Today’s classic song of the day is one I love but you might not have heard of. The song is “Ragin’ Eyes” by Nick Lowe, and it’s a corker. I can listen to this one on repeat all day long.
“Ragin’ Eyes” is from Mr. Lowe’s 1983 album, The Abominable Showman, and shows off his penchant for witty lyrics and bad puns. It also shows off Nick’s canny way around a melody; the man could write some catchy tunes—typically married to the most incongruent lyrics you can imagine. In this case, the song’s about a young lady with the eyes of the title; I particularly like the verse that goes:
Well she can work those lights
So they fiddle with the traffic
Sometimes she’s mean
As an M-16 automatic
What’s cool is the way he stutterstops the words to that fourth line, interrupting the typical melodic flow with the words “M-six-teen automatic.” Brilliant.
I am unabashedly a huge Nick Lowe fan. I still contend that his album Jesus of Cool (Pure Pop for Now People here in the States) is one of the top ten best rock albums of all time, period. Mr. Lowe was a seminal figure in the emerging new wave/pub rock/power pop movement of the late 70s/early 80s. He wrote and produced records for Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, and more. (“(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding” was a Nick Lowe composition.) His work with Dave Edmunds and Rockpile was just superb. As I said, the man knows his way around a melody.
The Abominable Showman (love that title) was Nick’s fourth album and it didn’t contain any hits. The most notable tracks are this one and “Love Wounds All Heels,” which is just textbook Nick Lowe from the title to the final resolving chord. He’s had a career resurgence in recent decades, as a pleasant older gentleman with white hair and black rim glasses playing socially observant (and still witty) music on an acoustic guitar. I love the guy.
And here’s your daily bonus video of the day, Nick Lowe and his band playing “Cruel to Be Kind” and “Ragin’ Eyes” on Late Night with David Letterman back in 1983. (Yes, that’s Paul Carrack on keyboards; he also played on The Abominable Showman album.) Damn, that’s good stuff.
