1. Baby Don't Go (3:09) - The duo's first hit has a swing tempo slightly faster than moderate. Instruments include a harmonica. They sing the chorus together, but Cher sings all the verses alone. She plays the role of a girl who grew up in poverty and as the laughingstock of her whole town. Fed up with people ridiculing her shabby clothes, she vows to leave the town for a big city where she might be able to move up in society. However, such a move would mean leaving her boyfriend who begs her to stay.
2. Just You (4:04) - This moderately slow song features castanets, and some lines are musically similar to lines in the Ronettes' "Baby I Love You." Cher sings most of the verses; her character cries at seeing her boyfriend sad. It's only natural for girls to look at other guys (and vice versa, for that matter), so she begs him not to worry. She assures him, "I'll live for you, I'll die for you; I'll even climb a mountain high for you, just you."
3. Sing C'est La Vie (3:38) - This fast waltz tune features orchestral strings and bells. As Cher sings the verses, Sonny ad-libs between lines. Just before the chorus, he says "But he (she, they) said..." In the first verse, a butcher-landlord, having neglected to ban pets from the apartments he owns, finds one of the apartments ruined by a tenant with six dogs. In the second verse, a woman with an already-large family finds herself pregnant with twins; I like that lyric, "If you think the old woman who lived in the shoe had it bad..." And in the third verse, an orator sneezes so violently in the middle of a speech that his slacks drop, embarrassing both him and his audience. But the people in these situations cope with their setbacks by doing as the title says, realizing that life deals severe blows to everyone at one time or another.
4. I Got You Babe (3:11) - The tempo in this song is difficult to follow, but it's something like 3/4. The oboe plays low during the first few seconds; during the chorus it plays high. A tambourine is also featured here. In the verses, Cher sings the first two lines, Sonny the other two. In the "irregular verse" just before the ending sequence, he sings the odd-numbered lines, she the even-numbered lines. Together they sing the chorus, which is just the title repeated a few times. The lovers may be young and constantly out of money, and their love may not pay their rent, but they are happy to know that they have each other. This is one of two songs by the duo that my oldies station plays.
5. Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love (2:37) - This remake of a Ronettes song is somewhat faster than moderate. Instruments include castanets, chimes, a harpsichord, and a tambourine; the last is common throughout this album.
6. SONNY BONO SOLO RECORDING: Laugh At Me (2:53) - This moderate-paced song features castanets and bells. Sonny wrote this song after being hassled at a restaurant for wearing bell-bottoms and a fur vest. During his 12-second spoken intro, he notes that this is his first solo recording. He asserts his right to be different if he wants to be; if others want to laugh at him for being different, so be it.
7. But You're Mine (3:05) - The tempo is slightly faster than moderate. Instruments include bells. The theme here is similar to that in the previous song. Again, the guy is frustrated at being "unacceptable" to other people, but at least his girlfriend will accept him the way he is. His clothes and hairstyle may be "unacceptable" to others, but he's still hers. I like the part where Sonny sings: "But I've got some real sad news for them, my friend: they're on the outside lookin' in."
8. SONNY BONO SOLO RECORDING: The Revolution Kind (3:25) - Sonny's follow-up to "Laugh At Me" is moderately fast, featuring bells. He explains his motives for writing "Laugh At Me," clarifying that he's only exercising his right to freedom of speech; doing so is not necessarily tantamount to advocating an overthrow of the government. I like the part where he sings about the men who went to war and gave their lives to keep America free.
9. What Now My Love (3:38) - The tempo is moderate. In some parts I can hear bells and chimes. For simplicity I'll use a female narrator. Now that her man has left her, she wonders what will happen to her. She wonders how she can live through another day when her dreams and hopes are ruined, and the world is caving in on her.
10. Have I Stayed Too Long (3:44) - The tempo is hard to follow, but instruments include orchestral strings, castanets and bells. Again I'll use a female protagonist, since Cher sings first. She realizes that "this party" (her relationship with the guy to whom she sings) has turned sour. His kisses are empty of sincerity now. Togetherness tends to get old after a while; she wonders if that is the cause of the situation at hand.
11. Leave Me Be (2:03) - This song, somewhat faster than moderate, features chimes. I also have a version by the Zombies.
12. Little Man (3:20) - This fast song begins with a slow 20-second intro, during which a tambourine and a harpsichord roll, giving the song an Italian feel. Other instruments include castanets and chimes. Cher sings all the solo parts, playing the role of a girl whose "little man" helps her face society with confidence. The parts Sonny and Cher sing together, beginning with "little girl," are sung from the perspective of the guy, who assures the girl he's always around when she needs him.
13. Living For You (3:37) - The tempo is moderately fast. My favorite lines are the first several, the ones that end with the "-atin' " suffix. In the middle instrumental, fingers snap, then a fiddle plays. Both characters in the song went on futile quests for love--until they met each other. Now each lives only for the other.
14. Love Don't Come (3:02) - Chimes and a harpsichord are among the instruments in this moderate-speed song. The words "Socrates" and "unities" make an interesting couplet in the song's first two lines. This time Sonny gets most of the solo parts, but Cher gets the last one, which starts with the title. Her character is tired of losing at love and resolves, "I've got wind and rain for my future bride."
15. The Beat Goes On (3:27) - If the previous six songs put you to sleep, this one is sure to wake you back up, for it was the duo's other big hit. The tempo is slightly faster than moderate. During the chorus, tick-tock drums play; Sonny sings the title twice, then Cher sings the rest. During each verses, horns and regular drums play; Sonny sings the first and third lines, Cher the second and fourth. As the song fades, Sonny sings the title while Cher sings the word "on" during every beat. Topics in the verses include miniskirts, teeny-boppers, and the Vietnam War. One thing is for sure--the beat will go on as long as the human race lives.
16. Beautiful Story (2:50) - Instruments include orchestral strings and horns. This fast waltz tune is sung from the perspective of a man ("I'm just an old man with no place to go"), although Cher sings most of the solo parts. Whatever his story is about, he longs to tell it to a living person rather than continue to talk to trees and flowers or watch kids skin their knees.
17. It's The Little Things (3:02) - This tune, slightly faster than moderate, features chimes and jingle bells; horns play during the middle instrumental. Cher's character's boyfriend may not be attractive or smart, but she loves him just the same. The "little things" are probably the kisses, the "I love you's," and the hugs. The guy, played by Sonny, gets excited from the girl's kisses or when she holds his hand, or even when she just looks at him. As Sonny sings his parts, Cher sings "ooo baby" in the background. The two reverse roles when repeating that part just before ending the song.
18. SONNY BONO SOLO RECORDING: My Best Friend's Girl Is Out Of Sight (4:13) - This song is out of sight if you ask me. The tempo is fast, and instruments include horns and a piano. The narrator, having recently returned home from a night on the town with his girlfriend and another couple, the male half of whom is the narrator's best friend. Apparently, this was the first time the narrator saw his buddy's gal; what's for sure is that now he's smitten with her and thus is in a big dilemma. My favorite part of the song is the bridge, where he tries to fight his crush, telling himself: "Get a hold of yourself 'cause you're not free; even worse than that, neither is she." Perhaps the best solution would be to cease all contact with his buddy; that way he won't see his buddy's girl again.
19. Good Combination (2:56) - This song, somewhat faster than moderate, features horns. Here's yet another song in which a couple profess devotion to each other, promising to dry each other's tears and keep each other happy for all time.
20. I Got You Babe ("Good Times" soundtrack version) (2:16) - This version is much slower than the original, opening with a 6-second chime solo. Once the singing starts, the chimes give way to a guitar.
21. Hello (3:11) - Even before the pair had their comedy show, I can hear some humor going on here. This speech was the B-side to "But You're Mine," and Sonny observes that sometimes it's hard to think of a song to record for the flip side of a single. So here he just plays the piano, talks, and tries to get Cher to talk also. Paradoxically, when they're in a studio alone, they're still talking to people because they will hear all this later when they buy the record, hence Cher's reluctance to talk. When she finally does say something, she says simply "Hello," hence the title. Following 2:41 is 10 seconds of silence, then a commercial urging kids to continue their education at the approaching first day of a new school year.
CHER SOLO RECORDING: Dream Baby (2:57) - No, this is not the same "Dream Baby" that Roy Orbison sang. For most of this one, written by Sonny, the tempo is moderately fast. Instruments include bells and horns; a sax plays during the middle instrumental. The narrator feels her best when the boy is in her sight. In her dreams he embraces her; she hopes it will soon start happening in real life also.