Tune of the Week

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On 07.07.07, In Lyrics, Music, Music Blogs, Song of the Week, Television, By Mike

Lots of Johns this week and this post is no exception. Johnny Appleseed by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros is this week’s song of the week. Johnny Appleseed is also the theme music from John from Cincinnati. Strummer was the primary songwriter and lead vocalist of the Clash. Johnny Appleseed and the other compositions on Strummer’s album, Global a Go-Go, are vastly different from the Clash but the songwriting craftsmanship is remarkable. Gone is the Clash’s sense of urgency but the passion of the message is delivered now with more of a velvet glove. Johnny Appleseed’s lyric is (as far as I can tell) about worker’s rights. See if you agree.

Lord, there goes Johnny Appleseed
He might pass by in the hour of need
There’s a lot of souls
Ain’t drinking from no well locked in a factory

Hey – look there goes
Hey – look there goes

If you’re after getting the honey – hey
Then you don’t go killing all the bees

Lord, there goes Martin Luther King
Notice how the door closes when the chimes of freedom ring
I hear what you’re saying, I hear what he’s saying
Is what was true down along the soul

Hey – I hear what you’re saying
Hey – I hear what he’s saying

If you’re after getting the honey – hey
Then you don’t go killing all the bees

What the people are saying
And we know every road – go, go
What the people are saying
There ain’t no berries on the trees

Let the summertime sun
Fall on the apple – fall on the apple

Lord, there goes a Buick forty-nine
Black sheep of the angels riding, riding down the line
We think there is a soul, we don’t know
That soul is hard to find

Hey – down along the road
Hey – down along the road

If you’re after getting the honey
Then you don’t go killing all the bees

Hey – it’s what the people are saying
It’s what the people are saying
Hey – there ain’t no berries on the trees
Hey – that’s what the people are saying, no berries on the trees

You’re checking out the honey, baby
You had to go killin’ all the bees

If you would like to hear the song, click on the link. If you’d like to hear it later, right click and select “save as.”

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Joe Strummer