By Severin
Panthera Tigris. The largest living cat species. Symbol of ferocity or boldness. A beautiful creature that fascinates and terrifies in equal measure.
And what better subject for a thoroughly daft song, performed by a bunch of unashamed bandwagon jumpers who straddled 70s glam and 50s revivalism in both musical style and sartorial choices? They probably had no idea they were creating a timeless classic. But they bloody well were. That's right, I've got a feeling in my knees and I love your Tiger Feet.
“True love feeds on absences like pleasure feeds on pain.” A few YT commenters want this for their funeral song. I'm fairly certain the guy is just leaving a relationship. Set The Tiger Free is his metaphor but the song is plaintive and resigned rather than ferocious and wild. All the better for it I say. Sad and beautiful.
A song called “Like a Tiger”, on the other hand, has to be one big boast, and this one doesn't disappoint. Contemporary souped-up rockabilly. She drives him wild and he growls. Grrrr.
A bunch of young Liverpool blokes denounce the type of guy who shows how brave he is by hunting tigers with his elephants and gun. He's called Bungalow Bill (bungalow coming from the Gujarati word for Bengali – or a house built in the Bengali style). Based on an unpleasant character Lennon met at the Maharishi's Indian retreat.
Hollie Cook has no Tiger Balm for her soul. I will admit this is slightly shoe-horny but her brand of reggae, or “tropical pop” as she calls it, is irresistible. Daughter of Sex Pistol Paul Cook and ex-member of the re-formed Slits. As I discovered five minutes ago on Wiki.
Paper Tigers is a metaphor for those who aren't as fearsome as they appear. In this case, the members of Killing Joke. Allegedly.
We had to have at least one version of Tiger Rag and the award goes to (shuffles papers around) Louis Armstrong. Not the first to record it but probably the best known version and still sounds great to me.
“I feel their sorrow, I sense their rage, no one will change them in their cage, they'll rule the killing fields and know no shame, for Wounded Tigers are all the same” Another melancholy lament using the most ferocious of hunters as its metaphor.
Burning Tiger, Screaming Me. I have no idea what this means but it sounds fantastic. Noisy Japanese pop as the nominator commented. I can't do better than that.
From Japan to Colombia. El Tigre Sabanero means the tiger of the Savannah. The singer's self-description apparently. And he plays a mean accordion too.
“Tony the tiger told me not to lie.” Is that the sound of another shoe-horn? Yup. But as with the previous one, Paradise is just too good to leave out.
“When you cross my path you've got your whole life in your hands”. That sounds like a tiger to me. A Sun Records classic. This version of Tiger Man just edged Elvis's sterling live performance out of the running.
Tigresa was written and recorded by Caetano Velosos and, his recording was also nominated. As for the previous song, both versions are excellent but this one by Gal Costa is my pick. “Her feline claws left a mark in my heart”
William Blake's Tyger Tyger has been set to music a few times. I wonder what he would have made of Wobble's dub version. I like to think he would have approved.
And so to bed. Sleep Tight Tiger. This list ended up with at least as much beauty as ferocity. Which is a good thing.
Wild Animal A-List:
Mud – Tiger Feet (TraktorAlbatrost)
Villagers – Set The Tigers Free (megadom)
Ricochets – Like a Tiger (BanazirGalbasi)
Beatles – The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (barbryn)
Hollie Cook – Tiger Balm (Uncleben)
Chameleons – Paper Tigers (vanwolf)
Louis Armstrong – Tiger Rag (Nicko)
Gordon Haskell – Wounded Tigers (FredErickson)
Hazelnuts Chocolate – Burning Tiger, Screaming Me (TarquinSpodd)
Aniceto Molina – El Tigre Sabanero (magicman)
NoName – Paradise (ft Queen SheCago) (ajostu)
Rufus Thomas jr – Tiger Man (treefrogdemon)
Gal Costa – Tigresa (PopOff!)
Jah Wobble – Tyger Tyger (Dub Version) (shoegazer)
Husky Rescue – Sleep Tight Tiger (MussoliniHeadkick)
Big Cat B-List Playlist:
Lulu – I'm a Tiger (suzi)
Linval Thompson – Lion and Tiger (Nicko)
Songs: Ohia – Tigress (Uncleben)
Her Space Holiday – Sleepy Tigers (Shoegazer)
Jackie Mittoo – Stepping Tiger (TatankaYotanka)
Survivor – Eye of the Tiger (suzi)
Y&T – Black Tiger (TatankaYotanka)
Joni Mitchell – Taming the Tiger (MussoliniHeadkick)
Muddy Waters – Tiger In Your Tank (MussoliniHeadkick)
Beck – Paper Tiger (UncleBen)
Carlos Santana – Shere Khan The Tiger (Fred Erickson)
Vainica Doble – El Tigre del Guadarrama (pejepeine)
Phyllis Hyman – Riding the Tiger (Fred Erickson)
Boo Radleys – Ride the Tiger (barbryn)
Peaking Lights – Tiger Eyes (Laid Back) (DiscoMonster)
Wildcard Picks:
Fox – Patient Tigers
The Aggrovators – Tiger Dub
One oddity from the briefly popular hitmakers with the foxy singer and one jolly good reggae tune that doesn't mention tigers or, indeed, anything else. Job done.
Tiger In Rags:
All the versions of Tiger Rag that were nominated. I thought they deserved a playlist of their own.
The Z-List:
Probably incomplete. Let me know if you want anything added.
The Long List:
If your nomination isn't on this it might be because it was too similar to something else that is on this. Or I didn't listen to it properly and have cloth ears.
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic:Easy, or burning bright? Songs about tigers. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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