#34 Thank You- Tori Amos/ Led Zeppelin

If the sun refused to shine/
I would still be loving you.

Tori Amos-Thank You

Both the Tori Amos version and the original Led Zeppelin version of “Thank You” are fantastic–but the Amos version is superior. She is the best artist ever at covering other people’s work. Her version sounds delicate and she sounds gracious and her “Thank You” comes across as more earnest than Zeppelin’s. While her piano arrangement sounds simple, I assure you it is not. Playing that at the same time as singing is very difficult and few could pull it off.

Thank You Song Meaning tori amos
Tori Amos

The lyrics of “Thank You” tell that the narrator has found an easier and better life with his new significant other. This is not a song about the honeymoon period—it is a song about genuine love. The narrator speaks of past tears that seem almost insignificant now, as he has found his forever love. With her, he is looking forward to walking the miles—that is living life with her.

Led Zeppelin-Thank You

The theme sounds similar to another song on this list, The Luckiest by Ben Folds. The narrator expresses that he expects the love to last forever–until the sun runs out—and he is grateful for it.  What makes it special here is the beautiful melody accompanied with the original piano arrangement and Amos’ vocals.

Thank You Meaning led zeppelin
Led Zeppelin

Thank You Lyrics

If the sun refused to shine
I would still be loving you.
When mountains crumble to the sea,
There will still be you and me.

Kind woman, I give you my all;
Kind woman, nothing more.

Little drops of rain whisper of the pain,
Tears of loves lost in the days gone by.
My love is strong, with you there is no wrong,
Together we shall go until we die.
My, my, my inspiration is what you are to me,
Inspiration look, see.

And so today, my world it smiles,
Your hand in mine, we walk the miles.
Thanks to you it will be done,
For you to me are the only one.
Happiness, no more be sad,
Happiness, I’m glad.

If the sun refused to shine
I would still be loving you.
Mountains crumble to the sea,
There will still be you and me.

written by Page/Plant

#33 When Doves Cry- Prince

Don’t make me chase you/
Even doves have pride.

In “When Doves Cry”, Prince is talking to his lover about what is not working in their relationship. And a bit about what is working. We get the feeling that the passion and physical side of the relationship is fine. Prince asks his girl to picture them entwined together, kissing dripping wet with sweat. Everything seems fine. Then he asks her to imagine them screaming at each other in a courtyard. Even the animals feel uncomfortable around them. Why are things this way?

 

When Doves Cry Meaning
Prince

We then get to the classic chorus where he questions if it has something to do with the relationship his parents had.  He is not sure. It just feels like there is something about him that feels beyond his control. She is turned off by his actions and that leaves him feeling alone. But he feels too prideful to chase her, so where does that leave their relationship. He asks her (in a roundabout way) to put aside her hurt and reach out to him and restore their love. Will this be a love that lasts? We’re not sure.

There are so many great individual pieces of music in this song, from the introductory guitar riff, to the great chorus, to the unique “dove crying” sounds Prince makes. The keyboard work is also outstanding. It is very tangential to the song. That is, you couldn’t play the keyboard and sing along and have it sound right. A lot of the keyboard work adds flavor—kind of like a lead guitar rather than a rhythm guitar.  “When Doves Cry” is one of the best produced songs you’ll hear.

More songs by Prince.

When Doves Cry Lyrics

Dig if you will the picture
Of you and I engaged in a kiss.
The sweat of your body covers me,
Can you my darling-
Can you picture this?

Dream if you can a courtyard
An ocean of violets in bloom.
Animals strike curious poses.
They feel the heat
The heat between me and you.

How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world that’s so cold? (So cold)
Maybe I’m just too demanding,
Maybe I’m just like my father too bold.
Maybe you’re just like my mother,
She’s never satisfied (she’s never satisfied).
Why do we scream at each other?
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry.

Touch if you will my stomach,
Feel how it trembles inside.
You’ve got the butterflies all tied up.
Don’t make me chase you
Even doves have pride.

How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world so cold? (World so cold)
Maybe I’m just too demanding,
Maybe I’m just like my father too bold.
Maybe you’re just like my mother,
She’s never satisfied (she’s never satisfied).
Why do we scream at each other?
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry.

How can you just leave me standing
Alone in a world that’s so cold? (A world that’s so cold)
Maybe I’m just too demanding (maybe, maybe I’m like my father),
Maybe I’m just like my father too bold (you know he’s too bold).
Maybe you’re just like my mother (maybe you’re just like my mother)
She’s never satisfied (she’s never, never satisfied).
Why do we scream at each other? (Why do we scream? Why?)
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry.

When doves cry (doves cry, doves cry)
When doves cry (doves cry, doves cry)
Written by Prince

#32 Go Your Own Way- Fleetwood Mac

Packing up/
Shacking up is all you want to do.

Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” might be the greatest breakup song of all-time. Lindsey Buckingham sounds pissed off and he’s going to let Stevie Nicks know that he is not happy with their (ex?) relationship. Is he going to have a rational discussion with her?

Go your own way
Lindsey Buckingham

Hell no! He’s going to write a blistering song blaming her for everything wrong in the relationship. And then he is going to make her sing backup vocals for him until she gets it right.

What resulted was some of Fleetwood’s most impassioned work, their best harmonies and perhaps Lindsey at his best. It might not have made for the most pleasant work environment.

Go Your Own Way Meaning
Lindsay

“Go Your Own Way” is a guitar song. There is an electric guitar with an acoustic guitar plus another killer bass-line by John McVie. I don’t ever hear about him amongst the great bass players, but he certainly has some iconic bass-lines with this and The Chain (for example). Of course, Lindsey plays all the guitar parts. If you listen to them carefully, individually, you will hear the difference between a great producer and an average one.

A great producer (like Lindsey) hears layers of sounds and it often requires different instruments playing non-traditional parts to add to other sounds to add up to something greater than the sum of their pieces. Good production simply captures good sound and reproduces it.

Go Your Own Way Lyrics

Loving you-
Isn’t the right thing to do.
How can I ever change things
That I feel?

If I could
Maybe I’d give you my world.
How can I,
When you won’t take it from me?

You can go your own way.
Go your own way.
You can call it
Another lonely day.
You can go your own way.
Go your own way.

Tell me why,
Everything turned around.
Packing up-
Shacking up is all you want to do.

If I could,
Baby, I’d give you my world.
Open up-
Everything’s waiting for you.

You can go your own way.
Go your own way.
You can call it
Another lonely day.
You can go your own way.
Go your own way.

You can go your own way.
Go your own way.
You can call it
Another lonely day.
Another lonely day.
You can go your own way.
Go your own way.
You can call it
Another lonely day.

You can go your own way.
You can call it
Another lonely day.
You can go your own way.

written by Lindsey Buckingham