Category Archives: 1960s songs

The top 500 best music and songs from the 1960s. Song meanings, lyrics and interpretations from your favorite artists. The Beatles, Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel, Dylan. See who rates the highest!

1960s songs, words not needed

#299 Words- The Bee Gees

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It’s only words, and words are all I have
To take your heart away.

“Words” is a beautiful, pre-disco Bee Gees love song about the inability to express words of love to a significant other. We saw a similar them in Jim Croce’s Have to Say I love You.  People who believe in the power of words are shocked when they hear another person say “those are only words”.

Here the Bee Gees are saying “look, words are all I have, they are everything to me.” I have always appreciated the sentiment of this song and for standing up for all of those whose love language is words of affection. This is a great song about that.

Words Meaning
Bee Gees

For those of you only familiar with the Bee Gees because of Staying Alive, this is what the majority of their songs sound like. They had a long and varied career, so they tried a little of everything, but this song is very representative of their work. Not too heavy in instrumentation, usually written on guitar with Barry singing lead and the brothers harmonizing. They were great harmonizers and had a very unique sound.

Words Lyrics

Smile an everlasting smile,
A smile can bring you near to me.
Don’t ever let me find you down,
‘Cause that would bring a tear to me.

This world has lost its glory,
Let’s start a brand new story now, my love.
Right now, there’ll be no other time,
And I can show you how, my love.

Talk in everlasting words,
And dedicate them all to me.
And I will give you all my life,
I’m here if you should call to me.

You think that I don’t even mean
A single word I say.
It’s only words and words are all I have,
To take your heart away.

You think that I don’t even mean
A single word I say,
It’s only words and words are all I have,
To take your heart away.

It’s only words and words are all I have,
To take your heart away.
It’s only words and words are all I have,
To take your heart away.

Songwriters: Barry Gibb / Robin Gibb / Maurice Gibb

1960s songs, outcasts

#296 Behind Blue Eyes- The Who

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But my dreams
They aren’t as empty/
As my conscience seems to be.

Who is The Who’s  “Man Behind Blue Eyes”? And what do we know about him? He isn’t well liked—at all—but it seems there is a part of him that doesn’t understand why and wants to change that. Maybe. One of the main themes of this song is that he does feel misunderstood. He does not come across as a sympathetic character.

Behind Blue Eyes Meaning
The Who

He claims that he is fated to telling only lies. Who is fated to telling only lies? I can’t imagine many circumstances where this would literally be true. It sounds more like a persecution complex. He also believes that no one suffers as much as he does. He holds so much in; you will never know. But again he seems to want to change. That is what he tells us anyways.

The bridge does not go with the rest of the song (musically it sounds like a completely different song), but we have seen this in some of the psychedelic rock in the late 60s. That seems to be one of its features. Though I don’t put The Who into the psychedelic rock genre, this song came out at the height of that period and it was possible Townsend was inspired by it. Great chorus and an underrated bass performance.

Behind Blue Eyes Lyrics

No one knows what it’s like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
And no one knows what it’s like
To be hated
To be faded to telling only lies

But my dreams they aren’t as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That’s never free

No one knows what its like
To feel these feelings
Like I do
And I blame you
No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through

But my dreams they aren’t as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That’s never free

No one knows what its like
To be mistreated, to be defeated
Behind blue eyes
An no one know how to say
That they’re sorry and don’t worry
I’m not telling lies

But my dreams they aren’t as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That’s never free

No one knows what its like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes

Songwriters: Pete Townshend

1960s songs, drugs

#294 Tuesday Afternoon- The Moody Blues

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I’m looking at myself reflections of my mind/
It’s just the kind of day to leave myself behind.

The Moody Blues’ “Tuesday Afternoon” is a drug song. The author is sitting in a field stoned and hears the trees calling to him, inviting him. It doesn’t disturb him (“he explains it away with a sigh”). The trees tell him if you come explore “the fairyland of love/ you’ll see the beauty of/ Tuesday afternoon.” He does find himself interested and wants to find out more.

Tuesday Afternoon Meaning
The Moody Blues

The song structure reminds me a lot of A Day in the Life by The Beatles. It sounds like it is two very different songs thrown together to make a unique whole. I can’t think of many more songs like that. Maybe “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen– but that is like four songs. The Moody blues are famous for psychedelic rock and the versus and lyrics of this song are quintessential examples of the movement.

More Great Songs from Moody Blues.

Tuesday Afternoon Lyrics

Tuesday afternoon.
I’m just beginning to see,
Now I’m on my way.
It doesn’t matter to me,
Chasing the clouds away.

Something, calls to me.
The trees are drawing me near,
I’ve got to find out why.
Those gentle voices I hear,
Explain it all with a sigh.

I’m looking at myself reflections of my mind,
It’s just the kind of day to leave myself behind.
So gently swaying through the fairyland of love,
If you’ll just come with me you’ll see the beauty of
Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday afternoon.
I’m just beginning to see,
Now I’m on my way.
It doesn’t matter to me,
Chasing the clouds away.

Something calls to me.
The trees are drawing me near,
I’ve got to find out why.
Those gentle voices I hear
Explain it all with a sigh.

Songwriters: Justin Hayward