Smokestack Lightning - Howlin' Wolf

Artist: Howlin' Wolf
Song: Smokestack Lightning
Year: 1956
Album: Smokestack Lightning single

One of the earliest songs I remember hearing was "Smokestack Lightning". It seemed to have been born of ease and hardship. The song sounds so casual, but the lyrics sound so intense, like Howlin' Wolf was passing a kidney stone.

Many other artists must have thought this was an easy song to do, since it was covered by countless. Included in that are Muddy Waters, CCR, Soundgarden and the Yardbirds. I think I was familiar with all of those versions before I stumbled upon the original. CCR used the riff to form the song "Susie Q".

This song has been called the essence of the blues. I think that's a correct assumption. Many artists who dabble in the blues have been inspired by this song. It has the raw power of the blues to guide many a struggling artist to its beckon call.

The band that I'm in hasn't done a cover of this song, but I'm sure we will one of these days. We unwittingly have taken parts of it and distributed them into other cover songs. That's the trouble with a classic lick. It always creeps into other thing when you least expect it to.

Lyrics:
Lightnin'
Shinin', just like gold
Why don't ya hear me cryin'?
A-whoo-hooo, oooo
Whooo
Whoa-oh, tell me, baby,
What's the, matter with you?
Why don't ya hear me cryin'?
Whoo-hooo, whoo-hooo
Whooo
Whoa-oh, tell me, baby,
Where did ya, stay last night?
A-why don't ya hear me cryin'?
Whoo-hooo, whoo-hooo
Whooo
Whoa-oh, stop your train,
Let her, go for a ride
Why don't ya hear me cryin'?
Whoo-hooo, whoo-hooo
Whooo
Whoa-oh, fare ya well
Never see, a you no more
A-why don't ya hear me cryin'?
Oooo, whoo-hooo, whoo-hooo
Whooo
Whoa-oh, who been here baby since,
I-I been gone, a little, bitty boy?
Girl, be on
A-whoo-hooo, whoo-hooo
Whooo

Green Hell - The Misfits

Artist: The Misfits
Song: Green Hell
Year: 1983
Album: Earth A.D.

The classic punk rock band with horror overtones. It's easy to like the Misfits. They wrote many great short bursts of pure punk delight. I had heard of them through reading music magazines. I would always see their iconic skull for sale on shirts in the classified section of those magazines. I would make a list of what music shirts I would eventually obtain, when I had the money.

I had heard the music many times, but I never connected the music with the band. My first exposure to the Misfits was through Metallica, or so I thought. One of my cousins had actually played Misfits albums before I ever heard the Garage Days EP by Metallica.

"Green Hell" has always been a memorable song for me. I can remember thinking that this was real headbanging music, when I heard Metallica's version. I tried to decipher the lyrics, but found that it was next to impossible. It was only when I heard the original version that I first heard the lyrics more clearly.

This was also my first exposure to Glenn Danzig. I would follow him through many other incarnations throughout the years. None were as satisfying and as joyful as the Misfits though. I'm certainly glad that he and Jerry Only settled their legal differences. I finally saw the Misfits on August 8, 1997, when they opened up for Megadeth. Yes, they played "Green Hell".

Lyrics:
Here in this place lies the genie of death,
touch it, see it, whoa!
Here in this place is the means to your end,
touch it, feel it, green hell

You did your best as someone could
I bet you never knew you woke it
And don't you run away from me
I bet you thought you really could in hell

Were gonna burn in
Hell, green hell
Like every hell but kind of green in
hell, green hell
Were gonna face the mess were in in
hell, green hell
Think I'd rather be up here in
hell, green hell
You know, I fuckin' shake apart in
hell, green hell
Gotta find a way that you will stay
green hell
Cannot forget about the heat in
hell, green hell
Hell is green, I need a flame
hell, green hell
Gonna burn in hell
Green Hell

You did your best as someone could
I bet you never knew you woke it
And don't you run away from me
I bet you thought you really could take it

Here in this place is the genie of death
touch it, see it whoa!
Here in this place is a war to your end
touch it, feel it green hell

You did your best as someone could
I bet you never knew you woke it
And don't you run away from me
I bet you thought you really could
You did your best as no one could
I bet you thought you really could
Were gonna burn in hell

Green Hell

Shake Your Blood - Probot

Artist: Probot
Song: Shake Your Blood
Year: 2004
Album: Probot

Showing his love for all things metal, Dave Grohl decided to work on a project that would feature most of his metal heroes collaborating with him. Some were able to work things out and play on the album. Some weren't. The results of what did happen were spectacular.

The biggest single on the album was "Shake Your Blood". It sounds like a Motorhead b-side. That's probably due to the fact that Lemmy from Motorhead sings on the song. The song has a toe-tapping, headbanging beat led by Dave Grohl on the drums and Lemmy's signature vocals.

The video is a spectacle in metal excess. Swooping camera angles and 66 girls from the adult website Suicide Girls make the video all about shaking the blood up. It can be a dizzying effect if not properly prepared.

I'm hoping that Dave Grohl puts out another Probot album eventually. The songs on the album rock. It may not be a huge seller, but there are the fans out there who will snap it up, as soon as it's released. "Shake Your Blood" was voted the number 2 metal video for the millennium by MTV2. That has to tell you something.

Lyrics:
Looking for relief in your miserable life
You need some rock and roll
And you better get it right
Got to roll them bones,
Do everything they say
If you're cool, you're the fool.
Make it work everyday.

Rock out, make it quick
My, my, my, let it rip
Rock out, feeling good.
Break your heart. Shake your blood.

Out upon the stage, crowd is going wild,
Love to see them women, babe
I ain't in denial.
Make you crazy too. Make you show it out.
Feeling good, get some wood
You should, You knew you could

Rock out, do it now
My, my, my, show me how
Rock out, make it good.
Break your heart. Shake your blood

Want to be a winner, want to be the man.
Want to drive yourself insane,
Join up with the band
Want to fall in love, want to make your mark
Want to get out in the storm, want to break
A thousand hearts

Rock out, strike it rich
My, my, my, it's a bitch
Rock out, I knew you could
Break your heart. Shake your blood

A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke

Artist: Sam Cooke
Song: A Change Is Gonna Come
Year: 1964
Album: Ain't That Good News

"A Change Is Gonna Come" was released as a single shortly after Sam Cooke's death. Sam never lived to see the success of this song, but he always believed in it. Sam's manager pushed for the song to be sung all throughout appearances in 1964. He sang a moving rendition of the song on the Tonight Show, but was trumped by the Beatles first appearance on Ed Sullivan two days later.

NBC ended up not saving the broadcast tape, as was the practice at the time. No known copy of this performance exists. This is the same reason that no video of Johnny Carson's first Tonight Show performance exists. Hopefully, a bootleg copy will come forward at some point. This is an important, but neglected performance.

This song became an important battle cry in the civil rights movement. It's a shame that Sam didn't live to see the impact that the song had on ordinary people. It is still a powerful song that inspires hope and unity.

After four decades worth of legal troubles, the song finally saw another release in 2003. It has been included on the remastered version of Ain't That Good News, as well as a greatest hits compilation. A version of this song has hit the charts in 2008, by Seal. He is just one in a long line of artists to pay tribute to the song by covering it.

Lyrics:
I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I've been running ever since
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will

It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die
I don't know what's out there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will

I go to the movie
And I go down town
Somebody keep telling me don't hang around
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will

Then I go to my brother
And I say brother help me please
But he winds up knockin' me
Back down on my knees

Oh, there were times when I thought I couldn't last for long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gone come, oh yes it will

Bu$hleaguer - Pearl Jam

Artist: Pearl Jam
Song: Bu$hleaguer
Year: 2002
Album: Riot Act

Hopefully, this will be the last day that this song will have any sort of relevancy. I don't often share political views. I am open minded to anything. I have no party affiliations. I take pride in the fact that I can freely choose the best person for the job, regardless of what party they call their own.

When Dubya was given the nomination in 2000 for the Republican party, I thought it was a joke. This man has failed at almost everything he has done regarding business. I thought I was justified in his first term, when nothing much was accomplished and Dubya spent a good chunk of time on vacation. That's why there are check and balances. So the right thing gets done.

Then in September 2001, fear took over the nation and up stepped Bush and his cronies to push unfathomable laws onto the United States. People in constant fear will do what they're told, for the most part. If anyone disagreed, well, they were dubbed unpatriotic. It was a perfect situation.

In the end, his presidency will be that of endless debate. He has done some good things, like giving billions of dollars to help out starving, diseased Africans. Plus, he inspired a whole new movement of anti-war songs. His handling of New Orleans and Osama Bin Laden and Iraq will outweigh any good that he actually did. I have had enough of this president. I am ready for change.

Lyrics:
How does he do it? How do they do it? Uncanny and immutable
This is such a happening tailpipe of a party
Like sugar, the guests are so refined

A confidence man, but why so beleaguered?
He's not a leader, he's a Texas leaguer
Swinging for the fence, got lucky with a strike
Drilling for fear makes the job simple
Born on third, thinks he got a triple

Blackout weaves its way through the cities
Blackout weaves its way through the cities
Blackout weaves its way

I remember when you sang
That song about today
Now it's tomorrow and
Everything has changed

A think tank of aloof multiplication
A nicotine wish and a Columbus decanter
Retrenchment and hoggishness
The aristocrat choir sings
"What's the ruckus?"
The haves have not a clue
The immenseness of suffering
And the odd negotiation, a rarity
With onion-skin plausibility of life
And a keyboard reaffirmation

Blackout weaves its way through the cities
Blackout weaves its way through the cities
Blackout weaves its way

I remember when you sang
That song about today
Now it's tomorrow and
Everything has changed.

To Washington - John Mellencamp

Artist: John Mellencamp
Song: To Washington
Year: 2003
Album: Trouble No More

2004 may have been the year for the modern protest song, but those artists that were ahead of the curve, released their songs in the years prior. John Mellencamp took a traditional song and added lyrics that spoke directly to a current situation. As you can imagine, this song sparked a lot of debate and controversy upon its release.

It's tacked onto the end of his 2003 album, almost as an afterthought. Instead of being a throwaway track, John wanted this to be the last bit of information that the listener heard. If he started off the album with this, many listeners might be put off. This way, the entire album would usually be heard before this song. It's a sneaky strategy, but an effective one.

This is one of the highlights on this album. Hailing from Indiana, John Mellencamp was thought to be among the majority of Hoosiers in his life and his politics. Those who were listening knew differently. Just because you work with the farmers, doesn't mean that you are automatically in one category. Nor does that mean that every farmer is in the same mind frame either. People are individuals and have usually proven that when pressed.

I can respect John Mellencamp for taking a stand and releasing a song that he felt passionately about. Even if it meant alienating some of his fan base. Some things are more important to an artist than popularity and sales. This is one of those polarizing cases.

Lyrics:
Eight years of peace and prosperity
Scandal in the White House
An election is what we need
From coast-to-coast to Washington

So America voted on a president
No one kept count
On how the election went
From Florida to Washington

Goddamn, said one side
And the other said the same
Both looked pretty guilty
But no one took the blame
From coast-to-coast to Washington

So a new man in the White House
With a familiar name
Said he had some fresh ideas
But it's worse now since he came
From Texas to Washington

And he wants to fight with many
And he says it's not for oil
He sent out the National Guard
To police the world
From Baghdad to Washington

What is the thought process
To take a humans life
What would be the reason
To think that this is right
From heaven to Washington
From Jesus Christ to Washington

Swamp Song - Tool

Artist: Tool
Song: Swamp Song
Year: 1993
Album: Undertow

When I worked at K-Mart for ten months, mostly in 1995, I made a few work friends. It was my first job in a store environment. I worked on the overnight stocking crew. We had the place to ourselves and most of us bonded over music.

One worker who had a lot of seniority, but was still under the supervisor, turned me on to a band called Tool. I had heard Tool before. I even owned the Undertow album. I had never heard anyone talk so passionately about the band before. I gave them another listen, this time with open ears. I was not disappointed.

I started to hear the songs for what they really were. Rich and complex. It really prepared me for the album that was to come out in 1996. One of the songs that grew on me during my open ear listening session was "Swamp Song". There was something about the voice and the music that lifted me in the air, while holding me down. The words sounded simple. Some words were crude, but there was an intelligence woven into the language that made me stand up and take notice.

I had failed to hear these subtle nuances before. The difference was like a tin can and a pair of headphones. Sure, you can hear out of both, but the headphones give the richer experience of the sounds. You can pick up the slightest variation. Everything sounds muddled in a tin can.

Lyrics:
My warning meant nothing
You're dancing in quicksand
Why don't you watch where you're wandering?
Why don't you watch where you're stumbling?
You're wading knee deep and going in
You're wading knee deep and going in

This bog is thick and
Easy to get lost in
'Cause you're a stupid
Belligerent fucker

This bog is thick and
Easy to get lost in
'Cause you're a dumb-ass
Belligerent fucker
I hope it sucks you down
Down
Down
Down

My warning meant nothing
You're dancing in quicksand
Why don't you watch where you're wandering?
Why don't you watch where you're stumbling?
You're wading knee deep and going in
And you may never come back again

This bog is thick and
Easy to get lost in
'Cause you're a stupid
Belligerent fucker

This bog is thick and
Easy to get lost in
'Cause you're a dumb-ass
Belligerent fucker
I hope it sucks you down

My warning meant nothing
You're dancing in quicksand
Why don't you watch where you're wandering?
Why don't you watch where you're stumbling?
You're wading knee deep and going in
And you may never come back again

This bog is thick and
Easy to get lost in
'Cause you're a stupid
Belligerent fucker

This bog is thick and
Easy to get lost in
'Cause you're a dumb-ass
Belligerent fucker

I hope it sucks
I hope it sucks
I hope it sucks you, fucker
I hope it sucks
I hope it sucks
I hope it sucks you down

Wandering, wandering
No one even invited you in
Still stumbling
Suffocate, suffocate
Why don't you get away?

Wandering around and wandering
No one even invited you in
You're still stumbling
Suffocate, suffocate
Why don't you get out while you can?

No one told you to come

My warning meant nothing
You're dancing in quicksand
Why don't you watch where you're wandering?
Why don't you watch where you're stumbling?
You're wading knee deep and going in
And you may never come back again

This bog is thick and
Easy to get lost in
'Cause you're a stupid
Belligerent fucker

This bog is thick and
Easy to get lost in
'Cause you're a dumb-ass
Belligerent fucker

I hope it sucks
I hope it sucks
I hope it sucks you, fucker
I hope it sucks
I hope it sucks
I hope it sucks you

Unholy - KISS

Artist: KISS
Song: Unholy
Year: 1992
Album: Revenge

KISS tends to be a cyclical band. It changes with the musical trends of rock. It hung up the costumes and washed away the makeup in the eighties and stayed away from it until the mid nineties. KISS has done disco, ballads, hair metal, heavy metal and everything in between. So this album was inevitable.

The death of drummer Eric Carr hit the band hard and grunge was starting to eat away at their late eighties successes. They decided to go heavy once again to fit in with the heavier sound that was on the airwaves. With a new direction, Gene Simmons took the lead vocals for the first time since the early eighties. His voice fit the heavier sound better.

After the sexcapades and airy sound of the eighties, this was a welcome change. While this album doesn't get a huge amount of respect, it was the right album at the time. KISS was forced to play their hand or be swept aside. This song and a few others on the album were co-written by Vinnie Vincent, who was fired by the band eight years prior. The heavier sound from that period returned.

The album is uneven, but that's only because KISS was in a transitional phase. This was the building block to something bigger that never quite happened. There are still the eighties type ballads like "God Gave Rock N' Roll To You II" on the album. Something this jarring couldn't be taken all at once. It's just a shame that KISS didn't continue on this path longer. Instead, they donned the costumes and makeup and gave the fans living in the past another look at their youth.

Lyrics:
I was there through the ages
Chained slaves to their cages
I have seen you eat your own
I'm the cycle of pain
Of a thousand year old reign
I'm suicide and salvation
The omen to nations
That you worship on all fours
I'm the infection and famine
That's knocking at your door

That's why you're feeling so

Unholy
Oh, I was created by man, you know I'm....
Unholy
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

I am the incubus
I lay the egg in you
The worm that burrows
Through your brain
But you are the beast
That calls me by my name

You send your children to war
To serve bastards and whores
So now you know
You created me
On the day that you were born

Unholy
I was created by man, yeah I'm the Lord of the flies, you know I'm
Unholy
From the left hand of power comes the father of lies
Unholy - Unholy!

I lay you down to sleep
Your soul to keep
Better cross your heart before you die
And now you know
Know that you are mine

That's why you're feeling so

Unholy, Unholy, Unholy - Unholy!!

Space Dog - Tori Amos

Artist: Tori Amos
Song: Space Dog
Year: 1994
Album: Under The Pink

Apparently, this song was inspired by Tori seeing a young teenager in Chicago, by a 7-11, on a flight from New Mexico to Chicago. It may sound strange, but that's Tori Amos in a nutshell. I wouldn't have it any other way. The faerie energy that she gives off fed her early work, in a good, odd way.

Under The Pink was the first album that I picked up of Tori's. I was instantly hooked. Then, near the end of the record, came this strange surreal song. It always stuck out like a sore thumb to me. It stuck out in a pleasant way. It was like Tori was trying something different and tacked it onto the album as a secret.

One of my female friends loved this song to death in the mid nineties. She fell in love with the "pissing in the river" line. She thought it was so absurd. I often wonder if she feels the same way about that today. I'll have to remember to ask her about it sometime.

This is the only song on the album that feels like it wasn't completely driven by the piano. That is an oddity for Tori at this stage in her career, but it was a precursor to her upcoming work. I've always enjoyed the juxtaposition of this song with the rest of the album. It fits perfectly with Tori's whimsical moods.

Lyrics:
Way to go Mr.Microphone
Show us all what you don't know
Centuries, secret societies
He's our commander still
Space dog

So sure we were onto something
Your feet are finally on the ground he said
So sure we were onto something
Your feet are just on the ground girl

Rain and snow our engine's down
Been receiving your eager call
There's Colonel Dirtyfishy dishcloth
He'll distract her good don't worry so

And to the one you thought was on your side
She can't understand, she truly believes the lie

Lemon Pie he's coming through
Our commander still Space dog

Deck the halls I'm young again, I'm new again
Racing turtles the grapefruit is winning
Seems I keep getting this story twisted
So where's Neil when you need him
Deck the halls it's you again it's you again s
Somewhere someone must know the ending
Is she still pissing in the river now
Heard she'd gone moved into a trailer park

So sure we were onto something
Your feet are finally on the ground he said
So sure we were onto something
Your feet are just on the ground girl

(So sure those girls are in the Navy
Those bombs our friends can't even hurt you now and
You hold these tears
'Cause they're still on your side
Don't hear the dogs barking
Don't say you know we've gone
Andromeda stood with those girls
before the hair in pairs it just got nasty
and now those girls are gone)

Let The Music Do The Talking - Joe Perry Project

Artist: Joe Perry Project
Song: Let The Music Do The Talking
Year: 1980
Album: Let The Music Do The Talking

After Joe Perry left Aerosmith in 1979, he formed the Joe Perry Project. Right out of the gate, the band released a hit single and all would appear to be well with Joe Perry. Unfortunately, drug problems were still a huge part of Joe's life at that point. Columbia records didn't put any support into the albums released by Joe, so they only sold to the hardcore Aerosmith fans and no one else.

Columbia was tired of the upheaval in Aerosmith and were trying to nudge Joe Perry back into the band. Joe plugged along as best as he could, releasing three albums in a span of four years. Each one did poorer than its predecessor due to lack of support. Eventually, Joe took on Brad Whitford for the final tour before both rejoined Aerosmith.

"Let The Music Do The Talking" is a very interesting song. It was a hit single for two bands in the span of five years, both involving Joe Perry. This song was recorded by Aerosmith for their big comeback album in 1985. Unfortunately, Aerosmith would have to wait two years for a proper comeback. They were stuck in seventies album mode and stuck with the nine song album format. Someone also decided to make all of the artwork and words on the album cover appear backwards.

I like the Joe Perry Project. I think they put out better albums than Aerosmith did during the band's short life. Nothing beats the original lineup of Aerosmith though. If you put Aerosmith's A Rock And A Hard Place against any of the Joe Perry Project's albums, I bet you'll choose JPP.

Lyrics:
Wanna take a chance and dance before
I got to leave alone.

On short song and she'll be gone
I wish her off was on
Gotta try, gotta try another way to get her
To come around to me.

Wanna take a chance and dance before
I got to leave alone.

Let the music do the talking
Let the music do the talking
Let the music do the talking
Let the music do the talking
Let the music do the talking

There's just one more thing
I've gotta say
But, I'll explain a different way
You've gotta know I got an axe to grind
I know you won't mind

In your eyes I see the sky no question
Our hearts belong entwined
One last thing, our love
Is positively meant to be

Let the music do the talking
Let the music do the talking
Let the music do the talking
Let the music do the talking
Let the music do the talking

Wanna take a chance and dance before
I got to leave alone.

On short song and she'll be gone
I wish her off was on
Gotta try, gotta try another way to get her
To come around to me.

Wanna take a chance and dance before
I got to leave alone.

Let the music do the talking
Let the music do the talking
Let the music do the talking
Let the music do the talking
Let the music do the talking

America - Neil Diamond

Artist: Neil Diamond
Song: America
Year: 1980
Album: The Jazz Singer

Whoever came up with the idea of remaking the first motion picture to include extended sound should be dragged in front of a firing squad. Whoever is responsible should be put in front of the brick wall that Les Lye used to command the firing squad at the various kids on You Can't Do That On Television. The only genius moves were getting Neil Diamond and Laurence Olivier to agree to star in this monstrosity.

In a confusing move, Neil Diamond was up for a Golden Globe and a Razzie for his performance. He won the Razzie. Aside from the sacrilegious way of remaking the story and removing the mother character, the music was outstanding. Neil Diamond always finds a way to make a masterpiece out of the simplest and cheesiest ideas.

This song was on the suggested banned list that came out after September 11, 2001. Why? I don't even really know for sure. I guess because the song involved foreigners coming to America. While the song recalls the awe and glory of the immigrant crossing into a new land to start a new life, I can see where some ignorant people could mistake that for what happened that morning.

Even after the mini controversy, this song has survived. It remains an empowering battle cry for new arrivals to the United States. Plus, it's catchy as all hell! This is still an enduring classic that I turn up and sing along with every time I hear it.

Lyrics:
FAR, we've been travelin' in FAR
Without a home, But not without a star
Free, only one can be free
We huddle close, and hang on to a dream

On the boats and on the planes, They're coming to America
Never looking back again, They're coming to America

Home...though it seems so far away
And we'll travel in the light today,
in the eye of the storm...in the eye of the storm
Home...to a new and a shiny place
Make our beds and we'll say our grace
Freedoms light burning warm, freedoms light burning warm

Everywhere around the world, they're coming to America
Every time that flags unfurled, they're coming to America
Got a dream to take them there, they're coming to America
Got a dream they come to share, they're coming to America


They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America

Today
Today
Today
Today

My country 'tis of thee (today)
Sweet land of liberty (today)
Of thee I sing (today)
Of thee I sing (today)

Today, today, today, today, today

Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino

Artist: Fats Domino
Song: Blueberry Hill
Year: 1956
Album: This Is Fats Domino

Being born in the mid seventies, my first encounter with "Blueberry Hill" would be from Ron Howard's fifties teenager from Happy Days. I didn't think much of it at that time. Mainly because he would only utter the first line when he would get excited about a girl. I always thought it was a catchphrase and a throwaway line.

Then an oldies station popped up in Chicago. I heard this song and many others like it. They repeated the same songs over and over again, so I got to know the songs pretty well. I liked them enough to purchase a twelve cassette series from a local grocery store of early rock n' roll classics.

I really got to know the songs and was able to match them to their artists. I usually didn't find out who sang what because radio stations rarely gave the playlists over the air. They were oldies and it was assumed that you already knew who the artists were or didn't care enough to want to know. That was always a pet peeve of mine, which is why I try to find out who sang what today.

While I always thought of this as a fifties song, I learned that it was a cover of a song from 1940. It just goes to show that everything old is new again. These songs will undoubtedly be discovered by a new generation with no interest in the past and pass it off as one of their own to the young masses. There's just something a little rock n' roll about that.

Lyrics:
I found my thrill on Blueberry Hill
On Blueberry Hill, when I found you
The moon stood still on Blueberry Hill
And lingered until my dreams came true

The wind in the willow played
Love's sweet melody
But all of those vows you made
Were never to be

Though we're apart, you're part of me still
For you were my thrill on Blueberry Hill

The wind in the willow played
Love's sweet melody
But all of those vows we made
Were never to be

Though we're apart, you're part of me still
For you were my thrill on Blueberry Hill

The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat) - The Doors

Artist: The Doors
Song: The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)
Year: 1971
Album: L.A. Woman

I've been a big Doors fan since I was four or five. The only problem was that my dad only owned two Doors albums and recorded the rest off of the radio. The two albums that he owned were both compilations. The Doors Greatest Hits and 13. The other Doors songs I had heard came from the radio.

I first heard snippets of this poem set to music in 1991. I had purchased the soundtrack to Oliver Stone's movie about the Doors. In a poem called "Stoned Immaculate", I heard my first snippets of "The WASP". I was on a quest for the rest of the Doors catalogue. It proved to be tougher than I thought.

I purchased L.A. Woman a few years later. I had finally found my Doors go to album. It featured everything that I loved about the band. It was a departure from their previous work, but still held enough of the old music not to be off putting. This is a perfectly crafted album and quickly became my favorite.

I was always curious about "The WASP" though. It was only in the last decade that I found out what it meant. In the 1950s, Mexican radio stations would infiltrate their sounds into Texas. Because of less restrictions, these stations could be heard for miles around. This was the first introduction that many had, including a few members of the Doors, to Wolfman Jack.

Lyrics:
I wanna tell you 'bout Texas Radio and the Big Beat
Comes out of the Virginia swamps
Cool and slow with plenty of precision
With a back beat narrow and hard to master

Some call it heavenly in its brilliance
Others, mean and rueful of the Western dream
I love the friends I have gathered together on this thin raft
We have constructed pyramids in honor of our escaping
This is the land where the Pharaoh died

The Negroes in the forest brightly feathered
They are saying, "Forget the night
Live with us in forests of azure
Out here on the perimeter there are no stars
Out here we is stoned immaculate"

Now listen to this, I'll tell you 'bout the heartache
I'll tell you 'bout the heartache and the loss of God
I'll tell you 'bout the hopeless night
The meager food for souls forgot
I'll tell you 'bout the maiden with wrought iron soul

I'll tell you this
No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn

I'll tell you 'bout Texas Radio and the Big Beat
Soft driven, slow and mad, like some new language

Now, listen to this, I'll tell you 'bout the Texas
I'll tell you 'bout the Texas Radio
I'll tell you 'bout the hopeless night
Wandering the Western dream
Tell you 'bout the maiden with wrought iron soul

Asking For It - Hole

Artist: Hole
Song: Asking For It
Year: 1994
Album: Live Through This

Timing is everything in the music business. This was an album that was blessed and cursed by the timing of the release. Live Through This was released just a few days after Courtney's husband, Kurt Cobain, was found dead on their property. It was a period that should have been wonderful for Courtney, but the whole process was surreal.

Live Through This was an oddly appropriate choice of album title. Everything on the album was under strict analysis because of the suicide of her husband. There are still some who believe that she had her husband murdered. They say that you can hear clues in the songs. All I hear is Kurt Cobain's influence, especially in "Asking For It".

There was wide speculation that Kurt wrote most of the album. While that's never been proven one way or the other, there have been tapes leaked that prove Kurt had a bigger role than previously thought. There is a version of "Asking For It" out there featuring Kurt and Courtney singing and playing together. When you hear this, it's apparent that Kurt was the main influence on this album.

Complicating things more, is the career trajectory of Hole. Hole was on top of the world in the mid nineties. A top album with great songs and the whole world watching. Courtney instead decided to focus on acting and drugs. She let the band slip away. By the follow up album, people were not as interested. The so called queen of grunge missed the grunge era. Was she asking for it? Maybe so.

Lyrics:
Every time that I sell myself to you
I feel a little bit cheaper than I need to
I will tear the petals off of you
Rose red, I will make you tell the truth

Was she asking for it?
Was she asking nice?
Did she ask you for it?
Did she ask you twice?

Every time that I stare into the sun
Angel dust and my dress just comes undone
Every time that I stare into the sun
Be a model or just look like one
Wild eye rot gut do me in
Do you think you can make me do it again?

Was she asking for it?
Was she asking nice?
Did she ask you for it?
Did she ask you twice?

If you live through this with me
I swear that I would die for you
And if you live through this with me
I swear that I would die for you

Was she asking for it?
Was she asking nice?
Did she ask you for it?
Did she ask you twice?

Was she asking for it?
Was she asking nice?
If she was asking for it
Did she ask you twice?

Come Pick Me Up - Ryan Adams

Artist: Ryan Adams
Song: Come Pick Me Up
Year: 2000
Album: Heartbreaker

I envision this as a twisted love song about a man who loves a woman through anything. The woman may cheat, lie and steal to support her fantasies, but he still loves her at the end of the day. I am lucky to have never fallen into a relationship like this one.

I'm not sure about the first time that I hears this song. It seems to have always been inside my head, humming away in the background. I want to say that I heard it in a movie, but I can't be sure. I stumbled upon this album after hearing another song called "AMY". It was different and inviting.

This song seem simple enough, but the melody gets easily caught in your brain. I haven't heard this song for a few months, before today, yet it infested my brain enough to seek it out and put it up here. That's what a good song will do to you.

Whatever you do, don't call out for a Bryan Adams song at a Ryan Adams concert. He has been known to fly off the handle at the mention of "Summer Of '69" and will more than likely stop a concert to get his point across. Come to think of it, that sounds like it could be fun!

Lyrics:
When they call your name,
will you walk right up
with a smile on your face?
or Will you cower in fear
in your favorite sweater?

With an old love letter,
I wish you would...

I wish you would
come pick me up,
take me out,
fuck me up,
steal my records,
screw all my friends,
they're all full of shit,
with a smile on your face.
and Then do it again...

I wish you would...
When you're walking downtown,
do you wish i was there
do you wish it was me
with the windows clear and the mannequins eyes

Do they all look like mine
you know you could
i wish you would
come pick me up,
take me out,
fuck me up,
steal my records,
screw all my friends behind my back,
with a smile on your face.
and Then do it again.

I wish you would
i wish you'd make up my bed
so i could make up my mind
try it for sleeping instead
maybe you'll rest sometime
i wish i could

Love Me Do - The Beatles

Artist: The Beatles
Song: Love Me Do
Year: 1962
Album: Please Please Me

I know what you're thinking. Please Please Me didn't come out until 1963 and the "Love Me Do" single didn't come out until 1964. Wrong! The first single of "Love Me Do" came out in 1962, in England. It is the only studio version to feature Ringo Starr on drums. The Please Please Me version featured Andy White and the Anthology 1 version featured Pete Best.

Record-wise, this is where it all started for the Beatles. Originally, this wasn't going to be the lead single. A song called "How Do You Do It?" was going to be the lead single, but ended up not being released until 1995 on Anthology 1. That song ended up being a number one single for Gerry and the Pacemakers.

"Love Me Do", despite it's sorted recording history, remains a favorite of Beatles fans. Many fans prepped themselves with this song in anticipation to the Beatles arrival in America. Although the Beatles did not play this song during their legendary Ed Sullivan performances, "Love Me Do" is still an important exposure to the band.

I couldn't tell you what my first exposure to the Beatles was. They had been broken up for six years when I was born. I can tell you that there was no escape from the Beatles when I was in my formative years. I would hear them in grocery stores, on the radio, in elevators, and seemingly everywhere else that I went. It all started with this song's single release in 1962.

Lyrics:
Love, love me do
You know I love you
I'll always be true
so please, love me do
oh, love me do

Love, love me do
You know I love you
I'll always be true
so please, love me do
oh, love me do

Someone to love
Somebody new
Someone to love
Someone like you

Love, love me do
You know I love you
I'll always be true
so please, love me do
oh, love me do

Love, love me do
You know I love you
I'll always be true
so please, love me do
oh, love me do
Yeah, love me do
Oh, love me do

Funky Cold Medina - Tone Lōc

Artist: Tone Lōc
Song: Funky Cold Medina
Year: 1989
Album: Lōc-ed After Dark

In the late eighties, any rap single that featured an odd premise and an artist who could have a little fun with himself in the video had a hit record. Tone Lōc had a good time in his videos and seemed to be humble enough for everyone to like.

His gravelly voice was instantly recognizable. Every time that I heard Tone Lōc pop up on the radio or on MTV, I stopped and listened. The songs had charm. Especially this one. The images in the video sold me on the lyrics. I was at the appropriate age, where situations like Tone Lōc got himself into in the song were very funny.

This marks the first time, that I can think of, where the rapper was seduced by a transvestite in a song. The premise still held true years later, when comedian Eddie Murphy was seen in the company of a transvestite. I find nothing wrong with that lifestyle. Whatever floats your boat and doesn't hurt someone is fine by me. It's just funny when it crosses into the tabloids.

There is a drink that was inspired by "Funky Cold Medina". It consists of 1 oz Absolut Vodka, 1 oz Southern Comfort peach liqueur, 1 oz Blue Curacao liqueur per serving, topped with cranberry juice and dry ice. I haven't tried it, but it sounds interesting.

Lyrics:
Cold coolin at a bar, and I'm lookin for some action
But like Mike Jagger said, I can't get no satisfaction
The girls are all around, but none of them wanna get with me
My threads are fresh and I'm lookin def, yo, what's up with L-o-c?
The girls is all jockin at the other end of the bar
Havin drinks with some no-name chump, when they know that I'm the star
So I got up and strolled over to the other side of the cantina
I asked the guy, "Why you so fly?" he said, "Funky Cold Medina"

Funky Cold Medina

This brother told me a secret on how to get more chicks
Put a little Medina in your glass, and the girls'll come real quick
It's better than any alcohol or aphrodisiac
A couple of sips of this love potion, and she'll be on your lap
So I gave some to my dog when he began to beg
And then he licked his bowl and he looked at me and did the wild thing on my leg
He used to scratch and bite me, before he was much much meaner
But now all the poodles run to my house for the Funky Cold Medina

You know what I'm sayin?
I got every dog in my neighborhood breakin down my door
I got Spuds McKenzie
Alex from Stroh's
They won't leave my dog alone with that Medina, pal

I went up to this girl, she said, "Hi, my name is Sheena"
I thought she'd be good to go with a little Funky Cold Medina
She said, "I'd like a drink," I said, "Ehm - ok, I'll go get it"
Then a couple sips she cold licked her lips, and I knew that she was with it
So I took her to my crib, and everything went well as planned
But when she got undressed, it was a big old mess: Sheena was a man
So I threw him out, I don't fool around with no Oscar Mayer wiener
You must be sure that the girl is pure for the Funky Cold Medina

You know, ain't no plans with a man
This is the 80's, and I'm down with the ladies
Ya know?

Break it down

Back in the saddle, lookin for a little affection
I took a shot as a contestant on The Love Connection
The audience voted, and you know they picked a winner
I took my date to the Hilton for Medina and some dinner
She had a few drinks, I'm thinkin soon what I'll be gettin
Instead she started talkin 'bout plans for our weddin
I said, "Wait, slow down, love, not so fast says, I'll be seein ya"
That's why I found you don't play around with the Funky Cold Medina

Ya know what I'm sayin
That Medina's a monster, y'all

Funky Cold Medina

Paper Cuts - Nirvana

Artist: Nirvana
Song: Paper Cuts
Year: 1989
Album: Bleach

People tend to forget how heavy Nirvana were. They seem to only remember Nirvana as a kooky band that played funeral songs acoustically on MTV. Or they remember a song named after a deodorant marketed to teen girls.

Nirvana had many more sides to them than just those two things. They started out before there was a movement such as grunge. They based the songs off of punk, metal and classic rock. These are the beginnings of the grunge movement. It just so happens that most of the bands were concentrated in the Seattle area.

"Paper Cuts" shows Nirvana's heavier side. Kurt's wail almost makes me believe that he is still alive. It's so real and raw. The music comes some the other side of Sabbath's heaviest riffs. It's muddied and dirty, but they might have out-Sabbathed Black Sabbath on this song. Pain and torture and grit comes out in the vocals.

Bleach is a heavy record, but it does have it's softer side. "Paper Cuts" is not the softer side of Nirvana. For anyone who wants to get to know the real band, start with this album. Start with this track. Next, go to Incesticide and then In Utero. Top it off with Nevermind. You will see the evolution of Nirvana. The only reason I switched In Utero and Nevermind was to have the most accessible album as the last thing the listener should hear.

Lyrics:
When my feeding time
She push food through the door
And I crawl towards the cracks of light
Sometimes I can’t find my way
Newspapers spread around
Soaking all that they can
A cleaning is due again
A good hosing down

The lady whom I feel maternal love for
Cannot look me in the eyes
But I see hers and they are blue
And they cock and twitch and masturbate

I said so
I said so
I said so
Nirvana
Nirvana
Nirvana
Nirvana
Nirvana

Black windows are paint
I scratch with my nails
I see others just like me
Why do they not try escape?
They bring out the older ones
They point in my way
They come with a flash of light
And take my family away

And very later I have learned to
Accept some friends of ridicule
My whole existence was for your amusement
And that is why I’m here with you

To take
Me with
You’re eyes

Nirvana
Nirvana
Nirvana
Nirvana
Nirvana
Nirvana
Nirvana
Nirvana

Don't Eat The Yellow Snow, Nanook Rubs It - Frank Zappa

Artist: Frank Zappa
Song: Don't Eat The Yellow Snow/Nanook Rubs It
Year: 1974
Album: Apostrophe (')

One of my first exposures to Frank Zappa was this song. When I was much younger, I thought this song was hilarious. Now, that I'm older, I can appreciate the musical elements that get lost in any Frank Zappa song. It takes a lot to make the songs sound this effortless.

I first heard this, and a few other Frank Zappa songs on the Dr. Demento show. Only the cleaner songs would play on Dr. Demento, but that didn't mean that the songs were completely clean. Anything implied was a huge hit. Having grown up, in Chicago, around dogs, I could take the advice to heart.

I just find it funny that an Eskimo would use yellow snow as a weapon of choice. I would choose an icicle, but that's just me. Maybe the original idea was to blind the fur trapper with yellow snow and then get him with the icicle. Either way, it's still funny.

Whoever did this flash animation, did a wonderful job. I couldn't have thought of better images myself. Enjoy the cartoon and please, watch out where the huskies go and don't you eat that yellow snow.

Lyrics:
Dreamed I was an Eskimo
(Bop-bop ta-da-da bop-bop Ta-da-da)
Frozen wind began to blow
(Bop-bop ta-da-da bop-bop Ta-da-da)
Under my boots 'n around my toe
(Bop-bop ta-da-da bop-bop Ta-da-da)
Frost had bit the ground below
(Boop-boop aiee-ay-ah!)
Was a hundred degrees below zero
(Booh!)
(Bop-bop ta-da-da bop-bop Ta-da-da)
And my momma cried:
Boo-a-hoo hoo-ooo
And my momma cried:
Nanook-a, no no (no no . . . )
Nanook-a, no no (no no . . . )
Don't be a naughty Eskimo-wo-oh
(Bop-bop ta-da-da bop-bop Ta-da-da)
Save your money: don't go to the show
Well I turned around an' I said:
HO HO
(Booh!)
Well I turned around an' I said:
HO HO
(Booh!)
Well I turned around an' I said:
HO HO
An' the Northern Lites commenced t' glow
An' she said
(Bop-bop ta-da-da bop . . . )
With a tear in her eye:
WATCH OUT WHERE THE HUSKIES GO
AN' DON'T YOU EAT THAT YELLOW SNOW
WATCH OUT WHERE THE HUSKIES GO
AN' DON'T YOU EAT THAT YELLOW SNOW

Well right about that time, people,
A fur trapper
Who was strictly from commercial
(Strictly Commershil)
Had the unmedicated audacity to jump up from behind my igyaloo
(Peek-a-Boo Woo-ooo-ooo)
And he started in to whippin' on my fav'rite baby seal
With a lead-filled snow shoe . . .
I said:
With a lead
LEAD
Filled
LEAD-FILLED
A lead-filled snow shoe
SNOW SHOE
He said Peak-a-boo
PEEK-A-BOO
With a lead
LEAD
Filled
LEAD-FILLED
With a lead-filled snow shoe
SNOW SHOE
He said Peak-a-boo.
PEEK-A-BOO
He went right up side the head of my favourite baby seal
He went WHAP!
With a lead-filled snow shoe
An' he hit him on the nose 'n he hit him on fin 'n he . . .
That got me just about as evil
As an Eskimo boy can be . . . so I bent down 'n I reached down 'n I scooped down
An' I gathered up a generous mitten full of the deadly . . .
YELLOW SNOW
The deadly Yellow Snow from right there where the huskies go
Whereupon I proceeded to take that mitten full
Of the deadly Yellow Snow Crystals
And rub it all into his beady little eyes
With a vigorous circular motion
Hitherto unknown to the people on this area,
But destined to take the place of THE MUD SHARK
In your mythology
Here it goes now . . .
THE CIRCULAR MOTION . . . (rub it) . . .
(Here Fido . . . Here Fido)
And then, in a fit of anger, I . . .
I pounced
And I pounced again
GREAT GOOGLY-MOOGLY
I jumped up 'n down the chest of the . . .
I injured the fur trapper
Well, he was very upset, as you can understand
And rightly so
Because
The deadly Yellow Snow Crystals
Had deprived him of his sight
And he stood up
And he looked around
And he said:
I CAN'T SEE
(DO . . . DO DO-DO DO DO DO . . . YEAH!)
I CAN'T SEE
(DO . . . DO DO-DO DO DO DO . . . YEAH!)
OH WOE IS ME
(DO . . . DO DO-DO DO DO DO . . . YEAH!)
I CAN'T SEE
(DO . . . DO DO-DO DO DO DO . . . WELL!)
NO NO
I CAN'T SEE
NO . . . I . . .
He took a dog-doo sno-cone
An' stuffed it in my right eye
He took a dog-doo sno-cone
An' stuffed it in my other eye
An' the huskie wee-wee,
I mean the doggie wee-wee
Has blinded me
An' I can't see
Temporarily

The Goonies R Good Enough - Cyndi Lauper

Artist: Cyndi Lauper
Song: The Goonies R Good Enough
Year: 1985
Album: The Goonies

Cyndi Lauper has stated many times that she hated this song. I can understand her point. It is totally a product of the eighties. Overproduction, corny sounds and tied in with a kids movie. All of these things usually signals throwaway track.

Cyndi was asked to be the musical director on the Goonies soundtrack album. She wanted to make it as diverse as possible. I think she succeeded. Her song contribution to the film is probably the most memorable part of the soundtrack. Although, the rest of the soundtrack is very decent.

Cyndi was hospitalized during the production of the soundtrack. That could be part of the reason why she hates the song. Sometimes a song can be associated with a horrible incident. That could be enough to push the song out of favor. It's certainly not Cyndi's best song, but it still displays her fun attitude of that era.

I can remember seeing the Goonies at the drive in. The movie is still one of my favorites from that year. It was fun to see both parts of the video after all these years. The video shoot really looked like fun. It's hard to imagine all those wrestlers working on something like that. It just shows that 1985 was a very different time than today.

Lyrics:
Here we are hanging onto our strains
Of green and blues
Break the chain and we will break down
Oh it's not real if you don't feel it

Unspoken expectations
Ideals you use to play with
They've finally taken shape

What's good enough for you
Is good enough for me
What's good enough
Is good enough for me
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah

Woo

Now you say you're starting to
feel the push and pull
Of what could be and never can.
You mirror me stumbling through those

Old fashioned superstitions
I find too hard to break
Oh, maybe you're out of place

What's good enough for you
Is good enough for me
It's good enough
It's good enough for me
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah

Good enough for you
Is good enough for me
It's good, it's good enough
It's good enough for me
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Old fashioned superstitions
I find too hard to break
Oh, maybe you're out of place

What's good enough for you
Is good enough for me
It's good enough
It's good enough for me
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Good enough for you
Is good enough for me
It's good, it's good enough
It's good enough for me
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
Well, well, well, well
Uh-huh
Huh, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Good enough
Good enough for
Is (Goonies) good enough for me
It's good enough

Goonies

Good enough
Good enough for
Is (Goonies) good enough for me
It's good enough

Baby Please Don't Go - Aerosmith

Artist: Aerosmith
Song: Baby Please Don't Go
Year: 2004
Album: Honkin' On Bobo

After years of talking about it, Aerosmith finally released their blues album in 2004. Did it measure up to all the hype? No. But it was a damn fine record. There were a smattering of originals mixed in with lots of standards. By standard, I mean they've been covered by almost every artist under the sun. You would think that there would be no new ground to cover. You'd be right.

Don't underestimate the power of Aerosmith though. Once Steven Tyler gets a hold of a song, it is eternally his. Steven's unique vocal stylings make any song an instant Aerosmith song. Case in point with "Baby Please Don't Go". Aerosmith takes a classic blues song and amps up the volume and the intensity. You can almost feel the dirt. It feels like the rock version of the blues played at a seedy dive.

In a perfect world, this album would have been out in the late eighties. This would have performed very well in the Pump era. Still, I'm grateful to have this album. "Baby Please Don't Go" is one of the many highlights on the album. It reminds me of their live shows. Not the ones that they put on for television spots, the ones that they put on during the grind of a tour. Those are full of little moments like this.

I'm hoping for a purging of unreleased blues tracks from the Geffen days. I doubt that it will happen, but one can dream. I never thought that this album would see the light of day. I just wish it was a little better received by the casual fans. It's a great album, once you give it a chance.

Lyrics:
Baby, please don't go
Baby, please don't go
Baby, please don't go down to New Orleans
You know I love you so
Baby, please don't go

Well, your mind done gone
Well, your mind done gone
Yeah, your mind done gone left the county farm
You got the shackles on
Baby, please don't go

Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog, git you way down here
I make you walk alone
Baby, please don't go

Baby, please don't go
Baby, please don't go
Baby, please don't go down to New Orleans
You know I love you so
Baby, please don't go

Know how I feel right now
My baby's leavin', on that midnight train
And I'm dyin'

Baby, please don't go
Baby, please don't go
Baby, please don't go down to New Orleans
You know I love you so
Baby, please don't go

Bare Trees - Fleetwood Mac

Artist: Fleetwood Mac
Song: Bare Trees
Year: 1972
Album: Bare Trees

Here is yet another example that Fleetwood Mac is more than the Stevie Nicks era. This album sees them in a transition from blues to pop. There are still traces of blues in the songs, but there are more elements of pop in a lot of the work. While Fleetwood Mac was a success, this would be right on the cusp of super stardom.

This song is light and breezy despite the cold winter subject matter. I suppose that it's because of the other subject in the song that makes this a warmer song. It's so simple that a child could have written the lyrics, but the way the song is expressed makes all the difference here.

Simply saying that someone is alone, snug in their bed on a cold, winter day wouldn't make much of a song. It barely makes a coupling. What makes it work is the music. It's so simple that it invades your mind and stays there for awhile. Most people will find themselves humming this hours later, seemingly out of nowhere.

I find this period of Fleetwood Mac the most interesting. There were many directions that the band could have gone in. The band was almost dissolved. They chose to soldier on, picking up new members along the way. I wish that Fleetwood Mac would break out more of these songs when they tour, but that's not what the "public" wants. It too bad. They are missing out on some great music.

Lyrics:
Bare trees, grey light
Oh yeah it was a cold night
Bare trees, grey light

I was alone in the cold of a winters day
You were alone and so snug in your bed
I was alone in the cold of a winters day
You were alone and so snug in your bed

Bah do dah, do dah da do da do
Bah do dah, do dah da do da do
Bah do dah, do dah da do da do
Bah do dah, do dah da do da do

Bare trees, grey light
Oh yeah it was a cold night
Bare trees, grey light

I was alone in the cold of a winters day
You were alone and so snug in your bed
I was alone in the cold of a winters day
You were alone and so snug in your bed

Bah do dah, do dah da do da do
Bah do dah, do dah da do da do
Bah do dah, do dah da do da do
Bah do dah, do dah da do da do.

Let Me Entertain You - Queen

Artist: Queen
Song: Let Me Entertain You
Year: 1978
Album: Jazz

"Let Me Entertain You" is one of my favorite lesser known Queen songs. When I would DJ at the vampire LARP, I would frequently slip this in near the beginning of the set. We had a lot of Queen fans role playing at the club, so this was always a nice welcome wink and nod.

It had the dual role of announcing that I was open for requests. Most of the regulars knew that already, but it wasn't always clear to the newbies. Just like in my life, I would play anything that would pop into my head. It was always appropriate though.

The first time that I remember listening to this song was on the Live Killers album. I must have listened to that live album over and over again. So much so, that I wore out two cassette copies. I didn't start getting deeply into Queen until shortly before Freddie's death, so these tracks were mostly new to me. I knew the classics that were all over the radio and the greatest hits compilations, but this was my first exposure to the hidden gems.

I always associate this song with beginnings. Probably because this was near the beginning of many of my Saturday night sets. It is the perfect choice to open a party. It's upbeat. It's full of energy. It signals the start of something big. Happy new year!

Lyrics:
Hey - it's a sellout

Hey - let me welcome you ladies and gentlemen
I would like to say hello
Are you ready for some entertainment?
Are you ready for a show?
Gonna rock you gonna roll you
Get you dancing in the aisles
Jazz you razzmatazz you
With a little bit of style
C'mon let me entertain you let me entertain you
Let me entertain you let me entertain you

I've come here to sell you my body
I can show you some good merchandise
I'll pull you and I'll pill you
I'll Cruella-de-Ville you
And to thrill you I'll use any device

We'll give you crazy performance
We'll give you grounds for divorce
We'll give you piece de resistance
And a tour de force of course

We found the right location
Got a lot of pretty lights
The sound and amplification listen
Hey if you need a fix if you want a high
Stickell's see to that
With Electra and E.M.I.
We'll show you where it's at
So c'mon
Let me entertain you let me entertain you
Let me entertain you let me entertain you

Just take a look at the menu
We give you rock a la carte
We'll breakfast at Tiffany's
We'll sing to you in Japanese
We're only here to entertain you

If you want to see some action
You get nothing but the best
The S and M attraction
We've got the pleasure chest
Chicago down to New Orleans
We get you on the line
If you dig the New York scene
We'll have a son of a bitch of a time
C'mon
Let me entertain let me entertain
Let me entertain you tonight

Hey where's my backstage pass
That was great
What an outrageous costume
Hey that Brian May is outta sight man
Not many not many
I've always wanted to be a groupie