Todo lo Demás También (1997) – Andrés Calamaro

Posted on January 22, 2026 by observationblogger — Leave a comment
Andrés Calamaro - Todo lo demás (audio en vivo / año 2008) - YouTube

My favourite Latin-rock singer-songwriter and Argentine great, Andrés Calamaro, is back this time with Todo lo Demás También (Eng: And Everyone Else as Well). I was first introduced to his music by my daughter Katherine when she was seven years old, and I’ve been a fan ever since. She played his tremendous Flaca (Eng: Skinny) over and over, and from there we explored more of his catalogue using the bus service’s music offerings during a trip to Colombia’s Caribbean coast. I remember feeling almost dizzy listening for the first time to so many songs that truly floored me – many of which I’ve already written about here.

Another aspect of Calamaro’s image, singing, and music that I find so appealing is his clear Bob Dylan influence – not in a false or gimmicky way, but as an honest tribute. Kat also put me onto Calamaro’s Te Quiero Igual (I Love You Just the Same). I’ll never forget seeing the video for the first time – I shouted out, “That’s Dylan!” Calamaro performs a bold Dylan homage there, even recreating the cue-card imagery from Subterranean Homesick Blues. Crucially, though, he has the songwriting talent to back it up. Many of his songs, including today’s feature, carry a strong Dylanesque spirit. For that reason, I think he earns my unofficial label: “the Dylan of Latin America.”

What I love about Todo lo Demás También is the rollicking, slightly distorted guitar, which reverberates like a flighty, yet nervous heartbeat – as if the music itself reflects a fractured yet warm soul. I find it very catchy and oddly comforting at the same time. Then there’s Calamaro’s writing: sharp, witty, often humorous, sometimes snarky, and self-deprecating – “I have little to boast about / because everything I touch breaks.”

Calamaro frequently sings from the position of the wounded or displaced lover, caught in precarious relationships and left to unpack his own fickle, scattered thoughts. Here, he lays out small moments and observations that show him holding the losing hand once again. One comment I saw summed it up perfectly: “When you’re sent to the friend zone, but you’re noble and, like any gentleman, you accept defeat.”

So do yourself a favour and take in the amusing, intelligent lyrics below. It took me ages to organise the translation, so they may as well be put to good use.

Todo lo Demás También appears on Andrés Calamaro’s 1997 album Alta Suciedad (High Dirt), widely regarded as one of his finest and most beloved records. The album was recorded in the United States under the guidance of producer Joe Blaney and went on to become one of the best-selling albums in the history of Argentine rock.

I’ve also included an outstanding live version below the original studio recording. I hope Calamaro’s music leaves its mark on you as deeply as it did on me.
Thanks for reading.

Te vi quemando el pasaporte con rabia / I saw you burning your passport in anger
En la fuente de la Plaza Real / At the fountain in the Plaza Real
Entre fuegos artificiales pobres de pueblo / Amidst the cheap fireworks of a small town
Y palomas que nos ven pasar / And pigeons watching us pass by
Y todo lo demás también / And everyone else as well

Parecía el cielo porque estabas conmigo / It felt like heaven because you were with me
Todavía soy tu amigo, pero te deseo el bien / I’m still your friend, and I wish you well
O lo que quieras, pero por lo que más quieras / Or whatever you want – but for heaven’s sake
No me pises los zapatos de piel / Don’t step on my leather shoes
Y todo lo demás también / And everyone else’s as well

Puedo presumir de poco / I have little to boast about
Porque todo lo que toco se rompe (Uh-uh) / Because everything I touch breaks (uh-uh)
Te presté un corazón loco / I lent you a crazy heart
Que se dobla con el viento y se rompe (Uuh-uh-uh) / That bends with the wind and breaks (uuh-uh-uh)
(Uuh-uh-uh)

Yo te prometí hacer deporte / I promised I’d start exercising
Pero era una mentira para robarte un “tal vez” (Uuh) / But it was a lie, just to steal a “maybe” from you (uuh)
El fuera de juego era evidente / The offside was obvious
Y en la frente me escribí tu nombre por primera vez / And on my forehead I wrote your name for the first time
Y todo lo demás también / And everyone else’s as well

Puedo resumir un poco / I can sum it up a bit
Porque todo lo que toco se rompe (Uuh-uh) / Because everything I touch breaks (uuh-uh)
Te presté un corazón loco / I lent you a crazy heart
Que se dobla con el viento y se rompe / That bends with the wind and breaks (uuh-uh-uh)
(Uuh-uh-uh)

(Aah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-uuh-auh)
(Aah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
(Y todo lo demás también) / And everyone else as well
Puedo presumir de poco / I have little to boast about
Porque todo lo que toco se rompe (Uuh) / Because everything I touch breaks (uuh)
Hablo de un corazón loco / I’m talking about a crazy heart
Que se dobla con el viento y se rompe / That bends with the wind and breaks
(Aah-ah-ah, aah-ah-ah)
Y todo lo demás también / And everyone elses as well

References:
1. Andrés Calamaro – Wikipedia

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Today (1993) – The Smashing Pumpkins

Posted on January 21, 2026 by observationblogger — 12 Comments

Today by The Smashing Pumpkins sounds on the surface – uplifting and effervescent for a grunge-leaning alternative rock band that broke through during the mainstream embrace of alternative music in the early 1990s. However, the song comes in waves, capturing fleeting moments of exhilaration and sadness – the feeling of fully engaging with the present and soaking it up for all it’s worth, a sentiment that later reveals its irony, while knowing that tomorrow will arrive too, even if “tomorrow’s much too long” to get to.

From the gentle, chiming opening guitar riff, the song suddenly surges forward as a wall of distorted guitars crashes in. This shift sets up the song’s defining dynamic: the contrast between the delicate, almost siren-like lead guitar and the thick, bursting grunge sound that follows. Somehow, that tension lifts you up rather than drags you down. It certainly did for me the first time I heard it.

Lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter Billy Corgan – who also appears as the central figure in the video – once explained the song’s transformation: “When I added the opening riff, it completely changed the character of the song. Suddenly, I had a song that was starting out quiet and then got very loud.”

It surprised me to learn, while researching this article, that Billy Corgan wrote Today during a period when he was experiencing suicidal thoughts. Given the song’s ironic lines – such as “Today is the greatest day” – and its soft, gentle verses, many listeners, myself included, were likely unaware that the song reflects a deeper sense of depression and desperation tied closely to the narrator’s state of mind.

Corgan said, ‘I just thought it was funny to write a song that said today is the greatest day of your life because it can’t get any worse‘. Corgan later compared writing the lyrics of Today and “Disarm” to “ripping [his] guts out“.

I remember buying and listening to The Smashing Pumpkins’ second album, Siamese Dream, repeatedly when it was released in 1993. Today was issued as the album’s second single and achieved moderate success beyond the alternative charts, reaching No. 28 on the US Billboard chart and No. 44 in the UK. It has now recognized as one of the first songs that brought the Pumpkins into the mainstream.

Corgan said, “The day after I wrote ‘Today’, my manager heard it and said, ‘It’s a hit’, and I guess in a way, it was.” A Blender article described Today as having “achieved a remarkable status as one of the defining songs of its generation, perfectly mirroring the fractured alienation of American youth in the 1990s“.
The song ranked No. 63 in a 2006 poll at WOXY.com of the 500 Best Modern Rock Songs of all time.

Apart from today’s featured track, the record had some other fantastic songs which I listened to often, like Mayonaise, Tonight, Tonight & Disarm. The album received widespread acclaim and is often regarded as one of the best records of the genre. More broadly, my friends and I in Canberra were swept up in the alternative music wave coming out of Seattle, which was taking the music world by storm at the time. The Smashing Pumpkins were just one of many pioneering alternative rock bands helping to shape this new musical landscape. Our fascination with the scene ran deep – we even frequented obscure, grungy venues showcasing garage-style alternative bands that were only just starting out.

The accompanying music video below is pretty animated and sweet and contrasts with some of the dynamic shifts in the instrumentation. The description states: Corgan said that the plot of the video for “Today” was inspired by a memory he had of an ice cream truck driver who, upon quitting his job, gave out his remaining stock of ice cream to the neighborhood children.

The video brought even more mainstream success to the band through repeated airplay on MTV. Debuting in September 1993, it was shot with low quality photographic equipment, which, like several other early Pumpkins videos, was an intentional stylistic decision.

Today is the greatest
Day I’ve ever known
Can’t live for tomorrow
Tomorrow’s much too long
I’ll burn my eyes out
Before I get out

I wanted more
Than life could ever grant me
Bored by the chore
Of saving face

Today is the greatest
Day I’ve ever known
Can’t wait for tomorrow
I might not have that long
I’ll tear my heart out
Before I get out

Pink ribbon scars
That never forget
I tried so hard
To cleanse these regrets
My angel wings
Were bruised and restrained
My belly stings

Today is
Today is
Today is
The greatest day, ooh
Ooh, oh, oh, ooh

[Bridge]
I want to turn you on
I want to turn you on
I want to turn you on
I want to turn you

[Outro]
Today is the greatest
Today is the greatest day
Today is the greatest day
That I have ever really known

References:
1. Today (The Smashing Pumpkins song) – Wikipedia

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Hungry Heart (1980) – Bruce Springsteen

Posted on January 20, 2026 by observationblogger — 4 Comments

Hungry Heart makes an appearance at the beginning of Springsteen’s recent biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere, where it marks his first real brush with chart success, peaking at No. 5. It remains one of his ten most popular songs in terms of streaming. Yet, paradoxically, just as he achieved this level of public recognition, Springsteen was far from satisfied. He was still grappling with dark demons rooted in his upbringing, and at the very moment he might have wanted to lean into a bit of fame and fanfare, his attention was already turning toward his next record – Nebraska. You can read more about the lows and testing times Bruce faced during this difficult period in my review of the film here.

Hungry Heart was originally written for The Ramones, but Bruce kept it for himself. During the sessions for the Darkness on the Record album in 1977 he’d also written Because the Night for Patti Smith who landed a big hit with it. Previously, Bruce had composed Fire, originally intended to be performed by Elvis Presley but which ended up being a hit for The Pointer Sisters in 1978.

Joey Ramone and the Boss met in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Joey asked Springsteen to write a song for the Ramones, and on that same night, Bruce wrote Hungry Heart. He told Dave Marsh he wrote it in “a half hour, or ten minutes, real fast.”

In Clarence Clemons’s memoir Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales (2010) he describes Hungry Heart as arriving in a sudden burst at the end of a stalled studio day, with Springsteen going for a bathroom break, then coming back, and writing the song almost in one uninterrupted rush.
Jon Landau, Springsteen’s manager, warned that it could happen as had happened with Because the Night and Fire and convinced the Boss to keep the song Hungry Heart and include it on the album The River.

Hungry Heart has several interesting aspects. The verse and chorus have the same rhythm and the same melody and, in addition, Springsteen accelerates the lyrics slightly above the tempo. Moreover, it sounded brighter and poppier than anything Springsteen had recorded to date. Also Bruce’s tone sounds different than at any other time I can remember – Springsteen often sings against the song for phrasing and effect – but here he has a super smooth and softened, deepened nasally tone – shaped for radio – pop restraint, if you like.

The lyrics, as you will see below, contrast with the tone of the song. I wonder how many of those who attended the concerts in large stadiums during the eighties, chanting the song out so heartily knew it is about a man who abandons his wife and children. For a one-stop guide to everything you might want to know about Hungry Heart, including a deeper look at its narrative, I refer readers to the second reference, E Street Shuffle, listed at the end of this post.

[Intro]
Yeah!
Come on, go!

[Verse 1]
Got a wife and kids in Baltimore, Jack
I went out for a ride, and I never went back
Like a river that don’t know where it’s flowing
I took a wrong turn, and I just kept going

[Chorus]
Everybody’s got a hungry heart
Everybody’s got a hungry heart
Lay down your money, and you play your part
Everybody’s got a hungry heart
Uh-uh-uh

[Verse 2]
I met her in a Kingstown bar
We fell in love, I knew it had to end
We took what we had, and we ripped it apart
Now, here I am down in Kingstown again

[Verse 3]
Everybody needs a place to rest
Everybody wants to have a home
Don’t make no difference what nobody says
Ain’t nobody like to be alone, well

References:
1. Hungry Heart de Bruce Springsteen – Wikipedia
2. Roll of the Dice: Hungry Heart – E Street Shuffle

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Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565a (1704 and the 1740s) – Johann Sebastian Bach 

Posted on January 19, 2026 by observationblogger — 8 Comments

The Toccata and Fugue in D minor is a haunting organ work that can sound as if the organist is playing the entire building. It is easy to imagine how overwhelming it would be to hear this music in a vast cathedral, or even in a centuries-old mansion perched on a lonely hill. It is remarkable that a single instrument – albeit a very large one – can produce such a monumental sound, one that seems to vibrate through the body and overwhelm the space in which it is played.

As you will read below, there is still much debate surrounding this work, including questions about its authorship and original purpose. What is certain is that a piece written over three hundred years ago can still sound strikingly dynamic, forceful, and immense. One can only imagine the reaction of its first listeners when this music was heard for the first time.

The following was abridged from the Wikipedia article at the end of this post:

The Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565a is a composition for organ from the Baroque period. According to the oldest sources it was written by the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach. It is one of the most widely recognisable works in the organ repertoire. Although the date of its origin is unknown, scholars have suggested between 1704 and the 1740s (if by Bach).

Beginning of BWV 565 in Johannes Ringk’s manuscript, which is, as far as known, the only extant 18th-century copy of the work

Little was known about its early existence until the piece was discovered in an undated manuscript produced by Johannes Ringk. It was first published in 1833 during the early Bach Revival period through the efforts of composer Felix Mendelssohn, who also performed the piece in 1840. It was not until the 20th century that its popularity rose above that of other organ compositions by Bach, as exemplified by its inclusion in Walt Disney’s 1940 animated film Fantasia that featured Leopold Stokowski’s orchestral transcription from 1927.

The piece has been subject to a wide, and often conflicting, variety of analyses. It is often described as a type of program music depicting a storm, while its depiction in Fantasia is suggestive of non-representational or absolute music (not about anything).

Scholars such as Peter Williams and Rolf Dietrich Claus argued against its authenticity, while Christoph Wolff defended the attribution to Bach. Other commentators have either ignored the doubts over its authenticity or considered the attribution issue undecided.

According to Dietrich Kilian, who edited BWV 565 for the New Bach Edition, Ringk made his copy of the Toccata and Fugue between 1730 and 1740. At the time Ringk was a student of Bach’s former student Johann Peter Kellner at Gräfenroda, and probably faithfully copied what his teacher put before him. There are some errors in the score such as note values not adding up to fill a measure correctly. Such defects show a carelessness deemed typical of Kellner, who left over 60 copies of works by Bach.

References:
1. Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 – Wikipedia

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To Sing For You (1965) – Donovan

Posted on January 18, 2026 by observationblogger — 4 Comments

I had to laugh when I read the first comment under the video of this song: “heyy that’s a good song, man!” Of course it is – especially when that reaction comes from Bob Dylan himself. Dylan’s remark comes after hearing Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan perform To Sing For You, and I agree with him completely: yes, it is a good song. I’ve mentioned this track many times in other posts, usually in reference to that same scene where Donovan and Dylan face off in a friendly folk duel in D. A. Pennebaker’s documentary Don’t Look Back. The film follows Dylan’s 1965 tour of England. In the scene, Donovan sings To Sing For You, and Dylan replies with It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.

My favourite Donovan song will always be Catch the Wind, which I still consider one of the greatest folk love ballads I’ve ever heard. It also makes me especially nostalgic, and you can read more about that in my corresponding article. So yes, if I could only take 50 songs to a desert island, Catch the Wind would be an easy choice. To Sing For You, though, is forever tied in my mind to that aforementioned Don’t Look Back moment. Yet as a standalone piece, it’s a gentle and tender ballad – beautifully written, with a soft and charming melody. I must admit I slightly prefer the quicker version heard in the documentary over the original studio recording.

Below is further detail on the often-cited and much-discussed interaction between Bob Dylan and Donovan.
The following excerpts are taken from the relevant Wikipedia article:

During Bob Dylan’s trip to the UK, the British music press were making comparisons of the two singer-songwriters which they presented as a rivalry. Donovan is the undercurrent In the documentary. Near the start of the film, Dylan opens a newspaper and exclaims, “Donovan? Who is this Donovan?” and Alan Price from The Animals spurs the rivalry on by telling Dylan that Donovan is a better guitar player, but that he has only been around for three months.

Then of course they eventually do meet in the second half of the film, along with Derroll Adams, in Dylan’s suite at the Savoy Hotel despite Donovan’s management refusing to allow journalists to be present. According to Pennebaker, Dylan told him not to film the encounter, but once the camera rolled, Donovan plays his song “To Sing For You” and then asks Dylan to play “Baby Blue“. Dylan later told Melody Maker: “He played some songs to me. … I like him. … He’s a nice guy.”

In an interview for the BBC in 2001 to mark Dylan’s 60th birthday, Donovan acknowledged Dylan as an influence early in his career while distancing himself from “Dylan clone” allegations.

The one who really taught us to play and learn all the traditional songs was Martin Carthy – who incidentally was contacted by Dylan when Bob first came to the UK. Bob was influenced, as all American folk artists are, by the Celtic music of Ireland, Scotland and England. But in 1962 we folk Brits were also being influenced by some folk Blues and the American folk-exponents of our Celtic Heritage … Dylan appeared after Woody [Guthrie], Pete [Seeger] and Joanie [Baez] had conquered our hearts, and he sounded like a cowboy at first but I knew where he got his stuff – it was Woody at first, then it was Jack Kerouac and the stream-of-consciousness poetry which moved him along….(read the remainder here) 

To Sing For You is from Donovan’s debut album – released in the US as Catch the Wind, and in the UK as What’s Bin Did and What’s Bin Hid. Donovan had performed around Britain and had become well known in British folk circles before his record contract. His 1964 demo tapes (released as Sixty Four in 2004) show a great resemblance to both Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. On the album too, his music primarily consists of singing and playing mouth harp and acoustic guitar. In the UK the album reached No. 3, with no other album of his reaching a higher position. In the United States it peaked at No. 30 during a twenty-three-week run on the chart.

[Verse 1]
When you’re feeling kind of lonesome in your mind
With a heartache following you so close behind
Call out to me as I ramble by

[Chorus]
I’ll sing a song for you
That’s what I’m here to do
To sing for you

[Verse 2]
When the night has left you cold and feeling sad
I will show you that it cannot be so bad
Forget the one who went and made you cry

[Verse 3]
When you feel you just can’t make it anymore
With your head bowed down, you’re staring at the floor
Search out to me with your weary eyes

[Chorus]
I’ll sing a song for you
That’s what I’m here to do
To sing for you

[Verse 4]
Now every man, he has his work, you know
And to find out mine, you ain’t got far to go
Call out to me with your weary eyes

References:
1. Donovan – Wikipedia
2. What’s Bin Did and What’s Bin Hid – Wikipedia

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Make It Rain (2004) – Tom Waits

Posted on January 17, 2026 by observationblogger — 3 Comments

Make It Rain is such a raw outpouring of grit and heartache. As you listen to the pounding, it’s easy to picture a chain gang in the middle of nowhere, hammering away in unison on a remote American rail line – all backbone, toil, and the clang of bare metal. The song is rudimentary and stripped back, yet intense and powerful. Waits growls through the pain left behind after his woman has gone with his best friend no less, dwelling in the darkness that surrounds him. Over time, he seems to grow used to that darkness, becoming hardened and bitter, until it spills out in the line, “I’m not Abel, I’m just Cain“.

I’d like to give special mention to the live version below from Late Show with David Letterman which has attracted more views than the original studio recording. Half the fun of Tom Waits’ music is watching him perform (when you can) – his facial expressions and minstrel-like manner make him a pure entertainer. Beyond that, Waits is also a genuine actor. He appeared in the Coen Brothers’ Western anthology film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018). In the vignette All Gold Canyon, he plays a sharp and hardy prospector searching for a great fortune in a beautiful valley, a role that’s memorably and richly captured on screen.

Make It Rain is from Wait’s 2004 album – Real Gone, his sixteenth studio album.

According to ANTI-:

Written and produced by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, his wife and long-time collaborator, Real Gone features 15 tracks of funk, Jamaican rock-steady, blues both urban and rural, rhythms and melodies both Latin and African and, for the first time, no piano. The crash and collide of rhythms and genres within a song creates a hybrid unlike any music he has and the sonic mayhem and nonsense rhyme ride to “Top of the Hill” are both punctuated by a live band and turntable playing along to Waits’ home recorded voice percussion.

She took all my money and my best friend
You know the story, here it comes again
I have no pride, I have no shame
You gotta make it rain
Make it rain

Since you’re gone, deep inside it hurts
I’m just another sad guest on this dark Earth
I wanna believe in the mercy of the world again
Make it rain
Make it rain

Night’s too quiet, stretched out alone
I need the whip of thunder and the wind’s dark moan
I’m not Able, I’m just Cain
Open up the heavens
Make it rain

I’m close to heaven, crushed at the gate
They sharpen their knives on my mistakes
What she done, you can’t give it a name
You gotta just make it rain
Make it rain, yeah

Without her love, without your kiss
Hell can’t burn me more than this
I’m burning with all this pain
Put out the fire
Make it rain

I’m born to trouble, born to fate
Inside a promise I can’t escape
It’s the same old world, but nothing looks the same
Make it rain
Make it rain

Gotta make it rain
Make it rain
You’ve got to make it rain
Got to make it rain
You’ve got to
I stand alone here
I’ll stand alone here
Singing, “Make it rain”
Make it rain
Make it rain

References:
1. Real Gone (album) – Wikipedia

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Everything (2004) – Alanis Morissette

Posted on January 16, 2026 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

What a strange coincidence. Just over a week ago, in my News on the March segment, I mentioned an old rhyme: “When you’re good, you’re very, very good, but when you’re bad, you’re horrid.” That same split in character is reflected in today’s featured song, Everything by Alanis Morissette. In each verse, Alanis swings between tearing herself down – openly listing her flaws – and then lifting herself up, where she feels she can do no wrong. The extremes of her personality are on full display.

More broadly, Everything is about recognising that being in a relationship means seeing the whole person – the good, the bad, and everything in between. It suggests that being with the right person also means they see, and even love, your darker side. There is a sense of empathy, acceptance, and steady support: someone who stays beside you through thick and thin. The song is not only inspirational in its words but also in its music. It feels warm and reassuring. It is unconditional love, put to song.

(You see everything, you see every part)
And you’re still here

That’s one thing you can’t fault in Alanis’ writing and general demeanour is her openness and transparency. I think that’s why so many people admire her and connect with her music. I mean we are talking here about the Canadian queen of confessional alt-rock and folk-pop.

Like many people, I first came to Alanis’ music through her 1995 breakthrough album Jagged Little Pill. While it wasn’t her first album, it became one of the best-selling records of all time, selling over 30 million copies worldwide and defining an era. Only more recently have I explored more of her later work, including Everything and I was surprised by how much I liked it. In some ways, I find myself just as fond of this song – if not more so – than much of her earlier material.

In the music video below, Pau Dones is the man who cuts Alanis’ hair at the beginning of the video (0:19). He was a Spanish singer who gave Alanis the idea to make this video clip. His video, of similar aesthetics, that Alanis liked so much, is titled Bonito. At the time the video was shot Morissette had already cut her previously long hair and the scene was shot with her wearing a wig.

Most of the following was abridged from the Wikipedia reference below:

Everything was the first single from Alanis’ sixth studio album So-Called Chaos. The song reached number three on the Canadian Singles Chart and number six in Italy and Spain. Although it reached only number 76 on the US Billboard Hot 100, it reached the top 20 in Australia, Austria, Norway, and Scotland. The song received considerable support and airplay from alternative and adult radio stations, peaking within the top five and spending 26 non-consecutive weeks on Billboard‘s Adult Top 40 chart. Mainstream pop and rock radio stations were less supportive of the track.

A heavily edited version of the song was released to radio stations for airplay on February 23, 2004.The radio version removed over 60 seconds of the track by taking the first two lines from the first section of a verse and placing it together with the last two lines from the second section of the verse, effectively removing a whole verse from the album version. The video version of the track endured further edits, with the replacing of the word “asshole” in the opening line to “nightmare.”

[Verse 1]
I can be an asshole of the grandest kind
I can withhold like it’s going out of style
I can be the moodiest, baby, and you’ve never met anyone
Who’s as negative as I am sometimes

[Verse 2]
I am the wisest woman you’ve ever met
I am the kindest soul with whom you’ve connected
I have the bravest heart that you’ve ever seen
And you’ve never met anyone
Who’s as positive as I am sometimes

[Chorus]
You see everything, you see every part
You see all my light and you love my dark
You dig everything of which I’m ashamed
There’s not anything to which you can’t relate
And you’re still here

[Verse 3]
I blame everyone else, not my own partaking
My passive aggressiveness can be devastating
I’m terrified and mistrusting and you’ve never met anyone
Who’s as closed down as I am sometimes

[Bridge]
What I resist, persists
And speaks louder than I know
What I resist, you love
No matter how low or high I go

[Verse 4]
I am the funniest woman that you’ve ever known
I am the dullest woman that you’ve ever known
I’m the most gorgeous woman that you’ve ever known
And you’ve never met anyone
Who’s as everything as I am sometimes

[Outro]
(You see everything, you see every part)
And you’re still here
(You see all my light and you love my dark)
Oh, and you’re still here
(You dig everything of which I’m ashamed)
(There’s not anything to which you can’t relate)
And you’re still here

References:
1. Everything (Alanis Morissette song) – Wikipedia

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To Love Somebody (1967) – Bee Gees

Posted on January 15, 2026 by observationblogger — 13 Comments

To Love Somebody is one of my favourite love ballads by the Bee Gees. I’m particularly fond of the live version from Las Vegas, 1997, as I am with the rest of their One Night Only show. That concert DVD is one of the most revisited in our household. It’s especially moving now, given that all of Barry Gibb’s younger brothers – Andy, Maurice, and Robin – are no longer with us. That’s an enormous loss of talent right there.

Whenever I hear To Love Somebody, it strikes me as a very mature love song. You could easily imagine it being written by someone wise about love, someone who’s been around the block a few times – much like the ages the brothers were at the time of the Las Vegas concert. Yet this was only the Bee Gees’ second international hit. Barry and Robin Gibb were just 22 and 19 years old respectively when they wrote it.

The chorus is clever too. The line “you don’t know what it’s like” could sound demeaning, especially when repeated. But then it’s turned on its head with “to love somebody / the way I love you.” It’s a simple but powerful emotional switch, and one of the more romantic moments in popular music – at least to my ears.

Barry was asked in a 2017 interview “of all the songs that you’ve ever written, which song would you choose?” Barry said that “To Love Somebody” was the song that he’d choose as it has “a clear, emotional message“.

I’ve included both the original 1967 studio version and the live performance from One Night Only in Las Vegas (1997) below. My preference, unsurprisingly, is the live version. It strips the song back to its essentials – a smooth, easy ballad – while sounding more modern and more affecting, carried by the confidence and mastery that only decades of singing can bring.

The song was written at the request of the Bee Gee’s manager who wanted a soulful ballad in the style of of Sam & Dave or The Rascals, for Otis Redding. Redding came to see Barry at the Plaza in New York City one night. Robin claimed that “Otis Redding said he loved our material and would Barry write him a song“. The Bee Gees recorded To Love Somebody at IBC Studios, London with Gilbert Green and End of My Song in April 1967 and released it as a single in mid-June. Redding died in a plane crash later that year, before having a chance to record the song.

The single didn’t exactly create shockwaves: it reached No. 17 in the United States and No. 41 in the United Kingdom. Interestingly, in Australia – where the Bee Gees had migrated, grown up, and first found success – To Love Somebody climbed to No. 6. The B-side of the single was Close Another Door.

Robin said of To Love Somebody and its commercial reception, “Everyone told us what a great record they thought it was, Other groups all raved about it but for some reason people in Britain just did not seem to like it.” Barry said, “I think the reason it didn’t do well here was because it’s a soul number, Americans loved it, but it just wasn’t right for this country.”

There’s a light
A certain kind of light
That never shone on me
I want my life to be lived with you
Lived with you
There’s a way everybody say
To do each and every little thing
But what does it bring
If I ain’t got you, ain’t got you? Hey babe

[Chorus]
You don’t know what it’s like, baby
You don’t know what it’s like
To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you

In my brain
I see your face again
I know my frame of mind
You ain’t got to be so blind
And I’m blind, so so sorrily blind
I’m a man, can’t you see
What I am
I live and I breathe for you
But what good does it do
If I ain’t got you, ain’t got? Hey babe

You don’t know what it’s like, baby
You don’t know what it’s like
To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you
(Noo noo no-no nooo nooooo)

[Outro]
You don’t know what it’s like, baby
You don’t know what it’s like
To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you

References:
1. To Love Somebody (song) – Wikipedia

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Sofrito (1976) – Mongo Santamaria

Posted on January 14, 2026 by observationblogger — 4 Comments

Sofrito is a Latin jazz fusion piece by Cuban percussionist Mongo Santamaría. At a time when many Afro-Caribbean artists were drifting toward disco or easy listening, Santamaría held a steady course, balancing the sounds of the era with a deep respect for Latin jazz traditions. The result is a mostly instrumental track driven by rhythm and an irresistible swing – controlled, but with a healthy dose of attitude. Few records groove quite like Sofrito.

The track opens with a dramatic, exploratory piano melody before the percussion locks in and pushes things forward. From there, the alto flute and saxophone step out one by one, each taking their turn in the spotlight. Today, Sofrito stands as a benchmark. If you were asked for a top-shelf example of 1970s Latin jazz fusion – the musical equivalent of a well-aged heritage wine – this track would be in very select company.

The title “Sofrito” (as shown on the album cover) refers to the flavor base used in many Caribbean and Latin cuisines, made by slowly sautéing ingredients like onions, garlic, peppers, and herbs in oil. The word “sofrito” is chanted throughout the song, joined by “na’ má,” a contraction of nada más, meaning “nothing more.” Like the dish itself, Santamaría’s music is a careful mix of ingredients that create a rich, distinctive flavor. Best enjoyed slowly – sofrito, indeed.

Born in 1917 in Havana, Ramón “Mongo” Santamaría Rodríguez and raised in the Jesús María district of Havana, Cuba, Ramón Santamaría. He was immersed in the deep-rooted West African culture that permeated this impoverished area. It was the sound of rumba and son that he heard in the tenements that served as his first percussion lessons.

He played percussion at the Tropicana Club during the golden era of Cuban music. The Cuban percussionist (primarily a conga drummer), and bandleader spent most of his career in the United States. By the time he recorded Sofrito in 1976, Santamaría had the confidence of a successful bandleader who had mastered his craft, allowing him to stretch the limits of Latin jazz. 

Santamaría passed away in 2003 at age 85 leaving behind a fantastic recording legacy.

References:
1. Sofrito, the jazz classic by master conguero Mongo Santamaría, set for first vinyl reissue on May 13th – Concord
2. Sofrito – Fania
3. Mongo Santamaría – Wikipedia

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Silver Springs (1977) – Fleetwood Mac

Posted on January 13, 2026 by observationblogger — 6 Comments

A friend forwarded me this song the other night and I was taken aback by its sensitivity and touching melody. I really like Stevie Nicks’ impassioned singing here, with her quivering, lingering voice. The song comes in waves of that unmistakable and powerful Fleetwood Mac sound, especially in the chorus, “Time cast a spell on you,” and it’s pretty cool as a listener to just let it wash over you. The piano playing is gorgeous, coming in ripples over the rest of the music. A wonderfully layered song.

Silver Springs is yet another song about the breakup between Nicks and Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, both pictured above in their stirring live version, which I’ve also linked below. The song was originally used as the B-side to Go Your Own Way, the subject of my previous Mac post. That song, also centred on their breakup, caused plenty of tension within the group, particularly for Nicks. Go Your Own Way was written by Buckingham, while today’s featured track was written by Nicks, along with one of the band’s most popular hits, Dreams.

Stevie Nicks said about the song:

“I wrote “Silver Springs” about Lindsey. And we were in Maryland somewhere driving under a freeway sign that said Silver Springs [sic]. And I loved the name… Silver Springs sounded like a pretty fabulous place to me. And ‘You could be my silver springs’ – that’s just a whole symbolic thing of what you could have been to me..”

It’s remarkable that a romantic breakup within a band could produce such a run of great songwriting from different sides, with the public given a front-row seat to the group’s fractures, vulnerability, and emotional exposure. It’s like a soap opera, but set to music. It must have been difficult over the years to keep revisiting these emotional outpourings, especially since they remain among Fleetwood Mac’s most beloved songs.

Conflicts over Silver Springs later led Nicks to leave Fleetwood Mac in 1991. She clashed with the band -particularly Mick Fleetwood – over her insistence on including the song on her solo compilation TimeSpace. The dispute centred on artistic control and royalties and ultimately contributed to her departure.

The song was originally intended for the band’s 1977 album Rumours, but was left off and used as a B-side, as mentioned earlier. A live version of Silver Springs was released as a single from the band’s 1997 reunion album The Dance. This version was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1998. The live video below was recorded at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, in May 1997.

You could be my silver spring
Blue-green colors flashin’
I would be your only dream
Your shinin’ autumn ocean crashin’

And don’t say that she’s pretty
And did you say that she loved you?
Baby, I don’t wanna know

So, I begin not to love you
Turn around, see me running
I say, “I loved you years ago”
Tell myself you never loved me, no

And don’t say that she’s pretty
And did you say that she loved you?
Baby, I don’t wanna know, oh, no
And can you tell me, was it worth it?
Baby, I don’t wanna know

Time cast a spell on you
But you won’t forget me
I know I could have loved you
But you would not let me

Time cast a spell on you
But you won’t forget me
Well, I know I could have loved you
But you would not let me
I’ll follow you down
‘Til the sound of my voice will haunt you
Oh, give me just a chance
You’ll never get away from the sound
Of the woman that loved you
Was I just a fool?
I’ll follow you down
‘Til the sound of my voice will haunt you
Give me just a chance
You’ll never get away from the sound
Of the woman that loved you

Time cast a spell on you
But you won’t forget me
I know I could have loved you
But you would not let me
I’ll follow you down
‘Til the sound

References:
1. Silver Springs (song) – Wikipedia

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