Joni Mitchell
My Old Man
My old man
He's a singer in the park
He's a walker in the rain
He's a dancer in the dark
We don't need no piece of paper
From the city hall
Keeping us tied and true
My old man
Keeping away my blues
He's my sunshine in the morning
He's my fireworks at the end of the day
He's the warmest chord I ever heard
Play that warm chord, play and stay baby
We don't need no piece of paper
From the city hall
Keeping us tied and true
My old man
Keeping away my blues
But when he's gone
Me and them lonesome blues collide
The bed's too big
The frying pan's too wide
Then he comes home
And he takes me in his loving arms
And he tells me all his troubles
And he tells me all my charms
We don't need no piece of paper
From the city hall
Keeping us tied and true
No, my old man
Keeping away my blues
But when he's gone
Me and them lonesome blues collide
The bed's too big
The frying pan's too wide
My old man
He's a singer in the park
He's a walker in the rain
He's a dancer in the dark
We don't need no piece of paper
From the city hall
Keeping us tied and true
No, my old man
Keeping away my lonesome blues
=x=
David Gray
Say Hello Wave Goodbye
Standing at the door of the pink Flamingo crying in the rain,
It was a kind of so-so love and I'm gonna make sure it doesn't happen again,
You and I had to be the standing joke of the year,
You were a run around, a lost and found, and not for me I feel
Take your hands off me, hey,
I don't belong to you, you see,
And take a look in my face, for the last time,
I never knew you, you never knew me,
Say hello goodbye,
Say hello and wave goodbye,
We tried to make it work, you in a cocktail skirt and me in a suit but it just wasn't me,
You're used to wearing less, and now your life's a mess, so insecure you see,
I put up with all the scenes, this is one scene that's going to be played my way
[Chorus:]
Say hello and wave goodbye
Under the deep red light I can see the make-up sliding down,
Well hey little girl you will always make up so take off that unbecoming frown,
As for me, well I'll find someone who's not going cheap in the sales,
A nice little housewife who'll give me a steady life and not keep going
off the rails,
[Chorus:]
Say hello and wave goodbye [repeat]
=x=
Tori Amos
Cornflake Girl
Never was a cornflake girl
Thought that was a good solution
Hanging with the raisin girls
She's gone to the other side
Giving us a yo heave ho
Things are getting kind of gross
And I go at sleepy time
This is not really happening
You bet your life it is [3x]
Peal out the watchword
Just peal out the watchword
She knows what's going on
Seems we got a cheaper feel now
All the sweeties are gone
Gone to the other side
With my encyclopedia
They must've paid her a nice price
She's putting on her string bean love
This is not really happening
You bet your life it is [3x]
Peal our the watchword
Just peal out the watchword
Never was a cornflake girl
Thought that was a good solution
Rabbit, where'd you put the keys, girl?
Rabbit, where'd you put the keys, girl?
Rabbit, where'd you put the keys?
Oh, yeah
Rabbit, where'd you put the keys, where'd you put the keys, girl
And the man with the golden gun thinks he knows so much
Thinks he knows so much yeah
(Don't close this door I know it's so easy)
And the man with the golden gun thinks he knows so much
Thinks he knows so much yeah
(To close this door I know it's so easy)
Rabbit, where'd you put the keys, girl?
Oh yes, rabbit, where'd you put the keys, girl?
Rabbit, where'd you put the keys?
Oh yeah
Rabbit, where'd you put the keys, girl?
=x=
Tears For Fears
Shout
Shout
Shout
Let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on
I'm talking to you
Come on
In violent times
You shouldn't have to sell your soul
In black and white
They really really ought to know
Those one track minds
That took you for a working boy
Kiss them goodbye
You shouldn't have to jump for joy
You shouldn't have to jump for joy
Shout
Shout
Let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on
I'm talking to you
Come on
They gave you life
And in return you gave them hell
As cold as ice
I hope we live to tell the tale
I hope we live to...
[2x]
Shout
Shout
Let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on
I'm talking to you
Come on
And when you've taken down your guard
If I could change your mind
I'd really love to break your heart
I'd really love to...
Shout
Shout
Let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on
I'm talking to you
Come on
[repeat until fade]
David Gray's song was a cover of a song by Soft Cell under the same name. I took sometime to listen to the original song and noticed how the delivery affects the impact of the song. The original Soft Cell version was a synth pop song with an 80's vibe to it while David Gray's rendition was more of a mellow, stripped-down and folk version of the original. The former carries more energy than the latter, but this does not indicate which of the two is better but more of a showcase of their distinctive production and preferred style. The lyrics tell a story of a man who either went through a break up and is regretting the relationship with a girl he regards as "cheap". This is where there delivery of the song affects how the song is perceived. The Soft Cell version makes it seem like the man was filled with disdain towards the relationship whilst the cover version seemed to be an expression of sadness that the relationship ended.
ReplyDeleteThe third song, “Say Hello Wave Goodbye” is my favourite. So I tried to do some research and based on wikipedia.org, “Say Hello Wave Goodbye” is actually a song from the album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret by English synthpop duo Soft Cell. Soft Cell is an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s, consisting of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The song was released as a single in January 1982 and also reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. David Gray is an English artist that covered this song and released on his highly successful 1998 album White Ladder. It was the album's fifth proper and final single and reached #26 on the UK Singles Chart. David Gray’s version runs at 8:58 in length, which is just under four minutes longer than the original. Therefore, I conclude that “Say Hello Wave Goodbye” is a really popular song.
ReplyDeleteWhoops, it's supposed to be the second song. Sorry, my bad.
DeleteI also want to do some research about the last song, “Shout”. "Shout" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears, written by Roland Orzabal and Ian Stanley and sung by Orzabal. It released in the UK on 23 November 1984. “Shout” was the most successful songs on 1985. In the UK, it reached the UK Top 40 hit and peaking at number 4 in January 1985. In the US, it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on 3 August 1985. It eventually reached the Top Ten in 25 countries. "Shout" is regarded as one of the most recognizable songs from the mid-eighties and is also recognized as the group's signature song. About the band, Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. They were part of the MTV-driven Second British Invasion of the US.
ReplyDeleteSource : wikipedia.org
Among those four songs, I favor David Gray’s the most. I always like acoustic music and adore the simplicity of the music style so much. All songs can be made in an acoustic version and I will prefer that rather than its original genre. My preference of choosing songs is to just keeping it simple, but enjoyable, and this song fulfills those criteria. The meaning of the song is so pathetic as well. The guy decided to end their relationship because of her personality does not like what he expected. He also considered her as ‘cheap in the sales’, becoming the other reason for the break up. I hate that condition if she is just being herself throughout the relationship and the guy has consented to date her, it means he should have known her very well at the very beginning and accept the consequences if there might be part of her character that does not suitable on what the guy’s expected.
ReplyDeleteIn this fifth article about song, I would like to review My Old Man song by Joni Mitchell. I like the voice of this singer, it is really smooth and very calming. In the parts when the lyrics is “We don't need no piece of paper from the city”, she remembered me with Tiny Tim who is the singer of Tiptoe Through The Tulips song. Tiny tim is a man with high falsetto voice. His falsetto is very unique and I think he just a singer who has that voice in this world (for your information, Tiptoe Trough The Tulips is one of Insidious Movie’s soundtracks). However, I think this song is about missing someone which is the writer missing her old man and she could deliver the message well, eventhough the song just use piano for the instrument. If we talk about the rhythm, its like an folk song but there’s some blues notes in the first part, so I think it is Folk Blues genre.
ReplyDelete