songs that make you think

All of Phil Ochs' songs take me back to the protests of the 60s.
Jerry Lee Lewis's early rock 'n' roll takes me to my first days of reaching out to girls and other experiences of growing up.
Hank Williams takes me back to my early childhood, when my Mom played country radio the whole day long.
Belafonte had multiple effects on my life because he sang so many different kinds of songs.
Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen are there at every phase of my life from the 60s on.

Hi OaK.... Great discussion topic!!!

Music is such an important part of my life, and always has been. One of my first memories from early childhood is of my dad, playing his guitar in the kitchen, which he did quite often. He played lots of the old cowboy songs. When he played "Home On The Range", it must have made an impression on my young mind, because all my life I've shunned away from negative words!!!

I still have my dad's old guitar, and I've played songs for my daughter since the day she was born. (She's 24-years-old now.) One of our favorites is "Father and Son" by Cat Stevens. I changed all the words to "Mother and Daughter"!!!


It's not time to make a change
Just relax, take it easy
You're still young, that's your fault
There's so much you have to know

Find a boy, settle down
If you want, you can marry
Look at me, I am old
But I'm happy.

I was once like you are now
And I know it's not easy
To be calm, when you've found
Something going on.

Take your time, think a lot,
Think of all the things you've got
For you will still be here tomorrow
But your dreams may not.

"miles from nowhere"

OaK I love Claptons Tears and another one that makes for a good memory for me is Paul Simon's:

Under African Skies

Joseph's face was black as night
The pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere
And he walked his days
Under African skies
This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain

In early memory
Mission music
Was ringing 'round my nursery door
I said take this child, Lord
From Tucson Arizona
Give her the wings to fly through harmony
And she won't bother you no more

This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain

Joseph's face was as black as the night
And the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere
And he walked the length of his days
Under African skies

Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth". Both for the eerie sound and the lyrics, which, though they support the idea of youth and protest, tend to undercut that a bit with the line about marchers, "mostly saying, Hooray for our side." Made me think...

John,

When I was little, I remember being fascinated by my father playing guitar and singing, "Don't Let the Deal go Down"

Where did you get them hightop shoes,
Where did you get that coat so fine.
I got my shoes from a railroad man,
And my dress from a driver in the mines.

Chorus
Don't let the deal go down honey, babe.
Don't let the deal go down.
Don't let the deal go down honey, babe,
Til your last gold dollar is gone.


When I was in grade school:
It was "I'm Beginning to see the Light"

When I was in high school:

"I Know a Little Bit About a Lot of Things"
(but I don't know enough about you)

When I was in college:

"Girls Just want to Have Fun"

When I got married:
" Get 'him' to the Church on Time"

When I had children:
"Baby Face"

When I had my grandson:
"Mighty Like a Rose"

When I was in grad school:
"Graduation Day"

Now?
"Help me Make it Through the Night"

Dust In The Wind

I close my eyes
Only for a moment, then the momen't gone
All my dreams
Pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind
All they are is dust in the wind

Same old song
Just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do
Crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind, ohh

Now, don't hang on
Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away
And all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind

Dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind
The wind

EminEm - Sing for the Moment

[Verse #1]
These ideas are nightmares for white parents
Whose worst fear is a child with dyed hair and who likes earrings
Like whatever they say has no bearing
Its so scary in a house that allows no swearing
To see him walking around with his headphones blaring
Alone in his own zone, cold and he dont care
He's a problem child, what bothers him all comes out
When he talks about his fuckin' dad walkin out
Cos he hates him so bad that he blocks him out
But if he ever saw him again, he'd prolly knock him out
His thoughts are whacked, he's mad so he's talkin' back
Talkin black, brainwashed from rock and rap
He sags his pants, 2 rags and a stocking cap
His step-father hit him so he socked him back
And broke his nose, this house is a broken home
There's no control, he just lets his emotions go
Come on...

[Chorus:]
Sing with me, sing for the year
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear
Sing with me,just for today
Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away

[Verse #2]
Entertainment is danger, intertwine it with gansters
In the land of the killers, a sinner's mind is a sanctum
Only you're unholy, only have one homey
Only this gun, lonely, cuz don't anyone know me
But everybody just feels like they can relate
I guess words are a ************, they can be great
Or they can be great, or even worse, they can teach hate
Its like kids hang on every single statement we make
Like they worship us, plus all the stores ship us platinum
Now how the **** did this metamorphasis happen?
From standin' on corners and porches just rappin'
To havin' a fortune, no more kissin' ass
But then these critics crucify you, journalists try to burn you
Fans turn on you, attorney's all gonna turn it to
To get their hands on every dime you have
They want you to lose your mind every time you mad
So they can try to make you out to look like a loose canon
You need to spew, dont hesitate to produce air-guns
Thats why these prosecutors wanna convict me
Swiftly just to get me offa these streets quickly
But all their kids been listen'n to me religiously
So i'm signing cds while police fingerprint me
They're for the judges daughter, but his grudge is against me
If i'm such a fuckin' menace, this **** doesnt make sense, Pete
It's all political, if my music is literal and i'm a criminal,
How the **** can i raise a little girl?
I couldn't. i wouldn't be fit to
You're full of **** too, Guerrera, that was a fist that hit you!

[Chorus]

[Verse #3]
They say music can alter moods and talk to you
But can it load a gun for you and cock it too?
Well if it can, then the next time you assault a dude
Just tell the judge it was my fault, and i'll get sued
See what these kids do, is hear about us toting pistols
And they want to get one, cos they think the ****'s cool
Not knowin' we're really just protectin' ourselves
We're entertainers, of course this ****'s affecting our sales
You ignoramus. but music is reflection of self
We just explain it, and then we get our cheques in the mail
It's fucked up ain't it, how we can come from practically nothin'
To bein' able to have any fuckin' thing that we wanted
It's why we sing for these kids that don't have a thing
Except for a dream and a ******* rap magazine
Who post pinup pictures on their walls all day long
Idolise their favourite rappers and know all they songs
Or for anyone who's ever been through **** in they lives
So they sit and they cry at night, wishing they die
Till they throw on a rap record, and they sit and they vibe
We're nothing to you, but we're the fuckin' **** in their eyes
That's why we sieze the moment, and try to freeze it and own it
Squeeze it and hold it, 'cos we consider these minutes golden
And maybe they'll admit it when we're gone
Just let our spirits live on, through out lyrics that you hear in our songs
And we can

[Chorus]

[Chorus Without Beat]

It's the story of America

Hey, Marshall. Welcome to A2K.
Can't say that I care for eminem very much, but I did identify with the lyrics.

I think oldandknew has fallen asleep at the wheel.

I'm on cruise control Letty, going round and round in circles.
Emenen and other rap singers and other contempory pop music is a severe rectal pain. My daughter, bless her 21 year old heart, plays this stuff at every chance. Then there are a whole bunch of TV channels churning the stuff out as well.
I like proper rock and roll, the stuff that's loud, mean, self indulgent and is years past it's sell by date.

Hi Marshall Mathers... welcome to A2K... "Marshall Mathers" is the real-life name of Eminem, right???

I like Eminem, and I was really glad when he won an Oscar for his song!

My 24-year-old daughter and I both jumped up off the couch when his song won, and we both agreed that the song was deserving of an Oscar!

Usually, I prefer folk music from the 60's! Go figure!

"years past it's sell date"...Like that, John. Which reminds me that I must periodically clean out the pantry 'cause a lot of stuff has gone waaayyyy over its shelf life. Soooooooooo. Another song that works it's way in to the time line of my life would have to be:

We're having a heat wave,
A tropical heat wave.
The temperature's rising,
And it's not surprising,
She certainly can,
Can Can!

Peace and Love, You turn off that loud music and do your homework or you're grounded.
Gorsh! I thought M&M's were things that melted in your mouth, not in your ears.

For our fifth anniversary of dating i have compiled a tape for my boyfriend - from the song we first danced to, through song which hooked us up, songs he taught me to play on the guitar, songs we heard while travelling to some vacation or other, some special moments songs, etc... to some songs i listened to when the things were 'not so good'. he'd probably compile a very different tape, but for me it's a piece of my 'little history' (as opposed to the 'Big history' happening out there). Besides, he claims it was the best and most thoughtful gift he ever received and things stopped being 'not so good' immediately! i remember almost all important events of my life by some specific music and songs instantly bring out memories, and even smells and tastes of the occassions they are tied to. funny how our human organisms operate!

What an interesting thread - some great song memories listed here. I enjoyed reading each person's response.

I could set my entire life to music since it is engrained in almost every memory.

Right now my life would be set to the Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime" (This is not my beautiful house/ this is not my beautiful wife)

A couple of other highlights would be

-- "Wipe Out" Kissing bad boy Tommy P on the backporch while my "real" boyfriend stood in the kitchen just a few feet away. To this day I can honestly say that it was the best kiss ever.

-- "The Ballad of John and Yoko" was the summer I got my brother back, having lost him to college and the girl who would become his wife. He broke his leg in Airborn school and was immobilized with a cast from his toe to his hip all summer. He was all mine again for that too short summer.