Doug Fieger, lead singer of the Knack, just passed away. Thirty-one years ago, the year I married my beautiful wife Margaret, the Knack's song "My Sharona" was brand new and played constantly. Doug's powerful vocal and that terrific guitar solo and its great hooks made it an instant classic. As is many works of great literature and timeless poetry, a particular woman is the inspiration and is the personal muse of the artist. The Knack wrote many amazing rock songs, by "My Sharona" is their greatest legacy.
I suspect that, ever since music first began, men have been composing tunes for their special ladies. Beethoven composed a melody called Fur Elise ("For Elise"). No one is certain who "Elise" was. Some believe she was Beethoven's fifth mistress, while others have suggested that the discoverer of the piece, Ludwig Nohl, may have transcribed the title incorrectly and the original title should have been "Für Therese". Beethoven proposed to Therese Malfatti von Rohrenbach zu Dezza but she turned him down and married Austrian nobleman Wilhelm von Droßdik. Why marry a poor artist when you can get a rich nobleman? Or maybe she didn’t like the tune.
Jump ahead to the dawn of Rock and Roll and you will discover a staggering list of tunes dedicated to the one particular woman who needed to be immortalized in song. "Lucille", screamed Little Richard, "please come back where you belong". If you knew "Peggy Sue", then you would know why Buddy Holly felt blue. In fact, a great number of these songs capture the anguish, despair and longing of the songwriter whose world has been shattered by the woman in question. In "Maggie May", Rod Stewart wishes that he had never seen her face. In "Allison", Elvis Costello tells her it's over because she done him wrong. Women toying with the hearts of men have been the source material for too many songs to mention. When I was a young boy, my grandfather told me "Someday a woman will break your heart. You will never know greater pain than the pain caused by a woman." Apparently , a lot of songwriters agree with him.
The classic construct of "Boy Wants Girl, Boy Gets Girl, Boy Loses Girl" has been the basis of countless books, movies and songs. Because, like most people, I prefer finding to losing, I will concentrate the rest of this blog to songs about the search for women and that strange power they exact over men. "Rhiannon" cast her spell and you couldn't help but "love to love her". The Beach Boys pleaded "Help Me Rhonda". Eric Clapton was quite insistent when he commanded "Lay Down Sally". The Dexy's Midnight Runners begged "Come On Eileen", like there was any hope at all.
Finally, two more fantastic songs are worthy of mention. First, the classic "Gloria" by Van Morrison, with perhaps the greatest riff in Rock, celebrates the union of male and female like a spiritual awakening, a revelation, and a transcendance beyond the physical to achieve a true illumination of the sould. It's a religious experience. Second, perhaps more cheezy, but nonetheless just as heartfelt, "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond reminds us that, with the right woman, "good times never seemed so good". I am very lucky to say that, for the past 31 years, that's how it has been with me and Margaret. I am certain it will always be.
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