I’ve long counted on rock ‘n roll’s ability to provide comfort, to make me feel all right. Think about how many songs there are that involve a lyrical hook around the idea of feeling all right. (Whoops, I just gave away an entry!) Two of my Top 5 favorite songs of the 20th century contain segments that drive home this phrase and feeling.
Think about it. Then—one entry at a time—submit rock ‘n roll songs that involve a lyrical hook involving repeated use of the phrase “all right” (or, “alright,” in the case of a song associated with logging onto Rock Town Hall’s home page—Damn, just gave away another entry!)
To be clear: the song must contain a key refrain, coda, or verse with repeated use of the phrase “all right.” I’m not looking for any old song that just happens to use the phrase one time.
I’ll kick things off with one of the 2 songs among my Top 5 ever that bring home this feeling: The Velvet Underground’s “Rock ‘n Roll.”
OK. Might just as well start with the obvious and get it out of the way: Free, “All Right Now”.
This Should count I think; “It’s Alright Ma (Im Only Bleeding)” by Bob Dylan, It is an integral part of the Chorus me thinks….and it goes on for days! There is a live version of this song online where Bob forgets one of the verses (hehehehe!)
Yes, that counts.
My second-favorite song of the 20th century, The Beatles’ “Revolution”: All right! All right!…
Hard Day’s Night – You know I feel alright. Well, at least when I’m home.
“The Red & the Black” by Blue Oyster Cult (and the Minutemen):
It’s all right (It’s all right)
It’s all right (it’s all right)
YEEEEAAAAHHH, she says it’s all right
It’s all right (It’s all right)
It’s all right
ALL RIGHT BABYYYYY
Yeah, she says it’s all right
Surrender
“It’s All Right” by the Rolling Stones from the December’s Children album, originally from a UK live EP
U2, “Zoo Station”
“The Kids Are Alright”
Elvis – That’s Alright Mama
All night — she wants the young American.
All right — she wants the young American.
While were at it let’s add BOC’s “I’m On The Lamb But I Ain’t No Sheep” which features essentially the same lyrics.
I don’t know what’s the better story, the title of that song or that it’s about the RCMP.
Buddy Holly, “Well All Right”
Wow, I had no idea those were the lyrics to one of my favorite Bowie songs. I thought he simply sang “All night, she was the young American” two times. I’d probably have as good a chance understanding Bowie’s lyrics if he sang in a language I’ve never studied.
The Impressions, “It’s All Right.”
Lady Stardust. Bowie.
Stiff Little Fingers “Doesn’t Make it Alright”
Mmm, this is not a reassuring use of the term. I’m not sure I can accept it, but it’s worth having it on the record.
Love the Replacements cover of this as well.
Don’t let my cynicism bring you down.
Especially The Specials version of the song. It’s a real downer.
Little Richard “Well Alright” (which isn’t the Buddy Holly song). It may have the most all rights of any song…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkc6pJLQSyo
Bob Marley – Three Little Birds
“Don’t worry about a thing,
‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right.”
The Go-Betweens, “I’m All Right”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlgHlXixiKs
And then “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”
Joe Cocker-“Feelin Alright”
…Uptight, everything is alright….Stevie Wonder
Oats you mentioned “Zoo Station”. At first I thought you were quoting from “Mysterious Ways” which is also all right.
THAT’S the song I thought he was getting at! You are presently Last Man Standing with that bit of bridge-building work.
YES, a childhood fave!
Yet another childhood fave!
Indeed!
Pussy Galore- “Alright”.
Funny, the variations of the one L or two.
Mr. Royale is too embarrassed to post this, so I’ll take one for the team:
Kenny Loggins “I’m Alright”
You go, ladymiss! Moving forward Mr. Royale owes it to the rock record to report these findings!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alright?show=0&t=1341593531
Just for the record, then (hold on to your breakfast, brunch or lunch):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I-cxF7jZH8
Ted Leo has that song that basic repeats “It’s alright it’s alright …” throughout the whole 2nd half. Is that “Shake the Sheets” or “Little Dawn”? I can’t check right now.
Buddy started this whole thing, didn’t he.
The Police — “It’s Alright for You”
http://youtu.be/n8KJiSd1y1U
I’ve had an “Alright, alright, alright” refrain stuck in my head, and it took me a bit to trace it back to The New York Dolls’ “Funky But Chic”.
From “Hey Ya,” by Outkast.
D’Angelo has a song called “That’s Alright”.
The Cheap Trick version of “In the Street” used as the title song for “That 70’s Show” ends up with the cast in the Vista Cruiser singing “We’re all alight! We’re all alright!”
Cmon, Mod. Lay down the one that you loathe. No one has dropped that yet.
I’m curious, chick, which turd am I blocking out?
Blind Faith’s “Well Alright”.
Annie Lennox “it’s alright cos babies comin back, and i dont even care where he’s been” from babies coming back
“I Feel Alright” by Junior Kimbrough.
(props to the Fat Possum roster!)
That’s the aforementioned Buddy Holly song.
You’re Looking Fine from the Kinks’ Face to Face album is one of those songs where I can’t tell if Dave is singing or if Ray is singing like Dave would. “You’re looking fine, and I feel all right, I feel ALL …right…”
Oh God……ummmm…”Chevy Van” by Sammy Johns contains a repeated “that’s alright with me”.
I hope to hell I don’t win with THAT on my conscience.
Mr. Royale!! Some Cinderella kid!
Be the ball Be the ball!
aloha
LD
Bonus points for a Stewart Copeland co-written Police song.
From David Byrne’s enjoyable 1997 album Feelings — “Finite = Alright”
http://youtu.be/QA1gPVXBQRg
“1970” by The Stooges – “I FEEL ALRIGHT!!!”
Mungo Jerry – Alright Alright Alright
If I recall correctly the chorus goes “Alright alright alright-alright -alright, alright, alright, alright”, and does it many times.
YES, this one was on the board way too long.
I’ve heard you rail against The Greatful Dead’s “Touch of Grey” a couple of times. “It’s alright, I will get by, I will survive.” Blecch.
Ugh, you’re right, that’s such a candy-ass song! As sentimental as I am that one goes too far.
Scruffy the Cat, “My Baby, She’s All Right” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fib8ULp3i2k
ESG, “It’s All Right” – LMS!
Good one!
Artful Dodger – You Know it’s Alright
Surprised I haven’t seen it yet, “…but it’s all right now, in fact, it’s a gas! It’s all right…I’m Jumpin’ Jack Flash, it’s a gas-gas-gas!”
Bo Diddley – “She’s Alright”.
I thought that was a Johansen solo number.
“End Of The Line” by The Traveling Wilburys is chock full of, “Well, it’s allllllllll right”.
Correct. I meant to pince-nez Slim.
“I’m Alright” from Owsley’s 1st record.
Oasis — “Step Out” — a rousing little curio
http://youtu.be/cBTcFP2C4YA
You might
Think you’re gonna cry
It will be all right
Step out tonight
One of my faves, “But It’s Alright” by J.J. Jackson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AouUSyel7M&feature=colike
Mod, I tried. I really did. I wanted to see if any of the songs from “Almost Famous” included alright or allright. So far, my search has come to nothing (unless you include one mention of “all right” in Fleetwood Mac’s “Future Games.” But I don’t think it fits the criteria.)
This movie clip does not accurately reflect the rules but I found it entertaining as it includes a guy I always imagine running around saying All Right! in all of his movies. If anyone would like to join me at a local showing of Magic Mike, we could start counting right there. Until then, here’s my best shot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LknJI5bIf6c
Great song.
John Lennon, Instant Karma: “yeah yeah…all right”
That just reminded me of Winston Legthigh & Reg Dwight’s “All Right” collab:
http://youtu.be/BuVCc6Vat8U
ELO “Alright”. A decent tune from ELO’s 2001 reunion album that according to wikipedia features essentially no ELO members other than Lynne.
http://youtu.be/CRTpvx6sU2Y
I love that guitar riff.
The Saints version of “Kissin’ Cousins” has plenty of “All Right” in it:
http://youtu.be/dzmTtusvjR4
Sahara Hotnights – Alright Alright
“I wanna make some noise Alright, Alright
I wanna drop some bombs Alright, Alright”
Did anyone mention Little Anthony and the Imperials “I’m all right” (which was covered by the Stones)???
The original is great:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmfWRGYjxRQ
I’m surprised this slice of maximum R&B is still on the board — the Kinks’ It’s All Right, which was the B-side to the original release of You Really Got Me. Here they are miming it on Shindig:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTZrDKQFV9s
One of those interludes from Tommy …
“Do You Think It’s Alright
To leave the boy with Uncle Ernie
Do you think it’s alright
He’s had a few too many tonight
Yes, I think it’s alright
Do you think it’s alright
I think it’s alright”
Uh-oh!
Trigmogigmo, you’re on fire!
“My baby, she’s alright
My baby, she’s clean outta-site
Don’tcha know that she’s … ”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MouM59AbnE
Did the Doobie Brothers’ “Jesus is Just All Right With Me” not get played?
Speaking of “I’m on Fire”… 🙂 I just realized I should have added these two songs on that recent discussion about the re-used “How Soon Is Now” riff that you commented on. Both of these were recorded at about the same time by two different guitarists/songwriters who were signed to the same label for their debut albums, did some work together, and clearly had some cross-pollination. I think Phil Seymour does bg vocals on both songs.
Guitar riff starts at 0:09, compare the 10 seconds from there:
http://youtu.be/GlzzCSVCqOc
…with the riff starts at 0:12 and runs thru the whole song:
http://youtu.be/ApiMQVzwjsk
Elton — “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” … alright alright alright woo ooo ooo ooo
That is one kick ass guitar & drum intro.
Now it has been, and Jesus is just all right with that.
Shakin’ Pyramids “All Right All Night”, which also would have qualified for the “Jane” LMS if I’d remembered it then.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GjpjxxHfP8
Interesting, very interesting.
Tom Waits – “It’s Alright With Me”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOrnIyBdqgo
Nice. Even Huey Lewis can’t screw it up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njrhymfC1WU&feature=related
I guess they were a semi-proficient bar band in their day.
More Beatles – “Here Comes the Sun”
Rainbow Canyon — “Feelin’ Alright Tonight.” From the LP, “Rollin’ in the Rockies,” from 1973 or 1974, which might be the very first LP I bought with my own money! It had a cool cover logo and a great band photo on the back, which I think is why I bought it. At a drug store in Toledo Ohio. Turns out they were a Cleveland band that frequently played in Toledo, which is why maybe a Toledo drug store had a copy in its very limited LP retail section.
Scruffy the Cat – My Baby, She’s Alright. I really like those guys.
Wow! There’s a name I haven’t heard in ages. As I recall, Rainbow Canyon was sort of like Damnation of Adam Blessing, but Damnation wrote better songs and didn’t dress as funny.
So did Bostonhistorian @ #41.
Robyn Hitchcock’s “Alright, Yeah”
“I gotta split / it’s a quaint old-fashioned way to leave the room”
Fire, man, truly fire.
Oh, good. I’m out then. I think this one may take a couple of years to finish. I hope we don’t do one with “baby” in it next.
The band Cargoe were contemporaries of Big Star in Memphis. They had a killer power pop song called Feel Alright. Here is a live version of that song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VQagEpwgZo
“Sometimes”, by Daniel Lanois, is rife with alrights.
Adam Faith, “It’s Alright”, later covered by the Sonics (which is the first version I heard) and the Dead Boys….
Adam Faith:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtAc_CtmW7A
The Sonics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01m5nVGyKpY
Dead Boys:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmGCvobE2xI
But someone will have to tell me if one of the It’s Alrights above is this same song, because I just don’t know.
If you like Scruffy, you should check out some of the solo work of Charlie Chesterman (Scruffy’s singer).
I’ll duke it out with Meat Beat Manifesto’s “Radio Babylon”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ILqfpDD6XE
He’s probably what I like best about them. I’ve never seen any of his solo albums, but I’ll start looking harder.
Smithereens — “It’s Alright” from Blow Up
What about Wilco? “Outtasite (Outta Mind)”
http://youtu.be/YcaGlJGijj0
Alright!