By Grand Rapids Anonymous and Nicholas Stix
Saturday, March 21, 2020 at 11:48:00 A.M. EDT
(FOXNEWS) SINGER KENNY ROGERS DIES (NOT FROM COVID-19)
Actor-singer Kenny Rogers, who embodied “The Gambler” persona and whose musical career spanned jazz, folk, country and pop has died at 81. A representative says Rogers died at home in Georgia on Friday night,of natural causes.
GRA: Oh, oh, NATURAL CAUSES! Shut down the country. Oh, it IS shut down.
Kenny Rogers made some enjoyable music. In the late ‘70s to the mid-to-late ‘80s, there was never a time that he wasn’t on the radio or a jukebox.
“Ruby” is one of my favorite records.
--GRA
N.S. I “always” (i.e., the past 30 or so years) thought of him as being “prematurely gray.” I had no idea he’d hit his ninth decade. Around 2000, I seem to have misplaced a whole bunch of years somewhere.
Until today, my knowledge of Kenny Rogers was split into two boxes. I knew of the rock group “Kenny Rogers and the First Edition” during the late 1960s/early 1970s, and then I knew of the country singer Kenny Rogers, starting with when he cut “Lucille,” while I was in college, circa 1977, but for almost 50 years, I had completely forgotten about his first incarnation. And I had never heard his version of “Ruby,” prior to today. (By the way, I had to listen to the song two or three times, before grasping it. The uptempo beat and the heartbreaking story work at cross-purposes.)
As for “Just Dropped in,” I had thought it was a black group.
Ruby
Ruby
Words and Music by Mel Tillis
You’ve painted up your lips and rolled,
And curled your tinted hair,
Ruby are you contemplating
Going out somewhere?
The shadows on the wall tell me
The sun is going down,
Oh Ruby,
Don’t take your love to town.
It wasn’t me that started that old
Crazy Asian war,
But I was proud to go and do my patriotic chore,
And yes, it’s true that I am not
The man I used to be,
Oh, Ruby, I still need some company.
It’s hard to love a man whose legs are
Bent and paralyzed,
And the wants and needs of a woman
Your age I realize,
But it won’t be long, I’ve heard them say,
Until I’m not around,
Oh Ruby, don’t take your love to town.
She’s leaving now ‘cause I just heard
The slamming of the door,
The way I know I heard it slam
One hundred times before.
And if I could move I’d get my gun,
And put her in the ground,
Oh Ruby,
Don’t take your love to town.
Oh Ruby, for God’s sake, turn around.
The First Edition: “Just Dropped in (to See What Condition My Condition was in)”
Something’s Burning (1970)
Producer: Kenny Rogers
Producer: Jimmy Bowen
Producer: Mike Post
Something’s Burning
Words and Music by Mac Davis
You lie in gentle sleep beside me,
I hear your warm and rhythmic breathing,
I take your hand and hold it tightly,
Listen, can you not hear our young hearts beating.
I kiss the sleep from your eyes,
Your smile is sweeter than the morning,
And here it comes,
Can’t you feel it baby,
Can’t you feel it, here it comes,
Feel it (fire)
Feel it (fire)
(Something’s burning)
(Something’s burning)
(Something’s burning)
And I think it’s love.
And now the sun is burning brightly,
We lie in love so close together,
I get the feeling deep inside of me,
My love for you will burn forever.
I cup my hands to touch your face
And once again I feel your fire
And here it comes
Can you feel it baby
Can you feel it, here it comes
Feel it (fire)
(Something’s burning)
(Something’s burning)
And I think it’s love.
Lucille
By Richard Penniman and Albert Collins (Yes, that’s Little Richard and the legendary Chicago blues guitarist collaborating on an old school country song!)
In a bar in Toledo across from the depot,
On a barstool, she took off her ring,
I thought I’d get closer so I walked on over,
I sat down and asked her name,
When the drinks finally hit her she said “I’m no quitter,
But I finally quit livin’ on dreams,
I’m hungry for laughter and here ever after,
I’m after whatever the other life brings.”
In the mirror, I saw him and I closely watched him,
I thought how he looked out of place,
He came to the woman who sat there beside me,
He had a strange look on his face.
The big hands were calloused, he looked like a mountain,
For a minute I thought I was dead.
But he started shaking, his big heart was breaking,
He turned to the woman and said,
“You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille,
With four hungry children and a crop in the field,
I’ve had some bad times, lived through some sad times,
But this time your hurting won’t heal,
You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille.”
After he left us, I ordered more whiskey,
I thought how she’d made him look small,
From the lights of the barroom,
To a rented hotel room,
We walked without talking at all.
She was a beauty but when she came to me,
She must have thought I’d lost my mind,
I couldn’t hold her ‘cause the words that he told her,
Kept coming back time after time.
“You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille,
With four hungry children and a crop in the field,
I’ve had some bad times, lived through some sad times
But this time your hurting won’t heal,
You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille.”
“You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille,
With four hungry children and a crop in the field,
I’ve had some bad times, lived through some sad times
But this time your hurting won’t heal,
You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille.”
The Gambler
A Capitol Records Nashville Release;
1978 Capitol Records LLC
Released on: 1978-01-01
Producer: Larry Butler
Composer/Lyricist: Don Alan Schlitz Jr.
The Gambler
Words & Music by Don Alan Schlitz Jr.
On a warm summer’s eve,
On a train bound for nowhere,
I met up with the gambler,
We were both too tired to sleep,
So we took turns a-starin,’
Out the window at the darkness,
The boredom overtook us,
And he began to speak.
He said, “Son, I’ve made a life
Out of readin’ people’s faces,
Knowin’ what the cards were
By the way they held their eyes.
So if you don’t mind me sayin,’
I can see you’re out of aces
For a taste of your whiskey,
I’ll give you some advice,”
So I handed him my bottle,
And he drank down my last swallow,
Then he bummed a cigarette,
And asked me for a light,
And the night got deathly quiet,
And his faced lost all expression,
He said, “If you’re gonna play the game, boy,
You gotta learn to play it right,
You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em,
Know when to fold ‘em,
Know when to walk away,
And know when to run,
You never count your money,
When you’re sittin’ at the table,
There’ll be time enough for countin,’
When the dealin’s done.
“Every gambler knows
That the secret to surviving,
Is knowin’ what to throw away,
And knowin’ what to keep,
‘Cause every hand’s a winner,
And every hand’s a loser,
And the best that you can hope for is to die
in your sleep.
And when he finished speakin,’
He turned back toward the window,
Crushed out his cigarette,
Faded off to sleep,
And somewhere in the darkness,
The gambler, he broke even,
But in his final words, I found
An ace that I could keep.
You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em,
Know when to fold ‘em,
Know when to walk away,
And know when to run,
You never count your money,
When you’re sittin’ at the table,
There’ll be time enough for countin,’
When the dealin’s done.
“You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em (when to hold ‘em),
Know when to fold ‘em (when to fold ‘em),
Know when to walk away,
And know when to run,
You never count your money,
When you’re sittin’ at the table,
There’ll be time enough for countin,’
When the dealin’s done.
You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em,
Know when to fold ‘em,
Know when to walk away,
And know when to run,
You never count your money,
When you’re sittin’ at the table,
There’ll be time enough for countin,’
When the dealin’s done.
Momma’s Waiting (1978)
Released on: 1978-07-08
Producer: Larry Butler
Momma’s Waiting
By Kenny Rogers and Thomas Williams
As I drive toward home I picture Momma waiting,
She’ll be glad to see her big-time boy come home,
She gets little in return for all she’s given,
And I’m all she’s got to love since Daddy’s gone.
Now I’m forty miles away and I’m still wonderin,’
Why I ever told her I was doing well,
When I first went wrong I should have turned to Momma,
But it’s hard to get back up once you have fell.
It’s the last time I’ll see flowers in the morning,
It’s the last time I’ll hear robins in the spring,
It’s the last time I'll feel Momma’s arms around me,
It’s the last chance here on Earth I’ll have to sing.
As I drive away behind me Momma’s waving,
To a son who’s all she’d ever hoped he’d be,
Now she says her final prayers, and go, meet Daddy
And I’m glad she’s only seen one side of me.
Today makes thirteen years in Coleman’s Federal Prison,
And tonight I’ll walk my last few steps alone,
But I can’t help think that somewhere Momma’s waiting,
Once again to see her big-time boy come home.
It’s the last time I’ll see flowers in the morning,
It’s the last time I’ll hear robins in the spring,
It’s the last time I’ll feel Momma’s arms around me,
It’s the last chance here on earth I’ll have to sing...
N.S.: Some of those piano licks remind me of the Silver Fox, Charlie Rich.
Through the Years
Producer: Lionel Richie
Studio Personnel, Engineer: Reggie Dozier
Studio Personnel, Engineer: Kenny Rogers
Composer/Lyricist: Steve Dorff
Composer/Lyricist: Marty Panzer
Through the Years
By Martin Panzer and Stephen Hartley Dorff
I can’t remember when you weren’t there,
When I didn’t care for anyone but you,
I swear we’ve been through everything there is,
Can’t imagine anything we’ve missed,
Can’t imagine anything the two of us can’t do.
Through the years,
You’ve never let me down,
You turned my life around,
The sweetest days I’ve found,
I’ve found with you.
Through the years,
I’ve never been afraid,
I’ve loved the life we’ve made,
And I’m so glad I’ve stayed,
Right here with you,
Through the years.
I can’t remember what I used to do,
Who I trusted whom, I listened to before,
I swear you’ve taught me everything I know,
Can’t imagine needing someone so,
But through the years it seems to me,
I need you more and more.
Through the years,
Through all the good and bad,
I know how much we had,
I’ve always been so glad
To be with you.
Through the years,
It’s better every day,
You’ve kissed my tears away,
As long as it’s okay,
I’ll stay with you,
Through the years.
Through the years,
When everything went wrong,
Together we were strong,
I know that I belong,
Right here with you,
Through the years,
I never had a doubt,
We’d always work things out,
I’ve learned what love’s about,
By loving you,
Through the years.
Through the years,
You’ve never let me down,
You’ve turned my life around,
The sweetest days I’ve found,
I’ve found with you.
Through the years,
It’s better every day,
You’ve kissed my tears away,
As long as it’s okay,
I’ll stay with you,
Through the years.
Coward of the County (1979)
Released on: 1979-01-01
Producer: Larry Butler
Composer/Lyricist: Roger Dale Bowling
Composer/Lyricist: Harriet Wheeler
Coward of the County
By Roger Bowling and Billy Ed Wheeler
Everyone considered him the coward of the county,
He’d never stood one single time to prove the county wrong,
His mama named him Tommy, but folks just called him yellow,
Something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong.
He was only ten years old, when his daddy died in prison,
I looked after Tommy, ‘cause he was my brother’s son,
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy,
“Son, my life is over, but yours has just begun,”
“Promise me, son, not to do the things I’ve done,
Walk away from trouble if you can,
It won’t mean you’re weak if you turn the other cheek,
I hope you’re old enough to understand,
Son, you don’t have to fight to be a man.,’
There's someone for everyone, and Tommy’s love was Becky,
In her arms, he didn’t have to prove he was a man,
One day while he was working, the Gatlin boys came calling,
They took turns at Becky, (there was three of them).
Tommy opened up the door, and saw his Becky crying,
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand,
He reached above the fireplace, and took down his daddy’s picture,
As the tears fell on his daddy’s face, he heard these words again.
“Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done,
“Walk away from trouble if you can,
“Now, it won't mean you’re weak if you turn the other cheek,
I hope you’re old enough to understand,
Son, you don’t have to fight to be a man.”
The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom,
One of them got up and met him halfway ‘cross the floor,
When Tommy turned around they said, “hey look, old yeller’s leaving,”
But you could’ve heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and locked the door.
Twenty years of crawling was bottled up inside him,
He wasn’t holding nothin’ back, he let ‘em have it all,
When Tommy left the barroom, not a Gatlin boy was standing,
He said, “This one’s for Becky, as he watched the last one fall.
“I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you’ve done,
I walk away from trouble when I can,
Now please don’t think I’m weak, I didn’t turn the other cheek,
And papa, I sure hope you understand,
Sometimes you gotta fight when you’re a man,”
Everyone considered him the coward of the county…
You Decorated My Life
You Decorated My Life
By Bob Morrison & Debbie Hupp
All my life was a paper,
Once plain, pure and white,
Till you moved with your pen, changin’ moods now and then,
Till the balance was right.
Then you added some music,
Every note was in place,
And anybody could see,
All the changes in me by the look on my face.
And you decorated my life,
Created a world,
Where dreams are a part,
And you decorated my life,
By paintin' your love all over my heart,
You decorated my life.
Like a rhyme with no reason,
In an unfinished song,
There was no harmony, life meant nothin’ to me ,
Until you came along
And you brought out the colors,
What a gentle surprise,
Now I’m able to see,
All the things life can be,
Shinin’ soft in your eyes.
And you decorated my life,
Created a world,
Where dreams are a part,
And you decorated my life,
By paintin’ your love,
All over my heart,
You decorated my life.
We’ve Got Tonight with Sheena Easton (1983)
A Capitol Records Nashville Release;
Released on: 1983-12-02
Producer: David Foster
Producer: Kenny Rogers
Composer/Lyricist: Bob Seger
We’ve Got Tonight
Words and Music by Bob Seger
I know it’s late, I know you’re weary,
I know your plans don’t include me,
Still here we are, both of us lonely,
Longing for shelter from all that we see.
Why should we worry, no one will care, girl,
Look at the stars, now, so far away?,
We’ve got tonight, who needs tomorrow?
We’ve got tonight, babe,
Why don't you stay?
Deep in my soul I’ve been so lonely,
All of my hopes fading away,
I’ve longed for love like everyone else does,
I know I’ll keep searching after today.
So there it is, girl, we’ve got it on now,
And here we are, babe, what do you say?
We’ve got tonight, who needs tomorrow?
We’ve got tonight, babe,
Why don’t we stay?
I know it’s late, and I know you’re weary,
I know your plans don’t include me,
Still here we are, both of us lonely,
Both of us lonely,
Both of us lonely.
We’ve got tonight, who needs tomorrow?
Let’s make it last, let’s find a way,
Turn out the light, come take my hand now,
We’ve got tonight babe,
Why don’t we stay?,
We’ve got tonight babe,
Why don’t we stay?
She Believes in Me
Music & Lyrics by Steve Gibb
While she lays sleeping, I stay out late at night and play my songs,
And sometimes all the nights can be so long,
And it's good when I finally make it home, all alone,
While she lays dreaming, I try to get undressed without the light,
And quietly she says “How was your night?,”
And I come to her and say, “It was all right,” and I hold her tight
And she believes in me, I’ll never know just what she sees in me,
I told her someday if she was my girl, I could change the world,
With my little songs, I was wrong,
But she has faith in me, and so I go on trying faithfully,
And who knows maybe on some special night, if my song is right
I will find a way, find a way.
While she lays waiting, I stumble to the kitchen for a bite,
Then I see my old guitar in the night,
Just waiting for me like a secret friend, and there's no end,
While she lays crying, I fumble with a melody or two,
And I’m torn between the things that I should do,
And she says to wake her up when I am through,
God, her love is true.
And she believes in me, I'll never know just what she sees in me,
I told her someday if she was my girl, I could change the world,
With my little songs, I was wrong,
But she has faith in me, and so I go on trying faithfully,
And who knows maybe on some special night, if my song is right,
I will find a way, while she waits while she waits for me.
Lady
1980 Capitol Records Nashville
Released on: 1993-01-01
Composer/Lyricist: Lionel Richie
Lady
Words & Music by Lionel B. Richie Jr.
Lady, I’m your knight in shining armor and I love you,
You have made me what I am and I am yours,
My love, there’s so many ways I want to say “I love you,”
Let me hold you in my arms forever more.
You have gone and made me such a fool,
I’m so lost in your love,
And oh, we belong together,
Won’t you believe in my song?
Lady, for so many years I thought I’d never find you,
You have come into my life and made me whole,
Forever, let me wake to see you each and every morning,
Let me hear you whisper softly in my ear.
In my eyes, I see no one else but you,
There’s no other love like our love,
And yes, oh yes, I’ll always want you near me,
I’ve waited for you for so long.
Lady, your love’s the only love I need,
And beside me is where I want you to be,
‘Cause, my love, there’s somethin’ I want you to know,
You’re the love of my life, you’re my lady.
2 comments:
Nicely done N.S.
--GRA
Thanks, GRA.
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