The Story Behind The Song

Black Francis · 01-06-2016, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

^ HaHa! Thanks Black Francis. I' ve never heard of the Pixies, but really like the repetitive build up of that song, with extra vocals coming in. I'll have to see what else they've done...

Here's another good one from them that has a double meaning.

It sounds like another love song and in a way it is but it is set in a folklore setting, idk much about the lore he based it in so i'll let him explain it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

That interview is so good; I'd forgotten just how perplexed, outraged, people were by Lennon's bed-ins. The bit I liked best was the slanging match:-
Lennon: I´m speaking for you
News guy: No you're not, etc, etc.

Lennon did not take criticism well, have you seen the imagine documentary? there's a whole segment where he is just arguing with reporters about his hippie publicity stunts.

Lisnaholic · 01-10-2016, 07:08 PM

^ Well, he has a very strange explanation for that song, though for me the resulting song doesn't convey much mystery. Apart from the unusual line about lemur skin, the lyrics don't stray very far from a conventional love song really. The acoustic version sounds quite nice though.
(PS: no, haven't seen the imagine documentary)

Bobbie Gentry came up with a great story song in Ode To Billie Joe, and although the events and characters are fictitious, all the place references are real.
The story of the narrator and Billie Joe McCallister seems to intrigue everyone who hears it:

What was actually going on "up on Choctaw Ridge"? To this day, Bobbie Gentry has not revealed the secret, preferring to claim that she doesn't know;
great songwriter, lousy eye-witness! The story inspired a movie that offers one interpretation, and there's also a blog for the curious which suggests other motives too:- The Mystery of Ode to Billie Joe

Ilistentoeverything · 01-11-2016, 01:21 PM

It's about what happened to the Japanese that were living in the US during WW2.

FRED HALE SR. · 01-11-2016, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ilistentoeverything

It's about what happened to the Japanese that were living in the US during WW2.

Sounds like the exact same premise as Billy Bragg's Everywhere.

Stephen · 03-04-2016, 12:59 AM

Mini-story behind Joni Mitchell's Woodstock.

Lovely song about the music festival of the same name. The irony is that she was nowhere near Woodstock because she was contractually obligated to appear on the Dick Cavett Show.

Lisnaholic · 03-05-2016, 05:51 PM

^ Haha, yeah, she cheated a bit there, with her "by the time I got to Woodstock". Apparently she was inspired by then boyfriend Graham Nash's account of events, so maybe that's permissible.

He Phoned It In!

The Blimp is a great track which was recorded under strange, unplanned circumstances. After writing a "spontaneous poem" the Captain rang up Frank Zappa and had Jeff Cotton recite the poem while he (CB) played sax in the background. Says Zappa, "I was in the studio mixing some other tapes...the band that' s actually playing on The Blimp is The Mothers of Invention. The vocal was recorded by telephone...I taped it in the studio and recorded it onto the piece of tape that I had up at the time, which was my track. The piece is called Charles Ives. We used to play it on the '68-9 tour."

So that explains the short FZ exchanges front and back of this extraordinary song, though nothing quite explains the magic of Jeff Cotton's impassioned one-take delivery.

Spoiler for The Blimp lyrics:

If you don't know the song, you should really open the lyrics spoiler before you click clack here:-

**Frownland** · 03-10-2016, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobshere

Heard ones about Taylor Swift, that she writes most of her songs from personal stories. I guess most artists do that.

Well that was anticlimactic.

Lisnaholic · 03-24-2016, 11:14 PM

Here's a song with a true story behind it :- https://soundcloud.com/tim-radford/the-old-baby-farmer

And the story is explained in detail here:- Broadside Ballads Songs | Murder Ballads | Paul Slade - Journalist

In fact The Old Baby Farmer is just one song, one story, of many Victorian "Broadside" ballads that Paul Slade has put together under The Gallows Ballad Project, as you will see if you explore the second link at all.

01-10-2016, 07:08 PM	#42 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	^ Well, he has a very strange explanation for that song, though for me the resulting song doesn't convey much mystery. Apart from the unusual line about lemur skin, the lyrics don't stray very far from a conventional love song really. The acoustic version sounds quite nice though. (PS: no, haven't seen the imagine documentary) Bobbie Gentry came up with a great story song in Ode To Billie Joe, and although the events and characters are fictitious, all the place references are real. The story of the narrator and Billie Joe McCallister seems to intrigue everyone who hears it: What was actually going on "up on Choctaw Ridge"? To this day, Bobbie Gentry has not revealed the secret, preferring to claim that she doesn't know; great songwriter, lousy eye-witness! The story inspired a movie that offers one interpretation, and there's also a blog for the curious which suggests other motives too:- The Mystery of Ode to Billie Joe __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

01-11-2016, 01:21 PM	#43 (permalink)
Ilistentoeverything Bread scientist Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Everywhere Posts: 166	It's about what happened to the Japanese that were living in the US during WW2. __________________ In war, not everyone is a soldier.

03-05-2016, 05:51 PM	#46 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	^ Haha, yeah, she cheated a bit there, with her "by the time I got to Woodstock". Apparently she was inspired by then boyfriend Graham Nash's account of events, so maybe that's permissible. He Phoned It In! The Blimp is a great track which was recorded under strange, unplanned circumstances. After writing a "spontaneous poem" the Captain rang up Frank Zappa and had Jeff Cotton recite the poem while he (CB) played sax in the background. Says Zappa, "I was in the studio mixing some other tapes...the band that' s actually playing on The Blimp is The Mothers of Invention. The vocal was recorded by telephone...I taped it in the studio and recorded it onto the piece of tape that I had up at the time, which was my track. The piece is called Charles Ives. We used to play it on the '68-9 tour." So that explains the short FZ exchanges front and back of this extraordinary song, though nothing quite explains the magic of Jeff Cotton's impassioned one-take delivery. Spoiler for The Blimp lyrics: Master master,this is recorded thru uh flies ear 'n you have t' have uh flies eye t' see it It's the thing that's gonna make Captain Beefheart And his magic band fat Frank it's the big hit It's the blimp It's the blimp Frank It's the blimp When I see you floatin' down the gutter I'll give you uh bottle uh wine Put me on the white hook Back in the fat rack Shad rack ee shack The sumptin' hoop the sumptin' hoop The blimp the blimp The drazy hoops the drazy hoops They're camp they're camp Tits tits the blimp the blimp The mother ship the mother ship The brothers hid under their hood From the blimp the blimp Children stop yer nursin' unless yer renderin' fun The mother ship the mother ship The mother ship's the one The blimp the blimp The tapes uh trip it's uh trailin' tail It's traipse'n along behind the blimp the blimp The nose has uh crimp The nose is the blimp the blimp It blows the air the snoot isn't fair Look up in the sky there's uh dirigible there The drazy hoops whir You can see them just as they were All the people stir 'n the girls knees trembles 'n run 'n wave their hands 'n run their hands over the blimp the blimp Daughter don't yuh dare Oh momma who cares It's the blimp it's the blimp. If you don't know the song, you should really open the lyrics spoiler before you click clack here:- __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953 Last edited by Lisnaholic; 03-05-2016 at 06:04 PM.

03-24-2016, 11:14 PM	#48 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	Here's a song with a true story behind it :- https://soundcloud.com/tim-radford/the-old-baby-farmer And the story is explained in detail here:- Broadside Ballads Songs \| Murder Ballads \| Paul Slade - Journalist In fact The Old Baby Farmer is just one song, one story, of many Victorian "Broadside" ballads that Paul Slade has put together under The Gallows Ballad Project, as you will see if you explore the second link at all. __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

03-04-2016, 12:59 AM	#45 (permalink)
Stephen I sleep in your hat Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Melbourne, Vic. Aus. Posts: 1,846	Mini-story behind Joni Mitchell's Woodstock. Lovely song about the music festival of the same name. The irony is that she was nowhere near Woodstock because she was contractually obligated to appear on the Dick Cavett Show.