Will Hoge – Washed By The Water

This is my contribution to Song Lyric Sunday for Jim Adams’s blog. This week’s prompt…Air/Earth/Fire/Water.

From his 2007 album, Draw The Curtains. The song is about Hurricane Katrina and the damage it caused when it hit New Orleans in 2005.

Washed By The Water

Damned old levy,
Well they knew that it would go.
Been talking about it,
Since before my daddy’s born.
Ain’t nobody listens to what a poor man has to say.

But down here we’re washed by the water,
The water can’t wash us away.

Now I hear people talkin’,
Say I should have up and gone.
But I ain’t got nothing but this place,
To call my home.
My father and his father,
Stay until their dying days

Down here we’re washed by the water,
The water can’t wash us away.
Down here we’re washed by the water,
The water can’t wash us away.

We’ll put it back together,
With our own two hands.
Ain’t nobody gonna turn us around.
It’s oddly a little empty,
And it all seems broken down.
Oh Lord we sure could use you now.

Then the president came down,
And said this is awful sad.
But ain’t no words from that man,
Gonna bring us nothing back

And in the ghost of church bells,
I hear my momma say

Down here we’re washed by the water,
The water can’t wash us away.
Down here we’re washed by the water,
The water can’t wash us away.

Been washed by the water, the water can’t wash us away
Been washed by the water, the water can’t wash us away
Been washed by the water, the water can’t wash us away
(Everybody sing)
Been washed by the water, the water can’t wash us away
(Can’t wash us away)
Been washed by the water, the water can’t wash us away
(Can’t wash us away)
Been washed by the water, the water can’t wash us away
(No no no no no no)
Been washed by the water, water can’t wash us away
(Can’t wash us away)
Been washed by the water, water can’t wash us away
(One more time)
Been washed by the water, water can’t wash us away

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Will Hoge

Tina Turner – Better Be Good To Me

This is my contribution to Song Lyric Sunday for Jim Adams’s blog. This week’s prompt…Best/Better/Good/Great.

From her 1984 album, Private Dancer. The song reached #16 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart on November 2, 1984.

From Songfacts.

This song was written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman. In our interview with Holly Knight, she told the story: “I was seeing a guy at the time who kind of had this adorable little crush on me, this German guy. He came to my house and left me some flowers and a note, and it said something like, ‘If you’re good to me.’ And I’m thinking, you know, if I can twist that around I can make it into a song.”

Chapman and Knight wrote this for Knight’s band Spider, who released the original version in 1981. Chapman and Knight wrote several hits together, including “Love Is A Battlefield” and “The Best, but this was the first song they ever wrote together. Chapman was an established songwriter, but this was new to Knight, who quickly learned she had a talent for composing songs. Says Knight: “I didn’t know I was a songwriter ’til Mike Chapman told me I was. I was playing keyboard since I was 4, but I only wrote because everybody else in my band Spider was doing it, and they kind of sucked.”

Rupert Hine produced this track and played all the instruments except guitar. He was working with the Fixx at the time recording their Phantoms album, and agreed to take a week off to work on Tina Turner’s Private Dancer, where he produced “Better Be Good To Me” and “I Might Have Been Queen,” which he also wrote. According to Hine, Turner’s manager Roger Davies sorted through hundreds of songs searching for the right ones to get her comeback rolling. The only song that was written specifically for Turner was Hine’s “I Might Have Been Queen.”

Since their producer was taking some time off to work on the Tina Turner album, the Fixx guitarist Jamie West-Oram got in on the action and played on this track. Fixx lead singer Cy Curnin added backing vocals along with Rupert Hine, who played the rest of the instruments. The male backing vocals were unusual and gave the song an edgier sound that helped set it apart from similar productions.

This won for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female at the 1985 Grammy Awards. Turner also won that year in the category of Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for “What’s Love Got To Do With It.” >>

In the book Classic Albums, Turner said: “This song was very me. I could just see myself performing it. It was just right – the words and the delivery, the performance of it – and what I liked about what Rupert Hine did with it is his style of keyboard. It just blared through, and wherever you heard it, the first thing you got was that bass line that he added. That was what made that song a hit. It was my vocal and Rupert Hine’s keyboard. He’s got something, and it works.”

Better Be Good To Me

A prisoner of your love
Entangled in your web
Hot whispers in the night
I’m captured by your spell
Oh yes I’m touched by this show of emotion
Should I be fractured by your lack of devotion
Should I, should I?

You better be good to me
That’s how it’s gotta be now
‘Cause I don’t have no use
For what you loosely call the truth
And you better be good to me

C’mon c’mon be good to me

I think it’s all so right
That we don’t need to fight
We stand face to face
And you present your case
Yes I know you keep telling me that you love me
And I really do want to believe
But did you think I’d just accept you in blind faith
Oh sure babe, anything to please you

But you better be good to me
That’s how it’s gotta be now
‘Cause I don’t have the time
For your over loaded lines
And you better be good to me

Be good to me

And I really don’t see why it’s so hard to be good to me
And you know, I don’t understand what’s your plan, that you can’t be good to me
Why can’t you be, good to me
Be good, be good to me

‘Cause I don’t have no use
For what you loosely call the truth
And I don’t have the time
For your over loaded lines
But you better be good to me
Be good to me, be good
Be good to me

‘Cause I don’t have no use
For what you loosely call the truth
And I don’t have the time
For your over loaded lines
You better be good to me
Good to me, better be, good to me
Be good, be good to me, good to me
Why can’t you be good to me
Why can’t you be good to me
C’mon c’mon c’mon

Writer/s: HOLLY KNIGHT, MICHAEL DONALD CHAPMAN, NICHOLAS BARRY CHINN

Halestorm – Amen

This is my contribution to Song Lyric Sunday for Jim Adams’s blog. This week’s prompt…Cool/Freeze/Heat/Melt.

From their 2015 album, Into the Wild Life. The song did not chart. The song was recorded at producer Jay Joyce’s studio in Nashville.

From Wikipedia.

Frontwoman Lzzy Hale has stated in interviews that the song is about personal freedom to do whatever you want.

Amen

A fire’s gotta burn
The world is gonna turn
Rain has gotta fall
Fate is gonna call
But I just keep on breathing
Long as my heart is beating

Someone’s gotta hate
It’s never gonna change
Gets harder everyday
It’s a hell of a place
To keep your heart from freezing
To keep yourself believing

But I won’t run
I’m not afraid
I’ll look em in the eye
Gonna hear me say
It’s

My life
My love
My sex
My drug
My lust
My God, it ain’t no sin
Can I get it
Can I get an Amen
My grace
My church
My pain
My tears
My hurt
My God, I’ll say it again
Can I get it
Can I get an Amen

Can I get it
Can I get an Amen
Can I get it
Can I get an Amen

Life has gotta kill
Faith is gonna blind
Hope is gonna fade
The truth is gonna lie
Sometimes there’s no reason
To justify the meaning

But I won’t run
I’m not ashamed
It’s gonna take more than this for me to break

My life
My love
My sex
My drug
My lust
My God, it ain’t no sin
Can I get it?
Can I get an Amen?
My grace
My church
My pain
My tears
My hurt
My God, I’ll say it again
Can I get it?
Can I get an Amen?

Can I get it
Can I get an Amen
Can I get it
Can I get an Amen

My life, my love, my sex, my drug
My lust

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Elizabeth Mae Hale / Joseph Hottinger / Scott Christopher Stevens

Will Hoge – Highway Wings

From his 2009 album, The Wreckage. The song did not chart but it reminds me a lot of the band The Wallflowers.

Highway Wings

I hear…
Here your voice shaking
On the end of the line
Hold on
Baby I’ll be there
In a sweet little while

Blue skies…
Blue skies calling
Telling me to move on…
Around here
Everyones fadin
Already… gone

This town is broke down baby
Full of dust from rusted dreams
I gotta get
Before it gets me
I need to hear that blacktop sing
Underneath my highway wings
My highway wings

I hear to
Too many stories
About what could have been…
Everbody here would be different
If they could do it again
I’m not
I’m not gonna stay here
There’s no way to win…
In a town
Of dead end losers
I don’t want to fit in…

I need to know…
I need to feel…
What it would be like far away from here
The time has come
To say goodbye
It’s time for me to fly…

I got my highway wings…

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Eric Paslay / Will Hoge

Grace Potter And The Nocturnals – Stars

The song reached number 95 on Billboards Hot 100 Charts and Number 15 on Billboards Adult Alternative Charts in 2012. It was from their album “The Lion The Beast and The Beat”. It was recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville.

Grace Potter And The Nocturnals – Stop The Bus

From their 2007 album, This Is Somewhere. Unfortunately, the song never charted but it has a really great feel to it.

From Huffpost.

Potter introduced “Stop the Bus” as “a little number I actually wrote when we were traveling through the hills of Colorado one fateful evening when our RV broke down right by Buffalo Bill’s Grave over there.”

Stop The Bus

Weve been drivin since winter
The destination doesnt change
You know I can still remember
The day you asked me for my name

You are the rock on the riverbed
Growin smoother every year
You are the voice inside my head
I cant believe that you got me here

Stop the bus and turn the radio up high
And grab the first guitar you see
And get out the old flare gun and throw it to the sky
Tonight youre sleepin next to me

You give me somethin to remember
Each time you look into my eyes
You see through my trouble and my temper
And you call me out on every lie

Stop the bus and turn the radio up high
And grab the first guitar you see
And get out the old flare gun and throw it to the sky
Tonight youre sleepin next to me

Stop the bus and turn the radio up high
And grab the first guitar that you see
And then get out the old flare gun and throw it to the sky
Tonight youre sleepin next to me

Why dont you stop the bus and turn the radio up high
And grab the first guitar that you see
Get out the old flare gun and throw it to the sky
Tonight youre sleepin next to, next to me

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals – Ah Mary

This is my contribution to Song Lyric Sunday for Jim Adams’s blog. This week’s prompt…Maria/Marie/Mary.

From their 2007 album, This Is Somewhere. The song did not chart.

From the nytimes.com.

Like many classic rockers before her, Ms. Potter addresses politics metaphorically. The band’s minor hit “Ah Mary” mounts a furious accusation at a woman (a surrogate for a high-ranking politician?) who has “dirty money,” who “puts herself a notch above humankind,” and who will “bake you cookies, then she’ll burn your town.”

As Ms. Potter sang the words “She’s the beat of my heart, she’s the shot of a gun/She’ll be the end of me and nearly everyone,” she implicated herself in the imminent disaster, suggesting that there is a vengeful part of “Mary” in everyone.

Ah Mary

She’s skilled at the art of deception and she knows it
She’s got dirty money that she plays with all the time
Yeah, she waters the garden and maybe she just likes the hoses
She puts herself just a notch above human kind

Ah, Mary
She’ll bake you cookies then she’ll burn your town
Ah, Mary
Ashes, ashes but she won’t fall down

She’s the beat of my heart
She’s the shot of a gun
She’ll be the end of me
And maybe everyone

Yeah, she’s the beat of my heart
She’s the shot of a gun
She’ll be the end of me
And maybe everyone

Call her a bully, she’ll blow up your whole damn playground
Pour her a drink and watch it go straight to her head
She’ll take you so high up and cover her eyes as you fall down
Then in the morning, don’t be surprised if you’re dead

Ah, Mary
She’ll bake you cookies then she’ll burn your town
Ah, Mary
Ashes, ashes but she won’t fall down

She’s the beat of my heart
She’s the shot of a gun
She’ll be the end of me
And maybe everyone

She’s the beat of my heart
She’s the shot of a gun
She’ll be the end of me
And maybe everyone, oh, Mary

Yeah, she’s the beat of my heart
She’s the shot of a gun
She’ll be the end of me
And maybe everyone

Ah, Mary, Mary, Mary, America
Ah, Mary, Mary, Mary, America
Oh, America

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Grace Potter

Moon Martin – Rolene

From Bestclassicbands.com

Moon Martin, a singer-songwriter, guitarist and power pop performer best known for his song “Bad Case of Loving You,” a 1979 hit for Robert Palmer, died on May 11, 2020. Neither the location nor cause of death was known. His death was confirmed by Tulsa World and Craig Leon, who produced several of his albums. Martin was 74 (though some reports say he was 69).

Born John David Martin on Oct. 31, 1945 – the nickname “Moon” came from his propensity to use the word in his song lyrics – Martin released a series of albums for Capitol Records, beginning in the late ’70s. The power pop artist earned a pair of modest chart hits in 1979, “Rolene” (#30) and “No Chance” (#50), both from his Escape From Domination album.

Martin was born in Altus, Okla. After attending the Univ. of Oklahoma, he went to Los Angeles, where his scant biographical materials indicated that he briefly performed with Linda Ronstadt’s band. Her longtime producer and manager, John Boylan, confirmed this to blogger Bob Lefsetz:

“At Linda’s suggestion, I hired him to be in her band for one Troubadour gig in 1971,” he wrote. “The rest of the band consisted of Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Michael Bowden (on bass), Byron Berline on occasional fiddle, and me on occasional acoustic guitar or Wurlitzer electric piano. I recorded three or four sets for a possible live album, using the old Wally Heider truck, but nothing came of it. We did release one track – a version of “Rescue Me,” and it shows Moon’s uncanny ability to add something fresh while still fitting in. He takes a very rock and roll approach to an R and B song and it works great.”

The song reached #30 on Billboards Hot 100 chart in 1979. Moon Martin also wrote the song “Bad Case of Loving You” that Robert Palmer had a big hit with that went to #14 on the Hot 100 charts also in 1979.

Rolene

Come on operator gimme Rolene on my line
She knows what I need to ease a cravin’ in my spine
A cheerleaders smile
Tijuana style
Your daddy might be judge
Sure know how to nudge

All right Rolene
Rolene
Rolene

Well, I’ve been livin’ so white and clean
Jack, it’s made me mean
I need Rolene’s smooth, round thigh
It’s like a rush to get me high
I give it my best shot
Honey, all I got
My name may not be Hud
But I’ll show you I’m no dud

All right Rolene
Rolene
Rolene

You know my baby’s love
Just like a sweet velvet glove
Honey, crack that whip
Ya make me bite my lip

Lonnie Donegan – Jack O’ Diamonds

This is my contribution to Song Lyric Sunday for Jim Adams’s blog. This week’s prompt…Jack/John.

While America was Rockin England was listening to Skiffle. Lonnie Donegan was known as the King of Skiffle. He influenced bands like the Beatles and members of Led Zeppelin. Jimmy Page was in a Skiffle band when he was only 14. The song reached #14 on UK’s singles chart in 1957. The song was originally recorded by Blind Lemon Jefferson in 1926 and covered by numerous artists.

Jack O’ Diamonds

Jack O’Diamonds, one-eyed knave
On the move, hits the street
Bumps his head, on the ground
Well, he’s a scout, you’re born to lose
Shouldn’t stay Jack O’Diamonds is a hard card
To play Jack O’Diamonds, yeah Jack O’Diamonds
This one-eyed prince, wears a single love
Oh sure, he’s not that lovely
Jack O’Diamonds broke my hand
Left me here to stand Jack O’Diamonds is a
Hard card to land Jack O’Diamonds is a hard card
Jack O’Diamonds is a high card
Jack O’Diamonds is a hard card
But it ain’t hard enough Jack O’Diamonds can open for riches
Jack O’Diamonds but then it switches
Colour by picture but it’s only a ten Jack O’Diamonds,
Yeah Jack O’Diamonds Jack O’Diamonds is a hard
Card to play Jack O’Diamonds, yeah Jack O’Diamonds
This one-eyed prince, wears a single love
Oh sure, he’s not that lovely
Jack O’Diamonds broke my hand
Left me here to stand Jack O’Diamonds is a
Hard card to play Jack O’Diamonds is a hard card
Jack O’Diamonds is a high card
Jack O’Diamonds is a hard card
But it ain’t hard enough Jack O’Diamonds can open for riches
Jack O’Diamonds but then it switches
Colour by picture but it’s only a ten
Jack O’Diamonds

Paul McCartney and Wings – With A Little Luck

This is my contribution to Song Lyric Sunday for Jim Adams’s blog. This week’s prompt…Big/Large/Little/Small/Tall/Tiny.

From his 1978 album, London Town. The song peaked at #5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart on May 19, 1978.

From Songfacts

The song was long, 5:45, but radio stations were for the most part content to play the unedited single, even though edited promos were sent out.

There were 2 versions of the song, the original unedited 5:45 album version, which radio stations were for the most part content to play and the edited DJ version, which only runs for 3:13.

This was written on Paul McCartney’s farm in Scotland. Most of this song was recorded on a motor yacht called the Fair Carol in the Virgin Islands along with several other tracks on London Town. The yacht had a mobile 24-track recording studio installed on it, and when they weren’t recording McCartney, his family and the band lived on three other yachts. The song was then finished off back in London.

Thinking of the water bound sessions, they planned to call the album “Water Wings.”

The lyrics do not convey a political or social message, but McCartney has no problem with Silly Love Songs.

With A Little Luck

With a little luck we can help it out
We can make this whole damn thing work out
With a little love we can lay it down
Can’t you feel the town exploding

There is no end to what we can do together
There is no end
The willow turns his back on inclement weather
And if he can do it we can do it

Just me and you
And a little luck we can clear it up
We can bring it in for a landing
With a little luck we can turn it on
There can be no misunderstanding

There is no end to what we can do together
There is no end
The willow turns his back on inclement weather
And if he can do it

Just me and you
With a little push we could set it off
We can send it rocketing skywards
With a little love we could shake it up
Don’t you feel the comet exploding

With a little luck, with a little luck
With a little luck, a little luck, a little luck

With a little love, we can lay it down
Can’t you feel the town exploding
With a little push, we could set it off
We could send it rocketing skywards

With a little love, we could shake it up
Don’t you feel the comet exploding forwardsWriter/s: PAUL MCCARTNEY
P

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