This frenetic, rousing finale to Gioachino Rossini’s opera William Tell is one of the most widely recognised pieces of classical music in modern popular culture. You may remember hearing it in The Lone Ranger, Looney Tunes, Mickey Mouse and Tom & Jerry, among many other cartoons. It also featured prominently in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange.
The piece was described by David Wondrich as a “frequent target of plunder by brass bands in the years during which they dominated the American musical landscape“.
When I hear it now, I can’t help but have my mind whisked away to horses racing out of the gate. You wonder what the reaction might have been when people first heard this piece premiered way back in 1829. I can only imagine everyone sitting there in complete awe, with a unified expression of ‘Wow’ on their faces.
It certainly set my day into a blistering rhythm when I first heard it this morning. Life’s too short. You’ve got to take it by the reins and live it as if it were your last. No time to slow down and think enough’s enough. No sirree, let’s take ourselves where we haven’t been before and not be impeded by negative sentiments or doubtful thoughts along the way.
Now we’re off and racing and there’s no letting up, that is until sleep beckons and we must eventually put a ‘Whoa!’ on proceedings. But even that’s for suckers.
Rossini himself effectively ended his career as a composer of opera with William Tell, his 39th opera, which is quite the way to go out, isn’t it? But he wasn’t about to pull up shop completely. He still went on to compose cantatas, sacred music and other works during his long retirement from the opera stage.
If I had to choose just one song from The Smiths to take away with me to a desert island, it would be this classic track they released in 1984. William, It Was Really Nothing encapsulates everything that was so great about The Smiths in one neat little package. It’s almost as though someone who doesn’t take to this song would hardly take to The Smiths, such is the way the song incorporates their best features in one little microcosm.
Also William contains some of the best guitar I’ve ever heard in a two-minute song, thanks to Johnny Marr’s jangly, rustic, metallic guitar playing. I love how he is playing an acoustic guitar while somehow making it sound like an electric. Then combine that awesomeness with Morrissey’s schmoozy, yet somehow playful and teasing voice and his off-kilter, bemusing lyrics, and it just cries out to be replayed over and over again. The song is the epitome of not overstaying your welcome and leaving you craving more.
The live version here from Top of the Pops is dazzling as well and visually complements the music, even enhancing it through Morrissey’s theatrical expressions as he looks both detached and passionate at the same time. His ripping open of his shirt to reveal ‘Marry Me‘ as he sings “Would you like to marry me?” is one for the annals and always induces a wry smile. Regarding that stand-out lyric and display, this is what Morrissey had to say about it:
“It occurred to me that within popular music if ever there were any records that discussed marriage they were always from the female’s standpoint, female singers singing to women. There were never any songs saying ‘do not marry, stay single, self-preservation,’ etc. I thought it was about time there was a male voice speaking directly to another male saying that marriage was a waste of time … that, in fact, it was absolutely nothing.“
Even after many years of listening to the song, I was unable to decipher exactly what Morrissey was going on about, although I got a blast out of hearing it. So, I’m glad he has cleared that up for us today, or at least for me. Hurrah!
William, It Was Really Nothing was released as a single in August 1984 and featured the B-sides Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want and How Soon Is Now?. Gee wizz, if that isn’t one of the most artistically eminent 80s singles one could have in their possession, then I don’t know what is.
It reached No. 17 in the UK Singles Chart. In 2004, the song was ranked No. 425 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
[Verse 1] The rain falls hard on a humdrum town This town has dragged you down Oh, the rain falls hard on a humdrum town This town has dragged you down Oh, no, and everybody’s got to live their life And God knows I’ve got to live mine God knows I’ve got to live mine
[Chorus] William, William, it was really nothing William, William, it was really nothing It was your life
[Verse 2] How can you stay with a fat girl who’ll say: “Oh! Would you like to marry me? “And if you like you can buy the ring” She doesn’t care about anything Would you like to marry me? And if you like you can buy the ring I don’t dream about anyone – except myself!
[Chorus] Oh, William, William, it was really nothing William, William, oh-oh-oh-oh-woah Woah-oh, oh-oh
“I’ve stood around carnivals at nights when they’re clearing up and I was scared.”
– Bruce Springsteen in a 1974 ZigZag interview.
The stories from Bruce’s second album The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle engrossed me as a youngster, and nothing has really changed. I still consider it one of my favourite Springsteen albums. It has a New Jersey-meets-Latin/American street-life flavour. It opened a world so far removed from my own as a young teenager in Western Sydney, Australia.
I still, of course, wasn’t really privy to things like Girls · Boardwalks · Cars · Nightlife, but I sure as heck found myself immersed. I became even more absorbed by the vivid sights and exuberant sounds upon repeated listens – as if I was becoming more streetwise to the scene.
It nearly overflows the senses with its deep and rich tapestry of characters and warm settings, and I found I couldn’t get enough. I still think the album contains some of his most authentic and engaging storytelling and original music of any of his albums.
With today’s featured track, Wild Billy’s Circus Story, however, Bruce slows down the tempo and changes the subject. The song is kind of an eerie but sweet tribute to circus life. Once again, the lyrical prowess on display here is nothing short of masterful – in a loose, funny, theatrical and youthful kind of way.
The circus he refers to was inspired by the circuses that came through his hometown of Freehold, New Jersey, when he was growing up. Supposedly, the song seemed too kooky for some fans, but I always loved it. Heck, even Tom Waits singled it out as his favourite Springsteen song. I’m with that bloke.
In his book Songs, Springsteen wrote that the song is about “The seduction and loneliness of a life outside the margins of everyday life.”
The elephant trumpet was simulated by a tuba played by Garry Tallent, an E Street Band member who typically played bass.
[Intro] Ah-one, two, three, four
[Verse 1] The machinist climbs his Ferris wheel like a brave And the fire eater’s lying in a pool of sweat, victim of the heatwave Behind the tent the hired hand tightens his legs on the sword swallower’s blade And circus town’s on the shortwave
[Verse 2] Well, the runway lies ahead like a great false dawn Whoa, fat lady, big mama, Missy Bimbo sits in her chair and yawns And the man-beast lies in his cage sniffing popcorn As the midget licks his fingers and suffers Missy Bimbo’s scorn The circus town’s been born
[Verse 3] Whoa, and a press roll, drummer go, ballerina to and fro Cartwheeling up on that tightrope with a cannon blast, lightning flash Moving fast through the tent Mars bent, he’s gonna miss his fall Oh, God save the human cannonball And the flying Zambinis watch Margarita do her neck twist And the ringmaster gets the crowd to count along: “Ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven”
[Verse 4] A ragged suitcase in his hand, he steals silently away from the circus grounds And the highway’s haunted by the carnival sounds They dance like a great greasepaint ghost on the wind A man in baggy pants, a lonely face, a crazy grin Running home to some small Ohio town Jesus, send some good women to save all your clowns
[Verse 5] And circus boy dances like a monkey on barbed wire And the barker romances with a junkie, she’s got a flat tire And now the elephants dance real funky, and the band play like a jungle fire Circus town’s on the live wire
[Verse 6] And the strong man Sampson lifts the midget Little Tiny Tim way up on his shoulders, way up And carries him on down the midway past the kids, past the sailors To his dimly lit trailer And the Ferris wheel turns and turns like it ain’t ever gonna stop And the circus boss leans over, whispers into the little boy’s ear, “Hey, son, you want to try the big top?” All aboard, Nebraska’s our next stop
We turn today to another song from Nick Cave’s 2016 album Skeleton Tree, called Rings of Saturn. This deeply mystical track mythologises the woman, the manifestation of her essential nature. The highly atmospheric elements throughout are congruent with the title, possessing an otherworldly feel, as though you’re being whisked away and left free-floating through space, in another time and dimension. Or, as Cave himself described it, ascending into the melancholy splendour of the cosmos.
When you listen to Rings of Saturn, you get a strong sense of the cryptic nature of the feminine, and you’re just going along for the magical ride through this lucid thought-stream. It presents the woman as a divine force, beyond explanation and beyond description. She just cosmically is.
And this is the moment, this is exactly what she is born to be And this is what she does and this is what she is
Cave spoke about women in the album’s supplementary film, One More Time with Feeling, at around 37:41. His comments certainly seem to provide an insight into the thinking behind Rings of Saturn:
Women have more facets than men. Men are pretty much two dimensional. Women are like f&cking 3D. My wife is spectacularly 3 dimensional. But every time I try to get a handle on her and to pull her into focus, she shifts or changes and becomes someone else. Or worse she steps out of the frame entirely. And I’m left with a hovering ghost image which is burned on my retina. Like I’ve stared into a spotlight and closed my eyes. Eventually she steps back into the frame and I pull her back into focus, but she’s changed because she’s been out there communing with the dead.
In Nick’s own personal blog, The Red Hand Files, Cave responded to the question of what Rings of Saturn was about, but first caveated his response by saying: the lyrics are essentially improvised, they tend to be ambiguous, unguarded, and to a certain extent, beyond my control.
I’ll break down his response as follows, but it’s well worth reading his full response here:
In the first verse, the narrator is involved in a sexual encounter with a woman. In the second verse, the narrator abandons himself to the servitude of her imperial feminine potential. In the third, we see her as a mother, as she reinstates herself to the chosen function of her womanhood – the nurturer, the provider, the font of life.
Cave ends by describing the mother ascending into the melancholy splendour of the cosmos and “dangling herself from the rings of Saturn” – in recognition of both the joy and sorrow of womanhood.
Nick Cave’s 15-year-old son Arthur died after an accidental cliff fall at Ovingdean Gap in Brighton, England, in July 2015. At the time of Arthur’s death, Cave was partway through recording Skeleton Tree, the sixteenth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
The boy you see in One More Time with Feeling at 51:07 is Nick Cave’s surviving son, Earl Cave, the twin brother of Arthur.
[Verse 1] Upside down and inside out and on all eights Like a funnel-web, like a black fly on the ceiling Skinny, white haunches high and skyward And her black oily gash crawling backwards across the carpet to smash all over everything Her wet, black fur against the sun going down Over the shops and the cars and the crowds in the town
[Chorus] And this is the moment, this is exactly what she is born to be This is what she does and this is what she is And this is the moment, this is exactly what she is born to be This is what she does and this is what she is
[Verse 2] Her eyes that look at me through her rainy hair Are two round holes where the air buckles and rushes in Her body, moon-blue as a jellyfish And I’m breathing deep and I’m there and I’m also not there And spurting ink over the sheets, but she remains, completely unexplained Or maybe I’m just too tongue-tied to drink it up and swallow back the pain I thought slavery had been abolished How come it’s gone and reared its ugly head again?
[Chorus] And this is the moment, this is exactly what she is born to be And this is what she does and this is what she is And this is the moment, this is exactly what she is born to be This is what she is and this is what she does And this is the moment, this is exactly what she is born to be And this is what she does and this is what she is And this is the moment, this is exactly what she is born to be Then this is what she does and this is what she is
[Verse 3] And now she’s jumping up with her leaping brain Stepping over heaps of sleeping children Disappearing and further up and spinning out again Up and further up she goes, up and out of the bed Up and out of the bed and down the hall Where she stops for a moment and turns and says “Are you still here?” And then reaches high and dangles herself like a child’s dream From the ring of Saturn
Lay Down Sally is such a feel-good country-blues rocker and contains some nifty guitar playing by English singer-songwriter Eric Clapton. Clapton’s lead guitar and George Terry’s rhythm guitar have these cool interlocking riffs and counterpoints, all locked into the upbeat, tight band rhythm.
Eric’s low-key, earthy lead vocals are wonderfully supported by the sparkling ladies’ backing vocals. The song is a stark contrast to his typical blues-heavy style. It’s more of a relaxed, laid-back summer vibe that sounds so agreeable to the ears. It’s easy to see why Lay Down Sally became one of Eric’s biggest American hits, reaching No. 3 on the US Billboard.
I’m not sure how I let this song slip through the cracks over the years, but I’m sure glad to have been reunited with it. It was one of our go-to songs from Eric’s catalogue that we often played as we got ready to head out on the town. The sound is such a congenial mood setter.
The following are snippets from Wikipedia:
Clapton explained the influence of Oklahoma based band mates:
“It’s as close as I can get, being English, but the band being a Tulsa (Oklahoma) band, they play like that naturally. You couldn’t get them to do an English rock sound, no way. Their idea of a driving beat isn’t being loud or anything. It’s subtle.
Lay Down Sally was released on Clapton’s 1977 record – Slow Hand which was recorded in Olympic Studios in Barnes, London.
It is a country blues song performed in the style of J. J. Cale.
John Weldon “JJ” Cale (December 5, 1938 – July 26, 2013) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Though he avoided the limelight, his influence as a musical artist has been acknowledged by figures such as Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, Waylon Jennings, and Eric Clapton, who described him as one of the most important artists in rock history. He is one of the originators of the Tulsa sound, a loose genre drawing on blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz.
[Verse 1] There is nothing that is wrong In wanting you to stay here with me I know you’ve got somewhere to go But won’t you make yourself at home and stay with me? And don’t you ever leave
[Chorus] Lay down, Sally, and rest here in my arms Don’t you think you want someone to talk to? Lay down, Sally, no need to leave so soon I’ve been trying all night long just to talk to you
[Verse 2] Sun ain’t nearly on the rise We still got the moon and stars above Underneath the velvet skies, love is all that matters Won’t you stay with me? Don’t you ever leave
[Chorus] Lay down, Sally, and rest here in my arms Don’t you think you want someone to talk to? Lay down, Sally, no need to leave so soon I’ve been trying all night long just to talk to you
[Verse 3] I long to see the morning light Coloring your face so dreamily So don’t you go and say goodbye You can lay your worries down and stay with me Don’t you ever leave
[Chorus] Lay down, Sally, and rest here in my arms Don’t you think you want someone to talk to? Lay down, Sally, there’s no need to leave so soon I’ve been trying all night long just to talk to you Lay down, Sally, and rest here in my arms Don’t you think you want someone to talk to? Lay down, Sally, there’s no need to leave so soon I’ve been trying all night long just to talk to you
The modern Americana music queen is back with the stirring and soulful escapism of Wild at Heart from her seventh studio album, Chemtrails over the Country Club, released in 2021. The album is steeped in country folk and Americana, and has one of the most irrepressibly charming and glamorous album covers I have ever seen.
The cover (above right) shows Del Rey (fifth from the right) with a number of her female friends, who also appear in the music video for the album’s lead single, Let Me Love You Like A Woman, yet another song by her I should add here. You see, I only came across Lana’s music a few years ago after a fellow blogger and huge Lana fan recommended songs by her, including today’s song, and I’ve been a fan ever since.
In Wild at Heart, Lana explores her desire for freedom and her need to be accepted for her wild nature, while also expressing her devotion to her lover. I’m wild about it as well, and when Lana sings, “If you love me, you’ll love me,” I can’t help but be slingshot back each time to If I Were a Carpenter and Bobby Darin’s famous version of it when he sings, “Would you marry me anyway?” I’d be curious to know if anyone else made that connection when they heard Wild at Heart.
Anyway, this song once again showcases her melancholic beauty and her ability to capture a cinematic sound which conjures wide, desolate Americana images. It feels like driving through an American desert in joyous abandon when I hear it. Lana weaves an atmosphere that’s both intimate and vast in her music, and that’s on full display in Wild at Heart. It all feels utterly original.
According to Genius Lyrics, the song title might be a reference to David Lynch’s 1990 cult classic film Wild at Heart, which featured a song I covered here just two days ago, Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game. Lana and Lynch have expressed mutual appreciation for each other in the media as well.
On July 30th, 2019, Lana shared a necklace she had made via Twitter, alluding to the title of the song. It included the coordinates of LA on the front and Wild at Heart on the back.
“I made this necklace last week at xiv karats and I’m so proud of it! coordinates of la on the front Wild at heart on the back.”
— Lana Del Rey
Wikipedia:
Chemtrails over the Country Club received widespread acclaim from music critics, with many comparing its sound to its predecessor Norman Fucking Rockwell!. The album debuted at number one in eight countries, including the United Kingdom, becoming Del Rey’s fifth number one album there. It reached the top five in twenty countries, including the United States, where it peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, becoming Del Rey’s sixth consecutive top-five album in the country.
What would you do if I told you You made me crazy To see your pretty pics on Sunset Boulevard? And it makes me lazy So I smoke cigarettes Just to understand the smog
I love you lots like polka dots You’re killing me more Than coffee pots and Insta thots With every drop I pour And if I had to do it all again I would because, babe, in the end It brought me here to you
I left Calabasas, escaped all the ashes, ran into the dark And it made me wild, wild, wild at heart The cameras have flashes, they cause the car crashes But I’m not a star If you love me, you’ll love me ‘Cause I’m wild, wild at heart If they love me, they’ll love me ‘Cause I’m wild, wild at heart
What would you do if I wouldn’t sing for them no more? Like if you heard I was out in the bars drinkin’ Jack and Coke Going crazy for anyone who would listen to my stories, babe? Time after time, I think about leaving But you know that I never do, just ’cause you keep me believin’
I love you lots, despite the odds You’re killing me, Joe And all these thoughts brought us apart And that’s okay, too ‘Cause even in the worst of times You saw the best of me And that’s why I stay here with you
I left Calabasas, escaped all the ashes, ran into the dark And it made me wild, wild, wild at heart The cameras have flashes, they cause the car crashes But I’m not a star If you love me, you’ll love me ‘Cause I’m wild, wild at heart If you love me, you’ll love me ‘Cause I’m wild, wild at heart
‘Cause, baby, I’m wild at heart If you love me, you’ll love me ‘Cause I’m wild at heart Baby, I’m wild, wild at heart If they love me, they’ll love me ‘Cause I’m wild, wild at heart If they love me, they’ll love me ‘Cause I’m wild, wild at heart
Bob Dylan’s 1970 album Self Portrait was disdained by almost all fans and critics, in large part because many of the songs were considered a farce and it seemed Bob wasn’t taking his songwriting seriously. What Bob was doing here was a long way removed from their little darling image of him as the prophet of their generation and pure folk hero. I get that – he had raised the bar, which is putting it mildly.
What most people didn’t get at the time – and the quote I like to refer to on occasion from Edward Norton, which astutely and deftly sums up Bob Dylan’s artistry – is the following:
“There’s never been anybody who was more like, ‘Oh, you like what I’m doing? I’m gone. I’m over here. Like, enjoy. You’re gonna not like it because you like what I just did. Now where I’m going, you’re gonna be discombobulated and upset, and eventually you’re gonna catch up. And then when you catch up, I’m gonna move on to something else… He was so punk rock.’”
So when Dylan did songs on Self Portrait like All the Tired Horses, which repeats the same lyric over and over, and today’s featured track Wigwam, which contains variations on Da da dah da da de throughout, people might have frowned upon them, not unlike that fan’s scathing reaction after Dylan’s concert in ’66: “like he is crawling through the bloody gutter, just making a pile out of it. Yeah, he’s making a pile out of people…”
Though I didn’t live through those specific times when he confused the heck out of regular Bob listeners, I can say I enjoyed the heck out of these two aforementioned tracks from Self Portrait when I eventually got to hear them. Further to that, my appreciation of them has only grown over time, which of course is a frequent perk with a lot of his music. Also, his changing the modus operandi from one record to the next is part and parcel of the Bob Dylan package.
I also get a real kick out of when Wigwamappears in one of my favourite Wes Anderson movies, The Royal Tenenbaums. The whole soundtrack is peculiarly marvellous, and each song just enhances the tone and feeling of the movie. There’s something about the use of Wigwam here which gets me every time. The song in general displays Dylan’s uncanny ability to be so melodious and versatile. There’s also an underlying sense of conviction and meaning beneath its simplicity.
What I never realised about Wigwam until researching it here is that it was a hit single, reaching the Top 10 in many countries around the world, including Belgium, Denmark, France, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Singapore and Switzerland. It was a Top 40 hit in Canada and Germany and reached No. 41 on the US Billboard chart.
A wigwam, literally, is a traditional dwelling associated with some Indigenous peoples of North America. Dylan had already used “wigwam” as a phrase in his songwriting. During the Blonde on Blonde sessions, an early working title for what became “Pledging My Time” was “What Can You Do for My Wigwam?”, which might suggest the word was part of Dylan’s private vocabulary or songwriting imagination rather than necessarily having a specific symbolic meaning.
Wicked Game is such a sultry and sensual song that it’s hard not to be swept away by the romantic mood it evokes. It impressively captures the intoxicating effect of being in love, both lyrically and musically. But ironically, it’s ultimately about heartbreak and pain – And I never dreamed that I’d lose somebody like you. You definitely sense the pain and longing of a broken love that he even resigns himself to – No, I don’t wanna fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart). Bizarrely, it seems like a song one could play at both a wedding and a divorce.
While the song is about love lost, the ingenuity of it is the atmosphere it creates. You sense the passion and intensity of the relationship as if it places you right there as the listener. Moreover, it can remind people of someone they once cared about, moments that didn’t last but still linger. It’s not just a song about love; it’s about what’s left behind when it fades.
It’s just so hauntingly immersive, and its country-flavoured sound gives the song a rugged and moody tone that only enhances its intimacy and story. The aesthetics and grainy look of the black-and-white video complements it pretty well, even if it does look like one long commercial for a cologne. Funny enough, the song has featured in commercials as well as many films and television series.
Wikipedia:
The video features supermodel Helena Christensen rolling and frolicking on the beach with Isaak. In 2002, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at No. 1 on its list of “The 30 Sexiest Music Videos of All Time“.
Although it (Wicked Game) is often interpreted as a ballad about unrequited love, Chris Isaak has said that the song was inspired by a late-night telephone call from a woman offering to come over, and is about “what happens when you have a strong attraction to people that aren’t necessarily good for you“. It was written shortly after the call.
There are few songs I remember being as widely played on pop radio for so many years as this one, but surprisingly, this now universally recognised song received little attention at the time of its release in 1989.
David Lynch featured it in his 1990 film Wild at Heart. Lee Chesnut, a music director at an Atlanta radio station who loved David Lynch films, began playing it after seeing the movie. The song quickly became a major hit, reaching No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1991.
[Pre-Chorus] The world was on fire, and no one could save me but you It’s strange what desire will make foolish people do I never dreamed that I’d meet somebody like you And I never dreamed that I’d lose somebody like you
[Chorus] No, I don’t wanna fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart) No, I don’t wanna fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart) With you (With you) (This world is only gonna break your heart)
[Verse] What a wicked game to play To make me feel this way What a wicked thing to do To let me dream of you What a wicked thing to say You never felt this way What a wicked thing to do To make me dream of you
[Chorus] And I don’t wanna fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart) No, I don’t wanna fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart) With you
[Pre-Chorus] The world was on fire, and no one could save me but you It’s strange what desire will make foolish people do I never dreamed that I’d love somebody like you And I never dreamed that I’d lose somebody like you
[Chorus] No, I don’t wanna fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart) No, I don’t wanna fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart) With you (With you) (This world is only gonna break your heart) No, I— (This world is only gonna break your heart) (This world is only gonna break your heart)
This restrained, atmospheric track from the stellar guitar rock band Dire Straits was sweet, tender music to my young ears. Along with the album’s title track, Brothers in Arms, it would signpost where Mark Knopfler was later headed with his soundtrack albums and solo career.
The 1985 album was immense, becoming the first album to sell one million copies on CD. Brothers in Arms also spent a total of 14 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
Why Worry is a beautifully crafted song that includes a long, soft and meandering guitar instrumental outro. In a 1989 BBC interview, Knopfler later admitted that he felt the extended four-minute instrumental outro was “pointless faffing around with pretty sounds.” Though I think many fans would disagree, as its tranquil, stress-relieving quality is a big part of the song’s appeal. Why Worry was written by Mark as a poetic message of comfort to a loved one facing difficult times.
The song has some pretty intricate finger-picked guitar work. I love the descending piano interludes throughout. It’s such a serene, lullaby-like ballad, with a melody reminiscent of the Everly Brothers, who were among Knopfler’s own musical idols. They even covered it on their 1985 album Born Yesterday.
As one astute listener commented below about Why Worry:
“Knopfler is living proof that the greatest guitarists in the world don’t need to shred at 100 mph! They can touch your heartstrings and your soul slowly and gently.”
[Verse 1] Baby, I see this world has made you sad Some people can be bad The things they do, the things they say But baby, I’ll wipe away those bitter tears I’ll chase away those restless fears That turn your blue skies into grey
[Chorus] Why worry? There should be laughter after pain There should be sunshine after rain These things have always been the same So why worry now? Why worry now?
[Verse 2] Baby, when I get down, I turn to you And you make sense of what I do I know it isn’t hard to say But baby, just when this world seems mean and cold Our love comes shining red and gold And all the rest is by the way
[Chorus] Why worry? There should be laughter after pain There should be sunshine after rain These things have always been the same So why worry now? Why worry now?
I’m telling this chick … how bad I am, so she can go tell the cat she’s hanging with, “this dude is something else.” That’s what it kinda meant, cat ridin’ rattlesnakes and kissin’ boa constrictors and stuff
– Bo Diddley
This sizzling rockabilly number, written in 1956 by American rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley, opened The Last Waltz concert. The Band were going back to their roots, acknowledging their humble beginnings with Ronnie Hawkins. Between 1958 and 1963, the group were known as the Hawks and served as the backing band for Hawkins, who was based in Toronto, Ontario. In the mid-1960s, they gained recognition for backing Bob Dylan on his controversial 1966 concert tour as his first electric band.
Nearly every performance from that legendary concert has featured on this blog, and thanks be to Martin Scorsese, who captured the spectacle in all its glory. You shudder to think of a music world in which the Band’s farewell concert had not been recorded on film. The Last Waltz signs and seals the Band’s enormous legacy in Americana and folk rock, and their place among the performers within those musical worlds.
Who Do You Love? is such an upbeat rocker, and it’s masterfully delivered here by Ronnie and the Band in all its rich, gritty and entertaining detail. Amazingly, the song was part of Bo Diddley’s repertoire throughout his career, but none of his various recordings reached the record charts. Bo Diddley got the inspiration from the song in Kansas City where he heard a group of children trying to out-brag one another using a particular rhythm.
Ronnie Hawkins performed “Who Do You Love?” during live engagements as early as the late 1950s. It was released as a single with the title “Who Do You Love” backed with “Bo Diddley. Although the single only lists the artist as “Ronnie Hawkins”, he was backed by his band the Hawks. Robbie Robertson’s guitar playing was noted by several music writers, one noting it “a good few years ahead of its time in its manic distorted intensity“.
Hawkins’ single was a hit in Canada, but except near the border in the Great Lakes area, the record was largely unnoticed and did not appear on the US Billboard charts.
“demanding an ebullient, loose, insistent, repetitive groove, with roots in Southern, rural culture”
– Band biographer Neil Minturn on Who Do You Love
I walk 47 miles of barbed wire I use a cobra-snake for a necktie I got a brand new house on the roadside Made from rattlesnake hide I got a brand new chimney made on top Made out of a human skull Now come on take a walk with me, child And tell me, who do you love?
Who do you love? Who do you love? Who do you love? Who do you love?
Tombstone hand and a graveyard mine Just 22 and I don’t mind dying
Who do you love? Who do you love? Who do you love? Who do you love?
I rode around the town, use a rattlesnake whip Take it easy child, don’t give me no lip
Who do you love? Who do you love? Who do you love? Who do you love?
Night was dark, but the sky was blue Down the alley, the ice-wagon flew Heard a bump, and somebody screamed You should have heard just what I seen
Who do you love? Who do you love? Who do you love? Who do you love?
Arlene took me by my hand And she said ooowee boy, you know I understand
Who do you love? Who do you love? Who do you love? Who do you love?
Observation Blogger 