My Top Ten Songs Nobody Knows

As a rather obvious sequel to last week's Top Ten Songs Everybody Knows... here's ten songs Nobody Knows.

The illustration at the top of the page is one I found online. I certainly don't know anything about Dick Gyllander, and I'd hazard a guess that nobody else reading this would... except he's a jazz musician from Sweden... so one of you might be familiar with his work.



10. Mike & The Mechanics - Nobody Knows

I would defend the Paul Carrack voiced M&TM to the hilt if the synthy 80s arrangements didn't sound so dated now. There's some good songs buried underneath the over-production.

9. Tom Waits - No One Knows I'm Gone

A very sad song about a man who dies with nobody to mourn him.

8. The Raspberries - Nobody Knows

I can see her dancing with someone else
Holding him so close while I'm by myself
I just want to hit him but that won't do

No, Eric, it won't. Violence is not the answer.

7. Otis Redding  - Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out

A cautionary tale from the 1920s about a millionaire who ends up on skid row... covered by everyone from Tim Hardin to the Spencer Davis Group to the Allman Brothers to Derek & The Dominoes. I'll take Otis.

6. The Feelies - Nobody Knows

The Feelies got together in '76, released 4 albums before 1992, took a bit of time off, then got back together in 2008. This was released in 2011. That's as much as I know. I imagine Brian can tell you more.

5. Paul Brady - Nobody Knows
  

Nobody knows why Elvis threw it all away
Nobody knows what Ruby had to hide
Nobody knows why some of us get broken hearts
And some of us find a world that’s clear and bright

For Mark.

4. Ballboy - Nobody Really Knows Anything

A relationship falls apart and those concerned keep denying it's happening.

3. Billy Bragg - No One Knows Nothing Anymore

Great song. Questionable grammar.

2. Sam Cooke - Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen

A traditional African America slavery song from  the 19th century, recorded by many respectable artists including Paul Robeson, Louis Armstrong... and Hefner. But you're gonna have to go some to beat Sam Cooke.

1. Queens of the Stone Age - No One Knows

Probably my favourite QOTSA track.

The Divine Comedy do an inspired cover of it too.



Nobody knows if you will leave a comment...

Saturday Snapshots #16 - The Answers

No problems this week...


10. Non-stop paintings of the place most of us live in.

Most of us live in a house.

Non-stop paintings would be Endless Art.

A House - Endless Art

Score 1 for George.

9. Betty & Wilma, perhaps? Something tells me none of you will get this.

I don't really think I need to spell this one out.

Queens of the Stone Age - No One Knows

Score 2 for George.

8. Marcos might like some new shoes to teach Thunders how to sound.

Imelda Marcos likes lots of shoes.

Might = May.

Johnny Thunders.

Thunder also goes boom.

Imelda May - Johnny's Got A Boom Boom

Imelda has given up on her distinctive quiffy hairstyle, so isn't as recognisable as she once was.

1 point for Charity Chic.

7. Edwyn's gang gets squeezed by a bunch of traitors.

Edwyn Collins was in a gang called Orange Juice.

Squeeze that and it becomes OJ.

Traitors stab you in the back.

The O'Jays - Backstabbers

1 for Alyson.

6. Legendary African city seems even more ridiculous in the dazzling light of tomorrow.

A legendary African city is Timbuktu.

Make it more ridiculous and it becomes Timbuk 3.

Timbuk 3 - The Future's So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)

Score 2 for Alyson.

5. Much excitement over the mystery of a Lost Boy.

The Lost Boys is a film starring (among others) Corey Haim.

Excitement is thrilling.

The Thrills - Whatever Happened To Corey Haim?

Much puzzling over this, but George got there in the end... which takes him to 3.

4. A little Italian asks you to double-check your answers.

Poco translates as "a little bit" in Italian.

Poco - You Better Think Twice

Point to Lynchie.

3. Charlie's rival falls into a chocolate Vesuvius.

Veruca Salt was a horrible girl in Charlie & The Chocolate Factory.

Vesuvius is a volcano.

Veruca Salt - Volcano Girls

Score 2 for Lynchie.

2. Titanic lady and some old electric cars go rambling.

Celine Dion sang the theme tune to Titanic... which I'm sure we all have in our collections.

You can google "Belmont electric cars" if you so wish.

Rambling is wandering.

Dion & The Belmonts - The Wanderer

Score 3 for Alyson.

1. A knife puts on new clothes.

Bowie - Changes

Which gets 1/2 a point for Lynchie and 1/2 a point for George, making George this week's winner - by just half a point. Thanks for playing, everybody.



More next week.

My Top Ten Vampire Songs

To celebrate Halloween, here's ten tunes that will drive a stake through your heart.

I had to whittle this list down somewhat: I had enough vampire songs to fill a Top 30. Apologies if your favourite didn't make the cut.

Special mentions to Vampire Weekend, Nosferatu D2 and Baron Von Rockula.

Meanwhile, if you're looking for more Halloween horror, check out My Top Ten Zombie Songs and My Top Ten Haunted Songs.


10. Future Bible Heroes - I'm A Vampire

Wonderfully kitsch glam Vampirella spoof from the twisted mind of Stephin (Magnetic Fields) Merritt.

The sun will never touch me
I abhor its filthy light
I am the mistress of the damned
And of the children of the night
I have all the love I need
It is your blood I crave
I am the bitch goddess from beyond your grave
I can turn into a bat
I can cast the evil eye
I have ever so much money
I'm gorgeous
And I can fly
I survied the Inquisition
Been a harlot
Been a queen
Survived for seven hundred years
And still look seventeen

In a similar vein (punintended), you might also enjoy I've Got A Fang by They Might Be Giants.

9. Queens of the Stone Age - The Vampyre Of Time And Memory

As close as QOTSA ever came to a ballad... although the video is terrifying! 

8. My Chemical Romance - Vampire Money

MCR do the Ramones. Hilarious.

See also Vampires Will Never Hurt You. When all around you are popping fangs - how can you keep your head?

7. Radiohead - We Suck Young Blood

One of the best post-OK Computer Radiohead songs... and let's face it, if you were casting a movie about vampire rock stars, Thom Yorke would be your first call. After Robert Smith and Andrew Eldritch. And Nick Cave. And Cher.

6. The Sleepy Jackson - Vampire Racecourse

See, this is when I start to realise how fast time goes by. It only seems like yesterday I was buying the debut album by Aussie band The Sleepy Jackson on the strength of this single... turns out it was eleven years ago. I wish I was immortal...

(No idea what this song is about or why the vampires are racing... but it's cool.)

5. Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)

Creepy southern gothic, perfect for Halloween. Johnette Napolitano could be the voice of Vampirella: The Musical. If they ever made Vampirella: The Musical. They really ought to. 

4. Neil Young - Vampire Blues

I don't claim to be the smartest guy on the internet... but I reckon this just might be Neil having a dig at the oil industry. See kids, metaphors are ace.

3. Arctic Monkeys - Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong, But...

And speaking of metaphors... here's Alex Turner taking pot shots at the music industry. This could well have sneaked into my Top Ten Songs About Record Companies, but I thought I'd save it for now instead.

2. The Birthday Party - Release The Bats

My baby is alright
She doesn't mind a bit of dirt
She says 'horror vampire bat bite'
She says 'horror vampire
How I wish those bats would bite'
Whooah bite! bite!

I'm glad Nick Cave calmed down a bit with age. If he'd kept up this level of intensity, he'd have been dead long ago.

1. Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead

If vampires are the ultimate in gothic horror, you don't get much gothier than this. Even Christopher Lee's scared of this bunch. Great song... all nine and a half freaky-deaky minutes of it. 




Those got my vampiric votes... but which one makes you rise from the grave?