Song of the Week - You Set The Scene by Love

I have 8,349 songs on iTunes. This is one of them.

I just featured a 1960's psychedelic song last week but this song popped up on my iPod and I had to see if I could find something on YouTube.

The band Love, fronted by Arthur Lee (sometimes Arthur Li) released the album in 1967. Wikipedia says many critics consider it one of the best records from the '60s. I won't get into that argument, especially since I don't own the album. My first exposure to Love was from their 'greatest hits' album Love Revisited which was released in 1969. "You Set The Scene" is my favorite song on the album. Lee had a pretty tortured career including 5 1/2 years in prison for illegal firearms possession. When he got out of prison in 2001, he began touring again as Arthur Lee and Love. I suspect that this video is from that era. It is a pretty faithful recreation of the studio version, even down to the horn and string arrangements. Lee died in 2006 of leukemia.



Where are you walking, I've seen you walking
Have you been there before?
Walk down your doorsteps, you'll take some more steps
What did you take them for?

There's a private in my boat and he wears
Pins instead of medals on his coat
There's a chicken in my nest and she won't
Lay until I've given her my best

At her request she asks for nothing
You get nothing in return
If you want she brings you water
If you don't then you will burn

You go through changes, it may seem strange
Is this what you're put here for?
You think you're happy and you are happy
That's what you're happy for

There's a man who can't decide if he should
Fight for what his father thinks is right
There are people wearing frowns who'll screw you up
But they would rather screw you down

At my request I ask for nothing
You get nothing in return
If you're nice she'll bring me water
If you're not then I will burn

This is the time and life that I am living
And I'll face each day with a smile
For the time that I've been given's such a little while
And the things that I must do consist of more than style
There are places that I am going
There'll be time for you to start all over
This is the only thing that I am sure of
And that's all that lives is gonna die
And there'll always be some people here to wonder why
And for every happy hello, there will be good-bye
There'll be time for you to put yourself on

Everything I've seen needs rearranging
And for anyone who thinks it's strange
Then you should be the first to want to make this change
And for everyone who thinks that life is just a game
Do you like the part you're playing

I see your picture
It's in the same old frame
We meet again...

You look so lovely
You with the same old smile
Stay for a while...

I need you so, oh, oh, oh, oh
And if you take it easy
I'm still teethin'
I wanna love you, but
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh...

This is the time and life that I am living
And I'll face each day with a smile
For the time that I've been given's such a little while
And the things that I must do consist of more than style
There are places that I am going
There'll be time for you to start all over

This is the time and this is the time and
It is time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time...