Modern Vespa

There are tons of amazing songs out there.
What are your favorite lyrics, and/or what lyrics hit you hardest?

I'll start:

Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?

"These ants are my friends, they're blowin' in the wind".

A song that often plays in my head when I'm riding is "Born to be Wild," by Steppenwolf.

Oh I wish I was an Oscar Meyer wiener.... that is what I'd truly like to be.

'Cause if I was an Oscar Meyer wiener.... everyone would be in love with meeeeeee.......


Sorry... I just don't know what gets into me sometimes...

And yellow is the fastest colour.

How can you tell I'm Canadian? Colour is spelled correctly!

Oops there it goes again... damn weasels!

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking.

And racing around to come up behind you again.

The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older.

Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.

Pink Floyd, Time.

Anything by Cole Porter.

There have been no song lyrics written in the last century that are as witty, clever and sophisticated as his.

I'm OLD!

"All Dead, All Dead" by Queen.

"All dead, all dead,
but I should not grieve.
In time it comes to everyone.
All dead, all dead,
but in hope I breathe.
Of course I don't believe you're dead and gone.
All dead, and gone."

"Hurricane Party" by James McMurtry

"I don't want another drink, I just want the last one again."

I often have random songs stuck in my head. To get rid of them, I think the lyrics of Ry Cooders version of the Leadbelly song "On a Monday".

"On a Monday, I was arrested
On a Tuesday..."

My wife and I joked we would play this at our wedding

You can save this and play it on the 4th of July.

The darkest song lyrics ever: From the song 'Sam Stone' by John Prine

Born to Be Wild

Steppenwolf

Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway
Looking for adventure
In whatever comes our way
Yeah, darlin'
Gonna make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space
I like smoke and lightnin'
Heavy metal thunder
Racing in the wind
And the feeling that I'm under
Yeah, darlin'
Gonna make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space
Like a true nature child
We were born
Born to be wild
We can climbed so high
I never wanna die
Born to be wild
Born to be wild
Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway
Looking for adventure
In...

Also:

Wanted Dead or Alive

Bon Jovi

It's all the same, only the names will change
Every day, it seems we're wastin' away
Another place where the faces are so cold
I'd drive all night just to get back home
I'm a cowboy
On a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted dead or alive
Wanted dead or alive
Sometimes I sleep, sometimes it's not for days
The people I meet always go their separate ways
Sometimes you tell the day by the bottle that you drink
And times when you're alone, well, all you do is think
I'm a cowboy
On a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted (wanted), dead or alive
Wanted (wanted), dead or alive
Oh, and I ride
Yeah
Oh, I'm a cowboy
On a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted (wanted), dead or alive
And I walk these streets, a loaded six-string on my back
I play for keeps 'cause I might not make it back
I've been...
'Cause I'm a cowboy

During my life I've found out it's hard to beat the message of these lyrics.

Well, hear a contender.

Breakdown by Alan Parson's Project And "Love Alive" by Heart

+1 You beat me!

Another Alan Parsons Project fan, I see.
My favorite of his is Don't Let it Show. Especially the Pat Benatar cover.

On a Vespa it's "...born to be mild."

Going going gone by Greg allmond

Eeveryne probably knows by now that I am a big fan of the Pet Shop Boys. Neil Young is a great lyricist. Most people think about them as singing only dance music but that's not true. Mr. Young has a lot of truly heartbreaking ballads. Here is one of them:

I've had enough of dance halls
I've had enough of pills
I've had enough of street fights
I've seen my share of kills

I'm finished with the fashions
And acting like I'm tough
I'm bored with hate and passion
I've had enough of trying to love

LOL! Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive" is hilarious. I think about that all the time as I straddle my ZNEN 150. And then I laugh. Out Loud.

This is Jimmy Newquist from "Caroline's Spine" singing "Sullivan" solo.

I can't believe only 5800 views. At least 50 of them are mine.

It's not hard to reach back to the day
Underneath that Iowa sun
Running to the tower of Waterloo
Looking for the Sullivan's train to come
And his five boys would run to the top
And salute him as he went by
First we'd wave hello
Then we'd wave goodbye
Goodbye

It's not hard to reach back to the days
After the attack on Pearl
Overnight my buddies turned into men
Running out of time for games and girls
And the Sullivan boys were not overlooked
Uncle Sam calling each by name
The very next day they left on a mystery train

Say goodbye, bye, bye, Mrs. Sullivan
And don't you cry, cry, cry, cry, cry
"We regret to inform you
The Navy has taking your sons away-
All five, five, five, five...
So put your blue stars in the window"

It's not hard to reach back to her smile
When she'd receive a letter
And the letters they sounded generally the same
Said if they couldn't be home
At least they were together
On a mighty fighting battleship
Somewhere in the South Pacific
The letters never got much more specific

Say goodbye, bye, bye, Mrs. Sullivan
And don't you cry, cry, cry, cry, cry
"We regret to inform you
The Navy is keeping your sons away-
All five, five, five, five...
So keep your blue stars in the window."
In the window

It's not hard to reach back to the day
When the war finally came home
Uncle Sam'll send you a telegram
So he doesn't have to tell you over the phone
I heard she cracked up
When they found out what the war had cost
When all five of her boys were lost
They were, they were, they were...

Say goodbye, bye, bye, Mrs. Sullivan
Go ahead and cry, cry, cry, cry, cry
"We regret to inform you
That all your sons have passed away-
All five, five, five, five...
So change your blue star to gold."

Blue star to gold
Blue star to gold
Blue star to gold
Blue star to gold
Change them to gold

While I'm thinking about Bob Dylan - bits of the lyrics to Motopsycho Nightmare pop into my head when I'm on the scooter, particularly "In came his daughter whose name was Rita/She looked like she stepped out of La Dolce Vita/I immediately tried to cool it with her dad/And said what a nice pretty farm he had...

It's one of the funniest songs I know, and it might serve as a cautionary tale to those about to start on the Cannonball.

https://www.songlyrics.com/bob-dylan/motorpsycho-nightmare-lyrics/

I've always enjoyed the clever lyrics written by The Roches (three sisters who were better known in the 70s/80s)
If you ever saw their SNL a cappella version of "The Hallelujah Chorus" you know who I'm talking about.

"Ing"

This changes everything
Why is it happening
I got a feeling
And you're changing
The sky was darkening
When we went out wandering
It got confusing
And I started singing

Ing (they repeat this nonsense syllable several times between verses to sound like handbells ringing-makes more sense when you hear it)

Will we be marrying
Instead of parting
Or are you still singing
The praises of waiting
I had a gift to bring
A simple little thing
I had a little fling
That we won't be mentioning

Ing

(Chorus)
Where is all this leading
Is there any meaning
Are we just careening around?

I'm always wondering
When it starts thundering
Which is the better thing
To be still or running
You with the broken wing
Who fell down flying
How is it dancing
With any old Earthling

Ing

When I drive the car and go home this is the song I listen to more and more ... (at full volume)

Sweet Home Chicago
The Blues Brothers
Come on, oh baby, don't you wanna go?
Come on, oh baby, don't you wanna go
Back to that same old place
Sweet home Chicago
Come on, baby, don't you wanna go?
Hida-hey, baby, don't you wanna go?
Back to that same old place
Oh, sweet home Chicago
Well, one and one is two
Six and two is eight
Come on, baby, don't you make me late
Hida-hey, baby, don't you wanna go?
Back to that same old place
Sweet home Chicago
Come on, baby, don't you wanna go?
Oh, come on, baby, don't you wanna go?
Back to that same old place
Sweet home Chicago
Six and three is nine
Nine and nine is eighteen
Look...

In the USA you have great songs!

Just discovered this song yesterday.
By: Dimie Cat

Take me on your Vespa
Take me for a trip
Take me on your Vespa
Baby let'er rip
Take me on your Vespa
Take me for a trip
Turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on
I don't want no veggies
I don't want no pickles
I don't want no Gin Fizz
and I don't want no Pringles

I don't want no flowers
I don't want no friends
Don't wanna talk for hours
So why you wanna make me sweat?

Take me on your Vespa
Take me for a trip
Take me on your Vespa
Baby let'er rip
Take me on your Vespa
Take me for a trip
Turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on


I don't want no ribs
I don't want no T bone
I don't want yo' beef
Waiter won't leave us alone

I don't wanna see a movie
I don't want no show
Don't wanna walk with my high heels
So why you wanna take it slow?

Take me on your Vespa
Take me for a trip
Take me on your Vespa
Baby let'er rip
Take me on your Vespa
Take me for a trip
Turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on
I just wanna hear
The roaring of your engine
Feel the heartbeat
Of your love machine
Ooh, that's such a thrill

Take me on your Vespa
Take me for a trip
Take me on your Vespa
Baby let'er rip
Take me on your Vespa
Take me for a trip
Turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on

I don't want no pickles
I don't want no Pringles
I don't wanna play Scrabble
Take me on your V.E.S.P.A.

Any other Mountain Goats fans?

Well
Guy in a skeleton costume
Comes up to the guy in the Superman suit
Runs through him with a broadsword
I flipped the television off
Bring all the bright lights up
Turn the radio up loud
I don't know why I'm so persuaded
That if I think things through
Long enough and hard enough
I'll somehow get to you
But then you came in and we locked eyes
You kicked the ashtray over as we came toward each other
Stubbed my cigarette out against the west wall
Quickly lit another
Look at that
Would you look at that?
We're throwing off sparks
What will I do when I don't have you
To hold onto in the dark?

Yes
Everybody's going to need a witness
Everybody's going to need a little backup
In case the scene gets nasty
You throw the attic window open
And I throw myself all around you
And night comes to Tallahassee
I don't know why it's gotten harder to keep myself away
Thought I'd finally beat the feeling back
It all came back today
And then we fell down
And we locked arms
We knocked the dresser over as we rolled across the floor
I don't mean it when I tell you
That I don't love you any more
Look at that
Would you look at that?
The way the ceiling starts to swerve
What will I do when I don't have you
When I finally get what I deserve?

Do you want an Italian song?

Rome - Bangkok

Baby K

Yo, Baby K
Dress quickly because I feel like partying
You know it doesn't matter the makeup, beauty is in the head
We saw the sky cry on us
So let's dance now that the sun is ours
I want music that reminds me of Africa
Suddenly the whole world turns the page
Fall in love with the moon in the sea
Leave and return
Without knowing when
One way only
I would follow you to the end of the world
At the last second
I would fly to you, from Milan
Up to Hong Kong
Passing through London, from Rome and up to Bangkok
Looking for you
Disconnect from your work for a little while
Life costs less let's move to Bangkok
Where the metropolis meets the tropics
And among the lights we become almost microscopic
Roll down the windows I want the wind in your face
Turn up the volume of the track ...

50 Special

Lùnapop

60s rigged wasps
They run in the center of almost 90
Red of fire, the dance begins
Of arrows with a plate attached behind
Give me a Special, the coming summer
Give me a Vespa and I'll take you on vacation
But how nice it is to walk around with wings under your feet
If you have a Vespa Special that takes away your problems
But how beautiful it is to go around the Bolognese hills
If you have a Vespa Special that takes away the problems
And the school doesn't go
But I have a Vespa, a woman I don't have
I have a Vespa, Sunday is already
And a Vespa will take me (It will take me, it will take me)
Out of town
Out of town
Out of town
Out of town
Out of town
I hurry out of my room
With gears engaged from first to fourth
I have to hurry, I have to go to a party
Let me take a ride on my Vespa first ...

What do you believe? We are the country of the Vespa and there are dedicated songs!

"Woke up this morning and I got myself a beer.
The future's uncertain and the end is always near".

Same source

"Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."

And my favorite anthem for assisted suicide (second comes "MASH")

"When the music's over, turn out the light".

And, from one of the greatest guitar pieces of all time,

"I guess if my baby don't love me no more, I know her sister will".

This year is kind of a theme song.

I broke free on a Saturday morning
I put the pedal to the floor
Headed north on Mills Avenue
And listened to the engine roar
My broken house behind me
And good things ahead
A girl named Cathy
Wants a little of my time
Six cilinders underneath the hood
Crashing and kicking
Aha!
Listen to the engine wine
I am going to make it through this year
If it kills me
I am going to make it though this year
If it kills me
I played video games in a drunken haze
I was seventeen years yound
Hurt my knuckles punching the machines
The taste of scotch rich on my tongue
And then Cathy showed up
And we hung out
Trading swigs from a bottle
All bitter and clean
Locking eyes
Holding hands
Twin high maintenance machines
I am going to make it through this year
If it kills me
I am going to make it though this year
If it kills me
I drove home in the California dusk
I could feel the alcohol inside of me hum
Pictured the look on my stepfather's face
Ready for the bad things to come
I downshifted
As I pulled into the driveway
The motor screaming out
Stuck in second gear
The scene ends badly
As you might imagine
In a cavalcade of anger and fear
There will be feasting and dancing
In Jerusalem next year
I am going to make it through this year
If it kills me
I am going to make it though this year
If it kills me

I almost went with "This Year".

Here's a related gem:

Sufjan Stevens is a genius. This is probably the hardest song to listen to I've ever heard. The video doesn't help.

His father was a drinker and his mother cried in bed
Folding John Wayne's t-shirts when the swing set hit his head
The neighbors, they adored him
For his humor and his conversation
Look underneath the house there
Find the few living things, rotting fast, in their sleep
Oh the dead
Twenty-seven people
Even more, they were boys, with their cars, summer jobs
Oh my God
Ooh, are you one of them?
He dressed up like a clown for them
With his face paint white and red
And on his best behavior
In a dark room on the bed he kissed them all
He killed ten thousand people
With a slight of his hand, running far, running fast to the dead
He took off all their clothes for them
He put a cloth on their lips, quiet hands, quiet kiss on the mouth
And in my best behavior
I am really just like him
Look beneath the floor boards
For the secrets I have hid

You're not kidding. I was living in a nearby suburb when that one broke. Incomprehensible at the time.

I've got a couple....Iris DeMent came to mind first....

And you know the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.
Up the street beside that red neon light,
That's where I met my baby on one hot summer night.
He was the tender and I ordered a beer,
It's been forty years and I'm still sitting here.
But you know the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't

you see the sun's settin' down...

But John Hiatt's been my earwork all weekend:

Shrunken head and Mardi Gras beads
Hanging on a rearview mirror that bleeds
Keepin' her eyes on the open road
No tellin' where that son-a bitch goes

Got her doors locked doin' 75
Don't care to be caught now, dead or alive
Seen enough to kill anyone's soul
Keepin' her eyes on the open road
Keepin' her eyes on the open road

The open road where the hopeless come
To see if hope still runs
One by one they bring their broke down loads
And leave 'em where the hobo dreams are stowed
Out on the open road
Out on the open road

Midnight fallin' like a bag of bones
Weighted down now the rest with stones
Bouncin' off a river the moon made steel
Cracking off the chrome of a steering wheel

Anything back there is burned and dead
Any love they made any words they said
Nothing to do now but drop it and roll
Into the lights of the open road
Into the lights of the open road

The open road where the hopeless come
To see if hope still runs
One by one they bring their broke down loads
And leave 'em where the hobo dreams are stowed
Out on the open road
Out on the open road

Shrunken head and Mardi Gras beads
Hanging on a rearview mirror on the beach
Keepin' their eyes on the open road
No tellin' where that son-a bitch goes

The open road where the hopeless come
To see if hope still runs
One by one they bring their broke down loads
And leave 'em where the hobo dreams are stowed
Out on the open road
Out on the open road

Favorite opening lines:

I had skin like leather and the diamond-hard look of a cobra
I was born blue and weathered but I burst just like a supernova
I could walk like Brando right into the sun
Then dance just like a Casanova
With my blackjack and jacket and hair slicked sweet
Silver star studs on my duds like a Harley in heat
When I strut down the street I could feel its heartbeat
The sisters fell back and said "Don't that man look pretty"
The cripple on the corner cried out "Nickels for your pity"
Them gasoline boys downtown sure talk gritty
It's so hard to be a saint in the city

-Springsteen, 'Saint in the City'

From the middle of Root Boys famous "Boogie till You Puke"

I start with port
Drink two or three quarts
I drank Pernod
Then boogie some more
Speeding two weeks
On Wyamine
Don't mix too good
With ice box wine

Along those same lines: George Thorougood and the Destroyers.

I drink alone. Yeah, with nobody else.

Yeah, you know when I drink alone I prefer to be by myself.

Now, every morning just before breakfast I don't want no coffee or tea.

Just me and my good buddy Weiser. That's all I ever need.


Cause I drink alone. Yeah, with nobody else.

Yeah, you know when I drink alone I prefer to be by myself.


Yeah, the other night I lay sleeping and I woke from a terrible dream.

So I called up my pal Jack Daniel's and his partner Jimmy Bean


And we drank alone. Yeah, with nobody else.

Yeah, you know when I drink alone I prefer to be by myself.


Yeah, the other day I got invited to a party but I stayed home instead.

Just me and my pal Johnny Walker and his brothers Black and Red.


And we drank alone. Yeah with nobody else.

Yeah, you know when I drink alone I prefer to be by myself.


Yeah, my whole family done gave up on me and it makes me feel oh so bad.

The only one who'll hang out with me is my dear old grandad.


And we drink alone. Yeah, with nobody else.

You know when I drink alone I prefer to be by myself.

Yeah, you know when I drink alone I prefer to be by myself.

Yeah, you know when I drink alone I prefer to be by myself.

I drink alone.

It was just before dawn
One miserable morning in black 'forty four
When the forward commander
Was told to sit tight
When he asked that his men be withdrawn
And the Generals gave thanks
As the other ranks held back
The enemy tanks for a while
And the Anzio bridgehead
Was held for the price
Of a few hundred ordinary lives
And kind old King George
Sent mother a note
When he heard that father was gone
It was, I recall
In the form of a scroll
With gold leaf adorned
And I found it one day
In a drawer of old photographs, hidden away
And my eyes still grow damp to remember
His Majesty signed
With his own rubber stamp
It was dark all around
There was frost in the ground
When the tigers broke free
And no one survived
From the Royal Fusiliers Company Z
They were all left behind
Most of them dead
The rest of them dying
And that's how the High Command
Took my daddy from me

The quintessential chorus to sing while out riding comes from Arlo Guthrie...

I don't want a pickle
I just wanna ride on my motorcycle
Yeah and I don't want a tickle
Cuz I'd rather ride on my motorcycle
And I don't wanna die
Just wanna ride on my motorcy...cle

(In the song, 'motorcycle' is pronounced 'motorsickle' except the last one.)