3 Rock Songs From 1972 That Every 70s Kid Still Knows by Heart Today

The 1970s remain one of the best eras in rock music. Included in the decade are these three iconic rock songs from 1972, songs that are so good, it’s likely that every 70s kid can still sing them word for word today.

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“Witchy Woman” by The Eagles

Of course, any music fan knows “Take It Easy”, the debut single by the Eagles. But that song was followed up by “Witchy Woman”, another classic. 

On their freshman Eagles album, “Witchy Woman” is written by band members Don Henley and Bernie Leadon. The song begins with, “Raven hair and ruby lips / Sparks fly from her fingertips / Echoed voices in the night / She’s a restless spirit on an endless flight / Woo hoo witchy woman, / See how high she flies / Woo hoo witchy woman. She got the moon in her eye.”

Leadon is formerly of the group The Flying Burrito, which is when he began the song. He and Henley finished it after he became part of the Eagles.

“I Saw The Light” by Todd Rundgren

Todd Rundgren includes “I Saw The Light” on Something/Anything?,  his third studio album.  The song says, “Then you gazed up at me / And the answer was plain to see / ‘Cause I saw the light / In your eyes, in your eyes.”

One of Rundgren’s biggest hits, he later admitted he didn’t really like “I Saw The Light”. 

“I wrote this song in 15 minutes from start to finish,” Rundgren reveals. “It was one of the reasons that caused me to change my style of writing. It doesn’t matter how clever a song is – if it’s written in 15 minutes, it is such a string of clichés that it just doesn’t have lasting impact for me. And for me, the greatest disappointment in the world is not being able to listen to my own music and enjoy it.”

“Doctor, My Eyes” by Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne’s first single and first big hit at radio is “Doctor, My Eyes”. The song, written by Browne, is on his eponymous debut album.

“Doctor, My Eyes” says, “Doctor, my eyes have seen the years / And the slow parade of fears without crying / Now I want to understand / I have done all that I could / To see the evil and the good without hiding / You must help me if you can.”

Browne had real-life vision problems, which is what inspired him to write “Doctor, My Eyes”. After this song, it took Browne ten years until he had another Top 10 at radio, with “Somebody’s Baby”.

Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns