Together in Electric Dreams – Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder

Posted on October 28, 2026 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

Yesterday afternoon, I was watching the aftermath of Fleetwood Town’s spectacular victory over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, arguably one of the biggest upsets in cup history. There is an 84-place gulf between the two clubs, with Arsenal’s squad being roughly 500 times more valuable than that of Fleetwood, a club from a small seaside town in Lancashire.

As the Fleetwood crowd poured onto the pitch to celebrate the greatest victory in the club’s history, today’s featured track, Together in Electric Dreams, came on the speakers. Oh yes, I thought, what a blast from the past! This is the preeminent infatuation song I remember from my youth.

I went looking for my article on it here, hoping to draw on what I’d written before and soak up the nostalgia. But lo and behold, I couldn’t find it. I was sure I’d written about it given my soft spot for the song. So I checked again and again, even triple-checking this morning, but nope. I’m so peeved at myself for not having included this 1984 gem in my collection and for having come so close to letting it fall through the cracks.

I always got a real buzz from the electric pop and synths in Together in Electric Dreams. It’s got a sparkling, effervescent sound that I really like. It was composed by the Italian composer Giorgio Moroder, who also provided the electronic music for the wildly successful film Flashdance.

The song was released to promote the film Electric Dreams, but the song quickly overshadowed the film. It was sung by Philip Oakey, the lead singer of the British synth-pop band the Human League, who gave us their own cool and sexy 1981 hit, Don’t You Want Me which featured here in February, 2025.

Together in Electric Dreams is yet another hugely popular track that makes me wish they’d added another verse, as that’s easily the best part of the song. Oakey’s deadpan, slightly detached emotional delivery really lends itself to the song somehow. Unfortunately, they doubled down on the chorus rather than adding another verse, as is often the case with commercially successful songs that favour a catchy, easy-on-the-ears appeal.

I expressed that same frustration with another hugely popular ’80s track, Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship. Nuance isn’t these songs’ strong suit, unlike the criminally overlooked 1983 song Moonlight Shadow by Mike Oldfield.

Together in Electric Dreams reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, spending 13 weeks in the chart, and also reached the top five in Australia.

[Verse 1]
I only knew you for a while
I never saw your smile
‘Til it was time to go
Time to go away
(Time to go away)
Sometimes it’s hard to recognize
Love comes as a surprise
And it’s too late
It’s just too late to stay
Too late to stay

[Chorus]
(Love never ends)
We’ll always be together
However far it seems
(Love never ends)
We’ll always be together
Together in electric dreams

[Verse 2]
Because the friendship that you gave
Has taught me to be brave
No matter where I go
I’ll never find a better prize
(Find a better prize)
Though you’re miles and miles away
I see you every day
I don’t have to try
I just close my eyes
I close my eyes

[Chorus]
(Love never ends)
We’ll always be together
However far it seems
(Love never ends)
We’ll always be together
Together in electric dreams
(Love never ends)
We’ll always be together
However far it seems
(Love never ends)
We’ll always be together
Together in electric dreams

[Chorus]
We’ll always be together
However far it seems
(Love never ends)
We’ll always be together
Together in electric dreams
(Love never ends)
We’ll always be together
However far it seems
(Love never ends)
We’ll always be together
Together in electric dreams…

References:
1. Together in Electric Dreams – Wikipedia

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Broken Time – Tom Smith

Posted on October 27, 2026 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

Solemn in its approach, Broken Time is a powerfully reflective and inspirational song released in December 2025. Listening to it on my walkabouts yesterday, I found myself drifting into a blissful state, reflecting on just how beautiful life can be. What I love most about this song are the melodic violin refrains first appearing at 0:50 and again at 1:40.

Broken Time is one of those songs I wish were a lot longer. Tom Smith’s drawn-out delivery of the two syllables in ‘Fractures…‘ as the song closes resonates so strongly. Luckily, there’s always the repeat option.

The English artist explores fractured relationships and how time can feel broken, and acknowledging that we are all flawed. Yet there’s a light in the cracks, which seems to be a common epiphany in some other songs presented here, like Leonard Cohen’s Anthem and Lana Del Rey’s Kintsugi.

Even Tom Smith’s solo album is called There Is Nothing In The Dark That Isn’t There In The Light, which leaves me a bit befuddled, but I think I get the drift.

Tom Smith is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist of Editors, a British alternative rock and post-punk revival group he co-founded in 2002. After more than 20 years with Editors, Smith released his first solo album.

While researching this article, I came across a video released just 10 days ago by Editors, simply titled Bogotá. That’s where I live! It shows the band touring here, with clips of their performance at Rock al Parque 2026 just two weeks ago. It’s a major music festival here in Bogotá. You can find their entire performance from 12 October, 2026 here.

It’s uncanny, as I’ve just written about Rock al Parque, highlighting the Uruguayan band Trotsky Vengarán, who also performed there.

Small music world, folks!

Don’t wait to break, to push back on the pain
Let it know you’re not easy pray
The word, the glance, marbles in your hand
Roll ’em ’round and let go when you say

That it ain’t over
We ain’t flawless by design
Through all these fractures
Our love has broken time

We stand before a garden full of life
All that’s done, all that’s left behind
A breath, a pulse, a shelter in the heart
Sudden rain that splinters, then combines

It ain’t over
We ain’t flawless by design
Through all these fractures
Our love has broken time

Don’t wait to break
Don’t wait to break

It ain’t over

It ain’t over
We’re not perfect by design
All these fractures
And our love has broken time

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I Got You Babe – Sonny & Cher

Posted on October 26, 2026 by observationblogger — 6 Comments

This song had a two-pronged effect on me when I had just started high school. Firstly, I had this innocent crush on a girl with strawberry-blonde hair and freckles who was in an older grade and played tennis at our club. I’ve always had a thing for freckles and could never understand why they were sometimes considered anything but beautiful. Secondly, today’s featured classic 60s romantic escapade about young love became inseparable in my mind from this girl, who hardly knew or recognised me.

So strong was the connection between the song and this girl that they’ve remained almost like one and the same thing in my mind. It also planted the idea that even a young love could blossom into something lasting that couldn’t be taken away. So my little infatuation felt like something more than it really was.

The love, in my case, didn’t even exist, of course, but in my silly mind, the song made it feel real. Looking back, I can see how it became an anthem of sorts for the emerging hippie counterculture, with its message that love could conquer all, including the grown-up naysayers and financial constraints.

They say we’re young and we don’t know

They say our love won’t pay the rent

On the face of it, Sonny and Cher did have a good run as a young, famous married couple, staying together for around ten years. However, Cher later described the marriage as emotionally and financially abusive. Sonny apologised to Cher before his death in 1998, acknowledging that he had hurt her.

My crush on both the song and the girl faded almost as quickly as it had formed. I don’t know whether the song’s repetitive use in the morning alarm-clock scenes of Groundhog Day, or Sonny’s rather blatant borrowing of Dylan’s vocal style, had anything to do with it. Perhaps the novelty simply wore off. And where Dylan was lyrically complex, Sonny’s songwriting here was simple and direct.

Speaking of crushes, I recently revisited the incredible 1987 film Moonstruck after a decades-long hiatus in my movie-watching wilderness. It featured in my ‘Friday’s Finest’ movie segment back in 2021.

Cher was phenomenal in it, further cementing her acting credentials by winning the Academy Award for Best Actress. Her beauty, in all its nuanced forms, shines through, from the sensible and conservative Italian fiancée to the besieged, dark-haired woman swept up in a passionate affair. The versatility of this woman’s talent seems to know no bounds.

The following was abridged from the Wikipedia reference:

I Got You Babe was Sonny and Cher’s first single released from their debut album – Look at Us.

Background:
Sonny Bono, a songwriter and record producer for Phil Spector, wrote the lyrics and composed the music of the song for himself and his live-in girlfriend, Cher, late at night in their basement. When Cher was woken up to sing the lyrics, she hated the song, not thinking it would be a hit, and immediately went back to bed

It spent 3 weeks at No. 1 and sold more than one million copies and was certified gold by the RIAA. It also reached number one in the United Kingdom and Canada.

In 2011, the song was named as one of the greatest duets of all time by both Billboard and Rolling Stone magazines.

[Verse 1]
They say we’re young and we don’t know
We won’t find out until we grow
Well I don’t know if all that’s true
‘Cause you got me, and baby, I got you

[Chorus]
Babe
I got you babe, I got you babe

[Verse 2]
They say our love won’t pay the rent
Before it’s earned, our money’s all been spent
I guess that’s so, we don’t have a pot
But at least I’m sure of all the things we got

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
I got flowers in the spring, I got you to wear my ring
And when I’m sad, you’re a clown
And if I get scared, you’re always around
So let them say your hair’s too long
Cause I don’t care, with you I can’t go wrong
Then put your little hand in mine
There ain’t no hill or mountain we can’t climb

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
I got you to hold my hand
I got you to understand
I got you to walk with me
I got you to talk with me
I got you to kiss goodnight
I got you to hold me tight
I got you, I won’t let go
I got you to love me so

References:
1. I Got You Babe – Wikipedia

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Yesterday’s Men – The Fureys & Davey Arthur

Posted on October 22, 2026 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

The Irish Celtic folk group The Fureys & Davey Arthur are back with another song, Yesterday’s Men. It tells a poignant story of factory closure, redundancy, and the emotional toll on workers left behind. The song reflects the socio-economic struggles of the late 1970s and early 1980s in Ireland and the UK.

The song was composed by the prolific Derry-born songwriter and musician Phil Coulter, who frequently collaborated with The Fureys during this era, and writing many of their songs. He was awarded the Gold Badge by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in October 2009.

Yesterday’s Men is from The Fureys’ 1981 album When You Were Sweet Sixteen, whose title track was featured here back in August. It reached No. 14 on the UK charts and No. 1 in Ireland. When I was a wee lad, I bought the album on a whim, based solely on the cover. It would become one of my most revisited records over the years, and many of its songs have already been presented here.

Yesterday’s Men is a less familiar tune from The Fureys, starting with a spirited piano introduction before settling into a rollicking, bouncy rhythm. You could imagine it fitting in well with the joyous, drink-fuelled celebrations of an Irish tavern, as people sing with abandon and reminisce about the good ol’ days. You can almost taste the froth on top of those pints.

I so enjoy listening to the heavy Irish accents in The Fureys’ songs, and nowhere are they more evident than here. Combine that with Phil Coulter’s colloquial and relatable lyrics, and you’ve got a song that tells its story in a way that feels almost like a conversation. There’s always a story in these songs, delivered so prominently that it feels as though it’s being narrated rather than simply sung. Like our fathers before us we worked there with pride / Now we fought back the bitterness burning inside.

I like to recall sayings such as, “They don’t make songs like this anymore.” Well, that couldn’t be truer in this instance. There’s so much atmosphere in these topical songs that, as a listener, you feel as though you’ve been slung right into the story and its merry accompaniment. I hope songs like this never fade away. They remind us music aficionados who are partial to the songs of yesteryear to keep breathing life into them and passing them on to future generations, so they won’t be forgotten.

‘Twas Joey the weasel that gave us the wire
They were closing our factory down
Though we didn’t believe him and we called him a liar
The redundancy letters came round
As we read them in silence, I choked back a tear
It was hard to believe after twenty-odd years

Chorus
Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates
Farewell to the paydays, the pints and the craic
Oh, We gave them our best years now they’ve paid us back
By making us yesterday’s men
Sure as hell
By making us yesterday’s men

So We said our goodbyes by the factory gates
One cold Friday evening last year
And I saw it all there in the eyes of ma mates
The anger, the sadness, the fear
Like our fathers before us we worked there with pride
Now we fought back the bitterness burning inside

Chorus

Ah Now Jimmy, said she
Give the kids a few bob
After all, sure it is Friday night
But How could I tell her I was out of a job
From now on things were going to be tight
How well I remember it cut like a knife
I was never a day on the dole in my life

Chorus

The machines now are silent, the workbenches bare
And there’s dust on the factory floor
They’ve boarded the windows and have chained up the gates
And have padlocked the factory door
Now I’m on the scrap-heap, and I’m thirty-nine
Just one of the hundreds, shot down in my prime

Chorus

References:
1. The Fureys – Wikipedia

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I Wish I Were Blind – Bruce Springsteen

Posted on October 21, 2026 by observationblogger — 6 Comments

Bruce Springsteen’s 1992 dual-album releases Human Touch and Lucky Town contain some of his most beautiful and touching ballads, yet much of the music has been overlooked over the years. I’ve tried to bring some of these gems to light, as I consider the albums home to some of his most remarkable and introspective writing.

As I have maintained in other song posts, there are at least ten songs from both albums that could have been combined to form one classic Springsteen album, perhaps rivalling his very best. I think today’s featured track, I Wish I Were Blind, would be a worthy inclusion on that shortened list.

Can you believe I had somehow let this one fall through the cracks over the years? I feel fortunate to have been reunited with it recently while researching his other songs. Phew, too, because as soon as I heard it again, I could remember every line and was jolted back to my late teens, singing it as I had done all those years ago, when my music collection was still blossoming.

I’m not exaggerating when I say it felt as though a piece of my youth had been reattached, making me feel a little more whole again. I know that sounds pretty deep and raw, but so is the song. There are few other Springsteen songs like I Wish I Were Blind in which he so poetically and tenderly expresses the pain of being burnt by love through such vivid, nature-inspired imagery. I love to see the cottonwood blossom in the early spring – I love to see the message of love that the bluebird brings.

That is an innocent and impassioned side of Springsteen we don’t often see. You can feel the aching in his words as he reflects on what could have been, what he is sorely missing, and how it has left him broken inside. I think many people can probably relate to having once been so in love with that special someone, only to find they have left you for another person.

I think Springsteen captures that affliction as tellingly and unflinchingly as I can recall any other music artist doing. There are few more touching moments in song than when he sings, And though this world is filled with the grace and beauty of God’s hand. I become an emotional wreck at that point.

Also, a big shout-out to his spectacular, wailing guitar solo, which feels like a cry of anguish, bringing all that hurt and pain bubbling to the surface and exposing it in its most primal state. It’s a work of wonder. I think I Wish I Were Blind is right up there with some of his most stirring, raw and emotional love songs. It’s just so beautifully written, both lyrically and musically.

This was one heck of a big fish in that brimming Springsteen pond that nearly got away.

[Verse 1]
I love to see the cottonwood blossom in the early spring
I love to see the message of love that the bluebird brings
But when I see you walkin’ with him down along the strand
I wish I were blind when I see you with your man

[Verse 2]
I love to see your hair shining in the long summer’s light
I love to watch the stars fill the sky on a summer night
The music plays, you take his hand, I watch how you touch him as you start to dance
And I wish I were blind when I see you with your man

[Chorus]
We struggle here but all our love’s in vain
Oh, these eyes that once filled me with your beauty now fill me with pain
And the light that once entered here is banished from me
Oh, and this darkness is all, baby, that my heart sees
And though this world is filled with the grace and beauty of God’s hand
Oh, I wish I were blind when I see you with your man

[Chorus]
We struggle here but all our love’s in vain
Oh, these eyes that once filled me with your beauty now fill me with pain
And the light that once entered here is banished from me
Oh, and this darkness is all, baby, that my heart sees
And though this world is filled with the grace and beauty of God’s hand
Oh, I wish I were blind when I see you with your man

[Outro]
Oh, I wish I were blind when I see you with your man
Oh, I wish I were blind when I see you with your man

References:
1. Human Touch – Wikipedia

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Yellow – Coldplay

Posted on October 20, 2026 by observationblogger — 11 Comments

When Howard Stern asked Chris Martin whether Yellow was about a particular girl, Martin replied, “It’s about all girls.”

— The Howard Stern Show

To not beat around the bush, I would have to be paid a large sum of money to see Coldplay in concert. I never imagined I’d include one of their songs in my music project, but here we are. I know you have that old truism: “If you haven’t got anything good to say about someone, don’t say anything at all.” But hold ya horses! I’m going to say something good about Coldplay. I’m just taking the meandering route.

While we’re knee-deep in truisms, we may as well keep ’em coming. Every cloud has a silver lining. Looking on the bright side (and it couldn’t be more apt given the song title), when I heard their popular song Yellow recently, I decided to pull the trigger and let this baby rip.

I’d heard it sporadically over the years, thanks to radio rotation and its use in television and movies, and had always been kinda fond of it. Often regarded as one of Coldplay’s signature songs, it remains one of their oldest and most enduring hits. So here we are today.

Musically, Yellow is a breezy, dreamy song that captures the warmth and glow of its central metaphor. The narrator is so taken with someone that they seem to illuminate his entire world, much like the sun itself. He’s happy to orbit around their presence, basking in the warmth of their love – and feeling grateful beyond words.

The narrator sees beauty in every part of this person, even their skin and bones, and is willing to go to great lengths to show how much they mean to him. Sometimes a little sunshine is all you need.

Abridged from Wikipedia:

Yellow is the fifth track and second single from Coldplay’s 2000 debut album Parachutes. The title of the song came from the feel of the band during its composition, which was described as filled with “brightness and hope and devotion.”

It reached No. 4 in the UK, No. 5 in Australia and No. 48 in the US.

Background:

On The Howard Stern Show in November 2011, Chris Martin explained that he stumbled upon the song’s opening chord while impersonating Neil Young and singing “look at the stars”. The word “yellow” had no particular meaning; he tried replacing it while writing the lyrics, but it simply sounded right. Martin admitted he had often invented stories about songs to move on from interviews, but told Stern he was revealing the truth because he liked him.

[Verse 1]
Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And everything you do
Yeah, they were all yellow
I came along
I wrote a song for you
And all the things you do
And it was called “Yellow”
So then I took my turn
Oh, what a thing to have done
And it was all yellow

[Chorus]
(Ah) Your skin, oh, yeah, your skin and bones
(Ooh) Turn into something beautiful
(Ah) And you know, you know I love you so
You know I love you so

[Verse 2]
I swam across
I jumped across for you
Oh, what a thing to do
‘Cause you were all yellow
I drew a line
I drew a line for you
Oh, what a thing to do
And it was all yellow

[Chorus]
(Ah) And your skin, oh, yeah, your skin and bones
(Ooh) Turn into something beautiful
(Ah) And you know, for you, I’d bleed myself dry
For you, I’d bleed myself dry

[Bridge]
It’s true
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine

[Outro]
Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And all the things that you do

References:
1. Yellow (Coldplay song) – Wikipedia

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Yandoit – My Friend the Chocolate Cake

Posted on October 19, 2026 by observationblogger — Leave a comment

I’ve written so much about My Friend the Chocolate Cake over the years that finding a fresh angle can sometimes feel like hard work. Thankfully, their music is so spacious and enveloping that I can simply let it lead the way. With this Australian chamber pop group, the music really does speak for itself, and words can feel like a rather useless addendum to such an immersive wash of sound.

If you appreciate eclectic, artful music with a charming Celtic flavour, then look no further than today’s featured track, Yandoit. Whenever it comes on, I find myself swept up in it. The music transports me to a faraway land, centuries ago. When that Celtic tin whistle comes in, it hits all my British ancestral buttons and whisks me away on winds sweeping across the desolate grasslands of early colonial Australia. It’s grandiose.

Entering Yandoit (Wikipedia)

There’s an interesting Australian connection to the title, too. Yandoit is a small rural locality in central Victoria, in the Hepburn Shire. The name is said to derive from the Aboriginal Dja Dja Wurrung language, with the meaning “travel”. The area also has a long history of Aboriginal movement through the landscape.

I’d be very surprised the song wasn’t inspired by the place and / or its Aboriginal history. The band’s founder and singer-songwriter, David Bridie, is from Melbourne and has a real knack for drawing on Australian places, heritage, nature and culture in his songwriting. He even finds inspiration in sport, in particular his beloved ‘Melbourne’ football team.

Bridie can go way deep into Australian themes, too. One of my favourite songs by him is simply called The Mangrove Song. It’s superbly written and realised, and it doesn’t get much better than that as far as Australia calling – musically and thematically.

Yandoit comes from the Cake’s second studio album, Brood, released in 1994. The album went on to win the 1995 ARIA Music Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album.

References:
1. My Friend the Chocolate Cake – Wikipedia

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The Tide is High – Blondie

Posted on October 18, 2026 by observationblogger — 8 Comments

I’m trying to milk my Music Library Project for all it’s worth, since yesterday’s post featured the first song starting with ‘Y’ in my alphabetical listing. Just 41 songs remain with titles beginning with ‘Y’ and ‘Z’, so, not counting some retrospective song additions (such as today’s song) still in the mix, I envisage that my ‘lil project will be all but out of stock and closing up shop around New Year’s 2027, or shortly thereafter.

I already dread thinking about what I’ll do to occupy my mornings, since this has become a more routine, meaningful and purpose-driven activity than just about anything else I’ve done. I’ve found immersing myself in it so therapeutic and, at times, exhilarating. It’s also been so nice having a readership to share it with, even if it’s a small one. So, thanks, gang!

Frankly, I never imagined myself being in this position, just a couple of months shy of finishing the project and wondering what it all means and what I’ll do next. And here I am, pondering just that.

I’ve been thinking of morphing the blog into something more in line with what the title Observation Blogger suggests: a journal of random observations about the obscure, absurd and whimsical occurrences, situations and memories I encounter or reflect upon. I’ve written these types of posts ad hoc over the years and get a real buzz from them, but they’ve been few and far between. You’ll find them under ‘Reflections‘ in my menu.

So, I’ll keep adding new songs, because music appreciation never ends, but these posts will be more sporadic once the project wraps up. I’ll focus more on personal reflection posts, as mentioned, and also dedicate more time to my weekly segments: ‘Monday – News on the March‘, Wednesday’s literature extracts and Friday’s Finest movie articles.

So, umm yeh, thanks, Blondie, for letting me use this post about your cool song to think aloud about the future of my personal blog and share those thoughts here.

The Tide Is High is yet another song I heard during a recent gym class for the first time in eons, and immediately felt the urge to add here. It’s more of a guilty pleasure, a closet song pick from the early ’80s that I remember a lot in my youth and want to celebrate its revival here.

I couldn’t help being swept up in a wave of nostalgia and, fittingly, images of beach escapades, thanks to its reggae groove and Hawaiian-like, hula-esque sounds. There’s a tranquillity and breeziness to it all, with an undercurrent of sexiness and risqué charm riding beneath the surface. It takes you away on an inflatable sun lounge with a piña colada in hand, drifting into a blissful state of contentment.

I didn’t realise Blondie’s 1980 version, which reached No. 1 in both the US and UK, wasn’t the original. The song was written by John Holt and first recorded by his Jamaican group, The Paragons, for their 1967 album On the Beach, which you can hear here. I’ll spare you the post-Blondie versions by girl group Atomic Kitten and Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall.

I think this is the first time I’ve watched Blondie’s official video below, and seeing Darth Vader in it reminds me just how deeply the original Star Wars trilogy had embedded itself in popular culture. It’s definitely popular in this here household in Bogotá, where it gets frequent reruns.

As always, thanks for reading, folks!

References:
1, The Tide Is High

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¿Y Tú Qué Has Hecho? – Buena Vista Social Club

Posted on October 17, 2026 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

The words in this sweet and tender Cuban song Y Tú Qué Has Hecho (Eng: And What Have You Done?) bring to mind images and sentiments from Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales, such as The Selfish Giant. It was Cuban musician Eusebio Delfín who put his beautiful poetry to music in 1921, and voilà… we have today’s featured song, interpreted by the legendary Buena Vista Social Club.

It’s so romantic, simple and tender, with its gentle melody and brief, loving verses. A true gem from the past, brought back to prominence many years later by the Buena Vista project which we’ll discuss below.

Y Tú Qué Has Hecho tells a touching story about love, memory and loss through the metaphor of a tree and a girl. The girl carves her name into the tree, which responds by dropping a flower for her. The narrator reveals that he is the tree, still holding onto her memory, and asks: “¿Y tú, qué has hecho de mi pobre flor?” (And you, what have you done with my poor flower?). It’s a simple but effective expression of longing, leaving us to wonder whether the girl has treasured their connection as he has.

Eusebio Delfín is recognised for his use of arpeggiated guitar accompaniment in Cuban popular music, as well as for his many compositions, which have been interpreted by numerous artists, including Buena Vista Social Club.

Buena Vista Social Club takes its name from a members’ club in Havana’s Buenavista neighbourhood, a popular music venue in the 1940s.

In 1996, American guitarist Ry Cooder worked with Cuban musicians on the recording that became the Buena Vista Social Club album. German director Wim Wenders, who had previously teamed up with Cooder on their indie movie masterpiece Paris, Texas, later made the 1999 documentary Buena Vista Social Club. The project helped bring these outstanding Cuban musicians and their music to an international audience.

In 2020, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

At the end of this post, below the original studio recording, you’ll find a live performance featuring Ry Cooder with Buena Vista Social Club and Cuban icons Ibrahim Ferrer and Compay Segundo on vocals. It was recorded on Tuesday, May 13, 1997, at BBC Television Centre in London.

[Verse 1]

En el tronco de un árbol una niña / On the trunk of a tree, a little girl
Grabó su nombre henchida de placer / Carved her name, filled with delight
Y el árbol conmovido allá en su seno / And the tree, moved deep within its heart
A la niña una flor dejó caer / Let a flower fall for the little girl

[Verse 2]

Yo soy el árbol conmovido y triste / I am the tree, moved and saddened
Tú eres la niña que mi tronco hirió / You are the girl who wounded my trunk
Yo guardo siempre tu querido nombre / I still keep your beloved name
Y tú, ¿qué has hecho de mi pobre flor? / And you, what have you done with my poor flower?

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Posted in Movies and TV, Music

What Goes On – The Beatles

Posted on October 16, 2026 by observationblogger — 4 Comments

I’ve always been partial to The Beatles’ obscure songs, even demo versions, rather than their bigger, over-saturated hits. What Goes On is one such example. I mean, check this out: the song reached number 81 on the US Billboard chart in 1966. Whoa!

Back to my leanings towards The Beatles’ less polished stuff. You see, back in primary school, we had some deranged, frothing-at-the-mouth Beatles fan for a PE teacher who put on Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da and Yellow Submarine during our pre-class exercise ritual, every single school day.

To say that made me disheartened and uninspired towards The Beatles from the get-go would be putting it mildly. To give this context, you can’t grow up in the Western world without some Beatles mania injecting itself into your life at certain points. But I was never on board and always burrowed back into my Dylan crypt.

I’m not kidding when I say it’s taken me over 40 years to overcome that boyhood musical trauma and dig deeper into the Beatles catalogue without those slow-motion flashbacks of us in our crisp school uniforms, jumping to the f/cking Yellow Submarine for the 100th school day in a row, haunting the experience.

So, onto What Goes On… finally, I hear you say.

It surprised me to learn how often Ringo Starr took the lead vocals for The Beatles, singing on a total of 11 songs, including the aforementioned demented kiddies’ song, Yellow Submarine.

What I like about What Goes On, apart from its country twist, is its frivolity and playful sound. Ringo’s voice seems to give it a bit of a cheeky, bantering quality through his inflections and tone. It’s fun and upbeat, and musically a little different from what you’d typically expect from The Beatles.

Their occasional forays into country music remind me of Eric Clapton’s venture into the genre in the late 1970s. Lay Down Sally comes to mind when I hear this song. They both have that country shuffle and easygoing, rootsy sound.

Where was I going with this? That’s becoming a more frequent question I find myself asking of late…What goes on in your mind?

From Wiki, Sicky, Picky, Ricky and Licky:

What Goes On was from The Beatles’ hard core Beatles fan favourite record – Rubber Soul and the B side US release of Nowwhere Man single.

John Lennon wrote the song in early 1959, likely at 251 Menlove Avenue. The early version of the song is heavily inspired by Buddy Holly, and differed substantially from the Rubber Soul version with only the chorus being the same.

The Beatles nearly recorded the song in March 1963, but ultimately did not do so until November 1965 for Rubber Soul. According to Lennon, “it was resurrected with a middle eight thrown in, probably with Paul [McCartney]’s help“.

Starr contributed to the lyrics, his first-ever composing credit on a Beatles song.When asked about his contribution Starr jokingly responded, “[I wrote] about five words to ‘What Goes On’ and I haven’t done a thing since.”

[Chorus]
What goes on in your heart?
What goes on in your mind?
You are tearin’ me apart
When you treat me so unkind
What goes on in your mind?

[Verse 1]
The other day I saw you (Ooh)
As I walked along the road (Ooh)
But when I saw him with you (Ooh)
I could feel my future fold (Ooh)
It’s so easy for a girl like you to lie (Ooh, ooh, ooh)
Tell me why

[Chorus]
What goes on in your heart?
What goes on in your mind?
You are tearin’ me apart
When you treat me so unkind
What goes on in your mind?

[Verse 2]
I met you in the morning (Ooh)
Waiting for the tides of time (Ooh)
But now the tide is turning (Ooh)
I can see that I was blind (Ooh)
It’s so easy for a girl like you to lie (Ooh, ooh, ooh)
Tell me why
What goes on in your heart?

[Verse 3]
I used to think of no one else (Ooh)
But you were just the same (Ooh)
You didn’t even think of me (Ooh)
As someone with a name (Ooh)
Did you mean to break my heart and watch me die? (Ooh, ooh, ooh)
Tell me why

[Chorus]

References:
1. What Goes On (Beatles song) – Wikipedia

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Posted in Music

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