Which song would you like to have written? - Page 2

cayenne · #16 September 18th, 2006

I think I'd like to have written "Brown Sugar".
To me, that has to be one of the ultimate rock songs ever written....simple, raunchy, and one of the greatest riffs ever written.

And, it is played in an open "G" tuning....even cooler.

cayenne

coldethyl · #17 September 18th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by hilch

I love" Imagine "by J Lennon ( I wish I could write like that )

Good choice hilch!

I think I would like to have written "Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road" lyrics by Bernie Taupin and music by Elton John.

Stratrat · #18 September 18th, 2006

Stairway would be the ultimate just for the "immortality factor".

Besides that, a few others come to mind:

Funeral/Love Lies Bleeding - Elton John

Battle of Evermore - Zeppelin

The Trees - Rush

Rock Lobster - B-52's (just such a cool, fun song!)

dougp23 · #19 September 18th, 2006

I have to wonder what Billie Holiday thought would happen when she wrote and sang Strange Fruit for the first time. This was during a time when she could have easily been killed for such a song. Very courageous, and the lyrics are impressive.

Way too many choices to pick from!

justinthyme · #20 September 18th, 2006

Happy Birthday - still collecting royalties - lol. Just kidding ...

Lcjones · #21 September 18th, 2006

Canadian Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot

randomaire · #22 September 18th, 2006

Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix (actually I'd rather be able to play that song than write it)

WernHalen · #23 September 19th, 2006

The Verve - Colourful (Have you ever really listened to the words in this song?)

Metallica - Enter Sandman (just for the royalties)

Hilch · #24 September 19th, 2006

Oh another song I love and wish I had

If you could read my mind - Gordon Lightfoot

malcolm mcwhirter · #25 September 19th, 2006

:cryingThe song i wish that i had wrote is aerosmiths-dream on ,like zeps stairway to heaven everything works perfectly the music and the lyrics.To the point if you have had a couble of glasses of brandy too many it brings out the raw emotions

mrbillmax · #26 September 19th, 2006

Hey all, 1st post from a newbie here.
Here's my top 5 that I can think of right now:
Harry Nilsson - Can't Live (if living is without you)
Don McClean - American Pie & Vincent (starry, starry night)
Elton John / Bernie Taupin - Candle in the Wind (Goodbye Norma Jean)
Eagles - Desperado
Dan Fogelberg - Leader of the Band

doug russell · #27 September 19th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrbillmax

Hey all, 1st post from a newbie here.
Here's my top 5 that I can think of right now:
Harry Nilsson - Can't Live (if living is without you)
Don McClean - American Pie & Vincent (starry, starry night)
Elton John / Bernie Taupin - Candle in the Wind (Goodbye Norma Jean)
Eagles - Desperado
Dan Fogelberg - Leader of the Band

"Without you" was written by a British band called "Badfinger". However Harry Nillson did record the best version.

http://www.mindspring.com/~crimson3/features.htm

mrbillmax · #28 September 20th, 2006

Sorry, but I'm just a noob. I was listing the songs, and my favorite performers of those songs,
that "I wish I had written". I didn't see the "rule" about including the actual songwriter. (I guess I still
don't lol). It just looked like a fun topic. But since it has become an issue, a couple of re-clarifications
are in order:

Harry Nilsson recorded the 1st #1 hit version of Can't Live (if living is without you).
And I wish I had written that song, that way. That's why I listed it that way. My bad.
Mariah Carey did an excellent cover as well. Badfinger's version was an obscure
track on their 1970 No Dice album. Then Nilsson got a hold of it in 1971...
and the rest is history!

But the band Badfinger didn't write the song. Pete Ham and Tom Evans, (R.I.P), OF Badfinger
actually wrote the song, not the whole band. Also those guys were Welsh, not British.
That's Wales, home of Tom Jones, who btw has a very hot new single, Stoned In Love.

I also listed: Eagles - Desperado. No, the whole band didn't write that song either,
Glen Frey & Don Henley OF the Eagles wrote it. But if anyone wants to list Clint Black -
Desperado, at the top of your list, that's fine with me.

si16 · #29 September 20th, 2006

You're right mrbillmax, it's really the songs that we're discussing in this thread, it's not necessary to know who actually wrote it. But if someone also wants to add useful information about the provenance of a song then I think that's good too. Wales is a country in its own right but it's also part of Great Britain so if you are Welsh then you're also British.

I would love to have written some of the Beach Boys best songs - Good Vibrations, God Only Knows, Wouldn't it be Nice, Warmth of The Sun. The best work by the Beach Boys ranks right up there with anything that's ever been done in pop music. Brian Wilson is just amazing. When the Beatles had their first big year in 1963 John Lennon was 22, at around the same age Brian Wilson was in the midst of recording the tenth Beach Boys album; he wrote, arranged and produced just about every one of them. That tenth album turned out to be Pet Sounds, one of the most highly regarded albums ever made. All this despite being deaf in one ear. A true legend.

PS I'm not trying to turn this into a Beach Boys versus Beatles competition. I'm a Beatles fan too, but the Beatles get their fair share of press, it just seems to me that the Beach Boys, and Brian Wilson in particular, doesn't.

malcolm mcwhirter · #30 September 20th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by si16

You're right mrbillmax, it's really the songs that we're discussing in this thread, it's not necessary to know who actually wrote it. But if someone also wants to add useful information about the provenance of a song then I think that's good too. Wales is a country in its own right but it's also part of Great Britain so if you are Welsh then you're also British.

I would love to have written some of the Beach Boys best songs - Good Vibrations, God Only Knows, Wouldn't it be Nice, Warmth of The Sun. The best work by the Beach Boys ranks right up there with anything that's ever been done in pop music. Brian Wilson is just amazing. When the Beatles had their first big year in 1963 John Lennon was 22, at around the same age Brian Wilson was in the midst of recording the tenth Beach Boys album; he wrote, arranged and produced just about every one of them. That tenth album turned out to be Pet Sounds, one of the most highly regarded albums ever made. All this despite being deaf in one ear. A true legend.

PS I'm not trying to turn this into a Beach Boys versus Beatles competition. I'm a Beatles fan too, but the Beatles get their fair share of press, it just seems to me that the Beach Boys, and Brian Wilson in particular, doesn't.

you make some great points in relation about who should get the credit for a great song and no one should every undremine the person who wrote the song. However there are peformers and song writers would elton johns best songs have been huge hits if bernie taubin sang them not to mention all the great burt bacarach songs I like bob dylan but would have to say that the covers of knocking on heavens door and all along the watch tower to name a few sounded better than the orginal version.The point i am making the delivery of the song plays a huge part. I dont think that the beach boys ever got the full credit they deserved those harmonys came from heaven