Janis Joplin would have been 82 years old today. Here she is, singing “a song of social import.”
(Interestingly enough, Mercedes apparently later used this song in one of their commercials. I think they missed the point.)
Category Archives: Song of the Day
Song of the Day: These Boots Are Made For Walkin’, covered by Jessica Simpson
The other night, I was watching Class of 1984 with a group of friends (including three TSL writers), and I we started discussing what our high schools were known for. When I was a student there, my high school was probably best known for the fact that Jessica Simpson attended the school in the 90s. She didn’t graduate because she left Texas for Hollywood but that was still our claim to fame. It’s interesting because people didn’t care that was my school was also named one of the best high schools in America and that it had an acclaimed drama department. But they definitely cared that Jessica Simpson dropped out before I was even old enough to attend.
(Is it a good thing when your school is best known for a student who dropped out and went on to become a success with G.E.D.?)
Today’s song of the day was inspired by that conversation. Here’s Jessica Simpson, covering These Boots Are Made For Walkin’.
(Yes, I know that no cover can compare to Nancy Sinatra’s other but I didn’t go to Nancy Sinatra’s high school. Plus, I’m a Southern girl with a closet full of boots. I relate to this version.)
You keep sayin’ you’ve got somethin’ for me
Somethin’ you call love but confess
You’ve been a’messin’ where you shouldn’t ‘ve been a’messin’
And now someone else is getting all your best
These boots are made for walkin’
And that’s just what they’ll do
One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you
Ya
You keep lyin’ when you oughta be truthin’
And you keep losing when you oughta not bet
You keep samin’ when you oughta be a’changin’
Now what’s right is right but you ain’t been right yet
These boots are made for walkin’
And that’s just what they’ll do
One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you
You keep playin’ where you shouldn’t be playin’
And you keep thinkin’ that you’ll never get burnt (ha)
I just found me a brand new box of matches, yeah
And what he knows you ain’t had time to learn
These boots are made for walkin’
And that’s just what they’ll do
One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you
Are you ready, boots? Start walkin’
(Lyrics by Lee Hazlewood)
Song of the Day: Twin Peaks Theme by Angelo Badalamenti
Song of the Day: Wolf Totem (by The HU)
I woke up this morning and chose the beauty of combat.
Well, that would be the beauty and majesty of traditional Mongolian throat-singing and instrumentation combined with the modern styling of metal and you get The Hu.
The Hu is the popular, at least with metal and folk music fans, Mongolian folk metal band created in 2016 by members Gala, Jaya, Enkush and Temka. In addition to the requisite electric guitars and drums we find with rock and metal bands, The HU also incorporates traditional Mongolion instruments such as the Morin khuur (a two-stringed, horsehead fiddle with strings made from horsehair), Tovshuur (a three-stringed Mongolian guitar), Tsuur (Mongolian flute) and the Tumur khuur (a jaw harp) just to name a few.
Throat-singing is at the forefront of most of The HU’s songs. While The Hu is not the first Mongolian band to find success with music fans (I was first introdcued to Mongolian rock scene with the Mongolian folk rock band Altan Urag), they have been the most successful in crossing over to a somewhat mainstream success in the West.
There are other songs that are probably better musically structured, but I always go back to the song that introduced me to the band: Wolf Totem.
Song of the Day: The Happening by The Supremes
Today is Faye Dunaway’s birthday and today’s song of the day is The Happening, which was the theme song of Dunaway’s first movie, 1966’s The Happening! Faye played a hippie who, with George Maharis and Michael Parks, kidnapped Anthony Quinn. The film wasn’t a hit but the song was.
Here are The Supremes with The Happening.
Hey, life, look at me
I can see the reality
‘Cause when you shook me, took me out of my world
I woke up
Suddenly I just woke up to the happening
When you find that you left the future behind
‘Cause when you got a tender love
You don’t take care of
Then you better beware of the happening
One day you’re up, then you turn around
You find your world is tumbling down
It happened to me, and it can happen to you
I was sure, I felt secure
Until love took a detour
Yeah, riding high on top of the world
It happened, suddenly it just happened
I saw my dreams fall apart
When love walked away from my heart
And when you lose that precious love you need
To guide you
Something happens inside you, the happening
Now I see life for what it is
It’s not all dreams, ooh, it’s not all bliss
It happened to me and it can happen to you
Once
Ooh, and then it happened
Ooh, and then it happened
Ooh, and then it happened
Ooh, and then it happened
Is it real, is it fake
Is this game of life a mistake?
‘Cause when I lost the love I thought was mine
For certain, suddenly I started hurting
I saw the light too late
When that fickle finger of fate
Yeah, came and broke my pretty balloon
I woke up
Suddenly I just woke up to the happening
So sure, I felt secure
Until love took a detour
‘Cause when you got a tender love you don’t
Take care of, then you better beware of
Songwriters: Alex Mungo / David Taylor / Jasper John Nielson Stainthorpe / Mark Robert Tiplady / Rob Downes / Stephen Wren
Song Of The Day: The Golden Path by The Chemical Brothers, feat. Wayne Coyne
Today the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips. Our song of the day is The Golden Path, a collaboration between Wayne and The Chemical Brothers.
As I walked along
The supposed golden path
I was confronted
By mysterious spectre
He pointed to the graveyard
Over on yonder hill
I paused in cosmic reflection
Confused on wondering
Of how I came to die
Hm!
I was confused
Coz if I was dead
How and why did I die
And I composed myself
And decided I should face it
Then I stood paralyzed
On the supposed golden path
And I was confronted
By powerful demon force
And there was the devil
And we spoke his words
Flowed like glowing lava from the mouth of a volcano
And I said:
Help me, Lord!!
I found myself in some kinda hell
But I did not believe in heaven and hell
World in opposites kind of reality
But I gained control of myself
And decided to press on
As I walked along
The supposed golden path
I was trembling with fear
All the lions and the wizards yet to come
I seen in the distance
Silver mountains rising high in the clouds
And a voice from above did whisper
Some shining answer from the moon
Please forgive me
I never meant to hurt you
Songwriters: Edmund John Simons / Steven Gregory Drozd / Thomas Owen Mostyn Rowlands / Wayne Michael Coyne
Song of the Day: Goldfinger (performed by Shirley Bassey)
Goldfinger (1964, dir by Guy Hamilton)
It’s Shirley Eaton’s birthday!
Shirley Eaton has since retired but she had a busy acting and singing career in the 1960s. Her best-know role was playing the ill-fated Jill Masterson in the 1964 Bond film, Goldfinger. She was the one who ended up getting suffocated in gold paint after helping Bond expose Goldfinger as a card cheat.
It seems appropriate, therefore, that today’s song of the day should be that film’s title tune. Enjoy Goldfinger, performed by the great Shirley Bassey.
Goldfinger, he’s the man
The man with the midas touch
A spider’s touch
Such a cold finger
Beckons you to enter his web of sin
But don’t go in
Golden words he will pour in your ear
But his lies can’t disguise what you fear
For a golden girl knows when he’s kissed her
It’s the kiss of death from Mister Goldfinger
Pretty girl, beware of his heart of gold
This heart is cold
Golden words he will pour in your ear
But his lies can’t disguise what you fear
For a golden girl knows when he’s kissed her
It’s the kiss of death from Mister Goldfinger
Pretty girl, beware of his heart of gold
This heart is cold
He loves only gold
Only gold
He loves gold
He loves only gold
Only gold
He loves gold
Songwriters: Tim Wheeler
Song of the Day: Leave Home by The Chemical Brothers
Today’s song of the day better get you dancing!
The footage in the video below comes from a 1983 film called Koyaanisqatsi. That film featured a soundtrack by Philip Glass. The song is from The Chemical Brother’s first single off of their debut album, Exit Planet Dust.
Song of the Day: Kashmir by Led Zeppelin (Happy birthday, Jimmy Page)
Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy 81st birthday to the one and only Jimmy Page!
In honor of one of the world’s greatest guitarists, today’s song of the day is one of the few Led Zeppelin songs that I like. Page originally came up with the lyrics for the song while driving through Morocco but clearly, Kashmir was a better title.
Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face
And stars fill my dream
I’m a traveler of both time and space
To be where I have been
To sit with elders of the gentle race
This world has seldom seen
They talk of days for which they sit and wait
All will be revealed
Talk in song from tongues of lilting grace
Sounds caress my ear
And not a word I heard could I relate
The story was quite clear
Oh, baby, I been blind
Oh, yeah, mama, there ain’t no denyin’
Oh, ooh yes, I been blind
Mama, mama, ain’t no denyin’, no denyin’
All I see turns to brown
As the sun burns the ground
And my eyes fill with sand
As I scan this wasted land
Try to find, try to find the way I feel
Oh, pilot of the storm who leaves no trace
Like sorts inside a dream
Leave the path that led me to that place
Yellow desert stream
My shangri la beneath the summer moon
I will return again
As the dust that floats high in June
We’re moving through Kashmir
Oh, father of the four winds fill my sails
Cross the sea of years
With no provision but an open face
Along the straits of fear
Oh, when I want, when I’m on my way, yeah
And my feet wear my fickle way to stay
Ooh, yeah yeah, oh, yeah yeah,
But I’m down oh, yeah yeah, oh, yeah
Yeah, but I’m down, so down
Ooh, my baby, oh, my baby
Let me take you there
Come on, oh let me take you there
Let me take you there
Songwriters: James Patrick (Jimmy) Page / John Bonham / Robert Anthony Plant
Song of the Day: Heroes by David Bowie
For today’s song of the day, we have my favorite David Bowie song, Heroes. Heroes was also featured in one of my favorite downbeat movies, 1981’s Christiane F.
I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing will drive them away
We can beat them, just for one day
We can be heroes, just for one day
And you, you can be mean
And I, I’ll drink all the time
‘Cause we’re lovers, and that is a fact
Yes we’re lovers, and that is that
Though nothing will keep us together
We could steal time just for one day
We can be heroes for ever and ever
What d’you say?
I, I wish you could swim
Like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim
Though nothing, nothing will keep us together
We can beat them, for ever and ever
Oh we can be Heroes, just for one day
I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing will drive them away
We can be Heroes, just for one day
We can be us, just for one day
I, I can remember (I remember)
Standing, by the wall (by the wall)
And the guns, shot above our heads (over our heads)
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall (nothing could fall)
And the shame, was on the other side
Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever
Then we could be Heroes, just for one day
We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
We’re nothing, and nothing will help us
Maybe we’re lying, then you better not stay
But we could be safer, just for one day
Oh-oh-oh-ohh, oh-oh-oh-ohh, just for one day
Songwriters: Brian Eno / David Bowie
Through the Shattered Lens 