These are the meanings behind the song lyrics from various songs of the 70s. In particular, we're looking for songs that aren't immediately obvious. ABBA's "Dancing Queen" The Dancing Queen is about a girl who absolutely loves disco. When she goes to a disco club, the music fills her, and she becomes the dancing queen. Anyone can be her guy, the night is young and the music is high, she's getting in the groove, she's in the mood for dance. And when she gets the chance, she is the dancing queen, young and sweet only seventeen. And Stephanie is also seventeen. Therefore, Stephanie is the Dancing Queen. America's "A Horse With No Name" "A Horse With No Name" was a song meant to compare the similarities and the beauty of the ocean to the desert. It gives a sense of a peaceful state of mind and was written to describe the artist's passion for xenophobic landscapes (as one of the members liked to visit the area around Vandenburg Air Force Base, California). America Sang, "The ocean is a desert with its life underground and a perfect disguise above", to explain that the ocean was much like a desert in the sense that both are barren, exposed to the sun, and uninhibited by (drinkable) water. The artist explicitly describes what he had seen on his "journey", to convey the idea of wide open peacefulness, "A sky with no clouds." Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" This is a song that describes the influences that WWII had on America, and the reality of post-war America. It's up-beat tune is extremely catchy, distracting mnay listeners from the true meaning: life and times of post-war America. Black Sabbath's "The Writ" The song "Hard Road" was off Black Sabbath's "Sabotage" album. The song was about the band's trouble with record management. They had switched management 2 or 3 times when this album was recorded. They were handed lawsuits on stage and in the studio for breech of contract. One of the lines of the song says "Just who do you think we are? Just another rock and roll star for you, just for you?" Eventually Black Sabbath would get out of the trouble and switch to much better management, but by that time, only Tony Iommi would remain of the orginal lineup. Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" This is a song anbout the Welsh witch-goddess and seducer Rhiannon Harry Chapin's "Cat's In The Craddle" It's song about a man who didn't have any time for his son and how this man had missed important events in this young man's life. In the end the father realized that his son had grown up to be a work-a-holic just like his dad. James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" Song is about being bi-polar and James Taylors relationship with a bi-polar female who was with him in a mental ward //ups and downs that come with the disease and suicide being a real danger that bi-polars deal with James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" Someone put on this page that this song was about a woman who was with him in the mental ward. Although he was in a mental ward (1970's answer to heroin rehab) and he did write a song about that ("Knockin Round the Zoo"), this song is not about that. Here is the real story: When James Taylor went off to record his first album shortly after he was signed, his girlfriend Susan had to stay at home. They could not afford a ticket for her, and since it was 1970 and he was a new artist, the label did not front the money. As a surprise, as he was finishing up on the album, his friends and the label pitched in to fly Susan to be with him. Tragically, the airplane crashed and she was killed. Since it was a surprise, he did not hear about it until after he finished the album and the label told him what had happened. Isn't that sad? Here are the lyrics. Read them for yourself: Fire and Rain James Taylor Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone Susan, the plans they made put an end to you I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song I just cant remember who to send it to Ive seen fire and ive seen rain I seen sunny days that I thought would never end I saw lonely times when I could not find a friend But i always thought that id see you again Wont you look down upon me Jesus you got to help me make a stand You just got to see me through another day My bodies aching and my time is at hand An' I wont make it any other way (chorus) Been walking my mind to an easy time my back turned towards the sun Lord knows when the cold wind blows itll turn you head around Well there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" As the title cut from the album, "Wish You Were Here" sets the tone for the entire album. As tensions were running high between members Roger Watters and David Gilmour, both members felt the entire album was missing something. This fact is illustrated by the various album covers, each which left out one the elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Because of all the in-fighting, Watters has been known to remark that the name of both the song and album could have been "Wish We Were Here". So, what is the missing element depicted in the song? Many say the missing ingredient is the actual founder of Pink Floyd Syd Barrett. The point is made even clearer on others cuts off the album such as "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", parts one and two. Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Technically, they were a band of the 60's, but this album was released Jan. 26, 1970. My dad told me that this song was about "shooting up" or IV drug use. He said the part where they say "Sail on Silver Girl, sail on by, you're time has come to shine...." is about the needle. I don't know how true this is but when you listen to the rest of the lyrics you could see how they might be singing about using drugs to escape the pain of the world. Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" As a DEVOTED Simon and Garfunkel fan I must right your wrong and tell you what the REAL meaning behind the "silvergirl" lyric is! I've seen countless interviews w/Paul Simon and he explains it as follows: "My girlfriend at the time was particularly saddened upon finding a few grey hairs in her brush, lamenting that she was getting older. I wrote that lyric as a tribute and inside joke to her. I don't know how the heroin connection rumor got started. The song is basically about friendship." Also, Mother and Child Reunion-the title was taken from a dish Paul Simon had in chinese restaraunt of chicken and eggs (Mother and Child Reunion.) And the song of "I can't for the life of me remember a sadder day." was inspired by the death of his dog. Steely Dan's "Everyone' Gone to the Movies" A song about a guy who shows dirty movies in his den on his own old movie projector to kids. Key Lines "Soon it will be to late..bobbing for apples can wait. I know you're used to 16 or more, sorry we only have 8" That last line is a reference to the size of the film, 16mm or larger would be a pro film...8mm is amateur. The song sounds happy and upbeat, but this hides the character's seedy hobby. Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne" This is a tough song to decipher..as are many Steely Dan Songs. Its about Stanley Owsley III, a chemist who was well-known in the San Francisco drug culture. He made millions of tablets of strong LSD in his day, and then dissapeared. Key points: "Just by chance you crossed the diamond with the Pearl..you turned it on the world..thats when you turned the world around" And..."All your low-rent friends are dead..life can be very strange...those test-tubes and the scales, just get em all out of here.....is their gas in the car? Yes, there is gas in the car. I think the people down the hall, know who you are.." Its a great lyric, although hidden..like most-all of their lyrics. The Undertones's "Teenage Kicks" This song, Im afraid, is about masturbation. The chorus was originally going to be "I wanna hold it, wanna hold it tight...", the teenage kicks in question. The song describes how the singer fancies the new girl in the neighbourhood, but cant bring himself to do anything about it, apart from getting teenage kicks right through the night. Angelique