MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — iconic intro of “Don’t Speak”)

February 12, 1997.

One of the biggest songs in the world
wasn’t even available to buy.

No Doubt’s
“Don’t Speak.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

The band’s label chose not to release it
as a commercial single in the U.S.

And yet —
it was the most played song on American radio
for 16 weeks.

(Music Cut 3)

At the time,
Billboard required a physical retail single
for a song to chart on the Hot 100.

So “Don’t Speak” dominated radio —
but never officially hit No. 1.

(Music Cut 4 – Final Cut)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Don’t speak
I know just what you’re sayin'” — No Doubt

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening groove of “Creep”)

February 11, 1995.

For the third straight week,
the No. 1 song in America
was called…

“Creep.”

Not Radiohead.
Not Stone Temple Pilots.

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

TLC’s “Creep.”

Released right around the same time
as those other two songs with the exact same title.

But out of all three?

TLC’s was the biggest —
four weeks at No. 1.

(Music Cut 3)

And that groove heard –
They sampled Slick Rick’s
“Hey Young World.”

(Music Cut 4 – Slick Rick’s “Hey Young World”)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Don’t mess around with my affection.” — TLC

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening of “The Freshmen”)

This song was navigating the charts —
on February 10th, 1997

The Verve Pipe’s
“The Freshmen.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

There’s a line in the song —
“She was touching her face.”

That detail didn’t come from nowhere.

Lead singer Brian Vander Ark has said
it was inspired by a music video
from the Divinyls.

(Music Cut 3 – “I Touch Myself”)

He thought the way lead singer Chrissy Amphlett touched her face was incredibly seductive, so he wrote it straight into the song.

(Final – Music Cut 4 – “She was touching her face”)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“What made us think that we were wise
and we’d never compromise?” — The Verve Pipe

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening bassline of “Groove Is in the Heart”)

February 9, 1991.

This song was everywhere —
clubs, radio, MTV.

Deee-Lite’s
“Groove Is in the Heart.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

While recording this track,
Deee-Lite happened to be working
in the same studio complex as
A Tribe Called Quest.

(Music Cut 3 — A Tribe Song cut)

Q-Tip wandered in,
heard the beat,
loved it —
and wrote his verse on the spot.

He recorded it in one take.

(Music Clip #4 of My supper dish, my succotash wish (Sing it, baby))

That’s Q-Tip.

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Music makes motion, moves like a maze
All inside of me, heart especially.” — Deee-Lite

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening guitar riff of “When I Come Around”)

College and alternative stations were pushing this song up the charts
on February 8th, 1995.

Green Day
with “When I Come Around.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

For his 11th birthday, Billie Joe Armstrong received a
Fernandes Stratocaster copy known as “Blue.”

(Music Cut 3)

On this song —
that same guitar still comes out on tour
and gets played live.

Maybe even at Super Bowls.

(Music Cut 4)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“You can’t go forcing something
if it’s just not right.” — Green Day

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https://youtube.com/shorts/8tFApkHufbg?si=tCz_5j_MAyHXZpEs

MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening of “Black”)

In the early ’90s,
this song wasn’t released as a single.

And yet —
by February 7th, 1993
everyone knew Pearl Jam’s

“Black.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

Before it had its name,
this song was known as “E-Ballad.”

Stone Gossard wrote the music in 1990
which was then included on a demo tape to Eddie Vedder

(Music Cut 3)

While in San Diego, Vedder wrote the lyrics between surfing
and working night shifts at a gas station.

(Music Cut 4 – Final Song clip)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“I know someday you’ll have a beautiful life,
I know you’ll be a star
in somebody else’s sky.” — Pearl Jam

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — groove fades in)

This song didn’t need
a big chorus
to hit the charts
on February 6, 1990.

The Stone Roses.
Fools Gold.

(Music Cut 2 — groove settles in)

If you listen to the full 9 minute, 53 second version,
you’ll notice something right away —

the lyrics are sparse.

(Music Cut 3)

Ian Brown actually wrote more verses.
But once the band locked into the groove,
he stopped singing.

He later said adding more words
would’ve cluttered the vibe.

(Final Song clip)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Gold’s just around the corner
breakdown’s coming up round the bend.” — The Stone Roses

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening groove of “Me, Myself and I”)

Climbing the charts on February 5, 1990 —
De La Soul’s
“Me, Myself and I.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

The song is built around an instantly recognizable sample of
“Knee Deep”
by Funkadelic.

(Music Cut 3 — “Knee Deep”)

George Clinton was so impressed by how De La Soul flipped it
that he didn’t just clear the sample —
he became a lifelong fan.

(Final Song clip)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Mirror, mirror on the wall,
tell me mirror what is wrong?” — De La Soul

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — quiet opening of “Enjoy the Silence”)

College radio — and alternative stations across the U.S. —
were playing, on February 4, 1990,
Depeche Mode’s
“Enjoy the Silence.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

The original demo was nothing like this.

It was slow.
Stripped back.
Just Martin Gore’s voice and a harmonium —
that’s a pump organ

(Music Cut 3)

Thankfully, the band’s so-called “silent member,”
Alan Wilder, heard something else.

He sped it up.
Turned it into a dance track.
And created one of Depeche Mode’s crown jewels.

(Final Song clip)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Words are very unnecessary,
they can only do harm.” — Depeche Mode

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening synth / hush of “Nothing Compares 2 U”)

On February 3, 1990,
Sinéad O’Connor was holding steady at No. 1
with “Nothing Compares 2 U.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

The most iconic moment in the video,
that single tear rolling down Sinéad’s cheek,
wasn’t planned.

She later said she was thinking about her mother,
who had died five years earlier —
and the grief simply hit her.

(Music Cut 3)

The song was written by Prince,
and Sinéad took it to No. 1.

But my favorite version?
The one Chris Cornell recorded years later.

(Music Cut 4 – Chris Cornell)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling.” — Sinéad O’Connor

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