This is one of a regular series of articles highlighting some of the music that has played a part in my life.
You’ll find a range of songs from old to new. You’ll probably find music that has been part of the soundtrack of your life too.
You can also check out some of the other songs that make up the soundtrack of my life.
When Smokey Sings – ABC
In 1987 new wave duo, ABC, released a tribute to soul singer Smokey Robinson. When Smokey Sings had varying degrees of chart success around the world.
Robinson himself was on the pop charts with his single “One Heartbeat” at the same time as this tribute song, marking one of the only times to date that a singer simultaneously was the performing artist of one Top 40 hit, while the subject of another chart hit. For the week ending 3 October 1987, both songs were in the Top 10 simultaneously. – Wiki
I hope you enjoy the song and video as much as I do.
I’d encourage you to get involved too. Let me know about some of the songs that are etched in your mind. What are the tunes that bring back a flood of memories every time their opening notes start cranking out on your stereo? Are there songs you love for their music and others that speak deeply through their lyrics?
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Highlighting some of the songs that have been part of the soundtrack of my life.
When I was young I would see older people as having it all together. I wondered when I might reach that point when I knew all I needed to know and had life completely figured out. I’m still waiting for that time and unless I’m very much mistaken, so are you.
Sure, we are constantly growing in knowledge and life lessons but I think we’re always on a journey.
Most of us have felt the weight of unrealistic expectations and as life goes on we find more and more there are times that we’re left with a gnawing feeling that we’re never going to have it all together. Many are left wondering when that pressure will finally crush them.
I reckon British singer/songwriter Joe Jackson described it pretty well in his song Awkward Age where he identifies with a fifteen year old who’s struggling with life. He tells her she’s just an an awkward age before admitting that some of that awkwardness never wears off.
The Youtube clip below is only the audio and a picture of the album but have a listen anyway. The lyrics are below.
Awkward Age – Joe Jackson
I should have know that you were only just fifteen
You had a scowl like a Klingon beauty queen
Old enough to stand out but too young to stand with pride
So uncomfortable in your messed-up skin
And the cool parties never let you in
I can still relate to being left so high and dry
So don’t cry, you’re just at an awkward age
We’ll all be fine, disgraceful under pressure
Don’t toe the line, you’re just at an awkward age
Don’t cry
You look at me like I know what’s going on
I’m looking back and I wonder what went wrong
I really thought by now a few things might just clarify
I got a mind that goes out to lunch for days
And a body that sometimes disobeys
I get into the parties but I hate them ’cause I’m shy
Oh my, I’m still at an awkward age
We’ll all be fine, disgraceful under pressure
Don’t toe the line, you’re just at an awkward age
Don’t cry
We’re supposed to be happy, supposed to be tough
Supposed to be flawless and buy the right stuff
They want us all swimming don’t care if we drown
So don’t let ’em take you down
It’s a scary mountain to climb up without a guide
Besides we live in an awkward age
We’ll all be fine, disgraceful under pressure
Don’t toe the line, you’re just at an awkward age
Don’t cry
Towards the end of the song he sings, It’s a scary mountain to climb up without a guide. I agree. That’s why I’m glad I have someone who’s a guide, in fact far more than a guide, who helps make sense of my awkwardness. In times of pressure or confusion the words Jesus spoke around 2000 years ago are of great comfort.
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or illfitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. – Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)
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Highlighting some of the songs that have been part of the soundtrack of my life.
Remember those annoying websites that used to play music as soon as you opened them? Most of the time it’d be some horrible electronic noise and you’d immediately jump for the mute button or the volume control. I must admit to closing many websites as soon as the music started. I figured that if they were prepared to assault me with something like that there probably wasn’t anything worth seeing on the site.
There was one time, however, that I didn’t head for the hills after hearing a website cranking out some music. In fact I turned the music up and listened to it a number of times. It was absolutely stunning and I was hooked from the first notes I heard. I then began a quest to discover the name of the song and artist. It was If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys.
The song was released in February 2004, a single from the album The Diary of Alicia Keys which had been released a couple of months earlier. The lyrics contrast those who chase after riches with someone who seeks what really matters.
The song has won a number of awards including a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
It’s certainly one of my very favourite songs of all time. Alicia Keys is remarkably talented and this is an incredible song. If you’ve never heard the song before, check out the video below. If you have heard it before watch the video anyway just to remind yourself how good it is.
Unfortunately they’ve cut the end of the video and I wasn’t able to find a full version but it’s still worth checking out.
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Highlighting some of the songs that have been part of the soundtrack of my life.
Released as their first single in February 1984, Matt Bianco’s Get Out of Your Lazy Bed was a great way to kick off the career of a wonderful band.
While many figured that ‘Matt Bianco’ was the name of a person, with some assuming it was an alias for frontman Mark Reilly, the name is actually that of a made up spy or secret agent. The band had a number of line up changes and several minor hits.
Get Out of Your Lazy Bed is a great song to play loudly when someone is sleeping in. I used it several times in the mid-eighties to wake up a large group of young people at youth camps. Crank it up on the P.A. system and you’re sure to have people jumping about very quickly. (Though not all of them will thank you for it.)
The song appeared on their first album, Whose Side Are You On? which was released in August 1984 and subsequently got an absolute thrashing in my CD player.
You can check out the video of Get Out of Your Lazy Bed below.
I’ve got a couple of Matt Bianco CDs and one of Basia Trzetrzelewska who was part of the original lineup of the band. They’re all great.
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It’s sad to think that there are many young people who have never heard of The Beatles. Of course for those who do remember them, there has always been discussions over favourites. For some, Paul McCartney was the favourite, for others John Lennon, some thought George Harrison was the best Beatle and there were even some who marched to the beat of Ringo’s drum.
While I wasn’t really around in the early days of Beatlemania, (they exploded onto the charts the year I was born) I do enjoy a lot of their music and you’d find heaps of their work on my iPod. When it comes to the matter of favourites, I’m definitely with George Harrison.
I love a lot of George’s music, including the track I’ve chosen to highlight today, This Song. It’s a song about the song itself and it was written after a famous court case where Harrison was accused of copying someone else’s work.
“This Song” was written after the week Harrison spent in a New York courtroom, unsuccessfully trying to convince a judge that his 1970 song “My Sweet Lord” did not intentionally infringe the Chiffons’ 1963 hit “He’s So Fine”. According to Harrison, the plaintiff got ridiculously in-depth, breaking “My Sweet Lord” down into several melody lines, or “motifs”, as they referred to them. Apparently, the plaintiff also drew up several charts with large musical notes on it to prove their point. Harrison said in his autobiography, I, Me, Mine, that after several days, he “started to believe that maybe they did own those notes”. – Wiki
The subject matter wasn’t veiled at all. From the first few lines you knew exactly what it was all about.
This song has nothing tricky about it
This song ain’t black or white and as far as I know
Don’t infringe on anyone’s copyright, so . . .
This song we’ll let be
This song is in E
This song is for you and . . .
This tune has nothing Bright about it
This tune ain’t bad or good and come ever what may
My expert tells me it’s okay
As this song came to me
Quite unknowingly
This song could be you could be . . .
This riff ain’t trying to win gold medals
This riff ain’t hip or square
Well done or rare
May end up one more weight to bear
But this song could well be
A reason to see – that
Without you there’s no point to . . . this song
It’s a catchy, fun song that never really lit up the charts but I love it. I also love watching the video. It’s a lot of fun. Look out for appearances by a bunch of Harrison’s friends including drummer Jim Keltner as the judge and the Rolling Stones’s Ronnie Wood dressed as a middle aged woman miming the words, “Could be ‘Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch’ – No, sounds more like ‘Rescue Me’.” which was recorded on the song by Monty Python’s Eric Idle. You can watch it below.
George Harrison might not be your favourite Beatle; in fact you might not even like The Beatles at all, but This Song is part of the soundtrack of my life and I wanted to share it with you. Let me know what you think.
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This is one of a regular series of articles highlighting some of the music that has played a part in my life.