Meaningful songs #12 - HELEN REDDY

This is the eleventh in an occasional series of songs from my collection, with the intent of introducing music to younger readers that they may gain appreciation of music from the classic years, 1957-1990. 

I have lived long enough to hear the "popular" music industry become ever-more formulaic, lazy, uninspiring and cynical; delivering "units" and "artistes" as interesting and memorable as polished mud.

Meaningful songs that eloquently convey a story, sentiment, or social comment and make it to national consciousness are rare these days. If you agree this song is meaningful, please introduce it to someone young; they might enjoy becoming "musical archaeologists".

Todays song, titled "Angie Baby", released in 1974, is by a singer called HELEN REDDY.

Hear the song here

Helen's debut song in the UK, this spooky story is about Angie ("touched and crazy"), using period language about someone having mental difficulties. I have covered another Angie song in this series.

ANGIE BABY

You live your life in the songs you hear

On the rock and roll radio

And when a young girl doesn't have any friends

That's a really nice place to go

Folks hoping you'd turn out cool

But they had to take you out of school

You're a little touched you know, Angie baby

Lovers appear in your room each night

And they whirl you across the floor

But they always seem to fade away

When your daddy taps on your door

Angie girl, are you alright

Tell the radio good night

All alone once more

Angie baby

Angie baby, you're a special lady

Living in a world of make-believe

Well, maybe

Stopping at her house is a neighbour boy

With evil on his mind

'cause he's been peeking in Angie's room

At night through the window blind

I see your folks have gone away

Would you dance with me tonight?

I'll show you how to have a good time Angie baby

When he walks in her room, he feels confused

Like he's walked into a play

And the music's so loud it spins him around

'til his soul has lost its way

And as she turns the volume down

He's getting smaller with the sound

It seems to pull him off the ground

Toward the radio he's bound

Never to be found

The headlines read that a boy disappeared

And everyone thinks he died

"cept a crazy girl with a secret lover

Who keeps her satisfied

It's so nice to be insane

No one asks you to explain

Radio by your side, Angie baby

Angie baby, you're a special lady

Living in a world of make-believe

Well, maybe

Return to the first article in this series or hear the first song in this series.

Read the next article in the series or hear the next song in the series.

For the index of all songs in this blog click here.