On That Note: Don't Know Much About History

[CycloneRulzzz]

Welcome back to “On That Note,” CF's weekly music exploration, hosted by @MeanDean and @cyclones500.

Rulzzz here guest hosting On That Note this week. Last week's topic gave me an idea for another topic. I sent it to Cyclones500 and after conferring with MeanDean they thought it was a solid topic and that I should run with it and guest host.

Last week's topic was songs or lyrics that mentioned another artist. I'm a big history fan so my idea was songs that are out write about an historical event or the song's lyrics mention history in some fashion.

The credit for the awesome title goes to @MeanDean which came from the song Wonderful World by Sam Cooke (and others). Works great song mentions word history (which is the topic) are there two bits about history in the song

"Don't know nothin' 'bout the Middle Ages
Look at the pictures and I turn the pages"​

"Don't know nothin' 'bout no Rise and Fall
Don't know nothin' 'bout nothin' at all."​

I'll kick off the discussion in follow up post.

Last week's On That Note: Good Citations

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

For me when this topic came to me the first song that came to mind was Gordon Lightfoot's Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Tells a tremendous story about the ship's tragic sinking and the lyrically it's amazingly descriptive.

"The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy"

 

[cyclones500]

For whatever reason, this was the first song that came to me, so I’ll go with it. I'm sure its rooted in my childhood listening experience. I have others that are more relevant/non-novelty, will post some shortly.

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

One more is Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire. Basically everything but chorus is about famous people in history and events like JFK's assassination and Bay of Pigs Invasion.

 

[cyclones500]

Main historic reference: Spanish Civil War. Basic lyrical details here.

 

[Cydar]

 

[cyclones500]

One more is Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire. Basically everything but chorus is about famous people in history and events like JFK's assassination and Bay of Pigs Invasion.

There was some critical backlash about that song, if memory serves it came off as a historical exploration of recent decades but the lyrics involved mostly name-dropping. In retrospect, that analysis takes it too seriously. Song fits this week's OTN topic to a T.

 

[Cydar]

 

[Rabbuk]

I always dug this song, thought it was cool that it tied to literature, though not actual history.

 

[VeloClone]

Bloody Sunday, Derry, Northern Ireland

 

[cyclones500]

Historic reference: Use of Agent Orange in Vietnam

 

[Rabbuk]

Last train to Clarksville is a song about shipping off to Vietnam I think

 

[VeloClone]

 

[cyclones500]

Last train to Clarksville is a song about shipping off to Vietnam I think

That could be disputable, but I don't have enough definitive evidence against it (I haven't delved into that to any extent). The lyrics and the timing certainly fit.

 

[cyclones500]

One more for now, I'll return in a few hours. I like the contributions so far, keep 'em coming.

Unsettling example, considering frequency of such events in recent years. Historic reference — School shooting at San Diego elementary school in 1979.

 

[ricochet]

"Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones mentions several historical events (Russian revolution, Kennedy assassinations, etc.).

 

[arobb]

 

[jbhtexas]

It seems that most agree "the day the music died" refers to the Buddy Holly plane crash. After that, it's up for grabs. I don't think McLean has ever himself explained the other symbolism in the song.

 

[SCyclone]

That could be disputable, but I don't have enough definitive evidence against it (I haven't delved into that to any extent). The lyrics and the timing certainly fit.

SIAP-
"Last Train To Clarksville" (1966)
Micky Dolenz: It's about a guy going off to war. Frankly, it's an anti-war song. It's about a guy going to Clarksville, Tennessee, which is an army base if I'm not mistaken. He's obviously been drafted and he says to his girlfriend, "I don't know if I'm ever coming home."

 

[2020cy]

Four dead in Ohio.