Saturday, 10 October 2009
Have I the right?
Well its Saturday morning, no one apart from the Fat Prophet in Walsall comes anywhere near the blog so I'm posting yet another pop song from my legendary and largely misspent youth.
Have I the Right? was performed by the Honeycombs and produced by the legendary Joe Meek. They had met at the Mildmay Tavern in the Balls Pond Road, just a quarter of a mile from my home at the time.
Apart from being an outstanding piece of music most of us in adolescence drooled over the woman drummer. Nowadays no one bats an eyelid but in the 1960s that was seen as being groundbreaking.
The chorus was especially useful on cold nights at speedway matches down at Hackney Wick as we stamped along with it, just like we did to Glad All Over.
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7 comments:
Not sure about anyone else not coming near your blog (or anybody else's for that matter) on a Saturday morning but the bit about fat prophet was absolutely right and I have just sat here and sung along to this great track (word perfect I have to say)and wondered did I include a mention of this song in my book? Ah well too late now if I didn't as it has gone to the printers.
Actually I've just popped in. Sorry but not one of my favourite songs.
Thanks Paul. You are welcome to say why it isn't one of your favorite songs.
Next Saturday I will be revisiting one of the more controversial sounds of the sixties - it tore youth clubs apart throughout the kingdom.
Well, it doesn't surprise me, but Paul is obviously a man of some taste, because Have I the Right? was, and remains, a bloody awful piece of music. It was dislodged from the No.1 spot by the Kinks' excellent... 'You really Got Me'... a proper pop song.
Incidentally, 'Have I the Right? was covered (and much improved) by the US punk band The Dead Kennedy's.
I think Paul's concern may be about the lyrics. The concept of having "rights" in a relationship, especially in relation to physical contact. It is a very pre-women's liberation view of relationships.
By the way Bob I've just posted about seeing you out on the street today.
Actually, the lyrics are asking permission. Listen carefully and you will find that the singer awaits being granted the right. Quite liberated really.
I think the lyrics are reasonably OK especially compared to some contemporary songs, but for something really inspiring, almost worthy of a sermon, please check out the sublime "This Too Shall Pass Away" by the same band.
When you way is darkest night,
and you can't tell wrong from right,
remeber nothing ever lasts forever,
and this too shall pass away-ay-ay,
this too shall pass away,
Though you're left alone to cry,
and dark storm clouds hide the sky,
there's no sadness that can't change to gladness,
for all things shall pass away-ay-ay,
all things shall pass away,
Instrumental
When you're feeling like a king,
and you're lord of everything,
yourself you may deceive but its just make believe,
and this too shall pass away-ay-ay,
this too shall pass away,
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