Category Archives: 1970s songs

The best 500 songs from the 1970s. Meanings, lyrics and interpretations from your favorite seventies artists. Fleetwood, The Eagles, Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell, Queen and all your favorite 70s artists ranked.

1970s songs, songs about sex

#406 Black Dog- Led Zeppelin

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All I ask for all I pray/
Steady rollin’ woman gon’ come my way.

The lyrics for Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” are about as straightforward as you can get. He sees a hot girl, he hooks up with the girl, the girl screws him over. It pretty much has nothing to do with a black dog. The brilliance in the song is in the musicianship and the crazy vocal performance by Robert Plant. In fact, each of the musicians have one of their finest contributions they ever made to Zeppelin.

Let’s start with the drums. Bonham has one of his finest contributions. He performs in a non-standard time-signature for part of the song…which is difficult. But he really makes the drums come alive, more so than almost any song I can think of.

The guitar work is excellent. The guitar riff might be one of the most recognizable in rock…though I am not sure how many know the title everyone would know it is Zeppelin. There are several notable guitar solos that riff on that riff. Plant’s vocal is impassioned and strong—as always. He uses echo extensively. He sings a capella in several areas in the song. It is very difficult to sing a capella and sound good. Black Dog demonstrates Plant’s superior singing skills if anyone was in doubt.

Lyrics Black Dog

Hey, hey mama said the way you move
Gon’ make you sweat, gon’ make you groove
Ah ah child way ya shake that thing
Gon’ make you burn, gon’ make you sting
Hey, hey baby when you walk that way
Watch your honey drip, I can’t keep away

Oh yeah, oh yeah ah, ah, ah ah
Oh yeah, oh yeah ah, ah, ah ah
Oh yeah, oh yeah ah, ah, ah ah
Oh yeah, oh yeah ah, ah, ah ah

I gotta roll I can’t stand still
Got a flamin’ heart can’t get my fill
With eyes that shine, burnin’ red
Dreams of you all through my head

Ah ah ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah

Hey baby, whoa my baby, my pretty baby
Darlin’ makes ’em do it now
Hey baby, oh my baby, my pretty baby
Move the way you’re doin’ now

Didn’t take too long ‘fore I found out
What people mean by down and out
Spent my money, took my car
Started tellin’ her friends she gon’ be a star
I don’t know but I been told
A big legged woman ain’t got no soul

Oh yeah, oh yeah ah, ah, ah ah
Oh yeah, oh yeah ah, ah, ah ah
Oh yeah, oh yeah ah, ah, ah ah
Oh yeah, oh yeah ah, ah, yeah

All I ask for all I pray
Steady rollin’ woman gon’ come my way
Need a woman gonna hold my hand
Won’t tell me no lies, make me a happy man

Ah ah ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah ah ah, ah

Oh yeah
Darlin’ makes ’em do it now
Yeah-yeah. yeah-yeah. yeah-yeah
Darlin’ makes ’em do it now
Babe! babe!
Wooh, keep doin’ it babe

hey
(Busted) hey
(Busted) hey
(Busted) hey
hey, yeah
(Busted) hey, yeah
(Busted) hey, yeah
Oh, yeah
Oh-ah
(Well done)
Darlin’ makes ’em do it now
Darlin’ makes ’em do it now

Songwriters: James Patrick (jimmy) Page / Robert Anthony Plant / John Paul Jones

1970s songs, jealousy

#404 Jealous Guy- John Lennon

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I was feeling insecure/
You might not love me anymore/
I was shivering inside.

“Jealous Guy” might be Lennon at his most personal and introspective. Say what you want about Yoko, but she was a great muse for him. He uses a lot of words that men often feel but don’t admit to feeling: Jealously and insecurity which made him shiver inside. That is personal writing, and it makes him more relatable than A Beatle.

He apologizes for his behavior; he never meant to hurt her or make her cry he is just pointing out a flaw in his personality and hoping that his love can accept him for who his is. He can’t help it; he is a jealous guy.

The song is sung beautifully in a conciliatory tone, and Lennon’s voice sounds great. Some days I love the whistle solo and some days I don’t, but it is different. I think the only other time I have heard it is on Sittin on the Dock of the Bay. Songs with a piano and light orchestra are usually one of my preferred combinations, but I think this song would also sound good with just him and an acoustic guitar.

Jealous Guy Lyrics

I was dreaming of the past
And my heart was beating fast
I began to lose control
I began to lose control
I didn’t mean to hurt you
I’m sorry that I made you cry
Oh my I didn’t want to hurt you
I’m just a jealous guy

I was feeling insecure
You might not love me anymore
I was shivering inside
I was shivering inside
Oh I didn’t mean to hurt you
I’m sorry that I made you cry
Oh my I didn’t want to hurt you
I’m just a jealous guy

I didn’t mean to hurt you
I’m sorry that I made you cry
Oh my I didn’t want to hurt you
I’m just a jealous guy

I was trying to catch your eyes
Thought that you was trying to hide
I was swallowing my pain
I was swallowing my pain
I didn’t mean to hurt you
I’m sorry that I made you cry
Oh no I didn’t want to hurt you
I’m just a jealous guy
Watch out baby I’m just a jealous guy
Look out baby I’m just a jealous guy

Songwriters: John Lennon

1970s songs, contentment

#398 Perfect Day- Lou Reed

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Oh, such a perfect day/
You just keep me hanging on

Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” is one of the best songs about the simple pleasures of love: walking in a park, enjoying the weekend, checking out the zoo or a movie. There is something to be said for sharing simple pleasures with someone you love. There are some darker undertones to the song, such as the above lyric when he says “you just keep me hangin on”. It sounds like he is struggling mentally or emotionally.

At the end he promises the girl that she will reap what she sows. Meaning, that he appreciates the time she is putting in with him while he is struggling; he will make it up to her when he feels better. So, in a sense it isn’t a perfect day. It is a perfect day given the circumstances.

“Perfect Day” starts out with two haunting chords. The mood is slightly lighter throughout the verse—but it is still hesitant and slightly tense. By the time we get to the chorus we do feel as if the music and his mood is one of elation. The release is a nice feeling.

The song has a very nice piano arrangement that is original sounding. Reed has one of those voices like Dylan or Cohen, that is unspectacular, but good—if you allow yourself to take it in. This is one of his better vocals because he delivers it with a lot of emotion. This is probably his best vocal—either solo or in Velvet Underground.

Perfect Day Lyrics

Just a perfect day,
Drink Sangria in the park.
And then later
When it gets dark, we go home.

Just a perfect day,
Feed animals in the zoo.
Then later
A movie, too, and then home.

Oh, it’s such a perfect day,
I’m glad I spent it with you.
Oh, such a perfect day,
You just keep me hanging on.
You just keep me hanging on.

Just a perfect day,
Problems all left alone.
Weekenders on our own,
It’s such fun.

Just a perfect day,
You made me forget myself.
I thought I was
Someone else, someone good.

Oh, it’s such a perfect day,
I’m glad I spent it with you.
Oh, such a perfect day,
You just keep me hanging on,
You just keep me hanging on.

You’re going to reap just what you sow,
You’re going to reap just what you sow.
You’re going to reap just what you sow,
You’re going to reap just what you sow.

Songwriters: Lou Reed

Top 500 Greatest Rock Songs of All-time