How do you thank someone who has taken you from crayons to perfume?

Lulu’s “To Sir With Love” is one of the best soundtrack songs. The song manages to capture what is great about the movie in only a couple verses. The lyrics and the melody are incredible. The title of the movie is in the song! With a title like “To Sir With Love”, that is hard to pull off.

There are so many classic lines that describe a young woman’s love/admiration for her male teacher (like the above). Think of all the less poetic ways someone might try to express that in a song. There are so many ways to screw that up but Black & London nail every line.

Both the Lulu original version and the 10,000 Maniacs version with Natalie Merchant singing lead and featuring Michael Stipe from REM is really good. I suspect if you like one, you’ll like the other. Lulu enunciates better but I think Merchant has a better voice. Great movie too.

To Sir With Love Lyrics

Those schoolgirl days of telling tales and biting nails are gone.
But in my mind, I know they will still live on and on.
But how do you thank someone who has taken you from crayons to perfume?
It isn’t easy, but I’ll try.

If you wanted the sky I would write across the sky in letters
That would soar a thousand feet high ‘To Sir, With Love’.

The time has come for closing books and long last looks must end.
And as I leave, I know that I am leaving my best friend.
A friend who taught me right from wrong, and weak from strong;
That’s a lot to learn, but what can I give you in return?

If you wanted the moon I would try to make a start,
But I would rather you let me give my heart ‘To Sir, With Love’

Songwriters: Don Black / Mark London

She told me “Baby, when you race today/
Just take along my love with you.

During the beginning of their career, The Beach Boys sang about surfing and driving. Both of those topics are uninteresting topics for songs IMO. Unfortunately, this has lessened their reputation among many. They did write one great “car song”: “Don’t Worry Baby”.

The Beach Boys tell an interesting story about a girlfriend nagging(?) her boyfriend not to race or she will break up with him. The way Brian Wilson words her ultimatum is fantastic (see above).

“Don’t Worry Baby” is mostly about the love between the couple, and their dynamic–the car is just the background. The narrator’s stance is that his girl should not worry because their love is so strong. Wilson always had a great beat on capturing teenage emotions.

And listen to those harmonies. I will probably mention this on every song of the Beach Boys, but they are mesmerizing. Also, Wilson’s falsetto is beautiful.  Wilson’s attention to detail creates a true wall of sound. The vocals combined with the instruments almost creates a sensation overload.

Don’t Worry Baby Lyrics

Well it’s been building up inside of me
For oh I don’t know how long.
I don’t know why
But I keep thinking
Something’s bound to go wrong.

But she looks in my eyes
And makes me realize
And she says “don’t worry, baby”.
Don’t worry, baby,
Don’t worry, baby,
Everything will turn out alright.

Don’t worry, baby,
Don’t worry, baby,
Don’t worry, baby.

I guess I should’ve kept my mouth shut
When I started to brag about my car.
But I can’t back down now because
I pushed the other guys too far

She makes me come alive,
And makes me wanna drive
When she says “don’t worry, baby”.
Don’t worry, baby,
Don’t worry, baby,
Everything will turn out alright.

Don’t worry, baby,
Don’t worry, baby,
Don’t worry, baby.

She told me “Baby, when you race today
Just take along my love with you.
And if you knew how much I loved you
Baby, nothing could go wrong with you”.

Oh what she does to me,
When she makes love to me.
And she says “don’t worry, baby”.
Don’t worry, baby,
Don’t worry, baby,
Everything will turn out alright.
Don’t worry, baby,
Don’t worry, baby,
Don’t worry, baby.

I’m feeling more alone/
Than I ever have before.

“Brick” by The Ben Folds Five is a song about a young couple that drives downtown to get an abortion the day after Christmas. We know they are young because they fund the abortion by selling some of their Christmas gifts. Also, they live at home.

The abortion story is the background to the unraveling effect it has on the relationship. It puts her into a depressive state that she is unable to recover from. She feels like a brick that is sinking and he’ll either have to hold on and sink with her or perhaps, let go…in order to save himself. “Brick” is a very strong metaphor.

“Brick” is a great song because it feels so emotional and personal, and a story that many teenagers and twenty-year olds can relate to. Folds describes the scene in a matter of fact way so that we can almost picture it in our mind’s eye. Notice he doesn’t place blame on either of them. They are in it together throughout, until much time goes by and he begins to wonder if being together is the best thing for them.

“Brick’s” unique piano track adds a lot of the personality to this song. It is relatively simple, but catchy. When Folds goes into the high register during the chorus, he sounds good and it sounds like he is providing a lot of the emotion that the otherwise black-and-white storytelling is lacking. It is an interesting technique.

Brick Lyrics

6 a.m.
Day after Christmas
I throw some clothes on in the dark
The smell of cold
Car seat is freezing
The world is sleeping
I am numb

Up the stairs to her apartment
She is balled up on the couch
Her mom and dad went down to Charlotte
They’re not home to find us out

And we drive
Now that I have found someone
I’m feeling more alone
Than I ever have before

She’s a brick and I’m drownin’ slowly
Off the coast and I’m headed to nowhere
She’s a brick and I’m drownin’ slowly

They call her name at seven-thirty
I pace around the parking lot
And I walk down to buy her flowers
And sell some gifts that I got

Can’t you see
It’s not me you’re dying for
Now she’s feeling more alone
Then she ever has before

She’s a brick and I’m drownin’ slowly
Off the coast and I’m headed to nowhere
She’s a brick and I’m drownin’ slowly

As weeks went by
It showed that she was not fine
They told me, “Son it’s time to tell the truth, ” and
She broke down and I broke down
Cause I was tired of lying

Driving back to her apartment
For the moment we’re alone
Yeah she’s alone
And I’m alone
Now I know it

She’s a brick and I’m drownin’ slowly
Off the coast and I’m headed to nowhere
She’s a brick and I’m drownin’ slowly

written by Ben Folds