1970s songs, friendship

#152 Carey- Joni Mitchell

Oh, you’re a mean old Daddy, but I like you.

Joni Mitchell’s “Carey” is a fun song about a friendship between two women. While Joni Mitchell gets recognition for her agonizing love songs, she does not get enough credit for her ability to create fun folk-rock songs like Carey and Big Yellow Taxi. Mitchell is taking a vacation at Carey’s house.

Carey seems to live in a vibrant community down by the beach—but it is not extravagant. Mitchell clearly adores the place, the experience, and her time with Carey. But it is time to go home to her fresh sheets.

“Carey”—like most in the Mitchell catalog—are played on a non-standard tuned guitar. That is why you hear several muted-sounded strings as she strums. It helps create her unique sound. Her vocal range is on clear display here: she runs several octaves, but not in a pretentious way; it seems to fit the song. The hand drum is the only other instrument on this song. It helps to give the song that beach/island vibe.

Carey Lyrics

The wind is in from Africa
Last night I couldn’t sleep
Oh, you know it sure is hard to leave here, Carey
But it’s really not my home
My fingernails are filthy
I’ve got beach tar on my feet
And I miss my clean white linen and my fancy French cologne

Oh Carey, get out your cane (Carey, get out your cane)
And I’ll put on some silver (I’ll put on some silver)
Oh, you’re a mean old Daddy, but I like you fine

Come on down to the Mermaid Café
And I will buy you a bottle of wine
And we’ll laugh and toast to nothing and
Smash our empty glasses down
Let’s have a round for these freaks and these soldiers
A round for these friends of mine
Let’s have another round for the bright red devil, who
Keeps me in this tourist town

Come on, Carey, get out your cane (Carey, get out your cane)
And I’ll put on some silver (I’ll put on some silver)
Oh, you’re a mean old Daddy, but I like you
I like you, I like you, I like you

Maybe I’ll go to Amsterdam
Or maybe I’ll go to Rome
And rent me a grand piano and put some flowers ’round my room
But let’s not talk about fare-thee-wells now
The night is a starry dome
And they’re playin’ that scratchy rock and roll
Beneath the Matala Moon

Come on, Carey, get out your cane (Carey, get out your cane)
And I’ll put on some silver (I’ll put on some silver)
You’re a mean old Daddy, but I like you

The wind is in from Africa
Last night I couldn’t sleep
Oh, you know it sure is hard to leave here, but it’s
Really not my home
Maybe it’s been too long a time since I was
Scramblin’ down in the street
Now they got me used to that clean white linen and that
Fancy French cologne

Oh Carey, get out your cane (Carey, get out your cane)
I’ll put on my finest silver (I’ll put on some silver)
We’ll go to the Mermaid Café, have fun tonight
I said, oh, you’re a mean old Daddy, but you’re out of sight

written by Joni Mitchell

1970s songs, breakup songs

#151 Changes- Black Sabbath

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But soon the world
Had its evil way
My heart was blinded
Love went astray.

Black Sabbath’s “Changes” is a song about a man with a broken heart. Who knew that Ozzy Osbourne can do tender love songs? He was blinded by lust and tempted by another woman and he cheated on the woman he loved. His best friend. His life will be different now because he knows that he lost her love.

The changes that Ozzy describes are typical in a breakup: he feels sad, lonely. What makes it worse is that he knows he did this to himself. If only he could go back and change the man he is. Not just his actions, but his character.

Changes greatest song alltime meaning — Black Sabbath

The instrumentation in Black Sabbath’s “Changes” is fairly simple, and that helps it pack an emotional punch. The piano combined with the mellotron create a vibe similar to something out of a funeral procession in a church. The most surprising aspect of the song is the amazingly crisp, intelligible vocals from Ozzy. For those of us who knew Ozzy the personality before Ozzy from Black Sabbath, it is quite a welcome shock.

Changes Lyrics

I feel unhappy, I feel so sad.
I’ve lost the best friend, that I ever had.
She was my woman, I love her so.
But it’s too late now, I’ve let her go.

I’m going through changes.
I’m going through changes.

We shared the years, we shared each day.
In love together we found a way.
But soon the world, had it’s evil way.
My heart was blinded, love went astray.

I’m going through changes.
I’m going through changes.

It took so long, to realize.
And I can still hear her last goodbyes.
Now all my days, are filled with tears.
Wish I could go back, and change these years.

I’m going through changes.
I’m going through changes

written by Black Sabbath (W.T. Ward / John Osbourne / Tony Iommi / Terence Butler)

1970s songs, heroes

#150 Rocket Man- Elton John

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I’m not the man they think I am at home/
Oh no no no I’m a rocket man.

There is a lot of confusion over the meaning of Elton John’s “Rocket man”. I think a lot of the clue can be found in the above lyric. Rocket man is literally about an astronaut talking about how he is a different man at work than he is at home. But this could be anyone who does a job. Weren’t all our fathers rocketmen? Who knows what they went out and did, but their work life was probably different than their home life just like ours is.

A “rocketman” is a great symbol of this, a sort of rockstar at work. He takes his family and raises them wherever the job demands, even unforgiving places like South Dakota or Mars. We are all Rocketmen and Rocketwomen.

John uses a full band, with backup singers and overdubbing to achieve the “Rocket Man” sound. Of course, the featured instrument is the piano—and it sounds great, but it is featured less than in other classics of his. There is a lot of experimentation in the production. Check out the simulated blast off sounds coming from the various instruments. A synthesizer and slide guitar help to add that outer-space-like vibe to the sound.

Rocket Man Lyrics

She packed my bags last night pre-flight.
Zero hour nine AM.
And I’m gonna be high as a kite by then.

I miss the earth so much I miss my wife.
It’s lonely out in space.
On such a timeless flight.

And I think it’s gonna be a long long time,
‘Till touch down brings me round again to find
I’m not the man they think I am at home,
Oh no no no I’m a rocket man.
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone.

Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids.
In fact it’s cold as hell.
And there’s no one there to raise them if you did.

And all this science I don’t understand.
It’s just my job five days a week:
A rocket man, a rocket man.

And I think it’s gonna be a long long time,
‘Till touch down brings me round again to find
I’m not the man they think I am at home.
Oh no no no I’m a rocket man.
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone.

written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

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