Irascible Ruth came from Ryde
she was often quite angry inside
She once took a rope
and tied up the Pope
when questioned by police she just lied
“I know nothing about this vile crime
it was made up to service this rhyme
I just could not cope
with binding the Pope”
but now she is serving the time!
Just how does Jim Adams keep up his prodigious posting and yet he still manages to keep on hosting Song Lyric Sunday?
Frankly, I don’t care. I’m just thankful that he gives us the chance to share lots of familiar, and some not so familiar, songs.
If you fancy joining in you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
This week I’m offering you a song that I love. Without You sung by Harry Nilsson. Originally a BadFinger song.
I can’t do better than to quote the words of James Cooper (I have no idea who James is, but his words sum up the song so well)
“What makes this so incredible? It is not the song. It is not the lyrics. It’s Harry’s mind bending, heart rending, vocal. I can’t think of another vocal that so powerfully and authentically conveys anguish while never coming close to being over wrought. The vocal is also incredibly nuanced. The first few lines are sadly reflective. He then sounds increasingly ominous. He then becomes desperate, then pleading, then hopeless, then resigned—a shifting kaleidoscope of pain. I really think this brief little song contains one of the most powerful vocal performances ever recorded. All other covers are simply embarrassments.”
Thank you James Cooper, and thank you Harry Nilsson.
And here is the original Badfinger version:
Without You
No, I can’t forget this evening
Or your face as you were leaving
But I guess that’s just the way the story goes
You always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows
Yes, it shows
No, I can’t forget tomorrow
When I think of all my sorrows
When I had you there but then I let you go
And now it’s only fair that I should let you know
What you should know
I can’t live, if living is without you
I can’t live, I can’t give any more
Can’t live, if living is without you
I can’t give, I can’t give any more
Well, I can’t forget this evening
Or your face as you were leaving
But I guess that’s just the way the story goes
You always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows
Yes, it shows
Can’t live, if living is without you
I can’t live, I can’t give anymore
I can’t live, if living is without you
I can’t live, I can’t give anymore
(Living is without you)
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Peter William Ham / Thomas Evans
Without You lyrics © Songtrust Ave, BMG Rights Management
A lady from Quoit that I knew
manufactured a horrible brew
Drink more than one glass
and you’d fall on your ass
then end in a terrible stew
Thank you to Jim Adams, who hosts Song Lyric Sunday and gives us the chance to share lots of familiar, and some not so familiar, songs.
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
Apparently today’s prompt is about football. Who knew? Certainly not me. For one thing, when Jim talks football he is talking about that strange American game where lots of muscled men (do they have ladies football?) get dressed up in all sorts of armoured sports wear and run up and down a field that has been covered in lines and numbers. I do not have a clue. Neither do I have a clue when it comes to UK football, or soccer as it’s called in the USA. I am one of a strange breed of men who has no interest in football of any kind, and does not even know the rules of the game.
In fact, I Can’t Tell the Bottom From The Top, which just happens to be the song I’ve chosen to share with you. The song reached No 7 in the UK charts in May 1970 and featured the young Elton John on piano, yet again appearing on a recording of The Hollies.
There are two versions here, the first is a 1975 TV special from Switzerland with 30 minutes worth of live music. For those aficionados of The Hollies, you will see Tony Hicks playing bass as if it were a rhythm guitar. Lovely!
The second video is the original recording.
A lady from Plymouth I know
she lived in a tent on the Hoe
just under the lighthouse
she built a new shitehouse*
and charged folk a penny to go
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Hoe
*Also known as a shithouse. Generally means an outside toilet.
Thank you to Jim Adams, who hosts Song Lyric Sunday and gives us the chance to share lots of familiar, and some not so familiar, songs.
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
This week Jim has given us the task of finding a song with La in the title, or lyrics. Now, surely, that is every single song ever written! If we don’t know the words what do we all do? We sing along with La, la, la, and it is international as shown in these German lyrics to the, now what’s it called? The La la la song!
My first La song of pop memories just has to be Pat Boone’s 1962 hit “Speedy Gonzales”. You could sing along to it, dance to it, it was funny, and it introduced the UK audience to new food and drink. What more could we ask for?
Pat Boone (his really name) is still active at the age of 85 and was married, at age 19, to Shirley, who was also a recording artist and television personality. She died in January 2019.
I hope you enjoy this fun memory of mine!
Speedy Gonzales
It was a moonlit night in Old Mexico.
I walked alone between some old adobe haciendas.
Suddenly, I heard the plaintive cry of a young Mexican girl:
La la la, la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la la, la la la la
la la la la.
You better come home Speedy Gonzales, away from tannery row.
Stop all of your drinking with that floosie named Flo!
Come on home to your adobe and slap some mud on the wall!
The roof is leaking like a strainer. There’s loads of roaches in the
hall.
(La la la la)
Speedy Gonzales (Speedy Gonzales),
why don’t you come home?
Speedy Gonzales (Speedy Gonzales),
how come you leave me all alone?
“He, Rosita, I have to go shopping downtown for my mother,
she needs some Tortillias and Chilli Pepper!”
La, la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la
la la.
Your doggie’s gonna have a puppy, and we’re running out of Coke.
no enchiladas in the icebox, and the television’s broke.
I saw some lipstick on your sweatshirt, I smell some perfume in your
ear.
Well, if you’re gonna keep on messin’, don’t bring your business back
a-here.
(La la la la)
Mmm, Speedy Gonzales (Speedy Gonzales),
why don’t you come home?
Speedy Gonzales (Speedy Gonzales),
how come you leave me all alone?
“He, Rosita, come quick!
Down at the cantina, they’re giving green stamps with Tequila!”
La, la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la
la la
La la la la, la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la la, la la la
la la la la la.
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Buddy Kaye / Ethel Lee / David Hess
Speedy Gonzales lyrics © Bienstock Publishing Company
An Orpington lass name of Beth
had amazingly pungent bad breath
Her friends knew so well
to avoid the rank smell
lest they suffered a horrible death
Thank you to Jim Adams, who hosts Song Lyric Sunday and gives us the chance to share lots of familiar, and some not so familiar, songs.
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
Well, it’s a crazy old world, and that crazy time of the year between Christmas and New Year. Crazy is the theme for this week and it’s crazy just how many songs there are that have crazy in the title, never mind the lyrics. There are also groups such as The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, who you’ve probably never heard of. They existed only from 1967 to 1970, complete with flaming head and nudity on stage, and then reformed in 2000 and are, apparently, still performing!
However, I’m not offering you Arthur Brown. Instead, I’m going back to a song released in May 1956 which was a career making hit for Ray Price. “Crazy Arms“ is an American country song which was first published in 1949 by pedal steel player Ralph Mooney and Charles “Chuck” Seals, although it was probably written by Paul Gilley of Kentucky, who worked as a ghost writer for various artists including Hank Williams.
The strength of a song can often be measured by the number of covers that are made by well known singers. “Crazy Arms” has been covered many times by performers both in country music and other genres. Some of the more notable names include Marion Worth, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Chuck Berry, the Andrews Sisters, Gram Parsons, Patsy Cline, Waylon Jennings, Trini Lopez, Mickey Gilley, Great Speckled Bird, Willie Nelson, Patty Loveless, Jerry Lee Lewis, Marie Osmond, and the Jerry Garcia Band. In 2000 Van Morrison and Linda Gail Lewis performed the song on their album You Win Again. Linda Ronstadt recorded a cover for her 1971 album, and Marty Stuart recorded an instrumental version with Mooney on his 2010 album Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions.
You can hear some of these versions by clicking the link on the name, and here is the Ray Price version, although very poor quality video!
Crazy Arms
Now blue ain’t the word for the way that I feel
And a storm is brewing in this heart of mine
This ain’t no crazy dream I know that’s it real
You’re someone else’s love now, you’re not mine
Crazy arms that reach to hold somebody new
But my yearning heart keeps saying you’re not mine
My troubled mind knows soon to another you’ll be wed
That’s why I’m lonely all the time
Please take these treasured dreams I had for you and me
And take all the love I thought was mine
Someday my crazy arms will hold somebody new
But right now I’m so lonesome I could die
Crazy arms that reach to hold somebody new
But my yearning heart keeps saying you’re not mine
My troubled mind knows soon to another you’ll be wed
You’re someone else’s love now, you’re not mine
Well you’re someone else’s love now, you’re not mine
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Chuck Seals / Ralph Eugene Mooney
Crazy Arms lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
For King and Country!
Remember.
For freedom!
Remember.
For the security of our country!
Remember.
For the betterment of Mankind!
Worthwhile causes all.
But always remember.
What it cost.
to Rochelle’s weekly prompt, by Ali, has, in turn, prompted a rhyme by me.
Ali surprised himself by coming up with his entry at Christmas, and I surprised myself by what it generated as a pondering.
Life is full of surprises, and of hate, injustice, and sorrow, but it is also, thankfully, equally full of goodness, joy, and love.
May the latter always prevail
Those who gain
don’t feel the pain
don’t count the cost
as those who’ve lost
and families
when left to grieve
do not receive
the spoils of war
and yet there’s more
who feed the hate
and don’t relate
to those who died
and those who cried
because they lied
a sorry tale
a human fail
that’s oft repeated
by those who cheated
yet there is hope
a little scope
to find salvation
for our nation
I pray that hence
we see the sense
and save our world
with
love
Music to make you smile – thanks to Jim Adams.
Emile Waldteufel’s famous composition from 1882 is known in English as ‘The Skaters’ Waltz’. It was inspired by the sight of Parisians skating on the frozen Seine river. Waldteufel wrote over 200 works, but this is the piece he is best remembered for and this is one of the most famous wintery pieces in classical […]
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