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

#485 Crazy Love- Poco

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Tonight I’m gonna break away just you wait and see/
I’ll never be imprisoned by a faded memory.

“Crazy Love” is a Poco song beautifully sung song by Rusty Young. This song is a soft rock classic- a genre that is horribly neglected by top 500 lists. I treat all genres the same. I just want to hear a song that is well crafted with a good lyric and melody…I don’t care what genre it is, if it is great it is great.

Crazy Love Meaning
Poco

What is great about Poco’s “Crazy Love” is the harmonies. The only other time you will hear harmonies like this is with The Beach Boys…and maybe a few others.  Singing in harmony is one of the most difficult things to do well and I would appreciate if it appeared more often in pop and rock music. For those not in the know, harmonies are people singing different notes to create a richer sound…a chord.

The lyric in this song underrated. It is not about someone physically breaking away, it is about him mentally breaking away from her memory. He is haunted by the memory of an old lover. He hears her name and he starts to cry…again. He tells himself he is not the type of guy to get “imprisoned by faded memories” so tonight I am going to break away! It is an empowering message of hope.

Crazy Love Lyrics

Tonight I’m gonna break away,
Just you wait and see.
I’ve never been imprisoned by
A faded memory.

Just when I think I’m over her,
This broken heart will mend.
I hear her name and I have to cry,
The tears come down again.

It happens all the time-
This crazy love of mine,
Wraps around my heart
Refusing to unwind.
Ooh-ooh, crazy love, ah…

Count the stars in the summer sky,
That fall without a sound.
And then pretend that you can’t hear,
These teardrops coming down.

It happens all the time-
This crazy love of mine.
Wraps around my heart,
Refusing to unwind.
Ooh-ooh, crazy love, ah…

Tonight I’m gonna break away,
Just you wait and see.
I’ve never been imprisoned by
A faded memory.

It happens all the time-
This crazy love of mine
Wraps around my heart
Refusing to unwind.
Ooh-ooh, crazy love, ah…
Tonight I’m gonna break away…

Songwriters: Rusty Young

1970s songs, story songs

#484 I Used to Be King- Gram Nash

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Someone is going to take my heart/
But no one is going to break my heart again.

“I Used to Be King” is written by Gram Nash who is a member of the famous Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. They are one of the great bands of all time and we will see their names throughout this list.

I Used To Be King Meaning
Graham Nash

“I Used to be a King” takes the form of a letter. It is a list of things he wants to say to his ex-girlfriend. Nash says he was on top of the world and everything has turned to dust. What happened? It appears his ex broke his heart. He used to be a king where everything he touched turned to gold, now he’s left without a hand to hold. He is singing to the girl that “I did love you” and “I miss you late at night”. But he wants to act cool in front of her too: “I’m okay, how are you?”

Nash reflects on why things went wrong in the relationship: It’s because “I built my life on sand.” Is this “foundation of sand” the partying lifestyle, or the traveling? Nash doesn’t say. He promises that “someone is going to take my heart, but no one is gonna break my heart again.”

He sounds defiant. He isn’t singing about how his going to change the foundation of sand. He is singing to the heavens  vowing that no one is going to screw him over again. It is cathartic. These are the things you say when you’re still hurt, before rational reflection.

I Used to Be King Lyrics

I used to be a King and everything around me turned to gold
I thought I had everything and now I’m left without a hand to hold
But it’s all right I’m O.K. How are you
For what it’s worth I must say I loved you

And in my bed late at night, I miss you
Someone is going to take my heart
But no one is going to break my heart again
I used to be a King and everything around me turned to rust

It’s ’cause I built my life on sand
And I watched it crumble in the dust
But it’s all right I’m O.K. and I want to know how you are
For what it’s worth I must say I loved you as you are

And in my bed where are you
Someone is going to take my heart
But no one is going to break my heart again
I used to be a King and everything around me turned around
But I know all I have to do is sing

And I’ll life myself way off the ground
But it’s all right I’m O.K. How are you?
For what it’s worth I must say I loved you
And in my bed where are you
Someone is going to take my heart
But no one is going to break my heart again

Songwriters: Graham Nash

1970s songs, escape

#478 Breakfast in America- Supertramp

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Take a look at my girlfriend/
She’s the only one I got.
Not much of a girlfriend…

I always smile when I hear the above introductory lyrics to “Breakfast in America” by Supertramp. Roger Hodgson is in England with his plain girlfriend (just take a look at her!) and dreams of what it would be like in America. If only he could take a trip to see the girls in California or hang out with all the millionaires in Texas.

Breakfast in America Meaning
Supertramp

As he begins to vocalize his wish he realizes that perhaps he is further away from fulfilling his dream than he thinks and then starts to get possessive of his girlfriend: “She’s the only one I got.” She’s still “not much of a girlfriend” though.

I like these unique songs where the story is very particular to the song, even though the message is  universal.

The instrumentation on this song is great and unique. I hear a clarinet play prominently and an electric piano. Also, the “bass” is played by a trumpet (I think) which gives this such a unique sound. It sounds like a carnival, but it is distinctly a rock song. The harmonies are well done, and the falsettos are tastefully used throughout.

Breakfast in America Lyrics

Take a look at my girlfriend
She’s the only one I got
Not much of a girlfriend
Never seem to get a lot

Take a jumbo across the water
Like to see America
See the girls in California
I’m hoping it’s going to come true
But there’s not a lot I can do

Could we have kippers for breakfast
Mummy dear, mummy dear
They got to have ’em in Texas
‘Cause everyone’s a millionaire

I’m a winner, I’m a sinner
Do you want my autograph
I’m a loser, what a joker
I’m playing my jokes upon you
While there’s nothing better to do

Ba-ba-ba-dow, ba-bow-dum-doo-de-dow-de-dow, de
Ba-ba-ba-dow, ba-bow-dum-de-doo-de-dow
Na na na, nana na na na na

Don’t you look at my girlfriend (girlfriend)
She’s the only one I got
Not much of a girlfriend (girlfriend)
Never seem to get a lot (what’s she got, not a lot)

Take a jumbo cross the water
Like to see America
See the girls in California
I’m hoping it’s going to come true
But there’s not a lot I can do

Ba-ba-ba-dow, ba-bow-dum-doo-de-dow-de-dow, de
Ba-ba-ba-dow, ba-bow-dum-de-doo-de-dow

Hey oh, hey oh, hey oh, hey oh,
Hey oh, hey oh, hey oh, hey oh
Na na na, nana na na na nana

Songwriters: Richard Davies / Roger Hodgson