With all the brokering in Washington among politicos over how to bailout Wall Street, the Campaign Without End 2008, and the seemingly endless quagmire that is the Afghan/Iraq and now northwest Pakistan wars, I got this song in my head a couple days ago. It came out in 1970 and has a major hit for the Temptations. Some of the problems this song enumerates are less controversial now, but many are still with us, and some I fear will never go away. So, you Motown fans, I hope you haven't heard this one in awhile: here's Paul Williams, the baritone of Melvyn Franklin, Dennis Edwards, the original member from 1961, Otis Williams, and the falsetto of the great Eddie Kenricks: The Temptations!
1, 2... 1, 2, 3, 4, Ow!
Eddie: People moving out, people moving in. Why, because of the color of their skin.
Run, run, run but you sure can't hide. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Vote for me and I'll set you free. Rap on, brother, rap on.
Dennis: Well, the only person talking about love thy brother is the...(preacher.)
And it seems nobody's interested in learning but the...(teacher.)
Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration, Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation.
Ball of confusion. Oh yeah, that's what the world is today. Woo, hey, hey.
Paul:
The sale of pills are at an all time high.
Young folks walking round with their heads in the sky.
The cities ablaze in the summer time.
And oh, the beat goes on.
Dennis:
Evolution, revolution, gun control, sound of soul.
Shooting rockets to the moon, kids growing up too soon.
Politicians say more taxes will solve everything.
Melvin:
And the band played on.
So, round and around and around we go.
Where the world's headed, nobody knows.
[Instrumental]
Oh, great GoogaMooga, can't you hear me talking to you.
Just a ball of confusion.
Oh yeah, that's what the world is today.
Woo, hey, hey.
Eddie:
Fear in the air, tension everywhere.
Unemployment rising fast, the Beatles new record's a gas.
Dennis:
And the only safe place to live is on an Indian reservation.
Melvin:
And the band played on.
Eve of destruction, tax deduction, city inspectors, bill collectors,
Mod clothes in demand, population out of hand, suicide, too many bills,
Hippies moving to the hills. People all over the world are shouting, 'End the war.'
Melvin:
And the band played on.
[Instrumental]
Great GoogaMooga, can't you hear me talking to you.
Sayin'... ball of confusion.
That's what the world is today, hey, hey.
Let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya.
Sayin'... ball of confusion.
That's what the world is today, hey, hey.
Let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya.
Sayin'... ball of confusion.
This was a very nice change of pace. Hard to believe that people really dressed like that though.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's hard to see any group going out that way today!
ReplyDeleteWell, my senior picture was taken with me wearing a leisure suit. Kind of embarrassing in a way but not much different from what they were wearing in this video.
ReplyDeleteWe must be from the same era--I even went to my grandmother's funeral in a blue leisure suit! I can't imagine that look ever catching on again.
ReplyDeleteCheck out my picture section. I actually posted it on here.
ReplyDeleteA song from the days when we in NZ listened to music via radio or record, hardly ever saw the act itself. 'tis always funny looking at them now (and those suits are awful lol)
ReplyDeleteI had a purple waistcoat and flared pants like that *sneaks off looking embarrassed*
ReplyDeleteNamaste! In 1970 I had longer ash blonde hair, I was a towhead before 1970, but hair was getting much more ash blonde that year. I also had gold wire rimmed octagon glasses, like the keyboard guy? in "The Doors" band. I also had printed bell bottom twill jeans, skin tight to knee, calf flared out big-time in indigo blue, which had all the signs of the zodiac all over, in symbols and words. All the printing was done in neon colors, yellow, green, hot pink, purple and blue. If I went under a black light, it was radical back then. In my room, my parents let me paint on the wall a la "Rowan & Martin's Laugh In". So, all my friends were closet grafitti artists! "Those were the days" Ah, a nice little song by a Beatle protege- would it be a friend of George Harrison--Mary Hopkin ? Clue me in folks- have a great day. This post of The Temptations was/ is great. I liked any protest songs, social relevance back then. Enjoyed it, and memory too, of the times.
ReplyDeleteAn appropriately named band for the current crisis Doug. The temptation to control the world, the temptation to get rich at everyone else's expense, the temptation to stage a false flag 'terror' attacks, the temptation to declare martial law at home. the temptation to prosecute perpetual war abroad......it is those temptations that have brought us to the brink I think.
ReplyDeleteGreat song Doug - I was first introduced to this song in the early 80s when I got a Motown compilation album that it was on... it segued straight into Edwin Starr's War - a great pairing!
ReplyDeleteYes, AA, temptations were all around and many grabbed for them at the expense of a greater many. I almost went with Barry Mc Guire's "Eve of Destruction" from 1968, but I'm still hoping there will be some learning experiences in this for the future.
ReplyDeleteI too heard most of these acts while the good old 33 1/3 or 45 RPM record. Music shows like this only played on Saturday Afternoons on television in California.
ReplyDeleteYou were just a victim of the times, Iri Ani, as was me in my baby-blue lesiure suit with an oversized pocket on each side of the coat. :-) Acccckkk! We were all fashion slaves, unaware that that era would be painful to look back upon in sartorial terms.
ReplyDeleteAnother great hit! One of the few good things about controversial times, Ian, is that they produce great music.
ReplyDeletebaby blue!!! EEKK! lmao.
ReplyDeletea startling confession on my part...wish I could take it back. :-)
ReplyDeleteThat was a good song from the same year as the Temptations. I think a lot of people will be thinking along those lines as we seem to have crossed into a new era in this country in the last few weeks.
ReplyDeleteYou definately must have a flair for fashion and the the artistic, nylmamahrpo. And you had the gift of understanding parents;-)
Were you wearing a silk shirt with snaps and moon shoes? Not that I know what anything I just said was?? I am far to young to know sucj things.
ReplyDeleteOf course not... you were but a mere child I'm sure--hanging out at the high school cafeteria, wearing huge glittery glasses, probably with purple frames.
ReplyDeleteYou are wrong on multiple accounts. Leisure suits were long long gone by the time I walked the halls of high school. I did not start wearing glasses until I turned 30
ReplyDelete