Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Song of the Day: 'Wild World' by Cat Stevens


Day 8 of my series of Songs That Peaked at No. 11: Today's pick is more out of shock than anything. The majority of my memories of my earliest life revolve around sitting in the back seats of my parents' his and hers Datsun B210 station wagons -- Dad's was green, Mom's was orange -- listening to the radio. And if I were to pick one song as the soundtrack of those days in the early 1970s, it would be "Wild World," which seemed to play on a loop on Detroit radio. (Apparently we listened to a station that played only songs on the Hot 90.) Learning that it was written about Cat's onetime girlfriend Patti D'Arbanville -- whose portrayal as Ryan O'Neal's chronically hacking girlfriend in "The Main Event" (1979) was worthy of an Oscar! -- was a fun surprise. ("Lady D'Arbanville," too.) "Peace Train" (which I didn't learn until 10,000 Maniacs covered and then disowned), "Morning Has Broken" (a reworked nursery rhyme), "Another Saturday Night" (a cover) and "Oh Very Young," are his four Top 10 singles. But I find it hard to believe that "Wild World" isn't what keeps Yusuf in beard oil and designer prayer mats. 

1 comment:

Mike c said...

Dolly Parton's remake of Peace Train is amazing, and Junior Vasquez's dance remix even better.
https://youtu.be/MI1duwm1KD4