Without a Song - Perry Como

Without a Song - Perry Como

3:17

single, 1951

Written by Vincent Youmans, Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu

This song comes from a short-lived 1929 musical called Great Day, quickly forgotten except as the source of this tune.  Como's version is stately and expansive, a showcase for his smooth, unforced baritone. The arrangement swells around him, full orchestra rising and receding as he glides over it with an almost effortless control.  At the end, a male chorus sings the refrain, bringing the drama and passion to bombastic gradeur.  Lyrically, it's a declaration of music's necessity to heal and comfort, and indeed even as a life force: "That field of corn, would never see a plow / That field of corn, would be deserted now / A young one's born, but he's no good no how / Without a song!"  (That's the revised lyrics — the original said "a darkie's born," fortunately even in the era seen as inappropriate.)  It's not hard to understand why this is one of of Bob Dylan's favorite performances,  He called Como "the anti-Rat Pack" and this song "just downright incredible."

The Whiffenpoof Song - The Statler Brothers

The Whiffenpoof Song - The Statler Brothers

1:48

Flowers On the Wall, 1966

Written by anonymous author, c. 1909

This is the theme song of the Yale singing group the Whiffenpoofs, whose most famous alumnus is probably Cole Porter.  Bing Crosby has a well-regarded version of the song, but I prefer the Statlers' uptempo rendition, with its tinkling piano, handclap percussion, high harmonies, and the bass vocal coming in for counterpoint.  The song begins with a toast to "Mory's," referring to Mory's Temple Bar, and Louis, a former owner of Mory's, Louis Linder.  Then the song describes the singers themselves, how they will become part of an undying tradition.  "We will serenade our Louis / While life and voice shall last/ Then we'll pass and be forgotten with the rest."  Et in arcadia ego, except cheery.

Possum Song - Johnny Mercer

Possum Song - Johnny Mercer

2:58

single, 1947

Written by Terry Shand and By Dunham

A cursory search failed to unearth an answer as to whether this song was ever released by Mercer before appearing on a compilation in the modern era.  But no matter. This is a classic big band vocal, if the singer grew up as a Louisiana hillbilly.  It seems a possum is laughing at the narrator from its hiding place in the trees, but not being a fancy city-boy, the narrator plans his revenge: eating it.  "Possum on the loose / He's been stealing all of my chickens / Now I'll cook his goose / Possum knows he's in a jam / He'd go good with candied yam."

Song Of the Future - U2

Song Of the Future - U2

3:55

Days Of Ash, 2026

Written by Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.

This song pays tribute to Sarina Esmailzadeh, a 16-year-old Iranian schoolgirl who was beaten to death in 2022 by authorities for participating in the protests over the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.  "Sarina Sarina / She's the song of the future / Playing in my mind."  The song imagines a better world, or least the start of one: "All the classroom prophets gone to ground / Schoolgirl says everyone knows / Love is a verb and not a noun / Or so it seems."  Nevertheless, Bono compares his lyrics to be "running [his] mouth off."  Definitely any kind of art protest seems like empty talking compared to the unimaginable bravery of these protestors' very real actions.  Jesus Christ, if I had a hammer...

Goodbye California - Jolie Holland

Goodbye California - Jolie Holland

3:28

Escondida, 2004

Written by Jolie Holland

Holland is unrelated to Squeeze keyboardist Jools Holland, but is a founding member of the Be Good Tanyas.  This song is an old-timey Americana plaint.  Her sometimes quavering vocal reminds me a bit of Gillian Welch.  The song struts along at an easy shuffle, a spare but evocative arrangement, with guitar, maybe a mandolin, and what sounds like a singing saw.  The lyrics tell of someone burdened by all the ills of the world — "Now folks that know what's good for 'em / Are good at ignoring 'em / But I just can't put these thoughts down / I'm harrowed and abused and broken and pursued" — before veering off into a quasi-mystic picture of postmortem dissolution into the natural world, a Californian, less defiant, take on Frank Turner's "One Foot Before the Other."

Moon Hop - Derrick Morgan

Moon Hop - Derrick Morgan

3:09

single, 1969

Written by Derrick Morgan

Wikipedia tells us that this riddim reggae beat was written to commemorate the Apollo moon landing, but there's nothing in the lyrics to suggest this.  It's more that the title reflects how the world was caught up in space race fever at the time.  The lyrics consist of "yeah, yeah, yeah" and some instruction to dance: "Put your right foot out now," "Shake your hip," "Come on and jump and prance," and, somewhat confusingly, "mix it with the Kangaroo," this last I can only imagine is a Jamaican dance of the era.  It's silly but joyous and catchy; sometimes that's all you need.

Sloop John B - The Real McKenzies

Sloop John B - The Real McKenzies

3:51

Songs Of the Highlands, Songs Of the Sea, 2022

traditional

Paul McKenzie sings this straight, using the same verses as the famed Beach Boys version, with minimal accompaniment, just a guitar and some soft harmonica.  It's a nice version, but I can't help but wondering why the band didn't go full Celtic punk with bagpipes to give it their own whiskey-soaked spin.  Oh well.  "For of all sad words of tongue or pen / The saddest are these: 'It might have been!'"

Good Thing - Fine Young Cannibals

Good Thing - Fine Young Cannibals

3:22

The Raw & the Cooked, 1989

Written by Roland Gift and David Steele

I was a senior in high school when this album came out, but I only ever heard the huge singles; I didn't seek it out.  Now, hundreds of years later, I'm finally ready to accept the popular music of my youth.  A bouncing piano line by Jools Holland gives this funky song a nice groove.  It's got a fairly sparse sound, and Gift sings it in a sort of yearning yelp.  The song is retro-soul, but layered onto the production of the time — the programmed, high percussive backbeat is very '80s — and the fusion works.

Fools Are Not Born - Clarence Reid

Fools Are Not Born - Clarence Reid 

2:14

Dancin' With Nobody But You Babe, 1969

Written by Willie Clarke and Clarence Reid

This is a smooth soul crooner about a man who's made a mistake or two in love.  Once he was a wise man.  But now he knows, he's just a fool, blinded by lies.  "Friends look at me with pity in their eye / They know that I'm a fool / But they just don't know why / I haven't always been like this / But you gave me something that I just couldn't resist."  Punchy horn stabs and Reid's expressive voice make this song one of those that leave you wondering why it wasn't a hit.  But enough about that!  Hilariously, Reid also released many albums as Blowfly, a raunchy parody of other genres of music with titles like ""If Eating You Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right" and "R. Kelly in Cambodia."

Justine - Don & Dewey

Justine - Don & Dewey

2:44

single, 1958

Written by Don Harris and Dewey Terry

Although R&B duo Don & Dewey did not have any hits of their own, many of their songs became hits for other artists.  This piano-driven boogie, a rocker very much in the style of Little Richard, is gloriously fuzzy, with buzzy horns and the duo screaming every line and alternating the titular girls' name.  The lyrics are the typical ribald-adjacent stuff of the era: "You just won't treat me right / You like to ball in the mornin' / Stay out late at night."  This cut is unusual also in that about the first 40 seconds is studio chatter about what instruments to use in the recording ("don't need no piano!").