Heaven Is A Place On Earth

‘Heaven Is a Place on Earth’ is a power love ballad by American singer Belinda Carlisle who first burst into the limelight as the lead singer of the all-female band the Go-Go’s.  According to Carlisle, the song is centered on hope, letting everyone know that since up in heaven, love comes first, us Earthlings also have the ability to make own heaven right here on Earth.  This tune is also about “peace of mind” and when people feel alone that someone is just an armlength away to bring them back home.  When they become lost at sea, someone will hear their voice, and be there to help rescue them.  It is mostly a love song about being together and feeling that the world’s alive, hearing the sound of kids on the street.  Getting that special feeling when you see your lover walk into the room and when they pull you close, and you start to move, spinnin’ with the stars above, lifted up in a wave of love.

Carlisle was a 19-year-old beauty school dropout when she had her first venture into music in 1977 as drummer for the punk rock band the Germs, under the name Dottie Danger.  Her time in the band was short only about a month due to her contracting mononucleosis, and she never recorded or performed live with the Germs.  Carlisle had to move back in with her parents to recover after getting the Kissing Germ while she was in the Germs.  Carlisle soon joined up with a bunch of friends and formed a band called the Misfits, who ended up changing both their name and their lineup, and the Go-Go’s became huge, although their time at the top was extremely brief.  They put out three albums when guitarist Jane Wiedlin told the band that she was leaving to do her own thing.  The Go-Go’s continued on, briefly, with bassist Kathy Valentine moving to guitar to replace Wiedlin and hiring new bassist Paula Jean Brown.  The Go-Go’s had some squabbles which led to their breakup, but Carlisle remained close to her bandmate Charlotte Caffey, who worked on her first two solo albums as a songwriter and guitarist.  The Go-Go’s don’t have any new material, but they continue to be a band, earning a comfortable living playing the old hits, live and in concert, to its throngs of adoring fans.

‘Heaven Is a Place on Earth’ became Carlisle’s signature tune, it was her only #1 US hit, either solo or with the Go-Go’s and it’s also her most successful song to date.  It actually went to #1 in 20 countries in November 1987.  Some people are convinced that this song was written by God, because it is so catchy that it must have been transcribed in the heavens.  It is one of those ‘80s pop songs that has entered our collective unconscious.  If you consider every song that Belinda has ever sang in her recording career, this one is forever destined to remain, her ultimate, lasting legacy.

It was written by the San Francisco Grammy award-winning songwriter/producer Rick Nowels and New York musician, and songwriter Ellen Shipley and in addition to writing the song, they both sang the backing vocals on this track.  ‘Heaven Is A Place On Earth’ went through several drafts and Carlisle actually recorded a finished version of it when Shipley realized that the song wasn’t good enough and that it needed to be re-written with a new arrangement.  Shipley was nervous about asking Carlisle to record the song again, since she’d already stretched herself vocally to do the first one, but Carlisle was fine with it.  It opens up with the chorus as Carlisle and all her backup singers start belting it out before the rest of the music kicks in.

Lindsey Buckingham co-wrote ‘Since Your Gone’ on Belinda’s debut solo album in 1986, and that is probably when Stevie Nicks and Belinda Carlisle became friends.  Belinda Carlisle hired Rick Nowels to produce her second solo album that was titled Heaven on Earth and Nowels had just worked on his first ever album project with Stevie Nicks.  Stevie Nicks actually matched Belinda Carlisle with Nowels who then approached Shipley in a Woodstock, NY café, and he asked her if she would like to collaborate with him on a Belinda Carlisle solo album.  Ellen Shipley got the initial idea for this song at a Brooklyn gas station where she spotted a greeting card that said “Heaven On Earth”.  When she and Nowels started working on a song for Belinda Carlisle, Shipley wrote that phrase on the blackboard as an idea.  Nowels wrote in the words “Is A’ and that became the title.  Nowels solely produced ‘Heaven Is a Place on Earth’.  Singer Michelle Phillips formally of the Mamas & The Papas provided the song’s background vocals along with the American songwriter Diane Warren.  English musician new wave keyboard wizard Thomas Dolby played keyboard on this track.

The promotional music video for ‘Heaven Is a Place on Earth’ was directed by the noted American actress and director Diane Keaton.  It stars Carlisle’s husband Morgan Mason right after they just got married.  It received a nomination in the category of Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the at the 30th Annual Grammy Awards in 1988.  Sometimes you only get one #1 hit and Belinda has just as many Billboard #1 hits as Pink Floyd, Chuck Berry, Neil Young and Bob Dylan have which is one more than Led Zeppelin, or Creedence Clearwater Revival ever got.

Ooh, baby, do you know what that’s worth?
Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth
They say in Heaven, love comes first
We’ll make Heaven a place on Earth
Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth

When the night falls down
I wait for you, and you come around
And the world’s alive
With the sound of kids on the street outside

When you walk into the room
You pull me close, and we start to move
And we’re spinnin’ with the stars above
And you lift me up in a wave of love

Ooh, baby, do you know what that’s worth?
Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth
They say in Heaven, love comes first
We’ll make Heaven a place on Earth
Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth

When I feel alone
I reach for you, and you bring me home
When I’m lost at sea
I hear your voice, and it carries me

In this world, we’re just beginnin’
To understand the miracle of livin’
Baby, I was afraid before
But I’m not afraid anymore

Ooh, baby, do you know what that’s worth?
Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth
They say in Heaven, love comes first
We’ll make Heaven a place on Earth
Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth

Heaven

Heaven

Heaven

In this world we’re just beginnin’
To understand the miracle of livin’
Baby, I was afraid before
But I’m not afraid anymore

Heaven
Ooh, baby, do you know what that’s worth?
Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth
They say in Heaven, love comes first
We’ll make Heaven a place on Earth
Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth
Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth

Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth
Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth
Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth
Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth

Written for Song Lyric Sunday where the prompt is Heaven and/or Hell.

States of Being

Most people think that heaven, hell and purgatory or limbo are physical places where your soul will exist in the afterlife when your die.  We only spend a short time here on Earth and our future is uncertain, so whatever is in store for us beyond the grave, our life here will seem like a mere flash compared to eternal existence.  Since your body can’t experience eternity, heaven and hell are nothing more than states of awareness used to mold our perception of what type of person we have become.  It is supposed to reach 90℉ here on Sunday where I live and some people might say that is hot as hell, but I also hear people describe things being as cold as hell.  It seems that whether or not hell is hot or cold, nobody really wants to go there.  When Dante passed through the gate of Hell, he saw the sign which read, “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.”  Heaven and hell seem, at first glance, to be ubiquitous to religious systems and the concepts of good and evil.  Based on your deeds, or the way you lived your life, heaven is the reward of eternal happiness and a chance of being in a paradise and hell is the fear of eternal torment where the damned are sent because they refused to repent.

Last week we had Fixing My Make-Up, and everyone was asked to choose a song that fit the theme of Fix or Make.  This week we have songs that are associated with Heaven and/or Hell and this prompt was suggested by Amy, ☆ai love music☆ aisasami.  Take some time to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this music challenge, and even better, read as many of them as you are able to as you will probably find many enjoyable songs and it is quite possibly that you will learn a thing or two.  Share your music with others and post a video, try do some research and let everyone know something about the song that you post.  Tell everyone why you like the song, whether it was a hit, or what you think the song is about.  Show the lyrics, let’s all listen to our favorite songs and explore some new music.  Try to find a song that fits the prompt, then write your post and create a pingback, or you can just place your link in the comments section.

Here are the revised “rules”:
• Try to use the prompt words or at least conform to a general theme, as you see it.  If the song you select does not meet the criteria, then please explain why you chose this song.
• It would be good if you could post the lyrics to the song of your choice, as this is helpful for the people that want to follow along with the music.
• Please try to include the songwriter(s) – it’s a good idea to give credit where credit is due. It would also be a good idea to give credit to the singer and the band associated with your song.
• Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be, but please try not to include too many videos as that just makes it take longer to look at all of the other posts.
• Link to the YouTube video, or pull it into your post so others can listen to the song.
• Ping back to this post or place your link in the comments section below.
• Read at least one other person’s blog, so we can all share new and fantastic music and create amazing new blogging friends in the process.
• Feel free to suggest future prompts.
• Have fun and enjoy the music.

I am writing about the Belinda Carlisle song ‘Heaven Is A Place On Earth’ today.  Next week, I will be writing about the song ‘Never on Sunday’ recorded by various artists.  The upcoming prompts will be:
May 16, 2021 – Elevator music suggested by Maggie, Cave Walls
May 23, 2021 – Comparisons where you take two songs and discuss an association between them
Depending on which songs you choose, you could break the pieces down, and compare and contrast them in terms of their melody, rhythm, harmony, instrumentation, so figure out what you want to do.
May 30, 2021 – City, Country, County. State. Town suggested by Lisa Coleman, Our Eyes Open
June 6, 2021 – Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

Want to Make Love to You

‘In the Afternoon’ is a song by the Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison which was released in 1995 on his twenty-third studio album Days Like This.  The album did well, reaching #5 on the UK charts, but this song was not released as a single.  There is nothing written on this song, so for me being a research writer, I will have to take a different approach here.  I will ponder if making love in the afternoon is the best time for optimizing romance and having satisfying sex.  The lyrics to this song are not exactly what I would call deep, but I enjoy listening to Van singing while he is trying to entice his lover to hop in the sack with him.

Timing is everything when it comes to relationships and it also plays a big part in having sex and I imagine that the best time for sex would be when the woman is less stressed out and the man has an increased level of testosterone.  Science seems to suggest that the best time of day to get busy is right around 3 p.m., because that’s when men and women are most in sync.  A man’s body does make estrogen and progesterone just like a woman’s body, but in much smaller amounts.  Although men get a testosterone boost in the early to mid-morning, they hit an estrogen peak later in the afternoon and this helps men become more emotionally attuned to their partners.  This same time of day is when women experience a peak in cortisol levels, helping them to boost their energy and alertness.  According to my research, Van got this one right, making love in the afternoon seems to be a win, win situation for both men and women.

Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle and these make up your body clock, but it is an evolutionary paradox, because men and women appear to have different circadian rhythms meaning that their hormones are most primed for sex at different times of the day and it is a wonder that our species has survived due to the differences between the sexes.  Maybe it is not that much of a wonder, as our species has survived because one partner or the other has been compliant.  The best time to eat is anytime that you feel hungry and the best time to exercise is whenever you can fit it into your schedule.  I feel that the best time to have sex is whenever you get into the mood or whenever it is possible.

The light is fading in the afternoon
Won’t you see me baby in my room
There’s something that I want to say to you
Tell me baby am I getting through
Want to make, want to make, want to make, want to make
Love to you
Want to make, want to make, want to make, want to make
Love to you
Want to make, want to make, want to make, want to make
Love to you
In the afternoon, in the afternoon

The light is fading from across the way
I see you coming baby every day
I see you running, running from across the field
And I want to know if you can feel the same as me
Cause I want to make, want to make, want to make, want to make
Love to you
Want to make, want to make, want to make, want to make
Love to you
Want to make, want to make, want to make, want to make
Love to you
In the afternoon, in the afternoon

The wind is howling baby outside the shack
Train whistle blowin’ from across the track
Get on my wavelength, and you set me free
I just want to be everything you want me to be
Want to make, want to make, want to make, want to make
Love to you
Want to make, want to make, want to make, want to make
Love to you
Want to make, want to make, want to make, want to make
Love to you
In the afternoon, in the afternoon

The moon is sinking way across the trees
I can see my baby but she can’t see me
I’ve got a longing deep within my soul
I have to take it there and let it roll
Want to make, want to make, want to make, want to make
Love to you
Want to make, want to make, want to make, want to make
Love to you
Want to make, want to make, want to make, want to make
Love to you
In the afternoon, make love in the afternoon
Make love in the afternoon

Let it roll
You got me reelin’ and a-rockin’ and rollin’ again

Let it roll
You got me reelin’ and a-rockin’ and rollin’ and rollin’ again
Oh, I’m rollin’ and tumblin’, and I’m rollin’ and tumblin’
And I’m talkin’ all outta my mind baby

Let it roll
You got me reelin’ and a-rockin’
And I’m talkin’ all outta my mind

I’m talkin’ all outta my mind
Make love in the afternoon
Make love in the afternoon
Make love in the afternoon

Written for Song Lyric Sunday where the prompt is Fix/Make.

Fixing My Make-Up

I should probably wear makeup, but it is possible that wouldn’t even help me, as most likely I need a complete make over to fix my look.  I am talking about just using a bit of concealer to cover facial blemishes and those dark circles under my eyes, not a foundation, guy-liner, mascara, lip gloss, or eye lash extensions.  I should get my hair cut and I would also like to go to the salon to get my toenails clipped.  It is not like I go anywhere, so I can still get by while the pandemic is keeping all of us socially distanced.  I have a toenail clipper, but it is not an easy job and therefor I keep on neglecting it.  I can bend, although not like when I was young and the other day at the grocery store, a receipt fell out of my pocket and fell on the floor and I said, “I see it” and I reached down and grabbed it.  There was a guy behind me and I teased him saying, “I bet you didn’t think I could get it”, and he teased me back saying, “Not only did you get it, but you did it so quickly that I got a nice breeze from standing nearby”, which made me laugh.  I think I caught some of that Havana syndrome, as I was out of sorts the other day, but I have completely recovered since then, so don’t worry about me.  Fix and Make are similar, but fix means to put something back together, while make means to create something.

I wrote a post last Monday titled “Why Do We Have Rules?” as a way of dealing with my frustration and in the end, I decided that I will be changing the rule for specifically meeting the prompt word to being where you just need to conform to a general theme.  This way you can analyze the prompt words and interpret them however you like and I hope this will make life easier for everyone.  I am only the current host of Song Lyric Sunday, and it belongs to all the participants, so let’s keep having fun.

Last week we had Peace Out, and everyone was asked to choose a song about departing by finding something that contained Arrivederci, Bon-voyage, Ciao, Farewell, Goodbye, Hasta la vista, Sayonara or Shalom in the title or the lyrics.  This week we have Fix or Make songs.  Take some time to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this music challenge, and even better, read as many of them as you are able to as you will probably find many enjoyable songs and it is quite possibly that you will learn a thing or two.  Share your music with others and post a video, try do some research and let everyone know something about the song that you post.  Tell everyone why you like the song, whether it was a hit, or what you think the song is about.  Show the lyrics, let’s all listen to our favorite songs and explore some new music.  Try to find a song that fits the prompt, then write your post and create a pingback, or you can just place your link in the comments section.

Here are the revised “rules”:
• Try to use the prompt words or at least conform to a general theme, as you see it.  If the song you select does not meet the criteria, then please explain why you chose this song.
• It would be good if you could post the lyrics to the song of your choice, as this is helpful for the people that want to follow along with the music.
• Please try to include the songwriter(s) – it’s a good idea to give credit where credit is due. It would also be a good idea to give credit to the singer and the band associated with your song.
• Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be, but please try not to include too many videos as that just makes it take longer to look at all of the other posts.
• Link to the YouTube video, or pull it into your post so others can listen to the song.
• Ping back to this post or place your link in the comments section below.
• Read at least one other person’s blog, so we can all share new and fantastic music and create amazing new blogging friends in the process.
• Feel free to suggest future prompts.
• Have fun and enjoy the music.

I am writing about the Van Morrison song ‘In the Afternoon’ today.  Next week, I will be writing about the song ‘Heaven Is A Place On Earth’ by Belinda Carlisle.  The upcoming prompts will be:
May 9, 2021 – Heaven/Hell suggested by Amy, aisasami
May 16, 2021 – Elevator music suggested by Maggie, Cave Walls
May 23, 2021 – Comparisons where you take two songs and discuss an association between them
These songs may sound the same to you, or the same artist may be playing on both of these songs, or the lyrics could be discussing the same topic, this is entirely up to you to decide.
May 30, 2021 – City/Country/County/State/Town suggested by Lisa Coleman

See You Later

‘Arrivederci Girl’ was written by Burton Cummings of the Canadian rock group The Guess Who for their 1972 album Rockin’.   This song did not chart and it is the last album by the group to feature rhythm guitarist Greg Leskiw.  The Guess Who forged an identity as a distinctly Canadian band, with a diverse sound that included different variations of rock, pop, psychedelia, and even jazz and lyrics that often-contained explicit Canadian references.  The Canadian musician Allan Peter Stanley Kowbel formed his first band in 1958, Allan and the Silvertones, and when he brought in noted Winnipeg musicians Bob Ashley, Jim Kale, Randy Bachman and Garry Peterson they started going by the name Chad Allan and the Reflections, with Allan taking the stage name of Chad Allan.  In 1963, the band changed their name to Chad Allan and the Expressions, but in 1965 when their recording of ‘Shakin’ All Over’ had the name ‘Guess Who’ put on it, because their producer wanted everyone to think they were an English band, not from Winnipeg, they became the Guess Who.  In December 1965, Bob Ashley left the band and Burton Cummings of The Deverons replaced him.  Chad Allan left the Guess Who in 1966, four years before the band’s commercial breakthrough.

The Guess Who formed as a garage prairie rock band, and their musical style encompassed the pop rock and psychedelic rock genres.  When Chad Allan left the group to go back to college the Guess Who went back to Winnipeg.   They were added to the Kingsmen’s “Louie Louie” tour, and the Deverons, with their lead singer Burton Cummings became the top Winnipeg group, till they poached Burton Cummings away from the Deverons.  Cummings and Bachman became buddies and they started to write together and then we had all of these great songs ‘These Eyes’, ‘Laughing’, ‘Undun’, ‘No Time’, ‘No Sugar Tonight’ and ‘American Woman’, which was the longest song to ever be number one at the time.

Randy Bachman had a gall bladder attack every night for three weeks, and he didn’t know what it was, and although he had other differences with the band, that was the tipping point.  The other members were all into drugs and he wasn’t.  They dumped all of these responsibilities on him and had him doing everything so they could go out and party.  He became weary of the conflict between his religious beliefs and the band’s rock-and-roll lifestyle, as Bachman converted to Mormonism in 1966, so he eventually left the Guess Who in 1970.  He later reteamed with Allan to form Brave Belt, which evolved into Bachman-Turner Overdrive.  Two guitarists, Winter who became Cummings’s primary songwriting partner and Leskiw, replaced Bachman.

They recorded 11 studio albums not including best of or greatest hits between 1969 through 1975 including Wheatfield Soul (1969), Canned Wheat (1969), American Woman (1970), Share The Land (1970), So Long, Bannatyne (1971), Rockin’ (1972), Artificial Paradise (1973), #10 (1973), Road Food (1974), Flavours (1975), and Power in the Music (1975).  On Rockin’ Burton Cummings sang lead vocals, and played keyboards and harmonica.  Kurt Winter was the lead guitar, and he sang backing vocals, Greg Leskiw played rhythm guitar, backing vocals, and lead vocals on one song, Jim Kale played bass, backing vocals and Garry Peterson played drums.

The Guess Who was disbanded by Cummings in 1975, though bassist Jim Kale and/or drummer Garry Peterson have toured and recorded under the Guess Who name since 1977, frequently with no other original band members involved.  The band continued into the 21st century with an ever-changing lineup that produced a series of mostly lackluster recordings.  Of the 14 Guess Who albums produced by Richardson during the 1960s and 1970s, 11 were certified gold (sales of 50,000) and five were certified platinum (sales of 100,000) in Canada, while five achieved gold (sales of 500,000) and three reached platinum (sales of one million) in the United States.

You know that you’re steppin’ on me, draggin’ my bone to bed
You know that you’re real polite, kickin’ me right in my head
But I won’t move, so leave me alone, distress me
Give somebody else your own kind of lovin’, you’re kind of movin’
You’re kinda thinkin’ about the wrong things too
Goodbye my baby once, arrivederci, girl to you
You trying to distress me, leave me alone, impress me
And give somebody else your own kinda lovin’, you’re kinda movin’ baby
You’re kind of thinkin’ about the wrong things too
Goodbye my baby once, arrivederci, girl to you
You gotta shake it, leave it woman once
Arrivederci, girl to you

Written for Song Lyric Sunday where the prompt is Arrivederci, Bon-voyage, Ciao, Farewell, Goodbye, Hasta la vista, Sayonara or Shalom.

Peace Out

The mean ways would be to say this would be, “see ya sucker”, “later loser”, or “good riddance” when something is ending or over and this adds a sense of finality to it.  Goodbyes are used to reflect change and they can mean that even though you will no longer be there, that you still want to maintain a connection.  These parting words can be said for a myriad of reasons and this can be done in a variety of ways.  I feel that goodbyes are mostly a way of showing affection to someone that you are close with and for this reason some goodbyes can be painful, but some people enjoy saying “toodles” to their poodles.  It seems like modern communication likes things to be shorter and thus we got TTFN ta-ta for now and TTYL talk to you later and the ultimate in brevity with the waving emoji, but I can never tell if it is waving hello or goodbye to me.  Namaste, live long and prosper, may the force be with you, keep it real, catch you on the rebound, see ya wouldn’t want to be ya.

Last week we had Desperately Seeking Susan, and everyone was asked to choose a song that contained a girl’s name which started with the letter “S” in the title or the lyrics.  This week we have different ways of saying goodbye as the prompt, and the song that you chose must contain either Arrivederci, Bon-voyage, Ciao, Farewell, Goodbye, Hasta la vista, Sayonara or Shalom in the title or the lyrics.  Take some time to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this music challenge, and even better, read as many of them as you are able to as you will probably find many enjoyable songs and it is quite possibly that you will learn a thing or two.  Share your music with others and post a video, try do some research and let everyone know something about the song that you post.  Tell everyone why you like the song, whether it was a hit, or what you think the song is about.  Show the lyrics, let’s all listen to our favorite songs and explore some new music.  Try to find a song that fits the prompt, then write your post and create a pingback, or you can just place your link in the comments section.

Here are the “rules”:
• Post the lyrics to the song of your choice, whether it contains the prompt words or not.  If it does not meet the criteria, then please explain why you chose this song.
• Please try to include the songwriter(s) – it’s a good idea to give credit where credit is due.  Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be.
• Make sure you also credit the singer/band and if you desire you can provide a link to where you found the lyrics.
• Link to the YouTube video, or pull it into your post so others can listen to the song.
• Ping back to this post or place your link in the comments section below.
• Read at least one other person’s blog, so we can all share new and fantastic music and create amazing new blogging friends in the process.
• Feel free to suggest future prompts.
• Have fun and enjoy the music.

I am writing about The Guess Who song ‘Arrivederci Girl’ today.  Next week, I will be writing about the song ‘In the Afternoon’ by Van Morrison.  The upcoming prompts will be:
May 2, 2021 – Fix/Make suggested by Amy, aisasami
May 9, 2021 – Heaven/Hell suggested by Amy, aisasami
May 16, 2021 – Elevator music suggested by Maggie, Cave Walls
May 23, 2021 – Comparisons where you take two songs and discuss an association between them

You Gotta Believe Me

‘Sorry Suzanne’ is a 1969 single by The Hollies, co-written by Geoff Stephens and Tony Macaulay.  It was the group’s first song to feature Terry Sylvester (formerly of Liverpool bands the Escorts and Swinging Blue Jeans) in the place of Graham Nash.  ‘Sorry Suzanne’ was released with the B-side ‘Not That Way at All’ on the Parlophone label.  The song reached #3 on the UK singles chart in March 1969, and it ended up being the #57 song on the year end 1969 charts.  This was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios on January 27, 1969 and it was originally mixed in mono, but it was given a stereo mix at the same time, which was shelved for a future release.  It came out on the Hollies Greatest, Vol. 2 compilation album in 1971.  Graham Nash left a sweet gig with one of the great British pop groups of the ‘60s, partly due to creative frustration, but mostly because he’d experienced a harmonic epiphany which convinced him that his future lay not with Allan Clarke and Tony Hicks but with David Crosby and Stephen Stills.

Hailing from Manchester, Graham Nash (rhythm guitar, vocals) and Allan Clarke (lead vocals, harmonica) formed The Hollies in 1962, and they added guitarist Vic Steele, bassist Eric Haydock and drummer Don Rathbone, and went on to perfect their three-part harmony becoming one of the most popular bands in England.  Shortly after, Vic Steele was replaced by lead guitarist Tony Hicks and Rathbone was replaced by drummer Bobby Elliott.  In 1966, Haydock was replaced by bassist Bernie Calvert and the group remained with Nash, Clarke, Hicks, Elliott and Calvert till Nash left to join Crosby & Stills.  Between 1964 and 1969, only two Hollies songs failed to reach the UK Top 10, spending 231 weeks on the UK singles chart before the turn of the decade.

The second chapter in Hollie History unfolded with the group wearing matching white or cream-colored suits with bow ties which Graham Nash suggested they try, as an attempt to find a type of more mature audience made up of people who would actually listen to their music and didn’t just scream all over the songs which was something that Nash particularly loathed.  In the summer of 1968 after Graham Nash met Joni Mitchell and hung out in Laurel Canyon, he was inspired to write ‘Marrakesh Express’ which was turned down by the Hollies.  He decided to leave his wife for his new girlfriend and after this one show, Nash took off the white suit and floppy bow tie which was the band’s outfit, cracked open his hash which he had painstakingly secreted among his luggage, took out his guitar and wrote ‘Lady Of The Island’ and the beginning of ‘Teach Your Children’ and by the end of the year he left the Hollies.

With Nash gone, the group reverted to outside songwriters which resulted in four consecutive UK hits over the next two years including ‘Sorry, Suzanne’ and ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ (with a young Elton John on piano).  Geoff Stephens and Tony Macaulay had a #5 hit in the US with ‘Smile A Little Smile For Me’ which was recorded by The Flying Machine in 1969.  Tony Macaulay had his first success in 1967 with a song that he co-wrote and produced called, ‘Baby, Now That I’ve Found You’ which was recorded and performed by the Foundations.  He followed that success with a long string of pop releases which included 12 number ones in the U.K. and U.S., plus 38 top 20 U.K. tracks.  His music has been recorded by everyone from Elvis Presley to Gladys Knight to Tom Jones and many of his songs were recorded by several artists.  Geoff Stephens wrote a long series of hit records, often in conjunction with other British songwriters.  He also formed The New Vaudeville Band, and their song ‘Winchester Cathedral’ won Stephens the 1966 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary (R&R) Recording.

‘Sorry Suzanne’ is a song about guy wants to get back with his girl after they broke up.  He seems a bit desperate and he knows that he made a mistake.  He wants Suzanne to forgive him because he is still in love with her and he apologizes for hurting her.  He regrets that he made her cry, when he was trying to hit on another girl.  He admits that this was foolish when he acted on his impulse to pursue this other girl.  He shamelessly begs her not to leave him as he asks her to still believe in him.  He tells her that if she takes him back that things will be different and he would like her to give him one more chance.  He tells her that he won’t be able to make it if she leaves him.  If you want my opinion, Suzanne would be a real jerk if she ever takes this guy back, as once a cheater, always a cheater.  Two of the core members, Tony Hicks and Bobby Elliot, still perform with The Hollies into the new millennium.  The Hollies members Bernie Calvert, Allan Clarke, Bobby Elliott, Eric Haydock, Tony Hicks, Graham Nash and Terry Sylvester were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 2010.

I can’t make it if you leave me
I’m sorry Suzanne, believe me
I was wrong
And I knew I was all along

Forgive me
I still love you more than ever
I’m sorry Suzanne forever
Hurting you
You know I never wanted to
I’m truly sorry Suzanne

I could never, ever justify
All the tears I made you cry
But I do regret it, my Suzanne
You gotta believe me

I was looking ‘round for someone new
What a foolish thing to do
All the time I knew it
Heaven knows what made me do it, girl

I can’t make it if you leave me
I’m sorry Suzanne, believe me
I was wrong
And I knew I was all along
All along

I’m truly sorry Suzanne

If you would only take me back again
Things would be so different then
What I wouldn’t give for
One more chance to live for you, Suzanne

I can’t make it if you leave me
I’m sorry Suzanne, believe me
I was wrong
And I knew I was all along

Forgive me
I still love you more than ever
I’m sorry Suzanne forever
Hurting you
You know I never wanted to
I’m truly sorry Suzanne

Written for Song Lyric Sunday where the prompt this week is to find a song that includes a girl’s name that starts with the letter S.

Desperately Seeking Susan

Rosanna Arquette is looking for Madonna, but any girl whose name starts with an S will fit, as suggested by Christine Bolton, Poetry for Healing.  You could go with Sabrina, Sadie, Saffron, Saige, Sally, Samantha, Samara, Sandra, Sara, Sarah, Sasha, Savannah, Sawyer, Scarlett, Selma, Serena, Serenity, Shana, Sharon, Sharona, Shelby, Shelia, Sheena, Sherry, Sherly, Shiloh, Shinead, Shoshana, Sienna, Simone, Skylar, Sloan, Stacey, Sonia, Sophia, Stella, Stephanie, Stevie, Summer, Susanna, Suri, Sutton, Sydney, Sylvia, Sybil, or anything else that works.  It is believed that a child develops characteristics according to their name.  A person whose name starts with the letter ‘S’ is considered to be a born leader and they tend to do well in life.  They tend to be honest and trustworthy, warm, loving, compassionate and they are extremely charming both inside and out.

Last week we had The Singularity, and everyone was asked to choose a song that contained only one word in the title.  This week we have a girl’s name that starts with the letter S as the prompt, and the song that you chose must contain a girl’s name in the title or the lyrics and that name must start with the letter S.  Take some time to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this music challenge, and even better, read as many of them as you are able to as you will probably find many enjoyable songs and it is quite possibly that you will learn a thing or two.  Share your music with others and post a video, try do some research and let everyone know something about the song that you post.  Tell everyone why you like the song, whether it was a hit, or what you think the song is about.  Show the lyrics, let’s all listen to our favorite songs and explore some new music.  Try to find a song that fits the prompt, then write your post and create a pingback, or you can just place your link in the comments section.

Here are the “rules”:
• Post the lyrics to the song of your choice, whether it contains the prompt words or not.  If it does not meet the criteria, then please explain why you chose this song.
• Please try to include the songwriter(s) – it’s a good idea to give credit where credit is due.  Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be.
• Make sure you also credit the singer/band and if you desire you can provide a link to where you found the lyrics.
• Link to the YouTube video, or pull it into your post so others can listen to the song.
• Ping back to this post or place your link in the comments section below.
• Read at least one other person’s blog, so we can all share new and fantastic music and create amazing new blogging friends in the process.
• Feel free to suggest future prompts.
• Have fun and enjoy the music.

I am writing about the Hollies song ‘Sorry Suzanne’ today.  Next week, I will be writing about the song ‘Arrivederci Girl’ by The Guess Who.  The upcoming prompts will be:
April 25, 2021 – Arrivederci/Bon-voyage/Ciao/Farewell/Goodbye/Hasta la vista/Sayonara/Shalom
May 2, 2021 – Fix/Make suggested by Amy, aisasami
May 9, 2021 – Heaven/Hell suggested by Amy, aisasami
May 16, 2021 – Elevator music suggested by Maggie, Cave Walls

What a Day

I believe in the magic of the young girl’s soul, just like I believe in the magic of rock ‘n’ roll, but right now I would like to take a little daydream.  ‘Daydream’ by The Lovin’ Spoonful is a lazy, laid back celebration of love on a summer’s day which originated with John’s attempt to rewrite the Supremes’ ‘Baby Love’, though it turned into something quite different.  John was trying to imitate the straight eighth rhythmic pattern (with what he refers to as a shuffle being “isn’t all the way expressed”) of Motown songs such as ‘Where Did Our Love Go’ and ‘Baby Love’.  He attempted to grab something out of this song and he ended up with something that became very much his own.  The Lovin’ Spoonful were the opening act touring with the Supremes in November of 1965, when John was inspired to write this lovely tune, so the genesis of this song occurred while touring with the Supremes.  It seems that just like the way Sebastian was influenced by the Supremes, The Beatles admitted to being inspired by John Sebastian’s song when they wrote ‘Good Day Sunshine’.

John Sebastian had no idea that ‘Daydream’ would have such a long shelf life, as at the time, he was only focused on the next few months.  They were trying for, a Top Ten record, and everything else was unexpected.  This song marries a carefree guitar lick to a yawning slide guitar which created a gorgeous tribute to laziness.  In between his harmonica licks, John whistles along with the song’s melody.  1966 was their golden year, as the Spoonful had 10 A-sides which would eventually reach Billboard’s Top 30, with the first seven singles climbing into the Top 10, including such standards as ‘Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind’, ‘You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice’, ‘Daydream’, ‘Nashville Cats’, and the immortal ‘Summer in the City’ and these songs still remain relevant today.

‘Daydream’ started this whole New Vaudeville Bandwagon in the late 1960s of which The Beatles picked up on and showcased on their Sgt. Pepper album, largely because Paul always had a thing for show tunes.  ‘Daydream’ did precede the big hit novelty tune ‘Winchester Cathedral’ by the New Vaudeville Band in 1966.  People enjoy music that makes them feel good and the irresistible vibe in ‘Daydream’ not only set the tone for a groovy summer, but it also inspired many songwriters and recording artists to catch that same emotional sentiments.

There were also a lot of hippies around at this time who probably enjoyed lighting up a joint, smoking it while listening to this song and then fading off into a daydream and it might have even been better if it was a Tuesday afternoon and then throw in some Donavan.  I don’t think that this song is about drugs, but it is about happiness and drugs make some people happy, so I can see why some people try to make this connection.  The only thing that is remotely close to a drug reference in this song is the phrase “new-mowed lawn”, which some stoners might have thought was about grass.  Maybe I should write a post about how when people get high, they tend to misconstrue things.  If you look at the lyrics and are familiar with the lighthearted theme, it’s obvious that he is crazy about this girl who he refers to as his bundle of joy, or his sweet thing.

This love-struck guy heads outside to take a walk deciding to blow off the whole day feeling that time is irrelevant when he decides to be in the sun.  He is oblivious to things that are going on around him and he may be just spaced out by the beauty of this day, when he falls on his face while walking on somebody’s new-mowed lawn.  His mind wondered and his attention shifted away from the task of controlling his feet, as his mind entered a place that was entirely his own, yep, he was havin’ a sweet dream and in fact he had been dreamin’ since he woke up this day.  His girl is with him in this daydream, because she’s the one that who can give him this wonderful feeling.

It seems that time has been passing me by him often, but he doesn’t want to concern himself with any trivial matters, as he feels that tomorrow will bring in better times.  He thinks that somebody should throw a pie in his face to wake him out of this daydream.  If you decide to let the daydream go on to have a life of its own, then this type of daydream will last you long into the night.  You enjoy your dream, but you are still uncertain where it took you, so tomorrow at breakfast you may shake out of it, or this daydreaming might last for a thousand years.  Today is a great day for a daydream, it was custom-made for a daydreaming boy, especially one that wants to be lost in a daydream.

It sounds so nice, unplugging yourself from reality, losing contact with the outside world, detaching your brain from all of your current external tasks, and allowing your attention to drift off into a more personal and internal direction.  Daydreaming is a universal human experience and that is why people will always be able to relate to this song.  Daydreaming shouldn’t be looked at as being a waste of time, as it is more like a gateway to creativity, being a problem-solving tool that could help you to realize your potential.  People may say that daydreams are scatterbrained and unfocused moments, but daydreaming is actually helpful as it keeps your life’s agenda in front of you, and it often reminds you of appointments that are coming up, it can be used to rehearses new situations, make plans for the future and it recollects your past experiences, maybe hoping that you will learn from them.

Musically, ‘Daydream’ is a typical blues song that’s not too complex, and it shows that Sebastian in a good mood.  Everything comes together to make this one of the Lovin’ Spoonful’s best songs.  Most of the top early folk-rock acts sprang from California, but the Spoonful were based in Greenwich Village, and they honed their chops at the Night Owl club and practiced in the basement of the Hotel Albert before their breakthrough to a nationwide audience with ‘Do You Believe in Magic’.  Unlike many top folk-rockers, who (like the Byrds) were largely and wholly ex-folkies recently converted to electric music, the Lovin’ Spoonful matched two folkies with two rockers, helping the quartet make the transition with rapid confidence.

While the Spoonful’s inclinations typically tended to produce a more rootsy sound, this 1966 single ‘Daydream’ made people want to glide along on their feet having a nice time, but never reaching the point of where somebody would start table dancing to, as this would take too much energy and that would wreck the daydream.  ‘Daydream’ carried this old-fashioned feel, which was enhanced by the harmonica and whistling.  This song is like a tasty desert that is supposed to be enjoyed on a summer day.  John Sebastian is the godson of actress Vivian Vance, who played Ethel Mertz in the classic TV series I Love Lucy.  In 2000, the Lovin’ Spoonful were duly recognized for their trailblazing efforts as they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  John Sebastian was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008.

What a day for a daydream
What a day for a daydreamin’ boy
And I’m lost in a daydream
Dreamin’ ‘bout my bundle of joy

And even if time ain’t really on my side
It’s one of those days for takin’ a walk outside
I’m blowin’ the day to take a walk in the sun
And fall on my face on somebody’s new-mowed lawn

I’ve been havin’ a sweet dream
I been dreamin’ since I woke up today
It’s starrin’ me and my sweet thing
‘Cause she’s the one makes me feel this way

And even if time is passin’ me by a lot
I couldn’t care less about the dues you say I got
Tomorrow I’ll pay the dues for droppin’ my load
A pie in the face for bein’ a sleepy bull toad

And you can be sure that if you’re feelin’ right
A daydream will last long into the night
Tomorrow at breakfast you may prick up your ears
Or you may be daydreamin’ for a thousand years

What a day for a daydream
Custom-made for a daydreamin’ boy
And I’m lost in a daydream
Dreamin’ ‘bout my bundle of joy

Written for Song Lyric Sunday where the prompt is to find a song with a single word in the title.

The Singularity

No this is not about black holes, as it is Song Lyric Sunday and this week we are going for vert short titles.  Did you know that that the probability of a hit song having a one-word title is two and a half times greater now than it was in the 1960’s and the average number of words per song title has also substantially declined?  I did not create this prompt so I could write about the Grateful Dead song Truckin’, as I have already written about that one.  I just thought this might be fun and challenging for everyone and I am hoping to get to listen to a variety of music today, so let’s all keep it short and sweet this week.  I think that there a lot of songs with a girl’s name that would fit into this one-word title theme but next week’s prompt is songs that have a girls’ name, so make sure that you save something for that.

Last week we had Cherry Blossom Festival, and everyone was supposed to choose a song that contained one these the time related prompts Blossoms/Cherry/Flowers in either the title or the lyrics.  This week the single word song title prompt, and the song that you choose must contain only one word in the title.  Take some time to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this music challenge, and even better, read as many of them as you are able to as you will probably find many enjoyable songs and it is quite possibly that you will learn a thing or two.  Share your music with others and post a video, try do some research and let everyone know something about the song that you post.  Tell everyone why you like the song, whether it was a hit, or what you think the song is about.  Show the lyrics, let’s all listen to our favorite songs and explore some new music.  Try to find a song that fits the prompt, then write your post and create a pingback, or you can just place your link in the comments section.

Here are the “rules”:
• Post the lyrics to the song of your choice, whether it contains the prompt words or not.  If it does not meet the criteria, then please explain why you chose this song.
• Please try to include the songwriter(s) – it’s a good idea to give credit where credit is due.  Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be.
• Make sure you also credit the singer/band and if you desire you can provide a link to where you found the lyrics.
• Link to the YouTube video, or pull it into your post so others can listen to the song.
• Ping back to this post or place your link in the comments section below.
• Read at least one other person’s blog, so we can all share new and fantastic music and create amazing new blogging friends in the process.
• Feel free to suggest future prompts.
• Have fun and enjoy the music.

I am writing about The Lovin’ Spoonful song ‘Daydream’ today.  Next week, I will be writing about the song ‘Sorry Suzanne’ by the Hollies.  The upcoming prompts will be:
April 18, 2021 – Songs that have a girls’ name in it which starts with an S suggested by Christine Bolton, Poetry for Healing, think about Sloan, Saffron, Samara, Sandra, Sally, Shoshana, Sybil, Selma, Sherry, Sherly, Shana, Sharona, Shinead, or anything else that fits
April 25, 2021 – Arrivederci/Bon-voyage/Ciao/Farewell/Goodbye/Hasta la vista/Sayonara/Shalom
May 2, 2021 – Fix/Make suggested by Amy, aisasami
May 9, 2021 – Heaven/Hell suggested by Amy, aisasami