Big Star - The Ballad Of El Goodo Lyrics

https://open.spotify.com/track/7qrh6VhWRCnDUlp7Vc2wwC?si=_2137Qk8SIOSfP01MnHDjA

Travis Scott's sample which song
?????

Thanks Chris, Alex.

Nix the Beatles Harmonies and these guys would have been world wide stars. at 4.20

Can I be honest I’m here from house MD and I’m not ashamed

Fighting sadness and depression after I found out my son does something awful. Then I listened to the "hold on" part and I burst into tears. I guess it's cathartic.

Lyrics

"The Ballad Of El Goodo"

Years ago, my heart was set to live, oh
And I've been trying hard against unbelievable odds
It gets so hard in times like now to hold on
But guns they wait to be stuck by, at my side is God

And there ain't no one going to turn me 'round
Ain't no one going to turn me 'round

There's people around who tell you that they know
And places where they send you, and it's easy to go
They'll zip you up and dress you down and stand you in a row
But you know you don't have to, you could just say no

And there ain't no one going to turn me 'round
Ain't no one going to turn me 'round
Ain't no one going to turn me 'round
Ain't no one going to turn me 'round

I've been built up and trusted
Broke down and busted
But they'll get theirs and we'll get ours if you can
Just-a hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on

Years ago, my heart was set to live, oh
Though I've been trying hard against strong odds
It gets so hard in times like now to hold on
Well, I'll fall if I don't fight, and at my side is God

And there ain't no one going to turn me 'round
Ain't no one going to turn me 'round
Ain't no one going to turn me 'round
Ain't no one going to turn me 'round

Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on

Many 90s bands were listening and took notes ...

Godfathers of power pop!

Years ago, my heart was set to live
And I've been trying hard against unbelievable odds
It gets so hard in times like now to hold on
But guns they wait to be stuck by, at my side is God

[Chorus 1]
And there ain't no one goin' to turn me 'round
Ain't no one goin' to turn me 'round

There's people around who tell you that they know
And places where they send you and it's easy to go
They'll zip you up and dress you down and stand you in a row
But you know you don't have to, you can just say, "No"

[Chorus 1]
And there ain't no one goin' to turn me 'round
Ain't no one goin' to turn me 'round
And there ain't no one goin' to turn me 'round
Ain't no one goin' to turn me 'round

[Bridge]
I've been built up and trusted, broke down and busted
But they'll get theirs and we will get ours if we can
Just hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on

[Verse 1]
Years ago, my heart was set to live, oh
And I've been trying hard against strong odds
It gets so hard in times like now to hold on
Well, I'll fall if I don't fight
And at my side is God

[Chorus 1]
And there ain't no one goin' to turn me 'round
Ain't no one goin' to turn me 'round
And there ain't no one goin' to turn me 'round
Ain't no one goin' to turn me 'round

[Outro]
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on

There was or is no one like Big Star. Simply one of the most touched by magic collective talents to ever put music to disc. Wish this Earth had shown more tenderness towards you gentlemen. RIP.

This song is inspirational in my fight for sobriety. Can't thank them enough.

Good Luck with your Plan. Hope it Succeeds. All the Best.

this is the crown jewel of an album full of crown jewels. an absolutely perfect song, yet still human and full of life and emotion.

Probably the most criminally underrated band ever

Who's El Goodo?

good god this broke me down...heard it on the album, but wasn't sure of the title, so wound up here....listened on a Saturday morning, and it killed me. Just some of the absolute BEST songwriting and production I've ever heard...and I've been in the music business 38 years. I was in Memphis when all this was going on....and you couldn't get a copy of the album. The adults in all this failed these kids beyond measure.

I'm so grateful for this tune, helped me accept myself when I came to realization I was bisexual and just an awesome song from one of the greatest bands there ever was.

God, I miss Alex SO much...........

It's about a lot of things, but Viet Nam is definitely one of them. You can just say no.

Listening to the song, reading the lyrics, its easy to see what you mean. They may not have written with Vietnam in mind but it certainly fits.

Years ago, my heart was set to live, oh
But I've been trying hard against unbelievable odds
It gets so hard at times like now to hold on
My guns they're waiting to be stuck by
At my side is God

And there ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round

There's people around who tell you that they know
The places where they send you, and it's easy to go
They'll zip you up and dress you down
Stand you in a row
But you know you don't have to
You can just say no

And there ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round

I've been built up and trusted
Broke down and busted
But they'll get theirs and we'll get ours
Just if we can
Just, ah, hold on
Hold on
Hold on
Hold on

Years ago my heart was set to live, oh
But I've been trying hard against strong odds
It gets so hard at times like now to hold on
Well, I'll fall if I don't fight
And at my side is God

Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Hold on
Hold on
Hold on
Hold on

are you mad singing aroud like that ?

Thanks so much for giving us the lyrics. This song is helping me maintain my sobriety.

beautiful song, love the back up vocals, and oos and awes.

this is a song of freedom. self reflection and tell the rest to f off and go your on way...punk as fu.-k!

Just....
Hold on...

Just watched the "Documentary"....   Reminds me of many songs.... obviously stolen from them.

I've watched it 3 times in the last 5 years...it is really great, but so sad for these guys....tremendous talent by the wayside of popular music...Badfinger is another.

Love it!

They're so ahead of their time yet so timeless.

What happened? This was listed as 100 essential noise pop songs. Where are they? What the hell?

Chris Bell died a long time ago. Alex Chilton died about five years ago. They were the heart and soul of the band. Fortunately, there are a couple of brilliant albums left behind.

Chris' album is great-

What has this been removed????

I got off stage at SXSW five years ago and learned the sad news.

The passion .... beautiful ;)

10 stupid idiots dislike this.

Well, everyone has his/her own taste, which doesn't make them stupid. This is a brilliant, lonely song, though.

Just 21...crazy

Man, they had such a unique sound. Clearly of the 70's, but some other different kind of magic going on too. Pretty sublime.

One of the deepest songs ever written.

right on brother

you would need a hole in your heart for this to pass through and not feel something wonderful

word to wise

What sort of brainless, tasteless ,halfwitted, lame assed, pigfucker dislikes this?

+Neil McCormick You might have captured it there, but asking "Who could possibly dislike this?" would have done just as well.

Sorry got a bit carried away .

+Neil McCormick As do we all from time to time . . . Cheers!

spoke a saint among men

Nicely performed, and I know this first LP is supposed to be legendary, but I must say:
I listened to "Feel" and this cut back to back, and Both Bell and Chilton sound like they were scared by a George Harrison record in utero.
(And if that was Chilton's vocal on this, I much prefer his work with The Boxtops.)

7 people are motherfuckers

+beatlesmusica I mean this has been up for 4 years and there's only 7 dislikes, that's pretty amazing! for any video on youtube

who da hell downvoted this song? doesn't usually bother me; but to think that there are people around who can't feel this tune makes me a wee bit sad.

anyway, i love this tune so much, i'm a pretty shitty guitarist but i dig this tune so much that i took about 6 months to teach myself how to play it haha - i'm sure someone with more talent could learn it quicker, but i've never gotten sick of playing it over and over

The backing vocals on the verses are amazing.

This is heartbreakingly good. From a great band and an incredible album.

Fucking Americans: You never knew how GOOD this is:This is REAL work :SUCKERS and 'dreamers': search and PLAY;This is REAL WOOOOORKKK

Little-known gem.

Always love this one. Great harmonies.

wish Memphis would focus on more music like this.. RIP Alex

The "hold on" segment is so plaintive I don't know how they managed to record it, I would have been crying so much that I couldn't sing.

Oh. I'd have been the same!! :)

That's such a salient thing to say about that element of the song. It has an almost ethereal quality.

+probyngregory Seems like a good place to tell a story. I got it in the early days of AOL, ca. 1994, when Big Star were doing some of the first of their reunion gigs with the Posies guys. This was a girl's account of the show in Chicago she attended. She said she was somewhat embarrassed to admit it, but that when Big Star launched into "The Ballad of El Goodo," she started crying. She quickly tried to compose herself, when the guy standing next to her said "It's OK to cry"...and he had tears streaming down his face too.


To this day, that story still chokes me up whenever I relate it. The power of music to move you...I feel sorry for anyone (including the seven down voters) who can't feel that.

No Yakovlievich...this song is about Vietnam.

+sasquatchcrotchsquat . Apparently, and no insult meant. Interpretation must not be a strong suit for you. Here is an exact quote as to the meaning of the song -

"Though the song can be interpreted as a broad, abstract paean to anti-conformity and independence, the lyrics could more specifically allude to the Vietnam War."

Alex was a strong objector to the war and friends have said after his passing, songs like this were all related to the Vietnam War. So as for your interpretation, I say, nonsense.

+sasquatchcrotchsquat Since Alex Chilton was a primary songwriter on this song, it may not have come from Chris Bell. This interpretation, from what I have read came from John "Bucky" Wilkin, a close friend of Alex who also was staunchly opposed to the war.

Thanks, Vinny.

Bless his pizza filled heart

Pure perfection.

Whole new significance and relevance, with recent events in Ferguson.

This was, after all, a song about the Civil Rights movement.

#childrenbythemillions

+handymandan100 #thisisnottwitter

Great song.. .I hear George Harrison in it.

and Lennon and McCartney are VERY obvious. To the bands ultimate deficit.

Just, simply, one of the most beautiful songs ever written.  Everything is so perfectly composed and recorded.  Such a thing of beauty should be more well known.  This song just sounds like heaven.

Song about Vietnam draft and a conscientious objector.

This makes this cool tune THAT MUCH COOLER!!

my jam right now.

buen tema, fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffggggggfffahh   uuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

...3 peoples have.... El Bad-o Karma

Ok...it is a "Pop Song" but who cares. It's artfully crafted and beautifully done.

HERMOSO. NO ME CANSO DE ESCUCHAR SUS DISCOS. CHRIS BELL Y ALEX CHILTON VIVEN POR SIEMPRE. RIP!

perfect. 4:21 of pure bliss

This is Power Pop and there's absolutely nothing bad in Pop Music when it becomes an Art (see Laura Nyro, Kate Bush, Bjork, Laurie Anderson, Todd Rundgren, Sparks, Slapp Happy, Scott Walker's early stuff and many other great artists...)

Thanks for mentioning slapp happy. The drum by them is a fav song.

Great song!  I'm surprised it wasn't a commercial success, but lets face it, right time, right place, publicity and everything goes into the mix, and this is TWICE as good as the average commercially successful song of today (Blurred Lines anyone?)

The 60's and 70's weren't some kind of wonderland were good music was successful and bad music was shunned. Sugar Sugar kicked the shit out of Gimme Shelter in the charts. That shit doesn't matter, because after all the hype is gone people are gonna prefer Fleet Foxes to Robin Thicke by a long shot. (btw it's a pop song)

its not pop because ITS REAL MUSIC...and i like it

This is a pop song.

how is it not a pop song?

I'm having trouble getting through this piece. Maybe the quality of this posted version is at fault, but those strings sounds *annoyingly* overdone.

yes. Jeff Tweedy also doesL

... YES ...

Wow. I cannot believe that big star was never really popular. Their music is just magical.

sounds a lil like george harrison at first :p love this song :o

Teenage Fanclub brought me here.

This was actually written by Chilton/Bell and is off the first self titled album when Chris Bell was a member of the band.

Never really a fan of Big Star (I preferred the stuff with Chris Bell) but this is a knockout classic track... brilliant... great production of a great song

Long after fame and sales and awards are forgotten, when musicianship and songwriting will count for everything, Alex Chilton and Big Star will be remembered with awe and reverence. A prophet is not without honor except in his own time and in his own generation.

My God!How good is this.Underated and mostly unknown to the masses but perfection in one song.Achingly beautiful and sublime.

never ever get tired of listening to this one

At your funeral? You don't want anyone to turn you around at your funeral?

Your comment is just wrong on so many levels that i wont even bother.

When I was 19, Last.fm recommended BS to me with a 79% similarity to Bert Jansch. I checked them out and wondered why L.FM listed this over-emotional sissy band. Didn't listen again.

I'm 23 now and grateful BS stuck somewhere in the back of my mind, because this group of beautiful souls gave birth to an explosion of aurora wonder. I loved Big Star, I just needed to live life to find that out.

Big Star is easily one of the most underrated bands of all time. There's a certain timelessness and magic in their songs. This one is kind of an anthem for me; it's hopeful and charming. The chords along with Chilton's vocals are gorgeous.

That drum sound...

That's a bit simplistic. It was Bell's vision but he basically kicked himself out of it after the first record with his erratic and difficult behavior.

This should be Big Star's third (they already have two) song in Rolling Stone's top 500 rock songs of all time.

For a first album. I'm super impressed. Since I've discovered this its all I can listen too. The album in general is one of those that actually has an emotional impact on you when you listen to it. Its a rare and beautiful find in this world we live in today. We should be grateful we've all discovered this band

what a pretty song

Behind 13, as my fave tune ever... I will teach my kids to learn this tune.

THAT is one of the best pop songs I've ever heard or ever will hear in my lifetime.

twas he???? indeed he was! not imagination either////////fact devoid of design

goddam...

One of the best songs ever written...ever...

Very nice song, thanks for posting.