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, friendship

Something’s on Your Mind-Karen Dalton

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You can’t make it without trying…

In “Something’s On Your Mind”, Karen Dalton reaches out to a friend who is at a cross-roads in her life. For years, the friend has lived a carefree lifestyle, partying; night was day and day was night, but something seems to be on her mind lately. She asks herself, “Why am I not getting anywhere or achieving my dreams? What has my life become?”

Dalton tries to lay it out for us–It is very probable that the narrator will never tell the friend the true picture of what she is seeing. That’s a hard conversation that can end relationships if the person isn’t ready to hear the truth.

Karon Dalton folk singer
Karen Dalton

Her assessment of the situation is straightforward: this “fast” lifestyle used to work for her friend, and it no longer does. That is why her heart and mind feel heavy all the time.

In order to achieve your dreams of becoming successful in any field, you must work hard before you reap the rewards and live the partying lifestyle. Perhaps in the artistic and music communities many might not see that their favorite musicians get to “party all the time” because they put in 10 years of hard work, plugging away every night for no money. They just want to skip the hard part and make it and start partying.

Something on your mind meaning
Karen Dalton

As the song ends, the narrator is observing the friend, contemplating how much longer she will be able to hold her life together. But would it even be worth saying anything?

Sometimes, people must come to this decision themselves. We also get the sense that perhaps they have had similar conversations before.

Karen Dalton’s unique vocals bring this song to life. The mix is really out there: There are a bunch of instruments that weave in and out and the percussion creates a unique pulsing vibe.

Dalton was never famous and did few recordings, but her voice was incredibly unique, and she delivers this song with such soul. She lived a hard life and died relatively young and in obscurity.

Something’s On Your Mind Lyrics

Yesterday, any way you made it was just fine.
So you turned your days into night-time.
Didn’t you know, you can’t make it without ever even trying?
And something’s on your mind, isn’t it?

Let these times show you that you’re breaking up the lines.
Leaving all your dreams too far behind.
Didn’t you see, you can’t make it without ever even trying?
And something’s on your mind.

Maybe another day you’ll want to feel another way, you can’t stop crying.
You haven’t got a thing to say, you feel you want to run away.
There’s no use trying, anyway,
I’ve seen the writing on the wall.
Who cannot maintain will always fall.
Well, you know, you can’t make it without ever even trying.

Something’s on your mind, isn’t it?
Tell the truth now, isn’t it?
Something’s on your mind, isn’t it?
Something’s on your mind.

Songwriters: Dino Valenti

1960s songs, new love

Love is All Around- The Troggs

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It’s written in the wind/
Oh everywhere I go…

There are some songs that seem to exist in our subconscious. Though we might not actively be a fan of a band, we know the song and the band, because the tune is so familiar. “Love is All Around” is an example of such a song. It is almost like a modern-day traditional song—where the song has no author and has just been passed down by oral tradition. But this was originally performed by one band, The Troggs and written by their lead singer, Reg Presley.

The song’s timelessness can be attributed to a few things. One is the theme of new love. This is common source of great material and gives great memories for listening to it. This is different than the feeling I get when I accidentally catch my workout song on the radio, or a sad song on the radio. I might love that they make me feel something, but I may not want to feel that something now. A random encounter with a song about new love is usually a good experience.

Also, the song has a simple structure in a major key that gives it that happy sound. More particular to this song is that swaying rhythm in the chorus from the strings section. It almost inspires you to dance if one were so inclined. The simple percussion is an interesting wrinkle.

love is all around meaning
The Troggs

The lyrics are very straightforward and that is fine; not everything has to be Dylanesque. The feeling of infatuation can bring about feelings of love that seem to permeate within you and spreads from without you. It can feel like there is love everywhere you look. It is a lovely time. Interestingly, this song was written during 1967–the year of the summer of love.

Love is All Around Lyrics

I feel it in my fingers,
I feel it in my toes.
The love that’s all around me,
And so the feeling grows.

It’s written on the wind,
It’s everywhere I go.
So if you really love me,
Come on and let it show.

You know I love you, I always will.
My mind’s made up by the way that I feel.
There’s no beginning, there’ll be no end.
‘Cause on my love you can depend.

I see your face before me,
As I lay on my bed.
I cannot get to thinking,
Of all the things you said.

You gave your promise to me and I gave mine to you,
I need someone beside me in everything I do.
Oh, yes I do.

You know I love you, I always will,
My mind’s made up by the way that I feel.
There’s no beginning, there’ll be no end,
‘Cause on my love you can depend.

I got to keep it moving…

Ooh, it’s written in the wind.
Oh everywhere I go, yeah, ooh yeah.
So if you really love me, love me.
Come on and let it show.
Come on and let it show.
Come on and let it.
Come on and let it.
Come on and let it show.
Come on and let it.
Come on and let it.
Come on and let it show.
Come on and let it show, baby.
Come on and let it show.

Songwriters: Reg Presley

1960s songs, no love song

Reason to Believe- Karen Dalton / Tim Hardin

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Knowing that you lied/
Straight-faced while I cried/
Still I look to find a reason to believe

“A Reason is to Believe” is incredibly misunderstood. Many think it is a love song—it isn’t. There are two primary reasons for this: one, the most common cover of this song is Rod Stewart’s live version which is an awful misinterpretation of the song. Second, the lyrics are a bit confusing.

The song is about a couple who are in a bad relationship—there is gaslighting and lying.  Yet, the narrator still “loves” her partner; partially out of habit, also due to the good times they had, but mostly because of the doubt that has been sowed in her mind. Rather than repel her, this behavior causes her to think that she can’t live without her partner. For whatever reason, she still believes that their relationship will work. Maybe because he is a sweet talker.

Reason to believe meaning
Karen Dalton

The narrator knows what is really happening, but breaking up is hard, especially with a manipulative individual. The song starts out: “If I listened long enough to you/ I’d find away to believe that it’s all true/” This sounds like the narrator is coming to the realization that she is not dating a good person. But will she be able to leave?

Reason to Believe meaning
Tim Hardin

Karen Dalton’s version of this song is the best version. It is stripped down of all pretenses; is just her raspy voice and a banjo. She sings the song as it is meant to be—as if she is upset by her realization. Contrast that with Stewart’s version. He highlights the following lyric: “Someone like you/ makes it hard to live without/ somebody else”. That makes it sound as if he is realizing he found his long-lost love. That is not what this song is about. His delivery and tears at the end of the MTV Unplugged version is just weird.

The original version by Tim Hardin is amazing as well. Both Hardin and Dalton deliver classic folk performances. Their performance shows that a great musician just needs her instrument and voice to deliver a song that connects emotionally. I give Dalton’s version the slight edge, as it sounds more unique and heartbreaking.

As with many folk songs, the one weakness is the song-length. The song is short. I would have preferred another verse and chorus. That would hit the sweet spot.

Reason to Believe Lyrics

If I listened long enough to you
I’d find a way to believe that it’s all true
Knowing that you lied
Straight-faced while I cried
Still I look to find a reason to believe

Someone like you
Makes it hard to live without
Somebody else
Someone like you
Makes it easy to give
Never think about myself

If I gave you time to change my mind
I’d find a way just to leave the past behind
Knowing that you lied
Straight-faced while I cried
Still I look to find a reason to believe

If I listened long enough to you
I’d find a way to believe that it’s all true
Knowing that you lied
Straight-faced while I cried
Still I look to find a reason to believe

Someone like you
Makes it hard to live without
Somebody else
Someone like you
Makes it easy to give
Never think about myself

Someone like you
Makes it hard to live without
Somebody else
Someone like you
Makes it easy to give
Never think about myself

Someone like you
Makes it hard to live without
Somebody else
Someone like you
Makes it easy to give
Never think about myself
Someone like you
Makes it hard to live without
Somebody else

written by Tim Hardin