Fact Checking Famous Rock Songs

[Richland123]

Fact Checking Famous Rock Songs

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ph...songs-20110223

[Lazylion]

A nit-picker's delight! I thank you.

[hrodbert696]

Glad they got Cortez the Killer on the list. We used to have that on our playlist and it drove me nuts.

[Hoover]

I think the editors of Rolling Stone completely missed the point in their Fact Check (sic) of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down". The whole reference to "there go the Robert E. Lee" at the end is supposed to represent the obsessive, almost delusional reluctance to concede defeat that pervaded Southerners after the war.

Either that or a steamship.

[hdracer]

Originally Posted by Hoover

Either that or a steamship.

The Steamboat Robert E. Lee was famous, World known as the fastest steamboat ever built. It sank September 30, 1882.

Once again, Rolling Stone got it wrong.

[jumbosilverette]

I always thought they meant the 'steamship.'

[JTE]

"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"

Well, it depends on what's sung in the verse there. Some hear
"Back with my wife in Tennessee, when one day she called to me,'
Virgil, quick come see, there goes the Robert E. Lee", which would clearly be the boat.

BUT, if that "the" isn't there, then it (taken in context with the second line which says "Now I don't mind choppin' wood, and I don't care if the money's no good, take what you need and leave the rest, but they should never have taken the very best..." it would seem to be talking about seeing Lee BEFORE Appomattox.

Nevertheless, RS again misses the point. I wouldn't study history from rock lyrics any more than I'd study music appreciation from Stephen Ambrose.

John

[C.Linton]

Originally Posted by jumbosilverette

I always thought they meant the 'steamship.'

Me too.

[M0ses]

I always thought that lyrics weren't required to make any sense whatsoever.

[Jim Nazium]

Originally Posted by M0ses

I always thought that lyrics weren't required to make any sense whatsoever.

"I am the egg man, they are the egg men, I am the walrus
coo coo cachoo .."

[73jbass]

Originally Posted by M0ses

I always thought that lyrics weren't required to make any sense whatsoever.

There ya go..

[C.Linton]

I generally don't pay attention to lyrics anyway. I'm pretty much concentating on the instruments and the musical aspect of the vocals, not the words themselves.

[kenfxj]

I love The Band and I love that song. Always thought (still do) they were referring to the steamship. A kind of douchey article from a rather douchey publication if you ask me.

[jlane72t]

In their 1985 classic "King Of Rock" RUN-D.M.C. rhyme, "There's three of us, but we aren't The Beatles." Do we even need to say it? There were, of course, four members of The Beatles.

Umm, in 1985 there were 3 (left). And it's "three of us but we're not the Beatles".

Good idea for an article but shoddily written.

[darkhorse9]

The one that always bugged me was Paradise By The Dashboard Lights.

In the Phil Rizutto baseball play by play there were two outs when the batter bunted down a sacrifice bunt. If there were two outs the defense would simply field the bunt and throw to first for the third out negating the run. They certainly wouldn't throw home where there was no force play.

I know that wasn't the point of the song...but it's still wrong, nevertheless.

[anechoic]

Originally Posted by hrodbert696

Glad they got Cortez the Killer on the list. We used to have that on our playlist and it drove me nuts.

Mojo magazine recently had a big feature on Neil Young, which included a rundown of his 50 best songs, Cortez being among them. After reading that, I'm surprised they made it through all 7 minutes and change of that song. The Horse were pretty ****ed up out of their minds, and I doubt Neil was far behind them in those days.

Tip for all the other bass players out there: if you want to remember the chord changes to the song you're playing (all three of 'em!), don't let one of the guitarists talk you into smoking angel dust before the session.

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by M0ses

I always thought that lyrics weren't required to make any sense whatsoever.

Ref: half of Bruce Springsteen's catalog.....but it still sounds good.

Also - much of what the Beatles wrote after 1966, starting with Sergeant Peppers. I am the Walrus? You are the Eggman?

Nine...number nine...number nine.....

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by Jim Nazium

"I am the egg man, they are the egg men, I am the walrus
coo coo cachoo .."

It's "goo goo g'joob."