Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing

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Actorman

Actorman

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I've always liked this song from Offering/Ticket to Ride, but as I was listening to it yesterday I realized that I have no idea what in the world it's about. I know it's a cover of a Buffalo Springfield tune, but the lyrics don't really make any sense to me.

Anyone know or have any clue who Clancy was and why nowadays he can't even sing?
 
That's always been one of my favorites too. I remember being blown away by it as I heard the OFFERING album the first time. It had that early "group" sound that I loved.

After hearing CLOSE TO YOU with its rocker-closer "Another Song", and then hearing "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing" essentially close out the OFFERING album, I thought a neat pattern was developing. Unfortunately "Sometimes" broke the mold on the tan album as a very understated closer.

"Road Ode" almost revived the practice on A SONG FOR YOU, though it's not quite in the same rocker mold as the first two albums' closers.

Harry
 
I like the song too and also have no idea what it means. But there are lots of songs from that era with incomprehensible lyrics. Listen to some the lyrics from the first 3 or 4 America albums for some good examples, such as:

As long as there are fish in the sea,
Have a cup of tea
You are running from the ring of the golden bell
Like a bat out of hell
(from "Hat Trick")

Makes no sense at all but I still love it.
 
I always pictured "Clancy" as a female.

It's probably because I grew up watching MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY with Danny Thomas, whose nickname for his Irish wife Kathy was "Clancy."

Harry
 
Ross "Clancy" Smith was apparently a high school acquaintance of Neil Young's, back at Kelvin High in Winnipeg. He had multiple sclerosis, "rode his bike to school" (whatever significance that has...) and used to sing in the hallways, "enduring the derision of his fellow students". (That's from the well-researched NY biography, Shakey, by Jimmie McDonough.) Others have thought it's a metaphor for how out-of-place NY felt when he was living in Toronto trying to get noticed.
 
A
Harry said:
I always pictured "Clancy" as a female.

It's probably because I grew up watching MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY with Danny Thomas, whose nickname for his Irish wife Kathy was "Clancy."

Harry
Click to expand...

I'd think it a little bit tricky to reconcile this thought with the line "wishin' and hopin' he weren't so damn wrong". Or is possible that perhaps the "Who" in the song, and "Clancy" are two separate individuals?
 
I rediscovered the song recently and its really catchy and so interesting to hear that raw, "group" sound of people with such energy and youthful spirit. Too bad that group sound was kind of lost after NOW AND THEN.
 
John from Aus said:
I'd think it a little bit tricky to reconcile this thought with the line "wishin' and hopin' he weren't so damn wrong". Or is possible that perhaps the "Who" in the song, and "Clancy" are two separate individuals?
Click to expand...

You're probably correct, but then I pay so little attention to lyrics, I wouldn't know who was what. Seriously, although I sometimes sing along with memorized lyrics, I rarely listen to what it actually is that I or the artist(s) is singing. To me, it's all just syllables to allow me to sing the song.

Of course, over the years, there are certainly song lyrics whose meaning will punch through and register, but I can assure that "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing" is not one of them. I still love it - I just haven't a clue what it's about.

This trait of mine is also what allows me to enjoy songs in foreign languages. To me they're just syllables, so it doesn't matter what language they happen to be from.

Harry
 
I pay a lot of attention to lyrics, but can definitely enjoy a melodic, thought-provoking song whose lyric is a bit esoteric ("Hallelujah" comes to mind). What bugs me are clumsy lyrics...I mean, if you're going to go to the effort and expense of recording a song, run it past a proofreader, for cryin' out loud. Always loved ABBA, and I realize Bjorn did exceptionally well with English lyrics, but that one line in "Winner Takes It All" -- "no more ace to play" -- a speed bump in an otherwise brilliant song that didn't need to be there.
 
Toolman said:
Always loved ABBA, and I realize Bjorn did exceptionally well with English lyrics, but that one line in "Winner Takes It All" -- "no more ace to play" -- a speed bump in an otherwise brilliant song that didn't need to be there.
Click to expand...

Never noticed anything wrong with that lyric before. The much more glaring one is from Fernando..."since many years I haven't seen a rifle in your hand". Grammatically incorrrect, and according to Bjorn, it was also missed by a number of English songwriters that checked over his lyrics to the song.
 
I agree, don't see anything wrong with the lyric, "no more ace to play" to me that lyric fits perfectly with the nature of the song, Ace being the highest value and someone wins and someone loses on this track, The Winner Takes it All.

Back to this thread topic, it was the early 70's and such was the nature then, look at the track, And When He Smiles..."he's a boy from the good ole earth and the high tree forest" huh? can I get an english translation please Karen? lol
 
What is a good song w/o a little psychobabble, that is merely the author's expressing a life or moment experience via his or her own point-of-view?! :nyah:

In this case, a song R&K must'a liked & seemed to streamline it away from the original & getting to the gist of the subject, while still having a bit of fun (Kind'a like what they did w/ 'Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft'; a far cry & somehow what a Canadian radio station seemed fit to play as opposed to the Klaatus original-- and ironic since they were a Canadian band!)...

Otherwise, the Carpenters stuck to a sincere demeanor, to have done 'Ticket To Ride', as opposed to something from Sgt. Peppers, for instance...!


-- Dave
 
But such those lyrics like in AWHS are memorable because they are distinctive and a little offbeat, but still sounded real and pure. And Karen's voice suited it perfectly. Why wasn't that a single? Or even an album cut?!
 
RainyDays said:
But such those lyrics like in AWHS are memorable because they are distinctive and a little offbeat, but still sounded real and pure. And Karen's voice suited it perfectly. Why wasn't that a single? Or even an album cut?!
Click to expand...

The story has always been that the group intended to record "And When He Smiles" for release on an album, but due to heavy touring schedules, never got around to it. By the time they might have, the '60s-sounding song had fallen out of favor.

And I suppose it DID become an album cut - from a live performance, on AS TIME GOES BY.

Harry
 
My favorite lines from the song are:
  • When Karen echos Richard after "..who's coming home on those 9 to 5s" (Karen in background: "WHO'S COMING HooooooOooome"
  • The ending verse where Karen note matches the piano on "EEEEEVEEEN SIIIIIIING"
She was a great singer.
 
Totally random, but this track features one of the few (or only) times Carpenters had a *gasp* swear word in the lyrics! "...don't give a DAMN". Was that even considered a swear back then?
 
Funny I was thinking about this only today whilst listening to the song. Has anyone ever noticed that when the line "...Wishin' and hopin' he weren't so Damn wrong...." is sung, that Karen doesn't sing the word Damn. I've always assumed that she refrains from saying this word as it probably wasn't considered right for a young lady to say this word back then.

Has anyone else ever noticed this, or am I hearing things???
 
SuperTrouperStar said:
Funny I was thinking about this only today whilst listening to the song. Has anyone ever noticed that when the line "...Wishin' and hopin' he weren't so Damn wrong...." is sung, that Karen doesn't sing the word Damn. I've always assumed that she refrains from saying this word as it probably wasn't considered right for a young lady to say this word back then.

Has anyone else ever noticed this, or am I hearing things???
Click to expand...

It actually sounds like she sings that word. I have only heard of two real life instances where Karen is quoted with a swear. When the fans wanted an autograph and "it's a f*cking great album!". In the Barbie movie she says "goddamn"
 
RainyDays said:
It actually sounds like she sings that word. I have only heard of two real life instances where Karen is quoted with a swear. When the fans wanted an autograph and "it's a f*cking great album!". In the Barbie movie she says "goddamn"
Click to expand...
The Rolling Stone article has her dropping an F-bomb too. I surmised from reading "Little Girl Blue" that that language was learned at home. And I'm sure that being around men in a male-dominated business (at that time) didn't help.
 
RainyDays said:
Do you mean the from 1974 article (and your avatar)? I don't think I've seen a scan of it actually. It's not a bad thing that she cursed (I mean, lady or not, she's human!) but it sounds so odd and oddly refreshing that it comes from our girl Karen!
Click to expand...
Yes, that's the article.
 
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