Song Lyric Sunday this week has a particularly interesting theme. Jim has challenged us to write about two associated songs in a ‘compare and contrast’ kind of way (rather like a student essay).

Last week, when the theme was ‘Elevator Music’, I wrote about two versions of the same song, but this is rather different. I am looking at two songs that have a great deal in common but are vastly different in terms of performance.

• They were both written by Willie Dixon
• They are both in the traditional twelve-bar, B flat format of classic American blues
• They both deal with obsessive love/lust, from a male viewpoint
• They both feature on Led Zeppelin’s eponymous first studio album

However, as performed respectively by Willie Dixon himself and the mighty Led Zeppelin, they could hardly – within the strictures of the musical format – be more different.

I Can’t Quit You Babe

I can’t quit you babe
Woman I think I’m gonna put you down for a little while
I can’t quit you babe
I… think I’m gonna put you down for a while
I said you messed up my happy home
Made me mistreat my only child

You built my hopes so high
Baby then you let me down so low
You built my hopes so high then ya let me down… so low
Don’tcha realize sweet baby?
Woman I don’t know… which way to go

Woman I can’t quit you babe
I think I’m gonna put you down for a while

You Shook Me

You know you shook me. You shook me all night long.
You know you shook me, baby. You shook me all night long.
You shook me so hard, baby. Baby, baby, please come home.

I have a bird that whistles and I have birds that sing. [x2]
I have a babe, won’t do nothing… oh, oh, buy a diamond ring.

You know you shook me, babe. You shook me all night long.
I know you really, really did, babe.
I said you shook me, baby. You shook me all night long.
You shook me so hard, baby.
Babe, you shook me all, all, all, all, all, all, all, all night long.

Song Lyric Sunday 23 May 2021