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, infatuation

#464 Bell Bottom Blues- Derrick & The Dominoes

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Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you?
Do you want to hear me beg you to take me back?
I’d gladly do it…

Along with Cream and Blind Faith, Derrick and the Dominoes was another Eric Clapton led band. It was short lived. They produced one album. But it was amazing. In “Bell Bottom Blues” Clapton has it bad for some woman (I assume she wore bell bottoms?). He loves her even though she treats him poorly, and he wants more. (It would be interesting how the reception of this song would have been had it been released by a woman.)

Bell Bottom Blues
Derrick and the Dominoes

He doesn’t care if he has to beg. He’ll gladly do it. Whatever it takes. In the end he even half threatens her that he will find someone new if she doesn’t take him back. This song deals with very raw, unprocessed and unfiltered emotions and that is why it is so powerful.

Unique to “Bell Bottom Blues” is the guitar work. It sounds like dueling guitars…especially throughout the verses. It sounds almost improvised. The guitars are also extremely distorted for the time period. This was some hard rock at the time. We also catch a rare glimpse of Clapton’s falsetto, and also some attempts at harmonizing.

Also, you can hear the difference between a Cream song and a Derrick and the Dominoes song if you listen to the drumbeat. Ginger Baker of Cream played much more complex beats.

Bell Bottom Blues Lyrics

Bell bottom blues, you made me cry.
I don’t want to lose this feeling.
And if I could choose a place to die
It would be in your arms.

Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you?
Do you want to hear me beg you to take me back?
I’d gladly do it because
I don’t want to fade away.
Give me one more day, please.
I don’t want to fade away.
In your heart I want to stay.

It’s all wrong, but it’s all right.
The way that you treat me baby.
Once I was strong but I lost the fight.
You won’t find a better loser.

Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you?
Do you want to hear me beg you to take me back?
I’d gladly do it because
I don’t want to fade away.
Give me one more day, please.
I don’t want to fade away.
In your heart I want to stay.

Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you?
Do you want to hear me beg you to take me back?
I’d gladly do it because
I don’t want to fade away.
Give me one more day, please.
I don’t want to fade away.
In your heart I want to stay.

Bell bottom blues, don’t say goodbye.
I’m sure we’re gonna meet again,
And if we do, don’t you be surprised
If you find me with another lover.

Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you?
Do you want to hear me beg you to take me back?
I don’t want to fade away.
Give me one more day, please.
I don’t want to fade away.
In your heart I want to stay.

I don’t want to fade away.
Give me one more day please.
I don’t want to fade away.
In your heart I long to stay.

I don’t want to fade away.
Give me one more day please.
I don’t want to fade away.
In your heart I long to stay.

Songwriters: Eric Patrick Clapton / Bobby Whitlock

1970s songs, love is gone

#459 Maggie May- Rod Stewart

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You led me away from home/
just to save you from being alone.
You stole my heart and that’s what really hurts.

Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” is a song about a relationship between a college boy and an older woman. The author is bitter that the relationship is over but feels grateful for the experience. In other unrequited love songs we’ve talked about here, there is often some deep bitterness or genuine grief.

In “Maggie May”, we feel like the narrator is going to be ok. Maggie May treated him well, she encouraged him to stay in school and she loved him and satisfied his needs. It appears she may have broken things off for his sake. She left him better than she found him.

Maggie May Meaning
Rod Stewart

The choice of instruments in the song really helps it stand out. Steward uses a mandolin as the main string instrument in the intro and sprinkled throughout. The lyrics are well done. We understand what Stewart is talking about upon first hearing it and it makes the hearing experience that much more impactful. Stewart’s unique voice is hit or miss for people and it works great with this song. It really captures a time period in a young man’s life, and I bet many wish they could be “adopted” by a Maggie for a summer.

Maggie May Lyrics

Wake up, Maggie, I think I got something to say to you
It’s late September and I really should be back at school
I know I keep you amused, but I feel I’m being used
Oh, Maggie, I couldn’t have tried any more

You led me away from home, just to save you from being alone
You stole my heart, and that’s what really hurts

The morning sun, when it’s in your face really shows your age
But that don’t worry me none in my eyes, you’re everything
I laughed at all of your jokes, my love you didn’t need to coax
Oh, Maggie, I couldn’t have tried any more

You led me away from home, just to save you from being alone
You stole my soul, and that’s a pain I can do without

All I needed was a friend to lend a guiding hand
But you turned into a lover, and, mother, what a lover you wore me out
All you did was wreck my bed, and in the morning, kick me in the head
Oh, Maggie, I couldn’t have tried any more

You led me away from home ’cause you didn’t wanna be alone
You stole my heart, I couldn’t leave you if I tried

I suppose I could collect my books and get on back to school
Or steal my daddy’s cue and make a living out of playing pool
Or find myself a rock ‘n’ roll band that needs a helping hand
Oh, Maggie, I wished I’d never seen your face

You made a first-class fool out of me
But I’m as blind as a fool can be
You stole my heart, but I love you anyway

Maggie, I wished I’d never seen your face
I’ll get on back home one of these days
Ooh, ooh, ooh

Songwriters: Martin Quittenton / Roderick Stewart

1970s songs, unrequited love

#458 Superstar- The Carpenters

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Don’t you remember, you told me you loved me baby?
You said you’d be coming back this way again baby…

The Carpenter’s “Superstar” is a unique concept–the original title was “The Groupie Song”. “Superstar” is about a girl who is infatuated with a rockstar. She saw him at a show, they had a fling, and he told her he loved her.  She hears him and his music all the time in her head…oh, no, this time it’s just him on the radio.

Superstar Meaning
The Carpenters

“Superstar” works on a more basic level because people don’t listen to the words of the song, just the feel of the song. We hear the chorus: “don’t you remember you told me you love me you love me baby” and remember that we have had similar feelings of heartbreak. Is this is just a dedication of love?

Nope. In this particular case, the relationship was not that deep to begin with ( the girl might have been led on), but when Karen Carpenter starts singing the chorus, we all feel sentimental. Perhaps the lesson is that regardless of whether the relationship is serious or not, unrequited love hurts.

This is Karen Carpenter at her finest.

Superstar Lyrics

Long ago, and, oh, so far away
I fell in love with you before the second show
Your guitar, it sounds so sweet and clear
But you’re not really here, it’s just the radio

Don’t you remember, you told me you loved me baby?
You said you’d be coming back this way again baby
Baby, baby, baby, baby, oh baby
I love you, I really do

Loneliness is such a sad affair
And I can hardly wait to be with you again
What to say to make you come again?
Come back to me again and play your sad guitar

Don’t you remember, you told me you loved me baby?
You said you’d be coming back this way again baby
Baby, baby, baby, baby, oh baby
I love you, I really do

Don’t you remember, you told me you loved me baby?
You said you’d be coming back this way again baby
Baby, baby, baby, baby, oh baby
I love you, I really do

Songwriters: Leon Russell / Bonnie Bramlett / Delaney Bramlett