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Sister Golden Hair is just a great song. The melody gently eases into your brain while the relaxed tempo sets you up for the surprise, and next thing you know, “BAM” you’ve been knocked on your ass.

Surprisingly enough, this song was somewhat controversial when it was first released. From wikipedia

The song is about a man trying to get up the courage to take his girlfriend to the altar to marry, however he is plagued by self-doubts. He pleads for her understanding and re-affirms his love and affection for her, but he says he is not yet ready for the altar. She is only identified as “Sister Golden Hair.” He asks her to meet him half-way, which is taken to be a proposal that they live together.

The song, while immensely popular, was criticized in conservative circles as a plea for common law marriage and living in sin. This may also have been why the song was so popular with the younger generation

However, there’s a difference in opinion about the song’s meaning from SongFacts

Guitarist Gerry Beckley wrote this. When asked if it was written to anyone, Beckley said: “No, this is all poetic license. With ‘Sister Golden Hair,’ as far as my folks were concerned, I was writing a song about my sister, and I couldn’t quite fathom it; they must not have listened to the lyrics.” (thanks, Brett - Edmonton, Canada)

Another interpretation, from SongMeanings

Based on what I heard on the radio from a DJ.

Sister Golden Hair is a nun who has just a tiny whisp of her hair showing from underneath her hat (hence the golden hair is a -surprise-) and the character in the song is latching on to little things like this to nurse an unhealthy love affair for a nun…

Sounds good at least.

I don’t have chapter and verse on this, so make what you will out of the various interpretations.

Here’s a link to a tribute video

And of course, the lyrics:

Well I tried to make it Sunday, but I got so damn depressed
That I set my sights on Monday and I got myself undressed
I ain’t ready for the altar but I do agree there’s times
When a woman sure can be a friend of mine

Doo wop doo wop …

True Faith works on many levels. You can listen to it, you can dance to it, you can watch the very interesting video, and come away with something a little different each time.

The song itself is about heroin addiction. From Wikipedia:

As is the case for many New Order songs, the words in the title do not appear anywhere in the lyrics.

The song is about heroin addiction. This is more obvious in the original lyrics, which contain the line, “They’re all taking drugs with me,” in place of, “They’re afraid of what they see.” The line was changed at the last minute due to pressure from label executives, but the original line is often used when the band performs the song live.

The band was surprised by the fact that the single widened their audience with younger children, because the video’s characters were reminiscent of children’s programming, even though the real theme of the song is adult.

And from SongMeanings:

this is from the songwriter, Bernard Sumner himself, during an interview for Q magazine in 1999.

“(True Faith) is about drug dependency. I don’t touch smack but when I wrote that song I tried to imagine what it’s like to be a smackhead and nothing else matters to you except that day’s hit. There’s a line in the song, ‘When I was a very young boy, very young boys played with me/Now we’ve grown up together, they’re afraid of what they see.” The original was, ‘Now they’re taking drugs with me,’ but Stephen Hague our producer made us change it because he said it wouldn’t be a hit if we kept that line in. He was right. It was a very big hit, but we chickened out. I change it back sometimes live.”

Personally, I dig it because it’s a good song. It does have a good beat; you can dance to it, but it’s also very listenable, like most of New Order’s best songs.

Here’s a link to the video

And of course, the lyrics:

I feel so extraordinary
Something’s got a hold on me
I’ve got this feeling I’m in motion
A sudden sense of liberty
I don’t care ‘cos I’m not there
And I don’t care if I’m here tomorrow
Again and again I’ve taken too much
Of the thing that costs you too much

(* repeat)

This song is really cute.

Jackson was one of those songs I sort of “discovered” out of the blue (”discovered” meaning that someone gave me a CD and I hadn’t heard this one before). I love the feeling of banter between the two singers, and at the same time the lack of animosity. He’s a little full of himself, she doesn’t quite believe that he can realize his dreams–it just seems so realistic.

Here’s a link to a live performance (likely the Grand Ol’ Opry)

And of course, the lyrics:

We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout,
We’ve been talkin’ ’bout Jackson, ever since the fire went out.
I’m goin’ to Jackson, I’m gonna mess around,
Yeah, I’m goin’ to Jackson,
Look out Jackson town.

Well, we got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout’
And we’ve been talkin’ ’bout Jackson, ever since the fire went…

I think the best thing I can say about this song is that no matter how many times I’ve heard it, I still love it. It’s a great pop song, very catchy, great chorus, easy to sing along to, just fun. I personally always enjoyed Blink 182 for what they were: a pop band that had co-opted a punk sound and made it work. The songs are good, and that’s what matters.

From Wikipedia

Tom DeLonge was inspired to write the song after Tom’s then girlfriend, and now wife, complained that he had written many songs about all the other girls he had known in his life, but none about her. The line in the song “she left me roses by the stairs/ surprises let me know she cares” references an actual incident where Tom came home late one night and had been left flowers by his girlfriend.

Here’s a link to the video

And of course, the lyrics:

All the, small things
True care, truth brings
I’ll take, one lift
Your ride, best trip

Say it ain’t so, I will not go, (Na, na…)
turn the lights off, carry me home (Na, na…)
Keep your head still, I’ll be your thrill, (Na, na…)
the night will go on, the night will go on, (Na, na…)
my little windmill

Indoor Fireworks is a great traditional country song. Heartfelt, but smart lyrics, excellent, sweetly sad vocals–it’s the whole package. From Setting the Woods on Fire:

…This should be no surprise, as Elvis was conscioulsy trying to write a Hank Williams song. Interviewed for the book Written In My Soul (by Bill Flanagan, 1986), Elvis humorously explained his goal in writing Indoor Fireworks:

“I tried to write one that had some chill in it. Like ‘May You Never Be Alone’ [by Hank Williams]. I was aiming up there. Whereas when I wrote ‘The Only Flame In Town’ I was only trying to write like Allen Toussaint. I was thinking, “How tough does Hank Williams ever get?” He didn’t ever shy away from the matter. If you’re going to be true to yourself you’ve got to say, “Could I say it as cold as Hank Williams did?” You have to keep reminding yourself how strong the really strong songs are.”

I think that’s very interesting, and I also think Indoor Fireworks is one of Elvis’s best country songs.

Here’s a link to a performance of the song with Lucinda Williams

And of course, the lyrics:

We play these parlour games
We play at make believe
When we get to the part where I say that I’m going to leave
Everybody loves a happy ending but we don’t even try
We go straight past pretending
To the part where everybody loves to cry

(chorus)

I’m not a fan of Curve, but I really do like this song. Maybe it’s because it’s “accessible” (whatever that means. IMO, any good music is “accessible”, regardless of genre or style), or maybe because it’s got a cool beat, or maybe it’s because Toni Holliday is really hot in the video, or maybe it’s because the video is so tremendously unintentionally funny (I’ve never seen a Moog taken so seriously in my life).

Whatever, it’s a good song. It does have a good beat, you can dance to it, or sing along with it, or simply listen to it. It works.

Here’s a link to the video (seriously, it’s so overblown it’s quite funny…I could see it being a favorite on Sprockets).

And of course. the lyrics:

She burns friends like a piece of wood
And she’s jealous of me because she never could
Hold herself up without a spine
And she’ll look me up when she’s doing fine
Because the rage it burns like Chinese torture
She’s just someone’s favourite daughter
Spoilt and ugly as she willingly slaughters
Friends and enemies they’re all the same
All the same
Crush her fame
Burn her name

If she sits still like she knows she could
She could win this game and be the queen for good
Save herself up for the cream of the crop
Then she’ll look us up when she’s ready to stop
Because the rage it burns like Chinese torture
She’s just someone’s favourite daughter
Spoilt and ugly as she willingly slaughters
Friends and enemies are all that came
To burn her name
Crush her fame
Burn her name
Crush her fame
Burn her name
Crush her fame
Burn her name
We’re all to blame

My Ever Changing Moods isn’t earth-shattering, but it is a lovely little song. It’s got a very sublime melody with some excellent lyrics, and Paul Weller’s guitar is nicely understated and very eclectic.

Here’s a link to the video

And of course, the lyrics:

Daylight turns to moonlight - and I’m at my best
Praising the way it all works - gazing upon the rest
The cool before the warm
The calm after the storm
I wish to stay forever - letting this be my food
But I’m caught up in a whirlwind and my ever changing moods

Evil turns to statues - and masses form a line
But I know which way I’d run to if the choice was mine
The past is knowledge - the present our mistake
And the future we always leave too late
I wish we’d come to our senses and see there is no truth
In those who promote the confusion for this ever changing mood

The Gas Face attempts to be the ultimate diss song, and while it may not achieve those lofty “heights”, it’s entertaining enough as it stands.

The raps alternate between well-meaning to more than averagely funny. In fact, in some ways I think the song is hurt a little by the well-meaning rhymes. I think that had they focused solely upon humor, the song would be much more memorable. Still, it’s still a fun song with a great beat.

Here’s a link to the video

And of course, the lyrics:

[mc serch]
Aiyyo man, my labelmate don newkirk
Man step to him

[punji] little vic for the gas face
[serch] tony dick, gets the gas face
[zev x] no gas faces for plugs one two and three
[serch] no gas face for professor prince pa-paul!
[? ] my friend tina gets the big gas face
[zev x] no gas face for dj subroc
[serch] no gas face for kmd
[pnice] hammer, shut the fuck up! gas face! ahuahauah!
[all] whahahaoahh
[pnice] what do we think about hammer? haowahwohahbhabhahbhahbbhb
[? ] g.y.p.
[serch] get yours posse does not get the gas face
[serch] but p. w. botha gets a gas face
[all] whoahblblahbha-whoo!
[? ] dante ross gets the gas face
[serch] yo stop dissin dante on records yall!
[serch] elroy.. elroy.. elroy cohen, gets the gas face!
Hahahahahahahaha, thats all..

I’m the Man is a classic and fairly timeless song about a huckster–or rather, the huckster–that sells “everything from a thin safety pin to a pork pie hat”.

The song isn’t just a classic for it’s subject matter, but also because it’s a great sounding song. The pounding, slightly manic beat plays aids and abets the angry, sardonic lyrics nicely. And it’s got a good beat and you can dance to it.

Here’s a link to the video

And of course, the lyrics:

Pretty soon now
Yknow I’m gonna make a comeback
And like the birds and the bees in the trees
Its a sure-fire smash
Ill speak
To the masses throughout the media
And if you got anything to say to me
You can say it with cash
cause I got the trash and you got the cash
So baby we should get along fine
So give me all your money cause I know you think I’m funny
Cant you hear me laughing
Cant you see me smile

I’m the man
I’m the man that gave you the hula-hoop
I’m the man
I’m the man that gave you the yo-yo

Sheila Take A Bow might not be the Smiths best known song, or even their best song, but it’s a very good song, with a very good melody.

There’s a fair amount of contention as regards the song’s origins and meanings. I got the following from SongMeanings:

“Interesting enougth this film is about a teenage pregnant girl and her realationship with a young gay man.Thay love each other but in the end the pressures from the outside (mostly the girl’s mum) forces them to separate. ”
Mark Simpson has a very interesting theory in his book “Saint Morrissey” that Morrissey identified strongly with the main character of the play - the girl, Jo. From what I know about the play and the character, it seems quite probable: she has an overbearing mother, she is bored in school and generally unhappy, then, wishing some excitement in life, she has a one-night stand (with a black sailor who she would not see again) which leaves her pregnant. Then she finds real love as non-sexual love. Unhappy teenager, sick of school and family, trying to escape an overbearing parent, looking for love - sounds a lot like “Shakespeare’s Sister” as well as “Sheila Take A Bow”.

Sheila is probably a nod to Shelagh Delaney, and I totally agree that the girl Sheila is the imagined “female Morrissey” (kind of like the girl in the “Everyday Is Like Sunday” video, don’t you think?) and that all he tells her can be said to him as well. He seems to be speaking to himself in several of his songs, adivising himself: Accept Yourself, Handsome Devil (”there’s more to life than books you know”, in Moz’s words the song is aimed at a scholar who should get more physical instead of jsut reading), Sheila Take A Bow, you migh say Ask as well.

She might also be his ideal partner:
“Take my hand and off we stride/ You’re a girl and I’m a boy”
/Take my hand and off we stride / I’m a girl and you’re a boy ” - the switching of gender roles back and forth (nicked by Massive Attack 10 years later in Protection LOL) is very much in tune with Morrissey’s views, too. In Girl Afraid we see that traditional gender roles hinder understanding and contact between two people who like each other. Here we see that traditional gender roles should be disposed of,, in order for people to trully understand themselves and each other.

From Wikipedia:

The single’s cover features actress Candy Darling from the film Women in Revolt (1971). Candy Darling was a transwoman born James Lawrence Slattery and part of Andy Warhol’s entourage.

Perhaps there was some empathy for the things that Candy Darling likely went through. I don’t know myself. I do know that I think it’s a really good song.

Here’s a link to what was likely a performance on Top of The Pops or some similar show

And of course, the lyrics:

Is it wrong to want to live on your own ?
No, it’s not wrong - but I must know
How can someone so young
Sing words so sad ?

Sheila take a, Sheila take a bow
La …
Throw your homework onto the fire
Come out and find the one that you love
Come out and find the one you love