Songs About Cars and Angels and the Rain

by **Jamie Renton** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 10:13 pm

In his song 'The Real Enemy' Canadian alt-klezmer man Geoff Berner suggests that it's boredom and not evil which is the real enemy (see www.geoffberner.com for more details). He goes on to list the kind of boring things he means and includes the line "Songs about cars and angels and the rain Must be disdained. They are the enemy."

Are there any interesting (or at the very least, non-boring) songs on these subjects? All I can think of off the top of my head is:

Cars: Rocket 88 - Jackie Bernston

Angels: Angel - Aretha Franklin

The Rain: I Can't Stand the Rain - Ann Peebles

But then what do I know, I don't even pay for most of my CDs (-:

I'll bet you can come up with lots more ...

Jamie

by **Ted** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 10:37 pm

Cars

Terraplane Blues - Robert Johnson
Little GTO - Ronnie & the Daytonas
Jaguar and The Thunderbird, No Money Down - Chuck Berry
Brand new Cadillac - Vince Taylor
My Black Cadillac - Lightning Hopkins

Rain

I wish it would rain - the Tempations

Angels

Sweet Black Angel - Tampa Red (?)
Angel - Anita Baker
Angel - Jimi H

by **Ian M** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 12:15 am

Prince: Little Red Corvette
Jane siberry:Calling All Angels
the Beatles:Rain

by **Con Murphy** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 9:43 am

Limiting myself to one from each category in order to get some work done today:-

The first car song that springs to mind is Pull Up to the Bumper by Grace Jones, but I don't think that's strictly about cars, is it?

Rain, Rain Beautiful Rain by Ladysmith Black Mambazo

The great Massive Attack had a song called Angel on Mezzanine

by **David Godwin** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 10:25 am

Ted wrote:Cars

Angels

Sweet Black Angel - Tampa Red (?)
Angel - Anita Baker
Angel - Jimi H

wasn't Sweet Black Angel on Exile on Main Street, supposedly written about Angela Davis? I didn't think that it was a cover/steal from Tampa Red, as the Stones usually credited the bluesmen whose songs they borrowed

Angel of the Morning PP Arnold

by **Ted** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 10:44 am

Quite right. I was mixing up two Tampa Red tunes, Sweet Little Angel and Black Angel Blues.

Cheers
TW

by **Dominic** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:33 pm

Rain Rain Rain by Epic Soundtracks (RIP) & Jowe Head (2 ex-Swell Maps).

The first LP I ever bought with my own money was Faces Live Coast To Coast Overtures & Beginners & I'm still very attached to Rod Stewart's version of Hendrix's Angel.

As for cars - I'm with the Desperate Bicycles on this one: "I hate cars ... all sealed up in your metal box you might as well be from Mars..."

Gary Numan, anyone?

by **Ted** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:37 pm

How could I forget?

(I Hate) Fast Cars - Buzzcocks

TW

by **David Godwin** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 7:02 pm

Stealing Cars by Bruce Springsteen. Come to think of it, I cannot recall ever hearing Bruce on the programme - but I love this beautiful song from "The River". Who says he can't write?

by **ritchie** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 7:48 pm

when ever I make compilation cds/tapes ....there is almost certainly a couple of 'rain' songs on.... It's probably cos I live up north. (I'm working on snow/winter ones at the moment but they should be kept for another thread) ...however limiting myself to just two rain songs, then it's got to be "Patterns in the rain" by John Martyn & "Every time it rains" by Randy Newman and two car songs, well, tell me a better car song than "Car 54" from I think it was "Driver 54" and another one off the top of my head is "Car Wash" by "Rose Royce"...I defy you to listen to that with out 'strutting your stuff'.

And from my Angel of the North collection how about "Angel of mercy" by Albert King and "Book of Angels" by "Jim White"

by **David Godwin** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 10:32 pm

Ted wrote:Quite right. I was mixing up two Tampa Red tunes, Sweet Little Angel and Black Angel Blues.

Cheers
TW

Ted for information
Tampa Red's tunes are based on Lucille Bogan's "Black Angel Blues," which also was the basis for Robert Nighthawk's "Black Angel Blues (Sweet Black Angel") and B.B. King's "Sweet Little Angel."

by **Ted** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 9:51 am

David Godwin wrote: based on Lucille Bogan's "Black Angel Blues,"

And before that?
Can you recommend a Lucille Bogan CD? Her name seems to come up again and again.

TW

by **Con Murphy** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 10:01 am

Another one for each category:-

It's Raining by Irma Thomas

Cars and Girls by Prefab Sprout (surely the definitive combination for a pop song?)

Distorted Angel - Elvis Costello

by **Ted** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 11:08 am

Con Murphy wrote:Cars and Girls by Prefab Sprout (surely the definitive combination for a pop song?)

A song of the same name by the Dictators contains the line "Cars, girls, surfing, beer, nothing else matters here"

TW

by **Con Murphy** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 11:13 am

Talking of cars and girls (and surfing), how could we forget The Beach Boys' Little Deuce Coupe?

Well I'm not braggin' babe so don't put me down
But I've got the fastest set of wheels in town
When someone comes up to me he don't even try
'Cause if it had a set of wings man I know she could fly

Songs About Cars and Angels and the Rain

Songs About Cars and Angels and the Rain

cars...

Who is online