Category: My Sunday Song

My Sunday Song – “Rock of Life” by Rick Springfield

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For My Sunday Song #278, we are tackling the song “Rock of Life” by Rick Springfield off his 1988 album with the same name. It was written by Rick Springfield and a little piece of trivia for you, the bass player is American Idol’s own Randy Jackson. The song went to #22, but the album didn’t do that well. It charted at #55 and didn’t go Gold so Rick was starting to lose his mojo (not with me though).

The song was started back in 1985, but Rick was having trouble finishing it. He set it aside and after some time off the road with his new born, his life had really changed. A new baby really changed everything for him. They lyrics came flooding to him after that. The song is about the birth of his son and the impact that it had on him. He was now a dad and not just a rock singer and that can be a strange feeling. He wasn’t ready for the change and it I guess the song helped him cope with that.

Musically, the song was very different from his previous work. There were a lot of keyboard effects put in, Rick sings it in a higher register than he usually did. There were a lot of woo’s and hoo’s and it sounds like the 80’s and that might be why I like it, even today. It does rock out and it should with that title. But this being 1988, rock had changed and so this didn’t get the recognition I am sure he would’ve liked. All around was Def Leppard’s Hysteria, GNR’s Appetite and Whitesnake’s self titled album. There was really no place for Rick, but I didn’t care. He was my guilty pleasure back in the day. No longer as I am proudly able to say I like his stuff.

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My Sunday Song – “Wide Awake” by Rick Springfield

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For My Sunday Song #277, we are going to dive in to the song “Wide Awake” by Rick Springfield. The song is off his 2012 album ‘Songs For the End of the World’. Sadly, I think the song and album went fairly unnoticed and its shame as Rick had been tearing it up for the last decade giving us tons of music and some really great tracks, including this one. The song was written by Rick Springfield and his writing partner on the album Matt Bissonette and they kept a common theme on the album so check it out and see what you think.

The song is really dark in its subject matter while at the same time optimistic and joyful. Rick was in a really dark place and stuck in a nightmare. He had been sleeping around on his wife and having more issues than you and I could probably handle. You can see in the lyrics he was insecure, lonley and doing things without even thinking of the consequences. Thanks to his true love, he eventually woke up the fact that he was being destructive and going down paths that he shouldn’t. She saved him and now he is wide awake and can enjoy life again the way it should be. He let the pressures and temptations get to him and she saved him.

The song is a hard rocking track, upbeat and quick tempo with an energy that is infectious and will get you moving. It is so quick you will have a hard time catching your breath. The drums are so powerful and machine gun style and there is a great guitar riff throughout that seems bouncy and joyful despite some dark topics. The “Wide Awake” theme is definitely captured in the power of the music. And let’s not forget Rick as he sings with such gusto and passion you feel like he is happy and enjoying things again. He sounds like the kid he once was.

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My Sunday Song – “Human Touch” by Rick Springfield

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For My Sunday Song #276, we are going to go after “Human Touch” by Rick Springfield. The song was from Rick’s 1983 album ‘Living in Oz’. The song wasn’t his biggest hit ever, but it did pretty well charting at #23 in the US giving him another Top 40 hit. Interestingly enough, the song charted at #23 in the UK and was his only Top 40 hit in the UK making him a one-hit wonder in the UK. That’s right, ‘Jessie’s Girl’ didn’t go Top 40 there.

The song was inspired by kids back in the early 80’s getting stuck in front of their computer games and forgetting how to communicate and interact with other people. That’s funny, I don’t think that has changed and now is worse with today’s phones. Rick noticed this and was reminded by how much we as human needed to communicate with each other, how much we needed to touch each other in some way. He took that thought and turned in to a love story and sexualized it a little, okay, a lot. I love how he talks about someone building up walls around themselves and the girl, Sally, calls them his prison cell. We all have those walls and only certain people can break through them, but to do that, you need to let them touch you in some way. It is pretty deep.

Musically, Rick actually recorded the song using a lot of computers which he found the contradiction to be quite funny and I agree. The song starts off with a couple of computer beeps and then a drum machine kicks in which is exactly what he says in the song that people are dancing to drum machines so why not put them in. It is basic pop and dance song and is very dated in its sound which I think now adds to its charm. Later in the song we get a saxophone which jazzes it up a little, but overall it is a very generic sounding song, but I think the meaning is way deeper and shows that Rick actually has a lot of depth in his writing. He was a man ahead of his time. He should probably redo this song today as sadly, it still applies but even more so with the pandemic and the lack of human touch for so long.

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My Sunday Song – “3 Warning Shots” by Rick Springfield

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For My Sunday Song #275, we are going after the brutal song “3 Warning Shots” by Rick Springfield. This is another from the 2008 album ‘Venus in Overdrive’. The album went to #28 on the Billboard charts upon its release and I think was a very overlooked album by many as it had some great tracks including this one.

The song is about the murder of John Lennon and it is not what you’d expect. It is a letter to the man that killed Lennon and there is so much anger in this letter and it is really shocking (I’m not saying the killers name for a reason as he does deserve to be named). Rick is basically telling the guy, if I find you, I am going to basically kill you by shooting you 3 times in the head. I love how he tells the guy that Lucifer might have promised you you’d be legit, but everybody thinks your shit. It is not a song you would expect Rick Springfield to write, but it is awesome.

I love how the song opens with Rick’s son reading the news like an actual broadcast of Lennon’s death. Rick then sings with so much anger and to match that the music is a lot heavier. The drums pound with a veracity that amplifies that anger. The whole song is Rick calling out Lennon’s killer and the song wouldn’t be as impactful if the music didn’t match the intensity of the lyrics and Rick’s vocals. It all works perfectly. I remember hearing the song the first time and being taken back. I had to hit repeat and listen to it again and again. I think I listened to it 5 times in a row. It is one of my favorites of his, plus I love songs about Lennon for some reason.

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My Sunday Song – “Blues for the Disillusioned” by Rick Springfield

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For My Sunday Song #274, we are going to talk about a song that is not what you’d expect from Rick Springfield. It is a blues song called “Blues for the Disillusioned” off his 2018 album ‘The Snake King’ which is as close to blues album as you will get from Rick. The album didn’t chart, the song was not a single and it might be one you’ve never heard about, but you would be missing out.

The album was recorded during a very dark time in Rick’s life. He had contemplated suicide at one point during his darkest days. I’m not sure if this album was his therapy, but he laid out a lot on this album and this song in particular for me was a standout. There are a lot of religious aspects to the song and not all of them good. He blasts God and the Bible in particular John 16:24 where it says “Ask and You Shall Receive”, but I don’t think Rick feels God answered anything. In fact, I think he is now very disillusioned with God and faith. In reading the lyrics, Rick has had enough of so called “God” and it seems he feels that God has abandoned us all and it really makes this a very sad song.

Some of the other examples are that God manipulated Adam and Eve as well as they say God doesn’t give you what you ask for, He gives you what you need…well tell that to the 13 million starving kids in the Middle East. These parts of the song show some one who is not on the side of God anymore. I wonder where he sits now, I’d love to ask him about it.

The song is more of a ballad type song in tempo and it has a melancholy feel to it which makes sense as the lyrics are pretty dark. There is a not much blues per se, more of a country twang, but the slide guitar gives a little hint at blues. Regardless, there is a nice groove and Rick does sound great, but for me the song is about the lyrics and the meaning behind them all. That is what I found most fascinating about it. For that, I am a huge fan.

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My Sunday Song – “I Get Excited” by Rick Springfield

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For My Sunday Song #273, we are going to go back a little a look at “I Get Excited” by Rick Springfield. The song is off his 1982 album ‘Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me Yet’. The song did chart as a single going all the way to #32 in the US and #42 in Canada which I am sure helped the the album go all the way to #2. Reality is that this album was riding high in large part to the success of his prior album ‘Working Class Dog’ which had “Jessie’s Gril”.

The song is about an experience he had with a girl. That excitement and thrill of being with a woman and reality doesn’t always live up to the expectation. The thrill of thinking of everything that is going to happen and blowing it up in your head to a level that the actual act will never live up to it is pretty common and happens in almost any situation. It also seems to point to the fact that he is really in to it, but she doesn’t seem to be as she keeps her eyes open when the kiss and gets cold feet and starts to leave. Poor guy.

The song is an uptempo rocker and very radio friendly. It has a great guitar riff throughout that is very memorable. I like how the chorus explodes at you with some heavy drums. There is a lot of keyboard in the song which fits well for the time period as we are talking 1982. The song has a guitar solo which isn’t too flashy and compliments the song nicely. The song is a little dated in its sound, but still a great track regardless.

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My Sunday Song – “One Passenger” by Rick Springfield

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For My Sunday Song #272, we are discussing “One Passenger” by Rick Springfield off his 2008 album ‘Venus in Overdrive”. The album peaked at #28 on the Billboard Charts, but the song was never a single. It is however, a favorite of mine on the album. Thanks to ‘Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance’, I was really in to his music again and was excited when this came out. Although not quite as good as ‘SDAA’, it was still an exceptional album and this song helped.

What I love about the song is that is sort of a conversation with God…or whatever your definition of God is. Through the lyrics he is showing his disillusionment with life in general and asking God as to why? Why are we here and what is the meaning of all that we go through. When you listen to it, you feel his loneliness in the world, his regret, his heartache and understand why he is questioning his existence. It is quite lovely and heartbreaking at the same time when you sit and listen.

Musically, it seems pretty simple. It is not a rocker, but does pick up the pace during the chorus. It is a pop song through and through with a driving beat and there is a nice bass groove that keeps the song moving. Rick sings it in a very calm demeanor which I think hints at a tremendous sadness without sounding too morose. There is a dichotomy in the music which is a little more upbeat then the lyrics would make you believe and I always find that mix very intriguing and probably why I’m drawn to it.

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My Sunday Song – “Wasted” by Rick Springfield

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For My Sunday Song #271, we are going to do a 10 Song Set on Rick Springfield. There will be handful of old favorites, but most are going to be stuff you might be surprised by as he has been going strong for 40 years and his stuff after 2000 has been something. First up is “Wasted” from my favorite Springfield album called ‘Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance’ which came out on February 24, 2004 and it is freaking brilliant. This is one of my favorite tracks from the album. The song is not a single and the album did go to #8 on the Independent Charts, but the album went relatively unnoticed which is a crying shame.

The song is about a girl who is nothing but trouble. He felt that she could be the one to save him, but she was more interested in making every boy her boyfriend. She was pretty crazy and wild and liked to take a lot polaroids. He knows he needs to let her go as she is too much trouble but he is drawn to her and that wild side and passion. Will he ever learn and move on or keep chasing the flame? We don’t know. But the song seems to fit on the Acceptance part of the album. He has accepted the fact she is what she is and will never fully have her. Or is he in Denial? The whole album has songs that will fit one of those categories or multiple categories which is the beauty of this album.

There is one part in the lyrics that I find a little disturbing. Apparently the girl lost Rick’s toe ring…yes…you read that right…toe ring. Who the hell wears a toe ring? Do guys really do this? I didn’t know that was something. But for some reason it still works in the context of the song.

Musically, the song is a major rocker. It sounds very modern in its style and borders on metal at times as it goes back and forth between soft in the verses and heavy during the chorus. It is very dark in keeping with the lyrics and Rick sings with a passion and intensity that brings the lyrics to life and makes you feel his turmoil. The song, like the album, sees Rick stretch his wings and really push the boundaries of what you would expect a Springfield song/album to be like. This is a totally unexpected and amazing surprise.

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My Sunday Song – “Sweet Magdeline” by Will Hoge

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For My Sunday Song #270, we are discussing the final song in the Will Hoge series, “Sweet Magdeline”. The song is off the his self-released 2001 album called ‘Carousel’. The album didn’t chart, the song wasn’t a single and yet it is still all fantastic. A deep cut that is better than anything on the album for me. I believe the song was written by Will Hoge and Dan Baird frontman of the Georgia Satellites. Dan signed on as Will’s lead guitarist for this album so that is a nice endorsement.

The song is about a young girl named Magdeline who wasn’t so sweet anymore. She fell hard and deep into to drinking and that grew in to drugs and some not so nice things she did to get those drugs. The drug references are throughout with phrases like “altered dreams” and “needle and silver spoon” and the bad things such as “she is going down” to her medicine man. I don’t know if she made it back to the sweet side, but it doesn’t sound promising.

Vocally, Will sings in a more rocking style, loud and gritty. On a couple lines Will does something he hasn’t done frequently and that is sing in a high falsetto voice which comes out of the right speaker and sounds like a turned down low radio before fully filling the speakers and back to rocking it out. Musically, it is a rocker with some great guitar work by Dan and the drums are slamming. This album is a far cry from where he is style wise now and if you like his rock side more than that country/southern rock side, then this one will be perfect for you.

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My Sunday Song – “Even the River Runs Out of This Town” by Will Hoge

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For My Sunday Song #269, we are going to dive in to the song “Even the River Runs Out of This Town” by Will Hoge. Man, I love that song title. The song is off his latest album, 2020’s ‘Tiny Little Movies’. The song didn’t chart, but it is one of the reason why I think this was one of the best albums to come out in 2020 and one of the best Will Hoge has ever done. It is a masterpiece as each song is exactly what the title of the album says they are….tiny little movies.

“Even the River Runs Out of this Town” I thought was about how small town America keeps getting smaller as the young adults keep leaving for the big city which you can interpret it that way. However, the song is about lost love and how he had to let her go. Even though he loved her, she was smothered by that love and that town and needed to leave. He states the highways and the railroads all leave town and that even the river leaves so it must be her turn now. It is quite a beautiful sentiment. The song is his longing for the girl that got away.

Musically, the song is a ballad done on acoustic guitar and Will’s voice. It is stripped down to its bare bones, it is raw and you can feel the pain, the heartache and the longing for his lost love. When the music can be as sad as the lyrics, then he has done something right. Like with a lot of songs of Will’s, the music is handled by nothing but uber talented musicians, but it is the lyrics that are the star and that is the case for any good songwriter.

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