Category Archives: song of the day

by

Song of the Day #2,946: ‘What About Georgia’ – Miranda Lambert

miranda_lambert_kerosene‘What About Georgia’ is the second track on Miranda Lambert’s debut album, 2005’s Kerosene. She was 22 at the time and fresh off her third-place finish on the TV competition Nashville Star.

This song was written about another contestant on the show, Travis Howard, with whom Lambert has collaborated on many songs. Here’s how she explains the song’s origin:

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #2,945: ‘All I Wanna Do’ – Sheryl Crow

sheryl_crow_tuesday_night_music_club‘All I Wanna Do’ is the song that launched Sheryl Crow into the public eye, and remains the biggest hit of her career. The track won Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, both well-earned.

I was going to use today’s blog entry to praise Crow’s excellent lyrics, because this song is an explosion of wonderful imagery and flawless characterization. But a little research revealed that the credit for those lyrics belongs to poet Wyn Cooper instead.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #2,944: ‘Love For Tender’ – Elvis Costello

gethappyMy #1 album of 1980 was an easy call, considering it’s one of my very favorite albums by one of my very favorite artists.

Elvis Costello’s fourth studio album, Get Happy!!, doesn’t exactly capture the sound of the 70s giving way to the 80s (it’s a throwback to the R&B and soul records of the 60s) but it’s a blast start to finish, showcasing Costello at his peak both lyrically and musically.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #2,943: ‘Sleeping With the Television On’ – Billy Joel

glasshousesMy #2 album of 1980 would elicit gasps among the critical elite, who have long dismissed Billy Joel as a hack. Fuck ’em. Glass Houses is a blast — not The Stranger or 52nd Street great, but a whole lot of fun.

Rolling Stone wrote a vicious review of this album that ends with the admittedly catchy line “his material’s catchy… but then, so’s the flu.” And that’s about the kindest thing they had to say.

I don’t get it. But I’ve never gotten the hostility so many music snobs have for Billy Joel.

Continue reading →