I haven’t listened to this song for decades. I can’t even think of a time that it just came on randomly, on the radio or in a shop. Just as I began my stirring this morning, it came to me. I remember the concern of my older brother when rumored these boys took their band name from passing around the doobie at a party.
It’s a pretty good song! The lyrics seem to have a meaning these days as we watch the news.
Song: Takin’ It To The Streets
Album: Takin’ It to the Streets
Artist: The Doobie Brothers
Song Writer: Michael McDonald
Thanks to Helen for the challenge; Song Lryic Sunday
You don’t know me but I’m your brother
I was raised here in this living hell
You don’t know my kind in your world
Fairly soon, the time will tell
You, telling me the things
You’re gonna do for me
I ain’t blind and I don’t like
What I think I see
(Taking it to the streets)
Taking it to the streets
(Taking it to the streets)
No more need for running
(Taking it to the streets)
Take this message to my brother
You will find him everywhere
Wherever people live together
Tied in poverty’s despair
Oh, you, telling me the things
You’re gonna do for me
I ain’t blind and I don’t like
What I think I see
(Taking it to the streets)
Taking it to the streets
(Taking it to the streets)
No more need for running
(Taking it to the streets)
Taking it to the streets
(Taking it to the)
Oh, you, telling me the things
You’re gonna do for me
I ain’t blind and I don’t like
What I think I see
(Taking it to the streets)
Taking it to the streets
(Taking it to the streets)
No more need for running
(Taking it to the streets)
Yeah, yeah
(Taking it to the streets)
Taking it to the streets
(Taking it to the streets)
Before it steps farther
(Taking it to the streets)
Oh, lord
(Taking it to the streets)
Taking it, taking it
(Taking it to the streets)
Hey, yeah ha
(Taking it to the streets)
Taking it to the streets
(Taking it to the streets)
No more need for running
(Taking it to the streets)
No more need for hiding
(Taking it to the streets)
Yeah, yeah, yeah
(Taking it to the streets)
No more
(Taking it to the streets)
Yeah, yeah
(Taking it to the streets)
Taking it, taking it
(Taking it to the streets)
I pulled lyrics from genius.com
Wow. This goes back a bit. Nice to be reminded. Thanks!
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One of my favorite songs back in the day. Thanks for the walk down memory lane!
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It was intersting that, when Michael McDonald joined the Doobies after Steely Dan became Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, and a bunch of studio musicians, they started sounding a lot like the old Steely Dan. He really changed their sound. Good choice!
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Cool note, John. I don’t actually know much about Steely Dan or the Doobies, but after pulling this out of the far corners of a past life, I am motivated to go listen to some of these. (Unfortunately, I feel like I have a lot of motivations right now.) You will be able to tell when I’ve been able to go do some homework, because a playlist or blog post will reflect these retro days.
–Kent
.
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What a delightful live version of this old (like me) song. I loved listening to it and wish music today had more of uniting power I experienced back then.
Thanks for sharing this. Grateful for your motivations!!
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That’s an interesting comment, Choosing. Do you have thoughts about why music was more uniting 35-40 years ago?
I don’t know much about the DBs; I think performers in the 1960s and 70s thought they might change the world. Now I think people are just trying to make music (which remains noble).
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Just wanted you to know, I keep this exchange alive in my inbox because I want to answer that question about how I see music having changed in terms of its uniting power.
I think about it, get ready to write something, and then my own “motivations” get in the way.
But I haven’t given up.
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That’s great, Choosing. I keep the question in mind, too. What songs might be added to a playlist?
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