I know many fine feathered friends/
But their friendliness depends on how you do.

One of the frequent motifs in Cat Stevens writings are the weariness that comes along with being a pop star. “Hard-headed Woman” is an exposition on this theme. Interestingly, he began writing songs about this before he really achieved that much fame. Ultimately, he abandoned his career altogether, and would not perform for thirty years, so he definitely walked the walk.

“Hard-headed Woman” is about finding a special woman who won’t be swayed by his fame. I imagine that once you reach a certain level of fame or fortune, you may doubt if anyone really loves you for you, or do they just love the status and the money.

Cat’s voice sounds great in both the verse and chorus. Notice how he sings tenderly in the verse when he is speaking about what he wants in a woman, and then changes his singing voice when he speaks about “fine feathered friends”. He is great at this technique, and we will see him use this technique similarly in another song later in this list to an even greater effect. The guitar intro is unique and really sets the stage and says, “a serious message is coming”.

Hard Headed Woman Lyrics

I’m looking for hard headed woman
One who’ll take me for myself
And if I find my hard headed woman
I won’t need nobody else, no no no

I’m looking for hard headed woman (hard headed woman)
One who’ll make me do my best
And if I find my hard headed woman
I know the rest of my life will be blessed, yes (yes), yes, yes

I know a lot of fancy dancers
People who can glide you on the floor
They move so smooth but have no answers (ooh whoa oh)
When you ask them, “What you come here for? (I don’t know)
Why?”

I know many fine feathered friends
But their friendliness depends on how you do
They know!
Many sure fired ways
To find out the one who pays
And how you do

I’m looking for hard headed woman (hard headed woman)
One who will make me fell so good
And if I find my hard headed woman (ooh whoa oh)
I know my life will be as it should, yes, yes, yes

I’m looking for hard headed woman (hard headed woman)
One who’ll make me do my best
And if I find my hard headed woman

written by Cat Stevens

Tryin’ to find a woman who’s never, never, never been born.

Led Zeppelin begins “Going To California” talking about the woman he left. She was unkind: she smoked all his stuff and drank all his wine. So obviously he needs to find a better woman. So, he heads to California. Maybe literally, maybe not. California is where dreams come true and he is looking for his dream girl.

Some of his friends tell him all women are the same, but he doesn’t believe them…so off he goes. It turns out to be harder to find this woman than he thought it would be. In fact, this dream woman might not exist. But he is going to keep trying.

The guitar combined with the mandolin creates a unique sound that we don’t hear elsewhere from Led Zeppelin, maybe anywhere. It sounds kind of magical. It goes great with the theme of the lyrics. When you combine that with the echo from Plant’s lyrics, it forms a mystical song about the search for love.

The bridge on “Going to California” is pretty crazy. It works, but I could never imagine putting that bridge with this song. While Zeppelin gets critiqued for their tendency to borrow from other bands, this is a unique combination that I don’t think we would hear from any other band. All of these unique pieces combine to make “Going to California” one of Led Zeppelin’s finest songs.

Going To California Lyrics

Spent my days with a woman unkind
Smoked my stuff and drank, all my wine
Made up my mind to make a new start
Going to California with an aching, in my heart
Someone told me there’s a girl out there
With love in her eyes and flowers, in her hair
Took my chances on a big jet plane
Never let ’em tell you that they’re all the same

The sea was red and the sky was grey
Wondered how tomorrow, could ever follow today
The mountains and the canyons start to tremble and shake
As the children of the sun began to awake

Seems that the wrath of the gods
Got a punch on the nose, and it started to flow
I think I might be sinking
Throw me a line, if I reach it in time
I’ll meet you up there where the path runs straight and high

To find a queen without a king
They say she plays guitar and cries and sings…
La la la la
Ride a white mare in the footsteps of dawn
Tryin’ to find a woman who’s never, never, never been born
Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams
Telling myself it’s not as hard, hard, hard as it seems…

written by Page and Plant

Though my views may be wrong, they may even be perverted/
She’ll hear me out and won’t easily be converted/

“Somebody” by Depeche Mode is one of the most underrated love songs. You never hear it mentioned as an all-time great or get radio airtime, but the song is fantastic. The lyrics are outstanding. Look at the detail and depth of thought that Martin Gore puts into what he wants in a woman.

Imagine reading his “list” of wants on a personals section. Does anyone really put that much thought into what they want in a partner other than someone hot? His wants and needs are insightful and idiosyncratic and unapologetic. That is really refreshing.

So what does he want? Gore wants someone who will be patient with him, give him the benefit of the doubt and challenge him, but also understand him. Later in “Someone” he lists other things that he envisions wanting in a woman. They are so deeply personal that I don’t see how anyone couldn’t love this song. It is so honest and open.

The melody and piano accompaniment to Depeche Mode’s “Somebody” are equally amazing. The song actually requires quite a vocal range. Gore delivers the vocals tenderly—as if they are something that have meaning to him. What else can we ask for in a song? What is crazy to me is that somehow “Somebody” is not in the top ten songs listened to in Spotify by Depeche Mode.

“Somebody” is an underappreciated love song that deserves to be discussed with the best of all-time.  For more Depeche Mode.

Somebody Lyrics

I want somebody to share, share the rest of my life
Share my innermost thoughts, know my intimate details.
Someone who’ll stand by my side and give me support,
And in return, she’ll get my support.

She will listen to me when I want to speak
About the world we live in, and life in general.
Though my views may be wrong, they may even be perverted,
She’ll hear me out and won’t easily be converted
To my way of thinking, in fact, she’ll often disagree.
But at the end of it all, she will understand me.

I want somebody who cares for me passionately,
With every thought and with every breath.
Someone who’ll help me see things in a different light,
All the things I detest I will almost like.

I don’t want to be tied to anyone’s strings,
I’m carefully trying to steer clear of those things.
But when I’m asleep I want somebody
Who will put their arms around me and kiss me tenderly.
Though things like this make me sick,
In a case like this, I’ll get away with it.

written by Martin Lee Gore (Depeche Mode)