Coloring Club Plus — 11/8/19

Nov 8

Today’s Celtic letter “N” is dedicated to The Neville Brothers.

The Neville Brothers were an American R&B/soul/funk group, formed in 1977 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art (1937-2019), Charles, (1938–2018), Aaron (b. 1941), and Cyril (b. 1948) came together to take part in the recording session of the Wild Tchoupitoulas, a Mardi Gras Indian group led by the Nevilles’ uncle, George Landry (“Big Chief Jolly”). The group formally disbanded in 2012 but reunited in 2015 for a farewell concert in New Orleans. Charles Neville died of pancreatic cancer on April 26, 2018, at the age of 79. Art Neville died on July 22, 2019, at the age of 81. Art had retired from music the previous year because of “complications from back surgery and other health issues.” A cause of death has not yet been provided.

Today is a double feature, where the first song highlights the celestial quality of Aaron Neville’s voice, paired up with another angel voice, Linda Ronstadt.

“Don’t Know Much” is a song written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Tom Snow. The original version of this song was recorded by Barry Mann in 1980 and was made famous when it was covered as a duet by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville in 1989. Their version was a worldwide success, topping the Irish Singles Chart and reaching the top 10 in several territories.

The video is terrible and the transcription is worse, but this one has the best sound quality of the available ones on youtube.

Look at this face
I know the years are showing
Look at this life
I still don’t know where it’s going

I don’t know much
But I know I love you
And that may be
All I need to know

Look at these eyes
They never seen what mattered
Look at these dreams
So beaten and so battered

I don’t know much
But I know I love you
And that may be
All I need to know

So many questions
Still left unanswered
So much
I’ve never broken through

And when I feel you near me
Sometimes I see so clearly
The only truth I’ve ever known
Is me and you

Look at this man
So blessed with inspiration
Look at this soul
Still searching for salvation

I don’t know much
But I know I love you
And that may be
All I need to know

I don’t know much
But I know I love you
That may be
All I need to know
I don’t know much
But I know I love you
That may be
All there is to know
Songwriters: BARRY MANN / CYNTHIA WEIL / TOM SNOW

Now on to the less romantic, more political song two.

Brother’s Keeper is the fifth studio album by the New Orleans band, The Neville Brothers. It was released on August 7, 1990.

Sons and Daughters is my choice from this excellent album, which I haven’t listened to nearly enough. Buffy Sainte-Marie and Marva Wright sing background vocals on it.

Young man on his way home from the market,
Just enjoying a beautiful afternoon
Gets kinda dark, sun just set

There’s these other young men standing
On the corner, nothing to do, just hangin’ around
They’re passing out their weapons to each other:

brass knuckles – pipes – chains – half a bricks
– broken bottles – switchblades

Young man lands in jail for some crime he did not commit
352 years hard labor in Angola prison – 352 years at hard labor
Sleepless nights between sugar cane and cotton
It’s where he learns the ropes and pays with his soul
For some crime he did not commit

We think we’re safe at home with our bumper stickers saying – Just say no –
We give up a few freedoms here and there in the name of a – Squeaky clean America –

Now they’ve got us hypnotized and hysterical
Now they’ve got us hypnotized and hysterical
Screaming for blood and justice
Now they’ve got us hypnotized and hysterical
Screaming for blood and justice

They show us the faces of hatred over and over – a new one every week
Could be Manuel Noriega
Could be the Ayatollah
Any old scapegoat ‘ll do
The young man will be our sacrificial lamb

Pro choice – no choice
We’re sending our sons and daughters to their slaughter
Pro choice – no choice
Slogans mean nothing to a young man facing 352 years hard labor in Angola

To a young man facing 352 years hard labor in Angola
For a crime he did not commit
It’s freedom of speech – as long as you don’t say too much

You can’t stop running water
You can’t kill the fire that burns inside
Don’t deny our flesh and blood
And don’t forsake our sons and daughters

It’s freedom of speech – as long as you don’t say too much
I think we’re all runnin’ thinkin’ that we can hide
I think we’re runnin’ tryin’ to get away
But sooner or later we gonna realize
We gonna meet up with the truth face to face
Songwriters: ART NEVILLE / WILLIE GREEN / MALCOLM BURN / RON CUCCIA / LORRAINE NEVILLE / ARTHER NEVILLE