May 1, 2015

"If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall..."



Goodbye to Ben E. King. He was 76.

ADDED: There's a Ben E. King recording I like better than "Stand by Me": "Spanish Harlem."

9 comments:

madAsHell said...

The song that wrote a movie!!

RIP Mr. King.

FullMoon said...

Always liked the way he did "I who have nothing"

It was kinda interesting way back then.

FullMoon said...

If the sky, that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountain should crumble to the sea


CLIMATE CHANGE! CLIMATE CHANGE!

Bay Area Guy said...

Loved that guy. He was before my time, but I first heard "Stand by Me" in a 1979 movie, "The Wanderers" about New York City in 1963.

Rest in Peace, Sir.

Bob said...

I like Ry Cooder's Tex-Mex cover of "Stand By Me."

https://youtu.be/xeGAxLxlXHY

Roger Sweeny said...

To me, "Spanish Harlem" sounds over-produced. "Stand By Me" lets his voice shine through.

Peter said...

"I'm going to pick that rose
And watch her as she grows in my garden"

Do these lyrics make any sense? One can transplant a rose bush, but once one picks a rose off it, it's just a short time before the flower withers and dies.

(Yes, I know, Ben E King didn't write these lyrics and he gives a fine, soulful rendition. But they still make no sense.)

SomeoneHasToSayIt said...

Peter said...
"I'm going to pick that rose
And watch her as she grows in my garden"

Do these lyrics make any sense?


Why, yes. yes they do.

The "rose" is a Spanish girl (in a close-by neighborhood, probably) that the singer is in love with, and he mourns the culture differences and potential approbations that are making it difficult to get together. But he's going to get up the courage and bring her into his world, where together their love will see them through.

You just ain't got no soul, Pete, if you don't see that.

jr565 said...

Yeah but up he picks the rose, it's not going to grow in his garden.