Song Lyric Sunday 01/09/2019 – Happiness is a Warm Gun

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.

Yet another chance, for me, to turn to The Beatles with “Happiness is a Warm Gun” from their 1968 White Album.

I bought this album and, until very recently, it was still hidden away in a drawer, complete with all the original inserts. I took the very difficult decision to donate all of my vinyl to charity. I’m glad that I did but, my goodness, it hurt!

Most of the songs on the album were written during March and April 1968 at a Transcendental Meditation course in Rishikesh, India. This particular track has had all sorts of speculation about its true meaning with, as usual, suggestions that there was a sexual connection, a drug connection, and many other thoughts.

Whatever it was, or was not based on, why not just sit back and enjoy it just for the music. I do!

Happiness Is a Warm Gun

She’s not a girl who misses much
Do do do do do do, oh yeah
She’s well-acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand
Like a lizard on a window pane
The man in the crowd with the multicolored mirrors
On his hobnail boots
Lying with his eyes while his hands are busy
Working overtime
A soap impression of his wife which he ate
And donated to the National Trust

I need a fix ’cause I’m going down
Down to the pits that I left uptown
I need a fix ’cause I’m going down

Mother Superior jumped the gun
Mother Superior jumped the gun
Mother Superior jumped the gun
Mother Superior jumped the gun
Mother Superior jumped the gun
Mother Superior jumped the gun

Happiness is a warm gun (bang, bang, shoot, shoot)
Happiness is a warm gun, momma (bang, bang, shoot, shoot)

When I hold you in my arms (ooh, oh, yeah)
And I feel my finger on your trigger (ooh, oh, yeah)
I know nobody can do me no harm (ooh, oh, yeah)
Because

Happiness is a warm gun, yes it is (bang, bang, shoot, shoot)
Happiness is a warm, yes it is, gun (happiness, bang, bang, shoot, shoot)
Well, don’t you know that happiness is a warm gun momma?
(Happiness is a warm gun, yeah)

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney

Happiness Is a Warm Gun lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Song Lyric Sunday 04/08/2019 – Song from a TV Show

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.

The theme for this week posed a bit of a problem for me as I could quite happily live without television in my life!

I was 14 when we first had a television. Black and white of course, and only one channel. At 16, I joined the army and went to college for 3 years. No television. At 19 I deployed to the Middle East. No television. At 21 I went to Germany. Very little television. My daughter grew up with Sesame Street in German. So it goes on. I watched TV intermittently. Today, if the television is on, the chances are that I am reading blogs rather than watching it.

However, I think it is impossible to be untouched by television. I have seen a fair selection along the way, and one thing I MUST see, when it is on, is Later……with Jools Holland. He is a consummate musician and performer in his own right and , over the years, has introduced a gargantuan list of artists of every genre imaginable, and then some! You can see the list here.  

So I thought here we have a huge number of songs I can use for my SLS choice this week.

WRONG!

Instead, I suddenly thought of one show that I found to be both funny, thought provoking, and, at times, downright sad!

M*A*S*H (an acronym for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) was an American war comedy-drama television series that aired on CBS from 1972 to 1983. It was developed by Larry Gelbart, adapted from the 1970 feature film M*A*S*H, which, in turn, was based on Richard Hooker’s 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. The series, which was produced with 20th Century Fox Television for CBS, follows a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the “4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital” in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War (1950–53). The show’s title sequence features an instrumental-only version of “Suicide Is Painless,” the original film’s theme song. The show was created after an attempt to film the original book’s sequel, M*A*S*H Goes to Maine, failed. The television series is the best-known of the M*A*S*H works, and one of the highest-rated shows in U.S. television history. (wikipedia)

This was, of course, being shown at the time of the Vietnam War, and was highly controversial. What started out as a comedy, with drama overtones soon became a drama with added comedy!

It’s a long time ago now, but I seem to remember that the “squaddie” humour really came across well, and could evoke real feelings of sadness, even the odd tear or two.

Suicide Is Painless is a song written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Michael Altman (lyrics). It was the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H.

Director Robert Altman had two stipulations about the song for Mandel: it had to be called “Suicide Is Painless” and it had to be the “stupidest song ever written”. Altman attempted to write the lyrics himself, but upon finding it too difficult for his 45-year-old brain to write “stupid enough,” he gave the task to his 14-year-old-son Michael, who wrote the lyrics in five minutes. Ironically, the son’s income from royalties for the song far exceeded his father’s income for the film.

So here it is. The Tongue-in-cheek theme song for the very sad tongue in cheek comedy about the Korean war. The film was released in 1970, at the height of the Vietnam war, and the TV series debuted in 1972, appealing to the growing anti war crowd, lasted 11 years, and was arguably one of the most successful series ever.

The TV series used instrumental versions of the song only.

Suicide Is Painless

Johnny Mandel

Through early morning fog I see
Visions of the things to be
The pains that are withheld for me
I realize and I can see

That suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please

The game of life is hard to play
I’m gonna lose it anyway
The losing card I’ll someday lay
So this is all I have to say

Suicide is painless (suicide)
It brings on many changes (changes)
And I can take or leave it if I please

The sword of time will pierce our skins
It doesn’t hurt when it begins
But as it works its way on in
The pain grows stronger
Watch it grin

Suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please

A brave man once requested me
To answer questions that are key
Is it to be or not to be
And I replied oh why ask me?

Suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please

And you can do the same thing if you please

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Johnny Mandel / Michael B Altman

Suicide Is Painless lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc

 

 

Song Lyric Sunday 28/07/2019 – A song featured prominently in a movie – The Watchmen.

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.

The theme for this week is “A song featured prominently in a movie.”  Now, it depends on your definition of prominently doesn’t it! Music is pretty important to the movie industry, and a film can become a huge success, or failure, purely because of the choice of music.

The movie that I’ve chosen has 53 different songs, so it cannot really be argued that any of them feature prominently.

Watchmen is a 2009 American superhero film directed by Zack Snyder, based on the 1986–87 DC Comics limited series of the same name.  Both a soundtrack and excerpts from Tyler Bates‘ film score were released as albums on March 3, 2009. The soundtrack features three songs written by Bob Dylan—”Desolation Row“, “All Along the Watchtower” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’“—with only the latter performed by Dylan on the soundtrack. It includes some songs mentioned in the comic, such as Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah“. Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin'” and “All Along the Watchtower” are also quoted in the graphic novel.

I think my choice of video gives you not only a classic song but also a good idea of what to expect of the film. I hope you enjoy it.

The Times They Are A-Changin’ (Witmark Demo – 1963)

Bob Dylan

Come gather ’round, people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
And you better start swimmin’
Or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon
For the wheel’s still in spin
And there’s no tellin’ who
That it’s namin’
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin’
Will soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin’

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Bob Dylan

The Times They Are A-Changin’ (Witmark Demo – 1963) lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Audiam, Inc

Lots of information gleaned, and copied, from Wikipedia, to whom I regularly donate. It is a free service but can only remain so if supported by its users!

Twittering Tales #146 – 23 July 2019

It’s time again, for Kat Myrman’s wonderful challenge, to write a story, inspired by her picture prompt, in 280 characters or fewer.

Here is this week’s prompt and my contribution.

Check out all the fabulously creative entries here and, if you’ve never had a go, why not try a story of your own? You may surprise yourself!

Cenote Cave in the Yukatan by mattiaverga at Pixabay.com

She collected, and bred, carnivorous plants all her life, and was considered an expert.
She thought she had every type until offered a gigantic pitcher plant she had never seen before.
She was delighted with the new acquisition, and decided to name it after the donor, Herman Trapp!

(280 characters)

 

Song Lyric Sunday 21/07/2019 – Wedding /Marry /Diamond /Ring /Cake

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.

The theme for this week includes Wedding, and I’m choosing White Wedding by Billy Idol.

William Broad became Billy Idol, helped by his Chemistry teacher who wrote on his school report that he was “idle”. He started his musical career as a guitarist in the punk rock band “Chelsea”, in 1976, soon moving to “Generation X”, and then going solo in 1982. He still tours extensively and, in 2014, published his autobiography “Dancing with Myself.”

The music video, featuring Idol attending a goth wedding, is one of his best-known. The bride is played by Perri Lister, Idol’s real-life girlfriend at the time. She is also one of the three dancers clad in black leather, who slap their buttocks in time with the clap track in the song as they shimmy downwards near the end. “That’s the kind of thing they love in England”, says Idol.

In one scene from the video, Idol forces the barbed-wire wedding ring onto the bride’s finger and cuts her knuckle. Lister insisted that her knuckle actually be cut in order for the scene to appear more realistic.  MTV initially removed this scene from the video.   Also controversial were the apparent Nazi salutes made by the crowd toward the couple. Director David Mallet says he was merely “playing with the power of crowd imagery” when he had the extras reach toward the bride and did not realize how it looked until after it was filmed. (2 paragraphs courtesy of wikipedia)

I hope you enjoy the song: (There are 2 alternative versions at the bottom which I think are brilliant. You may wish to watch those!)

 

White Wedding

Billy Idol

Hey little sister, what have you done?
Hey little sister, who’s the only one?
Hey little sister, who’s your superman?
Hey little sister, who’s the one you want?
Hey little sister, shotgun!

It’s a nice day to start again
It’s a nice day for a white wedding
It’s a nice day to start again

Hey little sister, who is it you’re with?
Hey little sister, what’s your vice or wish?
Hey little sister, shotgun, oh yeah
Hey little sister, who’s your superman?
Hey little sister, shotgun!

It’s a nice day to start again
It’s a nice day for a white wedding
It’s a nice day to start again

Pick it up!
Take me back home, yeah

Hey little sister, what have you done?
Hey little sister, who’s the only one?
I’ve been away for so long
I’ve been away for so long
I let you go for so long

It’s a nice day to start again
Come on it’s a nice day for a white wedding
It’s a nice day to start again

There is nothing fair in this world
There is nothing safe in this world
And there’s nothing sure in this world
And there’s nothing pure in this world
Look for something left in this world start again!

It’s a nice day for a white wedding
It’s a nice day to start again
It’s a nice day to start again
It’s a nice day to start again

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: BILLY IDOL

White Wedding lyrics © Chrysalis Music, Boneidol Music, Woolly Puddin’ Music, Scrapin’ Toast Music, Irving Berlin Music Company, ESSEX MUSIC INC, CHRYSALIS MUSIC GROUP INC OBO BONEIDOL MUSIC

Acoustic version with revealing explanation of the writing of the song.

Rock music flash mob of 400 musicians in Hungary 2018

 

 

Song Lyric Sunday 14/07/2019 – Haunted /Magic /Mystery /Supernatural /Trick

 

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.

The theme for this week includes Magic. Anyone who has been following the Brexit news for the past 3 and a bit years will have seen the bus that Boris took great delight in, claiming that the money saved by leaving the EU would be able to fund the NHS to the tune of  £350 million per week.

Of course, that particular bus was a Magic Bus, and that is the song we’re sharing this week!

Written in 1965 by Pete Townshend, but not recorded until 1968, “Magic Bus” became one of The Who’s most popular songs.

The song is usually performed as a duet, where the “Rider”, usually singer Roger Daltrey when live, is riding on the bus every day to see his girl. In the song he asks the “Driver”, usually Townshend, if he can buy the bus from him, with the driver’s initial answer being no. After haggling for a while, the driver finally lets him have it and he vows to drive it to his girlfriend’s house every day!

Looking at the lyrics now, makes me wonder if any other magic was involved in the writing. Magic Mushrooms perhaps?

Magic Bus

The Who

Every day I get in the queue (Too much, Magic Bus)
To get on the bus that takes me to you (Too much, Magic Bus)
I’m so nervous, I just sit and smile (Too much, Magic Bus)
You house is only another mile (Too much, Magic Bus)

Thank you, driver, for getting me here (Too much, Magic Bus)
You’ll be an inspector, have no fear (Too much, Magic Bus)
I don’t want to cause no fuss (Too much, Magic Bus)
But can I buy your Magic Bus? (Too much, Magic Bus)

Nooooooooo!

I don’t care how much I pay (Too much, Magic Bus)
I wanna drive my bus to my baby each day (Too much, Magic Bus)

I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it … (You can’t have it!)

Thruppence and sixpence every day
Just to drive to my baby
Thruppence and sixpence each day
‘Cause I drive my baby every way

Magic Bus, Magic Bus, Magic Bus …

I said, now I’ve got my Magic Bus (Too much, Magic Bus)
I said, now I’ve got my Magic Bus (Too much, Magic Bus)
I drive my baby every way (Too much, Magic Bus)
Each time I go a different way (Too much, Magic Bus)

I want it, i want it, I want it, I want it …

Every day you’ll see the dust (Too much, Magic Bus)
As I drive my baby in my Magic Bus (Too much, Magic Bus)

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: PETER TOWNSHEND

Magic Bus lyrics © Sony/ATV Harmony, S.I.A.E. Direzione Generale, Casa David LP, Essex Music Inc., ESSEX MUSIC INC

Here’s a live version played at Leeds

…and a version that is great for headphones

Twittering Tales #144 – 9 July 2019

 

It’s time again, for Kat Myrman’s wonderful challenge, to write a story, inspired by her picture prompt, in 280 characters or fewer.

Here is this week’s prompt and my contribution, which, this week, differs from my normal, but I like it. I hope you do!

Check out all the fabulously creative entries here and, if you’ve never had a go, why not try a story of your own? You may surprise yourself!

Photo by Lisa Fotios @ Pexels.com

Party in perpetuity

Same house,
same party,
same day,
same time.
Every year!

Same laughs,
same jokes,
same lives,
same folks.
Very queer!

Same food,
same plates,
same drinks,
same mates.
Full of cheer!

Not the same,
we died that day,
we come forlorn,
and not to play,

but

shed a tear!

(247 characters)

Song Lyric Sunday 07/07/2019 – Zodiac Animals

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.

The theme for this week is Zodiac animals. I’m choosing “Dog”, man’s best friend. I’m not choosing a song with dog in the title, or the lyrics, but a song by Three Dog Night.

Did I hear you say “Who?”

Well, I suppose it depends how old you are! I must admit that they were never amongst my favourite, go to bands, but the song I’ve chosen was amongst my collection.

Until I started to look into their history I had not realised that they are still active today, albeit with only 2 of the original line up.  They formed in 1967, the year of my first flight, a 13 hour trip in a turbo prop Brittania, on my way to my first overseas posting in Bahrain.  Ah, those were the days! The days of Radio Luxembourg, Radio Caroline, The Vietnam War, Ronald Reagan as Governor of California, the last man hanged in Australia, Muhammad Ali refused military service, Elvis married Priscilla, Guerrilla leader Che Guevara and his men were captured in Bolivia; they were executed the following day, The Abortion Act 1967 passed in the British Parliament and received royal assent two days later, The term “Black Hole” came into being.

We’ve come a long way since then. Or have we?

Anyway, here they are Three Dog Night. I hope you enjoy “Mama Told Me Not to Come.”

 

Mama Told Me Not to Come

Want some whiskey in your water
Or sugar with your tea
What are these crazy questions
That they’re asking of me
This is the craziest party
That there ever could be
Oh, don’t turn on the light
‘Cause I don’t want to see

Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come
That ain’t the way to have fun

Open up the window
Let some air into this room
I think I’m almost choking from
The smell of stale perfume
And that cigarette you’re smoking
‘Bout to scare me half to death
Open up the window sucka
Let me catch my breath

Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come
That ain’t the way to have fun, son
That ain’t the way to have fun, son

The radio is blasting,
Someone’s beating on the door
I’m looking at my girlfriend
She’s passed out on the floor
I seen so many things 
I ain’t never seen before
I don’t know what it is
But I don’t wanna see no more

Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come
She said, that ain’t the way to have fun, son

That ain’t the way to have fun,

Mama told me, Mama told me, Mama told me
Told me, told me, 

Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come

That ain’t the way to have fun, no
That ain’t the way to have fun, son

That ain’t the way to have fun, no
That ain’t the way to have fun, son

That ain’t the way to have fun, no
That ain’t the way to have fun, son

That ain’t the way to have fun, no
That ain’t the way to have fun, son

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Randy Newman

Mama Told Me Not to Come lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc

Twittering Tales #142 – 25 June 2019

It’s time again, for Kat Myrman’s wonderful challenge, to write a story, inspired by her picture prompt, in 280 characters or fewer.

Here is this week’s prompt and my contribution.

Check out all the fabulously creative entries here and, if you’ve never had a go, why not try a story of your own? You may surprise yourself!

Photo by sasint at pixabay.com

He was renowned for it, but today he had exceeded his previous best.

He counted up the left overs, and had his team check to make sure his figures were perfect.

The figure on the table was not so perfect!

There were 7 bits left over, but everything seemed to be working.

“OK close up!”

(280 characters)

Song Lyric Sunday 23/06/2019 – Cards /Dice /Gamble /Lose /Win

Thank you for the music! (hint, hint). Jim Adams tirelessly hosts Song Lyric Sunday and gives us the chance to share lots of favourite, and some not so familiar, songs.

The theme for this week seems to mirror life itself, with games, gambling, losing, and winning. We’ve probably all experienced a little bit of each of these. Hopefully with no excess that overwhelmed us.

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.

Today I’m sharing a song from ABBA, released as the first single from their Super Trouper album on 21 July 1980.

The Winner Takes It All which had the original demonstration title “The Story of My Life” – was written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, with Agnetha Fältskog singing the lead vocal.

Björn always denied the song was about his and Agnetha’s divorce, but it always seemed to be a bit of a coincidence, especially considering the original title. It is certainly sung with great passion, and seemingly with pain etched on Agnetha’s face.

In a 1999 poll for Channel 5, “The Winner Takes It All” was voted Britain’s favourite ABBA song. This feat was replicated in a 2010 poll for ITV. In a 2006 poll for a Channel Five programme, “The Winner Takes It All” was voted “Britain’s Favourite Break-Up Song.”

I hope you enjoy it.

 

The Winner Takes It All

ABBA

I don’t wanna talk
About things we’ve gone through
Though it’s hurting me
Now it’s history

I’ve played all my cards
And that’s what you’ve done too
Nothing more to say
No more ace to play

The winner takes it all
The loser’s standing small
Beside the victory
That’s her destiny

I was in your arms
Thinking I belonged there
I figured it made sense
Building me a fence

Building me a home
Thinking I’d be strong there
But I was a fool
Playing by the rules

The gods may throw a dice
Their minds as cold as ice
And someone way down here
Loses someone dear

The winner takes it all (Takes it all)
The loser has to fall (Has to fall)
It’s simple and it’s plain (It’s so plain)
Why should I complain (Why complain)

But tell me does she kiss
Like I used to kiss you
Does it feel the same
When she calls your name

Somewhere deep inside
You must know I miss you
But what can I say
Rules must be obeyed

The judges will decide (Will decide)
The likes of me abide (Me abide)
Spectators of the show (Of the show)
Always staying low (Staying low)

The game is on again (On again)
A lover or a friend (Or a friend)
A big thing or a small (Big or small)
The winner takes it all (Takes it all)

I don’t wanna talk
If it makes you feel sad
And I understand
You’ve come to shake my hand

I apologize
If it makes you feel bad
Seeing me so tense
No self-confidence

But you see

The winner takes it all
The winner takes it all

So the winner takes it all
And the loser has to fall

Throw the dice, cold as ice
Way down here, someone dear

Takes it all, has to fall
And it’s plain, I complain

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: ULVAEUS BJOERN K / ANDERSSON BENNY GORAN BROR

……and a bonus of:

Thank you for the music.