It is also possible that the swan song has some connection to the lament of Cycnus of Liguria at the death of his lover, Phaethon, the ambitious and headstrong son of Helios and Clymene. In tears she poured out words with a faint voice, Ovid mentions the legend in "The Story of Picus and Canens": By the third century BC the belief had become a proverb. Aristotle noted in his History of Animals that swans "are musical, and sing chiefly at the approach of death". He adds that there is a popular belief that the swans' song is sorrowful, but Socrates prefers to think that they sing for joy, having "foreknowledge of the blessings in the other world". In Plato's Phaedo, the character of Socrates says that, although swans sing in early life, they do not do so as beautifully as before they die. In that play, Clytemnestra compares the dead Cassandra to a swan who has "sung her last lament". There is a subsequent reference in Aeschylus' Agamemnon from 458 BCE. RC: John Fogerty! He was doing his John Fogerty that day.In Greek mythology, the swan was a bird consecrated to Apollo, and it was therefore considered a symbol of harmony and beauty and its limited capabilities as a singer were sublimated to those of songbirds.Īesop's fable of " The Swan and the Goose" incorporates the swan song legend as saving its life when it was caught by mistake instead of the goose but was recognized by its song. And here comes Allan, and he's doing his version of. They had (hits) with big ballads and so on. It was unexpected for the Hollies in England. About five to six weeks in those days.īH: But even in those days, Roger - you're tipping a pint and you got "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress."īH: The song was pretty much a global hit - eventually. RC: It came out within a very short time. I think we could work up a good version of this." So I said, "Well, go and do it, Al." And three weeks later he played me the track. he said, "I think the boys would like that. I'm astonished! It's almost unbelievable because it's the pre-eminent, pop-guitar song. And, that riff came …īH: I never knew you wrote it on the piano. I get on the piano, and I start messing around. So you go back, you're writing the song, did it happen quickly? It made such a good record.īH: Let's go back more to that day. Yeah, it was a good song, but it was a great record. RC: You never think you're going to write an elevator song. It is amazing.īH: Did you have any inkling? Did you even think the band, even though he was part of it, would cut the song? But I've always wanted to talk to you about “Long Cool Woman.” Was there ever a bigger hit in history where people don't understand the words?īH: Did you have any idea of its global impact? Roger, it may get played more today than it did when it was a hit for the Hollies. Roger Cook: "Saturday night, I was downtown working for the FBI."īH: We would spend more ink than The Tennessean has on a Sunday edition naming your hits. One thing to note before reading this interview with British-born, Nashville-based songwriter Roger Cook: A "skinful" is a British term, essentially meaning "enough alcohol to get you drunk."īut when it came to writing "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" with Allan Clarke and Roger Greenaway, Cook was trying to tap into American drinking culture - specifically, the Prohibition era.Ĭlarke went one step further when he took it to his band, The Hollies, who cooked up a swamp rock record not unlike States-side rockers Creedence Clearwater Revival.Ĭook told the Story Behind the Song to Bart Herbison, executive director of Nashville Songwriters Association International.īart Herbison: "Saturday night I went downtown.
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