It’s very fun to see how and where this subject shows up in the lyrics of many different songs, and I also discovered a lot of great songs. The songs are not listed in a specific order, and I’ve split the list in two parts. Let’s start with part 1: ten fun songs about clay!
1. Gene McDaniels – A hundred pounds of clay
A wonderful song from 1961 that instantly brings a smile to your face. At the time, the song was banned from English radio by the BBC because the lyrics were said to suggest that the woman was only created to “please” the man and that was considered blasphemous. The song was later covered in French by Dalida and Johnny Halliday.
2. Stan Kenton & June Christy – Tampico
This jazzy song is even older: it’s from 1946 and features the wonderfully husky voice of June Christy. It’s only mentioned once – Tampico, Tampico, down in Mexico, You buy some pottery there to beat the luxury tax – but the song is so catchy it deserves a spot on this list, I decided.
3. Matt Monro – The Apple Tree
Another golden oldie is this song by Matt Monro about the forbidden fruit. It mentions “new techniques for glazing pottery” which are used to tempt Eve in the garden of Eden.
4. Grace Vanderwaal – Clay
At 12 years old, Grace VanderWaal won the 11th edition of the TV show “America’s Got Talent” with this and other self-written songs. What a stunning achievement to write such a beautiful melody and strong lyrics at such a young age.
5. Marvin Gaye – Piece of Clay
In this compelling ballad, Marvin Gaye uses clay as a metaphor to deliver a beautiful message.
6. Van Morrison & the Chieftains – Raglan Road
This is an emotional rendition of the old Irish folk song “On Raglan Road”, in which a lover is called “a creature made of clay”. There’s actually a Dutch cover of this song, by the Limburg band Rowwen Heze. I can’t tell you if they still mention clay in that version, because I can’t make heads or tails of the lyrics …
7. Michael Franti & Spearhead – Everybody Ona Move
This song truly embodies reggae. ‘I take mud and turn it into pottery’, sings Michael Franti. Later in the song we also hear the phrase ‘We’re all beginners’, and I quite like that thought.
8. Gordon Bok, Ann Mayo Muir, Ed Trickett – Fashioned in the Clay
The lyrics of this folk song are a great read.
“Look, now, at the potter whose wheel is spinning ’round,
Shaping with her hands the past and future from the ground:
Cups that will be filled and drunk, so warm in wintertime,
Plates and bowls for dinner served with candlelight and wine.
She believes, she believes, By her work it’s so easy to see
That the future is more than the following day,
It’s fashioned securely in the clay.”
9. John Denver – The Potter’s Wheel
This song by John Denver brings comfort.
“What do you tell forever’s children when it’s their turn to hurt and heal?
Whatever spins a grim tornado can also turn a potter’s wheel.
Take a little clay, put it on a wheel, get a little hint how God must feel.
Give a little turn, listen to it spin, make it into the shape you want it in.”
It’s a soothing thought, no?
10. Jackie Wilson – Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Ever Want to Meet)
We’ll finish this list with a song from 1957 that is not about pottery or clay, but when you watch the music video you’ll understand immediately why it’s the last entry in the list.
Gunther Neefs and Helmut Lotti covered the song, and The Strangers also made their own version. The song was so succesful that the earnings of this record funded the creation of the famous Motown Records label. And it is the background for a very interesting claymation video, in other words: animation with clay.
And don’t forget, this animation is over sixty years old …
And that marks the end of part 1. Enjoy the clay, the music, and also: the clay-related music!
