Songs

Burn On

39 Comments

Burning_water-1-

This is one day out of several in its history when Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River caught fire.

The year was 1969, and we remember it today because someone at Time Magazine decided to write about it and Randy Newman processed it in a way that’s simply unforgettable.

http://youtu.be/7SKGIwsXuA0

The song only lasts two and a half minutes but it says as much about man’s ability to foul his environment as all the words that have been applied to the topic in the 44 years since. That’s the beauty of a great topical song – it can deliver its message quickly, discreetly, and in a way that gets inside your head.

Of course many topical songs become obsolete by the next news cycle, but for me, this one endures.

Apparently there are no known photos of the Cuyahoga burning that day, but Newman’s song is vivid enough to drive home the point that it is ridiculous and fundamentally wrong for a river to catch on fire.

Even if you are a pro-jobs, anti-regulation, big-industry loving, right wing Ohio voter, you could be tempted to sing along with this charming ditty about the smokin’ Cuyahoga. That’s the real power of a well-crafted piece of musical commentary.

What song do you love to sing, even though you don’t necessarily believe the words?

39 thoughts on “Burn On”

    1. jim,
      joni and i obviously come form a different place. i could change the words to my counselor, elementary school teachers and cub scout leaders and others in my upbringing have mentioned that in their opinion…..

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      1. Joni Mitchell does have a recording of Twisted. However, this is the original version with Annie Ross singing the lead. tim, I guess you are saying that your teachers, counselors, and cub scout leaders thought you were twisted. If you knew this song at that time you could tell them that you would have the last laugh when they said you were out of your head because you have a second head.

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    1. i got to see the viennia boys choir during my 5 hours stop in vienia and it was very memorable. i have a christmas collection that is available to copy if youd like sherrilee. i am a fanatical fan also.

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  5. OT – garden party goes on as planned today, just inside if Mother Nature continues to be difficult! See you there.

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    2. i got a call from bir 5 minutes ago saying the garden party at the robins gardens have ben canceled. any interest in moving over to my house? 1 or 2 or whatevre is fine if anyone wants to come over and bring alll that baboon food and drink

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        1. We thought that might be the case when you didn’t show up within 20 minutes after Robin’s call. Glad to see you have internet again.

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  9. i got a call from bir 5 minutes ago saying the garden party at the robins gardens have ben canceled. any interest in moving over to my house? 1 or 2 or whatevre is fine if anyone wants to come over and bring alll that baboon food and drink

    thought i had better put it down here too in case not everyone reads the middle

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    1. garden party moving to sherilees at 1
      jacque linda bir steve and pj have been notifiedd and or attemopted to be notified. jim i dont have your number. ben and anna enjoy war horse. wish i was going with my daughter. i think we will try to scoop up some rush seats before it leaves. heard its wonderful

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  11. One more time w/ gusto — if you still want to party… my house at 1. I just emailed everybody who I THINK was planning on today, but if you need my address, email me. shelikins @ Hotmail.com

    ciao!

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    1. I’m not even Catholic, so I suppose it’s not even sacrilegious, but I love this song. My wife’s a “lapsed Catholic” however, which gives me permission to sing this at the top of my lungs if I so choose.

      Chris in Owatonna

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  15. I’m sure there are a lot more songs that fit this bill, but we no longer sing or have in any hymnal “Onward Christian Soldier”, which was a huge favorite when I was a child. Lyrics-wise, I know it had to go, but musically, I confess, I miss it.

    Soooo much political incorrectness that never even registered on my young radar screen.

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    1. At our house we remember some of those old hymns and even sing parts of them that we know when no one else is around. Onward Christian Soldiers is among the ones we know in part.

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  17. Words?? I don’t listen to the words very often. I enjoy the rhythms and melodies but only rarely do I pay attention to the words. I think it’s because I can’t listen that fast… I can’t pay attention to words and music at the same time. Plus usually the music is just background and what I’m doing requires more attention than listening to the words.
    I think my love of music started with the radio down in the barn milking cows. And while milking cows doesn’t take that much brain power, there was enough other noises it was hard to always hear the little AM radio Dad hung from a nail. And besides, he listened to polkas… Whoopie John didn’t have the most stimulating lyrics. “Woo Woo Woo!”

    We certainly enjoyed War Horse. Met Anna and her Significant Other at Intermission. Met a friend with the tour afterward.
    Hope the non-gardening party was a blast!

    Hope you’re all OK up in the TC storm ravaged areas… we’ve had 3″ of rain over the last few days and one tree down across the road, but the trunk was split and I’d been watching it all spring. Finally fell over. But was propped up enough on one end my son could drive under it with his Buick.
    Cut that up yesterday enough that we didn’t have to do the ‘Bridge’ thing very long. I think it’s an Ash tree. Was well and healthy, (other than splitting at the base) and thinking maybe I should cut the trunk up for lumber. Anybody used Ash lumber for furniture making?

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    1. its wonderful. like ash a lot. either indoor or outdoor. has a nice tight grain without the grandious oak like presentation but cna last for 20 years outdoors as well.

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