Written for the April 20 edition
of Jim Adamsβ Song Lyric Sunday.
Hereβs what I have to say.
Tag: Song Lyric Sunday
Death and Taxes
Written for Song Lyric Sunday
where the challenge is to write
about a song dealing with taxes
and/or money. Hereβs my response.
Move Over, Rover
Written for Song Lyric Sunday
where the challenge is to write
about a song with βblackβ in the
title. Hereβs my response.
Long Cool Woman
Written for Song Lyric Sunday
where the challenge is to write
about a song with βblackβ in
the title. This is my song.
Cool Dry Place
Written for Jim Adamsβ Song Lyric Sunday
post entitled ‘Doctor’s Day’ and the theme
of doctors and all the work they do.
Hereβs my response to the challenge.
It’s All About The Rain
Written for Jim Adamsβ Song Lyric Sunday post
entitled ‘World Meteorological Day’
and the theme of βweather conditionsβ.
Hereβs my response to this weekβs challenge.
How Sweet It Is!
Written for Jim Adamsβ Song Lyric Sunday post,
‘Parts of the Day’. Jim has asked us to write
about a song that incorporates times of day.
Hereβs my response to this weekβs challenge.
The Story of Youngblood Priest
Written for Jim Adamsβ Song Lyric Sunday
post ‘Get Over It Day’. This is my song.
Tuesday’s Child: A Waltmarie
Written for dVerse Poets Meet At the Bar:
The Poetry of Names. Just last week
the theme at Song Lyric Sunday was
songs that feature our names.
This is my Waltmarie.*
The Name Game
Written for Jim Adamsβ Song Lyric Sunday theme
‘Namesake Day’, where he has asked us to
write about a song that mentions our name.
This is my name and these are my songs.
Love Me Tender
Written for Jim Adamsβ Song Lyric Sunday post
‘Matching Song and Movie Titles’ where he asks us
to write about a song that was used as the
title of a movie. Here is my ‘matching title’.
They’ve Got It Covered
Today in Jim Adamsβ Song Lyric Sunday post
entitled ‘Transcending the Original’, he has asked us
to write about a song we feel was better than the original.
Written for Song Lyric Sunday, here are my songs.
A Band In Name Only
Today in Jim Adamsβ Song Lyric Sunday post
entitled ‘Band Reunion’ he has asked us to
write about a song(s) played by a band that
got together for a reunion. Written for
Song Lyric Sunday, here is my song.
Regrets, I’ve Had A Few
Today in Jim Adamsβ Song Lyric Sunday post
entitled ‘Groundhog Day’ he has asked us to
write about a song(s) about being stuck, feeling
trapped, or about regret. Written for
Song Lyric Sunday, here are my songs.
It’s Two, By George!
Today in Jim Adamsβ Song Lyric Sunday post
entitled ‘Quasimodo Rang The Bell’, he has asked us
to write about a song that mentions a bell, buzzer,
chime, gong, horn, siren or whistle. Written for
Song Lyric Sunday, here’s my selection.
Re-mem-mem, re-mem-mem-mem-ber?
This week in Jim Adamsβ Song Lyric Sunday post
entitled ‘Brush With Fame’ he has asked us to
write about a song from a forgotten band.
Written for Song Lyric Sunday, hereβs my choice.
Four By Four
Today in Jim Adamsβ Song Lyric Sunday post
entitled ‘Work Harder Day’, he has asked us to
write about a song that includes the words
work or hard. Bonus points for using both!
Written for Song Lyric Sunday, here’s my response.
Crystal-Clear & Velvet-Smooth
Today in Jim Adams’ post entitled Kicking It Off,
Jim has asked us to write about a song by
someone who was born in the month of January
Written for Song Lyric Sunday, this is my choice.
Storm Front
Today in Jim Adams’ post entitled ‘The Seven Seas’,
he has asked us to write about a song that features nautical
terms, words connected with ships, sailing or navigation.
Written for Song Lyric Sunday, this is my choice.
Old Grey Whistle Test – May 30, 1975
Today in Jim Adams’ post ‘Emphasis On Album Acts’,
he has gone with a theme suggested by
βthe only deadhead in the hameauβ which
is to write about a song that was played on
the BBCβs βThe Old Grey Whistle Testβ TV show.
Written for Song Lyric Sunday, here is my choice.
Here Comes The Sun
Written for Song Lyric Sunday. This week in his post,
“Best of the Best”, Jim Adams has asked his readers
to write about a song that won the Brit Award for
Outstanding Contribution to Music. Here is my choice.
Keeping It Casual
This week Jim Adams has asked his readers in his post,
“Recognizing and Celebrating the Most Outstanding Albumβ, to write
about a song that won the Brit Award for Album of the Year.
Written for Song Lyric Sunday, here is my choice.
Too-ra-loo-ra, Too-ra-loo-rye-ay
This week Jim Adams has asked his readers
in his post, βAn Annual Celebrationβ, to write about
a song that won the Brit Award for Best Song of the Year.
Written for Song Lyric Sunday, here is my choice.
Finding Tranquility
This week Jim Adams has asked his readers
in his post βSprouting and Thrivingβ to write about
a song that won a Grammy award for Best New Artist.
Written for Song Lyric Sunday, here is my choice.
Man, It’s A Hot One
Written for Song Lyric Sunday. This week Jim Adams
has asked his readers in his post “Songs That Matter” to write
about a song that won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
Todayβs gorgeous graphic was created by Kevin @
No Theme Thursday. Here’s my musical choice.
It Was 20 Years Ago Today
Written for Song Lyric Sunday. This week Jim Adams has asked
his readers in his post ‘Most Prestigious Award Category’ to write about
a song from an album that won a Grammy Award for ‘Album of the
Year’. My choice today is βSgt. Pepperβs Lonely Hearts Club Bandβ
from the Beatlesβ Grammy Award-winning album of the same name.
The Beach Girls
Written for Song Lyric Sunday. This week Jim Adams has
asked his readers in his post “Do It Again” to write about a song
by children of famous singers who also became famous.
This theme was suggested by Barbara (ghostmmnc) at teleportingweena.wordpress.com. This is my choice.
Family Affair
Written for Song Lyric Sunday. This week Jim Adams
has asked his readers in his post ‘Quality Time’ to write about
a song dealing with parenting or a child/parent relationship.
This theme was my suggestion and here is my reply.
Intoxicating Me
It’s Sunday and that means it’s time for Song Lyric Sunday!
This week Jim Adams has asked his readers in his post “Spirits”
to write about a song that mentions drinks or cocktails.
Theme suggested by Di at pensitivity101.wordpress.com. Here is my reply.
Pull up a stool and start running a tab, because weβre diving into a very popular topic in the music world: booze.
Drinking is practically a worldwide pastime. After all, Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying, βBeer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.β Frank Sinatra once said, βAlcohol may be manβs worst enemy, but the Bible says to love your enemy.β And then, thereβs the greatest quote about alcohol by the legendary comic actor W.C. Fields: βI spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wastedβ!
Whether itβs beer or wine or the hard stuff, there are countless songs about drinking. Some of these songs are upbeat, while others are dark. Some are joyous while others are sorrowful. Regardless, many have resonated with fans spanning multiple generations.
Iβm not much of a drinker; while I do occasionally enjoy a glass of wine π·, a very dirty martini with extra olivesπΈ , a spicy Bloody Mary πΉ or an ice cold Stella Artois πΊ on a hot summer day, more than one of any of those libations would wipe me out.
I took some time to explore songs about drinking through a variety of different lenses, from love ballads to cautionary tunes of heartache and everything in between. At the end of it all, when it comes to drinking, most people just want to unwind, have a good time and forget about whatever troubles theyβre dealing with.
Not so my featured song today … a classic jazz number from 1938 called βYou Go To My Headβ which artfully compares the effects of love and drink. There are quite a few versions of the song and Iβve heard most of them; none, in my opinion, come close to Billie Holiday.
Born April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Billie Holiday was a superstar of her day. She first rose to prominence in the 1930’s with a unique style that reinvented the conventions of modern singing and performance. More than 80 years after making her first recording, Billie’s legacy continues to embody what is elegant and cool in contemporary music. Billieβs complicated life and genre-defining autobiography βLady Sings the Bluesβ made her a cultural icon. The evocative, soulful voice which she boldly put forth as a force for good, turned any song she sang into her own. Today, Billie Holiday is remembered for her musical masterpieces, her songwriting skills, creativity and courageous views on inequality and justice. To read more about the extraordinary life of Billie Holiday, please follow this link.
Three different recordings of βYou Go to My Headβ by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie made the Top 20 list in 1938: Billie Holidayβs version was one of them. Written after a long night at a local speakeasy, the songβs melody can be played as bright and effervescent or as introspective and melancholy. The song has been featured in the movies Laura (1944) and The Big Sleep (1946).
Iβve been in love with βYou Go To My Headβ since the first time I heard it as a young teenager. Itβs a sophisticated jazz piece about love and booze β¦ a very unusual choice for a 13 or 14 year old girl who didnβt know anything about either subject. Somehow I knew this song was much more than a ditty about drinks and love. Itβs also the first song with an adult theme which I memorized and practiced singing. Iβm sure no matter how many times I performed this song later in life, I never sounded as cool and classy as Billie Holiday.
This is βYou Go To My Headβ by Billie Holiday
LYRICS
You go to my head
And you linger like a haunting refrain
And I find you spinning round in my brain
Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne
You go to my head
Like a sip of sparkling burgundy brew
And I find the very mention of you
Like the kicker in a julep or two
The thrill of the thought
That you might give a thought to my plea
Casts a spell over me
Still I say to myself, “Get a hold of yourself”
Can’t you see that it never can be?
You go to my head
With a smile that makes my temperature rise
Like a summer with a thousand Julys
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes
Though I’m certain that this heart of mine
Hasn’t a ghost of a chance in this crazy romance
You go to my head
You go to my head
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: J. Fred Coots/Haven Gillespie
You Go to My Head lyrics Β© Wb Music Corp., Toy Town Tunes Inc, Toy Town Tunes, Inc., John F. Coots Jr. Trust Music
Producer(s): John Hammond, Bernie Hanighen
Vocal: Billie Holiday
Composer, Lyricist: J.F. Coots/H. Gillespie
Guitar: Danny Barker
Drums: Cozy Cole
Re-Mastering Engineer(s): Seth Foster, Mark Wilder
Piano: Billy Kyle
Saxophone: Babe Russin
Clarinet: Buster Bailley
Trumpet: Charlie Shavers
Big thanks to Jim Adams for hosting another great Song Lyric Sunday this week and to Di for a terrific theme suggestion! Be sure to follow the links and check out their sites.
Thanks for stopping by. See you on the flip side. π
NARΒ©2024
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephantβs Trunk and The Rhythm Section and is not for use by anyone without permission. NARΒ©2017-present.
Getting the Knack
Written for Song Lyric Sunday. This week Jim Adams
has asked his readers in his post, ‘Significance of Names’,
to write about a song with a personβs name in the title.
When youβre 17, raging hormones and unrequited young love can be a combustible combination. And for the American rock band The Knack (named after the British comedy film The Knack β¦ And How To Get It), they provided the spark for their first #1 song and the biggest single of 1979 β βMy Sharonaβ.
Though lead singer Doug Fieger was 25 at the time, he purposefully cast himself in the role of a sex-crazed adolescent for the song. βIt was a conscious effort for me to come at it from the point of view of my remembered teenage self,β Fieger once said. βI wanted to tell the story from that place where it’s more raw and direct.β
Lead guitarist Berton Averre came up with the famous intro guitar riff, inspired by the intro and beat of Elvis Costelloβs song βPump It Upβ and βGoing To A Go-Goβ by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. If you want to hear what inspired Berton Averre, check out those two songs on YouTube. It was pretty obvious to me.
But the real inspiration for the song was one Sharona Alperin (see photo above).
In 1978, when The Knack was on the rise in the Los Angeles pop scene, Doug Fieger was introduced to Sharona Alperin, a dark-haired 17-year-old beauty who worked as a clerk in a clothing shop. Fieger said, βIt was love at first sight. Literally. I broke up with my girlfriend and chased Sharona for a year.β
Though Alperin was in a relationship and put Fieger off, it didn’t stop him from pursuing her. βDoug made it very clear he was in love with me,β Alperin said. βIt wasn’t like my boyfriend and the world didn’t know. I always say that he was my groupie, I wasn’t his.β Indeed, it was a strange dynamic.
In late 1978, The Knack signed with Capitol, home of their favorite band, the Beatles. βMy Sharonaβ was released a few weeks later, taking over the airwaves in 1979, and has remained a staple in classic rock radio. It has also appeared in several movies, including Reality Bites and Super 8.
Fieger and Alperin finally did get together and had a four year run as a couple. They remained friendly and even 30 years later Fieger called Sharona the love of his life. Fieger died from cancer in 2010 at age 57. Alperin is a now a successful real estate agent in Beverly Hills. Her website’s welcome page (mysharona.com, of course) features the familiar drum beat and guitar riff.
Of the song, Alperin has said, βMichelle, Yoko, Roxanne β there are so many great songs named after women in history. I feel incredibly fortunate that I’ve had this experience. It’s a really exciting adventure that never leaves me.”
βMy Sharonaβ remained at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for six weeks; it was also #1 on Billboard‘s 1979 Top Pop Singles year-end chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, representing one million copies sold, and was Capital Recordsβ fastest gold status debut single since the Beatlesβ βI Want To Hold Your Handβ in 1964. βMy Sharonaβ has since gone on to sell more than 10 million copies as of 2010.
This is βMy Sharonaβ by The Knack.
LYRICS
Ooh, my little pretty one, pretty one
When you gonna give me some time, Sharona?
Ooh, you make my motor run, my motor run
Gun it coming off of the line, Sharona
Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind
I always get it up for the touch of the younger kind
My, my, my, I, yi, woo!
M-m-m-my Sharona
Come a little closer, huh, ah, will ya, huh?
Close enough to look in my eyes, Sharona
Keeping it a mystery gets to me
Running down the length of my thighs, Sharona
Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind
I always get it up for the touch of the younger kind
My, my, my, I, yi, woo!
M-m-m-my Sharona
M-m-m-my Sharona
When you gonna give to me, g-give to me?
Is it just a matter of time, Sharona?
Is it j-just destiny, d-destiny
Or is it just a game in my mind, Sharona?
Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind
I always get it up for the touch of the younger kind
My, my, my, I, yi, woo!
M-m-m-my, my, my, I, yi, woo!
M-m-m-my Sharona
M-m-m-my Sharona
M-m-m-my Sharona
M-m-m-my Sharona
Mmh, ohh, my Sharona
Mmh, ohh, my Sharona
Mmh, ohh, my Sharona
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Doug Fieger/Burton Averre
My Sharona lyrics Β© Wise Brothers Music Llc, Eighties Music
Β© RisMedia
For fans of the popular TV show βMonkβ, youβll remember that Sharona Fleming was Adrian Monkβs nurse and assistant during the first three seasons. Monk was in a catatonic state for three and a half years following the murder of his wife, Trudy, until Sharona began taking care of him. A detective with OCD, Monk (played by award-winning actor Tony Shalhoub) was able to resume work because of Sharonaβs care. Monk once remarked, “When she found me, I was drowningβ. Sharona Fleming was portrayed by actress Bitty Schram. Here are some clips from βMonkβ.
Big thanks to Jim Adams for hosting another great Song Lyric Sunday this week. Be sure to follow the link and check out Jimβs site.
Thanks for stopping by. See you on the flip side. π
NARΒ©2024
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephantβs Trunk and The Rhythm Section and is not for use by anyone without permission. NARΒ©2017-present.
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