The rock music in the late 1960s might be some of the most timeless songs of all time. Among the many great songs that came out in the late 1960s are these four rock songs. All out in 1969, they still make me smile when I hear them today.
“Lay Lady Lay” by Bob Dylan
On Bob Dylan’s iconic Nashville Skyline record is “Lay Lady Lay”. Dylan wrote this song, and all the other songs on the album, by himself.
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“Lay Lady Lay” shows off Dylan’s romantic side. The song says, “Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed / Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead / I long to see you in the morning light / I long to reach for you in the night / Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead.”
Dylan had a Top 10 hit with “Lay Lady Lay”, his final one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He later revealed that he wrote this song for Barbra Streisand.
“Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon” by Paul Revere & The Raiders
On Paul Revere & The Raiders’ Hard ‘N’ Heavy (With Marshmallow) project is “Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon”. The song was written by the group’s lead singer, Mark Lindsay.
The Top 15 single says, “Mr. Sun, make it fine / Shine on down for this baby of mine / Mr. Moon, come on through / When Mr. Sun goes, we’ll be counting on you.
In 2019, “Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon” was part of the soundtrack for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie.
“Green River” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
“Green River” is the title track of Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s third studio album. The song, written by band member John Fogerty, became a platinum-selling Top 5 single.
The nostalgic song begins with, “Well, take me back down where cool water flow, y’all / Let me remember things I love, Lord / Stoppin’ at the log where catfish bite / Walkin’ along the river road at night / Barefoot girls dancin’ in the moonlight.”
The year 1969 is an important one for Creedence Clearwater Revival. That year, they also released “Proud Mary”, “Bad Moon Rising”, and “Down On The Corner”, all big hits for the band.
“In The Ghetto” by Elvis Presley
“In The Ghetto” is part of Elvis Presley’s From Elvis In Memphis record. The song, written by Mac Davis, became a Top 5 single for Presley.
The inspirational song says, “People, don’t you understand / A child needs a helping hand / Or he’ll grow to be an angry young man someday / Take a look at you and me / Are we too blind to see? / Do we simply turn our heads and look the other way?“
“In The Ghetto” has been covered multiple times, including by Dolly Parton. Parton’s version appears on her My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy album.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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MANCHESTER, TN – JUNE 10: Brandon Flowers of The Killers performs on What Stage during day 4 of the 2018 Bonnaroo Arts And Music Festival on June 10, 2018 in Manchester, Tennessee. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for Bonnaroo Arts And Music Festival) -
LONDON, UK – 01 JAN 1967:The Troggs are an English rock band formed in Andover, Hampshire in 1964. They had a number of hits in the United Kingdom and the United States. Their most famous songs include the U.S. chart-topper "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You" and "Love Is All Around", all of which sold over one million copies and were awarded gold discs. "Wild Thing" is ranked #257 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was an influence on garage rock and punk rock.(Photo by George Wilkes/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
Alan Jackson performs at Shoreline Amphitheatre on September 12, 1992 in Mountain View, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images) -
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1978: Photo of ABBA Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
Unspecified – 1974: Charlie Pride performing on the ABC News tv series about race relations in America 'Americans All'. (Photo by American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)
