Breathe out/
So I can breathe you in.

The Foo Fighter’s “Everlong” is a song about falling deeply in love.  This would be a typical song of love and lust (in terms of theme) except that Grohl gives the girl a warning about himself. He suggests that he will probably try to ruin the relationship by trying to end it early, but he asks her to ignore him when that time comes.

This appears to be a personal song, as it deals with the author’s tendency to fall deeply in love with a woman, fear the end, and sabotage a good thing. This time he doesn’t want to repeat that pattern.

The acoustic version is amazing. I believe the famous version is from The Howard Stern Show. Grohl usually performed the song with an electric guitar, but he had an acoustic guitar on him that day. Stern asked him to perform it anyways, and it turns out the song sounds amazingly better solo acoustic. That live performance lifts it into the top 500 songs of all-time.

Everlong Lyrics

Hello
I’ve waited here for you
Everlong

Tonight I throw myself in two
Out of the red
Out of her head she sang

Come down and waste away with me
Down with me
Slow, how you wanted it to be
I’m over my head
Out of her head she sang

And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I’ll ever ask of you
You’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang

Breathe out
So I can breathe you in
Hold you in
And now
I know you’ve always been
Out of your head
Out of my head I sang

And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I’ll ever ask of you
You’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang

And I wonder
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I’ll ever ask of you
You’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when

Songwriters: David Grohl

Can’t stop now, I’ve traveled so far, to change this lonely life/
I want to know what love is, I want you to show me.

“I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner is the song that comes to my mind when I think 80s music. There are hits from the 80s that are higher on the list, but this seems to capture the 80s sound, and be uniquely 80s in a way. There is a lot of bad 80s music…this is a great 80s song. There are a couple defining features: synthesizers. This is the primary feature. Producers just went crazy with it back then. It created a very homogenous sound.

“I Want to Know What Love Is” only has a bit of synthesizer, so we aren’t too overwhelmed. The other distinguishing feature is the concept of a “power-ballad”. It is like a love song that has both tender parts and a chorus that is more rock-ish.

Foreigner’s  lyrics  are simple but good. They are powerful because everyone can relate to them. It talks about a lonely, lifelong journey to find love. The song is about hope. The couple is not in love yet. The singer is hoping to find love with his new lover. He is surrendering himself to her (him/whatever) and hoping that that trust will lead him to love. These are not typically songs you’d hear from a man in a love song. Traditionally, women surrender in love songs.

I should also point out the excellent background singers. Both the choir and the lead female background vocalist sound great, especially in the outro.

I Want to Know What Love is Lyrics

I gotta take a little time, a little time to think things over
I better read between the lines, in case I need it when I’m older

Now this mountain I must climb, feels like the world upon my shoulders
Through the clouds I see love shine, it keeps me warm as life grows colder

In my life there’s been heartache and pain
I don’t know if I can face it again
Can’t stop now, I’ve traveled so far, to change this lonely life

I want to know what love is, I want you to show me
I want to feel what love is, I know you can show me

I’m gonna take a little time, a little time to look around me
I’ve got nowhere left to hide, it looks like love has finally found me

In my life there’s been heartache and pain
I don’t know if I can face it again
Can’t stop now, I’ve traveled so far, to change this lonely life

I want to know what love is, I want you to show me
I want to feel what love is, I know you can show me
I want to know what love is, I want you to show me
(And I want to feel) I want to feel what love is
(And I know) I know you can show me
Let’s talk about love, I want to know what love is
The love that you feel inside, I want you to show me

And I’m feeling so much love, I want to feel what love is
No, you just can’t hide, I know you can show me
I want to know what love is (let’s talk about love), I know you can show me
I want to feel it too, I want to feel what love is
I want to feel it too, and I know and I know, I know you can show me
Show me love is real, yeah, I want to know what love is

Songwriters: Michael Leslie Jones

So won’t you, please, be my, be my baby…

The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” is one of the most successful pop songs of all time. Released in 1963, it led to numerous female trios who tried to capture the magic that The Ronettes captured in their one big hit. This song shows how a powerful chorus can carry a song. It doesn’t have the greatest lyrics or the best verses, but the chorus is other-worldly. Even though the lyrics are simple, Ronnie Bennet makes you feel like you wish she was singing the song to you. She captures the emotion of the song perfectly and she sounds great.

The orchestration of the song during the solo is unique. It sounds great as a ‘solo’ and it is one of Phil Spector’s first examples of what would become known as his “wall of sound”. If you listen closely there are some interesting touches. Notice the mix of the drums. It is peculiarly loud, and the beat is rather nuanced. There is also the use of various rarely used instruments to create this sound. I hear a sleigh bell, a clacker, hand-clapping and a sax. Interestingly, Sonny & Cher sang background vocals.

Be My Baby Lyrics

The night we met I knew
I needed you so
And if I had the chance
I’d never let you go
So won’t you say you love me?
I’ll make you so proud of me
We’ll make ’em turn their
Heads every place we go

So won’t you, please?
(Be my, be my baby)
Be my little baby
(My one and only baby)
Say you’ll be my darlin’
(Be my, be my baby)
Be my baby now
(My one and only baby)
Whoa oh oh oh

I’ll make you happy
Baby, just wait and see
For every kiss you give me
I’ll give you three
Oh, since the day I saw you
I have been waiting for you
You know I will adore you ’til eternity

So won’t you, please?
(Be my, be my baby)
Be my little baby
(My one and only baby)
Say you’ll be my darlin’
(Be my, be my baby)
Be my baby now
(My one and only baby)
Whoa oh oh oh

So come on and please
(Be my, be my baby)
Be my little baby
(My one and only baby)
Say you’ll be my darlin’
(Be my, be my baby)
Be my baby now
(My one and only baby)
Whoa oh oh oh

Be my, be my baby
(Be my little baby)
My one and only baby
(Be my, be my baby)
Be my baby now
Be my, be my baby
Whoa oh oh oh

Be my, be my baby
My one and only baby
Be my, be my baby
My one and only baby
Be my, be my baby

Written by Ellie Greenwich / Jeff Barry / Philip Spector