TL;DR: This post is very long, with tons of info about the songs and the artists, but if you’re just here for the music, here is the full playlist! Enjoy the tunes!

Welcome Back to Rock ‘n Roll Head to Toe! This is the 10th installment in the series featuring songs with body parts in their title. Today I am presenting songs with the word TONGUE in their title. Off the top of your head, can you think of any songs with Tongue in the title? I was truly shocked at how many I came across…several different genres, spanning the decades, and spotlighting a bunch of British bands too, most of which I didn’t know. I gotta say: there is some serious earworm material here! And in this case, I say earworm in a good way…catchy tunes… and you might find one or more of them will play in your head throughout the day. I’ll tell you my Top 5 at the end. Would love to hear yours as well so please share in the Comment section.

But first, get your groove on with  my TONGUE playlist:

(btw, if you’ve missed my other Rock ‘n Roll Head to Toe series installments or want to check any of them out you can always head over to the Series Index page for a list of all the published posts to date. I update the index with each new installment so bookmark it if you’d like a quick convenient access to the entire series)

BLACK TONGUE by Gene Simmons

“Black Tongue” is a track on the second solo studio album, Asshole, by Kiss‘s Gene Simmons. Released in 2004, it wasn’t a high-charting album, although it did make the Billboard 200 at No.86. It fared batter in other countries, coming in at No.23 in Norway, No.25 in Sweden and No.57 in Australia. Its controversial title does not appear on the front cover. On the side of the CD case the title reads “asshole“. “It’s just another way of me saying, ‘I don’t care what anyone says about me,” Simmons declared. “I’m preempting what people say and therefore diffusing the power of my detractors.”

“Black Tongue” is based on an unreleased, unfinished song of the same name composed by the late Frank Zappa. The riff in the song is Zappa’s previously unreleased, descending guitar part which became the foundational element of the song. The riff is described as having a dark, “King Crimson-kind of sound,” with a complex 7/8 time signature, which is characteristic of Zappa’s avant-garde and progressive rock style. One listener noted that the initial guitar lick sounds like it could be from Zappa’s signature piece, “Black Napkins“.

The final track has authentic Zappa touches and includes more than just the riff; it incorporates Frank Zappa’s own voice from the original demo, including him saying, “Alright kids, here’s a real rock ‘n’ roll song”. Additionally, Dweezil Zappa extracted some of his father’s original lead guitar bits from the demo and included them in the final recording, meaning the song actually features Frank Zappa’s lead playing as well. Pretty cool, huh?

Simmons was an admirer of Zappa and after Zappa’s passing, got permission from his widow, Gail Zappa, to use the material from Zappa’s archives. Gene Simmons licensed a recording of Zappa playing the initial guitar riff and built a new composition around it. Frank’s family members contributed to the song with Dweezil Zappa playing a guitar solo and backup vocals by Dweezil, Ahmet Zappa, Moon Zappa and Frank Zappa’s widow, Gail. Gene Simmons mentioned it was the only song in history where all the remaining Zappa family members appeared on the same track.

The resulting track has been described as a unique genre blend, a mix of Frank Zappa’s psychedelic vibe with a grunge feel.

Rolling Stone did an article by Karen Bliss, published April 22, 2004 about Simmon’s new album. The article was titled “Gene Simmons is an Asshole” with the subhead “Kiss man plans to party around star-studded album”

“Kiss bassist Gene Simmons plans to hold “asshole parties” to promote his first solo album in twenty-six years [his last solo work before this one was his eponymous album released in 1978}. The disc, appropriately titled Asshole, includes contributions from Bob Dylan, Dave Navarro and the late Frank Zappa, and will be released May 18th.

During off-nights on the upcoming Kiss tour, Simmons, who claims to be “the world’s biggest asshole,” will take over a club, where only true assholes will be admitted. “No fakers allowed,” says the fifty-four-year-old rocker. “And, of course, once you come in, you’ll be given a certificate which will certify that you’re a real asshole.”

Fun Fact: Simmons’ winning personality didn’t stop rock’s most celebrated songwriter, Bob Dylan, from working with him. The fruit of his and Bob Dylan’s collaboration is “Waiting for the Morning Light,” a song Simmons had begun nine years earlier.

“I called Bob Dylan cold one day,” Simmons says. “I said, ‘Hi Bob, it’s Gene Simmons. Do you want to write a song together? And I was surprised to hear, ‘Yeah, sure, come on.’ So we got together at my house, and in one afternoon we came up with some chords that Bob put together and I sang a melody against it, and bingo: ‘Waiting for the Morning Light.’”

Another years-in-the-making track is “Black Tongue,” a song begun by Frank Zappa.

“When Frank was alive, he invited me over to his home and I sat around with his family, and he was very gracious,” Simmons recalls. “After he passed away, I asked his wife whether he had any unfinished songs, and [Zappa’s son] Dweezil brought over a thirty-second tidbit of a piece originally called ‘Black Tongue.’”

Simmons then layered guitars, drums and vocals over it, and kept the title. He also invited the entire Zappa family — wife Gail, Dweezil, daughter Moon, and son Ahmet — to join him on background vocals, with Dweezil adding more guitar to his father’s original part.

Asshole also features Simmons’ own family on the album. Shannon Tweed, his live-in girlfriend of twenty years, and her mother Louise sing on “Whatever Turns You On”; Simmons’ fifteen-year-old son Nick sings on “Carnival of Souls”; and his eleven-year-old daughter Sophie sings on “Now That You’re Gone.”

KISS launched their “Rock the Nation World Tour” in Perth, Australia, on May 8, 2004. The US leg of the KISS tour started just two days after Gene Simmons Asshole album’s release on June 10, 2004, in San Antonio, TX.

Notably, Simmons had no plans at the time to tour specifically behind his solo album, stating, “If somebody stands up with a large enough check, I’ll go out”. The priority was clearly the KISS tour.

Fun Fact: Frank Zappa Speaks: Snippets of Frank Zappa’s own voice from the original demo are included in the final song, including him saying something to the effect of, “Alright kids, here’s a real rock ‘n’ roll song”.

Fun Fact: Gene Simmons has great regard for Bob Dylan. “A lot of Bob Dylan’s lyrics just make me take a breath and go, ‘Okay, I will never be in that class,” Simmons remarked. “If you look at the lyrics to one song – The Times They Are a-Changin’ or Blowin’ in the Wind – that’s a lifetime achievement.”  I agree!

Fun Fact: Gene Simmons first solo album, titled Gene Simmons (September 1978) was one of the four solo albums simultaneously released by the members of KISS and was the highest-charting of the four in the U.S., reaching number 22 on the Billboard 200 chart.

SLIP OF THE TONGUE by Whitesnake

“Slip of the Tongue” is the title track and opening song of the eighth studio album by British hard rock/glam metal band Whitesnake. The Slip of the Tongue album, released in November 1989, marked a continuation of the band’s commercial success, following their multi-platinum performance of their 1987 self-titled release. It is known for its polished production and a shift toward a more technical mastery and skilled guitar style, the album features guitarist Steve Vai, three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, who was voted “10^th Greatest Guitarist” by Guitar World magazine’s readers.

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Formed in London in 1978, the group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple (one of my favorite bands from back in the day). Though the band quickly developed into their own entity, Coverdale was the only constant member throughout their history.

The song, like much of the album, is a hard rock track that features prominent use of sexual innuendos and is notable for its intricate guitar work by Vai. Lead singer David Coverdale and guitarist Adrian Vandenberg co-wrote all but one song on the album, including the title track “Slip of the Tongue”. Adrian Vandenberg was sidelined due to a severe hand and wrist injury that prevented him from recording so Steve Vai performed all guitar parts on the album. Vai’s distinctive, virtuosic style is a defining feature of the song and the album.

Musically, the track is a fast-paced, “hundred miles an hour” arena rock tune, designed for an energetic live performance. It exhibits a more polished and over-the-top production style compared to the band’s earlier blues-based roots.

The lyrics for the song (originally titled “Dominatrix Blues”) were conceived to describe a powerful, dominant woman, a thematic focus Coverdale felt was missing from Whitesnake’s previous work, which usually focused on male dominance. The song’s lyrics, in line with the band’s trademark style, use sexual innuendo and themes of passion.

David Coverdale has stated that he wrote “Slip of the Tongue” to introduce a new, powerful female character into the band’s lyrical themes, focusing on a dominant woman.

His inspiration was a desire to portray a different dynamic in relationships than the band had explored previously. While many of the band’s other songs used themes of male dominance and passion, Coverdale felt the perspective of a powerful, commanding woman was a missing element he wanted to document.

He was inspired by events in his own life to create the stories for his songs and the new track was likely a general reflection of a character or archetype rather than a specific individual. In fact, another song on the Slip of the Tongue album, “Kitten’s Got Claws,” was explicitly written for his then-wife, Tawny Kitaen, whom he referred to as a “kitten”. Ultimately, Coverdale wanted to ensure that he explored the full range of human experience and relationship dynamics in his songwriting, including the powerful and commanding presence of a dominant woman. In his words:

“I think the first time that Adrian and I sat down, all we did is we looked at what we felt Whitesnake was missing, in terms of tempos and styles. Adrian was a “snake” fan and has been from the beginning, his finger on the pulse of what Whitesnake was about […] we needed an “a hundred miles an hour” track, you know, for the live show. The idea of the lyric is this very powerful woman instead of the man being, all that butch stuff that usually hard rock and heavy metal purports to be. This is the women is stronger, they fare very well on this album.”

UNKNOWN TONGUE by Blue Öyster Cult

“Unknown Tongue” is a track on the album Cultösaurus Erectus, seventh studio album by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in June 1980. Following an experiment with a more commercial sound on the album Mirrors (released the previous year), this recording marked a return to the band’s earlier, heavier sound. It also represents the band’s first collaboration with British producer Martin Birch, renowned for engineering and producing albums recorded predominantly by British rock and metal bands, including Deep Purple, Rainbow, Fleetwood Mac, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden.

The Blue Öyster Cult lineup for the 1980 album Cultösaurus Erectus featured the band’s original and most commercially successful members. The lineup included: Eric Bloom – lead vocals, “stun” guitar, keyboards, Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser – lead guitar, vocals, keyboards, occasional bass, Allen Lanier – keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals, Joe Bouchard – bass, vocals and Albert Bouchard – drums, percussion, vocals.

This album was the last studio record to feature this specific, long-standing original configuration before Albert Bouchard’s departure in 1981.

While the album did sell more than its predecessor, it stalled at Gold status. However, during this time, Blue Öyster Cult was still filling large venues. The tour promoting Cultösaurus Erectus found the band co-headlining sports arenas in the United States with Black Sabbath as part of the Black and Blue Tour.

And I was there! At the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium on October 13, 1980. Our seats were 9^th row, center. And a band named Shakin’ Street was the opener for BOC. I don’t remember them at all! I’ll have to ask my friend who I went with – doubt he remembers either. But we have other stories to tell from that night! To be told another time…

I gotta say, Blue Öyster Cult blew Black Sabbath away! Seriously. They put on such a great show. I think maybe a lot had to do with how freaking long it took Black Sabbath to take the stage after BOC was finished. It was ridiculous. The crowd was getting ticked off and antsy. And irritated. But still, the BOC show was AMAZING. They even made a film of the Black and Blue Concert Tour: the performances from the tour, (particularly the show 5 days later than when I saw them in Buffalo, at the Nassau Coliseum in New York on October 17, 1980), were filmed and later released in 1981 as a concert film known as Black and Blue. It first came out as a concert film in theaters then transferred to VHS. According to Wikipedia, no DVD of the concert tour film has ever been released.

I obtained the set list from that show on 10/13/1980 at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. “Unknown Tongue” was definitely performed that night (the fifth song) but I don’t remember it specifically. They played my favorite, “E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)”as their second song that night. Of course the “Godzilla” performance was fun. They ended the show with fan-favorite “Don’t Fear the Reaper”.

“Unknown Tongue” is often cited by fans as an underrated song and one of the scarier, more atmospheric tracks in the band’s repertoire. Written by the band’s drummer Albert Bouchard and poet/lyricist David Roter, the track is considered one of the band’s darker songs from that period, with critics noting its chilling and eerie tone. The music features prominent keyboards and guitar work creating a stark contrast with some of the album’s other tracks. Allen Lanier shines on the keyboards. The song features a distinct shift in mood, with a chilling piano solo and a fade-out where the keyboard and guitar seem to chase each other, building tension.

Lyrics: The lyrics delve into themes of horror and mystery. They are highly narrative and dark, describing a character named Margaret who seems to be experiencing a psychological break or experiencing a vision, engaging in occult activities, hearing voices prompting a disturbing ritualistic act (cutting herself with a razor to taste her own blood). The repeated refrain is a plea to be shown “the unknown tongue”. The chilling effect is heightened by the contrast of the dark narrative with the description of her waking up the next morning, putting on a dress, having cereal, and going to school like normal. Frontman Eric Bloom would take a stunt razor (in concert) and simulate cutting into his palm, complete with fake blood.

Per Songfacts: This song is about a teenage girl named Margaret who drinks her own blood. The song was written by Blue Öyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard with his friend David Roter, who later released some albums as The David Roter Method. Many BOC songs had themes of vampires and the occult, but this one was based on a real person. Bouchard explained to the NME:

“The girl Margaret was someone David used to go out with. She was perfectly normal except that she had a fetish for cutting her big toe with a razor and drinking the results. Nobody knew that at school, she was a pleasant Catholic girl, hee hee.”

Okay, ick! That’s creepy! Btw, in the song’s lyrics, the location of the self-mutilation was changed to her palm. Still icky!

Fun Fact: Cultösaurus Erectus was notably the final studio album to feature the band’s original lineup, as drummer and co-songwriter Albert Bouchard was fired during the tour supporting the record. His departure from Blue Öyster Cult in August 1981 was a result of accumulating personal issues and “unstable behavior” that strained his relationship with the other band members. The final straw came during the U.K. leg of the Cultösaurus Erectus tour.

Key Factors in the Departure: Bouchard was going through personal issues, including a separation from his wife at the time. He had a new girlfriend and wanted to bring her on tour, which his bandmates opposed, feeling he was “acting crazy”.

The immediate cause for his firing though was arriving late to two consecutive shows, forcing the band to go on with their lighting designer, Rick Downey, filling in on drums.

The rest of the band held a meeting and decided they could no longer work with him. The decision was made to send him home to New York and continue the tour with a different drummer. Bouchard was caught completely by surprise by the decision. There had also been underlying tensions regarding creative direction and the sharing of songwriting credits. Bouchard was a primary songwriter, and he had previously suggested to share credits equally, which the bandmates rejected, an event that highlighted a rift in their financial arrangements.

Aftermath

• Replacement: Rick Downey initially filled in and later became the permanent drummer until 1985.
• The Imaginos Project: Before his departure, Bouchard had been developing a rock opera project based on the writings of the band’s manager and lyricist, Sandy Pearlman. This was intended as a solo album, but after his firing, the project eventually morphed into the 1988 Blue Öyster Cult album Imaginos, with much of his creative input removed, a source of significant frustration for Bouchard.
• Legal Action: Upset about how the Imaginos project was handled and his exclusion from the band’s subsequent touring plans, Bouchard sued the band*, the record company, and Sandy Pearlman, which further complicated their relationship.
• Reconciliation and Blue Coupe: Over the years, some reconciliation has occurred. Albert and his brother Joe Bouchard (who left the band in 1986) formed the band Blue Coupe with original Alice Cooper bassist Dennis Dunaway. Albert has also made occasional guest appearances with Blue Öyster Cult at reunion shows.

Blue Coupe is a rock “supergroup” formed by two founding members of Blue Öyster Cult and a founding member of the legendary Alice Cooper group. The band’s core members are:

• Dennis Dunaway: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and original bassist for the Alice Cooper group.
• Albert Bouchard: Original drummer and a primary songwriter for Blue Öyster Cult.
• Joe Bouchard: Original guitarist and multi-instrumentalist for Blue Öyster Cult.

The band’s history began around 2008 when the Bouchard brothers joined Dunaway for a gig, and a club owner subsequently asked them to play as a trio. They decided to make it official and formed Blue Coupe, performing a mix of hits from their previous bands and new, original material. Their live shows are a dynamic mix of BÖC and Alice Cooper classics alongside new songs. Their albums and live shows often feature other rock legends as guests, including Robby Krieger (The Doors), Alice Cooper, Buck Dharma (Blue Öyster Cult), and Tish and Snooky from Manic Panic.

Blue Coupe has released several studio albums of original material:

• Tornado on the Tracks(2010)
• Million Miles More(2013)
• Eleven Even(2019)
• When Legends Collide(2023) – A CD/DVD release featuring music videos and live performances

For more information, you can check out their official website at bluecoupeband.com or the Joe Bouchard official website.

*FYI: I was curious as to what happened with the lawsuit and I uncovered this info:

The lawsuit Albert Bouchard filed against Blue Öyster Cult, Columbia Records, and manager Sandy Pearlman was settled out of court. The exact terms of the settlement were not publicly disclosed. According to Bouchard, the legal action was a frustrating experience that had some negative initial consequences:

• Royalty Freeze: As soon as the defendants were served with legal papers, his royalty payments were stopped.
• Net Outcome: While he believes he eventually got some of the owed money back through the settlement, he stated in an interview that all of it went to his lawyer, and he “ended up with nothing” from the settlement itself. He described the whole situation as “frustrating and disappointing”.
• Impact on the Album: Bouchard noted in retrospect that suing everyone was “probably not the greatest idea” as it made the record company even less enthusiastic about releasing the Imaginos album, which was already struggling to get put out.

Ultimately, the commercial failure of the Imaginos album (which was eventually released as a BÖC album and not a solo project as originally intended) and the subsequent legal issues led to Columbia Records dropping Blue Öyster Cult from the label. The lawsuit did, however, help ensure that Bouchard received author and producer rights for his extensive work on the project.

FUN FACT: The album cover features the central part of the painting Behemoth’s World by British artist Richard Clifton-Dey.

COMING DOWN (DRUG TONGUE) by The Cult

“Coming Down (Drug Tongue)” is a cut on the sixth studio album from English rock band The Cult. It’s a notable track from their self-titled 1994 album The Cult (the album is also referred to as “Black Sheep” because it has a Manx Loaghtan black sheep on the front cover. The song’s style reflects the band’s adaptation to the grunge/alternative rock sound prevalent at the time, a departure from their previous arena rock style.

The Cult’s eponymous album was released in October 1994 and it was the band’s last album on Sire Records in the US. This was The Cult’s last album prior to their initial disbandment in the spring of 1995; the band would not release another album until 2001’s Beyond Good and Evil. The commercial failure of that album and resurfaced tensions led to the band’s second dissolution in 2002. The Cult reunited once again in 2006, and have since released four more studio albums: Born into This (2007), Choice of Weapon (2012), Hidden City (2016) and Under the Midnight Sun (2022). Impressive that they could regroup and release four albums, staying together 15+ years. I guess age and maturity helps dissolve ego-driven tensions, ya think?

The style of music on this album is more reminiscent of the grunge and alternative rock music reflecting the musical trends of the mid-1990s; it also included noise rock, with its use of distortion and feedback. Like most of the band’s material, it was written by vocalist Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy.

Ian Astbury referred to the record as “very personal, and very revealing” songs about his life, addressing difficult subjects from his own life, ranging from sexual abuse at the age of 15, to the death of Nigel Preston (friend and former drummer for The Cult), to his directionless years spent in Glasgow in the late 1970s.

The song, and the album as a whole, represented the “alterna-Cult” sound as the band responded to the grunge movement that had overtaken the rock music scene. As part of this shift in musical direction, both Astbury and Duffy shifted their image by adopting shorter haircuts, moving away from their previous long-haired, ‘heavy metal’ look.

Divisive reception: The album and the sound of songs like “Coming Down (Drug Tongue)” were divisive among fans, who either loved or hated the band’s change in direction.

That’s very evident since upon release, the album reached No.69 on the US charts and No.21 in the UK, before quickly falling off the charts. Reportedly, it reached No.1 on the charts in Portugal, but quickly dropped off there as well. The single “Coming Down (Drug Tongue)” (UK#51) was released with the band going on tour in support of the new album.

One reviewer (MikeDelano.com) said this of the song:

“Coming Down (Drug Tongue)” was the first single, very different from the hits from the past two or three albums.  It had a droning, U2-ish vibe.  It’s quite a good song, but it wasn’t love at first listen”…[Re: the album]: ”This self-titled departure remained just that, as The Cult went full-bore metal on Beyond Good and Evil (2001). This album is an experiment that went unrepeated, and that is fine.  I like it for what it is, but I don’t need another.”

 

TIP OF YOUR TONGUE by Cutting Crew

Cutting Crew is an English rock band formed in London in 1985 by lead vocalist Nick Van Eede and guitarist Kevin MacMichael. The group achieved international success with their 1986 debut single, “(I Just) Died in Your Arms”, which reached number one in the United States and charted highly worldwide. Their debut album, Broadcast (1986), produced several other singles, including “I’ve Been in Love Before”, which also reached the U.S. Top 10, and earned them a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 1987. Despite lineup changes and a hiatus in the 1990s, Van Eede revived the band in the 2000s, releasing new material and touring under the Cutting Crew name. Known for their polished production and melodic rock sound, the band has maintained a dedicated following and continues to be recognized for their contributions to 1980s pop and rock music.

As for their song “Tip of Your Tongue” it is a mid-tempo, melodic rock song by the British band Cutting Crew, released on their second album, The Scattering, in 1989. The song fits into the soft rock or pop-rock genre, characteristic of the late 1980s sound, featuring prominent instrumentation and a smooth production style.

The song is a personal one for lead singer and songwriter Nick Van Eede, reflecting a complex moment in his personal life. The lyrics explore the intense emotions and regrets surrounding a one-night reunion with an ex-girlfriend after a year apart. Van Eede has stated the song is about the internal conflict of wanting to be with someone but also feeling a sense of “should I really be doing this?”. The lyrics “I should have walked away” capture this mixed emotion.

Nick Van Eede wrote the basic lyrics for the song within an hour the morning after the encounter that inspired it, and the demo was completely written and recorded within three days!

But the album was not at all a commercial success, which is probably why most reading this will never have heard “Tip of Your Tongue”. The Scattering album peaked at number 150 on the Billboard 200. Its singles also failed to make much impact, although “Everything But My Pride” reached No.4 on the AC (Adult Contemporary) charts. The late release of the album is often blamed by the band as the primary reason for their stalling momentum and popularity; despite being loved by die-hard fans the album did not achieve the commercial success of their debut album, Broadcast. The band felt sidelined as musical trends shifted.

Dissuaded by the commercial under-performance of the album and its singles, bassist Colin Farley and drummer Martin Beedle left the band. Nick Van Eede and fellow guitarist and bandmate Kevin MacMichael continued, delivering one final Cutting Crew effort in October 1992, Compus Mentus. The album failed to chart, and Cutting Crew disbanded in 1993.

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Interestingly though, Michael Sutton of AllMusic had quite positive things to say about the album in his review and even the deep cut track “Tip of Your Tongue” is mentioned!

“…while The Scattering doesn’t have ear candy like the band’s hit singles, the music is less-blatantly commercial and more personal. It’s still slick stuff – big ’80s synthesizers, glossy FM radio guitars, in-your-face drums – but Nick Van Eede’s vocals have a frosty glow that creates a mood and sustains interest.” He ended his review saying, “The Scattering will probably seem dated to anyone who isn’t an ’80s enthusiast, but it’s tasty nostalgia for people who remember the decade fondly. Cutting Crew were obviously infatuated with the arena-sized riffs of U2 and Big Country, and while the group doesn’t reach those bands’ creative heights, hook-packed material such as ‘Everything but My Pride’ and ‘Tip of Your Tongue’ finds them walking tall.”

Fun Fact: The song, like other Cutting Crew tracks, has been reissued over the years on various compilations, including an orchestral version in a 2020 compilation called Ransomed Healed Restored Forgiven. Cutting Crew resurrected apparently.

 

TIPPA MY TONGUE by Red Hot Chili Peppers

“Tippa My Tongue” is a vibrant, funk-rock track by American alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers serving as the lead single for their thirteenth studio album Return of the Dream Canteen. The single, along with a music video, was released in August 2022 and the album dropped in October 2022.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk, punk rock, hard rock, hip hop, and psychedelic rock, and have influenced genres including funk metal, rap metal, rap rock, and nu metal. With over 120 million records sold worldwide, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the top-selling bands of all time. They hold the records for most number-one singles on the American Alternative Songs charts (15), most cumulative weeks at number one (91), and most top-ten songs on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart (28). They have won three Grammy Awards, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, and in 2022 received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Here is a slideshow of the Red Hot Chili Peppers band members in action at one of their shows. Ever notice that drummers are the least photographed members of bands? Why is that, when drummers contribute so much to the music? That’s just not right, imo.

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“Tippa My Tongue” has a sinewy, infectious groove driven by Flea’s prominent bass line and Chad Smith’s propulsive drums, a sound described by Smith as a “gumbo” of P-Funk and Jimi Hendrix influences. Lyrically, Anthony Kiedis uses double entendre and playful, rapid-fire vocalizations to explore themes of desire, love, and embracing a wild nature.

This song became the band’s fourth No.1 single on the Rock & Alternative Airplay chart and made them the only band with two No.1 singles on that chart in 2022, the other being “Black Summer“. On the Alternative Airplay chart, the song was the 15th No.1 single for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and became the band’s 27th top ten single on that chart, one shy of the record held by the Foo Fighters.

The band recorded it during the same sessions as their previous studio album, Unlimited Love. Rick Rubin produced both sets.

“I thought that would be a good first song to come out from that (album),” said drummer Chad Smith. “It sounds like us, but new. I think that’s cool.”

More from the Billboard interview with  Chad Smith describing this upbeat funk-rock song’s influences:

“There’s a lot of different things in there. To me it’s got a bunch of hooks in it. It’s got P-Funk in it. I hear George [Clinton] in it, and some Hendrixy kind of licks. It’s a nice gumbo.”

“Tippa My Tongue” is a trippy love song with ambiguous lyrics and drug references. The title phrase is a double entendre. It references ingesting LSD (acid).

Acid landing on my tongue
I think you know we’ve just begun

Acid users typically place the psychedelic drug on the tip of the tongue before swallowing it.

“Tippa My Tongue” also alludes to oral sex:

We’ve only just begun
Funky monks are on the run
Gonna get you with the tip of my tongue

(Lead Vocalist Anthony Kiedis throws in a reference to the Chili Peppers’ track “Funky Monks” from their 1991 Blood Sugar Sex Magik album).

While Kiedis had major drug addiction problems in the past, he’s been clean since 2000. The singer’s references to his affinity for LSD recall Chili Peppers tracks of yore, while its funk-rock sound is also reminiscent of their early years.

MUSIC VIDEO: The music video for “Tippa My Tongue” is an iconic, visually rich piece that expertly blends live-action footage of the band with extensive, retro-inspired psychedelic animation. It’s a visual trip directed by Malia James, known for a previous RHCP video (“These Are The Ways”). It features a vibrant, trippy, 1970s-inspired animated sequence that includes references to dropping acid. The trippy video takes place in a psychedelic world filled with Technicolor hues. The hand-crafted and VFX animation was a collaborative effort by Julien Calemard and Thami Nabil. The animation style draws inspiration from classic rock animation, with a notable parallel to Gerald Scarfe’s work with Pink Floyd.

Director Malia James brought a distinct vision to the project, and the seamless blend of live-action and animation required significant post-production effort from a dedicated animation and VFX team.

The video was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video.

It should’ve won! I freaking love this music video!! It’s so fun and it brings back incredibly fun memories from my 70s/80s days.

For a deeper dive into this wild trippy video, let’s talk about its Visual Style and Imagery: The video is a vibrant, kaleidoscopic experience that uses mind-expanding colors and imagery:

• Psychedelic Visuals: The video is saturated with bright, glowing colors (red, orange, yellow, blue, and green) and constantly shifting patterns that evoke a psychedelic experience.
• Mixed Media: High-energy footage of the band performing is seamlessly combined with the animations and in-camera effects, a technique reminiscent of their “Californication” video.
• Symbolism: The video opens with Anthony Kiedis taking a pill shaped like the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ star logo, which then dissolves into the animated sequence, directly symbolizing the start of a psychedelic trip.
• “Imagery throughout includes references to the lyrics, such as a one-eyed figure (representing consciousness beyond duality), the yin-yang symbol, and an “apocalypse,” interpreted as the end of duality and a merging into a better collective consciousness.”  (interject: Ahh, okay, that’s a heavy statement! 🙂 )
• Tour merchandise associated with the video has included phrases like “take a trip with us” and “escape reality,” further leaning into the psychedelic theme.

The video perfectly complements the song’s funk-rock vibe and lyrical double entendre, which includes explicit references to drug use (“Acid landing on my tongue”) and general themes of love and desire. The playful and wild energy of the band members, despite their age, shines through the visuals, creating a cohesive and captivating experience. The video effectively captures the classic, fun side of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

And they incorporated that psychedelic imagery during their live shows:

A Nod to Older Videos: The video’s use of mixed media and in-camera effects is a creative choice that fans have compared to some of RHCP’s classic videos, such as “Californication” and “Dani California,” showing a consistent brand identity across different eras. Their videos really are exquisite; I’ve linked to the aforementioned songs’ videos. I really dig the “Dani California” video especially. I can just imagine tripping and watching these Red Hot Chili Peppers videos. Would actually like to try that sometime…

Anecdote: A humorous fan anecdote from a behind-the-scenes photo session for the video’s promotion mentions a small detail that speaks to Kiedis’s personality:

Director: “Ok Anthony this is a close up of only your face with you sticking your tongue out.

AK: (removes shirt).

This light-hearted observation highlights the band’s casual & charismatic nature, even in structured filming environments. Ya gotta have fun doing what you do for a living. Some of the most fun I had during my advertising career was during commercial and corporate video production shoots. There’s almost nothing better than working with a bunch of crazy creatives! Definitely a fun career. Kinda wish I wasn’t too old to get back into it…

Fun Fact: Return of the Dream Canteen was the band’s second double album of 2022, following Unlimited Love, marking the shortest gap between two RHCP studio albums.

Back when “Tippa My Tongue” was being dropped, here is the blurb on iHeart Radio announcing the new single (By Rebekah Gonzalez, 08/19/2022)

Red Hot Chili Peppers are back with a funky new track. The band released their song “Tippa My Tongue” from their forthcoming album Return of the Dream Canteen on Friday, August 19th. In their latest musical offering, Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith, and John Frusciante are 

“firing on all cylinders once again. Its slick otherworldly funk picks up the pace with a slippery bass line and raucous riff anchored to an unshakable groove,” a press release describes. “Meanwhile, clever lyrical double entendre builds towards a proclamation, “Well, I believe in love. Perfectly receiving love,” as guitar curls around the vocals.”

I saw this comment from the band when looking for their new song announcements and teasers. This from when they dropped “Tippa My Tongue” in August 2022. It really says it all:

“We went in search of ourselves as the band that we have somehow always been. Just for the fun of it we jammed and learned some old songs. Before long we started the mysterious process of building new songs. A beautiful bit of chemistry meddling that had befriended us hundreds of times along the way. Once we found that slip stream of sound and vision, we just kept mining. With time turned into an elastic waist band of oversized underwear, we had no reason to stop writing and rocking. It felt like a dream. When all was said and done, our moody love for each other and the magic of music had gifted us with more songs than we knew what to do with. Well we figured it out. 2 double albums released back to back. The second of which is easily as meaningful as the first or should that be reversed. ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’ is everything we are and ever dreamed of being. It’s packed. Made with the blood of our hearts, yours truly,

                                              the Red Hot Chili Peppers.”

 

 

TONGUE-TIED by Grouplove

“Tongue Tied” is the breakout single from is a song by American indie rock band Grouplove, featured on their debut studio album Never Trust a Happy Song (2011). The song is known for its incredibly catchy, anthemic quality and has become the band’s most commercially successful track. It’s a blend of indie pop, electropop, and alternative rock, incorporating synthesizers and a dance-y, four-on-the-floor beat.

On June 18, 2012, “Tongue Tied” reached the No.1 position on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, becoming their first No.1 single. In May 2012, the song was covered by Fox television series Glee in the season 3 episode “Nationals“. The song has also been performed on various late-night talk shows, and has also appeared in several other films and video games.

Grouplove – the Beginning: They first got together when New York City keyboardist Hannah Hooper and singer Christian Zucconi attended an art residency on the island of Crete, Greece. The pair formed a friendship with London born and bred guitarist Sean Gadd, Los Angeles pro surfer and musician Andrew Wessen, and his childhood drummer friend Ryan Rabin, who is the son of former Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin. The quintet decided before returning home they would reunite and flesh out the plans they had drawn. Back in the United States they recorded some of the material they’d written together in Crete at Ryan Rabin’s home studio and released it in 2010 as their debut eponymous EP. Their debut full album, Never Trust a Happy Song was released in 2011.

“Tongue Tied”, this piece of electronic fun, became their first Hot 100 entry after it was used on the soundtrack for the Apple iPod Touch TV commercial, “Share the Fun.”

The song’s massive popularity in the U.S. largely stemmed from its prominent feature in that 2011 Apple iPod Touch commercial. A promotions executive at the band’s label noted that demand “was like an avalanche” once the ad started running. (a point I always tried to make to resistant clients – the profitable power of tv advertising is real! –coming from a former advertising sales rep)

The official music video, directed by Jordan Bahat, is filmed entirely in reverse. (this is the one that can be seen on my playlist). It depicts a man at a chaotic party being chased by masked figures, a sequence of events that is implied to be a hallucination after he eats a brownie at the “beginning” (end of the video) of the night.

“Tongue Tied” received mixed reviews from critics, with criticism directed towards the over usage of synthesizers and its generic and formulaic nature. Despite this, it remains the band’s only song to enter the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at 42, as well as number three on the Billboard’s Rock Songs chart.

“Tongue Tied” was written by the collective members of Grouplove. According to lead vocalist Christian Zucconi, “Tongue Tied” was conceived in swift fashion. While composing the piano score for a “really depressing, moody movie”, Zucconi began to play around with various chords before settling on a melody. The “super fun” melody came to him in a swift fashion, a “180-degree turn” from the somber film he was working on. He then performed an instrumental version for bandmates Hannah Hooper and Sean Gadd. And Tongue Tied was born.

The song is a jubilant, energetic celebration of a deep, almost overwhelming connection with another person. The lyrics express the feeling of being so in love or connected to someone that you’re “tongue-tied”—unable to properly express your feelings or even think about anything else. It’s about a desire to freeze time and remain in that specific moment of pure, unadulterated happiness.

Full of positive energy, the lyrics yield a sense of “reckless abandon”. Lines like “Take my hand, I’m a stranger in paradise” and “All you got to do is get me high / Tongue tied” evoke a feeling of being swept away by emotion. The song suggests that this connection provides an escape from the outside world and all its pressures. The beauty of the joy in the song is simple: being with a person you love and not needing anything else.

This happy song is on an album titled “Never Trust a Happy Song”?

An interesting aspect is the contrast with the album title, Never Trust a Happy Song. While the song is outwardly happy, the lyrics can also be interpreted with a subtle undercurrent of anxiety—the fear that this perfect, “tongue-tied” feeling might end or be taken away. The line “Don’t take me tongue tied” can be read as a plea to maintain the feeling and not be left speechless by the loss of the connection. This duality aligns with the band’s general approach to songwriting, where even happy songs contain a layer of emotional complexity. Hmm…

CHEETAH TONGUE by The Wombats

“Cheetah Tongue” is on Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life, the fourth major studio album by British pop-rock band The Wombats. The album was released in February 2018. The first two singles from the album were released the year before (“Lemon to a Knife Fight“, “Turn” – November 2017) and then “Cheetah Tongue” is the single released along with the album release.

“Cheetah Tongue” is the opening song from the album and is the most psychedelic track on the record. Frontman Matthew ‘Murph’ Murphy said: “‘Cheetah Tongue’ is a song about dealing with the pressures of adulthood and failing miserably.” It’s a song that blends the band’s signature catchy indie pop sound with lyrical depth exploring modern societal issues.

The lyrics on “Cheetah Tongue” and other Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life tracks venture into the surreal.

Matthew Murphy told ABC Radio he wanted to avoid simply telling “the story of girl meets boy, they have a break-up and s–t goes down.” Instead, the frontman challenged himself to “just spurt out thoughts and things that are happening at the time and see what kind of puzzle they form by the end of the three-and-a-half minutes.”

According to Murph, the song is about “cancel culture” and the “toxicity of social media”. Lines like “why don’t you chop my tongue out?” are pointed critiques of the lack of nuance in online discussions and how people are often “sucked into a vortex of pretty bad ideologies”. The lyrics discuss the loss of intelligent conversation and the problem of people shoving opinions down others’ throats. He had some serious foresight into where we all are now…

Although: Despite the specific inspiration, the lyrics are rich with surreal, ambiguous imagery (“black flamingos and orange cola,” “Chinatown”) which allows for interpretation and doesn’t always make obvious sense without the band’s explanation.

While Murph initially thought another song (“Turn”) was his favorite, “Cheetah Tongue” quickly became a stand-out track on the album for fans and critics alike, noted for its energetic, “reckless abandon”.

Fun Fact: The song was first introduced live before the album was released. During a show in Philadelphia in January 2018, the band messed up the lyrics a minute into the song and had to stop, laughing as Murph explained they were still learning it. Since getting the lyrics right, the track has frequently served as a dynamic, high-energy opening song for the band’s live sets. A staple opener for live performances.

Fun Fact: The Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life album title is from the beginning of a song that Murphy started but never finished. He explained to HMV.com: “I just thought it fitted the album’s lyrical content and sounded really cool. That’s why we went with it.”

I never heard of The Wombats before putting together this post, but “Cheetah Tongue” was a great introduction. I liked it immediately and played it more than a few times. I also liked two of their singles that were released a few months before “Cheetah Tongue”, especially “Lemon to a Knife Fight”, both of which are linked in the opening paragraph.

 

SILVER TONGUES by Louis Tomlinson

“Silver Tongues” by English singer-songwriter Louis Tomlinson is an upbeat, pop-punk track that celebrates the joy and comfort of being with someone who truly understands you, especially in contrast to the outside world’s opinions. It was released in November 2022, as the third and final single from his second studio album, Faith in the Future. The song, labeled as pop punk, is noted for its surprising shift in style. It begins with a sparse, emotional piano intro and a ballad-like vocal, only to explode into an anthemic, guitar-heavy, pop-punk chorus described as “euphoric” and “timeless”.

“Silver Tongues” is about a connection with someone special, only wanting to stay in the moment where the feeling is the utmost comfort. The track was a creative collaboration, written by Louis Tomlinson, Theo Hutchcraft (lead singer of Hurts), David Sneddon and Joseph Cross (bassist/producer for the Courteeners) while production was handled by Cross.

Louis Tomlinson made a conscious decision to work with established artists and band members rather than typical “professional songwriters” in a sterile setting. He felt this approach allowed for more natural conversations and a genuine focus on the “heart of the music,” which was crucial for the album’s overall authentic feel. Theo Hutchcraft brought the sophisticated, synth-driven pop and emotional depth that characterize Hurts’ music. And Joe Cross, known for his work with The Courteeners and Lana Del Rey, contributed his expertise in production and the raw, guitar-driven energy of indie rock.

This combination helped craft the song’s signature dynamic shift from a piano ballad intro to a “euphoric,” anthemic pop-punk chorus, which was a bold step forward sonically for Tomlinson. Working with respected figures from the indie/alternative scene, who all had similar musical upbringings to Tomlinson (citing influences like Arctic Monkeys and Oasis), helped him further shed his “boy band” image and embrace his Britpop roots, lending artistic credibility to his solo work. In case you didn’t know, Tomlinson was a founding member of the boy band One Direction (2015-2018).

The collaboration for the song “Silver Tongues” all stemmed from a “writing camp” over a winter in the countryside where the writers got drunk and shared nostalgic stories about growing up with friends. This personal, shared experience directly inspired the heartfelt, relatable lyrics about friendship and shared memories, making the song feel personal to Tomlinson’s life rather than a manufactured pop track.

The significance of Theo Hutchcraft (lead singer of Hurts) and Joe Cross (bassist/producer for The Courteeners) co-writing “Silver Tongues” with Louis Tomlinson was the injection of authentic indie-pop and alternative rock sensibilities, which helped Tomlinson achieve a more organic and confident musical direction for his album Faith in the Future.

“I’m a massive fan of both Hurts and The Courteeners,” Tomlinson told Official Charts. “Even the fact they were willing to work with me, I was buzzing about that. We’ve got some really great songs out of it.”

Working with fellow artists produced a different type of song than Tomlinson would normally write.

“What you get with that is a different level of care and love for what you’re doing, instead of making it about money and trying to get the single,” the former One Direction member explained to Euphoria magazine. “It’s not trying to be anything that it’s not. We were not trying to write a single, and there’s just a certain level of energy to it.”

Right from the start the quartet were all on the same page and three of the songs they wrote ended up on Faith In The Future. Tomlinson is especially proud of “Silver Tongues.”

“It’s one of the first times that I’ve written a song that I could definitely imagine myself listening to, had I not written it”, he said. “That track’s very much in line with what I listen to and love musically anyway. Writing that made me feel really confident that I was writing the album I wanted to write. I feel really confident in what’s to come.”

Tomlinson stated that the track was one of his favorites from the album and he’s “immensely proud of it” and recognized early on that it would be a standout moment in his live shows due to its anthemic chorus and high energy. Ultimately, the collaboration allowed for a more natural and cohesive creative process, resulting in a song that Tomlinson is immensely proud of and considers a statement of his self-expression, reflecting his growing confidence as a solo artist and his realization that his music means something “bigger than me” to his fans.

Lyrical Meaning: The song is about those exhilarating moments with a special person where the connection is so deep that the rest of the world and its judgments fade away. The lyrics express a desire to stay in that moment, with lines like, “Nights like these, we’ll remember those stupid jokes” and “You smile at me and say ‘it’s time to go,’ but I don’t feel like going home”.

“Silver Tongued” is an epithet bestowed on a person who is eloquent and persuasive with words. Louis Tomlinson begins the song by painting a picture of happy times with his silver-tongued girl.

Gettin’ high on the amber wave
Going deep for the ones who do the same
Air max’s and silver tongues
Settle in for another heavy one

Tomlinson loves everything his love interest says and the way she expresses herself. Throughout the rest of “Silver Tongues,” he sings about his deep connection with the girl. She’s pessimistic about love and he dislikes her smoking habit, but she understands him better than anyone else does. He’ll look back affectionately on those nights they spent together drinking, joking and putting the world to rights.

 Music Video: The music video, directed by Charlie Sarsfield, features powerful portraits and cinematic vignettes that focus on “raw emotion and universally relatable situations,” effectively capturing the nostalgic spirit of the song. You can watch the official video on Louis Tomlinson’s official YouTube channel and see it in my Tongue playlist.

I came across this December 2022 article by Rob Ulitski on PromoNews.com introducing Louis Tomlinson’s new song. The article reads:

Following their collaboration on Out Of My System, Director Charlie Sarsfield reunites with Louis Tomlinson for a second video, this time for latest release “Silver Tongues”. 

The nostalgic promo pays homage to a lost youth through a series of powerful portraits and setups, with Louis as the focal point who connects each story. Threads of a narrative run through the video, but the heart of the concept is in the evocative vignettes, which exude raw emotion and universally relatable situations. 

Aside from being gorgeously shot and crafted, the casting is spot-on, and these characters feel like people that you may know, leaning into the powerful nostalgia of youth and the feelings of time gone by.

Fun Fact: Louis Tomlinson recorded “Silver Tongues” for his Faith in the Future album. The singer came across the “faith in the future” phrase during Covid lockdown, and he decided to build his second album around it. This song’s thesis of making happy memories that Tomlinson will look back at fondly fits into that concept. Nights like these, We’ll remember those stupid jokes…

There’s a great in-depth interview article by Ilana Kaplan (9/6/2022) on the AP (Alt Press) site titled “How Louis Tomlinson had to Find His Purpose Again to Make Faith in the Future” that goes deep into Tomlinson’s psyche, from doubt to confidence, as he has matured as a musician.

A few snippets from the well-written deep-dive interview article:

It’s taken a minute for Tomlinson, who was catapulted into being under the microscope of fame in one of the biggest boy bands of the world at just 18, to be genuinely at peace with where his career is headed. No longer is he letting the anxiety or fear of who others expected him to be — or who he thought he should be — define him. He is both a man at ease and one whose excitement about this very moment in life is so palpable it fills the room with a constant sly chuckle…

 

…He spent three years “just treading water.” But the record’s title track helped him find clarity. “That was a moment where I was like, ‘OK, I can see my lane now,” he recalls. Walls, which evoked the soft, snarling tone of Oasis (Tomlinson even gave a songwriting credit to Noel Gallagher), attempted to stray from his mainstream pop days with hints of Britpop and pop punk — a callback to when he was 14 and singing Green Day and blink-182 covers in his first band. But just as he was beginning his first world tour, the pandemic forced everyone into lockdown, allowing him to perform only two shows in Barcelona and Madrid.

 

At the time, he recalls, it seemed “really unfair.” “I just thought, ‘Well, when am I gonna get a break?’ Because I felt like I’d worked really hard and deserved to have those experiences and those moments,” he stammers. He felt angry, frustrated, purposeless. “I wondered if this was going to be my narrative for the rest of my life, where I’m just constantly frustrated that life wasn’t dealing me the hand that I wanted,” he adds. Still, it felt like another pain point in his life.

 

Gone was the knee-jerk reaction to the news that the tour wouldn’t be going as planned — he snapped out of it. Instead, he found gratitude for the two nights he had onstage. “There might have been an element had I not had those shows that, by the end of lockdown, I would have convinced myself that maybe I’m not going to be able to cut it,” Tomlinson admits. Luckily those two concerts he did do gave him somewhat of a foundation for what his live shows would look like. So he joined the many artists who had been forced off the road and decided to host a virtual concert in December 2020 — “Live From London” — that raised upward of $1 million for four different charities. The 18-track set, which was livestreamed on Veeps, sold 160,000 tickets worldwide and earned him a spot a Guinness World Record for “Most Tickets Sold for a Livestreamed Concert by a Solo Male Artist.”

There’s a lot more in this article so if you want to know how it turns out, here’s the link.

IN ANY TONGUE by David Gilmour

“In Any Tongue” is a powerful anti-war track on Rattle That Lock, the 2015 solo album by David Gilmour, the guitarist of Pink Floyd, featuring lyrics written by his wife and long-time collaborator, Polly Samson.

The song is a slow-paced, atmospheric rock ballad, characteristic of Gilmour’s mature solo style, featuring emotive guitar work and a somber melody. The track features one of Gilmour’s acclaimed modern-era guitar solos, which many fans believe perfectly fits the song’s somber mood.

The theme of the song is a profound reflection on the futility and emotional toll of war, exploring the weight of conscience and the loss of innocence. The lyrics “I hear ‘Mama,’ sounds the same in any tongue” emphasize the universal nature of pain and suffering. Gilmour explained that the lyrics were specifically inspired by the disconnect of modern drone warfare, where people in places like the UK or US can fly drones and inflict harm in other parts of the world, then go home and [live their normal lives], questioning what goes through their minds and whether they have regrets.

Gilmour explained to The Sun the meaning of this song and its anti-war lyrics penned by his novelist wife:

“It’s about the futility of it all with part of it people who are sitting here in the UK or the States flying drones over other parts of the world,” he said. “They’re sitting in the comfort of a little control room, playing with a joystick and then going home and having a curry.”

“I can’t imagine what goes through their minds when they get home, whether they’re convinced of the correctness of what they’re doing or whether they have some regrets.,” Gilmour added. “They’re brilliant words by Polly. The pain, the sorrow, the regrets are everywhere for everyone on every side of this multi-sided coin.”

The album received generally positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success, becoming Gilmour’s second number one solo album in the United Kingdom. Gilmour supported the album with the Rattle That Lock Tour throughout 2015 and 2016, with a performance from the tour at the Amphitheatre of Pompeii being made into the live album and video, Live at Pompeii (2017).

 

I found the Live at Pompeii performance on YouTube. For your enjoyment, here is that video. It was recorded at the Amphitheatre of Pompeii, where Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii was staged 44 years prior. Wow. It’s when I read a fact like that kinda blows my mind a bit, thinking about where I was 44 years ago. We be gettin’ up there, us old rockers!

The Live at Pompeii album also did fairly well in the UK and the US.

The album reached the No.1 position on the charts in Portugal, Italy and the Czech Republic, and the No.2 position in Germany and Holland.

Fun Fact: One of David and Polly’s four sons, Gabriel, makes his recording debut playing piano on “In Any Tongue” but he’s not following in his father’s footsteps. “He’s a beautiful piano player and he learned things by ear and plays the entire Dr. Who songbook but he has such a lovely touch and plays so beautifully that I asked him to play on this track,” Gilmour told the Canadian Postmedia Network. “(But) he wants to do something else in life. He’s into stage design and set design and he’ll be somewhere in the theatre and film industry I guess.”

Fun Fact: The cover art for David Gilmour’s Rattle That Lock album was a collaborative effort, with Dave Stansbie of The Creative Corporation as the art director, working under the creative direction of Aubrey Powell from the legendary Hipgnosis studio. The main cover image itself was created using a landscape photograph taken in North Wales by Rupert Truman of StormStudios, with digitally-painted and photo-manipulated images of corvids (birds) escaping a 3D modeled cage added to the scene. This artwork won the “Best Art Vinyl” award in 2016.

TONGUE by R.E.M.

“Tongue” is a song by American rock band R.E.M., released in July 1995 as the fifth and final single from their ninth studio album, Monster (1994). The song was written by the band and produced by them with Scott Litt. It was only released in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Japan.

Fun Fact: Re: the Monster album cover: As you can see above, there is a focused version and a blurry version. The blurry version is the one the band decided to go with but I like a crisp focused image so included one that someone created and posted online. The story of the blurry cover art is a simple one: it was a mistake that led to the choosing of the blurred image:

As for the song, lead singer Michael Stipe performs in falsetto; he has stated on several occasions that the narrator of the song is female. Stipe has also said the track is “all about cunnilingus”.

The single’s music video was shot during the soundcheck prior to the band’s June 20, 1995, performance at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York. It shows a group of teenagers in a living room watching the band perform on TV. The version of the song that plays is slightly higher in tone than that of the album version. It was included as a bonus video on the DVD release of In View – The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003

As for genre: While Monster is largely an alternative/glam rock album, “Tongue” is different, leaning towards pop rock/soul with a strong presence of Hammond organ and piano.

Fun Facts:

• “A song with breasts“: Michael Stipe often introduced the song live by stating that the narrator of the song is female, and on some occasions, he amusingly referred to it as “a song with tits”.
• Explicit inspiration: In the book Reveal: The Story of R.E.M., Stipe is quoted as saying the song is “all about cunnilingus”. He later slightly walked back that explicit definition, but confirmed there are “definite sexual overtures” and it’s written from a female point of view.
• Lyrical blur: Stipe’s delivery on the track is intentionally so mashed and blurred that some lyrics are nearly impossible to decipher. For instance, the line “Call me when you try to wake her up” can sound like “Calling Jamaica,” and “Or a reading by Dr. Seuss” comes across as “Dr. Zeus”.
• The nervous chuckle: A clear, stifled chuckle from Stipe can be heard at the 2:33 mark in the song, as he reportedly laughed off his pronunciation difficulties during the recording.
• An eerie connection to a health scare: During a performance of “Tongue” in March 1995, drummer Bill Berry had to leave the stage due to a severe headache, which was later diagnosed as a brain aneurysm. Luckily they were in Switzerland at the time which has very good hospitals and medical care. Berry survived but later admitted the incident gave him an eerie feeling about the song, a possible factor in his eventual departure from the band in 1997.
• A “curveball” on the album: “Tongue” stands out on Monster because the rest of the album features a more loud, distorted, heavy guitar-driven sound, making the soulful, organ-heavy “Tongue” a significant stylistic departure.

STICK OUT YOUR TONGUE by Elvis Costello and The Roots

“Stick Out Your Tongue” is the 6^th track on a collaborative album by Elvis Costello and The Roots. Wise Up Ghost is the acclaimed album that blends Costello’s lyrical wit with The Roots’ signature R&B, funk, and hip-hop grooves. Key songs from that album include “Walk Us Uptown”, “Sugar Won’t Work”, and “Wise Up Ghost”.

The genesis of the entire Wise Up Ghost album stemmed from a casual idea after The Roots and Costello performed together on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. In case you weren’t aware, The Roots have been the in-house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon since 2014, after having fulfilled the same role on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The Roots’ drummer is known professionally as Questlove; his real name is Ahmir K. Thompson (born January 20, 1971) and in addition to being a drummer he is a record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought aka Tariq Trotter) for the hip-hop band The Roots.

Questlove expressed interest in remixing some of Costello’s extensive catalog, and it evolved into a full collaborative album. Growing out of Costello’s appearances on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, Wise Up Ghost was well received by critics.

When asked by Graeme Thomson in an interview for UNCUT magazine How were the songs written? Questlove answered:

                “Elvis might come to us with a ghost of an idea and we would flesh it out, or sometimes the ghost of the idea was enough. We approached it like a hobby. It wasn’t until we had 13 songs we thought were great that we knew we had a record on our hands. He is the most open-minded artist I’ve ever encountered. We recorded this entire record in our dressing room [on Fallon], not even in the studio. The whole room can barely hold eight people.”

Released in September 2013, it’s a fusion of hip-hop groove, funk, and alternative rock, characterized by its “scuzzy, lo-fi production”. Questlove and the band provide a minimal, “frugal and full of space” groove that is “eerie” and has a “queasy, drugged feeling”. The structure is sparse, with verses chanted over a bare beat, a deliberate choice that delays the first chord until absolutely necessary.

Lyrical Meaning: “Stick Out Your Tongue” is a deep and biting commentary on political and social decay, hypocrisy, and the cyclical nature of human folly across generations. It’s a modern, funk-infused update of themes Elvis Costello first explored decades earlier. The song is a bleak assessment of the state of society and a commentary on how little has changed in decades. The lyrics are an indictment of hypocrisy and a “state of the nation” address, with the title line and chorus “STICK out your TONGUE / DRINK down the VENOM” suggesting an almost satirical or contemptuous reaction to the toxicity of the world.

 

The lyrics serve as a “state of the nation” address, presenting a bleak portrait of a world where people are complicit in their own exploitation and the decay around them.

• Social and Political Critique: The song critiques budget cuts, austerity, and the social impact of self-serving political decisions. Costello felt some of the things he sang about in the 80s had a “more disturbing significance now”, highlighting that humanity keeps making the same mistakes.
• The Chorus: “STICK out your TONGUE / DRINK down the VENOM”: This central refrain is an act of contempt and defiance, a sardonic instruction to accept the “venom” or toxicity of a corrupt world. It suggests a fatalistic acceptance of the poison that modern society feeds its citizens.
• Juxtaposing Decades: The song’s most significant lyrical meaning comes from how it blends lyrics from three different Costello songs across three decades: “Pills and Soap” (1983), “Invasion” (1989), and “National Ransom” (2010). By merging these different eras, Costello makes a powerful statement that the social and political problems of the past persist into the present.
• Hypocrisy and Complacency: The lyrics are an indictment of the people who stand by and allow bad things to happen or actively participate in them. The line in the original “Pills and Soap” was inspired by the Thatcher era, describing scenes of disaster brought on by “austerity,” and that critique is simply re-contextualized for a new era.
• Generational Stagnation: The blend of lyrics across decades emphasizes that new generations inherit the same problems, and society has made little real progress. The “dark humor” of the song points to the ridiculousness of repeating the same mistakes.
• Loss of Hope: The overall tone is “moody, brooding” and bleak. While other Costello songs might offer a shred of hope, this track leans heavily into a jaded, almost exhausted perspective on the human condition.

Lyrical Easter Eggs: The song is rich with “Easter eggs” for avid fans, blending lyrics and lines from three different Costello songs across three decades: “Pills and Soap” (1983), “Invasion” (from Spike, 1989), and “National Ransom” (from the 2010 album of the same name). This merging creates a different effect, highlighting that the same problems persist over time.

Fun Fact: In reworking an older song: “Stick Out Your Tongue” is a significant retooling and re-contextualization of Costello’s 1983 song “Pills and Soap“.

Fun Fact: The dark humor and sense of the ridiculous in the face of grim reality prompted some fans to compare the song’s vibe and tone to that of the dystopian Terry Gilliam film Brazil.

 

 

 WAGGING TONGUE by Depeche Mode

“Wagging Tongue” is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released in July 2023 as the third single from their fifteenth studio album, Memento Mori. It is the fourth track that lead vocalist Dave Gahan and primary songwriter Martin Gore collaborated on together and the first to be released as a single.

“It’s the first song from both of us that ever made it onto a record. I could sense early on that we really hit the mark with this one.” Gore elaborated: “The melody is excellent, and the entire song has something intoxicating. It’s positive, it’s pop, but it’s not too much pop.”

Joe Muggs of The Arts Desk stated, “The opening brace of tracks ‘My Cosmos Is Mine’ and ‘Wagging Tongue’ have synth patterns and deliberately simple melodies that hark all the way back to 1981 and DM’s first work with Vince Clarke still in the band.” Ian Wade of The Quietus added: “Loss is never far from the lyrics. On the Gore/Gahan co-write ‘Wagging Tongue’, which opens with the melodic bounce of Trans-Europe Express-era Kraftwerk before plunging into fluttering murk. The line “Everything seems hollow when you watch another angel die” seems heartfelt.”

Kory Grow of Rolling Stone commented, “On ‘Wagging Tongue’, a rare Gahan–Gore songwriting collaboration, Gahan sings about feeling sadness ‘when you watch another angel die’ over sparkly New Wave synths that recall the group’s earliest work. The lyrics, which Gahan sings ominously, could be a metaphoric indictment of politicians needing to act on gun safety or Gahan could be singing about rising above personal obstacles, but, either way, with the shimmery keyboard backdrop, the words have a way of sticking in your brain.”

Music Video: The stark black & white music video is a cinematic short film that explores themes of communication breakdown and surreal, cult-like rituals. It features a unique concept where the only way people can “speak” to each other is by being underwater.

The video, released in May 2023, was directed by the London-based duo The Sacred Egg (Alex Mavor and Ed Kaye), with longtime Depeche Mode creative collaborator Anton Corbijn serving as the creative director. Filmed in stark black-and-white, the video intentionally echoes the visual style of Corbijn’s classic work with the band (like “A Question of Time” and “Never Let Me Down Again“), adding a raw, timeless aesthetic that ties into the band’s history.

• Narrative: The video follows a young couple in a remote village experiencing a communication breakdown. They join their neighbors in a surreal ritual where people resolve their differences by submerging their heads in a body of water (a river or the sea) to exchange “words”.
• Symbolism: The concept uses the literal act of being underwater to symbolize the difficulty of genuine communication. People in line waiting for their turn are seen communicating via text on devices, further emphasizing modern communication breakdowns.
• The Ending: The video ends with the man of the couple returning home, placing a speaker playing the song’s opening into a water-filled sink, and submerging his head, hinting at the start of another cycle or perhaps the endless nature of the struggle.

Fun Fact: Depeche Mode members Dave Gahan and Martin Gore make brief, subtle cameo appearances in the video. They are seen as one of the couples waiting in line for the ritual, visible in a reflection in the water at one point.

Fun Fact: “Wagging Tongue” from the album Memento Mori was the band’s first release as a duo following the death of Depeche Mode co-founder and keyboardist Andy Fletcher. The video’s themes of mortality and communication resonate with the album’s overall tone. Fletcher passed away in May 2022. The album title Memento Mori (translates to “remember you must die”) commemorates the sad event, but Martin Gore wanted to take it as a reminder to live every day like it’s your last.

“Obviously, everybody will think that all of the songs were quickly written after Andy died,” said Gore. “But everything was planned and ready to go. Unfortunately, Andy passed away when he was really looking forward to getting started with us. So I like the idea of ‘memento mori’ in a more positive way, in a ‘Live each day and make the most of your time here.’”

Fun Fact: Depeche Mode: M. A Film by Fernando Frías is a concert documentary film directed by Mexican filmmaker Fernando Frías de la Parra released just last month (October2025). The film chronicles Depeche Mode’s three sold-out shows, attended by nearly 200,000 fans, held in September 2023 at Foro Sol stadium in Mexico City during their Memento Mori World Tour. The concerts were the first following the death of founding member Andy Fletcher  2022.It blends concert footage with archival materials and cultural interstitials to explore themes of music, mortality, and Mexican traditions surrounding death.

The performances were selected for the film in part due to Mexico’s cultural relationship with death, which mirrors the themes of the album. According to the filmmakers, Depeche Mode: M serves as “a window into the band’s timeless global influence, and a powerful tribute to the unbreakable connection between music, tradition, and the human spirit”.

Fun Fact: a remix of “Wagging Tongue” by the British indie rock duo Wet Leg was released and went on to win a Grammy. The remix was widely praised for its creative reinterpretation and went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2024.

ENGLISH TONGUE by Palma Violets

“English Tongue” is a song by the now-disbanded British indie rock group Palma Violets, a track from their second and final studio album, Danger In The Club, released in 2015. It is known for its raw energy, simple instrumentation, and themes of modern anxiety. It was a key single from the album, where the band aimed for a more organic, less polished sound than their debut album. “English Tongue” was the last song recorded for the album, capturing the sound of a band that was evolving and “pacing towards the next step”.

The band’s musical output is primarily in the indie rock genre, with some garage rock and psychedelic rock influences. Palma Violets was formed by bassist/vocalist Alexander “Chilli” Jesson, guitarist/vocalist Samuel Thomas Fryer, keyboardist Jeffrey Peter Mayhew and drummer William Martin Doyle.

The band gained a substantial fan base online before the release of their first single (Palma Violets’ first single, “Best of Friends”, was voted NME‘s Song of the Year for 2012, and their debut album 180 was released in February 2013) – with multiple live videos of their gigs being uploaded by fans.

As for “English Tongue”, it is a straightforward, energetic rock tune that embodies the “chaotic choruses, massive riffs and a sense of youthful euphoria” for which the band was known. It features a distinctive combination of a simple guitar and piano riff that drives the song forward.

Co-frontman Sam Fryer described the song as being about “paranoia and getting old and watching other people“. The lyrics are a critique of modern anxieties, social paranoia, and the fear of aging in contemporary Britain, modern life and the anxieties that come with it. The lyrics capture a sense of unease with the modern world.

The song can be interpreted as a commentary on the “English” way of life or aspects of British culture, using sharp, often critical lyrics to reflect a feeling of disillusionment with societal norms. As part of the album Danger In The Club, which deals with themes of “growing up” and facing the realities of adulthood, “English Tongue” taps into the angst of leaving youth behind and the dangers of a staid, traditional existence.

The song uses a fictional character named Hugh Diver to personify this sense of anxiety and societal critique. The lyrics are less about a single narrative and more about creating an atmosphere of chaotic urgency that mirrors the anxieties of modern life.

The official music video for “English Tongue” features a video star: an appearance by British actor and comedian Paul Kaye, known for his role as Thoros of Myr in Game of Thrones. Kaye plays a “creepy preacher” character in the clip, which was filmed at St John’s Church in West London. The music video features a surreal, pseudo-religious narrative directed by DJ and filmmaker Don Letts that ties into the song’s themes of social anxiety and the pressures of modern life.

The Music Video Plot: The video follows the band members through the streets of West London’s Portobello Road. They encounter a wild-eyed, “creepy preacher” character (played by actor Paul Kaye, known from Game of Thrones) who leads them to St John’s Church.

The plot then unfolds as the preacher douses the band in thurible smoke. He then leads them inside the church, which is full of “impressionable and ready-to-rock youths”. The band performs an energetic set in the church, essentially “saving the congregation with the holy power of garage rock ‘n’ roll”.The central theme of the video is the idea of finding salvation and community through music in a world full of anxiety and social pressure. The church setting and the preacher character create a satirical, yet celebratory, contrast between formal religion and the raw, collective experience of a live rock concert. It visually represents how the band’s music offers a form of release and connection that addresses the modern angst mentioned in the song’s lyrics.

For a look at the official music video for “English Tongue” by Palma Violets, just go to my playlist and see how it captures a unique blend of religious imagery and garage rock energy.

Fun Fact: Roadie Solo: During live performances, the band’s sole roadie would often perform a harmonica solo during the bridge, which reportedly received huge cheers from the crowd.

Fun Fact: Hindu Chanting Warm-up: To preserve their voices during recording and touring, the band revealed they used Hare Krishna chanting as a vocal warm-up, a technique they claimed “saved the band” from destroying their throats.

TIP OF MY TONGUE by Kenny Chesney

“Tip of My Tongue” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Chesney. It was released in July 2019 as the lead single from his 2020 album Here and Now, which debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200 and U.S. Country Charts. “Tip of My Tongue” is a mid-tempo, country pop track that explores themes of deep connection and sensuality within a relationship. The press release announced the new song describes it as a “sweeping groove and an almost humid melody lift,” one that “merges desire and connection over a figure of speech in a classic songwriting technique.” “A quiet, almost watery open … builds to a full-bodied chorus with layered vocals, muted bass, keyboards and a rhythm track,” the release notes; according to Chesney, the song’s melody “feels like what’s going on lyrically. The music matches the words, and you can just drift in it.”

The track blends contemporary country music with strong pop influences. Chesney wrote this chill ballad with his frequent collaborator, acclaimed country songwriter/producer Ross Copperman and with the British pop superstar Ed Sheeran.

Chesney had the song idea written down for a while but didn’t know where to take it. “It is an authentic story in my life and an idea about connection,” he explained. He didn’t know what to do with the idea until the writing session with Copperman and Sheeran. His co-writers helped him figure it out.

The lyrics focus on appreciating the small details that make a person unique (e.g., “the dimples in the small of your back”) and a desire to know everything about them, using a “salt and sugar” metaphor to describe attraction. The phrase “tip of the tongue” is usually used to mean a word or name that a person can almost, but not quite, bring to mind. Here though, Chesney, Copperman and Sheeran use the idiom literally to describe how a lover can “taste” so good.

                                                           I love your salt and sugar
                                                          On the tip of my tongue

Once the three writers got into the idea of the song and started exploring, it took them only a couple of hours to write it.

The song was born from the simple figure of speech “tip of my tongue,” and the writers started brainstorming it to see what developed, if anything.

“It’s funny how a figure of speech can lead you to all kinds of places,” Chesney marveled. “You start talking, and words fall out, and anything can happen. When you go in and write on any given day, it’s the chemistry [that makes it happen]. When the idea fell out, we all just laughed and went, ‘Well, what can we do with that?'”

Copperman has co-written a lot of Chesney’s previous material, including “Setting the World on Fire” and “Get Along.” He brought along Sheeran for the session and that unexpected collaboration produced this song. The joining of forces with Ed Sheeran was the first time the two artists had ever written a song together, a session Chesney described as one of the most fun in a long time. Chesney only had good things to say about the Brit.

 “Ed and I had never written together,” he said. “You know, we have a lot of similarities in our life and what we do    for a living, but we never sat down in a room together to write a song, and ‘Tip of My Tongue’ is the end result. It was just such a fun writing session with two guys that I really respect”. Chesney then publicly praised his collaborators, writing on social media, “I wrote this with two guys I really respect as songwriters @rosscopperman & @edsheeran”.

While Sheeran is a pop star, he has worked in the country music genre before and his pop sensibility helped to shape the initial concept into the final lyrics and melodic structure, essentially giving the song its modern, progressive sound that blended well with Chesney’s country style.

From a production standpoint, this was a new sound for Chesney, a fresh and unique sound blending modern pop arrangements with elements of country rock. The mid-tempo, progressive-sounding track placed his familiar voice in a contemporary setting, with a sleek, modern pop-leaning production that included bright, slick electric and acoustic guitars, a synthesizer, and a subdued rhythm track (bass, drums, and keyboards) carefully crafted to match the sensual, “dreamy” atmosphere of its lyrics. Chesney of course provides the lead vocals with background vocals from Ed Sheeran and Ross Copperman.

When I heard the beginning of the song I thought it sounded like the theme song to TV show Renegade. The link takes you to see the original intro a

“Tip of My Tongue” was one of the songs honored at the 2020 BMI Country Awards for being one of the year’s most-performed country songs. The song performed well on the U.S. Country charts and also achieved success on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. Specifically, it achieved a top 10 hit status, peaking at No.8 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, which measures radio airplay. It reached a peak position of No.13 on the Hot Country Songs chart, which incorporates airplay, streaming and sales data. Although it naturally had more impact on the country-specific charts, the single did make a crossover appearance on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No.73. While the song itself was not nominated for competitive awards, it contributed to the overall success of the album: Here and Now was a major commercial success, debuting at No.1 on both the U.S. Country Charts and the overall Billboard 200 album chart.

So that’s what happens when two veteran country music hitmakers team up with a global pop superstar: they blend genres into an award-winning hit song!

SAD MAN’S TONGUE by Volbeat

“Sad Man’s Tongue” is a song by the Danish heavy metal/rockabilly band Volbeat, featured on their second studio album, Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil, released in 2007. It’s a key song that showcases the band’s unique fusion of heavy metal with 1950s rock and roll and country music influences. The album debuted at #1 on the Danish Albums chart in 2007, making it Volbeat’s first album to do so.

The song perfectly embodies Volbeat’s signature style, starting with a classic, acoustic country-style intro before exploding into a heavy, fast-paced rockabilly-metal track with double-bass drumming. The transition from the acoustic intro to the heavy metal main section in “Sad Man’s Tongue” is achieved through a sudden, deliberate shift in several key musical elements, reflecting the song’s narrative move from quiet reflection to anger and rebellion. Here is a breakdown of how the music changes:

Instrumentation Change

• Intro: The song opens with sparse, country-inspired acoustic instruments: a soft acoustic guitar, a plucked banjo, and a lap steel guitar.
• Main Section: This is abruptly replaced by a full heavy metal arrangement, bringing in heavily distorted electric guitars, a powerful electric bass, and a driving drum kit with a strong, fast-paced beat.
• Dynamics & Tempo shift: The song goes from a soft, almost hushed volume in the acoustic intro to a loud, aggressive volume in the main section.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? When I first heard the song I thought the beginning of it sounded very much like the intro theme song to the 1990’s tv show Renegade. The following link takes you to the video of the show’s intro theme. Give it a watch and see if you think the beginning sounds like the Renegade theme song. LMK in the Comment section at the end of the post.

The Song’s Story: “Sad Man’s Tongue” is a narrative song about a rebellious, free-spirited drifter who refuses to conform to societal expectations, particularly the idea of joining the military. It tells the story of a drifter and a rebel who values his freedom and a simple, free spirit life. He leaves home with a broken guitar and “plenty rock’n’roll songs”, refusing to join the military or bear arms for “Uncle Sam” because he sees no reason to harm others. He is a lonely guy who lives by his own rules and tells his stories through music, symbolized by his “sad man’s tongue”.

Lyrics:  The lyrics follow a man who leaves his parents’ home with little more than a “broken guitar” and a “pocket full of real tales”. He is a wanderer who lives by his own rules and is met with judgment and authority along the way. The core narrative revolves around his refusal to bear arms when pressured to join the military, as he has no quarrel with anyone and values his simple, free life over fighting in a war he doesn’t believe in.

Key lyrical themes and snippets include:

• Rebellion and Freedom: The protagonist explicitly states, “I got the rebel fever ramblin’ my bones, left my mama and papa’s nest”.
• Struggles and Confinement: He mentions being “singing in cell 14095” after an arrest but maintains his stance: “No way should I wear guns, I’m sitting my time”.
• Storytelling: The line “And the story keep on rollin’ from a sad man’s tongue” emphasizes his life’s journey and experiences as his form of expression.

Meaning and Themes: The song’s meaning centers on themes of individualism, anti-war sentiment, and the need to be heard.

• The “Sad Man’s Tongue”: This metaphor represents the protagonist’s voice and his unique perspective on life, which is shaped by hardship and his defiant, lonely journey. His stories (“real tales”) might be perceived as sad or unconventional by others, but they are his authentic truth.
• Artistic Homage: The initial soft, acoustic country-style introduction, featuring a banjo and lap steel guitar, directly references Johnny Cash’s signature sound and themes of outlaws and prison life. This stylistic choice serves to honor older musical traditions while using them to tell a modern story of defiance.
• Juxtaposition: The musical shift from the quiet, Cash-inspired intro to a heavy metal sound reflects the character’s internal move from quiet reflection to a more energetic and rebellious expression of his anger and desire for freedom.

The song essentially champions the right to choose one’s own path, even if it means going against the grain and facing societal judgment or confinement.

Fun Fact: The song is a direct tribute to the late country legend Johnny Cash. The rhythm of the song and its inspiration come from Cash’s famous song “Folsom Prison Blues“. Volbeat frontman Michael Poulsen often dedicates the song to Johnny Cash at live concerts.

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Fun Fact: A “Misheard Lyric” Legend: A popular rumor among fans suggests the song’s title came from a misinterpretation of a Johnny Cash lyric. Being from Copenhagen, Denmark, the band members allegedly thought Cash was singing “Sad Man’s Tongue” instead of “San Anton” (a colloquialism for San Antonio) in “Folsom Prison Blues”. But it’s no rumor. Volbeat frontman Michael Poulsen has confirmed in various interviews that the idea for the title “Sad Man’s Tongue” came from mishearing a lyric in the Johnny Cash song “Folsom Prison Blues“.

• The Original Lyric: In “Folsom Prison Blues,” Johnny Cash sings, “I hear the train a-comin’, it’s rollin’ ’round the bend, and I ain’t seen the sunshine since I don’t know when, I’m stuck in San Anton…” (referring to San Antonio, Texas).
• The Misheard Lyric: Poulsen and his friends initially misheard “San Anton” as something that sounded like “Sad Man’s Tongue”. (btw, my playlist includes the official music video but if you want to see a lyric video of the song, click here)
• The Confirmation: Poulsen found the misheard phrase compelling and decided to use it as the title for the song, which itself is a tribute to Cash’s style and lyrical themes of outlaws and imprisonment.

The story has been recounted by Poulsen in multiple sources and is considered a piece of factual band lore.

Fun Fact: “Sad Man’s Tongue” was the song that got many new listeners interested in Volbeat’s unique sound, especially when they toured with larger bands like Metallica. Volbeat toured with Metallica on several occasions, most notably as a main support act on large tours in 2009 and 2017.

Key Tours

• World Magnetic Tour (2009): Volbeat supported Metallica on the North American leg of their tour from October to December 2009.
• WorldWired Tour (2017):Volbeat was a primary support act, alongside Avenged Sevenfold and Gojira, for the North American stadium leg of this tour, which ran from May to August 2017.

Other Appearances

• 2007: Volbeat first supported Metallica at a single concert in Denmark on July 13, 2007.
• 2010: Volbeat joined Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer for a “Big Four” show at Sonisphere Switzerland.
• 2012: Volbeat played at the Orion Music Festival, which was headlined by Metallica, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
• Various other shows: Volbeat has opened for Metallica at various other one-off shows and festivals over the years.

TONGUE-TIED JILL by Charlie Feathers

Here’s a fun one to close out the RnR H2T TONGUE edition. “Tongue-Tied Jill” is a single released in 1956 by Charlie Feathers, an American musician most associated with the rockabilly scene of the 1950s. Born Charles Arthur Feathers in Holly Springs, Mississippi (June 12, 1932 – August 29, 1998), Charlie started out as a session musician at Sun Studios, playing any side instrument he could in the hopes of someday making his own music there. Although not initially recognized for his contributions to rockabilly, over time his presence would become greatly elevated and he has been cited as an influence by several musicians.

“Tongue-Tied Jill” was released on the Meteor label in June of 1956, featuring Jody Chastain on bass and Jerry Huffman on lead guitar. The b-side of the record was his song “Get With It”. It has long been a Cult Classic: While it didn’t achieve mainstream national success at the time, “Tongue-Tied Jill” has become a prized and sought-after record for rockabilly enthusiasts and has solidified Feathers’ status as a rockabilly legend and pioneer.

The lyrics describe a “real gone chick” who has a speech impediment. The most notable part of the song is Feathers’ unique vocal delivery, which includes a wordless, stuttering conclusion that many view as one of the definitive moments in rockabilly singing.

“Tongue-Tied Jill” is a quintessential rockabilly song, prized by collectors and historians as a definitive example of the genre’s raw, rhythmic sound. The track is celebrated for its distinctive vocal style and rhythmic drive, which captures the raw energy of early rock and roll. Charlie Feathers’ vocal style and the song’s minimalist format were crucial in defining the quintessential rockabilly sound by prioritizing raw energy, a focused rhythm and an authentic blend of blues and country roots.

First, Feather’s vocal delivery on “Tongue-Tied Jill” made a significant contribution to the rockabilly sound in these primary ways:

• Rhythmic “Hiccup” or Stutter: Feathers employed a distinctive vocal style often called a “hiccup” or stuttering technique. This wasn’t just for lyrical effect related to the song’s theme; it served a percussive function, adding an extra layer of rhythm to the track.
• Blues Inflection: His voice was deeply rooted in blues and country traditions. The raw, unpolished, and slightly frantic nature of his singing captured the excitement and spontaneity that defined early rockabilly, contrasting with the smoother pop styles of the time.
• Expressiveness and Intensity: The passionate, almost unrestrained intensity of his vocal performance conveyed a sense of urgency and excitement, which was a hallmark of the burgeoning rock and roll movement.

Second, the song’s minimalist format, utilizing a drummerless trio (rhythm guitar, lead guitar, and string bass) contributed significantly to its rockabilly sound in several ways:

• Rhythmic Focus on the Bass: The lack of a drummer placed immense emphasis on the slap bass technique of Jody Chastain. The percussive “slap” of the string bass drove the rhythm, providing a unique, driving pulse that is characteristic of classic rockabilly and absent in much of the mainstream pop and country music of the era.
• Raw and Stripped-Back Sound: The sparse instrumentation created a raw, intimate, “live” feel that highlighted the core elements of the music: the rhythm and the vocals. This authenticity was highly valued in early rock and roll.
• Emphasis on Guitars: The two-guitar format allowed the rhythm and lead guitars to intertwine, creating a bright, trebly sound that cut through and added texture without the need for a full band arrangement. This guitar-centric approach was essential to the rockabilly genre’s identity.

In essence, the combination of Feathers’ raw, rhythmic vocals and the stripped-back instrumentation created a sound that was both primitive and innovative, perfectly capturing the spirit of rockabilly music.

 

Fun Fact: Charlie Feathers continued recording and releasing albums well into the 1980s. He released his New Jungle Fever album in 1987 and Honkey Tonk Man in 1988, featuring the lead guitar work of his son, Bubba Feathers. These later albums of original songs penned by Feathers were released on the French label New Rose Records, whose other 1980s releases included albums by Johnny Thunders, Alex Chilton, Roky Erickson, The Cramps, The Gun Club, and others.

I ended up on a Rockabilly playlist and, to my surprise, I didn’t turn it off and actually found much of it quite fun and enjoyable. Imagine that?!

 

We have come to the end of my examination of the songs that make up my TONGUE playlist. I have listened to the playlist many times over while putting this post together and I am pleasantly surprised at how many of these songs I like and appreciate. When I do these deep dives on each song, I learn so much about what went into the song, not only the work and the masterful musicianship, but the reason behind the song and what the artists want their songs to say to listeners and their fans.

There is significant complexity that goes into creating music! I find it fascinating to discover the intricate path -from conception to completion to release and beyond- in the lifecycle of a song or an album.

It seems to me these detailed explorations of the songs open up a whole new way to appreciate the music we hear. It is my hope that you get as much out of reading these deep-dives as I do when putting them together.

Thanks for reading today! Your comments are the best part of this blog! Comments take a post from being a solo monologue to becoming a genuine dialogue with my readers. So hey, let’s have a conversation! Leave a comment below with your thoughts; or tell me which song resonated with you, and why? I can’t wait to read what you have to say! 

So let’s chat! Tell me your Top 3 or Top 5 songs in this playlist.  Let’s talk about why you chose them and what it is you like about them — btw, it can be the song itself, an aspect of the song, or the music video, because there sure are a lot of cool music videos in this playlist!

Oh! I almost forgot: I promised to list my Top 5 songs from this Tongue playlist. I attempted to put it in Table format but looks pretty small so you might have to blow it up to read it but…Here ya go:

Table #1 is my Top 5 for LIVELY MOODS and Table #2 contains two Honorable Mentions for Lively Mood Songs plus my Top 3 for MELLOW MOODS.

This is my first time doing a table and trying to save it as a picture so not sure if I’m gonna do that again anytime soon, but it is what it is for now. If you have questions or can’t read this thing, let me know.

So I guess my Top 5 List yielded 10 favorite Tongue songs for me. That’s not a surprise though, right? 😉

Remember this post is part of the Monday’s Music Moves Me blog-hop. Spread the love and visit the blogs of the other hop participants. Links to their MMMM posts are below or you can just click the “you are next” link and you’ll see the participant links.

Thanks again for joining me on the exploration of the Rock ‘n Roll Head to Toe journey! If you’d like to check out the other installments just head over to the RnR H2T Index page where you’ll find the links to all the installments to date. 

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