My Favorite Songs: "Everybody Knows" Concrete Blonde (1990)
By John Roberts
@JohnRoberts (109865)
Los Angeles, California
June 18, 2016 4:48pm CST
Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen is critically acclaimed as something of a poet. "Everybody Knows" debuted on Cohen's 1988 album "I'm a Man." The song is a slow sad and somber take on everything that is wrong with the world. Here are sample lyrics:
"Everybody knows the dice are loaded"
"The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows"
"Everybody knows the good guys lose"
"Everybody knows the fight was fixed"
"Everybody Knows" is much covered including by Guns N Roses, Don Henley and gasp, Bette Midler. The best version is by Concrete Blonde for the "Pimp Up the Volume" soundtrack. The 1990 movie starred Christian Slater as a high school student running a renegade radio station under the name "Hard Harry." The LA band is best known for the top 20 hit "Joey" and should have been more successful due to lead singer Johnette Napolitano. Her powerful vocals bring poignancy to "Everybody Knows." Concrete Blonde got their name from none other than Michael Stipe of R.E.M.
5 people like this
4 responses
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
19 Jun 16
Great song, great band. My favorite is "Caroline. "
@dnatureofdtrain (5273)
• Janesville, Wisconsin
18 Jun 16
I love Ozzy Osbourne Crazy Train..
Skrillex and Feat all I ask of you..
then most train songs... :D
@FourWalls (61328)
• United States
18 Jun 16
I may have mentioned this once before, but I saw Concrete Blonde opening for the BoDeans (a rather strange combination, if you ask me) in 1988. Unquestionably one of the loudest concerts I've ever seen. The hair on my arm was literally moving from the vibrations of the bass!