submissions
| Elliott Smith – Antonio Carlos Jobim (Heatmiser cover) Lyrics
| 11 years ago
|
Continuing your theory, it would be Elliott telling himself he should be thankful to be alone. It's really a tragic place that writers get into... it's a craft that requires isolation and which leads to greater isolation, as one grows and has powerful experiences which objectively distinguish oneself from "herd-members'." So the writer gets into a sort of trap whereby the only way he can really communicate to more socially-integrated-types is through his writing. Which raises the stakes and makes it so devastating and existential dread-inducing when someone important fails to get it.
It's, in the end, a stoic mantra or lie that Elliott tells himself: "Be thankful to be alone, to be on your lonely path of being Elliott Smith." |
submissions
| Heatmiser – Antonio Carlos Jobim Lyrics
| 11 years ago
|
Continuing your theory, it would be Elliott telling himself he should be thankful to be alone. It's really a tragic place that writers get into... it's a craft that requires isolation and which leads to greater isolation, as one grows and has powerful experiences which objectively distinguish oneself from "herd-members'." So the writer gets into a sort of trap whereby the only way he can really communicate to more socially-integrated-types is through his writing. Which raises the stakes and makes it so devastating and existential dread-inducing when someone important fails to get it.
It's in the end, a stoic mantra or lie that Elliott tells himself: "Be thankful to be alone, to be on your lonely path of being Elliot Smith." |
submissions
| Andrew W.K. – Totally Stupid Lyrics
| 13 years ago
|
This was one of the first songs covered on my music analysis blog. Check it out!
http://anobjectivelisten.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/3-totally-stupid-by-andrew-wilkes-krier/ |
submissions
| Travis – Turn Lyrics
| 13 years ago
|
Hey guys. I wrote a detailed analysis of this song on my site, more than I could easily summarize here:
http://anobjectivelisten.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/1-turn-by-fran-healy/
Let me know what you think! |
submissions
| Julian Casablancas – Ludlow St. Lyrics
| 13 years ago
|
Hey guys. I wrote a detailed analysis of this song on my site, more than I could easily summarize here:
http://anobjectivelisten.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/2-ludlow-st-by-julian-casablancas/
Let me know what you think! |
submissions
| R.E.M. – Sad Professor Lyrics
| 14 years ago
|
|
I very much think the line "A lazy eye metaphor on the rocks" is a reference to Thom Yorke, Michael Stipe's friend. This means the whole song could be about Thom Yorke (who is known to over-intellectualize and drink a bit, which fits with other aspects of the character sketch). My thinking: Around the time that "Up" was written, the press was beginning to really obsess about Radiohead. Even if it was "good" press, there were plenty of lazy articles psychoanalyzing Yorke, filled with lazy metaphors. I recall one article which made a point of how Yorke's one paralyzed eyelid (his "lazy eye") was a metaphor for how he always had one part of him looking out at the world, and another part looking inward (his bad eye). |
submissions
| Britney Spears – Gimme More Lyrics
| 16 years ago
|
This song has a really nice melody and chord changes. In case you're wondering, these ones sound good underneath the melody:
Verse & PreChorus: G-min, Bb, A-min, D-min
Chorus: G-min, Bb (different timing to changes), Eb, F or C-min |
submissions
| Akron/Family – Lumen Lyrics
| 17 years ago
|
|
Aside from the overly-simple, lyric-less, descending chords section, this could be a Radiohead song. Do I mean that as a compliment? Hell yes. |
submissions
| Akron/Family – Awake Lyrics
| 17 years ago
|
|
The creepiest Akron/Family song, next to "Lumen", perhaps. Maybe, being the first track, it's meant to imply that the narrator/listener is asleep when they start listening to the EP, but then wake up for "Moment"? Kind of like how "Time Code" on the Bright Eyes LP ends with an alarm clock going off. |
submissions
| Blonde Redhead – Publisher Lyrics
| 17 years ago
|
|
Did anyone else what might be references to Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band" album? That record opened with "Mother", which is all about confronting his mother and father with issues he's had with them over the years. Plus the record includes the track "Look at Me". ("look at me... who am I supposed to be?") |
submissions
| Muse – Glorious Lyrics
| 17 years ago
|
This song is great, BUT am I the only one who noticed the lyrical rip-off/tribute to Radiohead's "My Iron Lung"? Muse have gotten enough flack for sounding like Radiohead that I can't believe they would open this song's chorus with:
"Faith, it drives me away"
When "My Iron Lung" begins with:
"Faith, you're driving me away" |
submissions
| PJ Harvey – Horses In My Dreams Lyrics
| 17 years ago
|
|
There's another way the line "I have pulled myself clear" can be read. She mentions that some of the horses in her dreams are "pulling", in the sense of being yoked and dragging something along (being burdened, in other words). In the same sense that one can drink themselves stupid, or yell themselves hoarse, she has pulled herself clear. In other words, she has pulled around her burden so long that she has achieved a new sense of clarity. |
submissions
| Manic Street Preachers – I'm Not Working Lyrics
| 17 years ago
|
|
This song is incredible. I really feel like the music is beautiful and well-arranged enough that people could study it in music classes. To me, it's about being at a really low ebb (of course), or perhaps feeling like you were about to have things go right, and then having life hand you a check that bounces. When I feel really alienated by the degree to which I'm worried about, say, tyranny occuring in the US, or the economy crashing or something, I just feel like not going to work (of course "work" doesn't need to be taken so literally here) and just waiting for things to go to shit to prove me right. |
submissions
| Akron/Family – Franny/You're Human Lyrics
| 17 years ago
|
|
The title, and the prayer within the lyrics, is a straight reference to J.D. Salinger's "Franny and Zooey". Reading the book doesn't reveal a whole secret meaning to the song or anything, but it certainly makes them more poignant, because it's such a powerful book. |
submissions
| Pearl Jam – Parachutes Lyrics
| 17 years ago
|
|
It's a beautiful song, but the lyrics read like they were translated to Chinese in Babelfish and then translated back. |
submissions
| Andrew Bird – The Happy Birthday Song Lyrics
| 17 years ago
|
Something that no one has commented on yet is just how sad it is to have to ask someone to sing you "Happy Birthday". If one imagines that this is actually being sung on the narrator's birthday, the fact that he's "oh so slowly" going through these routines like doing the dishes, and then that he has to ask someone to sing him "Happy Birthday", which people usually jump at doing without being asked, reflects strong isolation. Combined with the yearning "like it's gonna be your last day" even gives it suicidal undertones, just by the fact that on his birthday he's sitting alone thinking about the idea of having a last day at all.
This side of it is much easier for me to see today because it is my birthday. Don't worry, I'm having an ok one, but the lyrics certainly work in that context. |
submissions
| Zwan – The Shining Path Lyrics
| 17 years ago
|
This is one of my favorites on the album!
That is if it had been on it.. *sigh*.
The live version I have has some of Billy smoothest vocals ever. Plus, near the beginning a girl shouts out "Jesus loves you!" and then -immedietly- someone shouts back even louder "Shut up!". It's hilarious. |
submissions
| Billy Corgan – Sorrows (In Blue) Lyrics
| 17 years ago
|
|
No love for Sorrows? One of my favorite tracks on the record, the chorus is just simple in the best way (the half-time kicking in makes it). And then the second verse that's actually a new, long, descending part? Billy, you are a master of arrangment. |
submissions
| Billy Corgan – Tilt Lyrics
| 17 years ago
|
Everyone, please track this song down..
It's one of the best things Billy Corgan's done post-Pumpkins, period. Why oh why, Billy, did you deprive the world of Tilt and keep it off the album?
The space-age sounding bridge section that comes from nowhere and lets him do a great, sweet falsetto melody makes the song. That and the music box intro, short as it may be. |
submissions
| Calla – So Far, So What Lyrics
| 18 years ago
|
|
I also want to add that I'm not sure what he's saying for the line before "it's all coming to a head". And how great I think the lyrical switch-up to "so far, -for- what?" at the end is. |
submissions
| Calla – So Far, So What Lyrics
| 18 years ago
|
|
This is my favorite song off of Collisions... it just explodes in the perfect way. It can work for a relationship falling apart, but after my friends' band started imploding recently I realized it's really perfectly open-ended, about a sense of dissapointment. |
submissions
| Primal Scream – Exterminator Lyrics
| 18 years ago
|
|
There's a reason these were the only lyrics printed with the artwork for my LP of XTRMNTR. This song is poetry, it really says it all about being in a state of high political agitation and paranoia, and about watching your country fall apart as well. |
submissions
| Minibosses – Megaman 2 Lyrics
| 18 years ago
|
|
I don't care how ridiculous it sounds, the guy who did the Megaman 2 soundtrack is one of my favorite songwriters. |
submissions
| Gil Mantera's Party Dream – Tigers Lyrics
| 18 years ago
|
Can we get some more love for GMPD on this site? See them if you have the chance, they're one of the best live experiences you'll ever see.
I think this is a near-perfect pop song that could've gone to the top of the charts in an alternate universe. Like alot of their things, I think it's pretty emotionally powerful despite some goofy lines and beats. |
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.
