For me the greatest soul songs stir something deep inside because of the lyrics backed by great music. At the moment (as a recent returnee) the lyrics that really stir me are from the Steinways "My Hearts Not In it Anymore" I don't know why, but they just hit a nerve!

"Babe, babe, babe,  my hearts not in it anymore, oooooo the feeling that was there, no it nots the same anymore it's nothing like before......"

What are yours and why?

There have been some great lyrics posted above that illustrate for me what soul is about and the power of words.

Whilst the following is Blues, Albert King's great performance of this famous track (see You Tube) has real soul and confirmed another of my thoughts; that whilst the lyrics when read alone can be wrist slittingly depressive when sung by a great performer/musician they may be perversely uplifting and made positive.

View the Albert King video of this on You Tube (sorry can't get link via my IPad for some reason!) it's almost as if the combination of the music, lyrics and performance sticks two fingers up to the world! Does anybody agree or am I talking through my **** :-)

Born Under A Bad Sign

by Booker T. Jones / William Bell

Born under a bad sign

I been down since I begin to crawl

If it wasn't for bad luck,

I wouldn't have no luck at all

Hard luck and trouble is my only friend

I been on my own ever since I was ten

Born under a bad sign

I been down since I begin to crawl

If it wasn't for bad luck,

I wouldn't have no luck at all

I can't read, haven't learned how to write

My whole life has been one big fight

Born under a bad sign

I been down since I begin to crawl

If it wasn't for bad luck,

I wouldn't have no luck at all

I ain't lyin'

If it wasn't for bad luck

I wouldn't have no kind-a luck

If it wasn't for real bad luck,

I wouldn't have no luck at all

Wine and women is all I crave

A big legged woman is

gonna carry me to my grave

Born under a bad sign

I been down since I begin to crawl

If it wasn't for bad luck,

I wouldn't have no luck at all

Yeah, my bad luck boy

Been havin' bad luck all of my days, yes

Edited February 2, 201213 yr by brummiemick

o.c .smith is lp only

the winstons version is 45

Thanks for the information, In my opinion the OC Smith version is much, much better than the Winstons

Any idea how much LP might cost? Would this be considered Modern Soul?

Oh Here i sit here in some lonesome room with nothing but the smell of sweet perfume,

one silk stocking laying on a chair a yellow ribbon that you wore in your hair,

Can`t get over these memories.

Dave f....

Got to be

Wipe those teardrops from your eyes, coz everything is gonna be alright.

Billy Woods with Van McCoy at work. Let me make you happy.

best lyrics ..........are by CLIFF CAMFIELD & the children of the night.........come on burnley.........on KESTRAL SUITE later released on BAT CAVE

I always find deep & meaningful lyrics to be very important.

Might not be the most soulful record but these are unsurpassed.

What'sa matter you, hey, gotta no respect

Whatta you tink you do, why you looka so sad

Itsa not so bad, Itsa nice-a place, Ahh shaddupa you face

Aid.

Each night I lie awake thinking

What happened to this world of ours

Girl I even started drinking

To help me through the lonely hours

Corey blake how can I go on without you

Your eyes don't look the same, as they did yesterday, I can't help from wondering if this will be the day you just walk away, you don't realize I recognize the lies.......

Simply has no equal in my book

if you are going to sit down and write a song where on earth would you start of thinking.......oh I know....!

Black wings has my angel....... she's a satan in high heels....doing the devils will.....

a walking lesson in love...!

( mmmmmm... That's what Im talkin about )

Superb Hayes Cotton

Your eyes don't look the same, as they did yesterday, I can't help from wondering if this will be the day you just walk away, you don't realize I recognize the lies.......

Simply has no equal in my book

Me too, Melvin Davis I'm the one who loves you........love it love it love ( I presume it's Melvin & not Darrell you refer too?)

See no one appreciated my Joe Dolce re:my post above .

Aid.

you give your hand to me and then you say hello and i can hardly speak my heart is beating so. you give your hand to me and then you say goodbye i watch you walk away beside the lucky guy Ray Charles. or how about dance to the music SLY STONE

How about Ray Pollard , The Drifter singing about his girl dying and drifting from town to town

Dont laugh at me because I'm crying.

Kev.

Me too, Melvin Davis I'm the one who loves you........love it love it love ( I presume it's Melvin & not Darrell you refer too?)

See no one appreciated my Joe Dolce re:my post above .

Aid.

Much prefer Darrell's version

Sam Dees "Signed Miss Heroin"

steve

Great call Steve

Kev

From the "Totally Involved" set by Jimmy Lewis "It Aint Whats On A Woman" brilliant lyrics and oh that delvery from one of the greats of our beloved music, in fact just play the whole set from start to finish, a masterpiece, cue Adam G from the "Boro"

Kev

Lee"Shot"Williams-You're Welcome To The Club Federal

Just Walk Right In & Sit Right Down

I Know You're Hearts Been Broken

So Let You're Tears Fall Down

Everybody Knows You Have Lost You're Love

Just Come On In

You're Welcome To The Club

Just brilliant!!!!

Cheers

Martyn

I always love the lyrics to Lovey Dovey by the Clovers

"Why you the cutest thing that I did ever see, I really love your peaches wanna shake your tree"

Suz

x

William Bell Beautiful song

A Tribute to his friend Otis Reading "Tribute to A King "

POWERFUL !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcUEewrpHgg

Bobby Patterson - I'm in love with you - Jetstar

'I love the way you talk, I love the way you walk, I love the way you move, I love the way you groove'

Always thought this was a great lyric!

Adam

I mentioned that the best song lyrics are the ones that transcend the generic love statements of the soul genre.

One of my favorite songs of all time which I like for the song AND the lyrics is Smoked Sugar - Keeping up my front - 20th Century.

I also like the Young Mods - I can't hurt you back, besides being one of the greatest sweet soul songs of all time, it's about a more specific situation where his girl hurt him but he loves her to much to hurt her back.

One of the best breakup songs is the 21st - the sun came out, it's pretty funny, it's like "the sun came out the day you left" and talks about how much his life is better when he broke up.

Most records made by Gil Scott Heron

Most records made by Gil Scott Heron

I always thought the brothers of soul were some of the greatest lyricists of all time. Obviously there's people like Smokey, Curtis, etc. who were fantastic songwriters. But the brothers of soul lyrics were somehow more sophisticated, like poetry.

I'd Be Grateful.

Pure poetry.

I'd Be Grateful.

Pure poetry.

Yeah, I can't believe nobody else posted about the brothers of soul. Someone always calls my show to request the love i found in you:

If I had a book

Like a telephone directory

That listed every heart in town

You'd find me under happy and contented

Because of the love i found

in you

Yeah, I can't believe nobody else posted about the brothers of soul. Someone always calls my show to request the love i found in you:

If I had a book

Like a telephone directory

That listed every heart in town

You'd find me under happy and contented

Because of the love i found

in you

Flip to "Come On Back" Boba, agreed, fantastic lyrics, fantastic record

Kev

Hesitations - Is This The Way To Treat A Girl. It's not just the lyrics, it's the way they are sung. Proper rip your heart out stuff.

One of my fave lines in a song is right at the end of Chuck Holiday - Just Can't Trust Nobody ...

"That low down dirty dog just stole my woman"

A few female vocals that I always find myself homing in on the lyrics when I hear them & they always get me.

Pat Powdrill, Do It, ....If you wanna ruin me, ruin me & set me free, but if you wanna love, really love me, do it, come on & do it, do it right now......

Eloise Laws, Love Factory, You wanna put me on your assembly line, just come round & see me when you get the time.........

Aid.

Magnificent 7 "Never will I" (Dial)

The way this 6 man group sing "So close a breeze can't blow between us, so tight you couldn't part us with a tommy gun" is just brilliant.

Turns up about 1:45 mins in.

Dedicated to Tony Livesey.

derek

Just been listening to this,one of the best civil rights records imo....................

Salem Travelers-Give Me Liberty Or Death Checker

Cheers

Martyn

Allways loved the lyrics to this one

Thank you! That is simply brilliant and proves how fantastic great lyrics can be:

"....never a frown, always a smile

When he says to me how is my child"

I absolutely love that record, is it a single? Would it be hard to find? Has anybody got it for sale?

ditto both comments here,...its a lump in the throat tune and o c's version really captures the essence

"he married mama and took us in, now we belong to the man with that big wide grin"

the passing reference to "the war" and how it had left the family bereft and then the happy ending,

.....WOW! just a fantastic tune, great story and sublimnal orchestration.

do you know what?........actually this particular discussion accentuates the obvious difference between the virtual world of pop music today and the reality of soul music as we know it......THAT THE BRAIN-DEAD YOUTH OF TODAY ARE TOTALLY INCAPABLE OF WRITING A SONG WITH ANY TRUTHFUL, HEARTFELT MEANING, AND THE ONLY FORM OF MUSIC WITH REALISM AND SANITY IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO FOR 5 DECADES OR MORE AND WILL TIL WE HANG UP OUR BOOTS!.

Oh here I sit in this lonesome room

With nothing but the smell of sweet perfume

One silk stocking lying on the chair

A yellow ribbon that your wore in your hair

and

A sink full of dishes, you used to do

Dust lying on a table top or two

One single hairpin lying on the floor

A lonely little doggy crying at the door

Brilliant Stuff, it paints a great picture of a lazy man missing his woman for all the wrong reasons.

John and The Wierdest: Can't get over these memories

Mavis Staples "Love Gone Bad" (US Phono) released 1983.

"Building relationships takes alot of time, alot of your heart, much more of your mind".

Pure soul real soul call it what you want.

derek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN3VCOs1QAA

Edited February 5, 201213 yr by Derek Pearson

There are lots of interesting lyrics in "Strange Fruit" sung by many (but my favourite is Billie Holliday's version). Although it is a bit painful, as I stay part-time in USA, and I still have to witness terrible racism that still exists there. When I visited thee in 1952, I saw a sign on a beach there (in Indiana) that said that I was not allowed to set foot on it (neither were dogs, nor "Ni-----"(people with black skin). Indiana is where the KKK was first formed).

I do like these lyrics:

"She can be covered with a rash.....

Long as she's got some cash. "

Magnificent 7 "Never will I" (Dial)

The way this 6 man group sing "So close a breeze can't blow between us, so tight you couldn't part us with a tommy gun" is just brilliant.

Turns up about 1:45 mins in.

Dedicated to Tony Livesey.

derek

Fantastic call Derek and also for me Tommy Fontera,Leading Lady.(match that Shakespere) Billy Stewarts Look Back And Smile and for the moment Smokey's What Ever Makes You Happy

ARTHUR PRYSOCK..........."BEFORE YOU BREAK MY HEART " THE ABSOLUTE KILLER FOR ME and SAM COOKE .......... "A CHANGE IS GONNA COME " ..and ........."CHAINGANG" .......ez

great topic that come around often...

Gil Scott Heron lyrics and song but also sung by Esther Phillips.. Love both versions... The line " home is where the needle marks, try to heal my broken heart", the day i heard these lyrics for the first time have stuck with me always, it just ripped my guts out... Full lyrics below from a true poet, enjoy...

Home Is Where The Hatred Is....

A junkie walking through the twilight

I'm on my way home

I left three days ago, but noone seems to know i'm gone

Home is where the hatred is

Home is filled with pain and it,

might not be such a bad idea if i never, never went home again

stand as far away from me as you can and ask me why

hang on to your rosary beads

close your eyes to watch me die

you keep saying, kick it, quit it, kick it, quit it

God, but did you ever try

to turn your sick soul inside out

so that the world, so that the world

can watch you die

home is where i live inside my white powder dreams

home was once an empty vacuum that's filled now with my silent screams

home is where the needle marks

try to heal my broken heart

and it might not be such a bad idea if i never, if i never went home again

Edited February 6, 201213 yr by little-stevie

"open the door to your heart" Darrell Banks

Sublime

Bobby Wilburn--"I'M A DREAMER"

do you know what?........actually this particular discussion accentuates the obvious difference between the virtual world of pop music today and the reality of soul music as we know it......THAT THE BRAIN-DEAD YOUTH OF TODAY ARE TOTALLY INCAPABLE OF WRITING A SONG WITH ANY TRUTHFUL, HEARTFELT MEANING, AND THE ONLY FORM OF MUSIC WITH REALISM AND SANITY IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO FOR 5 DECADES OR MORE AND WILL TIL WE HANG UP OUR BOOTS!.

I think the current generation of music is, if anything, more "truthful" and "real" as it's super explicit about things like sex that previous music only hinted at. It's less poetic though.

lyrics in this one always does it for me

Hesitations - Is This The Way To Treat A Girl. It's not just the lyrics, it's the way they are sung. Proper rip your heart out stuff.

One of my fave lines in a song is right at the end of Chuck Holiday - Just Can't Trust Nobody ...

"That low down dirty dog just stole my woman"

Good call Joan, I allways screw the volume up to get that line out on the fade :thumbsup:

M.

Oh here I sit in this lonesome room

With nothing but the smell of sweet perfume

One silk stocking lying on the chair

A yellow ribbon that your wore in your hair

and

A sink full of dishes, you used to do

Dust lying on a table top or two

One single hairpin lying on the floor

A lonely little doggy crying at the door

Brilliant Stuff, it paints a great picture of a lazy man missing his woman for all the wrong reasons.

John and The Wierdest: Can't get over these memories

A Bit harsh mate, maybe he's so devastated he cant function since she left

Never been able to make out any of those lyrics though having been listening to the record for over 30 years

Nice one

Edited February 7, 201213 yr by Steve L

Allways loved the lyrics to this one

Yep always loved this ,bought live at carnegie and the intro is fantastic

I've always liked the bit in Heart Trouble when the plumber tells him the water on his floor isnt from a leaking sink but from his tears!

A Bit harsh mate, maybe he's so devastated he cant function she she left

Never been able to make out any of those lyrics though having been listening to the record for over 30 years

Nice one

I've always wanted to believe that those words were written 'tongue in cheek' to demonstrate how much some men take their woman for granted. Those days are over now of course

Either way, it's pure poetry. I'm pleased that you've now learned what the lyrics actually are.

"I came across your maiden name...and I shook" Ouch!