1960s songs, outcasts

#43 Sympathy For The Devil- The Rolling Stones

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As heads is tails, just call me Lucifer…

In The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” the devil is the speaker and we get to meet him and learn a little bit more about him. One of the most interesting things about The Devil is how polite he is. He says, “Please allow me to introduce myself I’m a man of wealth and taste.” He seems to point out that there are two sides to him: The Devil and Lucifer.

The Devil was around when there was war and takes glee in it. He may even have agency: “I rode a tank, held a general’s rank…” Sure there is that side to him, but if you meet him call him Lucifer and be courteous, because he doesn’t always want to be killing. He was an angel once, after all. Or don’t be courteous…he is The Devil, and there is that side to him too.

Sympathy for the Devil Meaning
The Stones

There are two parts of The Stone’s “Sympathy for the Devil” that make it sound distinct: the bongos and the background singers. We rarely if ever hear bongos used as the sole percussion in a rock song. It creates part of the unique sound. The “woo woo”s that the background singers is…interesting. I would have preferred it for one verse, but it gets kind of annoying as it lasts about ¾ of the song. Keith Richards has some great guitar solos in the song, and I like the outro that sounds like an improvised jam similar to what McCartney did on Hey Jude.

Lyrics Sympathy For The Devil

Please allow me to introduce myself
I’m a man of wealth and taste
I’ve been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man’s soul to waste

And I was ’round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game

I stuck around St. Petersburg
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the czar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain

I rode a tank
Held a general’s rank
When the blitzkrieg raged
And the bodies stank

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
Ah, what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah

I watched with glee
While your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the gods they made

I shouted out
Who killed the Kennedys?
When after all
It was you and me

Let me please introduce myself
I’m a man of wealth and taste
And I laid traps for troubadours
Who get killed before they reached Bombay

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah, get down, baby

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what’s confusing you
Is just the nature of my game, mm yeah

Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
Just call me Lucifer
‘Cause I’m in need of some restraint

So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I’ll lay your soul to waste, mm yeah

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, mm yeah

But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, mm mean it, get down

Oh yeah, get on down
Oh yeah
Oh yeah

Tell me baby, what’s my name
Tell me honey, can ya guess my name
Tell me baby, what’s my name
I tell you one time, you’re to blame
Oh, right

What’s my name
Tell me, baby, what’s my name
Tell me, sweetie, what’s my name.
written by Jagger/Richards

1970s songs, secular hymn

#42 Morning Has Broken- Cat Stevens

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Mine is the sunlight/
Mine is the mornings.

“Morning Has Broken” might be Cat Stevens most famous song, but did you know it is actually a Christian song that he added different words to?

In college I was speaking to a religion professor about Cat Stevens (I don’t know how the topic came up)…I think he was talking about how “Peace Train” had evangelical overtones…it was a long time ago. I told him that “Morning Has Broken” was one of my favorite Cat Stevens songs and he told me that he sings that at church. I was incredulous. “You sing Cat Stevens at church?” “Nope, it was a Christian song first.”

Well, I refused to believe it. The next lecture he brings me a folded-up piece of paper and delivers it to me in front of the whole class. It was a xerox copy of the original song with the copyright. I was stunned. Everyone in class was looking at me as neither of us said a word.

Morning Has Broken Meaning
Cat Stevens

While that discovery was a bit disappointing, you can’t argue that Stevens re-worked “Morning has Broken” made the song into a beautiful, inspired, universal song with corresponding arrangement. The piano part is one of the best, and most recognizable in rock/pop history. Coupled with Steven’s smooth voice and you have an all-time great song. The background singers are used perfectly. Compare their use here compared to a song like Sympathy for the Devil. Sometimes, with background singers, less is more.

Lyrics Morning Has Broken
Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing
Praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word

Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dew fall on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass

Mine is the sunlight
Mine is the morning
Born of the One Light Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God’s recreation of the new day

Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing
Praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word
by Cat Stevens & Eleanor Farjeon

1960s songs, anthem

#41 I Am The Walrus- The Beatles

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I am the egg man/
I am the walrus.

The lyrics of The Beatles’ “I am the Walrus” are great, but not in the traditional sense. Normally we want lyrics (and words in general) to mean something. That is the whole purpose of language and it is one of the big things we get out of music. “I Am the Walrus” doesn’t provide much meaning, but it does evoke many colorful phrases and images that are fun to say. It shrouds The Beatles in mystery–purposely.

Of course, there are images you recognize. Primarily from Alice and Wonderland. But there is a lot of great imagery in the lyrics that helps to create a wonderful song but don’t connect together to tell a story.

I am the Walrus Meaning
The Beatles

The Beatles’ “I am the Walrus” is the height of psychedelic rock. We have experimental lyrics, strange instruments, bridges and choruses that don’t really match but still somehow sound good together and of course references to dreams and drugs. George Martin really does some amazing things to pull this song together.

“I am The Walrus” is packed to the gills with music and effects: there are so many instruments, background nonsense, background choirs and the song is just plain complex in terms of chord structure. It is amazing that the song sounds coherent at all. And it doesn’t just sound coherent, it sounds like it is on a different level than the rock we are used to hearing.

Other great Songs by John Lennon.

I Am the Walrus Lyrics

I am he as you are he as you are me,
And we are all together.
See how they run like pigs from a gun,
See how they fly.
I’m crying.

Sitting on a corn flake,
Waiting for the van to come.
Corporation T-shirt, stupid bloody Tuesday,
Man you’ve been a naughty boy,
You let your face grow long.
I am the egg man,
They are the egg men,
I am the walrus!
Goo goo g’joob.

Mister City policeman sitting,
Pretty little policemen in a row.
See how they fly like Lucy in the sky, see how they run.
I’m crying, I’m crying,
I’m crying, I’m crying.

Yellow matter custard,
Dripping from a dead dog’s eye.
Crabalocker fishwife, pornographic priestess,
Boy, you’ve been a naughty girl, you let your knickers down.

I am the egg man,
They are the egg men,
I am the walrus!
Goo goo g’joob.

Sitting in an English garden
Waiting for the sun.
If the sun don’t come you get a tan
From standing in the English rain.

I am the egg man (now good sir),
They are the egg men (a poor man, made tame to fortune’s blows),
I am the walrus.
Goo goo g’joob, goo goo goo g’joob (good pity).

Expert, texpert choking smokers
Don’t you think the joker laughs at you (ho ho ho, hee hee hee, hah hah hah).
See how they smile like pigs in a sty, see how they snide.
I’m crying.

Semolina Pilchard,
Climbing up the Eiffel tower.
Elementary penguin singing Hare Krishna,
Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allen Poe.

I am the egg man,
They are the egg men,
I am the walrus!
Goo goo g’joob, goo goo goo g’joob,
Coo Coo gacho, ca coo coo gacho, cha cha cha.
Joob, joob, jooba.
Jooba, jooba, jooba.
Joob, jooba.
Joob, jooba.

Umpa, umpa, stick it up your jumper (jooba, jooba)
Umpa, umpa, stick it up your jumper
Everybody’s got one (umpa, umpa)
Everybody’s got one (stick it up your jumper)
Everybody’s got one (umpa, umpa)
Everybody’s got one (stick it up your jumper)
Everybody’s got one (umpa, umpa)
Everybody’s got one (stick it up your jumper)
Everybody’s got one (umpa, umpa)
Everybody’s got one (stick it up your jumper)
Everybody’s got one (umpa, umpa)
Everybody’s got one (stick it up your jumper)
Everybody’s got one (umpa, umpa)
written by lennon/mccartney