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"

Nina Simone - I Put A Spell On You (1968)

Scremin' Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You (Live Show)

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"

Joe Cocker - I Put a Spell On You

David Gilmour & Mica Paris - I Put a Spell On You

David Gilmore and Brian May - Smoke on The Water Recording 2

David Gilmore and Brian May - Smoke on The Water Recording 1

B.B. King and David Gilmore

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"

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"

Elton John - Pinball Wizard

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"

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

Deep Purple

Intro: Main Riff x4

/ 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"

Muddy Waters & Johnny Winter - Going Down Slow

Muddy Waters & Sonny Boy II - Got My Mojo Working (1963)

Sonny Boy Williamson - Keep it to Yourself

BB King, Billy Preston and Bruce Willis - Sinners Prayer

Eric Clapton and B.B. King - Riding With The King

Rock Me Baby - BB KIng / Eric Clapton / Buddy Guy / Jim Vaughn

Carlos Santana - Samba Pa Ti

cCarlos Santana - Europa

Jeff Beck - Blue Wind

Jeff Beck - Beck's Bolero

Carlos Santana and Jeff Beck Live In Japan

And Steve Lukather

Creedence Clear Water Revival - Traveling Band

Traveling Band Lyric

Seven Thirty Seven comin' out of the sky.
Oh! Won't you take me down to Memphis on a midnight ride,
I wanna move.

Playin' in a Travelin' Band. Yeah!
Well, I'm flyin' 'cross the land, try'in' to get a hand,
Playin' in a Travelin' Band.

Take me to the hotel, Baggage gone, oh, well.
Come on, come on, won't you get me to my room,
I wanna move.

Listen to the radio, Talkin' 'bout the last show.
Someone got excited, Had to call the State Militia,
Wanna move.

Oh! WOW!

Here we come again on a Saturday night
Oh with your fussin' and your fightin'
Won't you get me to there right,
I wanna move.

Oh! WOW!

Oh! I'm playin' in a Travelin' Band
Playin' in a Travelin' Band.
Won't you give us all a hand
Well, I'm playin' in a Travelin' Band,
Well, I'm flyin' 'cross the land.
Tryin' to get a hand,
Playin' in a Travelin' Band, OH! WOW!

Hey!

Creedence Clear Water Revival - Bad Moon Rising

Bad Moon Rising Lyric

I see a bad moon arising.
I see trouble on the way.
I see earthquakes and lightnin'.
I see bad times today.

Don't go around tonight,
Well, it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.

I hear hurricanes a-blowing.
I know the end is coming soon.
I fear rivers overflowing.
I hear the voice of rage and ruin.

Don't go around tonight,
Well, it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.
All right!

Hope you got your things together.
Hope you are quite prepared to die.
Looks like we're in for nasty weather.
One eye is taken for an eye.

Don't go around tonight,
Well, it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.

Don't go around tonight,
Well, it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.

Song Notes : The lyrics were inspired by a movie called The Devil And Daniel Webster, in which a hurricane wipes out most of a town. This is where John Fogerty got the idea for the line "I feel the hurricane blowin', I hope you're quite prepared to die."

This became the theme song of the demonstrators during the People's Park riots in Berkeley, California, in 1969

This contains a classic misheard lyric. The line "There's a bad moon on the rise" is often heard as "There's a bathroom on the right." Not only do many people sing the wrong lyrics, but John Fogerty himself sang the "bathroom on the right" lyric once during the "Premonition" concert. It can be heard after the last verse of the song quite plainly

The music makes this sound like a happy song, but the lyrics are very bleak, describing events that indicate a coming apocalypse

Creedence Clear Water Revival - Sweet Hitch Hiker

Sweet Hitch Hiker Lyric

Was ridin' alongside the highway
Rollin' up the country side
Thinkin' I'm the devil's heatwave
What you burn in your crazy mind
Saw a slight distraction
Standin' by the road
She was smilin' there
Yellow in her hair
Do you wanna, I was thinkin'
Would you care?

Sweet Hitchhiker
We could make music at the Greasy King
Sweet Hitchhiker,
Won't you ride on my fast machine?

Cruisin' on through the junction
I'm flyin' 'bout the speed of sound
Noticin' peculiar function
I ain't no roller coaster
Show me down
I turned away to see her
Whoa, she caught my eye
But I was rollin' down
Movin' too fast
Do you wanna, she was thinkin'
Can it last

Sweet Hitchhiker
We could make music at the Greasy King
Sweet Hitchhiker
Won't you ride on my fast machine

Was busted up along the highway
I'm the saddest ridin' fool alive
Wond'ring if you're goin' in my way
Won't you give a poor boy a ride
Here she comes a ridin'
Lord, she's flyin' high
But she was rollin' down
Movin' too fast
Do you wanna, she was thinkin'
Can I last

Sweet Hitchhiker
We could make music at the Greasy King
Sweet Hitchhiker
Won't you ride on my fast machine

Song Notes : "This was the first CCR album that John Fogerty did not dominate. Other members of the band had accused him of being a control freak, so Fogerty let them do more of the songwriting and have a more prominent role on this album. It was the beginning of the end for CCR, as the album was a flop and this song the last of their hits"

Contains the line "We could make music at the Greasy King." Stu Cook: "The Greasy King was the nickname for the local burger stand near Cosmo's Factory, Berkeley, CA."

"The first single for CCR as a trio. Tom Fogerty left in 1971"

Creedence Clear Water Revival - Fortunate Son (1969 Live)

Fortunate Son Lyric

Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, white and blue.
And when the band plays "Hail to the Chief",
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no,

Yeah!
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no.

Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord,
And when you ask them, "How much should we give?"
Ooh, they only answer more! more! more! yoh,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, one.

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no no no,
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, no no no.

Song Notes : "This is an antiestablishment song of defiance and blue-collar pride, both anti-Washington and against the Vietnam war. John Fogerty and Doug Clifford were both drafted in 1966 and discharged from the army in 1967"

This is one of 3 political songs on the album. The others were "It Came From the Sky" and "Don't Look Now (It Ain't You or Me)"

This spoke out against the war in Vietnam, but was supportive of the soldiers fighting there. Like many CCR fans, most of the soldiers came from the working class, and were there because they didn't have connections who could get them out. It is sung from the perspective of one of these men, who ends up fighting because he is not a "Senator's son."

"Fogerty wrote this in about 20 minutes"

"Fogerty does not own the publishing rights to this. He lost them, along with all the other songs he wrote for CCR, in his contract with Fantasy Records, which the band signed when they were struggling. A guy named Saul Zaentz controls the rights and can use the songs any way he wants, as long as it isn't performed by any member of CCR. Fogerty hates that his song is constantly misused, but has no choice"

Creedence Clear Water Revival - Looking Out My Back Door

Looking Out My Back Door Lyric

Just got home from Illinois,
lock the front door, oh boy
Got to sit down, take a rest on the porch
Imagination sets in, pretty soon I'm singin',

Doo, doo, doo, lookin' out my back door.

There's a giant doing cartwheels,
a statue wearin' high heels
Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn
A dinosaur Victrola listening to Buck Owens

Tambourines and elephants are playing in the band
Won't you take a ride on the flyin' spoon
Doo, doo doo
Wondrous apparition provided by magician

Tambourines and elephants are playing in the band
Won't you take a ride on the flyin' spoon
Doo, doo doo.
Bother me tomorrow, today, I'll buy no sorrows

Forward troubles Illinois, lock the front door, oh boy
Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn
Bother me tomorrow, today, I'll buy no sorrows

Song Notes : "It was partly written for John Fogerty's son Josh who at the time was 3. Fogerty says: "I knew he would love it if he heard me on the radio singing - doot doot doo, lookin' out my back door." In the song lyrics there is a reference to a parade passing by which John says was inspired by a Dr. Seuss book that he read as a kid titled To Think (That) I Saw It On Mulberry Street."

:Much like The Beatles Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, many people thought this was about drugs when it was really an innocent song inspired by a child. According to the drug theory, the "Flying Spoon" was a cocaine spoon, and the crazy animal images were an acid trip. This was even less plausible than the Beatles misinterpretation, since Creedence Clearwater Revival was never into psychedelic drugs"

Tina & Ike Turner - Proud Mary

Creedence Clear Water Revival - Proud Mary

Proud Mary Lyric

Left a good job in the city
Workin' for the man every night and day
And I never lost one minute of sleepin'
Worryin' 'bout the way things might have been

Big wheel, keep on turnin'
Proud Mary, keep on burnin'
Rollin'
Rollin'
Rollin' on the river

Cleaned a lotta plates in Memphis
Pumped a lotta pane down in New Orleans
But I never saw the good side of the city
Until I hitched a ride on the Riverboat Queen

Big wheel, keep on turnin'
Proud Mary, keep on burnin'
Rollin'
Rollin'
Rollin' on the river

If you come down to the river
Bet you gonna find some people who live
You don't have to worry
'Cause ya have no money
People on the river are happy to give

Big wheel, keep on turnin'
Proud Mary, keep on burnin'
Rollin'
Rollin'
Rollin' on the river

Rollin', rollin'...

Song Notes : "The phrase "Proud Mary" reminded John Fogerty of a domestic washerwoman, which is what he started writing the song about. When he wrote the music, the first few chords reminded him of a paddle-wheel going around, and he thought of the Mississippi River. Instead of "Proud Mary" being a clean-up lady, "she" became a boat"

Fogerty wrote the lyrics based on 3 song title ideas- "Proud Mary," "Riverboat," and "Rolling On A River."

"Fogerty carried around a notebook with titles that he thought would make good songs. "Proud Mary" was at the top of the list"

John Fogerty (about how the guitar riff came about): "I don't know where the germ started. I can kind of remember writing the chords at the beginning of the song. Believe it or not, I was playing around with the famous riff from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. I used to tell people that the song sounds like what it's about. I thought, by the way, that the opening riff sounded just like the wheel at the back of a boat. 'Proud Mary' is not a side-wheeler, it's a stern-wheeler."

This was a #4 hit in the US for Ike and Tina Turner in 1971, and a highlight of their live shows. Tina Turner recalled in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine in 1971 how they came to record this on their Workin' Together album: "When we cut the album, we were lacking a few tunes, so we said 'Well, let's just put in a few things that we're doing on stage. And that's how 'Proud Mary' came about. I had loved it when it first came out. We auditioned a girl and she had sung 'Proud Mary.' This is like 8 months later, and Ike said, 'You know, I forgot all about that tune.' And I said let's do it, but let's change it. So in the car Ike plays the guitar, we just sort of jam. And we just sort of broke into the black version of it. It was never planned to say, 'Well, let's go to the record shop, and I'd like to record this tune by Aretha Franklin'... it's just that we get it for stage, because we give the people a little bit of us and a little bit of what they hear on the radio every day."

Rock Around The Clock (Sex Pistol Version)

Just for Fun

Sid Vicious - My Way

Creedence Clear Water Revival - Green River

Green River Lyric

Well, take me back down
where cool waters flow, yeah.
Let me remember the things I love.
Stoppin' at the log where catfish bite,
Walkin' along the river road at night,
Barefoot girls, dancin' in the moonlight

I can hear the bullfrog callin' me, y'all
Wonder if my rope's still hanging from the tree
Love to kick my feet way down the shallow water,
Shoo fly, dragonfly, get back to your mother
Pick up a flat stone, skip it across Green River

Up at Cody's camp I spent my days, oh
With flat car riders and cross-tie walkers
Old Cody, Junior took me over,
Said, "You're gonna find the world is smould'rin."
And if you get lost, come on home to Green River

Song Notes : Tom Fogerty: Green River is really about this place where I used to go as a kid on Putah Creek, near Winters, California. I went there with my family every year until I was ten. Lot of happy memories there. I learned how to swim there. There was a rope hanging from the tree. Certainly dragonflies, bullfrogs. There was a little cabin we would stay in owned by a descendant of Buffalo Bill Cody. That's the reference in the song to Cody Jr. The actual specific reference, Green River, I got from a soda pop-syrup label. You used to be able to go into a soda fountain, and they had these bottles of flavored syrup. My flavor was called Green River. It was green, lime flavored, and they would empty some out over some ice and pour some of that soda water on it, and you had yourself a Green River.

Creedence Clear Water Revival - Born in The Bayou

Born in The Bayou Lyric

Now, when I just was a little boy,
Standin to my Daddy's knee,
My poppa said "Son, don't let the man get you
And do what he done to me"

I can remember the Fourth of July,
Runnin' through the backwood bare
And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin',
Chasin' down a hoodoo there,
Chasin' down a hoodoo there

Born on the bayou
Born on the bayou
Born on the bayou

Wish I was back on the bayou,
Rollin' with some Cajun Queen.
Wishin' I were a fast freight train,
Just a chooglin' on down to New Orleans

Born on the bayou
Born on the bayou
Born on the bayou

I can remember the Fourth of July,
Runnin' through the backwood bare
And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin',
Chasin' down a hoodoo there,
Chasin' down a hoodoo there

Song Notes : "John Fogerty, who wrote the song, never actually lived on a bayou, and was writing imagining a bayou childhood"

"This was the first song Creedence played in their set at Woodstock in 1969. They were a big part of the festival, performing 11 songs on the second day"

"Fogerty considered this his favorite CCR song. He performed it on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in November 2005"

Creedence Clear Water Revival - Midnight Special

Midnight Special Lyric

Well, you wake up in the mornin'
you hear the work bell ring,
And they march you to the table
to see the same old thing
Ain't no food upon the table,
and no pork up in the pan.
But you better not complain, boy,
you get in trouble with the man

Let the Midnight Special
shine 'er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special
shine 'er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special
shine 'er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special
shine 'er everlovin' light on me

Yonder come miss Rosie,
how in the world did you know
By the way she wears her apron,
and the clothes she wore
Umbrella on her shoulder,
piece of paper in her hand
She come to see the gov'nor,
he wants to free her man

If you're ever in Houston,
well, you better do the right
You better not gamble, there,
you better not fight, at all
Or the sheriff will grab ya
and the boys will bring you down.
The next thing you know, boy,
Oh! You're prison bound