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, family problems

#323 The Greatest Discovery- Elton John

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A strange new sound you never heard before/
A strange new sound that makes boys explore.

Elton had so many hits.  John’s “The Greatest Discovery” was not one of his hits, it is a hidden gem that never got much attention. What is the greatest discovery? The song is about a young boy who hears strange new sounds in his home and goes exploring to see what they are. He notices an extra bed in his house…what is this? It turns out he has a new baby brother. Getting to know this strange looking new creature is a bizarre and exciting new discovery for the boy.

The Greatest Discovery Meaning
Bernie Taupin and Elton

What makes “The Greatest Discovery” unique is that it is unusual territory for a song—and that is exciting. The song is tender, and imagines the wonder of being a boy and meeting your new brother for the first time. Taupin’s lyrics help provide that feeling of wonder and foreignness that someone new coming into your house must feel like for a child. John’s melody is on point- it is sounds like a journey through the kids’ point of view and he sings it delicately.


The Greatest Discovery Lyrics

Peering out of tiny eyes
The grubby hands that gripped the rail
Wiped the window clean of frost
As the morning air laid on the latch

A whistle awakened someone there
Next door to the nursery, just down the hall
A strange new sound you never heard before
A strange new sound that makes boys explore

Tread neat so small those little feet
Amid the morning his small heart beats
So much excitement yesterday
That must be rewarded, must be displayed

Large hands lift him through the air
Excited eyes contain him there
The eyes of those he loves and knows
But what’s this extra bed just here

His puzzled head tipped to one side
Amazement swims in those bright green eyes
Glancing down upon this thing
That make strange sounds, strange sounds that sing

In those silent happy seconds
That surround the sound of this event
A parent smile is made in moments
They have made for you a friend

And all you ever learned from them
Until you grew much older
Did not compare with when they said
This is your brand new brother
This is your brand new brother
This is your brand new brother

Songwriters: Bernie Taupin / Elton John

1970s songs, drugs

#318 Comfortably Numb- Pink Floyd

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I do believe it’s working, good/
That’ll keep you going through the show/
Come on it’s time to go.

The narrator in Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” recalls an experience before a show when he was feeling sick- sick like he hadn’t felt since he was a child. He hears a knock at the door and it is either a doctor or perhaps a drug dealer. The narrator lists off his symptoms and the doctor says that there is no problem, we can fix this, but there may be a little prick and it may make you feel a little sick.

Comfortably Numb Meaning
Pink Floyd

After administering the drugs, the doctor helps the narrator up and tells him it seems to be working, and that should help get him through the show. He seems to describe a sedative that perhaps takes away the anxiety and allows him to feel “comfortably numb”.

The sound of the song is very dream-like, and that works well for  “Comfortably Numb”: a song about getting drugged. It is also a sweet title. I think this has a strong lead guitar solo, and I am usually indifferent to them. I feel “Comfortably Numb” is Pink Floyd’s at their best.

Comfortably Numb Lyrics

Hello? Hello? Hello?
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone at home?
Come on now
I hear you’re feeling down
Well I can ease your pain
Get you on your feet again
Relax
I’ll need some information first
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts?

There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons
Now I’ve got that feeling once again
I can’t explain you would not understand
This is not how I am
I have become comfortably numb

Okay
Just a little pinprick
There’ll be no more, ah
But you may feel a little sick
Can you stand up?
I do believe it’s working, good
That’ll keep you going through the show
Come on it’s time to go

There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown
The dream is gone
I have become comfortably numb

Songwriters: David Jon Gilmour / Roger Waters

1970s songs, community

#314 Everyday People-Sly and the Family Stone

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There is a blue one who can’t accept the green one/
For living with a fat one trying to be a skinny one.

Try to get past the fact that “Everyday People” is a Toyota commercial. It is seriously hard to do. I am all about artists making money from their music, but this song is such a beautiful celebration of togetherness that it gets lost in commercialism.

Sly tells us that no matter our color, job, fitness-level, beliefs, we all have to live together. Let’s do it happily. This song is happy about inclusion and believes toleration is a virtue. The beginning of the song is interesting because Sly admits that many of his beliefs might be wrong, so it would be silly to be exclusive based up his beliefs.

Everyday People Meaning
Sly

The Family Stone also make a significant contribution to this song.  Their part of the song seems to resonate more because we haven’t heard their verses in the commercial. It also sounds amazing and has great lyrics. The song uses a lot of instruments and voices and is mixed to sound kind of loose-like it is a live performance or just a bunch of people jamming. It sounds like the kind of party you’d definitely want to attend.

Everyday People Lyrics

Sometimes I’m right and I can be wrong
My own beliefs are in my song
The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then
Makes no difference what group I’m in

I am everyday people, yeah yeah
There is a blue one who can’t accept the green one
For living with a fat one trying to be a skinny one
And different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo

Oh sha sha we got to live together
I am no better and neither are you
We are the same whatever we do
You love me you hate me you know me and then
You can’t figure out the bag I’m in

I am everyday people, yeah yeah

There is a long hair that doesn’t like the short hair
For bein’ such a rich one that will not help the poor one
And different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo

Oh sha sha we got to live together
There is a yellow one that won’t accept the black one
That won’t accept the red one that won’t accept the white one
And different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo
I am everyday people

Songwriters: Sylvester Stewart