Let's talk about the mighty power and magic of words.

This incredible song has just two verses and no chorus but it's so emotional and evocative:

MOON RIVER

Moon River, wider than a mile,

I'm crossing you in style, some day.

Dream maker, you old heart breaker,

wherever you're going, I'm going your way.

Two drifters, off to see the world,

there's such a lot of world to see.

We're after the same rainbow's end -

waiting 'round the bend, my huckleberry friend,

Moon River and me.

I can still hear my dad singing 'Moon River' at family gatherings, everyone had tears in their eyes.

My favourite soul version is by Oscar Toney Jr, I play it a lot.

Paul

Like yourself Paul i can still here my old dad singing this. Gets to me every time.

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling

From glen to glen, and down the mountain side

The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying

'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.

But come ye back when summer's in the meadow

Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow

'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow

Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

And if you come, when all the flowers are dying

And I am dead, as dead I well may be

You'll come and find the place where I am lying

And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me.

And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me

And all my dreams will warm and sweeter be

If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me

I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.

I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.

-----------------------------

Lots of deeper soul that gets to me because of the lyrics and the way they're put across. Northern wise I've always loved Jimmy Conwell's "To Much". Sheer bloody poetry ---

If someone has treated you like dirt

You can be my witness 'cause you know how it hurts

As I've been hurt deep down inside

I'm all out of tears 'cause that's how much I've cried

I've been left alone and treated so cruel

It's no good feeling to know you've been somebody's fool

It's no good feeling at all, it's too much

I've been let down hard with no way to turn

From the pot into the fire either way I burn

It's so easy to go in the wrong direction

As I'm badly in need of some love and affection

I've been taught a lesson you can't learn at school

It's no good feeling to know you've been somebody's fool

It's too much, and it's no good feeling at all

Believe me, it's no good feeling

Oh, it's too much

It's just too much for one heart to take

What started out to be such a good thing

Has taken my pride and replaced it with shame

I can't face my friends 'cause I know what they're thinking

Now I understand how some men start drinking

I'm like a drowning man in a sea of misery

Never thought this could happen to me

I'm smoking more but enjoying less

I get a whole lotta sleep but I don't get enough rest

I'm wound up in sorrow like thread on a spool

It's no good feeling to know you've been somebody's fool

It's no good feeling at all, it's too much

It's no good feeling at all, it's too much

Edited April 20, 201114 yr by Dave Turner

"Like yourself Paul i can still here my old dad singing this. Gets to me every time..."

'Danny Boy' is the song my dad sang most. His dad was called Danny and that made it extra sad.

'Moon River' was another favourite but it's the one that gets to me most for some reason.

Paul

I can still hear my dad singing 'Moon River' at family gatherings, everyone had tears in their eyes.

My favourite soul version is by Oscar Toney Jr, I play it a lot.

Paul

Oscar Toney Jr was your dad ?

Always thought Chuck Berry was a master of the lyric - amongst other things. One of my favourites -

Memphis lyrics

Long distance information, give me Memphis Tennessee

Help me find the party trying to get in touch with me

She could not leave her number, but I know who placed the call

'Cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall

Help me, information, get in touch with my Marie

She's the only one who'd phone me here from Memphis Tennessee

Her home is on the south side, high up on a ridge

Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge

Help me, information, more than that I cannot add

Only that I miss her and all the fun we had

But we were pulled apart because her mom did not agree

And tore apart our happy home in Memphis Tennessee

Last time I saw Marie she's waving me good-bye

With hurry home drops on her cheek that trickled from her eye

Marie is only six years old, information please

Try to put me through to her in Memphis Tennessee

and Hank Williams too.....

The silence of a falling star

lights up a purple sky.

And as I wonder where you are

I'm so lonesome I could cry.

Edited April 20, 201114 yr by Mike Lofthouse

'Danny Boy' is the song my dad sang most. His dad was called Danny and that made it extra sad.

Paul

Amazing Paul. My dad was called Danny. We played the Jackie Wilson version at his funeral.

The melody, "Londonderry Air" was popularised by my great, great, great, Grandfather, Denis O'Hampsey at the Irish

Harpers Festival.

It's a bit of a family 'theme tune' for us Hampsey's.

:0)

Sean

Always thought Chuck Berry was a master of the lyric - amongst other things. One of my favourites -

Memphis lyrics

Long distance information, give me Memphis Tennessee

Help me find the party trying to get in touch with me

She could not leave her number, but I know who placed the call

'Cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall

Help me, information, get in touch with my Marie

She's the only one who'd phone me here from Memphis Tennessee

Her home is on the south side, high up on a ridge

Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge

Help me, information, more than that I cannot add

Only that I miss her and all the fun we had

But we were pulled apart because her mom did not agree

And tore apart our happy home in Memphis Tennessee

Last time I saw Marie she's waving me good-bye

With hurry home drops on her cheek that trickled from her eye

Marie is only six years old, information please

Try to put me through to her in Memphis Tennessee

When I was around 10, before I got into northern, of course, my uncle played me this song and explained the lyrics to me. Been a favorite ever since.

I cannot list all my fave lyrics, it would take a whole lot of space and time, but here are some:

Miracles - Tracks Of My Tears (of course)

Walter Jackson - It's An Uphill Climb To The Bottom

Cody Black - Mr. Blue

Emanuel Lasky - A Letter From Vietnam

Curtis Mayfield - We People Who Are Darker Than Blue

Eugene McDaniels - The Lord Is Back

And pretty much anything by Gil Scott-Heron.

Edited April 20, 201114 yr by Dante

Couldn't help but share this. Gil Scott-Heron - I Think I'll Call It Morning - Pieces Of A Man

I'm gonna take myself a piece of sunshine

And paint it all over my sky

Be no rain..

Be no rain..

I'm gonna take the song from every bird

And make em sing it just for me

Bird's got something to teach us all

About being free, yeah

Be no rain..

Be no rain..

And I think I'll call it morning

From now on

Why should I survive on sadness

And tell myself I got to be alone

Why should I subscribe to this world's madness

Knowing that I've got to live on

Yeah I think I'll call it morningFrom now on

I'm gonna take myself a piece of sunshine

And paint it all over my sky

Be no rain...

Be no rain...

I

'm gonna take the song from every bird

And make them sing it just for me

Cause why should I hang my head

Why should I let tears fall from my eyes?

When I've seen everything there is to see

And I know there is no sense in crying

I know there ain�t no sense in crying

Yeah I think I'll call it morning

From now on<

I'll call it morning from now on, yeah

Cause there ain't gonna be no rain

Be no rain

Be no rain

From now on...

Edited April 20, 201114 yr by Dante

Ok, and this one. It's by Chicago's rapper Common, it's called Be.

How can you tell me this ain't soul?

BE

I want to be as free as the spirits of those who left

I'm talking Malcolm, Coltrane, my man Yusef

Through death-grew conception

New breath and resurrection

For moms, new steps in her direction

In the right way

Told inside is where the fight lay

And everything a nigga do may not be what he might say

Chicago nights stay, stay on the mind

But I write many lives they lay on these lines

Wave the signs of the times

Many say the grind's on the mind

Shorties blunted-eyed and everyone wanna rhyme

Bush pushing lies, killers immortalized

We got arms but won't reach for the skies

Waiting for the Lord to rise

I look into my daughter's eyes

And realize I'mma learn through her

The Messiah, might even return through her

If I'm gonna do it, I gotta change the world through her

Furs and a Benz, gramps wanting 'em

Demons and old friends, pops they hauntin' him

The chosen one from the land of the frozen sun

When drunk nights get remembered more than sober ones

Walk like warriors, we were never told to run

Explored the world to return to where my soul begun

Never looking back or too far in front of me

The present is a gift

and I just wanna be

Edited April 20, 201114 yr by Dante

Amazing Paul. My dad was called Danny. We played the Jackie Wilson version at his funeral.

The melody, "Londonderry Air" was popularised by my great, great, great, Grandfather, Denis O'Hampsey at the Irish

Harpers Festival.

It's a bit of a family 'theme tune' for us Hampsey's.

:0)

Sean

Fascinating stuff, Sean, and something to be very proud of.

'Danny Boy' was played at my dad's funeral too.

Oscar Toney Jr was your dad ?

Always thought Chuck Berry was a master of the lyric - amongst other things. One of my favourites -

Memphis lyrics

Long distance information, give me Memphis Tennessee

Help me find the party trying to get in touch with me

She could not leave her number, but I know who placed the call

'Cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall

Help me, information, get in touch with my Marie

She's the only one who'd phone me here from Memphis Tennessee

Her home is on the south side, high up on a ridge

Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge

Help me, information, more than that I cannot add

Only that I miss her and all the fun we had

But we were pulled apart because her mom did not agree

And tore apart our happy home in Memphis Tennessee

Last time I saw Marie she's waving me good-bye

With hurry home drops on her cheek that trickled from her eye

Marie is only six years old, information please

Try to put me through to her in Memphis Tennessee

Great song, Mike, I love it by Don Covay too.

I also have a thing about 'Havana Moon' by Chuck Berry.

and Hank Williams too.....

The silence of a falling star

lights up a purple sky.

And as I wonder where you are

I'm so lonesome I could cry.

Another gem, and again it all seems so simple - straight from the heart.

Talking about old songs and parents reminds me how my dad loved taking the micky out of me when I was teenager:

No matter what record I was playing, he'd pop his head in my bedroom and say something like "...oh yes, I know this bloke. It's Major Lance, isn't it?"

I'd say "no, actually, it's General Johnson..."

And he'd say "oh yeah, I always get those two mixed up. I served in the army with both of them..."

Stuff like that.

Brilliant Paul. :0)

Dads were great back then weren't they! :0)

My old fellas favourite was Toussaint McCall Nothing Takes The Place Of You. Simple but poignant lyrics, beautifully sung and it still brings a tear just thinking about how the old fella loved it.

I moved your picture

From my walls

And I replaced them

Both large and small

And each new day

Finds me so blue

Nothing

Takes the place of you

I read your letters one by one

And I still love you 

When it's all said and done

And oh, my darling I'm so blue

Because nothing

Oh nothing

Takes the place of you

I, I write this letter

It's raining on my window pane

I, I feel the need of you

Because without you

Nothing seems the same

So I'll wait

Until you're home

Again I love you

But I'm all alone

And oh my darling

I'm so blue

Because nothing

Oh, but nothing takes the place of you.

Sean

Brilliant Paul. :0)

Dads were great back then weren't they! :0)

My old fellas favourite was Toussaint McCall Nothing Takes The Place Of You. Simple but poignant lyrics, beautifully sung and it still brings a tear just thinking about how the old fella loved it....

Sean

Who said parents can't have good taste, eh?

My dad liked Ben E King, especially 'Here Comes The Night', 'On The Horizon', 'Stand By Me' and 'Don't Play That Song' - all from the Don't Play That Song LP. I didn't have many LPs when I was a kid so I'd play the same albums over and over again. The whole family knew all the words to those songs!

He also liked things like 'This Magic Moment' and 'Up On The Roof' by The Drifters and a lot of the Four Tops stuff - especially 'Do What You Gotta Do', 'If I Were A Carpenter', 'It's All In The Game' and 'McArthur Park'.

Not to forget 'Moon River' ...although I think he liked it by Andy Williams as much as Oscar Toney Jr.

He just loved a good song and he wasn't a bad singer, a bit of a "crooner" I used to say.

Anyway, this shows that songs and lyrics were so important then, more than anything else. And that's what's missing in so much of today's music, the art of songwriting has been in gradual decline for a long time.

Brilliant Paul. :0)

Dads were great back then weren't they! :0)

My old fellas favourite was Toussaint McCall Nothing Takes The Place Of You. Simple but poignant lyrics, beautifully sung and it still brings a tear just thinking about how the old fella loved it.

I moved your picture

From my walls

And I replaced them

Both large and small

And each new day

Finds me so blue

Nothing

Takes the place of you

I read your letters one by one

And I still love you

When it's all said and done

And oh, my darling I'm so blue

Because nothing

Oh nothing

Takes the place of you

I, I write this letter

It's raining on my window pane

I, I feel the need of you

Because without you

Nothing seems the same

So I'll wait

Until you're home

Again I love you

But I'm all alone

And oh my darling

I'm so blue

Because nothing

Oh, but nothing takes the place of you.

Sean

One of Dave Godin's all time favourites of course. Love the scene in the original 'Hairspray' movie when Toussaint McCall ( playing a down and out) walks off singing along to himself

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6djSvTX-lsY

Mike

One of Dave Godin's all time favourites of course. Love the scene in the original 'Hairspray' movie when Toussaint McCall ( playing a down and out) walks off singing along to himself

https://www.youtube.c...h?v=6djSvTX-lsY

Mike

Thanks for that Mike. never seen the movie so nice to see that TM singing it.

Always loved the record, a real back straightener when it catches me in the mood.

Always thought Chuck Berry was a master of the lyric - amongst other things. One of my favourites -

Memphis lyrics

Long distance information, give me Memphis Tennessee

Help me find the party trying to get in touch with me

She could not leave her number, but I know who placed the call

'Cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall

Ah yes, Chuck Berry, who can forget the sheer poetry of 'My ding-a-ling'?

Just a couple of points, always bearing in mind that I watched that programme that proved that 95% of what we think we remember is wrong...

Didn't Chuck's version go "'Cause the phone boy took the message..."? and I think he called it 'Memphis, Tennessee'. It didn't get shortened to Memphis until Lonnie Mack's version.

- Mr. Pedantic.

Who said parents can't have good taste, eh?

Me.

My dad was a classical buff, but every now and then he'd dig out his old jazz records and treat me to 'The flat foot floogie with the floy floy', 'Take out your cans, here comes the garbage man', and 'Ev'rybody truckin''.

It's no wonder I tried to form a skiffle group.

Ah yes, Chuck Berry, who can forget the sheer poetry of 'My ding-a-ling'?

Just a couple of points, always bearing in mind that I watched that programme that proved that 95% of what we think we remember is wrong...

Didn't Chuck's version go "'Cause the phone boy took the message..."? and I think he called it 'Memphis, Tennessee'. It didn't get shortened to Memphis until Lonnie Mack's version.

- Mr. Pedantic.

I didn't type it out - I cut and pasted...and in any case 'phone boy' or ' uncle' ?

...and the titled was shortened - wow !

get a life

My mum always sings this to me (think it was Shirley Bassey who had a hit with it), the words are gorgeous

Till the moon deserts the sky

Till all the seas run dry

Till then I'll worship you

Till the tropic sun grows cold

Till this young world grows old

My darling, I'll adore you

You are my reason to live

All I own I would give

Just to have you adore me

Till the rivers flow upstream

Till lovers cease to dream

Till then I'm yours, be mine

You are my reason to live

All I own I would give

Just to have you adore me

Till the rivers flow upstream

Till lovers cease to dream

Till then I'm yours, be mine

awww, just lovely

for great and moving lyrics try "on coming from a broken home" by gil scot heron, awesome and moving,

as mentioned before dads having taste i can remember about 1971 my dad having an lp on ember called "top of the pops" (not the girls in bikinis ones), it had various blues tracks by john lee hooker and stuff by matt monroe and little richard, the track i kept playing though was "i lost someone" by james brown, still love it 40 years later

Sometimes, I think that David Ruffin could sing from the phone book, and fill it with pain and righteous indignation....... when coupled with a brilliant lyric, for me it's irresistable :-

Sunshine, blue skies, please go away....

The girl has found another, and gone away

With her went my future,

My life is filled with gloom

So day after day, I stay locked up in my room...

I know to you, it might sound strange.... But I wish it would rain......

Magic!

Try Swamp Dog Sam Stone.

Its about a guy who has returned from Vietnam and ends up

an addict.

Cant write all the words Buts it includes the line

"Theres a hole in daddys arm where all the money goes"

Kegsy

Try Swamp Dog Sam Stone.

Its about a guy who has returned from Vietnam and ends up

an addict.

Cant write all the words Buts it includes the line

"Theres a hole in daddys arm where all the money goes"

Kegsy

That reminds me what a great writer Jerry is. And never afraid to tackle "difficult" subjects such as drugs, prostitution, exploitation, corruption etc.

Oscar Toney Jr was your dad ?