[Shawn]

Similar to urban dictionary's method of determining meanings, this site has contributors offer translations of various hits of the 70's, 80's & 90's.

It has some entertainment value, even if they aren't necessarily right on with the meanings. Some songs feature mild arguments among reviewers, as they poo poo each other's interpretations.

link

[DudeAsInCool]

I missed this thread when it was first posted. I think the idea behind it is kinda cool--I just wish there were more songs listed on the site above. That said, I think this would be a good place to put the story behind the song - who wants to start?

[Shawn]

Right on. :good job:


Kent State 1970
When President Richard Nixon said he was sending troops to Cambodia, the nation’s colleges erupted in protest. At Kent State some threw rocks. The Ohio National Guard, called in to quell the turmoil, suddenly turned and fired, killing four; two were simply walking to class. This photo captured a pivotal moment: American soldiers had just killed American kids. Student photographer John Filo won the Pulitzer; the event was also memorialized in a Neil Young song and a TV movie. The girl, Mary Ann Vecchio, turned out not to be a Kent State student, but a 14-year-old runaway. She was sent back to her family in Florida.

source

OHIO - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

Tin soldiers and Nixon's comin'.
We're finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drummin'.
Four dead in Ohio.

Gotta get down to it.
Soldiers are gunning us down.
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her and
Found her dead on the ground?
How can you run when you know?

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na.
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na.
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na.
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na.

Gotta get down to it.
Soldiers are cutting us down.
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her and
Found her dead on the ground?
How can you run when you know?

Tin soldiers and Nixon's comin'.
We're finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drummin'.
Four dead in Ohio.
Four dead in Ohio.
Four dead in Ohio.
Four dead in Ohio.
Four dead in Ohio.
Four dead in Ohio.
Four dead in Ohio.
Four dead in Ohio.
Four dead in Ohio.

[DudeAsInCool]

Fortunate Son- Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)

Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they’re red, white and blue.
And when the band plays hail to the chief,
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, lord,

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no senator’s son, son.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate one, no,

Yeah!
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don’t they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no millionaire’s son, no.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate one, no.

Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war, lord,
And when you ask them, how much should we give?
Ooh, they only answer more! more! more! yoh,

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no military son, son.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate one, one.

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, no no no,
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate son, no no no,

[Warflower]

James Taylor's "Fire and Rain"

When James Taylor went off to record his first album shortly after he was signed, his girlfriend Susan had to stay at home. They could not afford a ticket for her, and since it was 1970 and he was a new artist, the label did not front the money. As a surprise, as he was finishing up on the album, his friends and the label pitched in to fly Susan to be with him. Tragically, the airplane crashed and she was killed. Since it was a surprise, he did not hear about it until after he finished the album and the label told him what had happened. Isn't that sad? Here are the lyrics:

Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone
Susan, the plans they made put an end to you
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just cant remember who to send it to

Ive seen fire and ive seen rain
I seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I saw lonely times when I could not find a friend
But i always thought that id see you again

Wont you look down upon me Jesus
you got to help me make a stand
You just got to see me through another day
My bodies aching and my time is at hand
An' I wont make it any other way

Ive seen fire and ive seen rain
I seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I saw lonely times when I could not find a friend
But i always thought that id see you again

Been walking my mind to an easy time
my back turned towards the sun
Lord knows when the cold wind blows
itll turn you head around
Well there's hours of time on the telephone line
to talk about things to come
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground

[Shawn]

Wow.

Thanks Warflower, I'd never heard any of that before. Great song.

[method77]

I missed that James Taylor story when it was posted. Sad story

Thanks Warflower

[Shawn]

I remember hearing this when the song came out. As a child, Mary remembered a younger Larry Hagman in an appliance commercial. He, as the husband, was returning home to find his wife had really got the house spotless thanks to these devices. Pleased with her apparent hard work, he announces he'll keep her.

It didn't sit well with Mary. Almost 20 years later she had the memory of the commercial stirred and decided to write this song.

He thinks he'll keep her.
She makes his coffee, she makes his bed
She does the laundry, she keeps him fed
When she was twenty-one she wore her mother's lace
She said "forever" with a smile upon her face

She does the car-pool, she PTAs
Doctors and dentists, she drives all day
When she was twenty-nine she delivered number three
And every Christmas card showed a perfect family

[chorus]
Everything runs right on time, years of practice and design
Spit and polish till it shines. He thinks he'll keep her
Everything is so benign, safest place you'll ever find
God forbid you change your mind. He thinks he'll keep her

She packs his suitcase, she sits and waits
With no expression upon her face
When she was thirty-six she met him at their door
She said I'm sorry, I don't love you anymore

[chorus]

For fifteen years she had a job and not one raise in pay
Now she's in the typing pool at minimum wage

[chorus]

[Shawn]

I don't know. Your story has fundamentally changed how Fire & Rain sounds to me.

[Redneck4sure]

I don't know how the heck I missed this thread until now. "Fire And Rain" is my favorite James Taylor song. I had never heard that story before.

[Excrement_Cranium]

Gonna have to go to work on this thread.....

With all the whining about lyrical content today, have you ever LISTENED to music in the 50's, 60's, and 70's? The content really hasn't changed. The context has evolved little either. I'm going to chase down some specific examples on this, but sex, drugs, violence... always been in the music. I think people are just shocked that in the last 20 or so years, the handling of the content has become less evasive and more direct. However, the people criticizing the content now, understood the evasive language in the music of their era.... damn that Elvis.

[rainbowdemon]

Shawn, on Dec 5 2004, 01:43 AM, said:

I don't know. Your story has fundamentally changed how Fire & Rain sounds to me.

Yes it did. It almost brings a tear to my eye now.