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, breakup songs

#11 River- Joni Mitchell

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Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on.
I made my baby cry.

Joni Mitchell’s “River” is an interesting song in that it adopts part of its melody from Jingle Bells. If you were to tell me, “You have to hear this great song, it sounds a little like Jingle Bells” I would tell you to GTFO. But somehow it works. Mitchell’s “River” is not about Christmas. it is about a breakup that happens around Christmas time. Mitchell hurts her lover and by hurting him, she hurts. It makes her want to do anything to escape. Where to? On a river of course.

River Joni Mitchell Meaning
Joni

She sees the rivers that seem to go on indefinitely and she thinks that maybe if she starts skating she’ll escape her current predicament. She takes a lot of blame for the hurt caused in the relationship. It is a refreshing take to hear her assessment of her part of the breakup: “I’m so hard to handle/ I’m selfish and I’m sad/ Now I’ve gone and lost the best baby I’ve ever had.”

This is the third and final song called “River” on this list. We had the one by Vanessa Carlton, Springsteen and now Joni Mitchell. Clearly rivers are ripe for song imagery. Springsteen also thought of a river as a means to an escape as well. His concept was different though. He wanted to take his girlfriend down to the unfrozen river for some frolicking. Carlton viewed the river as a symbol of change.

River-Joni Mitchell-Lyrics

It’s coming on Christmas,
They’re cutting down trees.
They’re putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace.
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on.

But it don’t snow here,
It stays pretty green.
I’m going to make a lot of money,
Then I’m going to quit this crazy scene.
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on.

I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly.
I wish I had a river I could skate away on.
I made my baby cry.

He tried hard to help me,
You know, he put me at ease.
And he loved me so naughty,
Made me weak in the knees.
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on.

I’m so hard to handle,
I’m selfish and I’m sad.
Now I’ve gone and lost the best baby,
That I ever had.
I wish I had a river I could skate away on.

Oh, I wish I had a river so long,
I would teach my feet to fly.
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on.
I made my baby say goodbye.

It’s coming on Christmas,
They’re cutting down trees.
They’re putting up reindeer,
And singing songs of joy and peace.
I wish I had a river I could skate away on.

written by joni mitchell
1970s songs, protest songs

#10 What’s Going On- Marvin Gaye

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You see, war is not the answer/
For only love can conquer hate.

Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” is obviously a historically important song. It marked a turning point when one of Motown’s biggest artists deviated from the tried and true love song formula and started speaking out about the world around him. But that is not what this list is about. It is about great music. And “What’s Going On” still sounds amazing today. The message still resonates and there are some great lines in the song like: “Who are they to judge us/ Simply ‘cause our hair is long?”

What's Going On Meaning
Marvin Gaye

Overall, the title is an interesting one. Gaye is asking, “Seriously, what is going on? Someone please tell me.” This song marked his disillusionment with the lack of progress with the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and the fact that young voices weren’t being heard.

There are a lot of innovations on the record. I like the talking intro where it sounds like we’re entering a conversation among real people. It helps to give the impression that his message is more relatable. Rather than a solo instrument he sings scat over the background music…where he sings jibberish in the tune of the song.

There is excellent use of the bass, sax and the backup singers. And I am a sucker for the finger snapping. And of course, Gaye’s voice sounds perfect. He might be more well known for his sexy love songs, but his voice delivers a political message just as well. It sounds crisp, concerned and urgent.

Compare this song to some of the other Motown songs on this list to see just what a jump forward this was: The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, or early Stevie Wonder.

What’s Going On Lyrics

Mother, mother,
There’s too many of you crying.
Brother, brother, brother,
There’s far too many of you dying.
You know we’ve got to find a way
To bring some loving here today, yeah.

Father, father,
We don’t need to escalate.
You see, war is not the answer,
For only love can conquer hate.
You know we’ve got to find a way,
To bring some loving here today, oh (Oh).

Picket lines (Sister) and picket signs (Sister),
Don’t punish me (Sister) with brutality (Sister).
Talk to me (Sister), so you can see (Sister),
Oh, what’s going on (What’s going on).
What’s going on (What’s going on)!
Yeah, what’s going on (What’s going on).
Oh, what’s going on.

Mother, mother,
Everybody thinks we’re wrong.
Oh, but who are they to judge us,
Simply ’cause our hair is long.
Oh, you know we’ve got to find a way,
To bring some understanding here today.
Picket lines and picket signs,
Don’t punish me with brutality.
Come on talk to me
So you can see,
What’s going on (What’s going on).
Yeah, what’s going on (What’s going on).
Tell me what’s going on (What’s going on).
I’ll tell you, what’s going on (What’s going on).
Right on, baby, right on.
Right on, baby.
Right on, baby, right on.

written by marvin gaye

1970s songs, drugs

#7 Needle & The Damage Done (live)- Neil Young

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I’ve seen the needle, and the damage done/
A little part of it In everyone.

In Live at Massay Hall, Neil Young introduces his brand new song: “The Needle and the Damage Done”. He talks about how he has lost a bunch of friends to drugs– he says it is always heroin, so he decided to write this song. The lyrics are straightforward. It is about an addict coming around his house looking for drugs or money and how they will say anything to score.

It is sad how damaging a portrait Young paints. Young doesn’t chastise them, he empathizes them, and recognizes that there is a bit of them in all of us. He has a great line: “Every junkie’s like the setting sun”.

Needle & The Damage Done meaning
Neil Young

Young’s vocal on “Needle and the Damage Done” is haunting and moving. We can hear that this is a song that is meaningful to him. He sings as if he is reliving the hurts of his friend’s death. It is a very powerful and emotional performance.

The stripped-down arraignment of just the acoustic guitar adds an emotional intensity. It helps ground the song in folk and the blues sound and it also helps guide the listener to pay attention to the lyrics and the message.

Needle & The Damage Done Lyrics

I caught you knocking at my cellar door,
“I love you, baby, can I have some more?”
Ooh, ooh, the damage done.

I hit the city and I lost my band.
I watched the needle take another man.
Gone, gone, the damage done.

I sing the song because I love the man,
I know that some of you don’t understand.
Milk-blood to keep from running out.

I’ve seen the needle and the damage done,
A little part of it in everyone.
Every junkie’s like a setting sun.

I’ve seen the needle and the damage done,
A little part of it in everyone,
But every junkie’s like a setting sun.

written by Neil Young