1436 – John Denver – Annie's song (1974)

 

Escrita por John Denver, foi gravada em 1974, no RCA Music Center of the World, em Los Angeles e lançada em 15 de junho de 1974 no disco Back home again e no compacto que tinha Cool an' green an' shady como Lado B. Foi o segundo número 1 dele nos Estados Unidos. Foi número 1 também no Reino Unido, que foi o único hit grande dele naquele país. Além disso, foi número 1 no Canadá e Irlanda e número 5 na Australia. Foi uma ode à esposa de John Denver, Annie Martell Denver. Ele a escreveu em julho de 1973, em um elevador de esqui indo pro topo da montanha em Aspen, Colorado.

A letra:

You fill up my senses like a night in a forest
Like the mountains in springtime
Like a walk in the rain

Like a storm in the desert
Like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses, come fill me again

Come, let me love you, let me give my life to you
Let me drown in your laughter
Let me die in your arms

Let me lay down beside you
Let me always be with you
Come, let me love you, come love me again

Let me give my life to you, come, let me love you
Come love me again

You fill up my senses, like a night in a forest
Like the mountains in springtime
Like a walk in the rain

Like a storm in the desert
Like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses, come fill me again

A versão de John Denver:

A versão de Heath Lancaster:

A versão de Audrey Smilley:

1435 – Lynyrd Skynyrd – The ballad of Curtis Loew (1974)

 

Escrita por Ronnie Van Zant e Allen Collins, foi gravada em janeiro de 1974, no Record Plant Studios, em Los Angeles, California e lançada em 15 de abril de 1974, no disco Second Helping, o segundo da banda. Foi produzida por Al Kooper. Fala de um jovem que acorda cedo pra procurar garrafas de refrigerantes pra vender em um mercado local. Ele dá o dinheiro pra um velho negro chamado Curtis Loew, que compra vinho e toca canções de blues para o garoto o dia inteiro. E apesar de apanhar da sua mae, o menino sempre repete o mesmo ritual. O povo local diz que Curtis Loew era um inútil, mas o menino sempre o defende. Quando Curtis morre, ninguém vai ao seu enterro. O pessoal da banda disse que a canção contem personagens reais da vizinhança de Ronnie, em Jacksonville, Flórida, O mercadinho onde o menino vendia as garrafas era o Claude's Midway Grocery, na esquina da Plymouth e Lakeshore Boulevard, em Jacksonville.

A letra:

Well I used to wake the morning, before the rooster crowed
Searching for soda bottles to get myself some dough
Brought 'em down to the corner, down to the country store
Cash 'em in and give my money to a man named Curtis Loew

Old Curt was a black man with white curly hair
When he had a fifth of wine he did not have a care
He used to own an old dobro used to play it across his knees
I'd give old Curt my money he'd play all day for me

Play me a song Curtis Loew, Curtis Loew
Well I got your drinking money tune up your dobro
People said he was useless, them people all were fools
'Cause Curtis Loew was the finest picker to ever play the blues

He looked to be sixty and maybe I was ten
Mama used to whoop me but I'd go see him again
I'd clap my hands stomp my feet, try to stay in time
He'd play me a song or two then take another drink of wine

Well play me a song Curtis Loew, Curtis Loew
Well I got your drinking money tune up your dobro
People said he was useless them people all were fools
'Cause Curtis Loew was the finest picker to ever play the blues

Yes sir

On the day old Curtis died nobody came to pray
Old preacher said some words and they chunked him in the clay
Well he lived a lifetime playin' the black man's blues
And on the day he lost his life that's all he had to lose

Play me a song Curtis Loew, hey Curtis Loew
I wish that you was here so everyone would know
People said you were useless them people all were fools
'Cause Curtis you're the finest picker to ever play the blues

A versão do Lynyrd Skynyrd:

A versão de Austin McNeill:

A versão de Guitar Swan:

1434 – Van Morrison – Cul de sac (1974)

 

Escrita por Van Morrison, foi produzida por ele mesmo e gravada entre novembro de 1973 e a primavera de 1974 e lançada em 5 de outubro de 1974 no disco Veedon Fleece. Depois sairia em compacto, com Bulbs como Lado A, em novembro de 1974. A canção fa;a de viajar em uma estrada, imigração e voltar pra casa. As palavras foram colocadas de forma leve, acentuando a melodia da canção. Foi gravada com um lineup diferente de músicos que gravaram o disco Veedon Fleece. Cul de sac foi gravada no Mercury Studios, em New York, alguns meses depois das gravações do disco terem terminado. Van usou músicos que nunca havia usado antes. John Tropea tocou guitarra. Joe Macho tocou baixo. Allen Schwarzberg tocou bateria. Jeff Labes tocou piano. Van Morrison só cantou.

A letra:

In the cul de sac

So smooth I look down
Be less sure, sir
And take your rest

It's been much too long
Since we drifted in song
Lay it down wet
In this hide-away

Oh I traveled far
To the nearest star
And met Palomar, mar, mar
And we don't care just who you know

It's who you are
And when they all go home
Down the cobblestones
You can double back ("This is it")
To a cul de sac
Mmm

Oh, I traveled far
The nearest star
And Mount Palomar, Palomar, Palomar, Palomar
And we don't care just who d'you know who d'you know

And who you really are, really are

And when they all,
All go home
Down the cobblestones

You will double back
To a cul de sac
You know, you know you will
You will, oh, will double back
And not very far
To a cul de sac

You, you, you... will double back
To a cul de sac
You know, you know it's not very far away
No, no
It's just a cul de sac

And you know, and you know, and you know, it's not very very far away,
No, It's just a cul de sac
Donn, donn, donn...
You're not very far away, no oh...

It's not, it's not very far away
It's not as far as a country mile
(You got it)
It's just a cul de sac

A versão de Van Morrison:

1433 – Supertramp – School (1974)

Escrita por Roger Hodgson e Rick Davies, foi gravada entre fevereiro e junho de 1974 e lançada no disco Crime of the Century, o terceiro da banda, em 13 de setembro de 1974. Hodgson disse que School era dele, mas admite que Davies escreveu o solo de piano e uma parte da letra. Rick Davies cantou e fez backing vocals, tocou piano elétrico Wurlitzer, orgão Hammond, gaita e Sintetizador Moog. Roger Hodgson cantou e fez backing vocals. Tocou guitarra e violão de doze cordas. John Anthony Helliwell tocou sax. Dougie Thomson tocou baixo. Bob Siebenberg tocou bateria e percussão.

A letra:

I can see you in the morning when you go to school
Don't forget your books, you know you've got to learn the golden rule,
Teacher tells you stop your play and get on with your work
And be like Johnnie-too-good, well don't you know he never shirks
He's coming along

After school is over you're playing in the park
Don't be out too late, don't let it get too dark
They tell you not to hang around and learn what life's about
And grow up just like them, won't you let it work it out
And you're full of doubt

Don't do this and don't do that
What are they trying to do?
Make a good boy of you
Do they know where it's at?

Don't criticize, they're old and wise
Do as they tell you to
Don't want the devil to
Come out and put your eyes

Maybe I'm mistaken expecting you to fight
Or maybe I'm just crazy, I don't know wrong from right
But while I am still living, I've just got this to say
It's always up to you if you want to be that
Want to see that want to see that way
You're coming along

A versão do Supertramp:

A versão de Roger Hodgson:

A versão do News on the magic carpet:

1432 – Bob Dylan – Wedding song (1974)

Escrita por Bob Dylan, foi gravada em novembro de 1973 e lançada no disco Planet Waves em 17 de janeiro de 1974. O título do disco iria ser inclusive Wedding song, ao invés de Planet waves. Ela foi graavda no dia 9 de novembro. Ela não havia sido feita antes. Foi composta durante as gravações do disco. E foi a canção que fechou o disco. Muitos críticos falam que essa canção é autobiográfica. Começa com o narrador tentando convencer essa senhora que ele a ama mais do que a própria vida. Entretanto, o foco muda quando ele diz: “we can't regain what went down in the flood." Dylan tocou piano, gaita e cantou. Rick Danko tocou baixo. Levon helm tocou bateria. Garth Hudson tocou orgão Hammond e acordeon. Richard Manue tocou piano. Robbie Robertson tocou guitarra e Ken Lauber tocou congas.

A letra:

I love you more than ever, more than time and more than love
I love you more than money and more than the stars above
I love you more than madness, more than dreams upon the sea
I love you more than life itself, you mean that much to me

Ever since you walked right in the circle's been complete
I've said goodbye to haunted rooms and faces in the street
To the courtyard of the jester which is hidden from the sun
I love you more than ever and I haven't yet begun

You breathed on me and made my life a richer one to live
When I was deep in poverty you taught me how to give
Dried the tears up from my dreams and pulled me from the hole
I love you more than ever and it burns me to the soul

You gave me babies, one, two, three, what is more, you saved my life
Eye for eye and tooth for tooth, your love cuts like a knife
My thoughts of you don't ever rest, they'd kill me if I lie
But I'd sacrifice the world for you to watch my senses die

The tune that is yours and mine to play upon this earth
We'll play it out the best we know, whatever it is worth
What's lost is lost, we can't regain what went down in the flood
But happiness to me is you and I love you more than blood

It's never been my duty to remake the world at large
Nor is it my intentions to sound a battle charge
'Cause I love you more than all of that with a love that doesn't bend
And if there is eternity I'd love you there again.

Oh, can't you see that you were born to stand by my side
And I was born to be with you, you were born to be my bride
You're the other half of what I am, you're the missing piece
And I love you more than ever with that love that doesn't cease

You turn the tide on me each day and teach my eyes to see
Just being next to you is a natural thing for me
And I could never let you go, no matter what goes on
'Cause I love you more than ever now that the past is gone

A versão de Bob Dylan:

A versão dos Walkabouts:

A versão de Dan Dietrich:

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: