This week August 28, 2022 , the prompt for Jim Adam’s Song Lyric Sunday has been suggested by Greg’s Blog : Better with Age: Failed or Overlooked Songs that Eventually Became Fan Favorites .
So the first so first song that springs to mind is Kate Bush’s (Deal with God ) Running up that Hill. Which was originally released in 1985 from her fifth Album Hounds of love. The single reached number three.
In 2022, “Running Up That Hill” received renewed attention when it was prominently featured in the fourth season of the Netflix series Stranger Things. Its appearance led to the song’s resurgence on charts around the world, reaching the top three on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the charts in eight countries, including the United Kingdom for three consecutive weeks, Ireland for seven consecutive weeks and Australia for nine non-consecutive weeks. All the information you need is on Wikipedia
Thus taking thirty seven years to reach number one and be the massive hit it is. I have featured all this before. I cry every time I hear this song because it means so much to me…its helped me more than once for reasons I don’t care to share. Such a great song here it is again with Lyrics.
Ralph McTell – Streets Of London (1968-1974)
In 1968 I had met hubby, by 1974 I was married, had our first and was expecting our second. This song is just amazing. Hubby’s uncle was a Vicar and a friend of Ralph McTell he had a fund raiser at his church and Ralph McTell agreed to perform there, we were lucky enough to go. It was magical listening to this great performance in a small Church. A never forgotten experience. This another song that always makes me cry.
Streets of London” is a song by Ralph McTell, who first recorded it for his 1969 album Spiral Staircase. It was not released in the United Kingdom as a single until 1974. McTell himself noted that there were 212 known recorded versions of the song. The song was re-released, on 4 December 2017, featuring McTell with Annie Lennox as a charity single for CRISIS, the Homelessness Charity. Roger Whittaker also recorded a well received version in 1971.
The song was inspired by McTell’s experiences busking and hitchhiking throughout Europe, especially in Paris and the individual stories are taken from Parisians. McTell was originally going to call the song “Streets of Paris”— but eventually London was chosen, because he realised he was singing about London; also, there was another song called “The Poor People of Paris“.
McTell’s song contrasts the common problems of everyday people with those of the homeless, lonely, elderly, ignored and forgotten members of society. In an interview on Radio 5 with Danny Baker on 16 July 2016, McTell said that the market he referred to in the song was Surrey Street Market in Croydon.
Derek & The Dominos – Layla (1970-1972)
“Layla” is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, originally recorded by Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track from their only studio album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970). Its contrasting movements were composed separately by Clapton and Gordon. The piano part has also been controversially credited to Rita Coolidge, Gordon’s girlfriend at the time.
The song was inspired by a love story that originated in 7th-century Arabia and later formed the basis of The Story of Layla and Majnun by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi, a copy of which Ian Dallas had given to Clapton. The book moved Clapton profoundly, because it was the tale of a young man who fell hopelessly in love with a beautiful young girl, went crazy and so could not marry her. The song was further inspired by Clapton’s secret love for Pattie Boyd, the wife of his friend and fellow musician George Harrison. After Harrison and Boyd divorced, Clapton and Boyd eventually married.
“Layla” has since its release experienced great critical and popular acclaim, and is often hailed as being among the greatest rock songs of all time. Two versions have achieved chart success, the first in 1972 and the second (without the piano coda) 20 years later as an acoustic Unplugged performance by Clapton. In 2004, “Layla” was ranked number 27 on Rolling Stone‘s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time“, and the acoustic version won the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song..
Another great song from the same era as Streets of London…..Yup it makes me cry. Someone pass me the tissues please.
Happy Sunday Everyone.
willowdot21 