Buffalo Springfield – Allman Brothers – Childish Gambino – The Best Song Lyrics of Modern America – Part 6

By March 13th, 2019

Blog No 94 

March 15, 2019

The Best Song and Most Memorable Lyrics of Modern America- Part 6

– The Poetry of Modern America – 

Author, National Award-Winning Dead Serious and Lighthearted – The Memorable Words of Modern America – Volumes I (1957-1976), II (1977-1993), and (III (1994-2015).
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 Introduction and Background

Song lyrics are the real poetry of Modern America. The lyrics of our favorite songs roll around in our heads for decades. Almost unconsciously, every day we honor the words of America’s songwriters who said something in that perfect, poetic, or clever way.

Here is Part 6 of my assembled list — done over the last eight years in conjunction with my research for my last series of books, Dead Serious and Lighthearted – The Memorable Words of Modern America. For an explanation about this Best Song Lyrics project, see below.

Also, please see my publishers new National Book Awards Direct-From-Publisher Book Sales Offerings. Just go to http://mackwborgen.com/shop/ . All books will be signed by the author and shipped within five business days. Free shipping for orders of 10 or more books for your family, friends, or clients.

But, now, … 

The Best and Most Memorable Song Lyrics of Modern America

– From 1957 through 2015 –

Enjoy.

The Simpler Themes and Memory-Triggering Titles of the Late 1950’s:           

Party Doll (1957) (Buddy Knox) (B: 1933, Happy, TX – D: 1999 (age 65), Bremerton, WA).

                           “Well all I want is a party doll,  …

                           Come along and be my party doll”

 Peggy Sue (1958) (Buddy Holly) (B: 1936, Lubbock, TX – D: 1959 (Age 22), Clear Lake, IA).

                        “Peggy Sue, Peggy Sue,

                        Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty Peggy Sue”

Endlessly (1959) (Brook Benton) (B: 1931, Lugoff, SC – D- 1988 (Age 56) Queens, NY).

                        “Higher than the highest mountain

                        And deeper than the deepest sea,

                        That how I will love you, oh, darling, endlessly.”

The Sixties 

For What It’s Worth (Stop. Heh, What’s That Sound). (1966) Buffalo Springfield (Active Years 1966-1968, 2010-2012).

                        “There’s something happening here.

                        What it is ain’t exactly clear.

                        There’s a man with a gun over there.

                        Telling me I got to beware.”

                       “I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound

                      Everybody look what’s going down.”

                      “There’s battle lines being drawn

                      Nobody ‘s right if everybody’s wrong

                      Young people speaking their minds

                     Getting so much resistance from behind.” 

                     …

                     “What a field-day for the heat

                    A thousand people in the street

                   Singing songs and carrying signs

                   Mostly say, hooray, for our side.”

                   “It’s time we stop ….”                       

Ballad of the Green Beret (1966) (Barry Sadler) (B: 1940, Carlsbad, NM – D: 1989 (Age 49) Murfreesboro, TN).

                    “Fighting soldiers from the sky

                     Fearless men who jump and die

                    Men who mean just what they say

                    The brave men of the Green Beret.”

                    . . .

                    “Silver wings upon their chest

                    These men are America’s best.”

Tell It Like It Is (1967) (Aaron Neville) (B 1941, New Orleans, LA).

                   “Life is too short to have sorrow,

                   You may be here today and gone tomorrow.” 

The Seventies

Ramblin’ Man (1973) (Allman Brothers Band) (Years Active: 1969-1982, 1989-2014).

                   “Lord, I was born a rambling man,

                   Tryin’ to make a livin’ and doin’ the best I can.

                  And when it’s time for livin’,

                  I hope you’ll understand,

                  That I was born a travellin’ man.”

The Eighties 

Another Brick in the Wall (1980) (Pink Floyd) (Years Active: 1965-1995, 2005, 2012-2014).

                   “We don’t need no education

                   We don’t need no thought control

                   No dark sarcasm in the classroom

                   Teachers leave the kids alone.”

                   …

                   “I don’t need no arms around me

                   And I don’t need no drugs to calm me

                   I have seen the writing on the wall.

                   Don’t think I need anything at all.” 

The 2000s 

This Is America* (2018) (Childish Gambino / Donald Glover). (B: 1983, Edwards AFB, Kern County, CA).  * This No. 1 song, released in 2018, falls outside my definition of the years of Modern America (1957-2015), and it is too early to know whether its lyrics will become “memorable.” However, these lyrics are included because they well-evidence the changes in the style, linguistics, subject matter, and tone of America’s song lyrics. Viewing of music video recommended as well.

                 “This is America

                 Don’t catch you slippin’ up

                 Look at how I’m livin’ now

                 Police be trippin’ now

                Guns in my area

                I got the strap

                I gotta carry ‘em.”

              …

              “This is America

              Don’t catch you slippin’ up…

              Look what I’m whippin’ up.”

            …

             “Look how I’m geekin’ out

              I’m so fitted

             I’m on Gucci

             I’m so pretty …

            You go tell somebody

            You muthaf***kas owe me

            Grandma told me.”

Explanation and Background of These

“The Best Lyrics of Modern America” Blogs

Song lyrics are the real poetry of Modern America. The lyrics of our favorite songs roll around in our heads for decades. Almost unconsciously, every day we honor the words of America’s songwriters who said something in that perfect, poetic, or clever way.

About nine years ago, in 2010, when I started my research for my books, Dead Serious and Lighthearted – The Memorable Words of Modern America. I spent much of the initial year assembling, sorting, and selecting those “memorable” song lyrics to be included in my books.

However, I eventually decided that it was necessary to exclude song lyrics from my books. This was done partly in deference to the needs of book brevity and in bowing recognition to the unavoidable subjectivity of making such selections. But it was also done because most songs are almost definitionally “intra-generational” in that they remain the separate and proud province of each generation. They are a part of each generation’s formative and collective memory – but not beyond that.

Nevertheless, as a result of that year of research, I assembled a relatively massive collection of what may be, by some measures of broad consensus, the greatest — or at least most memorable — song lyrics of Modern America.

I have decided to start presenting them here for your remembrance and enjoyment. I confess that this is partly triggered by the fact that I have already done the fun, but painstaking, work of such assemblage. However, these lyrics blogs are also triggered by the fact that America needs – maybe now more than ever — to reach back and enjoy something or, as best said in 1967 by the Beatles in their song A Day in the Life” — “I read the news today, oh boy.”

Thus, starting on October 9, 2018 with Blog No. 83, I started posting some excerpts of this author’s humble suggestions of The Best Songs Lyrics of Modern America.

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Multiple National Book Awards

Dead Serious and Lighthearted – The Memorable Words of Modern America

Volume I (1957-1976) (508 pp)

Volume II (1977-1993) (400 pp)

Volume III (1994-2015) (570 pp) 

The Relevance of Reason – The Hard Facts and Real Data about the State of Current America

Volume I – Business and Politics (408 pp)

Volume II – Society and Culture (438 pp) 

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