4 Songs From 1972 That Every Baby Boomer Knows the Words To

Some songs are made for specific moments, and some stick with us forever. Here are four songs from 1972 that you definitely know the words to if you’re a baby boomer.

“Rocket Man” by Elton John

Perhaps one of Elton John’s most memorable songs, “Rocket Man” has a magic to it that’s simply out of this world. Singer-songwriter Kate Bush once told NME how much “Rocket Man” affected her personally.

“I remember buying this when it came out as a single by Elton John,” she said. “I couldn’t stop playing it – I loved it so much. Most artists in the mid-seventies played guitar but Elton played piano and I dreamed of being able to play like him.”

“I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash

Johnny Nash released this song, which he both wrote and produced, as the lead single to his album of the same name in 1972. Over time, this soulful tune has become a classic and quite the anthem of resilience.

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-shiny day
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-shiny day.

“(Brandy) You’re A Fine Girl” by Looking Glass

This song by Looking Glass tells the tale of a man who has to choose between two loves—a barmaid named “Brandy” and a life spent at sea. This song has been used in Charlie’s Angels and in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2.

“Lean On Me” by Bill Withers

“Lean On Me” is one of those songs that makes everyone a little bit emotional. As Bill Withers revealed to Songfacts, “Lean On Me” started with a piano and a simple phrase.

“I bought a little piano, and I was sitting there just running my fingers up and down the piano,” Withers explained to the outlet. “In the course of doing the music, that phrase crossed my mind, so then you go back and say, ‘OK, I like the way that phrase, Lean On Me, sounds with this song.’”

Photo by: Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images