1980s songs, family problems

Sister Christian- Night Ranger

Sister Christian there’s so much in life/
Don’t you give it up before your time is due.

“Sister Christen” by Night Ranger is a 1980s power-ballad that almost defines the genre. Night Ranger had the big hair, blazing guitar solos combined with the tender piano intro. Add in the iconic drum crescendo leading into the catchy chorus and you have an all-time great song.

Upon first listen, it is not clear what, exactly Sister Christian is about. Is it about a nun? No, it is about the narrators’ literal little sister. She is growing up fast and that can be disconcerting to older family members. He notices that her old playmates are interested in her for another reason now—for her sex appeal.

Sister Christian is living up her teenage years and exploring. Dating. She’s ‘motoring’. It is not necessarily that she is moving too fast, it seems fast for her older brother and her mother who are concerned about her safety and advise caution. She has a lot of life in front of her. (And wasn’t she just in diapers yesterday?) Typical elderly advice that will probably be ignored.

Sister Christian probably interprets the brother and mother’s advice as unwanted or dated; but it seems to be coming from a good place. Where you are in life might have a big impact on whether you view these lyrics as wise or unwarranted.

Sister Christian Lyrics

Sister Christian
Oh the time has come
And you know that you’re the only one
To say okay
Where you going
What you looking for
You know those boys
Don’t want to play no more with you
It’s true

You’re motoring
What’s your price for flight
In finding mister right
You’ll be alright tonight

Babe, you know
You’re growing up so fast
And mama’s worrying
That you won’t last
To say let’s play
Sister Christian
There’s so much in life
Don’t you give it up
Before your time is due
It’s true
It’s true yeah

Motoring
What’s your price for flight
You’ve got him in your sight
And driving through the night

Motoring
What’s your price for flight
In finding mister right
You’ll be alright tonight

Sister Christian
Oh the time has come
And you know that you’re the only one
To say okay
But you’re motoring
Yeah motoring

Songwriters: Kelly Keagy

2000s songs, looking for love

Use Somebody- Kings of Leon

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I hope it’s gonna make you notice/
Someone like me…

In the strictest sense, “Someone Like Me” by Kings of Leon is an autobiographical song about a performer who is looking for love. More generally it is a song about an introvert who is initially attracted to an extrovert and wonders if she could be the missing piece in his life.

The narrator sees himself as a poet—you might think of him as a rockstar–but he thinks of himself as a boring guy who goes to bed early to maintain a touring schedule while trying to retain the energy to write new songs. He is lonely and looking for love.

Then he meets her. The eye-catching woman is seemingly everything he is not. She is adventurous, a partier and has countless lovers. He…goes to bed early. Apparently even Rockstar’s’ can have insecurities.

Sometimes our inner thoughts don’t pump us up, or necessarily align with reality. We see someone attractive, and we immediately think he or she is probably out of our league. But maybe…what if…she could be looking for someone like him?

The verse is strong, and the chorus is great. The song is driven by a solid rhythm and lead guitar that adds a sense of urgency to the song. The backing vocals are particularly well done—they blend well with the music and add a depth to an otherwise simple sounding rock song. The best part of the song is the end of the chorus. The pace slows and then accelerates into the great line: what if she could “notice…someone like me!?”

Use Somebody Lyrics

I’ve been roaming around,
Always looking down and all I see…
Painted faces fill the places I can’t reach.
You know that I could use somebody,
You know that I could use somebody.

Someone like you
And all you know and how you speak.
Countless lovers,
Undercover of the street.

You know that I could use somebody,
You know that I could use somebody,
Someone like you.

Off in the night while you live it up,
I’m off to sleep.
Waging wars to shake the poet and the beat.

I hope it’s gonna make you notice,
I hope it’s gonna make you notice

Someone like me.
Someone like me,
Someone like me, somebody

Go and let it out
Someone like you, somebody.
Someone like you, somebody.
Someone like you, somebody.

I’ve been roaming around,
Always looking down and all I see.

written by Kings of Leon

2000s songs, love songs

To Know Him is to Love Him- Amy Winehouse

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Just to see that smile/
Would make my life worthwhile.

Amy Winehouse was an incredible talent. She died after producing only two albums. Hearing Winehouse’s voice for the first time was quite striking. She sounds like a throwback to another era. She has a deep voice and sings with intention.

The album “Back to Black” was her real breakout—it featured the song “Rehab”. The production of Back to Black is very heavy-handed and stylized—each song sounds very jazzy. It works, but it takes away from how great her voice really is.

To Know Him is to Love Him Meaning — Winehouse

“To Know Him is to Love Him” is Amy Winehouse at her best. Here is just her voice and an acoustic guitar; it is sublime. To Know Him is to Love Him is an old song written by Phil Spector that has been covered (unsuccessfully) by some of your favorite singers like The Beatles, The Shirelles, Dolly Parton and Emmilou Harris.

The original version by The Teddy Bears was recorded in 1959! It is probably the second-best version. It sounds dated, but we can hear the potential with the pretty melody and strong bridge. The lyrics are typical for the time period. However, Winehouse is able to make the song sound modern and makes the lyrics sound sincere and yearning as opposed to past covers that sounded trite and immature.

To Know Him is to Love Him Lyrics

To know, know, know him,
Is to love, love, love him.
Just to see that smile,
Makes my life worth while.

To know, know, know him,
Is to love, love, love him.
And I do,
And I do,
And I do.

I’ll be good to him,
I’ll bring joy to him.
Everyone says they’ll come a day,
When I’ll walk along side of him.

To know him
Is to love, love, love him,
And I do,
And I do,
And I do.

Why can’t he see?
How blind can he be?
Someday he’ll see
That he was meant for me.
Oh, oh…

To know, know, know him,
Is to love, love, love him.
Just to see that smile
Would make my life worthwhile.

To know, know, know him,
Is to love, love, love him.
And I do,
I really do,
And I do.

written by Phil Spector performed by Amy Winehouse

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