Isn’t it funny how a song you haven’t heard nor thought about for decades suddenly pops into your head? And stays … and stays … and before long it is invading your every waking moment and you’re even softly whistling it while trying to get to sleep as the sun is rising in the east, and the poor cat raises her head, glares at you as if to say, “Shut up and go to sleep, hooman!!” This song did just that to me this week, so guess what, my friends? I just had to share it with you, and perhaps some of you will be singing it at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow morn! I was happy to find that I hadn’t played this one yet in all my years of music posts!
This song was written by Kenny Young and recorded in 1969 by Mark Lindsay, a solo effort while still lead singer for Paul Revere and the Raiders. Lindsay was backed by L.A. session musicians from the Wrecking Crew. The single peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on 14 February 1970 and was awarded a RlAA Gold Disc in April 1970. A version by the British band The Family Dogg was also released in 1969 — no, I did not go listen to it, for it is already 1:30 a.m. and I’m hoping to get to bed sometime tonight … to whistle yet another song!
The song’s title, Arizona, refers to the singer’s girlfriend, whom he considers innocent and naïve. The singer wistfully describes Arizona’s idealism and lifestyle, which he considers absurd and immature (“you’re acting like a teeny bopper runaway child”). He then urges Arizona to discard her hippie trappings, including “hobo shoes”, “rainbow shades”, and “Indian braids”, and view the world through more realistic eyes. However, even as he exhorts Arizona to become more worldly, the singer continues to praise her, describing Arizona as “a little-town saint”. In the end, his love for Arizona and what she represents to him overcomes his cynicism, and the singer decides to follow her example, adopting her view of the world, instead of expecting her to accept his.
Arizona
Mark Lindsay
She must belong to San Francisco
She must have lost her way
Postin’ a poster of Poncho and Cisco
One California day
She said she believes in Robin Hood and brotherhood
And colours of green and grey
And all you can do is laugh at her
Doesn’t anybody know how to pray?
Arizona, take off your rainbow shades
Arizona, have another look at the world
My my
Arizona, cut off your Indian braids
Arizona, hey won’tcha go my way
Mmmm strip off your pride you’re acting like a teeny-bopper run away child
And scrape off the paint from the face of a little town saint
Arizona, take off your hobo shoes
Arizona, hey won’tcha go my way
You gotta follow me up to San Francisco
I will be guide your way
I’ll be the Count of Monte Cristo
You’ll be the Countess May
And you can believe in Robin Hood and brotherhood and rolling the ball in the hay
And I will be reading you an Aesop’s fable
Anything to make you stay-ay-ay
Arizona, take off your rainbow shades
Arizona, have another look at the world, my my
Arizona, cut off your Indian braids
Arizona, hey won’tcha go my way
Hey, Arizona, take off your hobo shoes
Arizona, have another look at the world, my my
Arizona, get off your 8-ball blues
Arizona, hey won’tcha go my way
Come on, hey, Arizona, take off your rainbow shades
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Kenny Young
Arizona lyrics © Emi April Music Inc., Emi Blackwood Music Inc., Universal Music Corp., Reptillian Music, Cassadee Pope Music Llc, Mike Gentile Music, Pw Arrangements
Anytime I drove my wife and her parents to California to visit her brother, we’d sing this as we crossed the Arizona state line. So it’s part of our history. 😉
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Awesome!!! I was beginning to think I was the only person who knew this song!
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Ohhh, no…
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The chorus was familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time. So I listened the Family Dogg version, and that was more familiar but still not quite right. This song was from an era where many popular hits from the US and the UK were covered by a local artist, and I suspect this might be one of them. The strings that dominate in the Family Dogg seem more familiar than the trumpets in the Mark Lindsay version which seem rather jarring to my ears.
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I still haven’t listened to the Family Dogg version, but one of the things I think I liked best about the Mark Lindsay version WAS the trumpets! We all have different tastes — ’tis what makes music so fascinating!
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Jill i can always count on you to share a new song. Never heard this one before, has a sweet sentimental feel, i like it ❤
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Pingback: ARIZONA. |JILLDENNISON.COM | Ramblings of an Occupy Liberal
Sorry, but I don’t think there’s much danger of this one getting stuck in my head! I don’t think I’ve heard it before, though the chorus reminds me of something – can’t put my finger on it, though. I don’t know the Family Dogg version either, though as they gave us the awful sickly sweet Way Of Life I think I can guess what it would be like!
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Heh heh … I was pretty sure that NONE of my readers ‘cross the pond would like this one! Michael did, but he’s in Germany, and Roger said he thought he remembered the Family Dogg version, but otherwise this one has drawn blank stares from across the water. I’ll try to do better with the next one, but probably not tonight, for I’m exhausted tonight.
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The phrase ‘instantly forgettable’ comes to mind! Nothing wrong with sharing obscure music, as long as it’s good 😉
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I promise to try harder next time!!! 😉
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😂
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Reblogged this on Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News.
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Thanks, Ned!
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I must have heard the Family Dogg version at some stage because it sounds vaguely familiar.
The topic is kind of sad. If the song had been written four years before the singer would be celebrating all these traits in the era of Flower Power…but ’69 – ’70 all the sheen and optimism was gone and this is all about ‘ I still love you so much…. but….Wake Up. Get Real,’.
There’s a raw honesty to it.
There was a lot of that and cynicism going around in those years. Only the commercial light-weight bands were singing about ‘Peace ‘n Love’ by then.
Ah well…..
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I think it only played particularly well in the U.S. and Canada, maybe Australia as I recall, but it didn’t even chart in the UK. Was The Family Dogg popular over there? I had never heard of them until last night.
Yeah … ah well … we tried to make a difference using ‘peace’ and ‘love’ (not to mention smoking a few banana peels!) but ultimately, hate wins out. I guess it always has. Sigh.
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Family Dogg were a ‘put together’ outfit of professionals who had their time between ’69 – ’72
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Family_Dogg
Never my scene.
It always seems to. That is why Hope is so important.
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Hmmmm … I see they also did “Brown-Eyed Girl”, another that I like. I looked up their pictures and they look pretty typical of a 60s-70s group.
Yep. We never give up hope, for if we did, then we would stop trying to make the world a better place.
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🌷🌸💮
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😊
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i Don’t remember this one at all.
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I don’t think it even charted in the UK. It was mostly popular in the U.S. and Canada, though Clive said he thought he had heard The Family Dogg version.
Cwtch
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I somehow remember the melody, but not the text. Thanks for the great introduction to the music history, Jill! xx Michael
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My pleasure, Michael!!! I think this one mostly did well in the U.S. and Canada. xx
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Agreed, Jill! Enjoy a nice day! xx Michael
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You too, Michael!!! The sun is shining here and it’s actually HOT! 85° F (29° C) xx
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Thank you, Jill! Wow, 29 degrees (C) is a wonderful temperature. Yesterday we only got 22, and today its only 17 degrees (C). But the sunrays are strong enough getting tanned. Soon i can again look into the mirror, without thinking on a horror movie. Lol xx Michael
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Ha ha ha … you make me laugh, Michael!!! I am willing to be money that you do NOT look like something from a horror movie! I, on the other hand, look like something that was drug through a war … 100 years or so ago! Now, the weekend is beginning, so I hope you have plans to do something fun (and safe) besides hugging your pillow! Have a great weekend, dear Michael! xx
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