Deixa-me rir...

"Caros audiophiles, this week I want to resurrect a song which probably many of you will remember but have forgotten. By a singer that most of you will probably not recall.

Murray Head first became known as an English actor but his greater success, though in truth never long lasting fame except in France, is as a singer. He was the original Judas Iscariot in the musical soundtrack Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971, and later in the 1980s he acted and sang One Night In Bangkok from the musical Chess written by Abba's Benny & Bjorn.

But in between he released in 1975 a sublime solo album called Say It Ain't So, from which he will forever be associated, for those who remember, with the cult song Say It Ain't So Joe.

The title of the song refers to an American sports star of the 1920s, "Shoeless Joe" Jackson, a national hero who became implicated in a betting scandal when his team deliberately lost the final match. One day Jackson appeared outside the court house trial and was stopped by a young boy who held his arm and pleaded: 'Say it ain't so, Joe.'

Since then, this expression has come to symbolise the disappointment, the disbelief, whenever a group of people's, or a nation's, illusions are shattered by the human frailty of someone they respected. Indeed, Murray Head was inspired to write the song after Richard 'Tricky Dickie' Nixon's involvement in the Watergate scandal and the president's public denials before his resignation and humiliation. Certainly we can all think of other occasions when our personal or nationalistic illusions/dreams have died.

Say it ain't so Joe, please, say it ain't so

I'm sure they're telling us lies JOe

Please tell us it ain't so.

They told us that our hero has played his trump card

He doesn't know how to go on

We're clinging to his charm and determined smile

but the good old days have gone

The image and the empire may be falling apart

The money has gotten scarce

One man's word held the country together

but the truth is getting scarce.

Ohh babies, don't you think we're gonna get burned

We're gonna get turned, gonna get learned.

Say it ain't so Joe, please, say it ain't so

We pinned our hopes on you Joe

and they're ruining our show...

From the same album are two more beautiful poetic songs which deserve attention, but I recommend you to find and listen to all the album.

When I'm Yours:

Turning me on and with your eyes

Playing along and with your eyes

Coming on strong and with your eyes

You burn me

Searching to please and with your smile

Cursing with ease and with your smile

Kindle the flame and with your smile

You burn me

Have I go to be burned all over again?

I'd rather you told me that you couldn't care less

Than put me through the numbers that feel like a test

I want you

But I've got to know that I'm wanted

That I don't get taken for granted

When I'm yours.

I'll be yours to command and obey

I won't demand

But I've got to know that I'm wanted

That I won't be taken for granted

When I'm yours.

Never Even Thought:

Never even thought it could happen to me
Maybe I've been blind, only others can see
I'm in love
What am I to do, can I let it show
Do I keep it to myself or should I let her know
I'm in love?
Do I nurse it in my heart, hold it back in my eyes
Hide it all inside or put on a disguise
I'm in love?
Have I got to play games, even suffer the pain
Let the secret out, even suffer the doubt,
I'm in love?
I know it's all there, I really want to share
My life with someone else
Will she feel the same?
It isn't so easy when you've been broken before
But it isn't so hard when you're ready for more
Could you love me?
Give me a simple clue, anything will do
So long as I know what's in me is in you
Could you love me?
I've got so much of care to give away
There's only one thing I want to hear you say
I love you.


A proxima,
PO