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