Cyrus Saladin Ming

Redo Pop Song 97 of 500 'Our House' by Crosby Stills Nash and Young 1970 My first version on yamaha digital acoustic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml30jzkRo58 The song originated from a domestic event that took place while Graham Nash was living with Joni Mitchell (and her two cats) in her house in Laurel Canyon (Los Angeles), after they had gone out for breakfast and had bought an inexpensive vase on Ventura Boulevard. Nash wrote the song in an hour, on Mitchell's piano. In October 2013, in an interview with Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air, Nash elaborated: Well, it's an ordinary moment. What happened is that Joni [Mitchell] and I – I don't know whether you know anything about Los Angeles, but on Ventura Boulevard in the Valley, there's a very famous deli called Art's Deli. And we'd been to breakfast there. We're going to get into Joan's car, and we pass an antique store. And we're looking in the window, and she saw a very beautiful vase that she wanted to buy ... I persuaded her to buy this vase. It wasn't very expensive, and we took it home. It was a very grey, kind of sleety, drizzly L.A. morning. And we got to the house in Laurel Canyon, and I said – got through the front door and I said, you know what? I'll light a fire. Why don't you put some flowers in that vase that you just bought? Well, she was in the garden getting flowers. That meant she was not at her piano, but I was ... And an hour later 'Our House' was born, out of an incredibly ordinary moment that many, many people have experienced. In the same interview, Nash was asked about the harmonies in the song: "It's me and David [Crosby] and Stephen [Stills] doing our best. That's all we ever do. You know, we're lucky enough to be able to do, you know, anything that we want to do, musically. And, you know, these two guys are incredible musicians. Crosby is one of the most unique musicians I know, and Stephen Stills has got this blues-based, South American kind of feeling to his music. And I'm this, you know, Henry VIII guy from England ... You know, it's not supposed to work, but it does, somehow". I'll light the fire You place the flowers in the vase That you bought today Staring at the fire For hours and hours while I listen to you Play your love songs all night long for me Only for me Come to me now (come to me now) And rest your head for just five minutes Everything is done Such a cozy room (such a cozy room) The windows are illuminated By the evening sunshine through them Fiery gems for you, only for you Our house is a very, very, very fine house With two cats in the yard Life used to be so hard Now everything is easy 'cause of you And our La-la, la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la La-la, la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la-la-la-la Our house is a very, very, very fine house With two cats in the yard Life used to be so hard Now everything is easy 'cause of you And our I'll light the fire While you place the flowers in the vase That you bought today

Pop Song 322 of 500 'We Gotta Get Out of This Place' The Animals' 1965 Song about escaping dying industrial city. By Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and recorded as a 1965 hit single by the Animals. It has become an iconic song of its type and was immensely popular with United States Armed Forces G.I.s during the Vietnam War. Bruce Springsteen said, "That's every song I've ever written. That's all of them. I'm not kidding, either. That's 'Born to Run', 'Born in the U.S.A. In this dirty old part of the city When the sun refused to shine People tell me there ain't no use in tryin' Now, my girl you're so young and pretty And one thing I know is true You'll be dead before your time is due, I know Watch my daddy in bed a-dyin' Watch his hair been turnin' grey He's been workin' and slavin' his life away Oh yes, I know it He's been workin' so hard (yeah) I've been workin' too, baby Every night and day (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) We gotta get out of this place If it's the last thing we ever do We gotta get out of this place Girl, there's a better life for me and you Now, my girl you're so young and pretty And one thing I know is true, yeah You'll be dead before your time is due, I know it Watch my daddy in bed a-dyin' Watch his hair been turnin' grey, yeah He's been workin' and slavin' his life away I know he's been workin' so hard (Yeah) I've been workin' too, baby (yeah) Every day baby Whoa! (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) We gotta get out of this place If it's the last thing we ever do We gotta get out of this place Girl, there's a better life for me and you Somewhere baby, somehow I know it, baby We gotta get out of this place If it's the last thing we ever do We gotta get out of this place Girl, there's a better life for me and you Believe me, baby I know it, baby You know it too

Pop Song 321 of 500 'April Come She Will' Simon and Garfunkel 1965 The song was written in 1964 while Paul Simon was in England. Its lyrics use the changing nature of the seasons as a metaphor for a girl's changing moods. The inspiration for the song was a girl that Simon met and the nursery rhyme she used to recite, "Cuckoo". It is the shortest song on the album. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the song is composed in the key of G major with Paul Simon's vocal range spanning from D3 to D4. April, come she will When streams are ripe and swelled with rain May, she will stay Resting in my arms again June, she'll change her tune In restless walks she'll prowl the night July, she will fly And give no warning to her flight August, die she must The autumn winds blow chilly and cold September, I'll remember A love once new has now grown old

Pop Song 320 of 500 'Highland Journey Home' Jon Goin 2008? Request from https://space.bilibili.com/2067441523 More than a dream of ancient times More than imagination and more than I ever hope it would be This Highland Journey Home More than emotion More than mind More than a book of learning A golden heart is all you need On the Highland Journey Home The love of Sugmad will shield you from the wind No harm will ever touch your heart and the love of spirit will light the lamp within thats where your journey begins all of the answers all the truth all of the wisdom granted and all the adventures awaits you now on the highland journey home the highland journey home

Pop Song 318 of 500 'Fly me to the Moon' Frank Sinatra's cover 1954

Pop Song 311 of 500 'The Boxer' Simon and Garfunkel 1969 The song's lyrics take the form of a first-person lament, as the singer describes his struggles to overcome loneliness and poverty in New York City. The final verse switches to a third-person sketch of a boxer: "In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade, and he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down or cut him till he cried out in his anger and his shame, 'I am leaving, I am leaving,' but the fighter still remains. The lyrics are largely autobiographical and partially inspired by the Bible, and were written during a time when Simon felt he was being unfairly criticized. The song's lyrics discuss poverty and loneliness. I I am just a poor boy Though my story's seldom told I have squandered my resistance For a pocketful of mumbles Such are promises All lies and jest Still a man hears what he wants to hear And disregards the rest When I left my home and my family I was no more than a boy In the company of strangers In the quiet of the railway station Running scared Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters Where the ragged people go Looking for the places only they would know Lie-la-lie Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie Lie-la-lie Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, lie-lie-lie-lie-lie Asking only workman's wages, I come looking for a job But I get no offers Just a come-on from the whores on 7th Avenue I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome I took some comfort there, la-la-la-la-la-la-la Lie-la-lie Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie Lie-la-lie Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, lie-lie-lie-lie-lie Then I'm laying out my winter clothes And wishing I was gone, going home Where the New York City winters aren't bleeding me Leading me, going home In the clearing stands a boxer And a fighter by his trade And he carries the reminders Of every glove that laid him down Or cut him till he cried out In his anger and his shame "I am leaving, I am leaving" But the fighter still remains

Pop Song 305 of 500 "Summer Breeze' Seals and Crofts 1972 Seals & Crofts were devoted to the Baha'i faith, and believed that by writing about life itself, many meanings would emerge for the listener. In 1975, Seals told Melody Maker that "Summer Breeze" was "A very simple song about a man coming home from work and hearing the dog barking and things like that, and to a lot of people the song's about looking for security. Our meaning goes further than that, for a prison can be the prison of self and a person can become insecure and paranoid if he doesn't have a direction in his personal life." See the curtains hangin' in the window In the evening on a Friday night A little light a-shinin' through the window Lets me know everything's all right Summer breeze makes me feel fine Blowin' through the jasmine in my mind Summer breeze makes me feel fine Blowin' though the jasmine in my mind See the paper layin' on the sidewalk A little music from the house next door So I walk on up to the doorstep Through the screen and across the floor Summer breeze makes me feel fine Blowin' through the jasmine in my mind Summer breeze makes me feel fine Blowin' through the jasmine in my mind Sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom July is dressed up and playing her tune And I come home from a hard day's work And you're waiting there Not a care in the world See the smile a-waitin' in the kitchen Through cookin' and the plates for two Feel the arms that reach out to hold me In the evening when the day is through Summer breeze makes me feel fine Blowin' through the jasmine in my mind Summer breeze makes me feel fine Blowin' through the jasmine in my mind

Pop Song 304 'God only knows' The Beach Boys 1966 A song that Paul McCartney called the perfect song. And I remember him talking about [the 1944 standard] 'Stella by Starlight' and he had a certain love for classic songs." Asher concurred that he felt he had inspired Wilson to write the song. Wilson's 1991 memoir states that the melody for "God Only Knows" derived from "a John Sebastian song I had been listening to". When presented with this information, Asher and Sebastian said they were unaware of such a connection. Biographer Mark Dillon suggested that, if the claim was true, then Wilson's inspiration would likely have been the vocal layering on "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice", a recent hit by Sebastian's band the Lovin' Spoonful. In later interviews, Wilson said that he wrote "God Only Knows" as an attempt to match the standard of the Beatles' album Rubber Soul (released in December 1965). In his recollection, he was under the influence of marijuana and was "so blown away" with the album that he sat at his piano and began writing the song In the lyrics, the narrator anticipates the dissolution of their romantic relationship, and asserts that life without their lover could only be fathomed by God. The deceptive opening line, "I may not always love you" was the subject of another argument between the songwriters. According to Asher, "I liked that twist, and fought to start the song that way. Working with Brian, I didn't have a whole lot of fighting to do, but I was certainly willing to fight for the end for that."In the next line, the narrator reassures that they will be with their lover "so long as there are stars above you". Marilyn interpreted the opening lines as autobiographical from Wilson's point of view: "he knew that I was there and I would never leave him, so he knew that he could abuse me, even though he didn't try to. I was never number one, I was always two or three. But if I would leave in some kind of a way, he would get totally distraught I may not always love you But long as there are stars above you You never need to doubt it I'll make you so sure about it God only knows what I'd be without you If you should ever leave me Though life would still go on, believe me The world could show nothing to me So what good would living do me? God only knows what I'd be without you And God only knows what I'd be without you If you should ever leave me Though life would still go on, believe me The world could show nothing to me So what good would living do me? God only knows what I'd be without you And God only knows what I'd be without you God only knows what I'd be without you God only knows what I'd be without you God only knows what I'd be without you

Redo Pop Song 209 of 500 'Blackbird' The Beatles 1968 My first version on Yamaha digital acoustic piano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8izmMONJPc McCartney has said that the lyrics were inspired by hearing the call of a blackbird in Rishikesh, India, and alternatively by racial tension in the United States. McCartney explained t the guitar accompaniment for "Blackbird" was inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach's Bourrée in E minor, I had been doing some [poetry readings] in the last year or so because I've got a poetry book out called Blackbird Singing, and when I would read "Blackbird", I would always try and think of some explanation to tell the people … In 2018, McCartney further elaborated on the song's meaning, explaining that "blackbird" should be interpreted as "black girl" in the context of the civil rights troubles in southern 1960s US. The lyrics have invited similarly varied interpretations – as a nature song, a message in support of the Black Power movement, or a love song. Writing in the 1990s, Ian MacDonald noted the theory that "Blackbird" was intended as "a metaphor for the black civil rights struggle", Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these broken wings and learn to fly All your life You were only waiting for this moment to arise Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these sunken eyes and learn to see All your life You were only waiting for this moment to be free Blackbird fly Blackbird fly Into the light of the dark black night Blackbird fly Blackbird fly Into the light of the dark black night Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these broken wings and learn to fly All your life You were only waiting for this moment to arise You were only waiting for this moment to arise You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Pop Song 297 of 500 "Change the World' Eric Clapton cover 1996 Change the World" is a song written by Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy, and Wayne Kirkpatrick and recorded by country music artist Wynonna Judd. A cover version was recorded by English singer Eric Clapton for the soundtrack of the 1996 film Phenomenon. Clapton's version was produced by R&B record producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. If I can reach the stars Pull one down for you Shine it on my heart So you could see the truth That this love I have inside Is everything it seems But for now I find It's only in my dreams And I can change the world I will be the sunlight in your universe You would think my love was really something good Baby, if I could change the world If I could be king Even for a day I'd take you as my queen I'd have it no other way And our love would rule In this kingdom we have made 'Til then I'd be a fool Wishing for the day And I can change the world I would be the sunlight in your universe You would think my love was really something good Baby, if I could change the world Baby, if I could change the world I could change the world I would be the sunlight in your universe You would think my love was really something good Baby, if I could change the world Baby, if I could change the world Baby, if I could change the world

Redo Pop Song 201 of 500 'I'm Shipping up to Boston' Dropkick Murphys 2005 My first version on Yamaha Digital Acoustic Piano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNgOqPPGIXE "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" is a song by the Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys, with lyrics written by the folk singer Woody Guthrie. The song's lyrics describe a sailor who lost a prosthetic leg climbing the topsail, and is shipping up to Boston to "find my wooden leg." These were taken from a fragment of paper that Ken Casey found while looking through Woody Guthrie's archives. The Dropkick Murphys put music to the lyrics The song gained worldwide attention for its use in The Departed, which boosted the band's popularity. Good movie I'm a sailor peg And I lost my leg Climbing up the topsails I lost my leg! I'm shipping up to Boston (whoa) I'm shipping up to Boston (whoa) I'm shipping up to Boston (whoa) I'm shipping off To find my wooden leg I'm a sailor peg And I lost my leg Climbing up the top sails I lost my leg! I'm shipping up to Boston (whoa) I'm shipping up to Boston (whoa) I'm shipping up to Boston (whoa) I'm shipping off To find my wooden leg Songwriters: Woody Guthrie, Ken C

Pop Song 296 of 500 'No One is to Blame' Howard Jones 1985 This song is about being attracted to people who you can't be with. In our interview with Howard Jones, it was revealed how the idea for the song came about: "Well, I think we can all relate to the main theme of the song. But I was in San Francisco, and I was doing a promotion with the local record company guy, and we were crossing the street to go to the radio station, and he said to me, 'Howard, what do you think of all the amazing women here in San Francisco?' And I said, 'Yeah, they're great, they're fantastic.' And he said, 'Well, you can look at the menu, but you don't have to eat.' And I've never actually heard anybody say that before. And so that was it, a good spark for a huge idea coming for a song." You can look at the menu, but you just can't eat You can feel the cushions, but you can't have a seat You can dip your foot in the pool, but you can't have a swim You can feel the punishment, but you can't commit the sin And you want her, and she wants you We want everyone And you want her, and she wants you No one, no one, no one ever is to blame You can build a mansion, but you just can't live in it You're the fastest runner, but you're not allowed to win Some break the rules and live to count the cost The insecurity is the thing that won't get lost And you want her, and she wants you We want everyone And you want her, and she wants you No one, no one, no one ever is to blame You can see the summit, but you can't reach it It's the last piece of the puzzle, but you just can't make it fit Doctor says you're cured, but you still feel the pain Aspirations in the clouds but your hopes go down the drain And you want her, and she wants you We want everyone And you want her, and she wants you No one, no one, no one ever is to blame No one ever is to blame No one ever is to blame

Redo Pop Song 68 of 500 'Wish you were here' Pink Floyd 1975 For 国窖ao_li_ao的个人空间_哔哩哔哩_bilibili space.bilibili.com/497561244 a fellow Pink Floyd fan My first version on Yamaha Digital acoustic piano https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqbUZxpWNuw Lyrically, the song is often considered to be a direct tribute to Syd Barrett. Being present in one's own life and freeing one's self in order to truly experience life is a main topic in this song. Gilmour, on the other hand, recognizes that he does not ever perform the song without remembering Syd Barrett. Waters later adds that the song is nevertheless open to interpretation. Both David Gilmour and Roger Waters have praised the song as one of Pink Floyd's finest. Roger Waters has noted that the collaboration between himself and David Gilmour on the song was "really good. All bits of it are really, really good. I'm very happy about it." David Gilmour has playfully called "Wish You Were Here" "a very simple country song" and stated that "because of its resonance and the emotional weight it carries, it is one of our best songs. So, so you think you can tell Heaven from hell Blue skies from pain Can you tell a green field From a cold steel rail? A smile from a veil? Do you think you can tell? Did they get you to trade Your heroes for ghosts? Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze? Cold comfort for change? And did you exchange A walk on part in the war For a lead role in a cage? How I wish, how I wish you were here We're just two lost souls Swimming in a fish bowl Year after year Running over the same old ground And how we found The same old fears Wish you were here

Pop Song 294 of 500 "Sweet Home Chicago' Robert Johnson 1936 "Sweet Home Chicago" is a blues standard first recorded by Robert Johnson in 1936. Although he is often credited as the songwriter, several songs have been identified as precedents. The song has become a popular anthem for the city of Chicago despite ambiguity in Johnson's original lyrics. On November 23, 1936, in San Antonio, Texas, Robert Johnson recorded "Sweet Home Chicago". He changed the character of the song to one of aspirational migration, replacing "back to Kokomo" with "to Chicago", and replacing "that eleven light city" with another migrational goal "that land of California". But I'm cryin' hey baby, Honey don't you want to go Back to the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_H... more information here. Come on Oh, baby don't you wanna go? Come on Oh, baby don't you wanna go? Back to that same old place Sweet home Chicago Come on Baby don't you wanna go? Hi-de-hey Baby don't you wanna go? Back to that same old place Oh, sweet home Chicago Well, 1 and 1 is 2 6 and 2 is 8 Come on baby, don't ya' make me late Hi-de-hey Baby don't you wanna go? Back to that same old place Sweet home Chicago Come on Baby don't you wanna go? Ho, come on Baby don't you wanna go? Back to that same old place Sweet home Chicago 6 and 3 is 9 9 and 9 is 18 Look there brother baby and see what I've seen Hi-de-hey Baby don't you wanna go? Back to that same old place Sweet home Chicago Oh, come on Baby don't you wanna go? Come on Baby don't you wanna go? Back to that same old place My sweet home Chicago

Pop Song 293 of 500 ' All along the watchtower' Bob Dylan 1967 The lyrics feature a conversation between a joker and a thief, whilst they ride towards a watchtower.. Reviewers have pointed out that the lyrics in "All Along the Watchtower" echo lines in the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 21, verses 5–9: Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise ye princes, and prepare the shield./For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth./And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed./..And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. Dylan said I haven't fulfilled the balladeer's job. A balladeer can sit down and sing three songs for an hour and a half .. it can all unfold to you... (For example, as) with the third verse of "The Wicked Messenger", which opens it up, and then the time schedule takes a jump and soon the song becomes wider ... The same thing is true of the song "All Along the Watchtower", which opens up in a slightly different way, in a stranger way, for we have the cycle of events working in a rather reverse order There must be some way out of here Said the joker to the thief There's too much confusion I can't get no relief Businessmen, they drink my wine Plowmen dig my earth None of them along the line Know what any of it is worth "No reason to get excited" The thief, he kindly spoke "There are many here among us Who feel that life is but a joke" "But you and I, we've been through that And this is not our fate So let us not talk falsely now The hour is getting late" All along the watchtower Princes kept the view While all the women came and went Barefoot servants, too Outside, in the distance A wildcat did growl Two riders were approaching The wind began to howl

Redo Pop Song 40 of 500 'Time in Bottle' Jim Croce 1972 My first version on hotel piano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fejwSZEZMAY Croce wrote this reflective song the night that he found out his wife, Ingrid, was pregnant. The couple had been married for five years, and Ingrid found out she was pregnant when she went to a fertility specialist. She recalls a mix of terror and delight in Jim's reaction when she told him the news. The child was a boy named Adrian After he was killed in a plane crash in September 1973, https://messageinabottlehunter.com/me... If I could save time in a bottle The first thing that I'd like to do Is to save every day 'til eternity passes away Just to spend them with you If I could make days last forever If words could make wishes come true I'd save every day like a treasure, and then Again, I would spend them with you But there never seems to be enough time To do the things you want to do once you find them I've looked around enough to know That you're the one I want to go through time with If I had a box just for wishes And dreams that had never come true The box would be empty Except for the memory of how they were answered by you But there never seems to be enough time To do the things you want to do once you find them I've looked around enough to know That you're the one I want to go through time with

Pop Song 291 of 500 'Ain't No Sunshine' Bill Withers 1971 Withers was inspired to write the song after watching the 1962 movie Days of Wine and Roses. He explained, in reference to the characters played by Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon, "They were both alcoholics who were alternately weak and strong. It's like going back for seconds on rat poison. Sometimes you miss things that weren't particularly good for you. It's just something that crossed my mind from watching that movie, and probably something else that happened in my life that I'm not aware of." For the song's third verse, Withers had intended to write more lyrics instead of repeating the phrase "I know" 26 times, but then followed the advice of the other musicians to leave it that way: "I was this factory worker puttering around," Withers said. "So when they said to leave it like that, I left it." Withers, then 31, was working at a factory making bathrooms for 747s at the time he wrote the song. When the song went gold, the record company presented Withers with a golden toilet seat, marking the start of his new career. "Ain't No Sunshine" was the first of Withers' three gold records in the U.S. Ain't no sunshine when she's gone It's not warm when she's away Ain't no sunshine when she's gone And she's always gone too long Anytime she goes away Wonder this time where she's gone Wonder if she's gone to stay Ain't no sunshine when she's gone And this house just ain't no home Anytime she goes away And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know I know, I know, I know, I know, I know I know, I know, I know, I know, I know I know, I know, I know, I know, I know I know, I know, Hey, I oughtta leave young thing alone But ain't no sunshine when she's gone Ain't no sunshine when she's gone Only darkness every day Ain't no sunshine when she's gone And this house just ain't no home Anytime she goes away Anytime she goes away Anytime she goes away Anytime she goes away

Pop Song 290 of 500 'May it be' Enya for Lord of the Rings 2001 The lyrics on my sheet music is a little different. The lyrics of this theme song include English words, as well as words in the fictional Elvish language, Quenya, created by J.R.R. Tolkien. While Enya wrote music, Roma Ryan studied the languages and wrote the lyrics in English and Quenya. There are two lines with phrases written in Quenya. The first, Mornië utúlië, translates to "Darkness has come." Mornië alantië translates as "Darkness has fallen."[5] Each line repeats twice in the song, with the remaining song lyrics written in English. They are intermingled with the Quenya lyrics, as in the second stanza; "Mornië utúlië, believe and you will find your way; Mornië alantië, a promise lives within you now. May it be an evening star Shines down upon you May it be when darkness falls Your heart will be true You walk a lonely road Oh! How far you are from home Mornie utulie Believe and you will find your way Mornie alantie A promise lives within you now May it be the shadow's call Will fly away May it be your journey on To light the day When the night is overcome You may rise to find the sun Mornie utulie (darkness has come) Believe and you will find your way Mornie alantie (darkness has fallen) A promise lives within you now A promise lives within you now

Pop Song 289 of 500 'Beautiful Dreamer' Stephen Foster 1864 Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864), known also as "the father of American music", was an American composer known primarily for his parlour and minstrel music during the Romantic period. He wrote more than 200 songs, including "Oh! Susanna", "Hard Times Come Again No More", "Camptown Races", "Old Folks at Home" ("Swanee River"), "My Old Kentucky Home", "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair", "Old Black Joe", and "Beautiful Dreamer", and many of his compositions remain popular today. The song tells of a lover serenading a "Beautiful Dreamer" who is oblivious to worldly cares and may actually be dead. Foster's works feature many dead young women, including his sister Charlotte] and "Jeanie Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee, Sounds of the rude world heard in the day, Lulld by the moonlight have all passed away! Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song, List while I woo thee with soft melody, Gone are the cares of life's busy throng Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me! Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me! Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea, Mermaids are chaunting the wild lorelie, Over the streamlet vapors are borne, Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn. Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart, Een as the morn on the streamlet and sea, Then will all clouds of sorrow depart, Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me! Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

Pop Song 285 of 500 'Sail Away' Randy Newman 1972 For @pattiannepascual for introducing this wonderful classic song to me and always giving me encouragement! "Sail Away" is a song by Randy Newman, the title track of his 1972 album. In a 1972 review in Rolling Stone, Stephen Holden describes "Sail Away" as presenting "the American dream of a promised land as it might have been presented to black Africa in slave running days. Newman talked about this song in a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone: "There was a producer, the husband of Leslie Caron. He wanted to make a movie where he would give ten minutes to these artists - people like Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, me – to do anything we wanted. It never got made. But I had this idea of a slave ship and a sea shanty - this guy standing in a clearing, singing to a crowd of natives. These people in my songs don't know they're bad. They think they're fine. I didn't just want to say, 'Slavery is awful.' It's too easy. I wasn't doing Roots." "Sail Away" has been covered by many artists in live performances, notably, Ray Charles, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Etta James, Frankie Miller, Roseanna Vitro, Bobby Doyle, Linda Ronstadt, Ann Wilson, Dave Van Ronk, Harry Nilsson, and Dave Matthews. On her first solo album, Gladys Knight covered it as part of a medley with Allen Toussaint's song "Freedom for the Stallion", which shares themes of the slave trade. In America you get food to eat Won't have to run through the jungle And scuff up your feet You just sing about Jesus and drink wine all day It's great to be an American Ain't no lion or tiger, ain't no mamba snake Just the sweet watermelon and the buckwheat cake Ev'rybody is as happy as a man can be Climb aboard, little wog, sail away with me Sail away, sail away We will cross the mighty ocean into Charleston Bay Sail away, sail away We will cross the mighty ocean into Charleston Bay In America every man is free To take care of his home and his family You'll be as happy as a monkey in a monkey tree You're all gonna be an American Sail away, sail away We will cross the mighty ocean into Charleston Bay Sail away, sail away We will cross the mighty ocean into Charleston Bay

Redo Pop Song 124 of 300 'Chariots of Fire' Vangelis in honor of Eric Liddell My first recording on Yamaha digital acoustic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiIL0uxmlTs 1.. "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast!" 2. "And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within." 3. "If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race."

Pop Song 277 of 500 'You Might Think' The Cars 1984 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dOx5... This won the first-ever Video of the Year award at MTV's Video Music Awards. It beat out "Thriller" by Michael Jackson and Herbie Hancock's "Rockit," among others. The video was very advanced for the time and was one of the first to use computerized effects. Singer/guitarist Ric Ocasek's image appeared in various animated scenes - he would show up as a fly, climbing the Empire State Building, just about anywhere to get the attention of the girl. The object of his affection was played by model Susan Gallagher.

Pop Song 274 of 500 'The Never Ending Story' Limahl 1984 "Never Ending Story" is the title song from the English version of the 1984 film The NeverEnding Story. It was produced and composed by Italian musician Giorgio Moroder and performed by English pop singer Limahl. He released two versions of the song, one in English and one in French. The English version featured vocals by Beth Anderson, and the French version, titled L'Histoire Sans Fin, featured vocals by Ann Calvert. The song was composed by Giorgio Moroder with lyrics by Keith Forsey, though it (and other electronic pop elements of the soundtrack) is not present in the German version of the film, which features Klaus Doldinger's score exclusively. Beth Anderson recorded her words in America separately from Limahl's. Anderson does not appear in the music video; frequent Limahl back-up singer Mandy Newton lip-syncs Anderson's part

Pop Song 271 of 500 'Fortunate Son' Creedence Clearwater Revival 1969 The song, released during the peak period of the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, is not explicit in its criticism of that war in particular, rather, it "speaks more to the unfairness of class than war itself," according to its author, John Fogerty. "It's the old saying about rich men making war and poor men having to fight them." In 2015, while on the television show The Voice, he also said: The thoughts behind this song - it was a lot of anger. So it was the Vietnam War going on... Now I was drafted and they're making me fight, and no one has actually defined why. So this was all boiling inside of me and I sat down on the edge of my bed and out came "It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son!" You know, it took about 20 minutes to write the song. According to his 2015 memoir, Fogerty was thinking about David Eisenhower, the grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who married Julie Nixon, the daughter of then-President-elect Richard Nixon in 1968, when he wrote "Fortunate Son". Eisenhower spent three years in the military, most of it as an officer aboard the USS Albany in the Mediterranean Sea. "Fortunate Son" wasn't really inspired by any one event. Julie Nixon was dating David Eisenhower. You'd hear about the son of this senator or that congressman who was given a deferment from the military or a choice position in the military. They seemed privileged and whether they liked it or not, these people were symbolic in the sense that they weren't being touched by what their parents were doing. They weren't being affected like the rest of us. Ultimate Classic Rock critic Bryan Wawzenek rated the lyrics of "Fortunate Son" as Fogerty's greatest, saying "It’s not just Fogerty’s emotion, but the words that make this song great. 'Star-spangled eyes' is one of the best descriptive phrases in all of rock and roll, a uniquely American twist on rose-colored glasses.

Pop Song 270 of 500 Peace Train' Cat Stevens 1971 In a 1970s concert he introduced the song with the revelation that he wrote the song whilst on a train, and was thinking about Alfred Hitchcock, no doubt reflecting the fact that many of Alfred Hitchcock's film plots were set on trains. Cat Stevens later converted to Islam, changed his name to Yusuf Islam, and reduced his public appearances, but during the Iraq War he commented on the song's renewed relevance, saying: "'Peace Train' is a song I wrote, the message of which continues to breeze thunderously through the hearts of millions. There is a powerful need for people to feel that gust of hope rise up again. As a member of humanity and as a Muslim, this is my contribution to the call for a peaceful solution