DJ Allyn – The Soundtrack for my Life

Spirit in the Sky ~ Norman Greenbaum  

Norman Greenbaum, most famous for his 1969 song, “Spirit in the Sky”, studied music at Boston University.  Greenbaum has the rare achievment of having recorded TWO “one-hit wonders”.  In 1968, under the name Dr. West’s Medicine Show and Junk Band, he recorded the novelty hit “The Eggplant that Ate Chicago”.

Where is he now?

Over the years, there have been rumors of his demise, stories of living on the streets, working in a fast food joint, and one that even claimed that he was D.B. Cooper.

The reality is that he currently lives in Northern California, and lives off the royalties Spirit in the Sky has earned him.  He owns and operates a website that he still answers fan mail in such a way that proves that he has a great sense of humor.

Spirit in the Sky

Just as I remember the 45RPM record

Greenbaum had previously been a member of psychedelic jug band Dr. West’s Medicine Show and Junk Band. When they split up he won a solo contract with producer Erik Jacobsen, who had previously worked successfully with The Lovin’ Spoonful. He was inspired to write the song after watching Porter Wagoner on TV singing a gospel song. Greenbaum later said : “I thought, ‘Yeah, I could do that,’ knowing nothing about gospel music, so I sat down and wrote my own gospel song. It came easy. I wrote the words in 15 minutes.”

“Spirit in the Sky” contains lyrics about the afterlife, making several references to Jesus. However, Greenbaum, who identifies himself as Jewish, stated that he had no particular religious intentions with the song. He simply wanted to reach a bigger market. In fact, the line “Never been a sinner, I never sinned” runs counter to the Christian concept of sin.

http://djallyn.org/media/Norman_Greenbaum-Spirit_in_the_Sky.flv

When I die and they lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place that’s the best
When I lay me down to die
Goin’ up to the spirit in the sky
Goin’ up to the spirit in the sky
That’s where I’m gonna go when I die
When I die and they lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place that’s the best

Prepare yourself you know it’s a must
Gotta have a friend in Jesus
So you know that when you die
He’s gonna recommend you
To the spirit in the sky
Gonna recommend you
To the spirit in the sky
That’s where you’re gonna go when you die
When you die and they lay you to rest
You’re gonna go to the place that’s the best

Never been a sinner I never sinned
I got a friend in Jesus
So you know that when I die
He’s gonna set me up with
The spirit in the sky
Oh set me up with the spirit in the sky
That’s where I’m gonna go when I die
When I die and they lay me to rest
I’m gonna go to the place that’s the best
Go to the place that’s the best

Eggplant that ate Chicago

Garden Party ~ Ricky Nelson  

Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, he was the younger son of Ozzie Nelson, the leader of a big band, and Harriet Hilliard Nelson, the band’s singer. Along with brother David Nelson, the family starred in the long-running radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet from 1944 to 1954 on the radio, and 1952 to 1966 on television. However, David and Ricky Nelson did not join the cast until 1949; for the first five years of the radio show, the sons were played by professional actors.

Despite the promotional aspects of his career, it is clear that Nelson knew and loved music, and was a creditable performer before he became a teen idol, largely due to his parents’ musical background. In addition to guitar, he also played drums and the clarinet. (He showcased his drum skills in the same episode where he made his singing debut.) Unlike many teen idols of the time, Nelson showed his personal taste in working with strong musicians, including James Burton, Joe Maphis, The Jordanaires, and Johnny and Dorsey Burnette. While Elvis may have served as the catalyst for Rick’s musical career, his real inspiration came from none other than Carl Perkins.

From 1957 to 1962, Nelson had thirty Top-40 hits, more than any other artist at the time except Elvis Presley (who had 53) and Pat Boone (who had 38). Many of Nelson’s early records were double hits with both the A side and the B side hitting the Billboard charts. When Billboard introduced the Hot 100 chart on August 4, 1958, Nelson’s single “Poor Little Fool” became the first song ever in the #1 position on that chart.

While Nelson preferred rockabilly and uptempo rock songs like “Hello Mary Lou”, “It’s Late”, “Stood Up”, and “Be-Bop Baby”, his smooth, calm voice made him a natural to sing ballads. He had major success with “Travelin’ Man”, “Poor Little Fool”, “Young World”, “Lonesome Town”, and “Teenage Idol”, which clearly could have been about Nelson himself at the time. (It was Life magazine that reputedly coined the phrase “teen idol” in an article it did about Nelson in 1959).

In addition to his recording career, Nelson also appeared in movies, including Rio Bravo with John Wayne and Dean Martin (1959), The Wackiest Ship In the Army (1960), and Love and Kisses (1965).

On May 8, 1961 (his 21st birthday), Nelson officially changed his recording name from “Ricky Nelson” to “Rick Nelson”. However, not too long before his untimely death, Rick realized a dream of his, when he met his idol, Carl Perkins, who, while musing that they were the last of the “rockabilly breed”, called Nelson “Ricky”. As the story goes, Nelson felt somehow validated by Perkins calling him by the name he stopped using at age 21. He then contacted his manager, who was then instructed to restore the “y” to his name.

In 1963, Nelson signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records, but he had no further major hits after 1964’s “For You”. In the mid-1960s, he began to move towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre. As a result, he was one of the early influences of the so-called “California Sound” (which would include singers like Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, and other bands like The Eagles). Yet Nelson himself did not reach the Top 40 again until 1970, when he recorded Bob Dylan’s “She Belongs to Me” with the Stone Canyon Band. This most likely included drummer Kevin Edwards, who still lives to tell his story today. In 1972, Nelson reached the Top 40 one last time with “Garden Party”, a song he wrote in disgust after a Madison Square Garden audience booed him when he tried playing new songs instead of just his old hits from the 1950s and 1960s. “Garden Party” reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and was certified as a gold single. (Coincidentally, “Garden Party” was a hit at the same time Elvis Presley was having his last Top-10 single, “Burning Love”, as was Chuck Berry with “My Ding-a-Ling”. (Berry is among the musicians alluded to in the lyrics of “Garden Party”.)

In 1985, Nelson joined a nostalgia rock tour of England. It was a major success, and it revived some interest in his work. He tried to duplicate that effect in the United States, and he began a tour of the South. While on that tour, on his way to a New Year’s Eve concert in Dallas, Texas, he died in a plane crash in De Kalb, Texas. Nelson was buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. The last song he sang on stage before his death was Buddy Holly’s “Rave On.” Holly had also perished in a plane crash.

Garden Party

On October 15, 1971, a Rock ‘n Roll Revival concert was given at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The playbill included many greats of the early rock era, including Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and Bobby Rydell. Also included was Ricky Nelson, who had dropped the diminutive of his youth and now preferred to be called Rick.

Nelson came on stage dressed in the then-current fashion, wearing bell-bottoms and a purple velvet shirt, with his hair hanging down to his shoulders. He started playing his older songs “Hello Mary Lou” and “She Belongs To Me”, but, then, he played the Rolling Stones hit song “Honky Tonk Woman” and the crowd began to boo. While some reports say that the booing was caused by police action in the back of the audience, Nelson took it personally and left the stage. He watched the rest of the concert backstage and did not take his final bow for the finale.

I went to a garden party
to reminisce with my old friends
A chance to share old memories
and play our songs again
When I got to the garden party,
they all knew my name
No one recognized me,
I didn’t look the same

But it’s all right now,
I learned my lesson well.
See you can’t please everyone
so you got to please yourself

People came from miles around,
everyone was there
Yoko brought her walrus,
there was magic in the air
‘n’ over in the corner,
much to my surprise
Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan’s shoes wearing his disguise

But it’s all right now,
I learned my lesson well.
See you can’t please everyone
so you got to please yourself

lott-in-dah-dah, lot-in-dah-dah-dah

Played them all the old songs,
thought that’s why they came
No one heard the music,
we didn’t look the same
I said hello to “Mary Lou”,
she belongs to me
When I sang a song about a honky-tonk,
it was time to leave

But it’s all right now,
I learned my lesson well.
See you can’t please everyone
so you got to please yourself

lot-dah-dah (lot-dah-dah-dah)
lot-in-dah-dah-dah

Someone opened up a closet door
and out stepped Johnny B. Goode
Playing guitar like a-ringin’ a bell
and lookin’ like he should
If you gotta play at garden parties,
I wish you a lotta luck
But if memories were all I sang,
I’d rather drive a truck

And it’s all right now,
I learned my lesson well.
See you can’t please everyone
so you got to please yourself

lot-dah-dah (lot-dah-dah-dah)
lot-in-dah-dah-dah

And it’s all right now,
I learned my lesson well
See you can’t please everyone
so you got to please yourself

�

Hello Mary Lou
I Got a Woman
Teenage Idol

From the Ozzie and Harriet Show

Hello Mary Lou
Hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart
Sweet Mary Lou I’m so in love with you
I knew Mary Lou, we’d never part
So hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart

Passed me by one sunny day
Flashed those big brown eyes my way
I knew I wanted you forever more
Now I’m not one that gets around
Swear my feet stuck to the ground
And ‘though I never did meet you before

I said hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart
Sweet Mary Lou I’m so in love with you
I knew Mary Lou, we’d never part
So hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart

I saw your lips I heard your voice
Believe me I just had no choice
Wild horses couldn’t make me stay away
I thought about a moonlit night
Arms around you good and tight
That’s all I had to see for me to say

Hey hey
Hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart
Sweet Mary Lou I’m so in love with you
I knew Mary Lou, we’d never part
So hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart
Yes hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart
Hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart

I Got A Woman
I got a woman, way over town
She’s good to me, aw yeah
Well I got a woman, way over town
She’s good to me, woh yeah

Oh she’s my baby, don’t you understand
Yes, and I’m her lovin’ man
I got a woman, way over town
She’s good to me, aw yeah

She’s saved her lovin’, kissin and a huggin’
Aw just for me, aw yeah
She’s saved her lovin’, kissin and a huggin’
Baby just for me, woh yeah

Aw she’s my baby, don’t you understand
Yes, and I’m her lovin’ man
I got a woman, way over town
I said a she’s alright, woh yeah

She’s saved her lovin’, kissin and a huggin’
Aw just for me, aw yeah
She’s saved her lovin’, kissin and a huggin’
Baby just for me, aw yeah

Aw she’s my baby, don’t you understand
Yes, and I’m her lovin’ man
I got a woman, way over town
I said a she’s alright,
Alright, yeah, yeah alright
Aw, aw alright, yeah, yeah alright
Aw, aw alright

I gotta woman, way over town now
She’s good to me, yeah, yeah, yeah

Teenage Idol
Some people call me a teenage idol
Some people say they envy me
I guess they got no way of knowing
How lonesome I can be

I need somebody to be my baby
Someone to tell my troubles to
I’ve got no time to ever find her
Cause I’m just passing through

I travel around from town to lonely town
I guess I’ll always be just a rolling stone
If I find fortune and fame and lots of people know my name
That won’t mean a thing if I’m all alone

I get no rest when I’m feeling weary
I got to pack my bags and go
I got to be somewhere tomorrow
To smile and do my show

I travel around from town to lonely town
I guess I’ll always be just a rolling stone
If I find fortune and fame and lots of people know my name
That won’t mean a thing if I’m all alone

Some people call me a teenage idol
Some people say they envy me
I guess they got no way of knowing
How lonesome I can be
How lonesome I can be

Tubthumping ~ Chumbawamba  

Chumbawamba are an English band that started out playing Anarcho-punk, but over a 25-year career have gone on to play music ranging from pop-influenced dance music and world music to acoustic folk music. The band are best known for their song “Tubthumping” and are generally influenced by anarchist political stances and an irreverent attitude to authority.

Tubthumping

Chumbawama The song addresses themes such as being defeated, but rising again:

I get knocked down, but I get up again; you’re never gonna keep me down

The liner notes on the album Tubthumper, from which “Tubthumping” was the first single, puts the song in a radical context, quoting a UK anti-road protester, Paris 1968 graffiti, details about the famous McLibel case and the short story “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner”. The album version of the song opens with a sample of a monologue performed by Pete Postlethwaite in the movie Brassed Off:

Truth is, I thought it mattered. I thought that music mattered. But does it? Bollocks! Not compared to how people matter.

Near the end of the song, the melody of the Prince of Denmark’s March is played on a horn.

(We’ll be singing, when we’re winning, we’ll be singing)

I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down

(Pissing the night away, pissing the night away)
He drinks a Whiskey drink, he drinks a Vodka drink
He drinks a Lager drink, he drinks a Cider drink
He sings the songs that remind him of the good times
He sings the songs that remind him of the better times
(Oh Danny Boy, Danny Boy, Danny Boy)

I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down

(Pissing the night away, pissing the night away)
He drinks a Whiskey drink, he drinks a Vodka drink
He drinks a Lager drink, he drinks a Cider drink
He sings the songs that remind him of the good times
He sings the songs that remind him of the better times
(Don’t cry for me, next door neighbour)

I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down

I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing) but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing) but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing) but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing) but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)

Cult Of Personality ~ Living Colour  

Living Colour is an American hard rock band formed in New York City in 1983 by guitarist Vernon Reid. They rose to fame with their debut album Vivid in 1988. Stylistically their music is a creative fusion influenced by heavy metal, funk, guitar-based rock, free jazz, hardcore punk and hip hop. While being labeled “unique” by the mainstream media, they were linked to the funk metal movement of the late 1980s typified by bands such as Fishbone, Jane’s Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More, Primus, and 24-7 Spyz. Although the band scored a number of hits, they are best remembered for their anthemic single “Cult of Personality”, which won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1989, and “Type” – their highest charting single.

Cult Of Personality

The song begins with an edited quote from the beginning of a speech by Malcolm X. As it appears in the song, the quote is:

“. . . And during the few moments that we have left, . . . We want to talk right down to earth in a language that everybody here can easily understand.”

The unabridged beginning of the speech is:

“…And during the few moments that we have left, we want to have just an off-the-cuff chat between you and me — us. We want to talk right down to earth in a language that everybody here can easily understand.”

John F. Kennedy is quoted, saying “Ask not what your country can do for you,” and the song ends with Franklin D. Roosevelt saying “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

And during the few moments that we have left
I’m gonna talk right down to earth
In a language that everybody here can easily understand…

Look in my eyes, what do you see?
the Cult of Personality
I know your anger, I know your dreams
I’ve been everything you wanna be ohhh’
I’m the Cult of Personality
Like Mussolini and Kennedy
I’m the Cult of Personality
the Cult of Personality
the Cult of Personality

Neon lights, Nobel Prize
When a mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You won’t have to follow me
Only you can set me free

I sell the things you need to be
I’m the smiling face of your T.V. ohh’
I’m the Cult of Personality
I exploit you; still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three ohh’
I’m the Cult of Personality
Like Joseph Stalin and Gandhi ohh’
I’m the Cult of Personality
the Cult of Personality
the Cult of Personality

Neon lights, Nobel Prize
When a leader speaks, that leader dies
You won’t have to follow me
Only you can set you free

You gave me fortune, you gave me fame
You gave me power in your God’s name
I’m every person you need to be ohh’
I’m the cult of personality
I’m the cult of
I’m the cult of
I’m the cult of
I’m the cult of
I’m the cult of
I’m the cult of
I’m the cult of
I’m the cult of
personality

Ask not what your country can do for you.

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

More Than a Feeling ~ Boston  

The origins of the band are now shrouded in mystery thanks to later conflicts between Tom Scholz and the other band members. The classic lineup of guitarists Tom Scholz and Barry Goudreau, vocalist/guitarist Brad Delp, bassist Fran Sheehan and drummer Sib Hashian didn’t fully crystalize until the band was signed by Epic Records. However, the five musicians had been working together throughout the early 1970s.

Boston began when Tom Scholz, an MIT engineering graduate who worked at Polaroid answered a newspaper ad placed by guitarist Barry Goudreau, seeking a keyboard player for a band called “Mothers Milk.” (Scholz was predominantly a keyboard player at the time, although he developed rapidly as a guitar player during Boston’s early years.)

Scholz made many recordings at his home studio with the future members of Boston, as well as drummer Jim Masdea (with whom Scholz played in a prior band), and singer Ron Patti from the band Boston Creme. The roots of the first album were created in these early demo sessions with songs such as “More Than a Feeling,” “Hitch a Ride,” “Peace of Mind,” “Foreplay/Long Time” and “Rock & Roll Band.” Scholz soon became frustrated with the limitations of the technology at the time and his inability to capture the sound he wanted, so he began building and designing his own equipment.

The first tapes Scholz produced were rejected by the record labels. A second set of tapes with Scholz on guitar, newly hired singer Brad Delp on vocals and Masdea on drums drew the attention of executives at Epic Records, a division of CBS. The label was dissatisfied with Masdea’s performance, so he was replaced by Sib Hashian. The label also insisted that Scholz re-record the demo tapes in a professional studio with a full band, which led to the hiring of bassist Fran Sheehan. With the exception of “Let Me Take You Home Tonight,” which was recorded in California, Scholz re-recorded the other seven tracks in his home studio.

Lead singer Brad Delp took his own life March 9, 2007, at his home in Atkinson, New Hampshire. Police found Delp dead in his bathroom. Police Lt. William Baldwin called the death “untimely” and said that no foul play was indicated. Delp was alone at the time of his death according to the police report. According to a New Hampshire TV website, Delp was preparing for a summer tour and marriage. His family later revealed that his death was a charcoal-burning suicide and that he was found by his fiancee. Associated Press reported that, according to the New Hampshire medical examiner, Delp’s death was the result of suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning as evidenced by carboxyhemoglobin.

More Than a Feeling

I woke up this morning and the sun was gone,
Turned on some music to start my day.
I lost myself in a familiar song,
I closed my eyes and I slipped away.

It’s more than a feeling (more than a feeling)
When I hear that old song they used to play (more than a feeling).
I begin dreaming (more than a feeling)
Till I see Marianne walk away.
I see my Marianne walking away.

So many people have come and gone,
Their faces fade as the years go by;
Yet I still recall as I wander on,
As clear as the sun in the summer sky.

It’s more than a feeling (more than a feeling)
When I hear that old song they used to play (more than a feeling).
I begin dreaming (more than a feeling)
Till I see Marianne walk away.
I see my Marianne walking away.

When I’m tired and thinking cold
I hide in my music, forget the day,
And dream of a girl I used to know.
I closed my eyes and she slipped away.

She slipped away.

It’s more than a feeling (more than a feeling)
When I hear that old song they used to play (more than a feeling).
I begin dreaming (more than a feeling)
Till I see Marianne walk away.
I see my Marianne walking away.

Sultans of Swing ~ Dire Straits  

Dire Straits was a British rock band, formed in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (guitar and vocals), his brother David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass), and Pick Withers (drums), and subsequently managed by Ed Bicknell. Although the band was formed in an era when punk rock reigned, Dire Straits worked within the conventions of classic rock, albeit with a stripped-down sound that appealed to modern audiences weary of the overproduced stadium rock of the 1970s. In their early days, Mark and David requested that pub owners turn down the amps so that patrons could converse while the band played — indicative of their unassuming demeanor. Despite this oddly self-effacing approach to rock and roll, Dire Straits soon became hugely successful.

Dire Straits chose their name mainly due to the financial conditions the four band members were in at the time.

Sultans of Swing

Sultans of Swing” was the first single release of the British rock band Dire Straits. It was first recorded as a demo, and quickly acquired a following after it was put in the rotation at Radio London. It did not take long for the popularity to find its way to record executives, and Dire Straits were offered a contract with Phonogram, a British record company. The song was then re-recorded and released in both the United Kingdom and the United States, though the demo version remained on the original UK Vertigo single. It entered the American music pop charts in early-1979. Unusually, the success of this single release came more than six months after the relatively unheralded release of the band’s debut album in October of 1978; the song reached the top 10 in both the UK and the U.S., and helped drive sales of the album, which also became a hit.

You get a shiver in the dark
It’s raining in the park but meantime
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
A band is blowin’ Dixie double four time
You feel alright when you hear that music ring

And now you step inside but you don’t see too many faces
Comin’ in out of the rain you hear the jazz go down
Competition in other places
Oh but the horns they blowin’ that sound
Way on down south, way on down south London town

You check out Guitar George, he knows all the chords
Mind he’s strictly rhythm he doesn’t wanna make it cry or sing
Yes and an old guitar is all he can afford
When he gets up under the lights to play his thing

And Harry doesn’t mind if he doesn’t make the scene
He’s got a daytime job, he’s doin’ alright
He can play the honky tonk like anything
Savin’ it up for Friday night
With the Sultans… with the Sultans of Swing

And a crowd of young boys they’re fooling around in the corner
Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies and their platform soles
They don’t give a damn about any trumpet playing band
It ain’t what they call rock and roll
And the Sultans… yeah the Sultans play Creole

And then the man he steps right up to the microphone
And says at last just as the time bell rings
‘Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
And he makes it fast with one more thing
‘We are the Sultans… We are the Sultans of Swing’

Takin Care of Business ~ Bachman-Turner Overdrive  

Bachman-Turner Overdrive (frequently known as BTO) is a Canadian rock group from Winnipeg, Manitoba, that enjoyed a string of hit albums and singles in the 1970s.

The precursor to BTO was the band Brave Belt formed in Winnipeg in 1971 by Randy Bachman and Chad Allan, both formerly of The Guess Who, and drummer Robin “Robbie” Bachman. Randy initially planned to just produce the album for Allan, but eventually both he and Robbie stepped in to provide much of the instrumental work. When the record label wanted them to tour, Randy called fellow Winnipeg bassist/vocalist C.F. “Fred” Turner to perform in the band’s scheduled gigs by the suggestion of Neil Young.

The band had already mulled over using their surnames (à la Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young). While on their way back from a gig in Toronto, the group had spotted a copy of a trucker’s magazine called Overdrive at a Windsor truckstop, after which Turner wrote “Bachman-Turner Overdrive” and the initials “B.T.O.” on a serviette. The rest of the band decided the addition of “Overdrive” was the perfect way to describe their music.

Takin’ Care of Business

Randy Bachman wrote Takin’ Care of Business while still a member of The Guess Who.  His original idea was to write about a recording technician who worked on The Guess Who’s recordings. This particular technician would take the 8:15 train to get to work, inspiring the lyrics “catch the 8:15 to the city.” The standard uniform worn by technicians at the studio was a white collared shirt, which gave Randy the name “White Collar Worker.”

The guitar riff Randy had arranged for the song was blatantly that of The Beatles’ “Paperback Writer.” When Randy first played this for Burton Cummings, Burton declared that he was ashamed of him.

Sometime later Randy was driving and listening to the radio when he heard that particular radio show’s catch phrase “Takin’ Care of Business.” After this he rewrote the lyrics to “White Collar Worker” with a new chorus and the title “Takin’ Care of Business.” Along with this he wrote a new guitar riff, which was simply a I-VII-IV progression, played with a shuffle. (though the I-VII-IV progression is quite common, the riff became quite famous) The was recorded by Bachman-Turner Overdrive for their second album Bachman-Turner Overdrive II. It would reach #12 on Billboard and become B.T.O.’s most well known song.

You get up every morning from your alarm clock’s warning
Take the 8:15 into the city
There’s a whistle up above and people pushin’, people shovin’
And the girls who try to look pretty

And if your train’s on time, you can get to work by nine
And start your slaving job and get your pay
And if you ever get annoyed, look at me I’m self-employed
I love to work at nothing all day

And we’ll be taking care of business everyday
Taking care of business every way
I’ve been taking care of business, it’s alright
Taking care of business and working overtime, work out

If it were easy as fishin’, you could be a musician
If you could make sounds loud or mellow
Get a second-hand guitar, chances are you’ll go far
If you get in with the right bunch of fellows

People see you having fun just a-lying in the sun
You tell them that you like it this way
It’s the work that we avoid and we’re all self-employed
We love to work at nothing all day

And we been taking care of business everyday
Taking care of business every way
We’ve been taking care of business, it’s alright
Taking care of business and working overtime, work out

Taking care

They get up every morning from your alarm clock’s warning
Take the 8:15 into the city
There’s a whistle up above and people pushin’, people shovin’
And the girls who always look pretty

And if your train’s on time, you can get to work by nine
And start your slaving job and get your pay
Well, if you ever get annoyed, look at me, I’m self-employed
I love to work at nothing all day

And I’ll be taking care of business everyday
Taking care of business every way
I’ve been taking care of business, it’s alright
Taking care of business and working overtime, work out

Takin’ care of business, alright
Takin’ care of business
Takin’ care of business

Takin’ care of business, everyday
Takin’ care of business, ba-ba-baby
Takin’ care of business, it’s all mine
Takin’ care of business

And we’ll be takin’ care of business all night long
There’s business to be done

Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) ~ Green Day  

In 1987, 14 year old friends Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt formed a band called Sweet Children. The first Sweet Children show took place on October 17, 1987, at Rod’s Hickory Pit in Vallejo, California where Armstrong’s mother was working. In 1988, Armstrong and Dirnt began working with former Isocracy drummer, John Kiffmeyer (also known as Al Sobrante). Kiffmeyer served as both the bands drummer and business manager, handling the booking of shows and helping the band establish a fan base.

Larry Livermore, owner of Lookout! Records, saw the band play an early show and signed them to his label. In 1989 they recorded their first EP, 1,000 Hours. Before 1,000 Hours was released, the band dropped the name Sweet Children, according to Livermore this was done in order to avoid confusion with another local band Sweet Baby. The band adopted the name Green Day, allegedly due to their fondness of marijuana.

Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)

Originally a “B-side” song on the Insomniac album, in an interview in Guitar Legends magazine in May of 2005, Billie Armstrong said:

“At the time I wrote Good Riddance, I was breaking up with a girl that was moving to Ecuador, and I was trying to be as understanding about it as I could. I wrote the song as kind of a bon voyage. I was trying not to be bitter, but I think it came out a little bit bitter anyway… I thought that calling the song “Time of Your Life” was just a little too level-headed for me, so I had to come up with something different”

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road.
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go.
So make the best of this test, and don’t ask why.
It’s not a question, but a lesson learned in time.

It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind.
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time.
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial.
For what it’s worth, it was worth all the while.

It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right.
I hope you had the time of your life.