Sounds on Sunday: 50 of 50/15

WHAT WERE WE listening to 50 years ago? Here’s a short series on the hits of 1969 – two years after the Summer of Love, the year that humans landed on our moon, the last year of the 1960s.

This is a catchy tune with simple lyrics that spent a massive eight weeks at the top of the UK charts towards the end of 1969 – the second most popular single of the year. What’s not to like?

On second thoughts, the lyrics are so simple that you can’t help wondering if there’s not a hidden meaning of an adult nature. Take them at face value, and they are somehow slightly distasteful: the girl’s kiss inspires the man to want her in an implied but nonetheless present physical sense.

Perhaps it’s not that complicated. After all, the song was originally written for a children’s TV programme: “the Archies” are a cartoon band. And plenty of other artists have covered the song and put their own gloss on it. Try the Bob Marley version (yes, really).

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Sounds on Sunday