7. “This Old World” — The Beach Boys:
A short gem of a song — wondrous, resonant melody. Simple without being simplistic:
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I'm thinking about a-this whole world
Late at night I think about the love of this whole world
Lots of different people everywhere
And when I go anywhere I see love I see love I see love.
6. “Victoria” — The Kinks:
It’s not so much that I harbor Victorian ideals or that I’m a royalist enamored of the good old days of Queen Victoria when “Long ago life was clean / Sex was bad and obscene / And the rich were so mean.” Besides, I'm American. This celebratory tongue-in-cheek anthem of sorts just strikes a chord with my inner acquisitive and power-mad imperialist — either that or I just love the infectious exuberance with which the dubious sentiment is conveyed:
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Canada to India
Australia to Cornwall
Singapore to Hong Kong
From the West to the East
From the rich to the poor
Victoria loved them all
Victoria, Victoria, Victoria, ’toria…
5. “Hey Bulldog” — The Beatles:
What makes me think I’m something special when I smile? I always smile when I hear mindless fun and John, Paul, George and Ringo barking like mad dogs and, well, Englishmen.
4. “I Get Around” — The Beach Boys: This one resonates with the native Southern Californian in me, and it sounds fantastic on a cranked-up car radio. Sure “I’m gettin’ bugged driving up and down the same old strip” and “I gotta finda new place where the kids are hip,” but what really sends me are the trademark Beach Boys' soaring harmonies and upbeat melodic propulsion. The backing instrumentation without the vocals (and it is available on the Good Vibrations box set) is impressive, too - as remarkable as the realization that “the bad guys know us and they leave us alone.”
3. “Beat Surrender” — The Jam:
It has a good beat and you can dance like a dervish to it, but if you can‘t “fill [your]heart with joy and gladness” after living “too long in shadows of sadness,” maybe the glass-half-full lyrics will get a response:
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Come on boy, come on girl
Succumb to the beat surrender
All the things that I care about (are packed into one punch)
All the things that I’m not sure about (are sorted out at once)
Article comments
1 - Vern Halen
I know all your choices & like them...except your alltime number 1 - Van Morrison just isn't my thing (except G-l-o-r-i-a Gloria! which is more of a Them song anyway.).
How about "Down the Old Plank Road" by Uncle Dave Macon? You never heard someone yell out "Kill yo'self!" with such joy and abandon.
2 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
VH--Thanks for the comment. I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with "Down the Old Plank Road." I feel like I've missed out on another slice of happiness. Damn. I'll seek it out though.
3 - Vern Halen
It also contains the verse:
"Friday night my wife died
Saturday she was buried
Sunday was a courtin' day
Monday I got married".
Gotta love it.
4 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
good for what ails ya'
5 - Steve
Hmm, I have #9, #8 and #3.
I had no idea #3 had swearing in it, makes me wonder how many other songs I have that have swearing in them that I don't know about LOL.
The #1 song is on my 'to buy' list but the Dexy's Midnight Runners' version that followed up "Come on Eileen" in 1983, which I actually preferred to their transatlantic #1.
6 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Steve, thanks for mentioning the Dexy's version--I had forgotten about it. I also didn't know about the "embellished" wording on Beat Surrender until having to search out the lyrics here.
7 - Steve
yw, Gordon.