1431 – Elton John – Don't let the sun go down on me (1974)

 

Escrita por Elton e Bernie Taupin, foi gravada em janeiro de 1974 e lançada em 20 de maio de 1974, no compacto que tinha Sick City como Lado B. Depois sairia no disco Caribou, em 28 de junho de 1974, o oitavo da carreira de Elton. Chegou ao número 2 nos charts do Billboard Hot100 e número 16 nos charts do Reino Unido, além de numero 1 no Canadá. Depois atingiria sucesso em 1991, numa regravação que Elton fez com George Michael ao vivo. Essa regravação deles chegou ao número 1 nos Estados Unidos e no Reino Unido. Voltando à gravação original, os backing vocals foram feitos por Carl Wilson e Bruce Johnston dos Beach Boys e Toni Tenille e Billy Hinsche. Ray Cooper tocou pandeiro e sino. Elton John tocou piano, orgão e cantou. Davey Johnstone tocou guitarra e violão. Dee Murray tocou baixo. Nigel Olsson tocou bateria. David Hentschel tocou mellotron. Foi regravada também por Roger Daltrey, do The Who.

A letra:

I can't light no more of your darkness
All my pictures seem to fade to black and white
I'm growing tired and time stands still before me
Frozen here on the ladder of my life

Too late to save myself from falling
I took a chance and changed your way of life
But you misread my meaning when I met you
Closed the door and left me blinded by the light

Don't let the sun go down on me
Although I search myself, it's always someone else I see
I'd just allow a fragment of your life to wander free
But losing everything is like the sun going down on me

I can't find oh the right romantic line
But see me once and see the way I feel
Don't discard me just because you think I mean you harm
But these cuts I have oh they need love to help them heal

Don't let the sun go down on me
(Don't let the sun)
Although I search myself, it's always someone else I see
I'd just allow a fragment of your life to wander free
(Don't let the sun)
But losing everything is like the sun going down on me

Don't let the sun go down on me
(Don't let the sun)
Although I search myself, it's always someone else I see
I'd just allow a fragment of your life to wander free
(Don't let the sun)
But losing everything is like the sun going down on me

A versão de Elton John:

A versão de Elton John e George Michael:

A versão de Roger Daltrey:

1430 – Eric Clapton – Please be with me (1974)

 

Escrita por Charles Scott Boyer, foi gravada em abril e maio de 1974, no Criteria Studio, em Miami, Flórida e lançada em julho de 1974 no lendário disco 461 Ocean Boulevard, o segundo disco de Eric Clapton. Eric Clapton tinha gravado seu último disco em 1970 e fazia três anos que estava fudido, viciado em heroína e não conseguia gravar nada. Eric Clapton tocou guitarra e cantou. George Terry tocou guitarra e fez backing vocal. Dick Sims tocou teclado. Carl Radle tocou baixo. Jamie Oldaker tocou bateria e percussão. Yvonne Elliman e Tom Bernfield fizeram backing vocals.

A letra:

Oh my word, what does it mean
Is it love or is it me
That makes me change so suddenly
Looking out, feeling free

I sit here lying in my bed
Wondering what it was I'd said
That made me think I'd lost my head
When I knew I'd lost my heart instead

So won't you please read my signs, be a gypsy
Tell me what I hope to find deep within me
Because you can't find my mind, please be with me

Of all the better things I've heard
Loving you has made the words
And all the rest seem so absurd
'Cause in the end it all comes out, I'm sure

Won't you please read my signs, be a gypsy
Tell me what I hope to find deep within me
Because you can't find my mind, please be with me

A versão de Eric Clapton:

A versão de Duane Allman:

A versão do June Bugs:

1429 – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet home Alabama (1974)

 

Escrita por Ed King, Gary Rossington e Ronnie Van Zant, foi gravada em junho de 1973 e lançada em 15 de abril de 1974 no disco Second helping, o segundo disco da banda. E foi lançada também em compacto com Take your time como Lado B em 24 de junho de 1974. Foi escrita em resposta à Neil Young, que tinha escrito Southern man em 1970 e Alabama. A música de Young falava do passao de escravidão e sangue do sul dos Estados Unidos. Sweet home Alabama chegou ao número 8 nos charts pop americanos, número 6 nos charts canadenses e número 31 no Reino Unido. Nenhum dos três compositores são de Alabama. Ronnie e Gary são de Jacksonville, Florida e Ed de Glendale, California. Ronnie disse que achou que Neil Young estava tentando matar um ou dois patos, mas estava atirando em todos, por isso a resposta. Em 2012, Neil Young disse que mereceu a resposta, pois nem ele mesmo gostou da letra das músicas Southern man e Alabama quando as escutou depois. Ele disse que a letra das suas próprias músicas são acusatórias e condescendentes, que não foram bem pensadas e facilmente desconstruidas. Falaram também do governador George Wallace, que apoiava segregação racial. E escolheram Birmingham ao invés de Montgomery, capital de Alabana, porque em 1963 a cidade teve um grande ativismo comandado por Martin Luther King Jr. e teve muita reação violenta por parte da população de lá. O chefe de polícia Bull Connor soltou cachorros e jatos de água nos manifestantes. Ku Klux Kan atacou uma ireja de negros, matando quatro meninas. Ronnie Van Zant cantou. Ed King tocou guitarra solo e fez backing vocals. Leon Wikeson tocou baio e fez backing vocals. Bob Burns tocou bateria. Billy Powell tocou piano. Allen Collins tocou guitarra base no canal esquerdo. Gary Rossington tocou guitarra base no canal direito e violão no canal esquerdo. Al Kooper fez backing vocals no canal esquerdo. Clydie King e Merry Clayton fizeram backing vocals. A partir de 2009, a frase Sweet home Alabama começou a ser colocada nas placas dos carros. Em 2007, a frase Sweet home Alabama foi usada pra promover o turismo no Estado, em uma campanha de marketing milionária. Natio Review disse que a canção era o número 4 da sua lista das 50 greatest conservative rock songs. CMT disse que a canção era número 1 das 20 greatest southern rock songs.

A letra:

One, two, three
Turn it up

Big wheels keep on turnin'
Carry me home to see my kin
Singin' songs about the south-land
I miss Alabamy once again and I think it's a sin, yes

Well I heard Mister Young sing about her
Well I heard old Neil put her down
Well I hope Neil Young will remember
A southern man don't need him around anyhow

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama
Lord I'm comin' home to you

In Birmingham they love the governor (boo-hoo-hoo)
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you?
Tell the truth

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama (oh yeah)
Lord I'm comin' home to you
Here I come, Alabama

Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
And they've been known to pick a song or two (yes they do)
Lord they get me off so much
They pick me up when I'm feelin' blue
Now how about you?

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama
Lord I'm comin' home to you

Sweet home Alabama (oh, sweet home)
Where the skies are so blue
And the governor's true

Sweet home Alabama (lordy)
Lord I'm comin' home to you, yeah, yeah
Montgomery's got the answer

A versão do Lynyrd Skynyrd:

A versão de Chris Kroeze:

A versão de South Bay Country:

1428 – Van Morrison – Streets of Arklow (1974)

Escrita por Van Morrison, foi gravada em novembro de 1973 e lançada em 5 de Outubro de 1974 no disco Veedon Fleece, o oitavo da carreira de Morrison. A canção descreve um dia perfeito na terra verde de Deus e é um tributo à cidade de Arklow, que ele visitou na primavera de 1973, enquanto estava de férias na Irlanda. Ele nao havia ido de volta à Irlanda desde 1967, pois estava nos Estados Unidos. Van Morrison cantou e tocou violão. Terry Adams tocou o cello. David Hayes tocou baixo. Nathan Rubin tocou violino. Dahaud Shaar tocou bateria. James Trumbo tocou piano e Ralph Wash tocou guitarra

A letra:

And as we walked
Through the streets of Arklow
Oh the color
Of the day wore on
And our heads
Were filled with poetry
And the morning
A-comin' on to dawn

And as we walked
Through the streets of Arklow
And gay perfusion
In God's green land
And the gypsy's rode
With their hearts on fire
They say "we love to wander"

"Lord, we love"

"Lord, we love to roam..."

And as we walked
Through the streets of Arklow
In a drenching beauty
Rolling back 'til the day
And I saw your eyes
They was shining, sparkling crystal clear

And our souls were clean
And the grass did grow
And our souls were clean
And the grass did grow

And our souls were clean
And the grass did grow

And as we walked
Through the streets of Arklow

A versão de Van Morrison:

A versão de Little Hours:

A versão de Dean Kinsella:

1427 – Supertramp – Dreamer (1974)

Escrita por Roger Hodgson, foi gravada entre fevereiro e junho de 1974 e lançada no disco Crime of the Century, o terceiro disco da banda, em 13 de setembro de 1974. Sairia também em compacto, com Blood well right como Lado B. Chegou ao número 13 dos charts britânicos. A canção foi composta por Hodgson quando ele tinha 19 anos, num piano Wurlitzer na casa da mãe dele. Roger Hodgson cantou e tocou piano elétrico Wurlitzer. Rick Davies cantou, tocou piano elétrico Wurlitzer e Orgão Hammond. John Helliwell fez backing vocals e tocou harpa de vidro e celeste. Bob Siebennerg tocou bateria e percussão. Dougie Thomson tocou baixo.

A letra:

Dreamer, you know you are a dreamer
Well, can you put your hands in your head? Oh no
I said, "Dreamer, you're nothing but a dreamer"
Well, can you put your hands in your head? Oh no

I said, "Far out, what a day, a year, a life it is"
You know, well you know you had it comin' to you
Now there's not a lot I can do

Dreamer, you stupid little dreamer
So now you put your head in your hands, oh no

I said, "Far out, what a day, a year, a life this is"
You know, well you know you had it comin' to you
Now there's not a lot I can do

If I could see something
You can see anything you want, boy
If I could be someone
You can be anyone, celebrate, boy

Well, if I can do something
You can do something
If I could do anything
But can you do something out of this world?

Take a dream on a Sunday
Take a life, take a holiday
Take a lie, take a dreamer
Dream (dream), dream (dream)
Dream (dream), deam (dream) along

Dreamer, dream, dream along
C'mon and dream and dream along
C'mon and dream and dream along
C'mon and dream and dream along

Dreamer, you know you are a dreamer
Can you put your hands in your head? Oh no
I said dreamer, you're nothing but a dreamer
Can you put your hands in your head? Oh no, oh no

A versão do Supertramp:

A versão de Roger Hodgson ao vivo:

A versão de Sakatoon Supertramp:

1426 – Neil Young – See the sky about to rain (1974)

Escrita por Neil Young, foi gravada entre fevereiro e abril de 1974 e lançada no disco On the beach, em 19 de julho de 1974. See the sky is about to rain é uma canção tipo um remake da sua época de Harvest. Havia sido gravada pelos Byrds no ano anterior. Neil cantou, tocou guitarra e piano elétrico Wurlitzer. Ben Keith tocou steel guitar. Tim Drummond tocou baixo. Levon Helm tocou bateria.

A letra:

See the sky about to rain, broken clouds and rain
Locomotive, pull the train, whistle blowing through my brain
Signals curling on an open plain, rolling down the track again
See the sky about to rain

Some are bound for happiness, some are bound to glory
Some are bound to live with less, who can tell your story?

See the sky about to rain, broken clouds and rain
Locomotive, pull the train, whistle blowin' through my brain
Signals curlin' on an open plain, rollin' down the track again
See the sky about to rain

I was down in Dixie Land, played a silver fiddle
Played it loud and then the man broke it down the middle
See the sky about to rain, Ah, ah, ah, ah

See the sky is about to rain
See the sky is about to rain
Ah, ah, ah, ah

A versão de Neil Young:

A versão dos Byrds:

A versão de RNS:

1425 – John Lennon – Old dirt road (1974)

 

Escrita por John Lennon e Harry Nilsson, foi gravada em julho e agosto de 1974 e lançada no disco Walls and Bridges, em 26 de setembro de 1974. Nilsson mais tarde faria sua própria gravação, lançada em 1980. Eles compuseram no tempo em que Lennon estava sendo o produtor de um disco de Nilsson, chamado Pussy Cat. Eles usam uma estrada como metáfora pra um ponto de estabilidade em um mundo instável e uma vida sujeita a variáveis. Eles dizem que a vida é como “trying to shovel smoke with a pitchfork in the wind”. Apesar da estrada ser aparentemente estável, ainda tem o risco de uma enchente por cima dela. É uma balada, com alguma influencia country. A guitarra tocada por Jesse Ed Davis dá a atmosfera country. Parece com o som feito no disco Imagine, com pianos duplos, um tocado por John e outro por Nicky Hopkins. John cantou e tocou piano. Harry Nilsson fez backing vocals. Nikcy Hopkins tocou piano. Jesse Ed Davis tocou guitarra. Ken Asher tocou piano elétrico. Klaus Voorman tocou baixo. Arthur Jenkins tocou percussão. Jim Keltner tocou bateria.

A letra:

Ain't no people on the old dirt road
No more weather on the old dirt road
It's better than a mudslide, mama, when the dry spell come, yeah
Oh, oh, oh, oh, old dirt road

Ain't no difference on the old dirt road
Tarred and feathered on the old dirt road
Trying to shovel smoke with a pitchfork in the wind, yeah, yeah, yeah

Breezing through the deadwood on a hot summer day
I saw a human being lazybonin' out in the hay
I said, "Uh, hey Mr. Human, can ya rainmaker too?"
He said, "I guess it's okay, ya know, the only thing we need is water
Cool, clear water, water, water, water

Ain't no people on the old dirt road
No more weather on the old dirt road
Better than a mudslide, mama, when the morning comes, yeah
Oh, oh, oh, oh, old dirt road

Keep on keeping on, Keep on keeping on
Keep on keeping on, Keep on keeping on
Keep on keeping on, Keep on keeping on
So long, so long, Bye, bye
Bye, bye, Keep on keeping on
Keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on
Keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on

A versão de John Lennon:

A versão de Harry Nilsson:

1424 – Leonard Cohen – Field commander Cohen (1974)

 

Escrita por Leonard Cohen, foi gravada em fevereiro de 1974 e lançada no disco New skin for the old ceremony, em 11 de agosto de 1974. Leonard Cohen tocou violão e cantou. John Lissauer tccou teclado e fez backing vocals. Emily Bindiger fez backing vocals. Gerald Chamberlein tocou trombone. Erin Dickins fez backing vocals. Lewis Furey tocou viola. Ralph Gibson tocou violão. Armen Halburian tocou percussão. Janis Ian cantou. Gail Kantor fez backing vocals. Jeff Layton tocou banjo, bandolim, violão e trompete. Barry Lazarowitz tocou percussão. Roy Markowitz tocou bateria. John Miller tocou baixo.

A letra:

Field Commander Cohen, he was our most important spy.
Wounded in the line of duty,
parachuting acid into diplomatic cocktail parties,
urging Fidel Castro to abandon fields and castles.
Leave it all and like a man,
come back to nothing special,
such as waiting rooms and ticket lines,
silver bullet suicides,
and messianic ocean tides,
and racial roller-coaster rides
and other forms of boredom advertised as poetry

.
I know you need your sleep now,
I know your life's been hard.
But many men are falling,
where you promised to stand guard.

I never asked but I heard you cast your lot along with the poor.
But then I overheard your prayer,
that you be this and nothing more
than just some grateful faithful woman's favourite singing millionaire,
the patron Saint of envy and the grocer of despair,
working for the Yankee Dollar.

I know you need your sleep now
I know your life's been hard.
But many men are falling,
where you promised to stand guard.

Ah, lover come and lie with me, if my lover is who you are,
and be your sweetest self awhile until I ask for more, my child.
Then let the other selves be wrong, yeah, let them manifest and come
till every taste is on the tongue,
till love is pierced and love is hung,
and every kind of freedom done, then oh,
oh my love, oh my love, oh my love,
oh my love, oh my love, oh my love.

A versão de Leonard Cohen:

1423 – Jackson Browne – Fountain of sorrow (1974)

Escrita por Jackson Browne, foi gravada em 1974 e lançada no disco Late for the sky, em 13 de setembro de 1974. Depois sairia em compacto em 1975, com The late show como Lado B. Foi inspirada no relacionamento de Browne com Joni Mitchell. Foi regravada por Joan Baez, entre outros artistas.

A letra:

Looking through some photographs I found inside a drawer
I was taken by a photograph of you
There were one or two I know that you would have liked a little more
But they didn't show your spirit quite as true

You were turning 'round to see who was behind you
And I took your childish laughter by surprise
And at the moment that my camera happened to find you
There was just a trace of sorrow in your eyes

Now, the things that I remember seem so distant and so small
Though it hasn't really been that long a time
What I was seeing wasn't what was happening at all
Although for a while our path did seem to climb

When you see through love's illusions, there lies the danger
And your perfect lover just looks like a perfect fool
So you go running off in search of a perfect stranger
While the loneliness seems to spring from your life

Like a fountain from a pool

Fountain of sorrow, fountain of light
You've known that hollow sound of your own steps in flight
You've had to hide sometimes, but now you're all right
And it's good to see your smiling face tonight

Now, for you and me it may not be that hard to reach our dreams
But that magic feeling never seems to last
And all the future's there for anyone to change, still you know it seems
It would be easier sometimes to change the past

I'm just one or two years and a couple of changes behind you
In my lessons at love's pain and heartache school
Where if you feel too free and you need something to remind you
There's this loneliness springing up from your life

Like a fountain from a pool

Fountain of sorrow, fountain of light
You've known that hollow sound of your own steps in flight
You've had to hide sometimes, but now you're all right
And it's good to see your smiling face tonight

Fountain of sorrow, fountain of light
You've known that hollow sound of your own steps in flight
You've had to struggle, you've had to fight
To keep understanding and compassion in sight
You could be laughing at me, you've got the right
But you go on smiling so clear and so bright

A versão de Jackson Browne:

A versão de Joan Baez:

A versão de O & O:

1422 – Bob Marley and The Wailers – Bend down low (1974)

Escrita por Bob Marley, foi gravada em 1974 e lançada no disco Natty Dread em 25 de outubro de 1974. É uma canção que mostra a reputação de Bob Marley como sedutor. É uma canção suave, sensual. Bob Marley cantou e tocou guitarra. Aston Barrett tocou baixo. Carlton Barrett tocou bateria e percussão. Bernard Harvey tocou orgao e piano. Al Anderson tocou guitarra solo. Lee Jaffe tocou gaita. Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt e Marcia Griffiths fizeram backing vocal.

A letra:

Bend down low, let me tell you what I know now
Bend down low, let me tell you what I know

Oh! Fisherman row to reap what you sow, now
Oh, tell you all I know (Oo-oh!)
You've got to let me go, now (Oo-oh!)

And all you've got to do
(Bend down low) Oh yeah! Let me tell you what I know
Bend down low, let me tell you what I know oh yeah!

You keep on knockin', but you can't come in
I get to understand you been livin' in sin
But if you love me, woman, walk right in
I've got a notch for your safety-pin

Bend down low, let me tell you what I know now
Bend down low, let me tell you what I know, yeah

I say, keep on knockin', but you can't come in
I get to understand you been livin' in sin
But walk right in, woman, sit right down
I will keep on lovin' you I play the clown

But bend down low, baby, let me tell you what I know
Bend down low, let me tell you what I know, yeah!

A versão de Bob Marley and The Wailers:

A versão de Kbong:

A versão de EarthKry:

1421 – Bob Dylan – On a night like this (1974)

 

Escrita por Bob Dylan, foi gravada em 8 de novembro de 1973, no Village Recorder Studio, em Los Angeles, California e lançada em 17 de janeiro de 1974 no disco Planet Waves. Depois sairia em compacto, com You angel you como Lado B, em março de 1974. Foi a música que abriu o disco Planet Waves. Bob cantou, tocou guitarra e gaita. Robbie Robertson tocou guitarra. Richard Manuel tocou teclado. Garth Hudson tocou sanfona. Rick Danko tocou baixo. Levon Helm tocou bateria. Foi regravada pelos Los Lobos e Jimmy Fallon, entre outros artistas.

A letra:

On a night like this
So glad you came around
Hold on to me so tight
And heat up some coffee grounds
We got much to talk about
And much to reminisce
It sure is right
On a night like this

On a night like this
So glad you're here to stay
Hold on to me, pretty miss
Say you'll never go away to stray
Run your fingers down my spine
Bring me a touch of bliss
It sure feels right
On a night like this

On a night like this
I can't get any sleep
The air is so cold outside
And the snow's so deep
Build a fire, throw on logs
And listen to it hiss
And let it burn, burn, burn, burn
On a night like this

Put your body next to mine
And keep me company
There is plenty a room for all
So please don't elbow me

Let the four winds blow
Around this old cabin door
If I'm not too far off I think we did this once before
There's more frost on the window glass
With each new tender kiss
But it sure feels right
On a night like this

A versão de Bob Dylan:

A versão dos Los Lobos:

A versão de Love Minus Zero:

1420 – Neil Young – Motion pictures (1974)

Escrita por Neil Young, foi gravada entre fevereiro e abril de 1974 e lançada no disco On the beach, em 19 de julho de 1974. Motion pictures é uma espécie de elegia ao relacionamento de Neil com a atriz Carrie Snodgress. Neil cantou e tocou guitarra. Ben Kith tocou baixo. Rusty Kershaw tocou slide guitar. Ralph Molina tocou bateria

A letra:

Motion pictures on my TV screen
A home away from home, living in between
But I hear some people have got their dream

I've got mine

I hear the mountains are doing fine
Morning glory is on the vine
And the dew is falling, the ducks are calling

Yes, I've got mine

And all those people, they think they got it made
But I wouldn't buy, sell, borrow or trade
Anything I have to be like one of them
I'd rather start all over again

Well, all those headlines, they just bore me now
I'm deep inside myself, but I'll get out somehow
And I'll stand before you, and I'll bring a smile to your eyes
Motion pictures, motion pictures

A versão de Neil Young:

A versão de Ezra Furman:

A versão de Mercury Rev: