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, drugs

#168 Break On Through- The Doors

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Arms that chain/
Eyes that lie…

The Doors “Break on Through” has great lyrics. Some of the best, this side of Dylan. Morrison is telling us that there is a reality that is just beyond our grasp and we have to break through to reach it. What exactly that entails he is not clear about. Does he mean we should do drugs? Probably. Is he advocating spirituality over materialism? Probably.

There are a lot of mores that he is suggesting that we disregard if we want to break on  through to the other side. On this side there are chains and lies, on the other side is freedom. Which side would you choose? Unfortunately living this lifestyle has its consequences.

Break On Through Meaning
The Doors

Morrison has one of the best male voices in rock. Very manly. Each of the instruments really shines in this song. The guitar has some great riffs that are iconic, as does the organ. The percussion is solid. There are a couple things you should notice. Most people only know the edited version of this song. If you’ve only heard it on the radio, you’ve never heard the regular version.

I think “Break On Through” was released on The Doors greatest hits edited as well. Why? Because it had the word “high” in it. Another cool thing to notice is the good use of stereo. At the beginning of the song each instrument is added one at a time into each side of your headphones. It is a cool effect.

Break On Through Lyrics

Every time when I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face getting clearer
The past is gone
It went by, like dusk to dawn
You know the day destroys the night
Night divides the day
Tried to run
Tried to hide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side, yeah

We chased our pleasures here
Dug our treasures there
But can you still recall
The time we cried
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side

Yeah!
C’mon, yeah

Everybody loves my baby
Everybody loves my baby
She get(s high)
She get(s high)
She get(s high)
She get(s high)

I found an island in your arms
Country in your eyes
Arms that chained us
Eyes that lied
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through, oww!
Oh, yeah!

Made the scene
Week to week
Day to day
Hour to hour
The gate is straight
Deep and wide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through
Break on through
Break on through
Break on through
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

written by Jim Morrison

1960s songs, falling in love

#165 Be My Baby- The Ronettes

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So won’t you, please, be my, be my baby…

The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” is one of the most successful pop songs of all time. Released in 1963, it led to numerous female trios who tried to capture the magic that The Ronettes captured in their one big hit. This song shows how a powerful chorus can carry a song. It doesn’t have the greatest lyrics or the best verses, but the chorus is other-worldly. Even though the lyrics are simple, Ronnie Bennet makes you feel like you wish she was singing the song to you. She captures the emotion of the song perfectly and she sounds great.

Be My Baby Meaning Lyrics
The Ronettes with Phil Spector

The orchestration of the song during the solo is unique. It sounds great as a ‘solo’ and it is one of Phil Spector’s first examples of what would become known as his “wall of sound”. If you listen closely there are some interesting touches. Notice the mix of the drums. It is peculiarly loud, and the beat is rather nuanced. There is also the use of various rarely used instruments to create this sound. I hear a sleigh bell, a clacker, hand-clapping and a sax. Interestingly, Sonny & Cher sang background vocals.

Be My Baby Lyrics

The night we met I knew
I needed you so
And if I had the chance
I’d never let you go
So won’t you say you love me?
I’ll make you so proud of me
We’ll make ’em turn their
Heads every place we go

So won’t you, please?
(Be my, be my baby)
Be my little baby
(My one and only baby)
Say you’ll be my darlin’
(Be my, be my baby)
Be my baby now
(My one and only baby)
Whoa oh oh oh

I’ll make you happy
Baby, just wait and see
For every kiss you give me
I’ll give you three
Oh, since the day I saw you
I have been waiting for you
You know I will adore you ’til eternity

So won’t you, please?
(Be my, be my baby)
Be my little baby
(My one and only baby)
Say you’ll be my darlin’
(Be my, be my baby)
Be my baby now
(My one and only baby)
Whoa oh oh oh

So come on and please
(Be my, be my baby)
Be my little baby
(My one and only baby)
Say you’ll be my darlin’
(Be my, be my baby)
Be my baby now
(My one and only baby)
Whoa oh oh oh

Be my, be my baby
(Be my little baby)
My one and only baby
(Be my, be my baby)
Be my baby now
Be my, be my baby
Whoa oh oh oh

Be my, be my baby
My one and only baby
Be my, be my baby
My one and only baby
Be my, be my baby

Written by Ellie Greenwich / Jeff Barry / Philip Spector

1960s songs, relationship problems

#159 If I Fell- The Beatles

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If I trust in you oh please don’t run and hide/
If I love you too.

“If I Fell” is the end of The Beatles beginning period. Most of the songs were about love, the lyrics were simple and so were the chord progressions and instrumentation. “If I Fell” begins to experiment in to more dangerous waters: it is a song asking a future lover if she will love him, while he is currently in another relationship. This is not “Love Me Do”.

If I Fell Greatest Songs Alltime Meaning
The Beatles

“If I Fell” is the next progression in  expression that The Beatles are able to achieve and it would transition them into a more experimental era. The song also sounds much more autobiographical than previous works by The Beatles. “If I Fell” marked a new era of songwriting for the band.

The instrumentation is still very standard. You can clearly hear they are tied to their roots of a lead, rhythm and bass with drums. What stands out about this song is that the verses and chorus are both very strong and both are mostly sung with harmonies throughout. There aren’t that many Beatles songs that use harmony to such effect.  They are good but I am not sure they ever achieved elite status as harmonizers.


If I Fell Lyrics

If I fell in love with you
Would you promise to be true
And help me understand
‘Cause I’ve been in love before
And I found that love was more
Than just holding hands

If I give my heart to you
I must be sure
From the very start
That you would love me more than her

If I trust in you oh please
Don’t run and hide
If I love you too oh please
Don’t hurt my pride like her

‘Cause I couldn’t stand the pain
And I would be sad if our new love was in vain

So I hope you see that I
Would love to love you
And that she will cry
When she learns we are two
‘Cause I couldn’t stand the pain
And I would be sad if our new love was in vain

So I hope you see that I
Would love to love you
And that she will cry
When she learns we are two
If I fell in love with you

written by lennon/mccartney