Signs (Five Man Electrical Band song)
{{short description|1971 single by Five Man Electrical Band}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Signs
| cover = Signs45RPM.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Five Man Electrical Band
| album = Good-byes and Butterflies
| B-side = Hello Melinda Goodbye
| released = May 1971
| format =
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Hard rock{{cite magazine|title= Top Quality Rock Helps Labels Turnaround Their Profit Picture |magazine= Billboard |date= 6 November 1971 |page= RN-34 |issn= 0006-2510 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=hQ8EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22hard+rock%22&pg=RA1-PA26}}
| length = 4:05 (album version)
3:20 (single version)
| label = Lionel Records
| writer = Les Emmerson
| producer = Dallas Smith
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Absolutely Right
| next_year = 1971
}}
"Signs" is the best known song by the Canadian rock group Five Man Electrical Band. It was written by the band's frontman, Les Emmerson, as he was traveling Route 66 while returning to Los Angeles from Canada and noticed all of the big signs and billboards obscuring his view of the natural scenery. The song popularized the relatively unknown band, who recorded it for their true first album, Good-byes and Butterflies, in 1970. Their actual first LP Five Man Electrical Band had begun as a Staccatos album with Brian Rading, the band's bassist suggesting the band's new name from the song title.
"Signs" was originally a 1970 B-side to the relatively unsuccessful single "Hello Melinda Goodbye" (#55 Canada), first put out on MGM Records. Re-released on Lionel Records in 1971 as the A-side, "Signs" reached No. 4 in Canada and No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 24 song for 1971. It became a gold record. In Canada, RPM Magazine ranked it at No. 55, with Absolutely Right ranked No. 49.{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.7590.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles of 1971 - January 8, 1972}}
Some radio edits have omitted the instrumental introduction and shortened the instrumental coda for airplay, due to time constraints.
Composition
The song was written by Les Emmerson when he was road-tripping on Route 66 in California, and noticed the beautiful scenery was obscured by many billboards.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cshf.ca/song/signs/|title = Signs}}
The song's narrator describes four instances of encountering signs that anger or concern him, as follows:
- A notice that "long-haired freaky people need not apply" for a job opening. He stuffs his hair into his hat in order to get an interview, then contemptuously reveals it once he has been offered the job.
- A sign outside a house warning that trespassers will be shot on sight. He climbs onto the perimeter fence and berates the owners for keeping people out and fencing in the land's natural beauty.
- Being told to leave a restaurant because he does not meet its dress code or have a membership card, both of which are displayed on a sign.
- A sign inviting people to worship at a church. When an offering is taken up at the end of the service, he makes a sign telling God that he is doing well, as he has no money to contribute.
Chart performance
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=Weekly charts=
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
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Tesla version
{{Infobox song
| name = Signs
| cover = Signs_(Tesla_cover).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Cover for the 7" single
| type = single
| artist = Tesla
| album = Five Man Acoustical Jam
| released = November 1990
| format =
| recorded = July 2, 1990
| studio =
| venue = Trocadero Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
| genre = Acoustic rock
| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=15}}
| label = Geffen
| writer = Les Emmerson
| producer = Dan McClendon
| prev_title = Love Song
| prev_year = 1989
| next_title = The Way It Is
| next_year = 1991
}}
"Signs" was covered and recorded live by Tesla for their Five Man Acoustical Jam album in 1990, peaking at number 8 on the Pop charts.{{cite book|first=Joel|last=Whitburn|title=Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981-2008|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_pbECYPYlZcC&pg=PA255|year=2008|publisher=Record Research|isbn=978-0-89820-174-1|page=255}} The album version of the cover had some minor changes to the lyrics: the line "blockin' out the scenery" was changed to "fuckin' up the scenery," and "made up my own little sign" was changed to "made up my own fuckin' sign," whilst the single version retained the original lyrics for radio airplay. A studio version recorded in 2007, which appeared on the EP A Peace of Time, using the original lyrics.
=Track listings=
;7" single
{{track listing
| headline = Side A
| title1 = Signs
| note1 = Clean Version
| length1 = 3:11
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side B
| title1 = Down Fo' Boogie
| note1 = LP Version
| length1 = 3:21
}}
;12" single
{{track listing
| headline = Side A
| title1 = Signs
| note1 = LP Version
| length1 = 3:15
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side B
| title1 = Little Suzi
| note1 = Live Acoustic Version
| length1 = 3:53
| title2 = Down Fo' Boogie
| note2 = LP Version
| length2 = 3:21
}}
;CD single
{{track listing
| title1 = Signs
| note1 = Clean Version
| length1 = 3:11
| title2 = Down Fo' Boogie
| note2 = Single Version
| length2 = 3:21
| title3 = Little Suzi
| note3 = Live Acoustic Version
| length3 = 3:53
}}
=Chart performance=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Year-end chart (1991) !Position |
| US Top Pop Singles (Billboard){{cite magazine |date=December 21, 1991 |title=1991 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles |page=YE-14 |magazine=Billboard |volume=103 |issue=51 |last1=Nielsen Business Media |first1=Inc }}
| style="text-align:center;"|73 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://prolyrical.com/signs-signs-everywhere-signs-lyrics-five-man-electrical-band/ Signs Lyrics] by Five Man Electrical Band
- {{YouTube|CxrsVV5N06I|Five Man Electrical Band - Signs}}
{{Five Man Electrical Band|state=collapsed}}
{{Tesla (band)|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Five Man Electrical Band songs
Category:Geffen Records singles