and every line in your palm
We are fools to make war on our brothers in arms.
Song Notes : "This song is about the Falklands War, which was going on when Dire Straits lead singer Mark Knopfler wrote the song. The Falklands War was a conflict between Argentina and England over islands off the coast of Argentina that each country claims rights to. The islands are British territories, but in 1982 Argentina tried to reclaim one of the islands. Britain reclaimed their territories, but lost 258 soldiers in the conflict"
"In 2007, a new version of this track featuring Mark Knopfler was released to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War. Proceeds from the sale of the single went to a program that brought British veterans back to the site of the war in an effort to help them deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder"
"Metallica covered this song when they played Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit on October 27, 2007"
Dire Straits - Money for nothing (1984)
Money For Nothing Lyric
Now look at them yo - yos that's the way you do it
You play the guitar on the MTV
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and chicks for free
Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Lemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb
Maybe get a blister on your little finger
Maybe get a blister on your thumb
We gotta install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these colour TVs
See the little faggot with the earring and the makeup
Yeah buddy that's his own hair
That little faggot got his own jet airplane
That little faggot he's a millionaire
We gotta install microwave ovens
Custom kitchens deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these colour TVs
I shoulda learned to play the guitar
I shoulda learned to play them drums
Look at that mama, she got it stickin' in the camera
Man we could have some fun
And he's up there, what's that? Hawaiian noises?
Bangin' on the bongos like a chimpanzee
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Get your money for nothin' get your chicks for free
We gotta install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these colour TVs, Lord
Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
You play the guitar on the MTV
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and your chicks for free
Money for nothin' and chicks for free
Song Notes : "Mark Knopfler wrote this after overhearing delivery men in a New York department store complain about their jobs while watching MTV. He wrote the song in the store sitting at a kitchen display they had set up. Many of the lyrics were things they actually said"
"This was the first video played on MTV Europe. The network went on the air August 1, 1987, 6 years after MTV in the US"
Sting sings on this and helped write it. That's him at the beginning singing "I want my MTV."
"Dire Straits recorded this in Montserrat. Sting was on vacation there and came by to help out"
Sting did not want a songwriting credit for this, but his record company did because they would have earned royalties from it. They claimed it sounded very similar to a song Sting wrote for The Police: "Don't Stand So Close To Me."
"The innovative video was one of the first to feature computer generated animation. The characters were supposed to have more detail, like buttons on their shirts, but they used up the budget and had to leave it as is. It won Best Video at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards"
"In the video, a microwave oven is shown with "Low, Medium, and High" settings. This is a veiled reference to how frequent radio stations play a particular song. A "High" frequency song is usually a current hit on its way up the charts, while a "Low" one is usually on its way down"
"This won a Grammy in 1986 for best Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group"
Mark Knopfler played a Les Paul Junior plugged into a Laney amp on this track. Producer Neil Dorfsman recalled in Sound On Sound magazine May 2006 : "We were going for a ZZ Top sound, but what we ended up getting was kind of an accident."
Monday, August 4, 2008
Santana ft. Rob Thomas - Smooth
Smooth Lyric
Man it's a hot one
Like seven inches from the midday sun
I hear you whisper and the words melt everyone
But you stay so cool
My Muñequita, my Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa
You're my reason for reason
The step in my groove
And if you said this life ain't good enough
I would give my world to lift you up
I could change my life to better suit your mood
Cause you're so smooth
And it's just like the ocean under the moon
Well that's the same
As the emotion that I get from you
You got the kind of lovin' that could be so smooth
Give me your heart
Make it real
Or else forget about it
Well I'll tell you one thing
If you would leave it'd be a crying shame
In every breath and every word
I hear your name calling me out
Out from the barrio,
You hear my rhythm on your radio
You feel the turning of the world so soft and slow
Turning you round and round
And if you said this life ain't good enough
I would give my world to lift you up
I could change my life to better suit your mood
Cause you're so smooth
And it's just like the ocean under the moon
Well that's the same
As the emotion that I get from you
You got the kind of lovin' that could be so smooth
Give me your heart
Make it real
Or else forget about it
And it's just like the ocean under the moon
Well that's the same
As the emotion that I get from you
You got the kind of lovin' that could be so smooth
Give me your heart
Make it real
Or else forget about it
Or let's forget about it
Or let's forget about it
Or let's forget about it
Or let's forget about it
Or let's forget about it
Or let's forget about it
Or let's forget about it
Or let's forget about it
Song Notes :
"Thomas sang lead on this, but when he was writing it he thought they were going to use someone else. He and Shur would try to figure out who they would get to sing it, but then Arista contacted Thomas and asked him to do it""Many of the lyrics are Thomas' ode to his wife, who is Puerto Rican ("My Mu Equita" translates to "My Little Doll" in Spanish). She ended up in the video"
"This won Song Of The Year, Record Of The Year and Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals at the 2000 Grammys. Supernatural also won for Best Rock Album and Album Of The Year"
"Clive Davis is a legendary record executive who was the mastermind behind this album. Santana had not had a hit since "Hold On" in 1982, so Davis teamed him up with contemporary musicians like Wyclef Jean, Everlast and Lauryn Hill to make sure the younger generation took notice. The result was a wildly successful album that went over well with Santana's old fans and created a legion of new ones. This was the first single, and it spent 12 weeks at #1 in the US"
Shur: "The guitar solo from my demo, Santana copied that solo, which was a huge compliment and all the breaks were also on my demo. It was really weird, my demo was kind of like a template for the live band to play. They sped up the song 2 beats: it was like at 1/13 and went to 1/15 and it went from A Flat Minor to A Minor. They played it as a band and recorded it all live, pretty much. Me and Rob, when we were writing the song, the verses were fine, but we went through about 4 or 5 changes with the record company; from like, "Give me the ocean, give me the moon," "You're just like the ocean..." Pete Ganbarg, who if it wasn't for him this song wouldn't have come together because he put me and Rob together, he said some really good comments about the lyrics - he was an English major and really picky about lyrics. It was a really good collaboration."
Monday, July 28, 2008
Aerosmith - Walk This Way 1978
Walk This Way Lyric
Backstroke lover always hidin' 'neath the covers
Till I talked to your daddy he say
He said you ain't seen nothin'
till you're down on a muffin
Then you're sure to be a changin' your ways
I met a cheerleader was a real young bleeder
Oh the times I could reminisce
'Cause the best things of lovin'
with her sister and her cousin
Only started with a little kiss
Like this
Seesaw swingin' with the boys in the school
And your feet flyin' up in the air
Singin' hey diddle diddle
With your kitty in the middle of
the swing like you didn't care
So I took a big chance at the high school dance
With a missy who was ready to play
Wasn't me she was foolin'
'cause she knew what she was doin'
And I knowed love was here to stay
When she told me to
Walk this way Walk this way
Walk this way Walk this way
Walk this way Walk this way
Walk this way Walk this way
Just gimme a kiss Like this
Schoolgirl sweetie with a classy kinda sassy
Little skirt's climbin' way up the knee
There was three young ladies
in the school gym locker
When I noticed they was lookin' at me
I was a high school loser
never made it with a lady
Till the boys told me somethin' I missed
Then my next door neighbor
with a daughter had a favor
So I gave her just a little kiss
Like this
Seesaw swingin' with the boys in the school
And your feet flyin' up in the air
Singin' hey diddle diddle
With your kitty in the middle of
the swing like you didn't care
So I took a big chance at the high school dance
With a missy who was ready to play
Wasn't me she was foolin'
'cause she knew what she was doin'
When she told me how to walk this way
She told me to
Walk this way Walk this way
Walk this way Walk this way
Walk this way Walk this way
Walk this way Walk this way
Just gimme a kiss Like this
Song Notes : "The band got the idea for the title after seeing the movie Young Frankenstein, which contains a scene where Igor tells Dr. Frankenstein to "Walk This Way," meaning to follow him. Dr. Frankenstein imitates Igor's walk, which the band thought was hilarious"
"Aerosmith wasn't well known when this came out, and it didn't chart when it was first released in September 1975. A year later, after their album Rocks became popular, the single was reissued and became a hit. They re-released "Dream On" the next year"
According to the February, 2006 Q magazine, Aerosmith were still searching for a hit when Joe Perry came up with the stuttering riff during a soundtrack in Hawaii in March 1975. Tyler quickly wrote the lyrics and called the song "Walk This Way."
"When Tyler entered the studio to record this, he realized he left the lyrics in a cab. He walked to the stairwell, let out a primal scream, and wrote new lyrics on the wall. The original lyrics were never recovered"
Joe Perry used a talkbox during the chorus. This was the first time the device was used on a hit song. The talkbox allows a guitarist to make strange vocal sounds by "talking" into a vinyl tube attached to the unit, which is hooked up to the output of the guitar amp. Perry also used a talkbox on "Sweet Emotion."
"This became one of the first mainstream rap hits when it was covered by Run-DMC in 1986. Steven Tyler and Joe Perry performed this with the rap trio, and it became Run-DMC's first hit, going to US #4. This collaboration led to many more among prominent rappers and rock musicians, including "Bring The Noise" by Public Enemy and Anthrax, and "Encore" by Jay-Z and Linkin Park."
Aerosmith - I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing
I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing Lyric
I could stay awake just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are sleeping
While you're far away dreaming
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure
Don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
Cause I'd miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing
Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing
Lying close to you feeling your heart beating
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming
Wondering if it's me you're seeing
Then I kiss your eyes
And thank God we're together
I just want to stay with you in this moment forever
Forever and ever
Don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
Cause I'd miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing
Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing
I don't want to miss one smile
I don't want to miss one kiss
I just want to be with you
Right here with you, just like this
I just want to hold you close
Feel your heart so close to mine
And just stay here in this moment
For all the rest of time
Don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
Cause I'd miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing
Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing
Don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
I don't want to miss a thing
Song Notes : "This was featured in the movie Armageddon, which starred Steven Tyler's daughter, Liv Tyler. U2 were originally asked to perform this song for the movie - the idea for Aerosmith performing it only came after Liv was cast"
"This was by far Aerosmith's biggest hit. It was #1 US for 4 weeks. It was also their first #1 song"
"Diane Warren wrote this song, which is about treasuring every moment spent with another person. Some other hit songs Warren wrote include "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship, "If I Could Turn Back Time" by Cher, "When I See You Smile" by Bad English, and "I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)" by Meat Loaf"
"This won the 1999 Nickelodeon Teen Choice Award for Love Song Of The Year"
"Steven Tyler injured his knee the day before shooting the video. He wore a brace for the shoot, but couldn't move much. They used a lot of close up shots to compensate"
Aerosmith - Dude (looks like a lady)
Dude (looks like a lady) Lyric
Cruised into a bar on the shore
Her picture graced the grime on the door
She a long lost love at first bite
Baby,Maybe you're wrong
But you know it's all right-that's right
Backstage,
We're having the time of our lives,
Until somebody says,
'Forgive me if I seem out of line'
Then she whipped out her gun
and tried to blow me away
Dude looks like a lady
Dude looks like a lady
Dude looks like a lady
Dude looks like a lady
So, never judge a book by its cover
Or who you gonna love by your lover
Love put me wise to her love,
In disguise
She had the body of a venus
Lord, imagine my suprise
Baby let me follow you down
Let me take a peek dear
Baby, let me follow you down
Do, do me, do me all night
Baby, let me follow you down
Turn the other cheek, dear
Baby, let me follow you down
Do me, do me
Sue me, sue me
What a funky lady
Oh, she like it, like it, like it, like it
Oh, he was a lady
Song Notes : "This was Aerosmith's comeback single. Their last hit was a remake of "Come Together" in 1978. After years of drug addiction and poor records, they emerged clean with Permanent Vacation and went on to enormous success"
"The song is about a cross-dresser. While Aerosmith is a very heterosexual band, they were secure enough to sing about wanting sex with the "Dude" even after they discover he is a man"
"This was inspired by Vince Neil, lead singer of Motley Crue. Steven Tyler saw Vince in a bar surrounded by a harem of girls and wondered how he picked up so many girls when he looked like one"
"Lead singer Steven Tyler has worn feminine clothes on stage since the '70s. Many of the "Hair Bands" like Cinderella, Guns N' Roses, and Skid Row that were popular when this was released, wore clothes and makeup similar to what Tyler had been wearing for years"
"Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith wrote this with Desmond Child. As a songwriter and producer, Child has contributed to hits by Ricky Martin, Bon Jovi and Bush"
This was the first of 4 hits from the album. The others were "Angel," "Rag Doll," and "Love In An Elevator."
Aerosmith - What it takes
What It Takes Lyric
There goes my old girlfriend,
there's another diamond ring
And, uh, all those late night promises
I guess they don't mean a thing
So baby, what's the story? Did you find another man?
Is it easy to sleep in the bed that we made?
When you don't look back
I guess the feelings start to fade away.
I used to feel your fire
But now it's cold inside
And you're back on the street
like you didn't miss a beat, yeah
Tell me what it takes to let you go
Tell me how the pain's supposed to go
Tell me how it is that you can sleep in the night
Without thinking you lost everything that was good
in your life to the toss of the dice?
Tell me what it takes to let you go.
Yeah
Girl, before I met you I was F.I.N.E. Fine
but your love made me a prisoner,
yeah my heart's been doing time
You spent me up like money,
then you hung me out to dry
It was easy to keep all your lies in disguise
Cause you had me in deep with the devil in your eyes
Tell me that you're happy that
you're on your own Yeah, yeah, yeah
Tell me that it's better when you're all alone
Tell me that your body doesn't miss my touch
Tell me that my lovin' didn't mean that much
Tell me you ain't dyin' when you're cryin' for me
Tell me what it takes to let you go
Tell me how the pain's supposed to go
Tell me how it is that you can sleep in the night
Without thinking you lost everything that was good
in your life to the toss of the dice?
Tell me who's to blame for thinkin' twice
No no no no 'cause I don't wanna burn in paradise
Oooooo... Let go, let go, let go,
I don't wanna burn in paradise
let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go,
let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go,
let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go,
I don't wanna burn, I don't wanna burn
Song Notes : "The lyrics, "Girl, before I met you I was F.I.N.E - fine," are a reference to another song on the album: F.I.N.E."
"This song is about breaking up with a girlfriend and wanting to know what it takes to get over it"
Aerosmith - Crying
Crying Lyric
There was a time
When I was so brokenhearted
Love wasn't much of a friend of mine
The tables have turned, yeah
'Cause me and them ways have parted
That kind of love was the killin' kind
Listen
All I want is someone I can't resist
I know all I need to know by the way that I got kissed
I was cryin' when I met you
Now I'm tryin' to forget you
Love is sweet misery
I was cryin' just to get you
Now I'm dyin' 'cause I let you
Do what you do down on me yeah
Now there's not even breathin' room
Between pleasure and pain
Yeah you cry when we're makin' love
Must be one and the same
It's down on me
Yeah I got to tell you one thing
It's been on my mind
Girl I gotta say
We're partners in crime
You got that certain something
What you give to me
Takes my breath away
Now the word out on the street
Is the devil's in your kiss
If our love goes up in flames
It's a fire I can't resist
I was cryin' when I met you
Now I'm tryin' to forget you
Your love is sweet misery
I was cryin' just to get you
Now I'm dyin' 'cause I let you
Do what you do to me yeah
'Cause what you got inside
Ain't where your love should stay
Yeah, our love, sweet love, ain't love
'Til you give your heart away
Yeah
I was cryin' when I met you
Now I'm tryin' to forget you
Your love is sweet misery
I was cryin' just to get you
Now i'm dyin' to let you
Do what you do what you do down to
Baby, baby, baby, baby...
I was cryin' when I met you
Now I'm tryin' to forget you
Your love is sweet misery
I was cryin' when I met you
Now I'm dyin' 'cause I let you
Do what you do down to, down on, down on, down on, down on, ah
I was cryin' when I met you
Now I'm tryin' to forget you
Your love is sweet misery
I was cryin' when I met you
Now I'm dyin' 'cause I let you
Song Notes : "
Aerosmith - Dream On (live)
Dream On Lyric
Every time that I look in the mirror,
All these lines on my face getting clearer.
The past is gone,
It went by like dusk to dawn.
Isn't that the way?
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay.
I know nobody knows,
Where it comes and where it goes.
I know it's everybody's sin,
You got to lose to know how to win.
Half my life's in books' written pages,
Live and learn from fools and from sages.
You know it's true,
All the things come back to you.
Sing with me, sing for the years,
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tears.
Sing with me, if it's just for today,
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away.
Sing with me, sing for my year,
Sing for my laughter and sing for my tear.
Sing with me, if it's just for today,
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away.
Dream on, dream on, dream on,
Dream yourself a dream come true.
Dream on, dream on, dream on,
Dream until your dream comes true.
Dream on, dream on, dream on, dream on,
Dream on, dream on, dream on, yeah.
Sing with me, sing for my year,
Sing for my laughter and sing for my tear.
Sing with me, if it's just for today,
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away.
Sing with me, sing for my year,
Sing for my laughter and sing for my tear.
Sing with me, if it's just for today,
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
Song Notes : "This was the first single Aerosmith released. Their manager had them share a house and concentrate on writing songs for their first album. Steven Tyler had been working on this on and off for about 6 years, and was able to complete it with the help of the rest of the band"
"Aerosmith was their first album. It didn't do so well, mainly because their record company didn't promote it. Columbia records was focused on Bruce Springsteen's first album, and put little effort into promoting this. Aerosmith was in danger of being dropped, but Columbia decided to keep them when they released this as a single and it showed promise, reaching #59 in the US"
Tyler: "It's about the hunger to be somebody: Dream until your dreams come true."
"This went to #6 when it was re-released in 1976, after the band had a larger audience"
"Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry hated this. He thought it was much too soft"
"The album was reissued in 1987 and 1993, after their albums Permanent Vacation and Get A Grip exposed them to a new audience who had not heard their early work"
"Aerosmith first performed this at the Shaboo Inn in Willimantic, Connecticut. They were paid $175 and a bottle of gin for the show"
"Tyler's ex-wife, actress Cyrinda Fox, wrote a book in 1996 called Dream On where she trashed Tyler for paying little child support and doing other bad things. Tyler was not pleased with Fox when the book came out, but they became friends once again when Cyrinda learned she had brain cancer. Tyler paid her medical bills until her death in 2002"
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Scremin' Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You
I Put A Spell On You Lyric
I put a spell on you
Because you're mine
Stop the things you do
Heheheh
I ain't lyin'
Yeah
I can't stand no running around
I can't stand no putting me down
I put a spell on you
Because you're mine, oh yeah
sax solo
Stop the things you do
heheheh
I ain't lyin'
Uaaaaargh!
I love you. I love you. I love you anyhow
I don't care if you don't want me
I'm yours right now
I put a spell on you
Because you're mine
Oh, yeah
(lots of snoring & growling)
Song Notes : "Hawkins wrote this as a ballad lamenting the loss of a girlfriend he wanted back. The original version was a lot slower and much more tame. Hawkins was recording for Grand Records at the time, and had a hard time convincing them to release this. A year later, Hawkins recorded the version that became famous for another label, and transformed the song into a spooky tale about putting a curse on the girl so he can have her"
Hawkins performed the ghoulish version for the first time at a Christmas concert staged by Cleveland DJ Alan Freed in 1956. He got a huge reaction from the song, and Freed invited him to perform it on his TV special. Hawkins developed a bizarre stage show around this. He would come out in a flaming coffin and wield a skull on a stick that he named "Henry."
"The producers wanted a "weird" sounding record, so they gave the musicians lots of food and liquor and created a party atmosphere at the session"
"The version with various grunts and groans was banned by most radio stations. An edited version became a hit with teenagers who liked the forbidden sound"
"Before taking on his spooky stage persona, Hawkins (real name: Jalacy Hawkins) was a boxer and professional piano player. He died in Feb, 2000 and was rumored to have at least 50 children"
"Another popular cover was by Nina Simone, an influential singer who performed a variety of standards and jazz songs before her death in 2003. Her 1991 autobiography is titled I Put A Spell On You."
"Creedence Clearwater revival covered this in 1968 and performed it at Woodstock in 1969. It was their second single, but did not chart"
B.B. King - The Thrill is Gone
The Thrill Is Gone Lyric
The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away
You know you done me wrong baby
And you'll be sorry someday
The thrill is gone
It's gone away from me
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away from me
Although I'll still live on
But so lonely I'll be
The thrill is gone
It's gone away for good
Oh, the thrill is gone baby
Baby it's gone away for good
Someday I know I'll be over it all baby
Just like I know a man should
You know I'm free, free now baby
I'm free from your spell
I'm free, free now
I'm free from your spell
And now that it's over
All I can do is wish you well
Song Notes : "In the 1950's, King was a Memphis radio DJ who played the Roy Hawkins' 1951 original on the air"
"King recorded the song several times but didn't like any of the results. Producer Bill Szymczyk (most famous for producing the Eagles) called King at 4:00 a.m. and suggested the addition of strings (King later said that he'd agree to just about anything at that time of the night). The addition polished up the recording that gave King his first million-selling record"
"This was B.B. King's biggest hit. He didn't have much success on the charts, but is a Blues legend and very influential"
"King recorded this live at The Coconut Grove in 1976 with fellow Blues legend Bobby "Blue" Bland. BB had to be begged by Bobby to play the tune and after some chiding,he agreed. During the performance Bobby Bland noticed a woman named Viola singing in the audience and brought her up on stage"
Friday, July 25, 2008
Crosby Stills, Nash and Young - Teach Your Children
Teach Your Children Lyric
Teach Your Children
by Graham Nash
You, who are on the road
Must have a code
That you can live by.
And so, become yourself
Because the past
Is just a goodbye.
Teach your children well
Their father's hell
Did slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picks
The one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you.
And you (Can you hear and)
Of tender years (Do you care and)
Can't know the fears (Can you see we)
That your elders grew by (Must be free to)
And so please help (Teach your children)
Them with your youth (You believe and)
They seek the truth (Make a world that)
Before they can die (We can live in)
Teach your parents well
Their children’s hell
Will slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picks
The one you’ll know by.
Don’t you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you.
Crosby Stills, Nash and Young - Suite Judy Blue Eyes (Woodstock 1969)
Suite Judy Blue Eyes Lyric
It's getting to the point
Where I'm no fun anymore
I am sorry
Sometimes it hurts so badly
I must cry out loud
I am lonely
I am yours, you are mine
You are what you are
And you make it hard.
Remember what we've said and done and felt
About each other
Oh babe, have mercy
Don't let the past remind us of what we are not now
I am not dreaming.
I am yours, you are mine
You are what you are
You make it hard.
Tearing yourself away from me now
You are free and I am crying
This does not mean I don't love you
I do, that's forever,
Yes and for always
I am yours, you are mine
You are what you are
You make it hard.
Something inside is telling me that
I've got your secret.
Are you still listening?
Fear is the lock, and laughter the key to your heart
And I love you.
I am yours, you are mine, you are what you are
You make it hard
And you make it hard (x 3).
Friday evening, Sunday in the afternoon
What have you got to lose?
Tuesday morning, please be gone I'm tired of you.
What have you got to lose?
Can I tell it like it is? (Help me I'm suffering)
Listen to me baby.
It's my heart that's a suffering (Help me I'm dying)
It's a dying, that's what I have to lose
I've got an answer
I'm going to fly away
What have I got to lose?
Will you come see me Thursdays and Saturdays?
What have you got to lose?
Chestnut brown canary
Ruby throated sparrow
Sing the song don't be long
Thrill me to the marrow.
Voices of the angels, ring around the moonlight
Asking me, said she so free
How can you catch the sparrow?
Lacy, lilting, leery, losing love, lamenting
Change my life, make it right
Be my lady.
Que linda me la traiga Cuba,
La reina de la Mar Caribe.
Cielo sol no tiene sangre allí,
y que triste que no puedo vaya,
Oh va, oh va, va.
Translation:
(Oh, what beauty Cuba brings me,
The queen of the Caribbean Sea,
Sunny sky has no blood over there,
And how sad that I cannot go,
Oh go, oh go, go.)
Crosby Stills, Nash and Young - A Long Time Gone (Woodstock Scene 1969)
A Long Time Gone Lyric
It's been a long time comin'
It's goin' to be a Long Time Gone.
And it appears to be a long,
appears to be a long,
appears to be a long
time, yes, a long, long, long ,long time before the dawn.
Turn, turn any corner.
Hear, you must hear what the people say.
You know there's something that's goin' on around here,
the surely, surely, surely won't stand the light of day.
And it appears to be a long,
appears to be a long,
appears to be a long
time, yes, a long, long, long ,long time before the dawn.
Speak out, you got to speak out against the madness,
you got to speak your mind,
if you dare.
But don't no don't now try to get yourself elected
If you do you had better cut your hair.
`Cause it appears to be a long,
appears to be a long,
appears to be a long,
Time, such a long long long long time before the dawn.
It's been a long time comin'
It's goin' to be a long time gone.
But you know,
The darkest hour is always
Always just before the dawn.
And it appears to be a long, appears to be a long,
appears to be a long
Time before the dawn.
You better Come In That Kitchen
Because It's Got To Be Raining Outside
The Who - See Me, Feel Me (Woodstock 1969)
See Me, Feel Me Lyric
See me, feel me,
Touch me, heal me
See me, feel me,
Touch me, heal me
Listening to you, I get the music
Gazing at you, I get the heat
Following you, I climb the mountain
I get excitement at your feet.
Right behind you, I see the millions
On you, I see the glory,
From you, I get opinions,
From you, I get the story
Song Notes : "This is the last song on Tommy, the first "Rock Opera." It tells the story of a deaf, dumb, and blind kid who becomes a pinball champion and is idolized by his followers. This was a very uplifting song to end the Rock Opera. The show got mostly good reviews"
"The Who played all of Tommyat Woodstock, and they performed this song just as the sun was rising on the third morning of the festival in 1969. That image from Woodstock helped launch Roger Daltrey's career as a sex symbol and The Who's success in America"
The Who - I Can't Explain (Woodstock 1969)
I Can't Explain Lyric
Got a feeling inside (Can't explain)
It's a certain kind (Can't explain)
I feel hot and cold (Can't explain)
Yeah, down in my soul, yeah (Can't explain)
I said ... (Can't explain)
I'm feeling good now, yeah, but (Can't explain)
Dizzy in the head and I'm feeling blue
The things you've said, well, maybe they're true
I'm gettin' funny dreams again and again
I know what it means, but
Can't explain
I think it's love
Try to say it to you
When I feel blue
But I can't explain (Can't explain)
Yeah, hear what I'm saying, girl (Can't explain)
Dizzy in the head and I'm feeling bad
The things you've said have got me real mad
I'm gettin' funny dreams again and again
I know what it means but
Can't explain
I think it's love
Try to say it to you
When I feel blue
But I can't explain (Can't explain)
Forgive me one more time, now (Can't explain)
I said I can't explain, yeah
You drive me our of my mind
Yeah, I'm the worrying kind, babe
I said I can't explain
Song Notes : "Written by Pete Townshend, this was one of the first original songs The Who performed. They played mostly covers of American R&B songs to that point"
"This song is about what it is like to be young and unable to express your feelings. The guy in the song can't find a way to tell his girlfriend he loves her"
"This was the first single from The Who. They had recently changed their name from The High Numbers"
"This was the song that introduced audiences to the powerful drumming of Keith Moon. He became one of the first high-profile drummers in Rock, and quickly earned a reputation as a wild man. After many incidents involving drugs, alcohol and mangled hotel rooms, Moon died in 1978 of an overdose"
"This was produced by an American named Shel Talmy. He was famous for putting loud, powerful guitar on the songs he produced, and had recently worked with The Kinks on their first hit, "You Really Got Me." Talmy produced this in a similar style"
"Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame was a session musician at the time and was brought in to play guitar on this. Talmy knew the guitar would be very prominent on this and had Page ready in case Townshend couldn't handle it. Pete did just fine, and quickly established himself as a premier Rock guitarist"
"The Who played this at the Woodstock festival in 1969. It was the second of 24 songs in their set, which ended with a performance of all the songs from their Rock Opera Tommy. The Who went on at 3am the second night of Woodstock and played until the sun came up the next day"
The Who - Summertime Blues (Woodstock 1969)
Summertime Blues Lyric
I'm a gonna raise a fuss
I'm a gonna raise a holler
about a workin' all summer
just to try to earn a dollar
ev'ry time I call my Baby
try to get a date
my Boss says
No dice, Son,you gotta work late
.
Sometimes I wonder what I'm a gonna do
but there ain't no cure for the Summertime Blues.
A well my Mom 'n' Papa told me
Son, you gotta make some money,
if you wantta use the car
to go a ridin' next Sunday,
well I didn't go to work
told the Boss I was sick
Now you can't use the car,
'cause you didn't work a lick.
(I'm gonna) take two weeks
gonna have a fine vacation
I'm gonna take my problem
to the United Nations !
Well
I called my Congressmen
and he quote
I'd like to help you, Son,
but you're too young to vote
Sometimes I wonder what I'm a gonna do
but there ain't no cure for the Summertime Blues
The Who - Behind Blue Eyes
Behind Blue Eyes Lyric
No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
No one knows what it's like
To be hated
To be fated
To telling only lies
But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
No one knows what it's like
To feel these feelings
Like I do
And I blame you
No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through
But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
When my fist clenches, crack it open
Before I use it and lose my cool
When I smile, tell me some bad news
Before I laugh and act like a fool
If I swallow anything evil
Put your finger down my throat
If I shiver, please give me a blanket
Keep me warm, let me wear your coat
No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
Song Notes : "Pete Townshend originally wrote this about a character in his "Lifehouse" project, which was going to be a film similar to The Who's Tommy and Quadrophenia. Townshend never finished "Lifehouse," but the songs ended up on the album Who's Next"
"Townshend was going to use this as the main song in the Lifehouse film for the villain, Jumbo"
"The origin of the song comes from an event that occurred after The Who's June 9th, 1970 concert in Denver. Townshend was tempted by a groupie. He went back to his room alone and wrote a prayer beginning, "If my fist clenches, crack it open..." The prayer was more or less asking for help in resisting this temptation. The other words could be describing Townshend's self pity and how hard it is to resist"
Townshend has said that he wrote this to show "How lonely it is to be powerful."
The lyrics are based on Townshend's own feeling of angst - that no one knows what it's like to be him, with high expectations and pressure to be someone he's not. Knowing what a miserable sod he can be, he's telling us not to let himself enjoy it because he doesn't want to enjoy making us (the fans) happy. It'll mean we will ask for more!"
The Who - Magic Bus
Magic Bus Lyric
Every day I get in the queue
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
To get on the bus that takes me to you
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
I'm so nervous, I just sit and smile
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
Your house is only another mile
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
Thank you, driver, for getting me here
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
You'll be an inspector, have no fear
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
I don't want to cause no fuss
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
But can I buy your magic bus?
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
(Driver): Noooooo!
I don't care how much I pay
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
I want to drive my bus to my baby each day
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it....
(Driver): You can't have it
Thruppence, sixpence every day
Just to drive to my baby
Thruppence, sixpence each day
'Cause I drive my baby every way
Magic Bus
Magic Bus
Magic Bus
(All board)
Magic Bus
Magic Bus
Magic Bus
(I want the) Magic Bus
(I want the) Magic Bus
I want the Magic Bus
I want the Magic Bus
I want the Magic Bus
Said now I got my Magic Bus
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
Said now I got my Magic Bus
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
I drive my baby every way
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
Each time I go a different way
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
I want it, I want it, I want it...
(Magic Bus)
Every day you'll see the dust
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
As I drive my baby in my Magic Bus
(Too much, the Magic Bus)
Song Notes : "This song is about a man who wants to buy the bus that he takes to get to his girlfriend every day, but the driver does not want to sell it"
"This song is a staple of Who concerts and has been sung in many different versions"
"A version nearly 8 minutes long can be found on the Live At Leeds album"
The Who - The Seeker
The Seeker
I looked under chairs
I looked under tables
I try to find the key
To fifty million fables
They call me the seeker
I've been searchin' low and high
I won't get to get what I'm after
Till the day I die
I asked Bobby Dylan
I asked the Beatles
I asked Timothy Leary
But he couldn't help either
They call me the seeker
I've been searchin' low and high
I won't get to get what I'm after
Till the day I die
People tend to hate me
Cause I never smile
As I ransack their homes they wanna shake my hand
Focusin' on nowhere
Investigatin' miles
I'm a seeker I'm a really desperate man
I won't get to get what I'm after
Till the day I die
I learned how to raise my voice in anger
Yeah but look at my face, ain't this a smile
I'm happy when life's good, and when it's bad I cry
I got values but I don't know how or why
I'm lookin' for me
You're lookin' for you
We're lookin' at each other and we don't know what to do
They call me the seeker
I've been searchin' low and high
I won't get to get what I'm after
Till the day I die
Song Notes : "This was The Who's first single released after their very successful Rock Opera Tommy. The song summed up Pete Townshend's dilemma at the time: how to handle the success that came from Tommy and stay true to the spiritual journey he had been following during the year he wrote and produced the Rock Opera"
The Who - I'm Free
I'm Free Lyric
I'm free -- I'm free,
And freedom tastes of reality
I'm free -- I'm free,
And I'm waiting for you to follow me.
If I told you what it takes
To reach the highest high,
You'd laugh and say "Nothing's that simple."
But you've been told many times before
Messiahs pointed to the door
And no one had the guts to leave the temple
I'm free -- I'm free,
And I'm waiting for you to follow me.
I'm free -- I'm free,
And I'm waiting for you to follow me.
Song Notes : "This was part of The Who's Rock Opera Tommy. Tommy is free because his mother smashed the mirror that he was kind of trapped in. He always gazed at his reflection and this was the only thing he could really see. Now Tommy wants his disciples to follow him ("How can we follow?") and says he's their Messiah"
"Pete Townshend wrote Tommy, but their manager, Kit Lambert, deserves some of the credit for the idea. Lambert's father was a conductor and fairly well known in the world of Classical Music. Kit helped come up with the idea of a Rock Opera, which incorporated many elements of a Classical piece"
The Who - Pinball Wizard (Woodstock 1969)
Pinball Wizard Lyric
Ever since I was a young boy,
I've played the silver ball.
From Soho down to Brighton
I must have played them all.
But I ain't seen nothing like him
In any amusement hall...
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball
He stands like a statue,
Becomes part of the machine.
Feeling all the bumpers
Always playing clean.
He plays by intuition,
The digit counters fall.
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball
He's a pinball wizard
There has to be a twist.
A pinball wizard's
Got such a supple wrist.
How do you think he does it? I don't know
What makes him so good?'
Ain't got no distractions
Can't hear no buzzers and bells
Don't see no lights a-flashin'
Plays by sense of smell
Always gets a replay
Never seen him fall
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball.
I thought I was
The Bally table king.
But I just handed
My pinball crown to him.
Even on my favorite table
He can beat my best.
His disciples lead him in
And he just does the rest.
He's got crazy flipper fingers
Never seen him fall...
That deaf dumb and blind kind
Sure plays a mean pinball.
Song Notes : Pete Townshend wrote this. It existed mostly in his head while they were recording it, and the other members of The Who had no idea how most of the story would end until they finished it. Townshend was not credited as the only songwriter on the project - John Entwistle wrote "Cousin Kevin" and "Fiddle About," and Keith Moon got credit for "Tommy's Holiday Camp."
"This was the last song written for Tommy. Townshend wrote it when he found out influential UK rock critic Nik Cohn was coming to review the project. Townshend knew Cohn was a pinball fanatic, so he put this together to ensure a good review. Cohn gave it a great review, and pinball became a main theme of the Rock Opera"
"This is part of Tommy, the first "Rock Opera." Tommy is about a young man who is deaf, dumb, and blind, but becomes a pinball champion and gains hordes of adoring fans. It was made into a play and continues to run as an off-Broadway production"
"Tommy was made into a movie in 1975 starring Jack Nicholson, Ann Margaret, Tina Turner, and Roger Daltrey (who played Tommy). Elton John made an appearance as The Pinball Wizard and performed this. His version hit UK #7"
"The character Tommy played pinball by feeling the vibrations of the machine. Townshend liked how that related to listeners picking up the vibrations of the music to feel the story"
"This was the most famous and enduring song from the Tommy project. Along with "See Me, Feel Me," it is one of 2 songs from the album that The Who played throughout their career"
"The Who performed this at Woodstock in 1969. The song was still fairly new, so many in the crowd did not recognize it. The Who were given the early morning slot, so they ended up playing this as the sun came up"
"The album got The Who out of a financial mess. After a legal battle with their manager, Shel Talmy, and some bad business deals in England, they were facing bankruptcy if it didn't sell"
"After writing this song for Nik Cohn, Townshend almost didn't even mention it to the band because he hated it so much. They told him to play it and told him he had written a hit. Meanwhile, he thought it was a mindless, badly written song"
The Who - My Generation (Woodstock 1969)
People try to put us d-down
Talkin' 'bout my generation
Just because we get around
Talkin' 'bout my generation
Things they do look awful c-c-cold
Talkin' 'bout my generation
I hope I die before I get old
Talkin' 'bout my generation
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
Why don't you all f-fade away
Talkin' 'bout my generation
And don't try to dig what we all s-s-say
Talkin' 'bout my generation
I'm not trying to cause a big s-s-sensation
Talkin' 'bout my generation
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-g-generation
Talkin' 'bout my generation
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
Why don't you all f-fade away
Talkin' 'bout my generation
And don't try to d-dig what we all s-s-say
Talkin' 'bout my generation
I'm not trying to cause a b-big s-s-sensation
Talkin' 'bout my generation
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-generation
Talkin' 'bout my generation
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
People try to put us d-down
Talkin' 'bout my generation
Just because we g-g-get around
Talkin' 'bout my generation
Things they do look awful c-c-cold
Talkin' 'bout my generation
Yeah, I hope I die before I get old
Talkin' 'bout my generation
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
Song Notes : Pete Townshend wrote this while The Who were on their first tour. In a 1987 Rolling Stone magazine interview, Townshend explained: "'My Generation' was very much about trying to find a place in society. I was very, very lost. The band was young then. It was believed that its career would be incredibly brief."
"Townshend wrote this for rebellious British youths known as "Mods." It expressed their feeling that older people just don't get it"
"This contains the famous line, "I hope I die before I get old." Who drummer Keith Moon did, dying of a drug overdose in 1978"
"This was the title track to the first Who album. In America, where they were less known, the album was titled The Who Sing My Generation"
"Roger Daltrey sang the lead vocals with a stutter, which was very unusual. After recording 2 takes of this normally, manager Kit Lambert suggested to Daltrey that he stutter to sound like a British kid on speed"
"Shel Talmy, who produced this, was fired the next year. Talmy filed a lawsuit and won extensive royalties from future albums"
"The BBC refused to play this at first because they did not want to offend people with stutters. When it became a huge hit, they played it"
"In 1965, Daltrey claimed he would kill himself before reaching 30 because he didn't want to get old. He still performs this, explaining that the song is about an attitude, not a physical age"
The Who - Baba O'Riley (Charlton 1974)
Baba O'Riley Lyric
Out here in the fields, I farm for my meals
I get my back into my livin'
I don't need to fight to prove I'm right
I don't need to be forgiven
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Don't cry, don't raise your eye
It's only teenage wasteland...yeah...
Sally take my hand, we'll travel south cross land
Put out the fire, and don't look past my shoulder
The exodus is here, the happy ones are near
Let's get together, before we get much older
Teenage wasteland
It's only teenage wasteland
Teenage wasteland
Oh, yeah
Teenage wasteland
They're all wasted
Song Notes : "The first part of the title comes from Meher Baba, who was Pete Townshend's spiritual guru. The second part comes from Terry Riley, an experimental musician Townshend admired"
The title is not mentioned in the lyrics. Some people know this as "Teenage Wasteland."
"This is the first song on Who's Next, the most successful album of The Who's career. Although this is one of the most popular Who songs, it was never released as a single"
"This marked one of the first times a synthesizer was used to form the rhythm of a song. Until then, just about everyone using a synthesizer was using it as a lead instrument. The synthesizer part was played from tape at their concerts because it was too difficult to reproduce live"
"This began as part of Townshend's "Lifehouse" project, which is a film script he wrote. The playscript was published in 1999 by Pocket Books, Great Britain. In the screenplay of "Lifehouse," Townshend wrote about the composer (Bobby) setting up the concert: "An experiment Bobby conducts in which each participant [in the concert] is both blueprint and inspiration for a unique piece of music or song which will feature largely in the first event to be hacked onto the grid." Townshend subsequently decided to actually pursue this, and he announces the experiment toward the end of the playscript Intro referenced above. The project is still ongoing, which you can see at lifehouse-method.com"
"Townshend was never able to convince anyone to do the Lifehouse film, and he more or less gave up on that - but he never gave up on having it produced. He revised the script to be more relevant to the world of the Internet (which had caught up with his 1971 concept of a global grid), and to incorporate thoughts and insights he'd had in the ensuing 25+ years, and it was performed on BBC3 on December 5, 1999. A recording of that performance (along with a lot of additional material) is available from Townshend's mercantile website eelpie.com"
Regarding the phrase "Teenage Wasteland":Lifehouse is set in a time where most of England is a polluted wasteland. Townshend described it as: "A self-sufficient drop-out family group farming in a remote part of Scotland decide to return South to investigate rumors of a subversive concert event that promises to shake and wake up apathetic, fearful British society. Ray is married to Sally, they hope to link up with their daughter Mary who has run away from home to attend the concert. They travel through the scarred wasteland of middle England in a motor caravan, running an air conditioner they hope will protect them from pollution."
"As for the "teenage" bit, Townshend said: "There are regular people, but they're the scum off the surface; there's a few farmers there, that's where the thing from 'Baba O'Riley' comes in. It's mainly young people who are either farmer's kids whose parents can't afford to buy them experience suits; then there's just scum, like these two geezers who ride around in a battered-up old Cadillac limousine and they play old Who records on the tape deck... I call them Track fans." So basically, teenagers traveling across the wasteland to attend this concert"
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Chords - Little Wing
Jimi Hendrix
Instrumental Verse
Verse 1:
---------------Em (2) ---------------G (2)
Well she’s walkin’ through the clouds
--------Am (2) -----------------------Em7 (2)
With a circus mind that’s running wild.
Bm (1½) ------------Bb (½) Am (1) --------C (1)
Butterflies and zebras and moonbeams, and fairy tales
G (1) --------------Fadd9 (1) ---C (1) ------------D (4)
That’s all she ever thinks about, riding with the wind
Verse 2:
------------Em (2) ------------G (2)
When I’m sad, she comes to me
--------Am (2) ------------------------Em7 (2)
With a thousand smiles she gives to me free.
Bm (1½) -----------Bb (½) Am (1)
It’s alright she says, it’s alright
-----C (1) ----------G (1) ------Fadd9 (1) ---C (1) ----D (4)
Take anything you want from me................Anything Anything
Instrumental Verse x2
Chords and Tabs - Smoke on The Water
/ G - - - / - - - - /
We all came out to Montreux on the
/ - - F - / G - - - /
Lake Geneva shoreline
/ G - - - / - - - - /
To make records with a mobile
/ - - F - / G - - - /
We didn't have much time
/ G - - - / - - - - /
Frank Zappa and the Mothers
/ - - F - / G - - - /
Were at the best place around
/ G - - - / - - - - /
But some stupid with a flare gun
/ - - F - / G - - - /
Burned the place to the ground
Chorus:
/ C - - - / Ab - - - / G - - - / - - - - /
Smoke on the water, and fire in the sky
/ C - - - / Ab - - - /
Smoke on the water
Riff x2
/ G - - - / - - - - /
They burned down the gambling house
/ - - F - / G - - - /
It died with an awful sound
/ G - - - / - - - - /
The funky Claude was running in and out
/ - - F - / G - - - /
Pulling kids outa the ground
/ G - - - / - - - - /
When it all was over
/ - - F - / G - - - /
We had to find another place
/ G - - - / - - - - /
But Swiss time was running out
/ - - F - / G - - - /
It seemed that we would lose the race
Chorus
Riff x2
Chorus
Riff x2
Moody Blues - Night's in White Satin Isle Of Wight Festival
Night In White Satin Lyric
Nights in white satin never reaching the end
Letters I've written never meaning to send
Beauty I'd always missed with these eyes before
Just what the truth is I can't say any more
'Cause I love you yes I love you oh how I love you
Gazing at people some hand in hand
Just what I'm going through they can't understand
Some try to tell me thoughts they can not defend
Just what you want to be you will be in the end
And I love you yes I love you oh how I love you
Oh how I love you
Nights in white satin never reaching the end
Letters I've written never meaning to send
Beauty I've always missed with these eyes before
Just what the truth is I can't say any more
'Cause I love you yes I love you oh how I love you oh how ooh
'Cause I love you yes I love you oh how I love you oh how ooh
Breathe deep the gathering gloom
Watch lights fade from every room
Bed sitter people look back and lament
Another day's useless energy is spent
Impassioned lovers wrestle as one
Lonely man cries for love and has none
New mother picks up and suckles her son
Senior citizens wish they were young
Cold-hearted orb that rules the night
Removes the colors from our sight
Red is grey and yellow white
But we decide which is right
And which is an illusion
Song Notes : "The Moody Blues recorded this with The London Festival Orchestra (Which never actually existed. It is the name given to the musicians put together to make this album.) The original idea was for the group and orchestra to record a Rock version of Dvorak's "New World Symphony," which their record company would use to demonstrate enhanced stereo sound technology"
This was written by Justin Hayward, who joined the band the previous year. He got the idea for the song after someone gave him a set of white satin sheets, and wrote it in his bed-sit at Bayswater. Haywood told the Daily Express Saturday magazine May 3, 2008: "I wrote our most famous song, 'Nights in White Satin' when I was 19. It was a series of random thoughts and was quite autobiographical. It was a very emotional time as I was at the end of one big love affair and the start of another. A lot of that came out in the song."
"Justin Hayward sold the rights to the song to Lonnie Donegan for a small sum of money, hence Hayward made nothing from it"
Justin Hayward was inspired by Moody Blues keyboard player Mike Pinder's composition "Dawn Is A Feeling." Since Pinder had done 'The Morning' for the concept album, Hayward tried to do 'The Night.' (thanks to Terry Parsons, who interviewed Hayward in 2006 for CHMR FM)
This was a new sound for the band. When they formed, they were more of a Blues band, and had a hit in 1965 with a cover of Bessie Banks' "Go Now." With this album, they became more of a psychedelic/orchestral band and did very well
"This was originally released in 1967, but it didn't do very well in the US because the song was over 6 minutes long and a lot of people never heard of the band. In 1972, after songs like "Hey Jude " and "Layla" paved the way for long, dramatic songs and the band became well known, this was re-released in the US and became a hit"
"Even though this didn't have chart success when it was first released, the album did very well. It was commercially successful in countries across the world, staying on many charts for nearly two years"
