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Autobiographical Songs

Frayed Knot Oct 14 2018 03:40 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 21 2018 10:19 AM

I’m listening, via their ‘Archive’ section, to Saturday’s (10/13) ‘MIXED BAG’ show on WFUV - 90.7 out of Fordam U. It’s fundraising week over there so host Don McGee, along with co-host du jour Darren DeVivo (both are Mets fans btw), are using the theme of autobiographical (to one degree or another) songs to accompany their pledge drive requests. I’m close to halfway through the scheduled four hour program (shorter than a Red Sox - Astros game!!) and here’s what they’ve come up with so far. I’VE GOT YOU BABE - Sonny & Cher CREEQUE ALLEY - Mamas & Papas BROOKLYN ROADS - Neil Diamond MAN IN BLACK - Johnny Cash I’M NO ANGEL - Gregg Allman PLEASANT VALLEY SUNDAY - Goffin & King BALLAD OF BILLY THE KID - Billy Joel FAMILY AFFAIR - Sly and the Family Stone INTRODUCTION - Chicago BO DIDDLEY - Bo Diddley BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO - John LIVERPOOL 8 - Ringo THE EARLY DAYS - Paul WHEN WE WAS FAB - George MY LITTLE TOWN - Simon and Garfunkel GARDEN PARTY - Rick Nelson FIRE AND RAIN - James Taylor It’s obviously too late to come up with requests (not that that show takes any anyway) but maybe you want to come up with some on your own regardless.

41Forever Oct 14 2018 04:05 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Harry Chapin always said "Taxi" was semi-autobiographical.

Edgy MD Oct 14 2018 04:09 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

"2541" — Grant Hart "Talent Show" — The Replacements Every Song Ever — Taylor Swift

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 14 2018 04:14 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Hey Hey We're the Monkees

Frayed Knot Oct 14 2018 04:23 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Oct 14 2018 05:59 PM

41Forever wrote: Harry Chapin always said "Taxi" was semi-autobiographical. Dan Fogelberg used to get annoyed if anyone even questioned whether his songs were based on personal experiences. He said they all were and couldn't see how anyone could write any other way. On the flip side, I remember Graham Parker being asked, based on a lot of his early songs, what he was so angry about. 'Nothing' he'd claim, I just make stuff up hoping it has a good beat and rhymes. So it takes all kinds I suppose. DIAMONDS AND RUST — Joan Baez PARADISE (MUHLENBERG COUNTY) - John Prine GRANDPA WAS A CARPENTER - John Prine WE WERE THE DREAMERS - Richie Furay (Poco, etc.) Ones I thought of but have yet to be played: IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME, the Bruce, Steve, Southside ode to their early days and BLACK 47 by Black 47. Or, for that matter, you could go with ROCKIN' THE BRONX by the same group

41Forever Oct 14 2018 04:42 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Rock and Roll Saviors -- Twisted Sister!

Frayed Knot Oct 14 2018 05:06 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Oct 14 2018 05:52 PM

Rock and Roll Saviors -- Twisted Sister! I was just about to say that this usually isn't a hard rock kind of show, but then he launches into a set of: HAVE A CIGAR - Pink Floyd ... oh by the way, which one’s Pink? JUST A SINGER IN A ROCK AND ROLL BAND - Moody Blues although I think this one, like Allman’s I’M NO ANGEL, is more generic than specific. ROCK AND ROLL BAND - Boston ... Dancin’ in the streets of Hyannis WE’RE AN AMERICAN BAND - Grand Funk Railroad with the second appearance on the CPF of Sweet Sweet Connie in just the last two days (… and just about every freakin’ thing else) And then, which is what I love about this show, he follows all that up with Loretta's Lynn COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER, and then Merle Haggard's OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 14 2018 05:15 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Are we not men? We are Devo

SteveJRogers Oct 14 2018 05:22 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Tenth Avenue Freeze Out Bruce Springsteen Surprised Piano Man wasn’t the one for Billy Joel.

41Forever Oct 14 2018 05:29 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

No Suprize from Aerosmith

Frayed Knot Oct 14 2018 05:38 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

And now for the Canadian portion of the show: SUGAR MOUNTAIN - Neil Young CIRCLE GAME - Joni Mitchell And in keeping with the Elton John theme of the day: CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY Been YEARS since I last heard that one (Damn it's good!) although I think the DJ is stretching the boundaries a bit on these last two.

Frayed Knot Oct 14 2018 05:47 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

SteveJRogers wrote: Surprised Piano Man wasn’t the one for Billy Joel. I mentioned both DJs are Mets fans, right? They're probably sick of it. And the show finishes up with The Who and LONG LIVE ROCK ... we were the first band to vomit at the bar, and find the distance to the stage too far I probably missed a couple along the way, but managed to write down most of 'em.

41Forever Oct 14 2018 05:55 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

That was cool!

Frayed Knot Oct 14 2018 06:43 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Oct 14 2018 09:03 PM

That was cool! If you want to listen: http://www.wfuv.org/weekendarchives Click on Saturday Oct 13 and then 'Mixed Bag' The show is once a week, airing on Saturdays from 4:00 - 8:00. You can listen live or each show is archived right afterward and then kept on file for two weeks. The only pain in the ass is that, while you're playing it, you can't jump around, rewind or FF. You can however pause it and therefore listen in chunks rather than all four hours in one sitting. It usually is not a one theme set-up like this one was, but mini-tangents, smaller themes, and segues are common and can be fun to follow along with. In short, it's a radio show rather than merely a computer generated parade of unrelated songs which makes you feel like you're in a room with a bad juke box and are all out of quarters. iow, modern terrestrial radio. Overall it might be a bit 'folkie' for your tastes. The show is the legacy of the late WNEW (and K-Rock, and Fordham U/FUV grad) DJ Pete Fornatale and Pete was a big fan of the country rock sounds of Poco, CSN, Buffalo Springfield, Judy, Joni, Joan, etc. so, when tightened playlists squeezed those acts out of favor, Pete formed this show in his WNEW days back in the '90s with the idea of rescuing those acts which had slipped through the cracks of radio programming. The show is named after the seminal debut album by Richie Havens celebrated for combining multiple genres of music. But McGee, who was Fornatale's protege and took over the show following Pete's sudden death in 2012, is also his own guy so while he'll pay tribute to the show's roots he'll also play everything from hard rock to Sinatra, sometimes in the same half hour.

41Forever Oct 14 2018 06:59 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Frayed Knot wrote: It usually is not a one theme set-up like this one was, but mini-tangents, smaller themes, and segues are common and can be fun to follow along with. In short, it's a radio show rather than merely a computer generated parade of unrelated songs which makes you feel like you're in a room with a bad juke box and are all out of quarters. iow, modern terrestrial radio. This is both laugh out loud funny and totally true! Thank you for sharing. I'll check that out!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 14 2018 08:48 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Frayed Knot wrote: And now for the Canadian portion of the show: SUGAR MOUNTAIN - Neil Young CIRCLE GAME - Joni Mitchell And in keeping with the Elton John theme of the day: CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY Been YEARS since I last heard that one (Damn it's good!) although I think the DJ is stretching the boundaries a bit on these last two. I heard this portion live driving to Lunchpail's soccer game today

Frayed Knot Oct 14 2018 08:54 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Well the show originally ran on Saturday from 4:00 to 8:00, so unless you purposely logged into the archive of this show in particular you didn't hear it today.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 14 2018 08:57 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

was yesterday driving back, I guess

Frayed Knot Oct 14 2018 09:02 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Then, yeah, you might have caught that if you were driving some time in the 7-8 o'clock hour on Saturday

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 14 2018 09:10 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

why would I make this up? I was absent minded enough to not realize it was a theme show.

Frayed Knot Oct 14 2018 09:21 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: why would I make this up? No reason, except that when you said you heard a portion of it while driving today it didn't add up. I was absent minded enough to not realize it was a theme show. Well, unless you heard it from the beginning, and/or were listening for a longer stretch, there was little reason to realize that it was a theme show.

Edgy MD Oct 15 2018 09:04 AM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Frayed Knot wrote: ROCK AND ROLL BAND - Boston ... Dancin’ in the streets of Hyannis I thought of this, but seeing as it was written before Boston was even a group, it's kind of even a faker autobiography than "Hey, Hey, We're the Monkees."

Frayed Knot Oct 15 2018 01:36 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Edgy MD wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: ROCK AND ROLL BAND - Boston ... Dancin’ in the streets of Hyannis I thought of this, but seeing as it was written before Boston was even a group, it's kind of even a faker autobiography than "Hey, Hey, We're the Monkees." That OK, they were kind of even a faker band than the Monkees.

Chad Ochoseis Oct 15 2018 02:37 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Frayed Knot wrote: Dan Fogelberg used to get annoyed if anyone even questioned whether his songs were based on personal experiences. It might have been here where I first read that "Same Auld Lang Syne" was a very specific narrative with almost none of the facts changed. The ex-lover who married her an architect who keeps her safe and warm owned up to it, but asked to remain anonymous. Among the more specific "and this is how we became a band" songs, my favorite has to be "We" by the Roches.

RealityChuck Oct 16 2018 11:29 AM Re: Autobiographical Songs

"We" by the Roches (they've updated it over the years, too). [youtube:2wf9qv7y]oZ8MdYsgELs[/youtube:2wf9qv7y] "The Bridge Stripped Bare by 'Bachelors'" by the Bonzo Dog Band, based on their touring gigs. [youtube:2wf9qv7y]d8mC98wgGag[/youtube:2wf9qv7y] And obviously, "Smoke on the Water."

Centerfield Oct 22 2018 11:59 AM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Frayed Knot wrote: ROCK AND ROLL BAND - Boston ... Dancin’ in the streets of Hyannis I don't know. This one is kinda borderline. It's a song by Boston (the group), about a band from Boston (the city), playing in bars around Boston (again the city) from their debut album Boston (the album). You really think that counts as autobiographical?

RealityChuck Oct 22 2018 12:06 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Creeque Alley has already been mentioned, but the Mamas and the Papas also had an autobiographical hit in "Twelve Thirty." [youtube]1xa7NWRJjPQ[/youtube] Chuck Berry has indicated that much of Johnny B. Goode was autobiographical ("country boy" was originally "colored boy").

metirish Oct 22 2018 12:32 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

' Got to give it up" This Lizzy , Lynott and Gorham in the throes of addiction pen a classic ( best heard live on LIVE LIFE)

Frayed Knot Oct 24 2018 06:35 AM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Centerfield wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: ROCK AND ROLL BAND - Boston ... Dancin’ in the streets of Hyannis I don't know. This one is kinda borderline. It's a song by Boston (the group), about a band from Boston (the city), playing in bars around Boston (again the city) from their debut album Boston (the album). You really think that counts as autobiographical? Well the biggest problem, as Edgy pointed out, was that it's passed off as a kind of origin story -- we were just another band out of Boston, on the road trying to make ends meet ... -- which is exactly what a lot of the songs in this show's set list were, except that this song existed prior to the band actually existing. 'Boston' was really pretty much a one man operation that then had to go and find some band members once Tom Scholz, an M.I.T. engineer originally from Ohio, created a bunch of songs (in some cases years earlier) including 'Rock and Roll Band' which, while about A Boston area band, isn't about the Boston area band named BOSTON which eventually sang and recorded the song. The whole album, of course, quickly became a smash hit -- 17 million copies sold including at least one to each and every 15 y/o boy living at the time -- to the point where a tour, which Scholz didn't want to do, had to be built around it and I'm not sure that the touring band necessarily involved the same guys who made up the recording band, hence the follow-up lines about them being about as "real" a band as the Monkees. The live shows, from what I heard or read at the time via both professional reviews and word of mouth, were universally said to be awful but the album was too big a smash not to demand follow-ups which radio stations felt obligated to play and what should have been a flash in the pan became a staple of the airwaves for decades afterward, long after any novelty or originality had worn out.

MFS62 Oct 24 2018 07:03 AM Re: Autobiographical Songs

In a way, Isn't She Lovely? is - about the joy Stevie Wonder felt about his new child. Later

Frayed Knot Oct 24 2018 07:45 AM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Stevie's 'I WISH' (those days would come back once more) is probably the better example since it's him singing about a younger him (or at least some young kid possibly like him), but you can go all kinds of ways depending on how narrowly (or not) you want to define 'autobiographical'. And I'm sure most writer/singers would say that there's always something autobiographical in just about everything they produce. And then there are those songs [MAN IN BLACK, COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER] which could virtually serve as Wikipedia entries for the writer/singer.

Centerfield Oct 24 2018 08:21 AM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Frayed Knot wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: ROCK AND ROLL BAND - Boston ... Dancin’ in the streets of Hyannis I don't know. This one is kinda borderline. It's a song by Boston (the group), about a band from Boston (the city), playing in bars around Boston (again the city) from their debut album Boston (the album). You really think that counts as autobiographical? Well the biggest problem, as Edgy pointed out, was that it's passed off as a kind of origin story -- we were just another band out of Boston, on the road trying to make ends meet ... -- which is exactly what a lot of the songs in this show's set list were, except that this song existed prior to the band actually existing. 'Boston' was really pretty much a one man operation that then had to go and find some band members once Tom Scholz, an M.I.T. engineer originally from Ohio, created a bunch of songs (in some cases years earlier) including 'Rock and Roll Band' which, while about A Boston area band, isn't about the Boston area band named BOSTON which eventually sang and recorded the song. The whole album, of course, quickly became a smash hit -- 17 million copies sold including at least one to each and every 15 y/o boy living at the time -- to the point where a tour, which Scholz didn't want to do, had to be built around it and I'm not sure that the touring band necessarily involved the same guys who made up the recording band, hence the follow-up lines about them being about as "real" a band as the Monkees. The live shows, from what I heard or read at the time via both professional reviews and word of mouth, were universally said to be awful but the album was too big a smash not to demand follow-ups which radio stations felt obligated to play and what should have been a flash in the pan became a staple of the airwaves for decades afterward, long after any novelty or originality had worn out. Wow. Did not know any of this. So what you're saying is, in a just world, we would have been spared Amanda.

41Forever Oct 24 2018 08:41 AM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Frayed Knot wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: ROCK AND ROLL BAND - Boston ... Dancin’ in the streets of Hyannis I don't know. This one is kinda borderline. It's a song by Boston (the group), about a band from Boston (the city), playing in bars around Boston (again the city) from their debut album Boston (the album). You really think that counts as autobiographical? Well the biggest problem, as Edgy pointed out, was that it's passed off as a kind of origin story -- we were just another band out of Boston, on the road trying to make ends meet ... -- which is exactly what a lot of the songs in this show's set list were, except that this song existed prior to the band actually existing. 'Boston' was really pretty much a one man operation that then had to go and find some band members once Tom Scholz, an M.I.T. engineer originally from Ohio, created a bunch of songs (in some cases years earlier) including 'Rock and Roll Band' which, while about A Boston area band, isn't about the Boston area band named BOSTON which eventually sang and recorded the song. The whole album, of course, quickly became a smash hit -- 17 million copies sold including at least one to each and every 15 y/o boy living at the time -- to the point where a tour, which Scholz didn't want to do, had to be built around it and I'm not sure that the touring band necessarily involved the same guys who made up the recording band, hence the follow-up lines about them being about as "real" a band as the Monkees. The live shows, from what I heard or read at the time via both professional reviews and word of mouth, were universally said to be awful but the album was too big a smash not to demand follow-ups which radio stations felt obligated to play and what should have been a flash in the pan became a staple of the airwaves for decades afterward, long after any novelty or originality had worn out. I remember getting that first album for my birthday. Fun fact -- it sold 17 million copies, but peaked on the charts at No. 3. It really is an amazing album. The follow up is about half of an amazing album. I don't think I ever bought "Third Stage."

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 24 2018 08:41 AM Re: Autobiographical Songs

All that said, I still like Boston, and Brad Delp had the voice of angels, even if his multitracked vocals were a tad bit difficult to replicate live [youtube:18tnwg7s]VCTwv2--Vho[/youtube:18tnwg7s]

Frayed Knot Oct 24 2018 09:03 AM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Centerfield wrote: So what you're saying is, in a just world, we would have been spared Amanda. Not to mention 'DON'T LOOK BACK'. The problem was that they still had the right sound for the era when rock radio was becoming increasingly formatted so radio stations never seemed to consider NOT playing the more formulaic follow-ups or to cease playing the by-then worn out stuff from the debut (hey, it sold so many that it must still be relevant!). But their beginning had taken off so quickly that their first NYC gig ever was them headlining MSG, making the part about "on the road trying to make ends meet" a bit of a tough sell even though I'm sure some of the band members probably experienced that in other projects.

Centerfield Oct 24 2018 11:19 AM Re: Autobiographical Songs

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: All that said, I still like Boston, and Brad Delp had the voice of angels, even if his multitracked vocals were a tad bit difficult to replicate live [youtube]VCTwv2--Vho[/youtube] I remember when he committed suicide that some tried to blame it on his strained relationship with Scholz. Seemed like kind of a stretch for me. But is it widely accepted that Scholz is kind of a dick?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 24 2018 02:00 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Brad was apparently caught making secret videos of his fiancee's sister, and took his life after he was caught but before he could confess to his fiancee. http://ultimateclassicrock.com/brad-del ... e-lawsuit/

Centerfield Oct 24 2018 04:48 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Wow! I mean like WOW! That is just crazy.

Rockin' Doc Oct 31 2018 09:03 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Layla - Derek and he Dominos (Clapton's unrequited love for Patty Boyd Harrison) Coal Miner's Daughter - Loretta Lynn

Frayed Knot Nov 11 2018 08:00 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

I hadn't thought of 'Layla' but that one works. 'Coal Miner's Daughter' was included in the show -- right after Grand Funk Railroad's 'We're an American Band' and just prior to Merle Haggard's 'Okie from Muskogee' -- and if that's not great radio programming I don't know what is. That 'We' by the Roaches wasn't included is a surprise as the show in general is very Roaches (and Wainwrights and McGarrigles) friendly.

Edgy MD Nov 11 2018 09:39 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

[fimg=250:gaj9gyvs]https://img.newspapers.com/img/img?institutionId=0&user=0&id=55184903&width=557&height=1969&crop=1803_2678_732_2636&rotation=0&brightness=0&contrast=0&invert=0&ts=1541997458&h=8d03452f50660a33b404cf06e217af10[/fimg:gaj9gyvs]

Frayed Knot Nov 12 2018 12:45 PM Re: Autobiographical Songs

Now that's a cool find!