Here are the lyrics to two iconic tracks about music itself from my ‘70s youth.
First, a track simply called “Music” by John Miles.
Music was my first love
And it will be my last
Music of the future
And music of the past
To live without my music
Would be impossible to do
In this world of troubles
My music pulls me through
To live without my music
Would be impossible to do
'Cause in this world of troubles
My music pulls me through
Beautiful sentiments, John, thank you very much. Classic on-hit wonder stuff, of course, but I do hope the royalties continue to flow in.
Even better, here’s Australian singer Kevin Johnson with “Rock and roll, I gave you all the best years of my life”:
I can still remember when I bought my first guitar
Remember just how good the feeling was, put it proudly in my car
And my family listened 50 times to my two song repertoire
And I told my mum her only son was gonna be a sta
Bought all the Beatle records, sounded just like Paul
Bought all the old Chuck Berry's, 78's and all
And I sat by my record player, playin' every note they played
And I watched them all on TV, makin' every move they made
Rock and roll, I gave you all the best years of my life
All the dreamy sunny Sundays, all the moon-lit summer nights
I was so busy in the back room writin' love songs to you
While you were changin' your direction and you never even knew
That I was always, just one step behind you
‘66 seemed like the year I was really goin' somewhere
We were living in San Francisco, with flowers in our hair
Singing songs of kindness, so the world would understand
But the guys and me were something more than just another band
And then '69 in LA, came around so soon
We were really making headway and writing lots of tunes
And we must have played the wildest stuff we had ever played
The way the crowds cried out for us, we thought we had it made
Rock and roll, I gave you all the best years of my life
All the crazy lazy young days, all the magic moon-lit nights
I was so busy on the road singin' love songs to you
While you were changin' your direction, and you never even knew
That I was always, just one step behind you
'71 in Soho, when I saw Suzanne
I was trying to go it solo, with someone else's band
And she came up to me later and I took her by the hand
And I told her all my troubles and she seemed to understand
And she followed me through London, through a hundred hotel rooms
Through a hundred record companies who didn't like my tunes
And she followed me when, finally, I sold my old guitar
And she tried to help me understand, I'd never be a star
Rock and roll, I gave you all the best years of my life
All the dreamy sunny Sundays, all the moon-lit summer nights
And though I never knew the magic of makin' it with you
Thank the Lord for giving me the little bit I knew
And I will always be one step behind you
Rock and roll, I gave you all the best years of my life
Singing out my love songs in the brightly flashing lights
And though I never knew the magic of makin' it with you
I thank the Lord for giving me the little bit I knew
Lovely stuff. Would have been nice to hear a little more of Suzanne’s backstory, but different times. Well, neither of those tracks appear on this episode, being in the nature of non-alternative guilty pleasures. But here’s what you have got to look forward to:
Setlist:
IPC sub-editors dictate our youth, Clinic
Let’s dance (Yak inek unuk), Ibibio Sound Machine
Groove is in the hearts/California Girls, Crocodiles
All the records on the radio are shite, Ballboy
Johnny Cash, Sons and Daughters
Ballroom dance scene, Horsegirl
Dancing, Standard Fare
Keep dubbing, King Tubby
Indies of the world, Swansea Sound
Blue light disco, Mr Teenage
Perfect popsong, All Ashore!
The singer, Caroline Martin
Punk rock, Mogwai
Transmission, Joy Division