1980s songs, relationship problems

#128 Don’t Dream It’s Over- Crowded House

Leave a comment

They come, they come to build a wall between us/
We know they won’t win.

“Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House  explores the idea that life is hard–and relationships are too. Together they seem impossible-it seems amazing that we make it through the day. There are problems that we will face that will make it difficult to go on and will challenge even the strongest relationships. Finn is pointing out this basic reality of life to his significant other while also encouraging her to remain strong. He says to her, “Don’t Dream its Over”. These external forces should not break them apart.

Don't Dream Its over Meaning
Crowded House

“Don’t Dream it’s Over” has a catchy chorus and phrase (“hey now, hey now! Don’t dream it’s over.”), and Finn’s vocal is great. The lyrics and sentiment are timeless–and are especially relevant to a young audience– so I assume this will always remain a classic. It is the only song that I can think of that uses an organ for its solo. And it works.

Even when performing solo, Finn uses the organ for the solo. Some artists will experiment with the solo instruments on tour; this tells me he thinks the instruments’ sound is intrinsic to the song. To be sure, whenever I hear a wailing organ I do think of this song.

This song is a great 80s song that manages to transcend the time period and is one of the best songs of the decade.

Don’t Dream It’s Over Lyrics

There is freedom within, there is freedom without,
Try to catch the deluge in a paper cup.
There’s a battle ahead, many battles are lost,
But you’ll never see the end of the road
While you’re traveling with me.

Hey now, hey now!
Don’t dream it’s over.
Hey now, hey now,
When the world comes in.
They come, they come
To build a wall between us.
We know they won’t win.

Now I’m towing my car, there’s a hole in the roof,
My possessions are causing me suspicion but there’s no proof.
In the paper today, tales of war and of waste,
But you turn right over to the T.V. page.

Hey now, hey now!
Don’t dream it’s over.
Hey now, hey now,
When the world comes in,
They come, they come
To build a wall between us.
We know they won’t win.

Now I’m walking again to the beat of a drum,
And I’m counting the steps to the door of your heart.
Only shadows ahead barely clearing the roof,
Get to know the feeling of liberation and release.

Hey now, hey now!
Don’t dream it’s over.
Hey now, hey now,
When the world comes in,
They come, they come
To build a wall between us.
We know they won’t win.

Don’t let them win (hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now),
Hey now, hey now.
Don’t let them win (they come, they come),
Don’t let them win (hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now).

written by Neil Finn

1960s songs, secular hymn

#127 Get Together- The Youngbloods

2 Comments

Come on people now/
Smile on your brother/
Everybody get together/
Try to love one another/
Right now.

Does “Get Together” by The Youngbloods have the best chorus of all-time? Not many songs make me feel better when I hear the chorus. The subtle harmonies of The Youngbloods are ridiculous. You almost can’t tell they are harmonizing because they feel like they create one voice. This is a much different type of harmony than other amazing groups like CSNY or The Beach Boys—where you feel a distinct blend of different voices coming together to create something larger than the individual parts.

Come Together Meaning
The Youngbloods

The universality of “Get Together” is what makes it so inspiring. I know that a lot of people find a lot of comfort in religious songs. I don’t. However, I get what I imagine is a similar feeling of brotherhood, community, and camaraderie when I hear “Get Together”—and that is not an emotion I feel that often from popular music. It feels like this is a great theme song for the current times—regardless of when those times are.

“Get Together” has a lot of the typical characteristics of psychedelic rock: experimental sounds, hi-reverb on vocals, a theme about community or drugs. It is missing that far-out bridge that we usually find in other songs (See Tuesday Afternoon by The Moody Blues or “Alone Again Or” by Love), but this song feels strongly in that tradition.

Get Together Lyrics

Love is but a song to sing
Fear’s the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Though the bird is on the wing
And you may not know why

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Some may come and some may go
We shall surely pass
When the one that left us here
Returns for us at last
We are but a moment’s sunlight
Fading in the grass

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

If you hear the song I sing
You will understand (listen!)
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both
It’s there at your command

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

I said, come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Right now
Right now

written by Chester Powers (The Youngbloods)

1970s songs, unrequited love

#126 Simple Twist of Fate- Bob Dylan

Leave a comment

People tell me it’s a sin/
To know and feel too much within.

Dylan gives off the vibe that he is dead inside, but according to the quote above from “Simple Twist of Fate”, he actually believes he feels too much! Or at least the narrator of the song does.

“Simple Twist of Fate” has a weird rhyming pattern: AAABBCC. It helps give it a unique sound that sneaks up on you. It tells the story of a one-night stand that seems much more important to Dylan than it is to his paramour.

Simple Twist of Fate meaning
Dylan in Blood on the Tracks

He continues to subconsciously look for her in crowds as he believes that she was a perfect match, and only the timing was just wrong. She didn’t see it. The imagery in the song is great. It helps match the music to set a mood to where you can almost see the scene play out like a movie.

“Simple Twist of Fate” is off Blood on the Tracks, which I believe most Dylanologists would rank his third best album–behind Blonde on Blonde and Highway 61 Revisited. The sound on each album is incredibly different. The mood on most of the songs on Blood on the Tracks is similar so if you like “Simple Twist of Fate”, you’ll find other stuff you like on their too. I think it could be argued that it is his best work.

Simple Twist of Fate Lyrics

They sat together in the park
As the evening sky grew dark
She looked at him and he felt a spark
Tingle to his bones
‘Twas then he felt alone
And wished that he’d gone straight
And watched out for a simple twist of fate

They walked along by the old canal
A little confused, I remember well
And stopped into a strange hotel
With a neon burnin’ bright
He felt the heat of the night
Hit him like a freight train
Moving with a simple twist of fate

A saxophone someplace far-off played
As she was walkin’ on by the arcade
As the light bust through a beat-up shade
Where he was waking up
She dropped a coin into the cup
Of a blind man at the gate
And forgot about a simple twist of fate

He woke up, the room was bare
He didn’t see her anywhere
He told himself he didn’t care
Pushed the window open wide
Felt an emptiness inside
To which he just could not relate
Brought on by a simple twist of fate

He hears the ticking of the clocks
And walks along with a parrot that talks
Hunts her down by the waterfront docks
Where the sailors all come in
Maybe she’ll pick him out again
How long must he wait?
One more time, for a simple twist of fate

People tell me it’s a sin
To know and feel too much within
I still believe she was my twin
But I lost the ring
She was born in spring
But I was born too late
Blame it on a simple twist of fate

written by Bob Dylan