They Don’t Write ’em Like That Anymore (from The Breakup Song- Greg Kihn Band 1981)
Memorable And Classic Rock Lyrics
Inspired by the Jim Croce song “You don’t Mess Around With Jim” . After all these years I finally understood what he sang–” don’t tug on Superman’s Cape, Don’t spit into the wind, and don’t pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger.”
So I checked out some others mostly by memory, so might not be exact. Enjoy. See if you agree.
1. Some stupid with a flare gun burned the place to the ground – Deep Purple Smoke on the Water 1973
2.Pick up the babies , grab the old ladies and everyone goes- Neil Diamond Brother Loves Travelin’ Salvation Show 1969
3. Jeremiah was a bullfrog, was a good friend of mine… -Three Dog Night Joy to the World. 1971
4. Got seven woman on my mind , four that want to stone me, 2 that want to own me , one says she’s a friend of mine.- The Eagles Take It Easy 1972
5. Hey Won’t you Play Another somebody done somebody Wrong Song – B.J. Thomas title 1975
6. Who owns this car, with the peace sign, mag wheels and four on the Floor ? – Charlie Daniels Uneasy Rider 1973
7. What’s wrong with your eyes? I said I don’t know I was just chewin’ on a weed… – Jim Stafford Wildwood Weed 1974
8. I’m gonna hear some funky dixieland… The Doobie Brothers- Black Water 1974
9. Hey Mon , follow your daughter home- The Guess Who Follow Your Daughter Home 1973
10. We’ll be on the front smiling man awww beautiful – Dr Hook and the Medicine Show Cover of the Rolling Stone 1973
11. I’m a joker , I’m a smoker, I’m a midnight toker… The Steve Miller Band The Joker 1973
12. I am a walrus… – The Beatles 1967
13. You ain’t seen nothing yet- Bachman-Turner Overdrive title 1974
14. I Ain’t even got a garage you can call home and ask my wife- Charlie Daniels Uneasy Rider 1973
15. Taking care of business.. every day– BTO title 1974
16. ….. there’s a Bad moon on the rise ( there’s a bathroom on the right)? – Creedence Clearwater Revival Bad Moon Rising 1969
17. Whiskey for my men, beer for my Horses- Toby Keith and Willie Nelson Beer for My Horses 2003
18. That ain’t working , that’s the way you do it, money for nothing and your chicks for free- Dire Straits Money for Nothing 1985
19. 25 or 6 to 4- Chicago title 1970
20. 867-5309 -Tommy Tutone title 1982
21. I dig snow and the rain and the bright sunshine – Tommy James Dragging the Line 1971
22. Inna Godda da vida- Iron Buttterfly title 1969
23. Knee deep in the hoopla- Starship We Built This City 1985
24. I’ve got my head, my bed and my red guitar- Tommy James Gotta Get Back to You 1970
25. Dude looks like a Lady – Aerosmith title 1987
26. Long cool woman in a black dress…. – The Hollies title 1972
27. Got my big ten inch record – Aerosmith 1975
28. Kicking and a gouging in the mud, the blood and the beer- Johnny Cash Boy Named Sue 1969
29. I gotta go to the can man …- Cheech and Chong Sister Mary Elephant 1972
30. I’ve got friends in low places- Garth Brooks 1990
31. Teach your children well, their fathers hell.. – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Teach Your Children 1970
32. Keep on using me till you use me up.. – Bill Withers Use Me 1972
33. 10 -4 backdoor, put the metal to the metal, whatcha waiting for… – Cledus Maggard and the Citizen’s Band -the White Knight 1976
34. All over the road .. technicolor man. – Loudon Wainwright III Dead Skunk 1973
35. Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans – John Lennon Beautiful Boy 1980
36. I wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then – Bob Seger Against the Wind 1980
37. …….”don’t go where the huskies go & don’t you eat that yellow snow. Frank Zappa (contr by Richard Hunt)
38. I don’t have digital, I don’t have diddly squat. –Sheryl Crow Soak Up the Sun 2002
39. The ocean is like a desert with it’s life underground. etc…. Horse with No Name -America 1972
40. He Ain’t Heavy , He’s My Brother – The Hollies -title 1970
41. A smile is just a frown turned upside down. The Undisputed Truth, Smiling Faces- 1971
42. Evil grows in cracks and holes and lives in peoples minds -The Poppy Family Evil Grows – 1971
43. Cats in the cradle and the silver Spoon .. – Harry Chapin 1974 Cats in the cradle
44. My get up and go must’ve got up and went. – Aerosmith Sweet Emotion -1975
45. you can spend all you time makin’ money. You can all your love making time ???? -The Eagles Take it to the Limit – 1975-76
46. So oftentimes it happens that we lives our life in chains and we never even know we have the key. – The Eagles Already Gone 1974
47. Chewing on a piece of grass, walking down the road… – America Ventura Highway 1972
48. Spill the wine , dig that girl…. Spill the Wine – Eric Bourdon and WAR 1970
49. Tin soldiers and Nixon coming, we’re finally on our own…. four dead in Ohio. Ohio – Crosby Stills, Nash and Young 1970
50. You can’t please everyone so ya got to please yourself- Rick Nelson 1972
51. That you Don’t Know what you got til it’s gone, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot . They took all the trees and put in a tree museum and they charged the people a dollar an a half just to see ’em. Big YellowTaxi– Neighborhood and Joni Mitchel 1970, Amy Grant 1995, and Counting Crows and Venessa Carlton 2003
52. Stop and smell the roses along the way. Mac Davis 1974
53. We all live in a Yellow Submarine. Beatles 1967
54. Fifty Ways to Leave your Lover- Paul simon 1976
55. Fifty Ways to Say Goodbye -Train 2012
56. You Can’t always get What you Want- Rolling Stones 1971
57. Don’t tug on supeman’s cape, don’t spit into the wind, don’t take the mask off the old lone Ranger and you don’t mess around with Jim. You Don’t Mess Around with Jim Jim Croce 1972
58. They Don’t Write ’em Like That Anymore — title Greg Kihn Band 1981
To new to be Classic but is weird
I’ll catch a Grenade for you – Bruno Mars 2013
******* All or nearly all lyrics in these songs *******************
1. American Pie- Don McLean 1972
2. Stairway to Heaven – Led Zepplin 1973
3. Freebird- Lynyrd Skynyrd
4. Gimme Three Steps- Lynyrd Skynyrd
5. Money – Pink Floyd 1973
6. Woodstock- CSN&Y , Joni Mitchell 1970 Joni Mitchell writer
7. Horse with No Name – America 1972
8. Undun- The Guess Who 1969
9. No Sugar Tonight /New Mother Nature- The Guess Who 1970
10. Hand Me Down World-The Guess Who 1970
11. Share the Land- The Guess Who
12. Band on the Run- Paul Mcartney and Wings 1974
13. Turn the Page – Bob Seger 1975
14. Beautiful Boy- John Lennon 1980
15. Against the Wind – Bob Seger 1980
16. Blinded by the Light- Bruce Springsteen and Manfred Mann’s Earth Band 1975 and 1976
17. First Cut is The Deepest-Cat Stevens, Keith Hampshire, Rod Steward or Sheryl Crow
18. Will it Go Round in Circles?- Billy Preston most of song/ 1973
19. And When I Die – Blood,Sweat and Tears 1969
20. Flowers on the Wall- Statler Brothers 1965 (maybe not Rock but top 40)
21. The Curlie Shuffle- Jump in the Saddle 1984
Copyright 2014
Gary Lovell
Unusual Perspectives 