Oh, Steve Winwood, the last time you showed up on an end-of-year countdown turned into one of the most disappointing moments in my young life. And a lot of regurgitated pizza.
Luckily for all of us, that wasn’t the case this time. Obviously, because I’m never going to completely change, there’s always going to be a part of me that can never quite forgive you for claiming the top spot of “The Top 88 of ’88”, and if you end up with the top song of the ’80s, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to hold in my rage. But #43, I can handle you being at #43. Clearly you were doing something that the public liked, so it would make sense that you’d show up on this thing, and I’ll even begrudge you that this song is pretty great. Just don’t expect that I’m ever going to do back flips when I hear one of your songs. I’m too petty of a man.
It should also be noted that on this track, we saw the exit of our DJ and host, Mark Chase. This countdown was the only time I ever heard him on the radio, and to this day I believe he was just some poor schmo who didn’t have a date for New Year’s and got roped into doing this countdown. He did a fine job, but it only made sense that a beloved veteran like Monty Foster would be the one to take us the rest of the way. Would Vic St. John have been better? Maybe. Vic St. John had an infectious exuberance that would have helped keep me awake as I sat up all night to record every single song on the countdown. But Monty Foster, he was a damn fine DJ, too. So let’s see what the rest of this countdown brings us, Steve Winwood. And it better not be anything else by you.
“Higher Love”
Think about it
There must be higher love
Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above
Without it
Life is wasted time
Look inside your heart, I’ll look inside mine
Things look so bad everywhere
In this whole world, what is fair
We walk blind
We try ta see
Falling behind
In what could be
Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love
Oh-oh
Bring me a higher love
Where’s that
Higher love
I keep thinkin’ of
Worlds’a turnin’
And we’re just hangin’ on
Facing our fear and standin’ out there alone
A yearnin’
And it’s real to me
There must be someone who’s feelin’ for me
Things look so bad everywhere
In this whole world, what is fair
We walk blind, but we try ta see
Falling behind
What could be
Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love
Oh-oh
Bring me a higher love
A good
Kind of love
Want a higher love
I will wait
For it
I’m not
Too late for it
Until then
I sing my song
To cheer
The night along
Bring it
<awesome Steve Winwood jam>
I could light the night up with my soul on fire
I could make the sun shine
From pure desire
Let me feel that love come over me
Let me feel
How strong it could be
Oh oh oh
(Bring me a higher love)
(Briiiiing me a higher love)
(Oh oh)
Bring me
(Bring me a higher love) woah oh
(Bring me)
(A higher loooove) wooaaahhhhhhh, a higher love
(Bring me a higher love)
(Briiiiing me a higher love)
(Oh oh)
Bring me higher love
(Bring me a higher love)
(Bring me)
(A higher loooove)
(Bring me a higher love)