1760 – Queen – We will rock you (1977)

Escrita por Brian May, foi gravada entre julho e setembro de 1977, em Londres e lançada em 7 de outubro de 1977, em um compacto que tinha We are the champions como Lado A. Sairia depois no disco News of the world, o sexto disco da banda, em 28 de outubro de 1977. Foi produzida pelo Queen e por Mike Stone. É o número 330 da lista das 500 greatest songs of all time da revista Rolling Stone. Entrou pro Grammy Hall of Fame em 2009. É cantada à capella, tendo só um solo de guitarra de May que durou 30 segundos. Só palmas e pisadas que dão o ritmo da música. Freddie Mercury cantou e fez backing vocals, bateu palmas e pisou no chão. Brian May tocou guitarra, fez backing vocals, bateu palmas e pisou no chão. Roger Taylor fez backing vocals, bateu palmas e pisou no chão. John Deacon bateu palmas e pisou no chão. Foi regravada em vivo pelos Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, Alanis Morissette, Robbie Williams, Celine Dion e Katy Perry, entre outros artistas.

A letra:

Buddy, you're a boy, make a big noise
Playing in the street, gonna be a big man someday
You got mud on your face, you big disgrace
Kicking your can all over the place, singin'

We will, we will rock you
We will, we will rock you

Buddy, you're a young man, hard man
Shouting in the street, gonna take on the world someday
You got blood on your face, you big disgrace
Waving your banner all over the place

We will, we will rock you, sing it!
We will, we will rock you

Buddy, you're an old man, poor man
Pleading with your eyes, gonna make you some peace someday
You got mud on your face, big disgrace
Somebody better put you back into your place

We will, we will rock you, sing it
We will, we will rock you, everybody
We will, we will rock you, hmm
We will, we will rock you
Alright

A versão do Queen:

A versão de Guns and Roses com Queen:

A versão de Robbie Williams:

1759 – Pink Floyd – Pigs (Three differente ones) (1977)

 

Escrita por Roger Waters, foi gravada entre abril e maio de 1976, no Britannia Row Studios, em Islington, Londres e lançada em 21 de janeiro de 1977 no disco Animals, o décimo disco da banda. Foi produzida pela própria banda. Os porcos representam o povo que estão no topo da escada social, aqueles que tem poder e dinheiro e que manipulam o resto da sociedade e os encoraja a serem competitios e se matarem uns aos outros, para que os porcos continuem com o poder nas mãos deles. Cada verso da canção fala de um porco diferente. O primeiro verso se refere ao homem de negócios em geral. O segundo se refere aos políticos conservadores como Margaret Tatcher e o terceiro porco seria Mary Whitehouse que fazia campanha por moralidade. David Gilmour usa uma talk box no solo de guitarra pra imitar o som de um porco. Foi a primeira vez que uma talk box foi usada pelo Pink Floyd. Gilnour também toca um baixo fretless com palheta, fazendo dois solos de baixo sincopados. Nesse caso, Roger Waters que é o baixista, tocou guitarra base. Ou seja, Roger cantou e fez harmonias vocais, tocou guitarra, vocoder e efeitos de tape. David tocou guitarra solo, baixo e tak box. Richard tocou orgão Hammond, string sintetizador ARP, piano e clavinet. Nick tociu bateria e sino de vaca.

A letra:

Big man, pig man
Ha, ha, charade you are
You well heeled big wheel
Ha, ha, charade you are
And when your hand is on your heart
You're nearly a good laugh
Almost a joker
With your head down in the pig bin
Saying 'Keep on digging'
Pig stain on your fat chin
What do you hope to find
Down in the pig mine?
You're nearly a laugh
You're nearly a laugh
But you're really a cry

Bus stop rat bag
Ha, ha, charade you are
You fucked up old hag
Ha, ha, charade you are
You radiate cold shafts of broken glass
You're nearly a good laugh
Almost worth a quick grin
You like the feel of steel
You're hot stuff with a hatpin
And good fun with a hand gun
You're nearly a laugh
You're nearly a laugh
But you're really a cry

Hey you, Whitehouse
Ha, ha, charade you are
You house proud town mouse
Ha, ha, charade you are
You're trying to keep our feelings off the street
You're nearly a real treat
All tight lips and cold feet
And do you feel abused?
You got to stem the evil tide
And keep it all on the inside
Mary you're nearly a treat
Mary you're nearly a treat
But you're really a cry

A versão do Pink Floyd:

A versão de Eddie Current Covers:

A versão de School of Rock Lynnwood:

1758 – Peter Frampton – I'm in you (1977)

Escrita por Peter Frampton, foi gravada em 1976 e lançada em 28 de maio de 1977, no disco I'm in you, o quinto da carreira de Frampton. Sairia também em compacto, com St Thomas (Don't you know how I feel) como Lado B. Foi produzida por Peter Frampton. Chegou ao número 2 no Billboard Hot 100 e número 1 no Canadá. Chegou também ao número 9 na Austrália, número 13 na Nova Zelandia e número 41 no Reino Unido. Na verdade foi o compacto dele que fez mais sucesso. Foi composta em New York City após Frampton ter voltado da turnê que fez o disco ao vivo em 1976. A canção fala da separação de Frampton da sua esposa, a modelo Maryl Lovett. Foi gravada no Eletric Lady Studios, em Manhattan, mais especificamente no Greenwich Village. Peter Frampton tocou guitarra, violão, piano, sintetizador ARP String e cantou. Bob Mayo tocou sintetizador Moog e fez backing vocals. Stanley Sheldon tocou baixo. John Siomos tocou bateria e percussão. Mick Jagger fez backing vocals.

A letra:

I don't care where I go when I'm with you
When I cry you don't laugh cause you know me

I'm in you
You're in me
You gave me the love, the love that I never had

You and I don't pretend; we make love
I can't feel anymore than I'm singing

I'm in you
You're in me
You gave me the love, the love that I never had

Come so far when you think
you think back
You can't buy what we made, you and I

I'm in you
You're in me
You gave me the love, the love that I never had

A versão de Peter Frampton:

A versão de Posturex1:

1757 – Leonard Cohen – I left a woman waiting (1977)

 

Escrita por Leonard Cohen (letra) e Phil Spector (Música), foi gravada em junho e julho de 1977 e lançada em 13 de novembro de 1977, no disco Death of ladie's man, o quinto disco de Cohen. Foi produzida por Phil Spector.

A letra:

I left a woman waiting
I met her sometime later
She said, "I see your eyes are dead"

What happened to you, lover?
What happened to you, my lover?
What happened to you, lover?
What happened to you?

And since she spoke the truth to me
I tried to answer truthfully
Whatever happened to my eyes

Happened to your beauty
Happened to your beauty
What happened to your beauty
Happened to me

We took ourselves to someone's bed
And there we fell together
Quick as dogs and truly dead were we

And free as running water
Free as running water
Free as running water
Free as you and me

The way it's got to be
The way it's got to be, lover

A versão de Leonard Cohen:

1756 – Joni Mitchell – The silky veils of Ardor (1977)

 

Escrita por Joni Mitchell, foi gravada em 1977 e lançada em 13 de dezembro de 1977 no disco Don Juan's reckless daughter, o nono disco da carreira dela. Foi produzida por Joni Mitchell, Henry Lewy e Steve Katz. Joni Mitchell cantou e tocou violão. Jaco Pastorius tocou baixo. John Guerin tocou bateria. Alex Acuna tocou congas.

A letra:

I am a poor wayfaring stranger
Traveling through all these highs and lows
I heard there was no sickness
And no toil or danger
Just mercy and plenty
Where peaceful waters flow
Where peaceful waters flow

Come all you fair and tender school girls
Be careful now when you court young men
They are like the stars
On a summer morning
They sparkle up the night
And they're gone again
Daybreak, gone again

If I'd only seen through the silky veils of ardor
What a killing crime this love can be
I would have locked up my heart
In a golden sheath of armor
And kept its crazy beating
Under strictest secrecy
High security

I wish I had the wings
Of Noah's pretty little white dove
So I could fly this raging river
To reach the one I love
But I have no wings
And the water is so wide
We'll have to row a little harder
It's just in dreams we fly
In my dreams, we fly

A versão de Joni Mitchell:

A versão de Cuzhero:

A versão de K. Healey:

1755 – Bob Marley and The Wailers – Natural mystic (1977)

Escrita por Bob Marley, foi gravada entre janeiro e abril de 1977 e lançada no disco Exodus, o nono disco do grupo, em 3 de junho de 1977. Foi produzida pelo próprio Bob Marley and The Wailers. Fala sobre religião e abre o disco. Bob Marley cantou, fez backing vocal e tocou guitarra. Junior Marvin tocou guitarra. Aston Barrett tocou baixo. Carlton Barrett tocou bateria. Tyrone Downie tocou sintetizador, piano elétrico, orgao e fez backing vocals. Alvin Patternon tocou percussão. Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths e Judy Mowatt fizeram backing vocals. David Madden tocou trumpete. Vin Gordon tocou trombone. Glen da Costa tocou sax.

A letra:

There's a natural mystic blowing through the air
If you listen carefully now you will hear

This could be the first trumpet, might as well be the last
Many more will have to suffer
Many more will have to die
Don't ask me why
Things are not the way they used to be
I won't tell no lie

One and all got to face reality now
Though I've tried to find the answer to all the questions they ask
Though I know it's impossible to go living through the past
Don't tell no lie

There's a natural mystic blowing through the air
Can't keep them down
If you listen carefully now you will hear

Such a natural mystic, blowing through the air

This could be the first trumpet, might as well be the last
Many more will have to suffer
Many more will have to die - don't ask me why

There's a natural mystic blowing through the air
I won't tell no lie
If you listen carefully now you will hear
There's a natural mystic blowing through the air

Such a natural mystic blowing through the air
There's a natural mystic blowing through the air
Such a natural mystic blowing through the air
Such a natural mystic blowing through the air
Such a natural mystic blowing through the air

A versão de Bob Marley and The Wailers:

A versão de Jon Palais:

A versão de Liam Gallagher:

 

1754 – Rod Stewart – You're in my heart (The final acclaim) (1977)

 

Escrita por Rod Stewart, foi gravada em 1977 e lançada em 7 de outubro de 1977 no compacto que tinha You got a nerve como Lado B. Sairia também no disco Foot loose & Fancy free, em 4 de novembro de 1977. Foi produzida por Tom Dowd. Rod Stewart cantou. Jim Cregan tocou guitarra e fez backing vocals. Phil Chen tocou baixo. Carmine Appice tocou bateria e fez backing vocals. David Foster tocou piano elétrico Fender Rhodes. Fred Tackett tocou violão. Nicky Hopkins tocou sintetizador de cordas. Richard Greene tocou violino. Chegou ao número 1 na Austrália e Canadá. Número 2 na Irlanda e Nova Zelandia. Número 3 no Reino Unido. Número 4 no Billboard Hot 100. Número 8 na Irlanda e número 13 na Bélgica. E número 35 na Noruega.

A letra:

I didn't know what day it was
When you walked into the room
I said hello unnoticed
You said goodbye too soon

Breezing through the clientele
Spinning yarns that were so lyrical
I really must confess right here
The attraction was purely physical

I took all those habits of yours
That in the beginning were hard to accept
Your fashion sense, Beardsley prints
I put down to experience

The big bossed lady with the Dutch accent
Who tried to change my point of view
Her ad lib lines were well rehearsed
But my heart cried out for you

You're in my heart, you're in my soul
You'll be my breath should I grow old
You are my lover, you're my best friend
You're in my soul

My love for you is immeasurable
My respect for you immense
You're ageless, timeless, lace and fineness
You're beauty and elegance

You're a rhapsody, a comedy
You're a symphony and a play
You're every love song ever written
But honey what do you see in me

You're in my heart, you're in my soul
You'll be my breath should I grow old
You are my lover, you're my best friend
You're in my soul

You're an essay in glamor
Please pardon the grammar
But you're every schoolboy's dream
You're Celtic, United, but baby I've decided
You're the best team I've ever seen

And there have been many affairs
Many times I've thought to leave
But I bite my lip and turn around
'Cause you're the warmest thing I've ever found

You're in my heart, you're in my soul
You'll be my breath should I grow old
You are my lover, you're my best friend
You're in my soul

A versão de Rod Stewart:

A versão de Holly Taymar:

A versão de Richard Lee:

1753 – John Denver – It amazes me (1977)

 

Escrita por John Denver, foi gravada em 1977 e lançada em novembro de 1977, no disco I want to live, o décimo segundo da carreira de Denver. Foi produzida por Milton Okun e John Snyder. John Denver cantou e tocou violão. James Burton tocou guitarra. Hal Blaine tocou bateria. Chuck Domanico tocou baixo. Michael Lang tocou teclado. Herb Pedersen tocou banjo e guitarra. Lee Ritenour tocou guitarra.

A letra:

You came looking for the answers
To some questions on his mind
Seeking truth and understanding
In the hope that he would find
A way to better serve his brothers
And his sisters in the sun
Sharing all that he has given
Giving all to everyone

Come and listen to the story
Of a journey once begun
Of a people and their plenty
And their season in the sun
And how they gave themselves to symbols
And things that they could hold
Living lives in desperation
In the fear of letting go

It amazes me
And I know the wind will surely one day
Blow it all away
It amazes me
And I'm so very grateful that you made the world this way

For our plans have come together now
Where do we go from here
Will our differences divide us
Must we always live in fear
For there are things that we must move through
Some things to cast aside
But our father watches over us
Our mother will provide

It amazes me
And I know the wind will someday surely
Blow it all away
It amazes me
And I'm so very grateful that you made the world this way

It amazes me
It amazes me
It amazes me

A versão de John Denver:

1752 – Elvis Presley – America the beautiful (1977)

A música foi escrita por Samuel L. Ward, em Newark, New Jersey, em 1883 e a letra foi escrita por Katharine Lee Baites em 1895. Os dois nunca se encontraram. Trata-se de uma canção patriota americana. Ela foi chamada de America The Beautiful pela primeira vez em 1910. É uma das canção patriotas mais populares dos Estados Unidos. Ela com 33 anos viajou pra Colorado Springs pra ensinar no Colorado College e o que ela viu na viagem foi o que a inspirou pra escrever a letra. Quando Ward morreu em 1903, não soube do sucesso que se tornaria sua composição. Ela no entanto foi mais feliz, pois morreu em 1929, quando a música já era sucesso nacional. Existe inclusive uma forte corrente tentando tornar America The Beautiful o hino nacional ameriano. A nossa versão é a de Elvis Presley, que começou a cantá-la ao vivo nos seus shows em 1976 e quando da sua morte, foi lançada no compacto que tinha My way como Lado A. Foi regravada também por Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisend, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston e Jennifer Lopez, entre outros artistas.

A letra:

O beautiful for spacious skies
For amber waves of grain
For purple mountain majesties
Above thy fruited plain

America, America
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea

For beautiful for spacious skies
For amber waves of grain
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain
America, America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crowned thy good, with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea

America, America!

God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

A versão de Elvis Presley:

A versão de Ray Charles:

A versão de Frank Sinatra:

1751 – Leonard Cohen – Death of a ladies' man (1977)

 

Escrita por Leonard Cohen (Letra) e Phil Spector (Música), foi gravada entre junho e julho de 1977 e lançada em 13 de novembro de 1977, no disco de mesmo nome, o quinto disco de Cohen. Foi produzida por Phil Spector.

A letra:

Ah the man she wanted all her life was hanging by a thread
"I never even knew how much I wanted you, " she said.
His muscles they were numbered and his style was obsolete.
"O baby, I have come too late." She knelt beside his feet.
"I'll never see a face like yours in years of men to come
I'll never see such arms again in wrestling or in love."
And all his virtues burning in the smoky Holocaust
She took unto herself most everything her lover lost
Now the master of this landscape he was standing at the view
With a sparrow of St. Francis that he was preaching to
She beckoned to the sentry of his high religious mood
She said, "I'll make a place between my legs,
I'll show you solitude."

He offered her an orgy in a many mirrored room
He promised her protection for the issue of her womb
She moved her body hard against a sharpened metal spoon
She stopped the bloody rituals of passage to the moon

She took his much admired oriental frame of mind
And the heart-of-darkness alibi his money hides behind
She took his blonde Madonna and his monastery wine
"This mental space is occupied and everything is mine."

He tried to make a final stand beside the railway track
She said, "The art of longing's over and it's never coming back."
She took his tavern parliament, his cap, his cocky dance,
She mocked his female fashions and his working-class mustache.

The last time that I saw him he was trying hard to get
A woman's education but he's not a woman yet
And the last time that I saw her she was living with some boy
Who gives her soul an empty room and gives her body joy.

So the great affair is over but whoever would have guessed
It would leave us all so vacant and so deeply unimpressed
It's like our visit to the moon or to that other star
I guess you go for nothing if you really want to go that far.

It's like our visit to the moon or to that other star
I guess you go for nothing if you really want to go that far.

It's like our visit to the moon or to that other star
I guess you go for nothing if you really want to go that far.

A versão de Leonard Cohen:

1750 – Joni Mitchell – Jericho (1977)

Escrita por Joni Mitchell, foi gravada ao vivo inicialmente e lançada em 1974 no disco Miles of Aisles. No entanto, a versão que escolhemos é a de estúdio, gravada em 1977 e lançada no disco Don Juan's reckless daughter, o nono de Joni, em 13 de dezembro de 1977. Sairia também em compacto, com Off night backstreet como Lado A, em 1978. Foi produzida por Joni Mitchell, Henry Lewy e Steve Katz. Joni Mitchell cantou e tocou violão. Jaco Pastorius tocou baixo. John Guerin tocou bateria. Wayne Shorter tocou sax soprano. Alex Acuña tocou congas. Don Alias tocou bongô.

A letra:

I'll try to keep myself open up to you
That's a promise that I made to love
When it was new
Just like Jericho I said
"Let these walls come tumbling down"
I said it like I finally found the way
To keep the good feelings alive
I said it like it was something to strive for

I'll try to keep myself open up to you
And approve your self expression
I need that too
I need your confidence baby
And the gift of your extra time
In turn I'll give you mine
Sweet darling it's a rich exchange
It seems to me
It's a warm arrangement

Anyone will tell you
Just how hard it is to make and keep a friend
Maybe they'll short sell you
Or maybe it's you
Judas in the end
When you just can no longer pretend
That you're getting what you need
Or you're giving out anything for them to grow and feed on

I'll try to keep myself open up to you
It gets easier and easier to do
Just like Jericho
Let these walls come tumbling down now
Let them fall right on the ground
Let all these dogs go running free
The wild and the gentle dogs
Kenneled in me

A versão de Joni Mitchell:

A versão de Kathy Simpson:

A versão de Gnukev:

1749 – Bob Marley and The Wailers – The Heathen (1977)

Escrita por Bob Marley, foi gravada entre janeiro e abril de 1977 e lançada no disco Exodus, o nono disco do grupo, em 3 de junho de 1977. Foi produzida por Bob Marley and The Wailers. Bob cantou, tocou guitarra e fez backing vocals. Junior Marvin tocou guitarra. Aston barrett tocou baixo. Carlton Barrett tocou bateria. Tyrone Downie tocou sintetizador, piano elétrico, órgão e fez backing vocals. Alvin Patterson tocou percussão. Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths e Judy Mowatt fizeram backing vocals. David Madden tocou trompete. Vin Gordon tocou trombone e Glen da Costa toxou sax.

A letra:

Rise up fallen fighters
Rise and take your stance again
'Tis he who fight and run away
Live to fight another day
Wit de heathen back dey 'pon de wall!
Wit de heathen back, yeah, 'pon de wall!
Wit de heathen back dey 'pon de wall!
Wit de heathen back, yeah, 'pon de wall!

As a man sow, shall he reap
And I know that talk is cheap
But the hotter the battle
Ah the sweeter Jah victory
Wit de heathen back dey 'pon de wall!
Wit de heathen back, yeah, 'pon de wall!
Wit de heathen back dey 'pon de wall!
Wit de heathen back, yeah, 'pon de wall!

Rise up, fallen fighters
Rise and take your stance again
'Tis he who fight and run away
Live to fight another day
De heathen back dey 'pon de wall!
De heathen back, yeah, 'pon de wall!
De heathen back dey 'pon de wall!
De heathen back, yeah, 'pon de wall!

De heathen back dey 'pon de wall!
De heathen back, yeah, 'pon de wall!
De heathen back dey 'pon de wall!
De heathen back, yeah, 'pon de wall!
De heathen back dey 'pon de wall!
De heathen back, yeah, 'pon de wall!
De heathen back dey 'pon de wall!
De heathen back, yeah, 'pon de wall!

A versão de Bob Marley and The Wailers:

A versão de Protoje and The Indiggnation Band:

A versão de Kristine Alicia:

1748 – Rod Stewart – I was only joking (1977)

 

Escrita por Rod Stewart e Gary Grainger, foi gravada em 1977 e lançada em 4 de novembro de 1977 no disco Foot loose & Fancy Free, o oitavo disco da carreira de Rod Stewart. Sairia também em compacto, com Born loose como Lado B. Foi produzida por Tom Dowd. É uma das melhores letras de Stewart. Trata-se de um conto sobre juventude contada de uma perspectiva mais madura. O solo é tocado por Jim Cregan e é considerado um dos melhore solos do rock. Chegou ao número 4 na Irlanda, número 5 no Reino Unido, número 11 no Canadá, número 22 no Billboard Hot 100 e número 35 na Nova Zelandia.

A letra:

Ever since I was a kid at school
I messed around with all the rules
Apologised then realised
I'm not different after all

Me and the boys thought we had it sussed
Valentinos all of us
My dad said we looked ridiculous
But boy, we broke some hearts

In and out of jobs, running free
Waging war with society
Dumb blank faces stare back at me
But nothing ever changed

Promises made in the heat of the night
Creeping home before it got too light
I wasted all that precious time
And blamed it on the wine

I was only joking my dear (my dear)
Looking for a way to hide my fear (my fear)
What kind of fool was I? (Was I)
I could never win (never win)

Never found a compromise
Collected lovers like butterflies
Illusions of that grand first prize
Are slowly wearing thin

Susie, baby, you were good to me
Giving love unselfishly
But you took it all too seriously
I guess it had to end

I was only joking my dear (my dear)
Looking for a way to hide my fear (my fear)
What kind of fool was I? (Was I)
I could never win (never win)

Yeah baby, whoa

Now you ask me if I'm sincere
That's the question that I always fear
Vers e seven is never clear
But I'll tell you what you wanna hear

I try to give you all you want
But giving love is not my strongest point
If that's the case it's pointless going on
I'd rather be alone

'Cause what I'm doing must be wrong
Pouring my heart out in a song
Owning up for prosperity
For the whole damn world to see

Quietly now while I turn a page
Act one is over without costume change
The principal would like to leave the stage
The crowd don't understand

A versão de Rod Stewart:

A versão da Leni Band:

A versão da Sparks Band:

1747 – John Denver – I want to live (1977)

Escrita por John Denver, foi gravada em 1977 e lançada em compacto com Tradewinds como Lado B, e saiu também no disco de mesmo nome, o décimo segundo da Denver, ambos em novembro de 1977. Foi produzida por Milton Okun e John Snyder. John Denver escreveu a canção depois do cantor folk Harry Chapin promover para o presidente Jimmy Carter a ideía de uma comissão pra cuidar da fome mundial. Denver escreveu essa canção pra ser o tema dessa comissão. Como toda idéia esquerdista é uma merda, a comissão não produziu nada.

A letra:

There are children raised in sorrow
On a scorched and barren plain
There are children raised beneath a golden sun
There are children of the water
Children of the sand
And they cry out through the universe
Their voices raised as one

I want to live I want to grow
I want to see I want to know
I want to share what I can give
I want to be I want to live

Have you gazed out on the ocean
Seen the breaching of a whale?
Have you watched the dolphins frolic in the foam?
Have you heard the song the humpback hears five hundred miles away
Telling tales of ancient history of passages and home?

I want to live I want to grow
I want to see I want to know
I want to share what I can give
I want to be I want to live

For the worker and the warrior the lover and the liar
For the native and the wanderer in kind
For the maker and the user and the mother and her son
I am looking for my family and all of you are mine

We are standing all together
Face to face and arm in arm
We are standing on the threshold of s dream
No more hunger no more killing
No more wasting life away
It is simply an idea
And I know its time has come

I want to live I want to grow
I want to see I want to know
I want to share what I can give
I want to be I want to live

A versão de John Denver:

1746 – Elvis Presley – My way (1977)

Escrita por Jacques Revaux, Gilles Thibault e Claude François, em francês, teve letra em inglês feita por Paul Anka especialmente pra Frank Sinatra cantar. A versão de Sinatra sairia em 1969, mas a versão escolhida pelo site foi a de Elvis, ao vivo, de 1977. Gravada em 21 de junho de 1977, em um show em Rapid City, South Dakota. Foi lançada no disco Elvis in concert, em 3 de outubro de 1977, quando Elvis já havia morrido. O nome da música em francês é Comme d'habitude. A versão de Sinatra ficou 75 semanas no TOP 40 no Reino Unido, sendo a terceira música que mais ficou até hoje. Paul Anka enquanto de férias na França, comprou os direitos da música. Algum tempo depois, jantou com Sinatra na Flórida, que disse que queria parar de cantar, que estava de saco cheio da música. Foi então que Anka teve a idéia de escrever uma letra em inglês, como se Sinatra tivesse no fim da carreira, no fim da vida. Por isso o começo diz: And now, the end is near. I ate it up and spit it out era o jeito que Sinatra falava. Quando acabou de compor, Anka ligou pra Sinatra no Caesar's Palace, em Las Vegas e disse que tinha algo especial pra ele. Sinattra gravou-a em um take. Mesmo sendo sua canção mais famosa, Sinatra passou a odiá-la. Enquanto isso, Elvis passou a cantá-la no meio dos anos 70s, mesmo Anka dizendo que a canção não era adequada pra ele. Em 1973, Elvis cantou-a no Aloha from Hawaii. Quando foi lançada em compacto e no concerto em 1977, chegou ao número 22 no Billboard Hot100, melhor posição do que a de Sinatra. Elvis gravou no entanto uma versão de estúdio em 1971. Seria gravada também por Sid Vicious, entre outros artistas. A canção é sempre associada à nostalgia. É a canção mais tocada em funerais no Reino Unido.

A letra:

And now the end is near
So I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case of which I'm certain

I've lived a life that's full
I've traveled each and every highway
Oh, and more much more than this
I did it my way

Regrets, I've had a few
But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exception

I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
Oh, and more much more than this
I did it my way

Yes, there were times I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way

I've loved I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now as tears subside
I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way
Oh, no, no not me
I did it my way

For what is a man? What has he got?
If not himself then he has not
To say the words he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way

A versão de Elvis Presley:

A versão de Frank Sinatra:

A versão de Sid Vicious: