A look back this week at some beautiful lyrics from special songs in the past. The reason I chose this subject was hearing of the passing of Roberta Flack aged 88 last week. I am a real singer-songwriter fan, in particular from the 1970s, and I wonder if you share my passion for the words in songs and their meaning? Touching emotions often about love that stay with you for life.

So first up from 1972, written by Ewan MacColl in 1957 for Peggy Seeger, a major international hit for Roberta Flack winning Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Billboard ranked it as the number one Hot 100 single of the year. Roberta Flack had first recorded it on an LP in 1969… just reading the words brings it to life…

‘The first time ever I saw your face; I thought the sun rose in your eyes; and the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave; to the dark and the endless sky; and the first time ever I kissed your mouth I felt the earth move in my hands; like the trembling heart of a captive bird; that was there at my command my love; and the first time ever I lay with you; I felt your heart so close to mine; and I knew our joy would fill the earth and last till the end of time’…

Other really meaningful songs from her included ‘Killing Me Softly’ from 1973 and ‘Feel Like Makin’ Love’ from 1975.

How about love lost? … From 1976, one of my favourites is from Chicago and ‘If You Leave Me Now’…

‘If you leave me now you’ll take away the biggest part of me; ooh-ohh-ohh, no baby please don’t go; and if you leave me now you’ll take away the very heart of me; ohh-ohh-hoo, no; baby please don’t go, ohh-ohh-hoo, girl; I just want you to stay; a love like ours is love that’s hard to find how could we let it slip away?; we’ve come too far to leave it all behind; how could we end it all this way?; when tomorrow comes and we’ll both regret the things we said today; a love like ours is a love that’s hard to find; how could we let it slip away?’

One of the standout poets in singer-songwriting has to be Leonard Cohen. A friend of mine attended his concerts on many occasions, so which of his songs should I choose? … ‘Hallelujah’, ‘Dance Me to the End of Love’ or ‘Suzanne’? … The latter from 1967…

‘Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river; you can hear the boats go by, you can spend the night beside her; and you know that she’s half-crazy, but that’s why you wanna be there; and she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China; and just when you mean to tell her that you have no love to give her; then she gets you on her wavelength and she lets the river answer; that you’ve always been her lover and you wanna travel with her; and you know that she will trust you; for you’ve touched her perfect body with your mind…’

I have been to James Taylor gigs many times over the years, so which lyrics would I choose for today’s piece? … Would it be the tragically autobiographical ‘Fire and Rain’? … No, this time I’ve selected from ‘Tapestry’, Carole King’s beautiful 1971 LP, which she generously shared with James… ‘You’ve Got a Friend’…

‘Ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend; when people can be so cold? They’ll hurt you, yes, and desert you and take your soul if you’ll let them; but don’t let them; you just call out my name and you know wherever I am; I’ll come running to see you again; winter, spring, summer or fall, all you got to do is call; and I’ll be there and yes, I will; you’ve got a friend, you’ve got a friend’…

Most people of my generation were either Beatles or Stones fans but for me, The Kinks always had an edge with great rock records but also such poetic pieces such as ‘Waterloo Sunset’, a number 2 in the UK in 1967. I’m obviously not alone because in the 2021 edition of ‘Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time’, it came in at number 14…

‘Dirty old river must you keep rolling; flowing into the night? People so busy make me feel dizzy; taxi light shines so bright; but I don’t need no friends as long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset I am in paradise; every day I look at the world from my window (sha-la-la) but chilly, chilly is evening time; Waterloo sunset’s fine (Waterloo sunset’s fine) Terry meets Julie, Waterloo station every Friday night’…

Any list of special lyrics should have one at least from The Beatles or from one of the Fab Four… so what have I picked? … Perhaps a little predictable but from the 1971 LP of the same name and as a single in 1975, how could I not include ‘Imagine’?.

The record has sold over 1.7 million copies and more than 200 other artists including Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Joan Baez, Elton John and Diana Ross…

‘Imagine there’s no heaven it’s easy if you try; no hell below us above us only sky; imagine all the people living for today; imagine there’s no countries it isn’t hard to; nothing to kill or die for and no religion too; imagine all the people living life in peace; you may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one; I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will be as one’.

Another artist I have seen (including at the Villa Marina) a number of times is Don McLean, who topped the US charts on my birthday, January 15th, 1972, and stayed at the top for four weeks and became an anthem for many—‘American Pie’:

‘A long, long time ago I can still remember how that music used to make me smile; and I knew if I had my chance that I could make those people dance and maybe they’d be happy for a while; but February made me shiver with every paper I’d deliver—bad news on the doorstep; I couldn’t take one more step.

‘I can’t remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride; but something touched me deep inside the day the music died...’

Let’s finish with one of the multitude of hit records from Hal David and Burt Bacharach, which seems to me to be a timely message. Sung, amongst others, by Dionne Warwick, who I have seen twice—once at the Villa and once in the UK: ‘...what the world needs now is love, sweet love, it’s the only thing that there’s just too little of; what the world needs now is love, sweet love, no, not just for some but for everyone.’

I always appreciate your feedback, so using the usual channels, let me know any songs that I have missed but which mean a lot to you - thanks!