Songs Week of 7 October 2008
ALONG CAME JONES
This song, by the doo-wop group, The Coasters, parodies (makes fun of) the strong, silent cowboy famous in Hollywood Westerns (probably best represented by Gary Cooper) as well as the old melodrama where villains always tied up an innocent girl who refused to submit to his sexual advances. The Coasters were one of the most popular doo-wop groups of the 1950s and early 60s. Doo-wop was a style of R&B that used a lead singer whose vocal blended with group harmonies on nonsense words, such as "doo wop" (listen to Smoke Gets in Your Eyes for an example of ballad doo wop). To hear the song, go here.ALONG CAME JONES
I plopped down in my easy chair and turned on Channel 2
A bad gunslinger called Salty Sam was chasin' poor Sweet Sue
He trapped her in the old sawmill and said with an evil laugh,
"If you don't give me the deed to your ranch
I'll saw you all in half!"
And then he grabbed her (and then)
He tied her up (and then)
He turned on the bandsaw (and then, and then...!)
[Chorus:]
And then along came Jones
Tall thin Jones
Slow-walkin' Jones
Slow-talkin' Jones
Along came long, lean, lanky Jones
Commercial came on, so I got up to get myself a snack
You should've seen what was goin' on by the time that I got back
Down in the old abandoned mine, Sweet Sue was havin' fits
That villain said, "Give me the deed to your ranch
Or I'll blow you all to bits!"
And then he grabbed her (and then)
He tied her up (and then)
He lit the fuse to the dynamite (and then, and then...!)
[Chorus]
I got so bugged I turned it off and turned on another show
But there was the same old shoot-'em-up and the same old rodeo
Salty Sam was tryin' to stuff Sweet Sue in a burlap sack
He said, "If you don't give me the deed to your ranch
I'm gonna throw you on the railroad tracks!"
And then he grabbed her (and then)
He tied her up (and then)
He threw her on the railroad tracks (and then)
A train started comin' (and then, and then...!)
SYLVIA'S MOTHER
Recorded by Dr. Hook, the song tells a typical story of a mother interfering in the romantic interests of her daughter's suiter. To hear the song, go here.
[Chorus]Recorded by Dr. Hook, the song tells a typical story of a mother interfering in the romantic interests of her daughter's suiter. To hear the song, go here.
Sylvia's mother says "Sylvia's busy"
"Too busy to come to the phone"
Sylvia's mother says "Sylvia's tryin'"
"To start a new life of her own"
Sylvia's mother says "Sylvia's happy"
"So why don't you leave her alone?"
CHORUS
And the operator says "40 cents more for the next 3 minutes"
Ple-ease Mrs. Avery, I just gotta talk to her
I'll only keep her a while
Please Mrs. Avery, I just wanna tell 'er goodbye
Sylvia's mother says "Sylvia's packin'"
"She's gonna be leavin' today"
Sylvia's mother says "Sylvia's marryin' "
"A fella down Galveston way"
Sylvia's mother says "Please don't say nothin'"
"To make her start cryin' and stay"
CHORUS
Sylvia's mother says "Sylvia's hurryin' "
"She's catchin' the nine o'clock train"
Sylvia's mother says "Take your umbrella"
"cause Sylvie, it's startin' to rain"
And Sylvia's mother says "thank you for callin'"
"And, sir, won't you call back again?"
CHORUS
Tell her goodbye
FADE
Please
Tell her goodbye
TINA-LINA
Paul Anka had a talent for simple tunes, though his songs fell into the category of bubblegum pop. The lyrics were hysterical cries of teenage angst (suffering) sung in a limited voice with predictably banal lyrics, using rhymes such as "love/(the Lord up) above." Still he managed a string of hits in the late 50s and early 60s at a time when the King, Elvis Presley, was in the army for two years, leaving room for less gifted pretenders. Anka's enduring claim to fame is his song, "It Doesn't Matter Anymore," recorded by the legendary Buddy Holly. "Diana" was Anka's first hit, a love song written for his baby sitter when he was still in his early teens and his sitter was older, as the song indicates. To hear the song, go here.
I'm so young and you're so old This, my darling, I've been told I don't care just what they say 'Cause forever I will pray You and I will be as free As the birds up in the trees Oh, please stay by me, DianaThis silly dance song is from Mario Lanza's film, The Toast of New Orleans. The team of Brodzky and Cahn also wrote Lanza's biggest hit, "Be My Love," the first million-selling record for RCA Victor.
Lanza was the most popular singing star of his time and his records are still big sellers around the world. Unfortunately he lived a troubled life of overeating and crash diets to slim down for his movies, which took a toll on his health. He died of a heart attack at only 38. Though gifted with an operatic voice, he chose movies and pop songs instead. His Christmas album remains a perennial favorite. Lanza was famous for hitting high notes at full volume, as can be heard at the end of "Tina-Lina."
The Tina Lina they're getting set to start. The Tina Lina prepare to lose your heart!
When you do the Tina Lina all you need is a concertina and a bit of dance space on the floor. It's the latest dancing fashion, all it takes is vim and passion and of course that someone you adore.
It was named the Tina Lina, you'll know why when you have seen her dance like no-one's ever danced before. But I have to warn you, stranger, when you dance it, you're in danger, you can lose your heart forever more.
It is a lover's dance, it is more or less: you simply whirl a girl until she says yes. And it's the one way, it's the fun way to caress. Ah-a, Tina-Lina, Tina-lina. Tina Lina!
Once you dance with Tina Lina there's no other ballerina who will dance you right to Heaven's door and before the dance is ended you'll achieve what you intended and she'll care for you forever more.
Round and round you go, round and round you go. Then, bound by the sky, off the ground you go, off the ground you go. Round and round you go, off the ground you go.
The Tina Lina! You never will forget her name. The Tina Lina because you'll never be the same!
When you do the Tina Lina all you need is a concertina and a bit of dance space on the floor. It's the latest dancing fashion, all it takes is vim and passion and of course that someone you adore.
It was named the Tina Lina, you'll know why when you have seen her dance like no-one's ever danced before. But I have to warn you, stranger, when you dance it, you're in danger, you can lose your heart forever more.
It is a lover's dance, it is more or less: you simply whirl a girl until she says yes. And it's the one way, it's the fun way to caress. Ah-a, Tina-Lina, Tina-lina. Tina Lina!
Once you dance with Tina Lina there's no other ballerina who will dance you right to Heaven's door and before the dance is ended you'll achieve what you intended and she'll care for you forever more.
Round and round you go, round and round you go. Then, bound by the sky, off the ground you go, off the ground you go. Round and round you go, off the ground you go.
The Tina Lina! You never will forget her name. The Tina Lina because you'll never be the same!
Once you dance with Tina Lina there's no other ballerina who will dance you right to Heaven's door. And before the dance is ended you'll achieve what you intended and she'll care for you forever more! The Tina Lina! Tina Lina, Tina Lina!
DIANAPaul Anka had a talent for simple tunes, though his songs fell into the category of bubblegum pop. The lyrics were hysterical cries of teenage angst (suffering) sung in a limited voice with predictably banal lyrics, using rhymes such as "love/(the Lord up) above." Still he managed a string of hits in the late 50s and early 60s at a time when the King, Elvis Presley, was in the army for two years, leaving room for less gifted pretenders. Anka's enduring claim to fame is his song, "It Doesn't Matter Anymore," recorded by the legendary Buddy Holly. "Diana" was Anka's first hit, a love song written for his baby sitter when he was still in his early teens and his sitter was older, as the song indicates. To hear the song, go here.
Thrills I get when you hold me close Oh, my darling, you're the most
I love you but do you love me Oh, Diana, can't you see I love you with all my heart And I hope we will never part Oh, please stay with me, Diana
Oh, my darlin', oh, my lover Tell me that there is no other I love you with my heart Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh Only you can take my heart Only you can tear it apart When you hold me in your loving arms I can feel you giving all your charms Hold me, darling, ho-ho hold me tight Squeeze me baby with-a all your might Oh, please stay with me, Diana Oh, please, Diana Oh, please, Diana Oh, please, Diana.
HAPPINESS IS A THING CALLED JOE
An Oscar-nominated song from the film musical, Cabin in the Sky (1943), with music by Harold Arlen, who won the 1939 Oscar for "(Somewhere) Over the Rainbow." To hear the song, go here. Little Joe, little Joe, little Joe. It seems like happiness is just a thing called Joe He's got a smile that makes the lilacs want to grow He's got a way that makes the angels heave a sigh When they know little Joe's, passing by. Sometimes the cabin's gloomy and the table's bare But then he'll kiss me and it's Christmas everywhere Troubles fly away and life is easy go Does he love me good, that's all I need to know. Seems like happiness, is just a thing called Joe. Little Joe, little Joe.
Hi Lili, Hi Lo
This beautiful carnival waltz was written for the 1953 film musical, Lili. Bronislau Kaper's musical score, which mainly features the song, won the Oscar. However, due to a technicality in Academy bylaws (rules), the song was not even nominated. That's because the song used lyrics adapted from a previous publication and Academy rules state a song (music and lyrics) must make its first appearance in a film to be eligible. Otherwise the song would certainly have won that year's Best Song Oscar. To hear the song sung in the film, go here. To hear The Everly Brothers sing it, with lyrics below (slightly changed from the film version), go here.A song of love is a sad song, Hi Lili Hi Lili Hi low. A song of love is a song of woe, don't ask me how I know. A song of love is a sad song, for I have loved and it's so, I sit at the window and watch the rain, Hi Lili, Hi Lili Hi lo, tomorrow I'll probably love again, Hi Lili, Hi Lili, Hi lo.
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