Favorite John Cougar/John Cougar Mellencamp/John Mellencamp song

[Bossy Monkey]

If there are any Little Johnny Cougar (his original stage name, when Mainman thought he was going to be the next Bowie) fans out there, just don't tell me. I'm starting you out with 3; other tunes will be chosen from among the "You idiot! I can't believe you left out ________"-type replies, or if there aren't enough of those, from whatever occurs to me. I'll add an Other response, too.

Edit 1: Adding Rain on the Scarecrow. Others to be added in about another half hour (say, half past midnight)

Edit 2: Adding more for fear that the time will run out before I track down the other ones. Of his Rolling Stones ripoffs, I actually like What If I Came Knocking over either Crumblin' Down or Get A Leg Up, but I can count.

[Pale Blue Dot]

1. "Ain't Even Done With the Night"

That song, more than almost any other, brings me back to my awkward teenage years.

[Bossy Monkey]

30. Me too, though I voted Check It Out

You might also like Sweet Evening Breeze on the same theme, if you haven't heard it before.

[NightTrain]

2. Only THREE choices?! Come on, man!

The guy had a ton of hits, lots of 'em good! If I may refresh your memory:

The Authority Song
Cherry Bomb
Crumblin' Down
Get A Leg Up
Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)
Lonely Ol' Night
Paper in Fire
Pop Singer
Rain on the Scarecrow
R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.
Rumbleseat
Small Town
Wild Night

[TheDebbieDee]

3. Jack and Diane................................eom

[YellowRubberDuckie]

9. Jack and Diane is the best John Mellencamp song...

AND YOU LEFT IT OFF THE LIST!?
Duckie

[NightTrain]

11. I always considered it one of his weaker efforts.

Nowhere near as weak as "Hurts So Good," though. Christ, what a lame-ass record!

[democratreformed]

27. This is my favorite too n/t

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Whatever one is being burned or not played

Can't stand that no talent hack, no matter what incarnation he's gone through in an attempt to "redefine" himself blah blah blah in order to resurrect whatever career he doesn't deserve.

Though let me add, please, that I TOTALLY appreciate his liberal leanings.

[tishaLA]

31. I agree with Rabrrrrrrr

[Rabrrrrrr]

36. Thank you!

I was afraid I might get flamed for that one. :-)

But as I read through the other posts, someone reminded me of "Jack and Diane" which is a song I really like. The words are tripe, but the melody and harmony and the movement of the musical background is quite compelling.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

5. Blood on the Scarecrow

[Rooktoven]

8. Second. --nt

[givemebackmycountry]

6. You Idiot!

Three songs...

The authority song / Uh-huh

Crumblin' down / Uh-huh

Now more than ever / Whenever we wanted

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

7. Paper & Fire

You EEEEEEEdiot! :evilgrin:

He's a fellow Hoosier country boy. Ya gotta love the guy!

[Duncan Grant]

10. Other: "Small Paradise"

Great vocal, great hook on the guitar solo, 'haunting' lyric...worth rediscovery if you like JCM.

[NightTrain]

12. Thanks for the additions!

Of the stuff you picked, I voted for "Pink Houses." However, if I had to pick an absolute favorite, it would be "Small Town."

[Bossy Monkey]

15. Small Town was never the same

after he traded in the "LA doll" he married "and brought to this small town" for Elaine Irwin; no doubt now Elaine's small town just like him, too.

[NightTrain]

17. Personally, I judge music in a vacuum.

It's always tempting to let outside factors affect one's judgment of a piece of music, but I try like hell to judge a record by just one criterion: namely, how does it sound to me? If I think a record sounds good, then the person who created it can be the biggest asshole on two feet and I'll still like the song. If, on the other hand, I dislike a piece of music, I won't give a damn how noble the artist's intentions may have been when he walked into the studio.

[mac56]

23. great reply. NightTrain

You've nicely summed up what I also try to do.

[Droopy]

13. How could you forget the "Authority Song"

That's my favorite tune by him. I won't call you an idiot.

[Flaxbee]

29. "Authority Song" is my favorite, too,

though I like Mellencamp a lot. "Jack & Diane" drives me freaking nuts, possibly because the stations around here always play THAT one if they're gonna put some Mellencamp on. I've heard it waayyyy too many times to like it any more, never liked it that much to begin with.

[galadrium]

14. Small Town

This is without a doubt my favorite.

[Zomby Woof]

16. Rain On The Scarecrow

The first Mellencamp song that allowed me to take him seriously. Face it, he was a fourth-rate Springsteen knockoff before that. Couldn't hack "Jack & Diane" or his other early stuff.

That being said, "Rain On The Scarecrow" is a first-rate Creedence ripoff.

[Bossy Monkey]

32. Disagree

I think it's more that he and Springsteen were both shooting for the Next Woody Guthrie status that Dylan had abandoned; Springsteen just did a lot better job at it. Mellencamp's heart was always in the right place; it's just that he's dumb as a tree. However, simple songs are usually the best, so this can often be an advantage.

[Bossy Monkey]

34. Ignore; this was just me blithering from heat stroke

god knows what I was thinking

[last_texas_dem]

18. Voted for "Crumblin' Down"...

...although "Rain on the Scarecrow" and "Hand to Hold on to" are close runners-up...

[Kickin_Donkey]

19. "Check It Out" is my fave ...

"Small Town" a close second.

Although one of my favorite lines in pop music came from "Jack and Diane": "Gonna let rock, let it roll, let the Bible Belt come and save my soul. Hold onto sixteen as long as you can, changes come around real soon, make us women and men ..."

[mandyky]

20. Other

The Authority Song

[underpants]

21. uh........... you forgot "Justice and Independence Day"

He was born on the fourth day of July
So his parents called him Independence Day
He married a girl named Justice who gave birth to a son called Nation
Then she walked away
Independence he would daydream and he'd pretend
That some day him and Justice and Nation would get together again
But Justice held up in a shotgun shack
And she wouldn't let nobdoy in
So a Nation cried
CHORUS
Oh, oh
When a Nation cries
His tears fall down like missiles from the skies
Justice look into Independence's eyes
Can you make everything alright
Can you keep your Nation warm tonight
Well Nation grew up and got himself a big reputation
Couldn't keep the boy at home no, no
He just kept running 'round and 'round and 'round and 'round
Indpendence and Justice well they felt so ashamed
When the Nation fell down they argued who was to blame
Nation if you'll come home we'll have this family again
Oh, Nation, don't cry
CHORUS
Roll a rock across the country
Everybody come along
When you're feelin' down, yeah, yeah
Just sing this song, yeah yeah

[Bossy Monkey]

24. Didn't forget; like it a lot. Didn't think anybody else would remember it

though those "Yeah yeah"s at the end kind of undercut, uh, everything.

[underpants]

25. Yeah yeah yeah he didn't really finish that one very strong

I agree. Still a GREAT song.

[mac56]

22. "Rumbleseat"

Well, I could have a nervous breakdown
But I don't believe in shrinks
I could get drunker than a monkey
But I don't like to drink
Call up some girls
But I'm afraid of the phone
I'm always talking to myself
I guess I'm never alone

Am I only one who feels this way?
I'd buy myself some stylish clothes
But I sure hate to pay

I know just what it's like
To be ridin', ridin'
In the rumbleseat
Yeah, I know just what it's like
To be a big-time rider
In the rumbleseat

- -

Oh hell, everything off of "Scarecrow" and "Lonesome Jubilee". JM is another vastly underrated and marginalized artist who -*gasp*- dared to become popular. Infidel!

[SiouxJ]

26. I've had a love/hate thing going on with him for years

I bought "Nothing Matters and What if it Did" when it came out after seeing him on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert (remember that?! lol) and I loved it. Then "American Fool" came out (Jack and Diane etc.) and he became a huge star but I didn't like much on that album. Even so, I went to see him and I liked him even less after that as he was such a jerk on stage. Then I loved "Uh, huh" so I overlooked his attitude and became a fan again. Saw him on the "Scarecrow" tour and got to sing "Under the Boardwalk" with him (I was in the front row and he sat on the edge of the stage) and he won me back totally by being a nice guy. He was a totally different guy from the one I saw years earlier.

I haven't bought any of his music in years but I like a few of his songs from recent albums. For example, I thought he did a killer cover of "Wild Night" and I liked "Your Life is Now" too but not enough to go buy the Cd's.

All and all I'd have to say I like him and respect him now.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

28. i love his old stuff, but Key West Intermezzo is my all time fav.

[Kat45]

33. I always like "Crumblin' Down"

Also like "The Authority Song" -- I actually almost quoted that song in a thread here the other day because it seemed appropriate. "Rain on the Scarecrow" expresses his sentiment well. I remember "Hurts So Good" being the first song of his I heard--when he was still known as John Cougar, I think--and I kinda liked that one too.

[ScreamingMeemie]

35. Authority Song.

I love it. :hi:

[DebJ]

37. Liberty and Independence