Something has to change
Undeniable dilemma
Boredom's not a burden
Anyone should bear
Constant over-stimulation numbs me
But I would not want you any other way

Theme: Food: Strawberry Alarm Clock "Incense and Peppermints"

Released in 1967, "Incense and Peppermints" is psychedelic pop band, Strawberry Alarm Clock's, biggest hit. Though Strawberry Alarm Clock is often seen as a one-hit-wonder, the band made a significant contribution in the development of American 'bubblegum' music.

Theme: Food: The Beatles "Savoy Truffle" and "Wild Honey Pie"

Harrison's "Savoy Truffle" (1968) has been said to have been inspired by good friend, Eric Clapton's, addiction to chocolate. The lines "but when the pain comes through, you're gonna know and how" and "But you'll have to have them all pulled out after the savoy truffle" refer to the possibility of painful cavities.

On the same album we can hear "Wild Honey Pie" (Lennon/McCartney 1968). An...experimental piece.

Theme: Food: Lonnie Donegan "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight)"

I like food, you like food, let's talk about food.

Lonnie Donegan, also known as the 'King of Skiffle', is one of the most influential English artists of the 1950s. Skiffle, a type of music with jazz, country, folk, and blues influences, is usually performed with homemade instruments, making it easy for people to form their own skiffle bands. After Lonnie Donegan shot to stardom in the mid 50s, over 50,000 skiffle groups were formed in Britain.

Here is one of Donegan's most famous songs: "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight)?" (1958)

Theme: Walls: Pink Floyd "The Wall", Pt 2

The second half of "The Wall" album begins with Pink, who is now almost completely isolated in "Hey You" and "Is There Anybody Out There?". Pink, trapped behind the wall, still has enough feeling to cry out and ask for help.

Hey you, out there on your own
Sitting naked by the phone
Would you touch me?
Hey you, with you ear against the wall
Waiting for someone to call out
Would you touch me?
Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart, I'm coming home.

No one answers Pink's calls for help and he realizes that he is completely isolated. As per The Wall tradition, a piece of the wall moves out, becoming a small platform with a chair and a tv. Waters sits in the chair and sings "Nobody Home". 

Hidden behind the wall, Pink begins to have hallucinations of becoming a fascist dictator performing concerts at rallies with "Vera", "Bring the Boys Back Home", "Waiting for the Worms", etc. Pink puts 'undesirables' on trial, telling them to get out.

Are there any queers in the theater tonight?
Get them up against the wall!
There's one in the spotlight, he don't look right to me,
Get him up against the wall!
That one looks Jewish!
And that one's a coon!
Who let all of this riff-raff into the room?
There's one smoking a joint,
And another with spots!
If I had my way,
I'd have all of you shot!

Pink eventually puts himself on trial, and his own inner judge commands him to tear down the wall, but not before his mother, teacher, and wife have their say during "The Trial". 

 Since, my friend, you have revealed your
Deepest fear,
I sentence you to be exposed before
Your peers.
Tear down the wall!

At this point in live shows, the entire wall is torn down, revealing the band. The band plays the last song, "Outside the Wall", in all of the rubble.

 All alone, or in two's,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad bugger's wall.

 Listen to the album carefully, there are many tiny details in the songs, which only adds to its amazingness.

Theme: Walls: Pink Floyd "The Wall", Part 1

(One of the most amazing live productions ever, ever.)

"The Wall", released in 1979, was written during a time of great tension between the band members- mostly Roger Waters vs. the rest of the band. I believe the idea for "The Wall" resulted partly from Waters' frustration with Pink Floyd concert goers. People came to their concerts to be seen and to party-- No one came for the music anymore. At one show while the band was playing, fans lit off fireworks into the crowd (Waters momentarily stopped the show to yell at the audience), and another show Waters spit on a fan (which he now admits was a very harsh thing to do) who attempted to climb onto the stage.

During these events, Waters felt there was a 'wall' between the band and the audience, giving him the idea to build a physical wall between band members and audience during shows.

"The Wall" is a four-sided concept album that follows the character Pink through isolation and abandonment, all symbolized by the metaphorical wall. The story begins with young Pink's father going off to war during "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt 1". Pink's father dies in war (as did young Waters') and the first bricks in the wall are put into place.

Daddy's flown across the ocean
Leaving just a memory
Snapshot in the family album
Daddy what else did you leave for me?
Daddy, what'd'ja leave behind for me?!?
All in all it was just a brick in the wall.
All in all it was all just bricks in the wall.

Young Pink is also tormented by teachers in school "The Happiest Days of Our Lives"; adding more bricks to the wall.

By pouring their derision

Upon anything we did
And exposing every weakness
However carefully hidden by the kids
But in the town, it was well known
When they got home at night, their fat and
Psychopathic wives would thrash them
Within inches of their lives.

 

Pink's mother becomes overly protective of him in "Mother" (Of course mama'll help to build the wall)

Mother do you think she's good enough -- to me?
Mother do you think she's dangerous -- to me?
Mother will she tear your little boy apart?
Mother will she break my heart?

Hush now baby, baby dont you cry.
Mama's gonna check out all your girlfriends for you.
Mama wont let anyone dirty get through.
Mama's gonna wait up until you get in.
Mama will always find out where you've been.

 

The wall continues to to be built: As Pink grows up and becomes a rock star, his marriage deteriorates (Night after night, we pretend its all right) due to infidelity on both Pink and his wife's part (Will some cold woman in this desert land make me feel like a real man?), physical abuse (I need you, babe, to put through the shredder in front of my friends, oooh babe), and drug abuse. All the while, Pink's mental and emotional wall is nearing completion.

During live productions of this album, animations would be projected onto the physical wall being built in front of the band. As the last song on the first half of the album began, there would be one small space left in the wall for Waters to look out into the audience and sing "Goodbye, Blue Sky". As he finished the song, the last brick would be put into place, completing the wall.

Theme: Walls: Simon and Garfunkel "I Am A Rock"

Every once in a while we put up walls to prevent others from getting close to us and "I Am A Rock" (Simon, Garfunkel 1965) illustrates this perfectly. If you have no emotional attachments, you never get hurt, right? The singer needs only his books and poetry to keep him company:

I have my books
And my poetry to protect me; 

I am shielded in my armor,
Hiding in my room, safe within my womb.
I touch no one and no one touches me.
I am a rock,
I am an island. 

 

I am reminded of Penny Lane's character from 'Almost Famous' (dir. Cameron Crowe 2000) when she says: "I always tell the girls, never take it seriously, if ya never take it seriously, ya never get hurt, ya never get hurt, ya always have fun, and if you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends."

 

 

It's getting to the point where I am no fun anymore, I am sorry.
Sometimes it hurts so badly I must cry out loud, 'I am lonely.'
I am yours, you are mine, you are what you are, you make it hard

Crosby, Stills, & Nash: Suite: Judy Blue Eyes

Theme: The Queen: Ringo Starr "Elizabeth Reigns"

Although Ringo isn't calling the British government a 'fascist regime', "Elizabeth Reigns" (Starkey/Hudson/Burr/Dudas/Grakal 2002) from his 2003 solo album "Ringo Rama"  nostalgically pokes fun at Queen Elizabeth in a much less aggressive manner than the Sex Pistols.


A letter unsent
entombed in cement
and hung from the hanging tree
God save the Queen
if you know what I mean
we don't really need a king.

Six hundred servants
use her detergent
scrubbing the palace floor
and all of your sins are
as big as the Windsors
so lets point our fingers
no more.

Theme: The Queen: Sex Pistols "God Save The Queen"

"God Save the Queen" (1977) was released during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee-- the anniversary to her accession to the throne, which was celebrated with large-scale parties and parades throughout England.

"God Save the Queen" is seen as an attack on the Queen, when it is actually an attack on the entire British government (the "facist regime"). The Sex Pistols were one of the first bands to publicly (through this song) criticize the Queen and the British government. (Such a scandal!). Funnily enough, even as the royal family received much support from the people, "God Save the Queen" sold enough copies during the Silver Jubilee to skyrocket to #1 on the UK Pop Charts.

God save the queen
The fascist regime
They made you a moron
Potential H-bomb

God save the queen
She ain't no human being
There is no future
In England's dreaming

Don't be told what you want
Don't be told what you need
There's no future, no future,
No future for you

Music Depression.

It is ironic that I am coming out of my music depression with depressing music.

Theme: Pigs: Nine Inch Nails "Piggy"

What is it with pigs and concept albums...? Nine Inch Nails "Piggy" (Reznor 1994). The song/title was inspired by Charles Manson, The Beatles' song "Piggies", and murdered actress Sharon Tate (whose murderers scrawled the word "PIG" on the front door in blood after killing Tate).

All of my fears came true
black and blue and broken bones you left me here I'm all alone
my little piggy needed something new
nothing can stop me now
I don't care anymore
nothing can stop me now
I just don't care