a dream or a song: Your Simply Amazing Stuck in my Head Song(s) of the Day

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Your Simply Amazing Stuck in my Head Song(s) of the Day

So the song I originally heard that got stuck in my head was Crimson and Clover by Tommy James & The Shondells, with it's kind of psychedelic feel and repetition of the same few chords it is very hypnotic. But as I was singing to that song and the chorus my mind wandered as it tends to do to the song that first introduced me to Tommy James & the Shondells, "A Praise Chorus" by Jimmy Eat World.
The song repeats the "Crimson and Clover, over and over" line as a background and so I first associated it with that song and still tend to come back to it whenever I've reminded of those two...entities together. A Praise Chorus actually has quite a great story or backdrop to it (that you can read here) but what is the more visceral appeal to me is the tempo and the "you gotta carpe diem that shit" vibe of the lyrics that always make me want to get up and change something/anything/my life:

Are you gonna
Live your life wonderin’
Standing in the back
Lookin’ around?
Are you gonna
Waste your time
Thinkin' how you’ve grown up
Or how you missed out?
Things are never gonna
Be the way you want
Where's it gonna
Get you acting serious?
Things are never gonna
Be quite what you want
Or even at 25
You gotta start sometime
I’m on my feet
I’m on the floor
I’m good to go
Now all I need is just
To hear a song I know
I wanna always feel like
Part of this was mine
I wanna fall in love tonight
Are you gonna
Live your life
Standing in the back
Looking around?
Are you gonna waste your time?
Gotta make a move
Or you'll miss out
Someone's gonna ask you
What it’s all about
Stick around nostalgia
Won't let you down
Someone's gonna ask you
What it’s all about
Whatcha gonna have
To say for yourself?
I’m on my feet
I’m on the floor
I’m good to go
Now all I need is just
To hear a song I know
I wanna always feel like
Part of this was mine
I wanna fall in love tonight
Crimson and clover
Over and over
Crimson and clover
Over and over
Our house in the
Middle of the street
Why did we ever meet?
Started my rock 'n roll fantasy
Don't don't, don't let's start
Why did we ever part?
Kick start my rock 'n roll’n heart
I’m on my feet
I’m on the floor
I’m good to go
So come on Davey
Sing me somethin’
That I know
I wanna always feel like
Part of this was mine
I wanna fall in love tonight
Here tonight
I wanna always feel like
Part of this was mine
I wanna fall in love tonight

So here's a Stuck in My Head Song of The Day, Jimmy Eat World’s A Praise Chorus

But whenever I hear Crimson and Clover and those mesmerizing repeating chords it reminds me of a version of another song, Sweet Jane by the Cowboy Junkies (originally by Lou Reed.) The songs just sound so similar to me and Sweet Jane is just so, I don't know fragile it's devastating:

Anyone who's ever had a heart
Wouldn't turn around and break it
And anyone who's ever played a part
Wouldn't turn around and hate it

Sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Sweet, sweet Jane
You're waiting
For Jimmy down in the alley
Waiting there
For him to come back home
Waiting down on the corner
And thinking of ways
To get back home

Sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Sweet, sweet Jane
Anyone who's ever had a dream
Anyone who's ever played a part
Anyone who's ever been lonely
And anyone who's ever split apart

Sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Sweet, sweet Jane
Heavenly widened roses
Seem to whisper to me
When you smile
Heavenly widened roses
Seem to whisper to me
When you smile

La la la la, la la la,

Sweet Jane
Sweet, sweet Jane

Here's A(nother) Stuck in My Head Song of The Day, Sweet Jane by Cowboy Junkies

Crimson and Clover and its lyrics

Now I don't hardly know her
But I think I could love her
Crimson and clover

Ah, well if she come walkin' over
Now I been waitin' to show her
Crimson and clover, over and over

Yeah, my, my, such a sweet thing
I wanna do everything
What a beautiful feeling
Crimson and clover, over and over

Named after Tommy James' favorite flower and color and what started it all and brought them all together in my mind, Your Stuck in My Head Song of The Day: Crimson and Clover by Tommy James & The Shondells