Week Ninety-One: Workout Tunes - Cheap Trick - "I Want You to Want Me" - In Color

Many years ago, I invested in a Sansa/SanDisk/SlotRadio mp3 player that arrived with an SD-card pre-loaded with 1000 songs. As an added bonus, they even arranged the songs into playlists, one such playlist being Workout Tunes. Since I have kept true to my New Year's resolution of walking around White Rock Lake, I have been making use of these Workout Tunes and will share a few with you this week:

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According to Wikipedia, this one was released on October 31, 1977, exactly four days after I was born... I seriously had no idea that this song is as old as I am!!! :-)

It's not often that Wikipedia gives you the perspective of the actual songwriter, so I will share that with you today, as well:

"Rick Nielsen explains his perspective behind the song:

'I just pictured myself in a big, overstuffed chair, and my dad turned on the TV; there were like three stations. I wanted to watch Gabby Hayes – he was a cowboy. I always wanted what wasn’t there, so I think that’s what made me inquisitive throughout my whole life. When you wanted Gabby, Gabby’s not there; when you want your dad, your dad is not there. It was the easiest lyric I could think of. And I wish I were that stupid more often. It’s like Van Morrison – with some of his old songs it didn’t matter what the lyrics meant, it’s how they sounded.'"

Another Cheap Trick song on the Workout playlist is "Surrender", which I will include under the lyrics. And I'll take you into the weekend by disclosing that the very first junior high slow dance that I ever had was to the Cheap Trick song, "The Flame".  I don't even remember the name of the guy I danced with, but I do remember the song!!! That one will be posted below the lyrics for you, as well...

I want you to want me

I need you to need me

I'd love you to love me

I'm begging you to beg me

I want you to want me

I need you to need me

I'd love you to love me

I'll shine up the old brown shoes

Put on a brand new shirt

I'll get home early from work 

If you say that you love me

Didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you crying?

Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you crying?

Feeling all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dying 

Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you crying?

I want you to want me

I need you to need me

I'd love you to love me

I'm begging you to beg me

I'll shine up the old brown shoes

Put on a brand-new shirt

I'll get home early from work 

If you say that you love me

Didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you crying?

Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you crying?

Feeling all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dying

Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you crying?

Feelin' all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dying

Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you crying?

I want you to want me

I need you to need me

I'd love you to love me

I'm begging you to beg me

I want you to want me

I want you to want me

I want you to want me

I want you to want me

Week Ninety-One: Workout Tunes - Coldplay - "Viva La Vida" - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends

Many years ago, I invested in a Sansa/SanDisk/SlotRadio mp3 player that arrived with an SD-card pre-loaded with 1000 songs. As an added bonus, they even arranged the songs into playlists, one such playlist being Workout Tunes. Since I have kept true to my New Year's resolution of walking around White Rock Lake, I have been making use of these Workout Tunes and will share a few with you this week:

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First of all, I'm going to come right out and admit that I was never a huge Coldplay fan. I didn't blatantly dislike them, but I wasn't overly impressed by the song, "Yellow", which I guess was one of their breakthrough tunes. I found it to be somewhat annoying actually, but that was probably because it was so overplayed. It doesn't hold the same annoyance factor that it once did for me, and I am even including it below the lyrics for you.

I did, however, really like the song, "Viva La Vida". It seemed quite different from all the other tunes that were being released around the same time. It's very catchy, and it's a great Workout tune.

I have to tell you, though, Wikipedia is really developing a quirky side with some of its descriptions. I had to include this one for you today:

"Because of the similarities in titles, the song is often confused with 'Livin' La Vida Loca' (or 'Livin' the Crazy Life'), a different-sounding, more uptempo 1999 hit by the Puerto Rican pop singer Ricky Martin, who is not related to Chris Martin."

Really?!?!?! Who confuses the two?!?!? Because I will personally award them an "idiot" stamp right in the middle of the forehead!!!

Anyhow, another tune by Coldplay that I really like is called "Green Eyes"...and well, I will let you figure out on your own why I might be partial to that one!!!

I used to rule the world

Seas would rise when I gave the word

Now in the morning I sleep alone

Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice

Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes

Listen as the crowd would sing

"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"

One minute I held the key

Next the walls were closed on me

And I discovered that my castles stand

Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing

Roman Cavalry choirs are singing

Be my mirror, my sword and shield

My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain

Once you go there was never

Never an honest word

And that was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind

Blew down the doors to let me in

Shattered windows and the sound of drums

People couldn't believe what I'd become

Revolutionaries wait

For my head on a silver plate

Just a puppet on a lonely string

Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing

Roman Cavalry choirs are singing

Be my mirror, my sword and shield

My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain

I know Saint Peter won't call my name

Never an honest word

But that was when I ruled the world

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing

Roman Cavalry choirs are singing

Be my mirror, my sword and shield

My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain

I know Saint Peter won't call my name

Never an honest word

But that was when I ruled the world

Week Ninety-One: Workout Tunes - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - "The Impression That I Get" - Let's Face It

Many years ago, I invested in a Sansa/SanDisk/SlotRadio mp3 player that arrived with an SD-card pre-loaded with 1000 songs. As an added bonus, they even arranged the songs into playlists, one such playlist being Workout Tunes. Since I have kept true to my New Year's resolution of walking around White Rock Lake, I have been making use of these Workout Tunes and will share a few with you this week:

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Another genre that makes for excellent Workout music is none other than ska punk! "The Impression That I Get" came out my freshman year of college, and it was all over the airwaves. But who could blame them? It is a really fun song! If you want a good chuckle, check out Wikipedia's explanation of the lyrics... Hello, Captain Obvious!?!?!? I won't waste your time or my time posting it here, but it is truly laughable!!!

Another ska punk tune that found its way onto the Workout playlist is Reel Big Fish's version of a-ha's tune, "Take On Me". I was hesitant to include this at first, but I had to once I heard him say at the end, "Hit it C.C.... pick up that guitar..." If you don't know what that references, then we will most likely never, ever, ever be friends!!! ;-)

Have you ever been close to tragedy

Or been close to folks who have?

Have you ever felt a pain so powerful

So heavy you collapse?

No? Well...

I never had to knock on wood

But I know someone who has

Which makes me wonder if I could

It makes me wonder if

I never had to knock on wood

And I'm glad I haven't yet

Because I'm sure it isn't good

That's the impression that I get.

Have you ever had the odds stacked up so high

You need a strength most don't possess?

Or has it ever come down to do or die

You've got to rise above the rest?

No? Well...

I never had to knock on wood

But I know someone who has

Which makes me wonder if I could

It makes me wonder if 

I never had to knock on wood

And I'm glad I haven't yet

Because I'm sure it isn't good

That's the impression that I get.

I'm not a coward,

I've just never been tested

I'd like to think that if I was,

I would pass

Look at the tested and think there but for the grace go I

Might be a coward,

I'm afraid of what I might find out.

I've never had to knock on wood

But I know someone who has

Which makes me wonder if I could

It makes me wonder if

I've never had to knock on wood

And I'm glad I haven't yet

Because I'm sure it isn't good

That's the impression that I get.

Never had to, I better knock on wood...

Cause I know someone who has

Which makes wonder if I could

It makes me wonder if I

Never had to, I better knock on wood...

Cause I'm sure it isn't good

And I'm glad I haven't yet...

That's the Impression that I get.

Week Ninety-One: Workout Tunes - Blink-182 - "All the Small Things" - Enema of the State

Many years ago, I invested in a Sansa/SanDisk/SlotRadio mp3 player that arrived with an SD-card pre-loaded with 1000 songs. As an added bonus, they even arranged the songs into playlists, one such playlist being Workout Tunes. Since I have kept true to my New Year's resolution of walking around White Rock Lake, I have been making use of these Workout Tunes and will share a few with you this week:

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I will start today's post by telling you that the first Blink-182 song that I ever heard was "M+M's" back in the early 90's (included below the lyrics). Therefore, when I heard "All the Small Things", I could hardly believe that it was the same band. It was unnerving, in fact! Their original punk sound had turned so tame and poppy...

When I was walking around the lake, however, I realized that pop-punk provides a fantastic soundtrack for working out, and I totally understand why they chose to add today's song to that playlist.

Another Blink-182 song that appears on the Alternative playlist is "I Miss You", so I will include that one for you today too...

All the, small things

True care, truth brings

I'll take, one lift

Your ride, best trip

Always, I know

You'll be at my show

Watching, waiting, commiserating

Say it ain't so, I will not go, turn the lights off, carry me home

Na, na...

Late night, come home

Work sucks, I know

She left me roses by the stairs, surprises let me know she cares

Say it ain't so, I will not go, turn the lights off, carry me home

Na, na...

Say it ain't so, I will not go, turn the lights off, carry me home

Keep your head still, I'll be your thrill, the night will go on, my little windmill

Say it ain't so, I will not go, turn the lights off, carry me home

Keep your head still, I'll be your thrill, the night will go on, my little windmill

Week Ninety: Bow Wow Wow - "Where's My Snake?" - The Best of Bow Wow Wow

Today, I'm just going to give you a hodge-podge mix-up of some of my other favorites by Bow Wow Wow. There is no real rhyme or reason to these selections, other than the fact that I like them. In addition to "Where's My Snake?", I'll also include "Golly! Golly! Go Buddy!" and "What's the Time? (Hey Buddy)"...Finally, I'll leave you with their super-amazing cover of The Smiths tune, "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish"...

Also, I'm going to include a scan of the first page of the Best of CD liner notes, as well as one of my favorite pics of Annabella:

Since this was a previously unreleased track, before making it onto the Best of CD, there are no readily available lyrics online, but you still should be able to enjoy the song just the same without them!!! :-D

Week Ninety: Bow Wow Wow - "C30, C60, C90 Go" - The Best of Bow Wow Wow

So, yes, I am borrowing today's post from the post that I made about The Buzzcocks, but that's because the story applies to today's song, as well... I'll expand more in a bit:

Before my senior year of high school, I saved all of my money from “the deli” and sent myself to England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. I had three primary goals for my trip: (a) to purchase a pair of Docs from the Doc Marten Factory; (b) to acquire as much music memorabilia as my budget would allow; (c) to drink as much ale as I could get my grubby little seventeen-year-old hands on. I accomplished all three of my tasks and even managed to fall in love with a Scottish lad while there – well, it was more like drunken infatuation, but it felt like love at the time.

Prior to my departure, I made myself at least five or so mixed tapes because I knew that the plane ride was going to be looooooooong! We landed in Ireland and hopped a tour bus to the tiny town of Killarney, which was actually the birthplace of many of the Irish Roman Catholic nuns who taught me in elementary school. We quickly made the acquaintance of some Irish teens, who were enjoying some ale in a local pub, who were right around our age, and who were fascinated by America and American bands. So you know what I did? I reached into my backpack and handed them all five or so of my mixed tapes.

The next day on the tour bus, while nursing a killer hangover, I deeply regretted my alcohol-induced decision – well, more so, the fact that I did not at least hang onto one cassette for myself. Eventually, we had to stop for petrol, and the fuel station where we stopped had an amazing music section. I picked up this double cassette of UK 80s hits in this awesomely packaged cover unlike anything I had ever seen in the States.

Well, it was on that same double cassette of UK 80s hits that I first heard today's song, "C30, C60, C90 Go"... Yet another favorite that was on the same double cassette was "Go Wild in the Country", which I will also include for you today; however, before I depart, I will share with you a snippet of the write-up on Bow Wow Wow from the Virgin Encyclopedia of 80s Music:

Every day I get a brand new show

off TV record and radio

I breeze with the sleaze on my cassette

'cause I got the affirmative

C30 C60 C90 Go

C30 C60 C90 Go

C30 C60

C30 C60 C90 Go

30 60 90 Go

A bit bam-boogie and a booga-rooga

my cassette's just like a bazooka

a bligger a blagger a blippity-blop

well I'm going down to the record shop

Yeah!

And the boss said

"LP, single, picture cover or plain

I've got all the hits and all the big names

I've got biggest discounts in my store

if you buy three records, I'll give you four"

C30 C60 C90 Go

off the radio I get a constant flow

hit it, pause it, record it and play

turn it, rewind, and rub it away

C30 C60 C90 Go

C30 C60 C90 Go

C30 C60 C90 Go

C30 C60

C30 C60 C90 Go

30 60 90 Go

It used to break my heart when I went in your shop

and you said my records were out of stock

so I don't buy records in your shop

now I tape them all, 'cause I'm Top of the Pops!

Yeah!

Now I got a new way to move

it's shiny and black and don't need a groove

now I don't need no album rack

I carry my collection over my back

C30 C60 C90 Go

off the radio I get a constant flow

hit it, pause it, record it and play

turn it, rewind, and rub it away

Policeman stopped me in my tracks

said "Hey you, you can't tape that

you're under arrest 'cause it's illegal"

So I shoved him off and blew his whistle

I'm a pirate and I keep my loot

So I blew him out with my bazooka

C30 C60 C90 Go

off the radio I get a constant flow

hit it, pause it, record it and play

turn it, rewind, and rub it away

You're rich enough to have a record collection

I'll bring my bazooka round for inspection

Sometimes it better get hit twice as fast

so I press my playback to make it last

I breeze with the sleaze on my cassette

I've got the affirmative

C30 C60 C90 Go

off the radio I get a constant flow

hit it, pause it, record it and play

turn it, rewind, and rub it away

C30 C60 C90 Go

C30 C60 C90 Go

C30 C60 C90 Go

C30 360

C30 C60 C90 Go

30 60 90 Go

Week Ninety: Bow Wow Wow - "Do You Wanna Hold Me?" - The Best of Bow Wow Wow

This is my all-time fave song by Bow Wow Wow!!! The video is so much fun to watch, as well. It's like the perfect combo of 60's Girl Group lyrics and Adam Ant's musical styling --- it doesn't get a whole lot better than that, my dearest blogland readers!

Today, I'm going to pull from my book of New Wave album covers and share the cover for their EP, The Last of the Mohicans:

Since it may be difficult to read the description, I've tried to make it a little larger for you so that you can see from where my Adam Ant musical styling reference came:

I'll also share yet another interesting fact about the album cover from Wikipedia:

"The cover artwork is based on the painting Le déjeuner sur l'herbe by Édouard Manet."

Finally, I will leave you with another favorite from the EP called "Louis Quatorze"...

Children, I wanna warn ya

'Cos I've been to California

Where Mickey Mouse is such a demon

Where Mickey Mouse is as big as a house

Life is wasted on illusions

Tom and Jerry's no solution

Evil gangs will cut the demons

Pinocchio is a real boy, look around

And I cry all night

Do you wanna hold me, hold me tight?

Do you wanna hold me, oh yeah?

Do you wanna hold me, hold me there?

Children, you got to hand me

You just got to understand me

Love and death ain't no physical thing

'Cos making next ain't no one of 'em

And I cry all night

Do you wanna hold me, hold me tight?

Do you wanna hold me, oh yeah?

Do you wanna hold me, hold me there?

Do you wanna?

And I cry all night

Do you wanna hold me, hold me tight?

Do you wanna hold me, oh yeah?

Do you wanna hold me, hold me there?

And I cry all night

There ain't no more confusion in the night

There's someone there to tell me what is right

Do you wanna hold me, hold me tight?

And I cry all night

There's only one solution to this life

There's someone there to tell me what it's like

Do you wanna hold me, oh yeah?

Do you wanna hold me, oh yeah?

Do you wanna hold me, hold me there?

Do you wanna hold me, oh yeah?

Do you wanna hold me, oh yeah?

Do you wanna hold me, oh yeah?

Do you wanna hold me, hold me there?

Week Ninety: Bow Wow Wow - "I Want Candy" - The Best of Bow Wow Wow

Hot on the heels of last week's candy-themed week, I present to you today Bow Wow Wow's hit, "I Want Candy". I'm sure many of you were thinking: "How could she have a candy week, and not include 'I Want Candy'?" However, if you have been keeping up with this blog, you should know by now that I try not to be that obvious about my selections, and it was a fantastic opportunity to segue into Bow Wow Wow week.

I am going to include for you today some information about this particular song from George Gimarc's Post Punk Diary 1980-1982:

I seriously had no idea that this was a cover, which is why I scanned that little write-up, but I will include the original for you below.

Additionally, not only did this song make it into Sofia Coppola's film, Marie Antionette, but so did one of my other favorite Bow Wow Wow tunes, called "Aphrodisiac", so I will include that one for you today, as well.

I know a guy who's tough but sweet

He's so fine, he can't be beat

He's got everything that I desire

Sets the summer sun on fire

I want candy, I want candy

Go to see him when the sun goes down

Ain't no finer boy in town

You're my guy, just what the doctor ordered

So sweet, you make my mouth water

I want candy, I want candy

Candy on the beach, there's nothing better

But I like candy when it's wrapped in a sweater

Some day soon I'll make you mine,

Then I'll have candy all the time

I want candy, I want candy

I want candy, I want candy...

Week Eighty-Nine: Candy Songs - The Four Seasons - "Candy Girl" - The Very Best of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons

Week Eighty-Nine will be dedicated to songs that feature that wonderful God-given treat known as candy!!!

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Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons were way before my time, so I have no choice but to resort to Wikipedia for help with today's song:

"'Candy Girl' is the title of a hit single recorded in 1963 by the Four Seasons. Written by Larry Santos and produced by Bob Crewe, it is the first original Four Seasons single not composed by either Bob Gaudio or Bob Crewe. The writer, Larry Santos, would become a chart artist in his own right with 1976's 'We Can't Hide It Anymore'. 'Candy Girl' reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 13 on the R&B chart."

"The song tackles the subject of a girlfriend whose 'love is so sweet'. The Four Seasons song is a doo-wop styled ballad to a loving girlfriend ('I've been a searching all this big wide world/Finally I found my/Candy Girl')."

I am awarding New Edition's hit, also called "Candy Girl", an Honorable Mention and will include that video for you, as well!

I've been a-searchin' all this wide world

Now finally I've found my

Candy girl Candy girl

I-yi-yi-yi found me a girl (Candy girl)

She-ee-ee-ee sets my heart a-whirl (Candy girl)

With huggin' and kissin' and lov-in'

(She's mine) mi-ine (mine) mi-ine

Whoa-oa-oa-oh-oh (Candy girl)

We get along so well (Candy girl)

I know just why I fell (Candy girl)

She's thrillin' (thrillin') oh, chillin' (chillin'),

yes she's so divine

(She's mine) mi-ine (mine) mi-ine

Whoa-oa-oa-oh-oh (Candy girl)

When we're out together

Everyone knows the way we feel

We both seem to glow with the glow of a love

And it's plain to see

Our love is real

I-yi-yi-yi'm happy as can be (Candy girl)

She-ee-ee-ee vows eternally (Candy girl)

To hold me (hold me) and love me (love me)

until the end of time

(She's mine) mi-ine (mine) mi-ine

Whoa-oa-oa-oh-oh

Candy girl