Archive | Sunday Song Lyric

In March 1985, USA for Africa released the star-studded single “We Are the World,” written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, to raise money for famine relief in Africa.  The song rapidly become the fastest-selling pop single.  This weekend, the We Are the World Foundation released “We are the World 25 for Haiti,” a remake […]

Who remembers the Housemartins?  They were a fun British alt-pop band from Hull, England.  They only put out a few albums, and their lyrics blended Christianity and Marxism, but it was fun stuff.  After breaking up, one of their members formed Beautiful South and another created Fatboy Slim. The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death […]

I am a huge Bob Mould fan.  From Husker Du and Sugar through his solo work.  His first solo album, Workbook, is one of my all time favorites.  It’s filled with great songs.  Here’s a taste of “Wishing Well.” Wishing well runs wet and dry I wish for things I never had Surrounds and wells […]

Some standards are standards for a reason.  “You Go to My Head” is one of those songs.  Written by J. Fred Coots (music) and Haven Gillespie (lyrics) in 1938, its been recorded by everyone from Judy Garland and Marlene Dietrich to Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra, to Rod Stewart and Bryan Ferry.  The Billie Holiday […]

What was the best album of 2009?  The best song?  Spin gives top honors to “Zero” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and ranks their album It’s Blitz! second (behind Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion).  NME also ranks “Zero” as the best track of 2009 and ranks It’s Blitz! third.  (By comparison, Rolling Stone puts “Zero” […]

What was the worst hit song of 2009?  For me it’s not even close: “Fireflies” by Owl City.  Sure it’s catchy — in a cloying way.  It topped the charts and was the most downloaded song on iTunes, but I think it’s absolutely awful. You would not believe your eyes If ten million fireflies Light  […]

We know Eugene’s least favorite Christmas song, but what’s your favorite?  I agree with Eugene that Silent Night, Holy Night is “suberb.”  It’s always been one of my favorite “classic” carols. Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright Round yon Virgin Mother and Child Holy Infant so tender and mild Sleep in […]

There are lots of songs about movie stars; even more that make reference to them.  But songs about somewhat-obscure movie characters? They’re fewer and farther between.  For this reason, “Veronica Sawyer Smokes,” the title of a track on the new AFI album, Crash Love, caught my eye.  Veronica Sawyer, ’80s teen flick afficianados may recall, […]

I’m sure you know Adam Sandler’s “Hanukkah Song,” but did you remember that he has a Thanksgiving Song too? It’s almost as funny.  Here’s a taste of the lyrics — much funnier sung by Sandler than read. Love to eat turkey ‘Cause it’s good Love to east turkey Like a good boy should ‘Cause it’s […]

Glenn Beck likes Muse.  He’ s hardly alone, given the award-winning British Altrock band’s growing popularity in the U.S.  While most other Muse fans may be drawn in by the music, Beck likes the lyrics.  “These guys are brilliant, they know the time that we live in,” he said during a September broadcast. “All of […]

Czechs celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the Velvet Revolution with a star-studded concert in Prague.  Among the highlights, according to news reports, was Lou Reed and Renee Fleming singing Reed’s “Perfect Day.” I’m not sure what the song has to do with the reason for the celebration (most believe it’s about heroin), but it’s a […]

“Weird Al” Yankovic turned 50 on Friday. (Can you believe he’s been around that long?  And that he has a new album?)  Yankovic’s exceedingly goofy, and quite clever.  He also has a song off of his 2006 album, Straight Outta Lynnwood, that seems somewhat appropriate for the VC: “I’ll Sue Ya.”  It begins: I sued […]

Hank Williams‘ “I’m So Lonesome, I Could Cry,” was the first Sunday Song Lyric.  Appropriately so as Hank Williams is easily one of the greatest American song writers of all time.  He died at only 29, and yet left one of the most impressive songbooks of any song writer.  Bob Dylan (no song-writing slouch himself) […]