Sympathy For the Devil (1968) – The Rolling Stones

Posted on January 14, 2025 by observationblogger — 4 Comments

The Rolling Stones received serious heat with Sympathy for the Devil. They were accused by many of it being devil worship. Yet, the point of the song is clearly more about the flaws in mankind as it documents events through history that could be seen as “works of the devil”. Mick Jagger has stated that it reflects the darker aspects of human nature, rather than being a tribute to Satanism: “It’s a very long historical figure – the figures of evil and figures of good – so it is a tremendously long trail he’s made as personified in this piece.”

This song is sung in first person form, with Mick Jagger playing no one else but Satan himself. These lyrics were inspired by the book The Master and Margarita written by Mikhail Bulgakov. Singer Marianne Faithfull who featured here with The Rolling Stones‘ penned song As Tears Go By; and was Mick Jagger’s girlfriend at the time had given him the book. In the book, the Devil (and his ‘gang’) roams Moscow in the 1930s and play tricks on stupid/greedy people. He is portrayed as an elegant socialite, described as a “man of wealth and taste.”

Sympathy for the Devil is the opening track on the band’s 1968 album Beggars Banquet. It’s vibrant and energetic, driven by its samba rhythm. Jagger stated: ‘It has a very hypnotic groove, a samba, which has a tremendous hypnotic power, rather like good dance music. It doesn’t speed up or slow down. It keeps this constant groove.’ The song has received critical acclaim and was ranked No. 106 on Rolling Stone magazine’s The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

[Verse 1]
Please allow me to introduce myself
I’m a man of wealth and taste
I’ve been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man’s soul and faith
And I was ’round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate

[Chorus]
Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name
But what’s puzzlin’ you is the nature of my game

[Verse 2]
Stuck around St. Petersburg
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the Tsar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain
I rode a tank, held a general’s rank
When the Blitzkrieg raged and the bodies stank

[Verse 3]
I watched with glee while your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades for the gods they made
I shouted out, “Who killed the Kennedys?”
When, after all, it was you and me
Let me please introduce myself
I’m a man of wealth and taste
And I laid traps for troubadours
Who get killed before they reach Bombay

[Verse 4]
Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails, just call me Lucifer
‘Cause I’m in need of some restraint
So if you meet me, have some courtesy
Have some sympathy and some taste
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I’ll lay your soul to waste
Mmm, yeah

References:
1. Sympathy for the Devil – Wikipedia

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6/1/25 – 12/1/25 – 85, Religion & Lynyrd Skynyrd

Posted on January 13, 2025 by observationblogger — 6 Comments
news on the march

Welcome to my first Monday’s News on the March for 2025 – The week that was in my digital world.

85
Reflection post at Britta’s Blog – Letters From Scotland

My family ancestry partly traces back to Scotland, which has always given me a deep appreciation for all things Scottish. This brings me to a relatively recent discovery—Britta’s blog, which she describes as her “letter from Scotland to the world.”

I am a circus skills instructing & common butterfly following German. I am also a performer, writer & linguist, who is annoyingly keen on hillwalking and baking lopsided cakes. I live in Scotland, my chosen home & habitat since the year 2000.

I eagerly look forward to reading Britta’s daily posts, as she is a remarkable writer who expresses herself with eloquence, introspection, and often a touch of humor. She graciously allowed me to share one of her recent posts titled 85, which reflects on memories of her late father while delivering a poignant message about cherishing the present with loved ones. Without further ado, I present to you Britta’s 85:

85

Today would have been my dad’s 85th birthday. Last year, we were still able to celebrate with him. We all walked to a local restaurant, had a nice meal, we sat, we chatted and laughed. We did know of course that we were on borrowed time. That things would change at some point soon. Still, we celebrated. We were happy. And that moment of happiness on his 84th birthday, now a comforting memory on what would have been dad’s 85th.

We learned a lot as a family in the past few years.

First and foremost: to enjoy. What we can. When we can. Without guilt. We also learned not to wait for another day. A better day. There isn’t always tomorrow. But there is today. And today is a good enough day.

Being present, in the moment, without looking back at what no longer is, without looking forwards at what might never be – being present doesn’t always come naturally to me. I have to remind myself that ‘now’ is as good a time as any. That ‘now’ deserves my full attention. That at some point in the future, I’ll look back at my ‘now’ and say things like ‘wasn’t that a perfect day?’

So, 85. And I think back of 84. Of all of us eating out, enjoying the food and time spent together. Of how easy it felt. Of how we raised our glasses and sang happy birthday. Of how we all forgot for a moment that this would in all likelihood be his last.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Is Religion Good For Society?
Video debate hosted by the Big Conversation at Premier Unbelievable

Why this truly evocative and informative debate arrived to my feed so long after it’s premier is anyone’s guess. Subject matter aside it was so refreshing to see the debate discussed with such respect and maturity from its participants. This takes the Jordan Peterson vs Sam Harris debates up a notch in light of its conciseness and objectivity. I hope you find it as enlightening and enjoyable as I did.

Daily Wire host and renowned political thinker Ben Shapiro goes head-to-head with Oxford graduate of philosophy and theology, now international public speaker and debater, Alex O’Connor. Hosted by Andy Kind, Shapiro and O’Connor debate Is religion good or bad for society? What is the concept of free will? Does it even exist? What about the idea of the self, and the foundations of morality in society, and do we all have to agree on them?

Lynyrd Skynyrd: Groundbreaking Documentary Of A Legendary Band
Video presentation at Amplified – Classic Rock & Music History

Two North American ‘Southern Rock’ groups featured here recently and in quick succession, namely the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. In the early years both groups were familiar with, and shared recognition and support of the other’s music. In this wonderful documentary here (which I listened to yesterday as I watched the NFL in the background) tells the captivating history of the band through a blend of new and archival interviews, firsthand accounts from band members and those intimately connected to the group, location shoots, news reports, and a gripping narrative of the tragic 1977 plane crash.

That is all. Thank you for reading.

news on the march the end
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Posted in Movies and TV, Music, News, Reflections

O Mio Babbino Caro (1918) – Giacomo Puccini (Ft. Maria Callas)

Posted on January 12, 2025 by observationblogger — 8 Comments

O Mio Babbino Caro (“Oh my dear Papa”) is a soprano aria from the opera Gianni Schicchi (1918) by Giacomo Puccini (image left) to a libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. ‘It is sung by Lauretta after tensions between her father Schicchi and the family of Rinuccio, the boy she loves, have reached a breaking point that threatens to separate her from Rinuccio. It provides an interlude expressing lyrical simplicity and single-hearted love in contrast with the atmosphere of hypocrisy, jealousy, double-dealing, and feuding in the medieval Florence of Puccini’s only comedy‘. Lauretta says that if he does not permit the marriage, she will jump off the old bridge into the Arno river and kill herself.

Below is the English Translation:
Oh my dear papa,
I love him, he is handsome, handsome,
I want to go to Porta Rossa
To buy the ring!

Yes, yes, I want to go there!
And if I loved him in vain,
I would go to the Ponte Vecchio,
But to throw myself in the Arno!

I am anguished and tormented!
Oh God, I’d want to die!
𝄆 Papa, have pity, have pity! 

The aria was first performed at the premiere of Gianni Schicchi on 14 December 1918 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York by the popular Edwardian English soprano Florence Easton. It has been sung subsequently by many sopranos. Dame Joan Hammond won a Gold Record in 1969 for 1 million sold copies of this aria. Below is the voice and artistry of Maria Callas singing the aria. The video opens with Maria stepping onto the stage and kneeling, as the aria is intended to be sung. The illustrated video was designed by Matteo Cozzo.

Maria Callas delivered a remarkable blend of emotional fervor and natural dramatic soprano, wielded with exceptional musicality and a passionate acting instinct. It’s said her performances showcased a profound immersion in every character she portrayed and is one of the truly magnificent voices of 20th century. I’m looking forward to watching her biopic – Maria which will appear here in cinemas shortly.

References:
1. O mio babbino caro – Wikipedia

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My Only True Friend (2017) – Gregg Allman

Posted on January 11, 2025 by observationblogger — 11 Comments

“I hope you’re haunted by the music of my soul
When I’m gone, please don’t fly away
And find you a new love
I can’t face living this life alone
I can’t bear to think that this might be the end.”

– Gregg Allman sings on My Only True Friend

Today we hear Gregg Allman reflect on death and a life on the road in the song My Only True Friend a track off the late Allman Brothers Band singer‘s LP Southern Blood. It is the only original song on the album and was co-written by Allman with the guitarist and bandleader Scott Sharrard, forming the album’s lead single. Although the track might initially appear to reflect Gregg Allman’s acknowledgment of his own mortality particularly given his health struggles during its recording – My Only True Friend was actually written from the perspective of Gregg’s late brother, Duane Allman. Co-writer Scott Sharrard revealed to Rolling Stone, “I never told him because I didn’t want to spook him, since his brother was such an important figure in his life,” explaining that the song was crafted in Duane’s voice, speaking to Gregg.

Southern Blood producer Don Was described the posthumous album by saying, “It’s not an album about dying. Gregg was explaining his life and making sense of it, both for the fans who stood with him for decades and for himself.” The album features 10 songs, 9 of which are covers of greats such as Jerry Garcia & Robert Hunter, Lowell George, Bob Dylan, Willie Dixon, Jackson Browne, Tim Buckley, Scott Sharrard, Spooner Oldham & Dan Penn, among others.

Gregg Allman passed away on May 27, 2017 at the age of 69. The singer, keyboardist and composer led the Allman Brothers, one of the pioneering bands of southern rock, for 45 years. His life was marked by excesses, addiction to alcohol and drugs, as well as his multiple marriages. He was married and divorced six times. His third wife was the singer Cher, a marriage that lasted only nine days. Gregg Allman recorded twelve studio albums with the Allman Brothers and eight solo albums, his last being the phenomenal “Low Country Blues” in 2011.

The video below pairs the song’s lyrics with scenic images of Allman’s beloved Georgia and footage of the rocker in the studio with his band.

[Verse 1]
You and I both know
This river will surely flow to an end
Keep me in your heart
Keep your soul on the mend

[Chorus]
I hope you’re haunted
By the music of my soul
When I’m gone
Please don’t fly away
And find you a new love
I can’t face living this life alone
I can’t bear to think
This might be the end
But you and I both know
The road is my only true friend

[Verse 2]
Another night alone
But I see you in my dreams sometimes
No matter where I go, Lord knows
You were always on my mind

References:
1. Hear Gregg Allman Reflect on ‘An End’ on New Song ‘My Only True Friend’ – Rolling Stone
2. My Only True Friend», primer adelanto del disco póstumo de Gregg Allman «Southern Blood» – Dirty Rock

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Sweet Home Alabama (1974) – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Posted on January 10, 2025 by observationblogger — 15 Comments

“I had this little riff. It’s the little picking part and I kept playing it over and over when we were waiting on everyone to arrive for rehearsal. Ronnie and I were sitting there, and he kept saying, ‘play that again‘. 

– In an interview with Garden & Gun, Gary Rossington.

Sweet Home Alabama is one of Rock-Country’s most recognisable songs and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s signature tune. Due to an over saturation of the song on the airwaves, it has lost some of its veneer over the years, but it’s still a heavy toe-tapping rollicking good song. I recall first hearing it in my late teens in Darwin, the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia while on service-leave. I came to Lynyrd Skynyrd very late in my musical journey and thanks to other contributors here, I have heard a lot more from the group and my estimation of them has only shot up.

The song was written in response to Neil Young’s 1970 song Southern Man in which he described the racism in the South as he saw it after visiting there. Sweet Home Alabama was Lynyrd Skynyrd’s way to show rock fans that the South was not the racist land of protracted slavery that Canadians at the time felt that it was.

“We thought Neil was shooting all the ducks in order to kill one or two,” said Ronnie Van Zant at the time. The lyrics to Sweet Home Alabama include the following lines:

Well, I heard Mister Young sing about her
Well, I heard ol’ Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don’t need him around anyhow

In his 2012 biography Waging Heavy Peace, Young finally recanted Southern Man, a full thirty-five years after LS frontman Ronnie Vant Zant’s death.

‘I don’t like my words when I listen to it. They are accusatory and condescending, not fully thought out, and too easy to misconstrue‘.

People often believe Lynyrd Skynyrd to be typical, Southern Conservatives because of where they come from, but let’s keep in mind here that these guys named their band after a gym teacher who thought they were flowery hippies who needed to cut their hair. None of the three writers of the song were from Alabama; Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington were both born in Jacksonville, Florida, while Ed King was from Glendale, California.

Sweet Home Alabama has become a staple of Classic Rock radio and something of an anthem for the state and its various sports teams, even making its way onto a recent Alabama license plate design! It was released on the band’s second album Second Helping and reached number eight on the Billboard chart in 1974, becoming the band’s highest-charting single.

[Intro]
One, two, three
Turn it up

[Verse 1]
Big wheels keep on turnin’
Carry me home to see my kin
Singin’ songs about the Southland
I miss Alabamy once again
And I think it’s a sin, yes

[Verse 2]
Well, I heard Mr. Young sing about her (Southern man)
Well, I heard ol’ Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don’t need him around, anyhow

[Chorus]
Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama
Lord, I’m coming home to you

[Verse 3]
In Birmingham they loved the governor
Boo, boo, boo
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you?
Tell the truth

[Chorus]

[Guitar Solo]

[Bridge]
Ah-ah-ah, Alabama
Ah-ah-ah, Alabama
Ah-ah-ah, Alabama
Ah-ah-ah, Alabama

[Verse 4]
Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
And they’ve been known to pick a song or two (Yes, they do)
Lord, they get me off so much
They pick me up when I’m feelin’ blue
Well now, how ’bout you?

[Outro]
Mont… Montgomery’s got the answer

References:
1. Sweet Home Alabama – Wikipedia

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Suzanne (1967) – Leonard Cohen

Posted on January 7, 2025 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

I wrote this in 1966. Suzanne (dancer Suzanne Verdal) had a room on a waterfront street in the port of Montreal. Everything happened just as it was put down. She was the wife of a man I knew. Her hospitality was immaculate. Some months later I sang it to Judy Collins over the telephone. The publishing rights were pilfered in New York City but it is probably appropriate that I don’t own this song. Just the other day I heard some people singing it on a ship in the Caspian Sea.

– From the 1976 back cover of “Greatest Hits” (“some notes on the songs”).

Suzanne is my Desert Island Leonard Cohen song choice and in my top 10 favourite songs. This exquisitely penned romantic-folk ballad is the first track on Leonard Cohen’s 1967 debut album: Songs of Leonard Cohen and the fourth track to be presented here from the album after his previous entry: So Long, Marianne. Susan was first published as a poem in Cohen’s 1966 collection “Parasites of Heaven” (see image left).

Apart from the original studio release, I also like these two memorable versions:
1. Judy Collins and Leonard Cohen live Suzanne 1976.
Judy Collins welcomes Leonard Cohen to her PBS TV concert performance in this video clip from January 1976. They perform Cohen’s song, “Suzanne,” which Judy had recorded for her 1966 landmark album, In My Life.
2. Nick Cave’s version in the Leonard Cohen concert film – I’m Your Man.
The way he lags just slightly behind the girl chorus is ecstatically beautiful.

[Verse 1]
Suzanne takes you down
To her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she’s half-crazy
But that’s why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you’ve always been her lover

[Chorus]
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you’ve touched her perfect body with your mind

[Verse 2]
And Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said, “All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them”
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone

[Chorus]
And you want to travel with him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you’ll trust him
For he’s touched your perfect body with his mind

[Verse 3]
Now Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbour
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror

[Chorus]
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know you can trust her
For she’s touched your perfect body with her mind

References:
1. Suzanne (Leonard Cohen song) – Wikipedia

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Good Good Day (2001) – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Posted on January 6, 2025 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

Nothing like an uplifting Nick Cave song to commence the week. Good Good Day was released as the B-side to As I Sat Sadly By Her Side, a single from their 2001 album No More Shall We Part and later included on both the 2005 compilation B-Sides & Rarities. The song is notable as a marked departure from the darker themes of the rest of Cave’s output during this period.

I like the looseness, almost improvisational quality of the lyrics in Good Good Day. Cave’s sunny disposition radiates warmth as he reflects on seeing Mary – revelling in her beauty. She embodies a sense of serenity and delight. Mary is more than a muse; she represents a respite, a celebration of simple pleasures and whom lights up an ordinary day.
To me the spirit and ambience of Good Good Day draws parallels to Bruce Springsteen’s Girls in Their Summer Clothes (2007). Both songs hinge on characters and observations that brighten their narrators’ worlds, whether it’s Mary or the carefree girls strolling past in their summer clothes.

No More Shall We Part is the eleventh studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The record, which was well received critically, came after a 4-year gap from recording. Nick Cave had to overcome heavy heroin and alcohol addictions in 1999–2000 before starting work on the album.

[Verse 1]
See the little cloud up in the sky
It’s a good good day today
See the little cloud pass on by
It’s a good good day today
Mary comes now, let Mary be
Can you see her down on the street?
Mary’s laughing ’cause Mary sees
That she’s a-wearin’ that dress for me

[Verse 2]
There can be times
Yeah… When all things come together
Yeah… Under a clear sky and you can believe
Yeah… You hold your breath for this moment
Yeah… But do not breathe for this day I know
Is a good day, yes I know
It’s a good day, yeah I know
Today…
Hear her feet skipping up the stairs
It’s a good good day today
She is the answer to all of my prayers
It’s a good good day today
Mary comes now, she don’t knock
‘Cause she’s runnin’ on her own little clock
Mary’s laughing ’cause Mary knows
That this day was made for us
And any fool knows… yeah
And any fool sees
That the future… yeah
Is a-down on its knees
But let ’em all cry, let ’em weep
Let those tears roll down their cheeks

[Verse 3]
‘Cause I can believe in the one
That is standing in front of me
Oh this day, don’t you know
Is a good day, yes I know
It’s a good day, I told you so
Today…
See her breasts how they rise and fall
It’s a good good day today
And she knows I’ve used that line before
It’s a good good day today
Mary’s laughing, she don’t mind
‘Cause she knows she’s one of a kind
Mary’s happy just to be
Standing next to me
And any fool knows
Yeah…
That the wind always blows
Something to someone
Yeah…
Once in a while, so let it rain, let it fall
Let the wind howl through your door
‘Cause right now for this moment
I’ll forever be
Standing next to her
On this day, which I know
Is a good day, yeah I know
Oh, it’s a good day, I told you so
Today…

References:
1. No More Shall We Part – Wikipedia

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Honey (2024) – Mr Bewlay

Posted on January 5, 2025 by observationblogger — 5 Comments

I first heard Honey on the Eclectic Music Lover blog last year and I have enjoyed listening to it ever since. It’s groovy as heck and the dance vibe is infectious. Honey was the second single from Mr. Bewlay’s Against All Reason EP and the final installment of his Reason Trilogy.
Mr. Bewlay is from Cardiff, Wales. His creative roots lie in the theater, which imbues his work with a bold, flamboyant energy. It’s said he embraces the idea of performance as a role – whether as a theatrical actor or an avant-garde pop-rock provocateur. Though his art is deeply intentional, it never veers into the overly serious, instead embracing a vibrant playfulness.

Honey channels an unmistakable ’80s dance vibe, layered with Bewlay’s signature sensuality. Lyrically it is charged with provocative imagery, it teeters on the edge of indulgent allure. Produced, mixed, and mastered by Lee House, Honey features contributions from Zsofia Pasztori-Kupan on backing vocals and Shishir Singh on guitar.

I’ll be your cardiac arrest
Steal the focus of your breath
Last night we danced in silver rooms
Spinning you round the open lights
Drowning in my eyes
I’ll be your prophet divine
Scream your feelings to the sky
Cos’ honey I like you
Honey the taste of you

Now call my bluff
And fall into my arms

Start to lose your breath
Feel the world in our embrace
I kiss that part you said you like
Shockwave through your spine
Made you come into the room
The focus you instilled
Could push through ennui

All that it took
Was this icy moment’s look
You cast a penetrating thought
Vibrations through the void
And every woman, every man
Had a spell cast on their minds
Throughout the globe

Now call my bluff
Fall into my arms
And all of my love
Falls to dust

Let me lay
Lie, in your honey
Let me lay
And lie, in your honey
All that it took was a momentary look

References:
1. Mr Bewlay – Facebook
2. Mr Bewlay: Honey – Single Review – Louder Than War
3. Mr Bewlay – Single Review: “Honey” – Eclectic Music Lover

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Suspicious Minds (1969) – Elvis Presley

Posted on January 4, 2025 by observationblogger — 6 Comments

In 1969, Elvis Presley recorded one of the defining songs of his career, Suspicious Minds, written by Mark James. It is the fourth song by Elvis to appear after his previous entry Burning Love (1972) and remains my Desert Island track by him. Elvis returned to his roots in Memphis at American Sound Studio after years of recording elsewhere. Despite initial hesitation, Elvis embraced the city’s thriving music scene, booking two weeks at the studio where he recorded 40 songs, including Suspicious Minds and In The Ghetto which would reside on one of his most celebrated albums, From Elvis in Memphis.

Chips Moman, the producer behind these sessions, was instrumental in drawing out some of Elvis’ best work. Known for his straightforward approach, Moman wasn’t awed by Presley’s fame, which allowed him to challenge the singer and refine his performances. Although the studio was far from glamorous – located in a rough part of Memphis and described as shabby it was home to a powerhouse of talent. Moman and his house band, The Memphis Boys, infused country and soul influences into the tracks, creating a distinct sound for Elvis’ music.

Mark James, a songwriter at American Sound Studio, had initially recorded Suspicious Minds himself in 1968, but it failed to gain traction. When he learned Elvis was coming to the studio, James revisited the song, believing its mature themes and emotional depth were a perfect match for Presley. Elvis spent hours perfecting the song, recording eight takes before he was satisfied. Despite initial resistance from his management, Elvis’ decision to record Suspicious Minds to focus on quality material rather than financial gain was nothing short of inspiring. Mark James would go on to write other songs for Elvis, including Moody Blue and Always on My Mind.

[Verse 1]
We’re caught in a trap, I can’t walk out
Because I love you too much, baby
Why can’t you see what you’re doin’ to me
When you don’t believe a word I say?

[Chorus]
We can’t go on together
With suspicious minds (With suspicious minds)
And we can’t build our dreams
On suspicious minds

[Verse 2]
So if an old friend I know stops by to say hello
Would I still see suspicion in your eyes?
Here we go again, asking where I’ve been
You can’t see the tears are real, I’m cryin’ (Yes, I’m cryin’)

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
Oh, let our love survive
I’ll dry the tears from your eyes
Let’s don’t let a good thing die
When, honey, you know I’ve never lied to you
Mmm, yeah, yeah

[Verse 1]
We’re caught in a trap, I can’t walk out
Because I love you too much, baby
Why can’t you see what you’re doin’ to me
When you don’t believe a word I say?

[Outro]

Released in August 1969, Suspicious Minds became an instant hit, topping the charts and selling nearly two million copies. The song was a centerpiece of Elvis’ live performances, including his return to the stage in Las Vegas after an eight-year hiatus. Elvis’ on-stage innovation of fading out and dramatically returning to the song’s climax added a theatrical element that captivated audiences. Despite its success, Suspicious Minds was Elvis’ final No. 1 hit during his lifetime.

References:
1. Suspicious Minds – Elvis Presley
2. Story Behind The Song: Suspicious Minds – Vintage Rock

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Surfing Magazines (2000) – The Go-Betweens

Posted on January 3, 2025 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

I first heard this iconic Australian surfer tune watching The Go-Betweens live concert at The Tivoli, Brisbane (August 6, 2005). I got the DVD soon after it came out and played it all the time. I was hooked on Surfing Magazines upon first listen with it’s beautiful and stark simplicity. I can relate so much to it – being an Aussie kid growing up in the 70’s and 80s and spending our summer’s mostly down at the beach near my Nan’s place on the mid north coast, New South Wales, Australia. I love how The Go-Betweens manage to capture the whole vibe from those days perfectly in one simple yet charming little tune. Also it contains a really nice video (seen below) with old footage of Aussie surf beaches. It’s just a great tribute to the Aussie beach life in the 70s and 80s.

Surfing magazines comes from The Go-Betweens 2000 comeback album (after a 12 year hiatus) – The Friends of Rachel Worth. The album was recorded in Portland, Oregon at Jackpot! Recording Studio by Larry Crane. Co-founder Grant McLennan who tragically passed away soon after The Tivoli concert below said about the album: “Rachel felt really natural – it wasn’t like Robert and I had separate managers or any of that industry bullshit. We’d always wanted to record in America, too, so that was a real dream. I think it has a really mysterious, otherworldly, ‘lost’ feel to it.” The Friends of Rachel Worth received generally positive critical reviews. It holds a score of 77 out of 100 on the review aggregator website Metacritic.  

[Verse 1]
We used to get our kicks
Reading surfing magazines
Some good looking people
Wearing Lee Cooper jeans
They’re breaking on the headland
They’re breaking on the shore
And when you’re living in Hawaii
They’re breaking at your door

[Refrain]
Da da da da da da
Da da da da da da
Da da da da da da
Da da da da da da

[Verse 2]
We used to wet our fingers
On surfing magazines
Going to throw school
And follow those scenes
Going to get a Kombi
And go from beach to beach
Be the kind of people
The Authorities can’t reach

[Verse 3]
We used to get our kicks
Reading surfing magazines
Wake up in the morning
And the waves are clean
Standing on the headland
Taking in the scene
Just like they do it
In surfing magazines

[Refrain]
Da da da da da da (surfing magazines)
Da da da da da da (surfing magazines)
Da da da da da da (surfing magazines)
Da da da da da da (surfing magazines)

References:
1. The Friends of Rachel Worth – Wikipedia

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