JFK. Blown Away. (5 songs about 1963 from the 1980s).

On the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK, here's some songs that reference the event or the Kennedy era in general. Some in detail, some in passing.

I don't know if New Order's 1963 has anything to do with JFK but I've associated the two ever since repeated listens on the local village pub 7" single jukebox (as the B-side to True Faith). Later when they upgraded to a CD jukebox I was still able to subject everyone to the song, from the Substance collection.

Before that special occasion 1963, there's too many ways that you could kill someone. 

Now of course, just listening to it takes me straight back to that pub in 1987.

One song is that definitely about Kennedy, or more specifically, about Lee Harvey Oswald, is Seconds from the Human League's Dare album.

It took seconds of your time to take his life, it took seconds. 

That one takes me back to middle school days.

There is a passing but very evocative reference  in Dream Academy's Life In A Northern Town.

He said "In winter 1963, it felt like the world would freeze, with John F Kennedy, and The Beatles". 

That one was on my own jukebox in the lads house I shared after moving out from my parents.

From Paul Simon's The Late Great Johnny Ace from the Hearts And Bones album, which links the deaths of blues singer Johnny Ace,  JFK, and John Lennon.

It was the year of The Beatles, it was the year of The Stones, it was 1964,
I was living in London, with the girl from the summer before.
It was the year of The Beatles, it was the year of The Stones, a year after JFK,
We were staying up all night, and giving the days away. 

And to finish, as Billy Joel puts it in his lyrical tour-de-farce history-of-the-world opus We Didn't Start The Fire:

"JFK, blown away, what else do I have to say?" 

I imagine the question is rhetorical, because Billy sure knows the answer. He certainly does have a lot more to say.

After writing this blog I realise all these songs are from the 1980s. Perhaps this blog post is more about nostalgia than JFK - most of these songs are looking back to 1963, and here I am in 2013 looking back to songs I knew well in the 80s, from 1981 to 1989.

(Links to these songs and a playlist including others below this break).

The Warmth Of The Sun was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love during the night following Kennedy's murder.

Lou Reed - The Day John Kennedy Died - People were gathered everywhere saying, did you hear what they said on TV.

Destroy All Monsters - November 22nd, 1963 - Shots rang out, a god lay dead, it freaked the world out, straight through the head.

Adam And The Ants - Catholic Day - No more messing round playing with Monroe.

Okkervil River - The President's Dead - A shot from the crowd, and a shot in the head.

Paul Simon - We were staying up all night, and giving the days away.



New Order – 1963.
The Human League – Seconds.
The Dream Academy – Life In A Northern Town.
Paul Simon – The Late Great Johnny Ace.
Billy Joel – We Didn't Start The Fire.
The Beach Boys – The Warmth of the Sun.
Lou Reed – The Day John Kennedy Died.
Adam & The Ants – Catholic Day.
Destroy All Monsters – November 22nd 1963.
Okkervil River – The President's Dead.
Paul Simon – The Late Great Johnny Ace (Original Acoustic Demo).

This blog post encouraged by Dorian Lynskey's entry today on his 33 revolutions per minute blog.