“For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals
Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination
We learned to talk” – Stephen Hawking with Pink Floyd, “Keep Talking”

When you think about it, it really is a miracle that we can all communicate by talking to each other. And while that may separate us from the animals as Stephen Hawking suggested, my wife’s cat certainly chews her ear off… they have whole conversations, back and forth. They probably understand each other better than my wife and I. The fact that there are so many languages across the planet and yet we can all still communicate remains a miracle in my mind.

I’ll admit that I think the ability to talk to each other is something that has seriously eroded over the last 20 years or so. This isn’t me being “the old man yells at cloud” guy, suggesting it’s all millennial’s fault. I used to pick up the phone and call my old friends to catch up. That’s been replaced by a quick text every now and then. We have this incredible tool that, as Dumbledore said, “can wound or just as quickly heal,” and we don’t use it as much. It’s so easy to read into a text… connotation vs denotation for you English majors out there… The “gift of gab” seems to be a lost art these days. Although if you asked the Rock Chick she’d probably tell you I never shut up. When I met her and her daughter I used to joke that I’d fallen into a tribe of mutes. I guess I’ve always just been of the – why use a sentence when a paragraph is so much fun – school of thought.

Of course I wasn’t always a big talker. I was so shy as a little kid, that if my mom sent my brother and I into the grocery store to purchase something and we couldn’t find it and needed to ask the clerk where it was, I’d have to have my brother talk to clerk. The thought of speaking to someone filled me with trepidation but my brother was fearless. Of course over the years I became overly talkative and my brother became a man of few words. For me, the key to finding my voice was…yes, whiskey. Booze loosened up my tongue, for better or for worse.

Now that we’re into the holiday season – Thanksgiving is under our belts and we’re headed into the big “H”olidays – we’re going to have to talk to that most intimidating of groups… family. I was thinking of all the pitfalls of those discussions when that Pink Floyd track, mentioned above, popped into my head. Maybe we’d have less conflict if we all just started speaking to each other with a little less judgement and intrusiveness. Then I suddenly realized, there are a lot of songs about talking…

As I usually do, I began to compile a list… on my phone, on cocktail napkins, or whatever else I could use to capture a tune. Ironically, this playlist probably has more female vocalists than my usual playlists. Maybe women are better than men at talking, the females in my tribe aside. The songs on this list cover the gamut from a whisper to a scream (or more likely a shout), from talk between lovers – mostly ones that are breaking up – to talking to yourself, from songs begging someone to talk to you and songs begging you to “don’t speak.” As we listen we’ll wade through rumors, lies and a little bit of shouting…but hopefully it’ll be fun! As usual, the songs range from hard rock to folky ballads. I’m just trying to put a song you haven’t heard in a while back in your ear… or better yet turn you onto something you’ve never heard. The list is on the dreaded Spotify, with my pithy comments on each track below.

1. Pink Floyd, “Keep Talking” – From the David Gilmour led Pink Floyd-era… sage advice… keep talking, it’s what separates us from the animals (see above quote). Well, that and those little paper cocktail napkins that prevent rings on the bar top.
2. Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Universally Speaking” – “Universally speaking, I win in the long run…” Kiedis’ lyrics always sound like he’s hitting on some lady in a dive bar.
3. Tracy Chapman, “Talkin’ Bout A Revolution” – From her fabulous debut album.
4. Harry Nilsson, “Everybody’s Talkin'” – From the great movie Midnight Cowboy.
5. The Band, “We Can Talk” – “Well, we could try to reason, but you might think it treason…”
6. The Romantics, “Talking In Your Sleep” – Also, naturally, on our Playlist: Songs About Sleeping.
7. The Isley Brothers, “Shout, Pt. 1 & 2” – Yes, this is the song they used (a cover version) in Animal House…since also covered by everybody from Tom Petty to Billy Joel. I love this version.
8. Lucinda Williams, “People Talkin'” – Old school country-rock song about people talkin’ smack behind two lover’s backs…
9. Fleetwood Mac, “Little Lies” – I read a reviewer who said this song is like a recovered drunk asking for a drink… not a bad analogy. But it’s the late Christine McVie on vocals, so I couldn’t resist.
10. The Tubes, “Talk To Ya Later” – These guys had a handful of hits… Nice way to say “goodbye.”
11. Zebra, “Tell Me What You Want” – I loved this track when I was in college.
12. The Beatles, “I Want To Tell You” – Great track about having so much to say to someone, in your head at least, and being tongue tied when they’re standing right in front of you. I think we’ve all been there.
13. The Cars, “Don’t Tell Me No” – Well, who wants to hear “no” when “yes” can lead to so much fun.
14. Ray Charles, “Talkin’ About You” – Ray Charles, the genius!
15. Stevie Nicks, “Talk To Me” – Is it bad to admit that I had a college girlfriend who gave me this album my senior year, for this very song, because apparently I wasn’t “communicative?” Certainly she was mistaken?
16. Chuck Berry, “I’m Talking About You” – I think the Stones did a cover of this Berry song.
17. Van Halen, “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” – So few of us were talking about love back in the late 70s.
18. Kiss, “Shout It Out Loud” – Sometimes you have to shout to be heard. Apparently for Kiss that was when they were partying.
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Tell Me Baby” – “What’s your story?”
20. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, “Stories We Could Tell – French TV” – For some reason this song now makes me think of my late friend Tom. “Oh, the stories we could tell…” indeed. From the newly released Long After Dark – Deluxe Edition.
21. Pretenders, “Talk Of The Town” – Cool song from a cool band.
22. April Wine, “Tellin’ Me Lies” – So many liars on this playlist… April Wine were big when I was in high school… at least on my local rock radio station.
23. Lou Reed, “New York Telephone Conversation” – Lou reflecting on a shallow phone conversation…”I was sleeping, gently napping when I heard the phone, Who is on the other end talking? Am I even home?” Who hasn’t woken from a nap a little confused? Knowing Lou, he was probably on some heroin nod…
24. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, “You Tell Me” – The narrator of this song is peeved and ready for some straightforward conversation. God I miss Tom Petty.
25. Cowboy Junkies, “Speaking Confidentially” – I got to see these guys play in a small venue…sublime.
26. The Rolling Stones, “Tell Me Straight” – Great Keef song from Hackney Diamonds.
27. Sonny Boy Williamson II, “Don’t Start Me To Talkin'” – It’s a long story, but there were actually two Sonny Boy Williamsons… This track was inconceivably covered by the Doobie Brothers. I like this original.
28. The Black Keys, “Tell Me Lies” – This track curls around my head like a smooth, slinky snake. Much like the lies he’s asking for.
29. Joe Walsh, “I’ll Tell The World About You” – Early Walsh with Barnstorm… great deep track.
30. Robert Palmer, “From A Whisper To A Scream” – This runs the gamut of speaking…from quiet to loud. The story of an uncaring lover realizing he’s lost her…
31. Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, “Talk To Me” – Written by Springsteen.
32. Paul McCartney, “She’s Given Up Talking” – A track I would have thought Paul would reserve for his side project, The Firemen. Eerie but hypnotic, I have always dug this one. The distorted voice grabs me.
33. 10,000 Maniacs, “Don’t Talk” – I almost went with the Unplugged version, but then I’m partial to the Unplugged series.
34. Billy Joel, “If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You)” – How many times have we been lost for words? We can all regret things not said as much as things said.
35. Steve Winwood, “Talking Back To The Night” – I always loved this track. Who amongst us hasn’t done a little “talking back to the night?” I certainly did my time on the dark side…
36. Greta Van Fleet, “Talk On The Street” – The proverbial “rumor mill” run amuck.
37. The Yardbirds, “I’m Not Talking” – “I’m not talking and that’s what I have to say…” Jeff Beck on lead guitar.
38. Big Head Todd & The Monsters, “Please Don’t Tell Her” – Big Head Todd trying to keep people from the verbal equivalent of passing notes in study hall…the caveman version of texting?
39. Spoon, “Do I Have To Talk You Into It” – Depends on what we’re talking about here?
40. Elvis Presley, “A Little Less Conversation” – The King asking for “a little more bite and a little less bark.” Oh yes, indeed. I used the original version vs. the remix.
41. Peter Gabriel, “That Voice Again” – Probably the only song on So that wasn’t a monster hit…I’m exaggerating, but not by much.
42. Ray Charles, “Tell All The World About You” – Ray returns to the list, not content to tell the world about you, but he’s gonna “tell all the world about you.” The world was listening, Ray.
43. Crazy Horse, “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” – The original version. This song was later much more successfully covered by Rod Stewart. I love this Danny Whitten version. For someone who doesn’t want to talk about it, the narrator is pretty loquacious.
44. Faces, “As Long As You Tell Him” – Rod Stewart saying farewell to his gal who has left him for another man. “Be sure you tell him, I was never your fool.” I probably was.
45. E.L.O., “Sweet Talkin’ Woman” – We’ve all fallen for a sweet talkin’ woman…
46. Jackson Browne, “The Next Voice You Hear” – No matter how bad it goes, listen to yourself. They say “self-talk” is good for you psychologically.
47. Elton John, “Talking Old Soldiers” – Poignant portrait of an aging old soldier, “I’d stood at that bar with my friends who’ve passed away and drink three times the beer that I can drink today. Yes, I know what it feels to grow old.” From your lips to God’s ear, Elton.
48. Missing Persons, “Words” – “What are words for, when nobody listens anymore?” True in the 80s, even more true now.
49. George Thorogood & The Destroyers, “You Talk Too Much” – Were you to ask the Rock Chick, she would likely suggest this as my theme song. Or at the very least this would be her message song to me.
50. Love And Rockets, “No New Tale To Tell” – Speaking of the Rock Chick, she turned me on to this great song.
51. Faces, “Tell Everyone” – More wonderful Faces from Long Player.
52. Bonnie Raitt, “Something To Talk About” – Oh indeed, let’s do give them something to talk about… I mean if the tongues are already wagging, let’s justify it.
53. Don Henley, “Talking To The Moon” – I’ve only recently rediscovered Henley’s early solo catalog. This comes from his solo debut album, I Can’t Stand Still, which preceded Building The Perfect Beast. I’ve had way too many conversations with the moon…
54. Eagles, “I Can’t Tell You Why” – The aforementioned Henley’s former band with Timothy B. Schmit on a beautiful lead vocal. Man, what a voice that guy has. The sad story of what may be the last conversation between two lovers.
55. Allman Brothers Band, “Wasted Words” – What can I say about a song who’s first line is, “Can you tell me, tell me friend, just exactly where I’ve been?” I’ve been there before…
56. The Police, “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” – “Poets, priests and politicians, Have words to thank for their positions, Words that scream for your submission…” Don’t blindly listen to anybody.
57. Paul McCartney & Wings, “No Words” – Paul returns, apparently with no words to say…
58. The Donnas, “Girl Talk” – I love the Donnas. Great rocker here.
59. The Go-Go’s, “Our Lips Are Sealed” – Another song about rumors… But the Go-Go’s ain’t talkin’.
60. The Black Crowes, “She Talks To Angels” – Great song about a junkie… I get a real “I see dead people” vibe from this track these days.
61. The Rolling Stones, “Fast Talking, Slow Walking” – Great Stones deep track from Tattoo You (Super Deluxe Edition).
62. ‘Til Tuesday, “Voices Carry” – I got an office job downtown one summer when I was in college (I was usually out working in the heat for my summer job). I have to admit, the lyric “Hush, hush, keep it down now, voices carry” hit a little close to home that summer. God, I hated that job.
63. No Doubt, “Don’t Speak” – If I had a dollar for every time someone said this to me… Great breakup song. Tough conversations to have.
64. Steely Dan, “Any Major Dude Will Tell You” – No matter how bad you think things are, any major dude will tell you, “Keep plugging along, it’ll get better.”
65. Jack White, “Please God, Don’t Tell Anyone” – This song reminds me of a confession of sorts… From the great Entering Heaven Alive.
66. Howlin’ Wolf, “Who’s Been Talking?” – Howlin’ Wolf has been out catting around, as my mom used to call it, his woman found out and he wants answers about who’s been talking? I wouldn’t cross the Wolf…he was known to carry a razor in his shoe.
67. The Beatles, “Tell Me Why” – April Wine, mentioned above, covered this song. I think it made my Beatles & Stones cover songs list..
68. R.E.M., “Talk About The Passion” – I never knew exactly what R.E.M. was talking about, but I certainly dig them.
69. The Rolling Stones, “Tell Me” – Fabulous early Stones.
70. Neil Young, “Tell Me Why” – Neil sounding so sad…
71. Heart, “Tell It Like It Is” – I am known for being so truthful that I verge on bluntness. I just like to, as Heart sings, “Tell it like it is…” This isn’t as hard edged as some of their stuff, but I always kinda liked it.
72. Tears For Fears, “Shout” – For the Rock Chick, who I would prefer never shouted.
73. Cheap Trick, “Voices” – Great tune from a solid rock band. What’s not to love?
74. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, “Last Kind Words Blues” – Why not end it on some last, kind words. Kind words are hard to come by these days. From the great Raising The Roof.

These are just the tracks that popped into my head. There are a lot more great “talking” tunes out there. The list started off with 150 songs but I cut it in half to save myself from carpel tunnel syndrome. If you’ve got a favorite that isn’t on here, put it in the comments and I’ll add it to the Spotify playlist. As I’m fond of saying, these playlists are “our” playlists, not so much mine.

There are a lot of tracks on this list about not having the words to say to someone. I really do feel the most regret for things I left unsaid. And that is coming from someone who regrets a lot of things that have come out of my mouth. Talk to each out there over the holidays…but mostly try to speak kindly to each other. If you haven’t talked to an old school chum in quite a while – give em a call. Distant cousin you haven’t talked to since that family reunion 20 years ago, pick up the phone. Once they get over the shock that their phone rings, they’ll be happy to hear from you.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday season. I miss those old school office parties, those were the best part of the season for me before I met the Rock Chick… so many drunk people to talk to, but those records are sealed.

Cheers!