Composed by “Hoagy” Carmichael, the American composer, pianist, singer, actor and bandleader and with the lyrics written by Stuart Gorrell (they were the only lyrics he ever wrote – he went on to become a banker and never wrote another lyric in his life) in 1930, “Georgia On My Mind” is a song closely associated with the cover version by the American musician, Ray Charles, a native of Georgia, who recorded it for his 1960 album ‘The Genius Hits The Road’. In 1979 it became the official state song of the State of Georgia.
The song was first recorded in New York in September 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael and His Orchestra and has been covered over the years by numerous artists such as Dean Martin, Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller, Michael Buble, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Tom Jones, The Righteous Brothers, Crystal Gayle, Coldplay, Michael Bolton and Van Morrison, amongst others.
Georgia, Georgia,
The whole day through
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind
I'm say Georgia
Georgia
A song of you
Comes as sweet and clear
As moonlight through the pines
Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The road leads back to you
I said
Georgia,
Ooh Georgia, no peace I find
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind
Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The road leads back to you
Georgia,
Georgia,
No peace, no peace I find
Just this old, sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind
I said just an old sweet song,
Keeps Georgia on my mind
A popular music song written by Harold Arlen with the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, “Come Rain or Come Shine” was written for the musical St. Louis Woman and was published in 1946. The original recordings were made in 1946 by Sy Oliver, with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Dinah Shore, Helen Forrest, Dick Haymes and Margaret Whiting, but the song did not make the charts in the period following its initial publication.
After 1946, the song was recorded by numerous artists throughout the decades,
James Booker performed it live in 1977 and Billie Holiday recorded it seven years before she died. James Brown, Judy Garland, Jerry Lewis, Ray Charles, Jack Kerouac, Petula Clark, Liza Minelli, Barbara Streisand and Ella Fitzgerald all recorded versions of the song through the 1950s and 1960s.
I'm gonna' love you, like nobody's loved you
Come rain or come shine
High as a mountain, deep as a river
Come rain or come shine
I guess when you met me
It was just one of those things
But don't you ever bet me
Cause' I'm gonna' be true if you let me
You're gonna' love me, like nobody's loved me
Come rain or come shine
We'll be happy together, unhappy together
Now won't that be fine
The days may be cloudy or sunny
We're in or out of the money
But I'm with you always
I'm with you rain or shine
Elton John’s first solo UK number one hit was a simple and sublime love song with a message about the importance of fidelity. Written during his tour de force partnership with Bernie Taupin, ‘Sacrifice’ is one of Elton’s best known hits, yet it was along hard road to the five weeks it spent at the top of the charts in 1990.
Originally released in 1989, ‘Sacrifice’ stalled at number 55 in the UK charts before British DJ Steve Wright began to feature it on his popular afternoon show. The song was re-released in 1990 as a double-A side with ‘Healing Hands’ and topped the chart that summer, both songs also feature on the album ‘Sleeping With The Past’, which was also initially panned by critics but is now regarded among some of the song-writing duo’s best work.
Some have interpreted ‘Sacrifice’ as a song about the end of a relationship but, as Taupin explained in an interview with ‘Music Connection’ magazine: ‘It’s a simple lyric, but it’s an intelligent, adult lyric. It’s basically about the rigors of adult love.’ Taupin also rates it as one of the best songs he has ever written and with regular airtime on radio stations it’s gentle and memorable melody have made ‘Sacrifice’ an instantly recognisable, timeless classic.
It's a human sign
When things go wrong
When the scent of her lingers
And temptation's strong
Into the boundary
Of each married man
Sweet deceit comes calling
And negativity lands
Cold, cold heart
Hard done by you
Some things look better, baby
Just passing through
And it's no sacrifice
Just a simple word
It's two hearts living
In two separate worlds
But it's no sacrifice
No sacrifice
It's no sacrifice at all
Mutual misunderstanding
After the fact
Sensitivity builds a prison
In the final act
We lose direction
No stone unturned
No tears to damn you
When jealousy burns
It’s hard to imagine now that the O’Jays were considering quitting the music business just a few months before they landed their first and only number one record with the 1973 hit ‘Love Train’. Written and produced by the great Leon Huff and Kenny Gamble it launched the O’Jays to the forefront of the burgeoning Philadelphia soul scene and became one of the most instantly recognisable sounds of the seventies.
The song is an upbeat plea for global harmony written at a key time in history as the war in Vietnam was ending, relations between the west and China began to ease and tensions began to rise in the middle east. The song tours these hotspots with a simple message to join hands and spread the love and has also become an anthem for couples celebrating their love.
Considered by some a sleeper hit because of it’s enduring status, ‘Love Train’ has never gone away and over the years the song has been covered many times by artists as diverse as the Rolling Stones and Kylie Minogue and lead to many more hit songs from the O’Jay’s through the seventies and a performing career which lasts to the present day.
In 2005 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, proving that the ‘Love Train’ keeps rolling to this day!
People all over the world (everybody)
Join hands (join)
Start a love train, love train
People all over the world (all the world, now)
Join hands (love ride)
Start a love train (love ride), love train
The next stop that we make will be
England
Tell all the folks in Russia, and China, too
Don't you know that it's time to get on board
And let this train keep on riding, riding on through
Well, well
People all over the world (you don't need no money)
Join hands (come on)
Start a love train, love train (don't need no ticket, come on)
People all over the world ( ride this train)
(Ride this train, y'all)
Start a love train (Come on, train), love train
All of you brothers over in Africa
Tell all the folks in Egypt, and Israel, too
Please don't miss this train at the station
'Cause if you miss it, I feel sorry, sorry for you
Well
People all over the world (Sisters and brothers)
Join hands (join, come on)
Start a love train (ride this train, y'all), love train (Come on)
People all over the world (Don't need no tickets)
Join hands (come on, ride)
Start a love train, love train
Ride, let it ride
Let it ride
Let it ride
People, get on board.
People all over the world (on this train)
Join in (ride the train)
Start a love train, love train (ride the train, y'all)
People all over the world (come on)
Join hands (you can ride or stand, yeah)
Start a love train, love train (makin' love)
People all over the world ('round the world, y'all)
Join hands (come on)
Start a love train, love train
