Music is important to me. I listen to every type, every kind from hither to thither all the way over to yon. You get the picture. This is going to be a simple post. Maybe you’ll sing along with me, maybe you’ll snicker at how old I am.
I’m not going to wax poetic about how the songs of my childhood and teen years were so much better than the songs of today because I believe that there’s good music in all eras. You just have to look for it. And there were some pretty crappy songs when I was growing up, believe me.
No. This post is about listening to AM radio in the 70s and the songs that came out of that mono speaker that still inspire me today. So fluff out your Afros, get your love beads and granny skirts and take a walk with me down memory lane.
Melanie Safka – Look What They Done to my Song, Ma
This song was also done by the Seekers, but I like Melanie’s song better. The French in the song adds to its awesomeness. “Ils ont change ma chanson, Ma.” Love how “Ma” is the same in French and in English.
The weird thing is, after all this singing about they changed her song, it also was featured in an ad for oatmeal. Go figure.
Mary Hopkins – Those Were the Days, My Friend
You must love a song that tells a story. This song is based on a Russian folk song, which accounts for its melancholy, yet catchy tune. You know it, you love it, sing along.
“Those were the days my friend/we’d thought they never end….”
Last but not least, I’ve listened (and sung out loud) to this song so much that my children know this song, especially the harmonies at the beginning and the end. Love this.
Pilot of the Airwaves – Charlie Dore
Pilot of the Airwaves
Here is my request
You don’t have to play it but I hope you’ll do your best
I’ve been listening to your show on the radio
And you seem like a friend to me.
What are some of your 70s folk favorites?