| Bob Dylan – Maggie's Farm Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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Given that this track is on the same album as "Subterranean Homesick Blues," it seems worth considering whether this Maggie is the same Maggie we hear from in that song: "Maggie comes fleet foot Face full of black soot Talkin' that the heat put Plants in the bed but The phone's tapped anyway Maggie says that many say They must bust in early May Orders from the D.A." "Subterranean" describes an underground outlaw lifestyle, and Maggie seems to be the character who provides secret information about their rooms being bugged and plans for a bust. This could fit with the point others have made about Maggie representing "America." But in "Subterranean," Maggie seems to be more of an insider in the outlaw community. I'll leave this as food for thought, but I think there are a lot of common threads running through the album, so it's worth considering the connections between different songs. |
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| Father John Misty – Bored in the USA Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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One thing that's interesting about this song is that it evokes the emotion of a confessional, depressing, song, but with lyrics that aren't exactly "depressing" so much as pessimistic, with somewhat of a political message, and yet that actually makes the song all the more interesting. The first stanza takes us through a metaphorical lifetime: Rising, finding material possessions to define oneself, going into debt, being replaced by children (political commentary). None of these are opinions or feelings, they're just a really negative way to look at conventional American life. The second stanza takes a pessimistic perspective toward a romantic relationship, presumably. The line, "Is this the part when I get all I ever wanted?" alludes to the American dream, which the singer dismisses even in the same sentence. The chorus brings us to "Bored in the USA," obviously a play on "Born in the USA," but with a sharp and emotionally charged political bent. The politics become blatant in the final stanza, to the point of parody, lamenting educational value and subprime loans, not to mention the side-effects of whatever you'll need to listen to this song -- all with the added irony of a laugh-track behind it. After this, the song descends into its lamentation of being Bored in the USA, which, given the assertions of the song, seems both legitimate but probably temporary. The narrator is in a state of suffering that the song dodges around -- we know this through the pessimism, but also through his calls to Jesus, a plea sincere enough in vocal performance to justify the ironic asides. Save me President Jesus. |
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| Joanna Newsom – Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Just want to add a small thought. I agree with the common interpretation that at least on its surface this is a song about the end of a relationship... see MisterPuzzles's post for more details on that. I think the line "And some machines are dropped from great heights lovingly" refers to a bomb. It's a common metaphor when someone faces a shocking disappointment that it was like "having a bomb dropped on me," particularly in breakups. So I think this line is acknowledging that even though this situation was like a dropped bomb, it was for the best, done not out of cold blood but as lovingly as possible. |
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| Animal Collective – Today's Supernatural Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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At first, these lyric seem pretty cryptic, but I think it's pretty clearly a story about some passionate fling. The "Let let let let let let go" lyrics take on a double meaning. In the early verses, they represent sensual release, which fits in with the "erotic see saw." But in the middle of the song he hints that things are falling apart, with the lines: "The shifting easel It’s dripping now its stained in the reds and the paints And now it don’t look the same" And also of course... "Feels like the sun's going down" and "Have you seen those clouds." I think the insinuation is that this affair fell apart, and now the "Let let let let let let go" takes on a literal meaning, as the singer is trying to let go. The "Out of the question for the dead" line is kind of a morbid twist; is he saying he would rather die than let this go? Either way, this defeat is summed up in the recurring final lines: I made a shadow with my hand I made it like your heart But they will never be the same In other words, though the singer may have wanted this relationship to be more than a fleeting shadow, he could not win her heart. Also, I hear a slight variation: In the beginning of the song I hear "This exploding young brain is going to pull me out again." And in the second-to-last verse I hear "This exploding young brain is going to throw me out again." It's too hard to tell if I'm right about that since these lyrics are hard to hear, but if it's true that there is a shift there, it would fit perfectly into the story I'm hearing of a brief affair that couldn't last. |
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| Animal Collective – Today's Supernatural Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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To fill in the second question mark at the breakdown part: "...Like friends from a long ways There'll be some bad dreams No sin comes for nothing." Also I think it's "Our home is bigger than a mountain view." Not just "mountain." I'm also hearing "Met you in Baltimore / Loved you so loud." Not as sure about the second line there but it's definitely "Met you in Baltimore," that just makes more sense. |
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| Japandroids – Younger Us Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Japandroids make young-people music that you don't have be young to love; they've mastered the recipe of genuinely youthful and raw expression peppered with enough moments of maturity and emotional insight so that you feel young without feeling like you're too old to feel this young. I think that's true of all their music, but obviously this song would be a good example. Gtilles089 is right, it's a song about growing up, but it feels totally young and raw, lyrically and also sonically. |
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| Radiohead – Fitter Happier Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I definitely hear this as a commentary on our society's tendency toward medicating people into normalcy. Although most of the song describes the blandly idealized lifestyle of the fitter and happier individual, there are lines strewn about that hint at a very dark past for this person. "No killing moths or putting boiling water on the ants" "No longer afraid of the dark or midday shadows" "Slower and more calculated" and of course... "No longer empty and frantic..." I think it's these lines that deal with the PAST of this individual that tell the true story. This individual has been medicated somehow, through antidepressants or something, and we are expected to look at their new "calm" lifestyle through the lens of a dark and chaotic past. So from this angle, every positive statement in the poem is really drawing attention to its opposite. I imagine a character who was once unfit, unhappy, drinking too much, not sleeping well, paranoid, etc. And while the medication may have brought them into some state of idealized normalcy, it also took a depressing tax on the person's soul: "Fond but not in love." The idea that this is about being medicated is epitomized in the final line. The pig in a cage is a metaphor for a trapped person, who is only surviving through medication, not true freedom. To raise a truly healthy pig, you don't just shoot it up with antibiotics, you give it freedom to graze. I suppose for the person, true freedom would mean a release from the bleak and suppressive expectations of our culture, like settling down, becoming a parent, being responsible and following a routine (all things the song alludes to). But instead this person is medicated and conforms to the prescribed path, driving a safer better car, raising a child in some traditional manner, with only the memory of an "empty and frantic" past. As other people have mentioned, there is really way too much to say about this song. You could write a whole essay on it. On top of this general analysis there are the interesting contradictions, repetitions and juxtapositions: "Concerned, but powerless. An empowered and informed member of society." "Not drinking too much" ... "Enjoy a drink now and then." "Will not cry in public" ... "Still cries at a good film" "Fond but not in love" ... "Still kisses with saliva" I think these are meant to express the bizarre hypocrisies, contradictions and double-standards in what our culture considers normal, acceptable behavior. It's dark stuff. Given that Thom has spoken about his own experiences with depression (especially around the time of OK Computer), I would imagine these ideas come from deep within his own thoughts and feelings. Incidentally, the song reminds me lyrically of Nirvana's "Lithium." I think Lithium does not have as much poetic depth or subtlety (I don't blame it considering it's written as a rock song, not a poem over music like "Fitter Happier"), but both songs dwell on the calming effects of medication by making ironic juxtapositions and contradictions. The Nirvana line "I'm so horny, but that's okay my will is good" reminds me of lines in this song like "fond but not in love." Both evoke an emotion but show that it has been blunted into a passive and weaker state, while ironically casting this in a positive, yet unsettling light. |
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| The Rolling Stones – Love In Vain Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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It's "hard to tell WHEN all YOUR love's in vain." Same in the Robert Johnson version. Some interesting differences in the Robert Johnson version though: RJ sings "The blue light was my blues and the red light was my mind," which makes way more sense than "The blue light was my baby." But the stones do sing it the original way in some live recordings. Also, RJ sings (at least in the recording I have) "Well I felt lonesome I was lonesome," not "well I felt so sad and lonesome" like the stones. Either way it's great. As far as I can tell, most modern trains do not have blue and red lights on the back, though airplanes do. |
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| Panda Bear – Comfy in Nautica Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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You guys are sure it's "Coolness is having courage," and not "Goodness is having courage?" That's kind of disappointing, I thought it was a really clever play on the word "good": "Goodness is having courage, courage to do what's right. I'll try to remember always, just to have a good time." That seems to make more sense and lend some substantial meaning to the line about having a good time, but you could be right, it does sort of sound like "coolness," and if he's talked about coolness in interviews then that pretty much rules out my interpretation. |
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| The Tallest Man on Earth – Thousand Ways Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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Yeah I like the moon point by FreeGlenn. Also I'm hearing a different lyric at one point: I got sixteen hundred tigers now tied to silver strings When they PULL OUT in the pastures, oh the mighty HARP will sing Think about it, the 1600 strings make a harp. Despite being so symbolic and cryptic, Tallest Man's lyrics almost always make sense down to every detail if you parse them out enough. Like a good poet, he has a reason for using every word. And in this case Harp makes a lot more sense than Heart. It's refreshing to hear someone sing emotionally with such thought in the words. I heard someone criticize Tallest Man for being so heartfelt or "hipsterish" but I think these people (d-bags?) aren't even paying attention to what the songs are about. They're mixing him up with other artists who maybe don't have as much depth in the lyrics. |
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| Department of Eagles – While We're Young Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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I'm hearing the first line as: "I should have NAILED YOU DOWN" It makes more sense too. As far as song meanings I would look here: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11935-while-were-young/ |
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| Joanna Newsom – On A Good Day Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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"The creek is lying flat and still It is water though it's frozen" This could be one of those eternal vs. ephemeral metaphors. Although the creek appears to be still, there is water flowing underneath the ice. It's about thinking something is stable and constant, even though it's actually changing. This fits right into the relationship interpretation everyone else was talking about. The two lines before these, especially "Our nature does not change by will," seem to be saying that the break-down of the relationship was inevitable, and not something to blame on either party. Things decay, things get washed away. |
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| My Morning Jacket – Steam Engine Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I think we need to differentiate between organized religion, spiritualism, and secularism. As an atheist myself, I'm not overeager to interpret this as a spiritual song. But I think we all have to admit that the most obvious interpretation of this song is not about secularism or organized religion, but rather spiritualism in particular. To SadLove, I also noticed the recurring theme of human flesh. ("...your skin looks good in moonlight and god damn those shaky knees, the fact that my heart's beating is all the proof you need") Like many of Jim James's lyrics, it seems to be sexual at first glance. But there are too many direct references to the spiritual over the physical, so I'm led to believe he is trying to connect the two. He's saying the beauty of the physical world makes him aware of a spiritual world. Afterall, if he's really embracing the secular, then why would he say, "I do believe none of this is physical, at least not to me." Make no mistake, if an experience is not physical, then it's not secular, by definition. If you think you can talk about the "presence of something beyond the physical world" while still holding a secular conversation, then you're running into a contradiction. Has no one else noticed the missing lyrics at the end of this song? He's chanting "I believe, I believe, I believe..." over and over again. That's hardly a secular thing to chant at the top of his ecstatic lungs. On the other hand, to t1du: I do like your point that this song is spiritual and not religious. I think the word Jesus is meant as a direct symbol for "religion." Just switch the words, and he's basically saying that to him, religion is about the beauty of the world, not going to church. |
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| Arcade Fire – Wake Up Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I'm surprised that nobody's mentioned Global Warming directly, although a few people have mentioned the message about not mistreating our planet in general. To me, the lines... "Hold your mistake up / Before they turn the summer into dust" and "We're just a million little gods causing rainstorms / Turning every good thing to rust / I guess we'll just have to adjust" ... hint directly at global warming. With this interpretation, the first stanza could be about apathy. People tell you not to worry about what our society is doing to the world, and just live your life. "Someone told me not to cry... but now that I'm older... I can see that it's a lie." This song is called "Wake Up", so obviously it's about becoming aware of something that we've been tempted to ignore or suppress. Now the third stanza is about acknowledging responsibility, the fourth stanza is about what will happen if we don't acknowledge responsibility (literally), and the rest is about how blinded we are by our way of life. Other people have hinted at this interpretation, but I just wanted to point out that it could be explicitly about global warming. That said, I have a belief that the greatest political songs can be interpreted as either personal or political (The entire Radiohead album Hail to the Thief is a good example). This song obviously works as a metaphor for suppressing personal trauma as well (as many of you have pointed out). Just think of global warming as a metaphor for what happens in our minds as we grow older. Polluted by cynicism and laziness, we lose the color of our thought. |
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| The Shins – Weird Divide Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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This is a great song about nostalgia. A lot of people have been talking about the last four lines, which I agree do an amazing job of conveying the emotion of nostalgia. Even if something was fairly routine when it happened, the memory of it can sometimes grow in your mind and take on an even greater importance retrospectively. We expect time to make our memories weaker, so the last four lines reflect on the positive aspect of nostalgia. But I also love the two lines before it, which people haven't mentioned as much. The leaves... "took flight as we passed so long ago / but a short time I know" This is the sadder half of nostalgia. Sometimes the emotion of the memory can make it seem like it took place ages ago, even though intellectually you're aware that it wasn't that long ago. I love the line "but a short time, I know." Even while he's cherishing this pleasant memory, he's aware that it's part of a much larger life full of experiences that will continue for many years, and that in the long run this will only be small part of his life. But it still seems so big right now. |
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| Deer Tick – Dirty Dishes Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Yeah there are still some lyrics that I think are wrong. "by the look of the CLOCK [as noted above] and it's TURNING INTO HOURS and I've got nothing to look forward to 'cause I killed all the flowers" The turning into hours line is a lot like the line in "Not So Dense" where he says "And I watch sixty minutes go by HOUR AFTER HOUR AFTER HOUR!" I think a big theme in this entire album is how sometimes life doesn't go anywhere, and this song is a perfect example. It's not about how anything in particular about his life is really terrible, but it's just a drag. That's why he ends by saying "Things could be so much worse." But the song really shows how depressing life can be even when it's not all that bad. Also the first line is definitely "And YOU cried all night," hence why YOU created a stream (out of tears). Actually the fact that he sings about himself AND you is an interesting part of this song, it's like the two of them are living through this drag together, which makes this a really beautiful and unique song. |
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| TV on the Radio – Dancing Choose Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I think this song specifically targets portions of the media. This is obvious in the first verse, but it also recurs throughout the song in subtle slang references. VERSE 1: The obvious relevant lines in the first verse are "he's a newspaper man / and he get's his best ideas from a newspaper stand.... from his comments to his rants / he knows that any little article will do." Earlier comments have suggested that this is a guy who doesn't think for himself, someone who gets talking points from the news. But I take the verse almost literally; the character is actually a newspaper reporter-type, a symbol of today's media. The first verse is observing how the media just feeds off itself, keeping some fad news items on cable tv until people are tired of a topic, and then moving on to the next sensational story. The lines I mentioned suggest that he is just looking for sensational headlines and doesn't care about the importance of the news "article". VERSE 2 is about the hypocrisy of many of these news types. He thinks he's some champion journalist, but he's really just a buffoon. Bill O'Reilly or Rush Limbaugh come to mind here. VERSE 3 could be about how irresponsible the modern media is. This one's hard to parse, but the imagery of indulgence, "sick stunts" and a riot speak to me about how the media is just out to make a buck, even if it means using scare tactics and not sticking to responsible journalism. One part of the CHORUS sticks out to me: "I've seen my palette blown to monochrome." Literally speaking, in a newspaper most photos can only be black and white. But metaphorically this lyric is about the media's inability to handle subtlety. All judgment is in black and white. VERSE 4: The lingo in this verse (like much of the lingo in this song) is familiar to people involved in the media (or who observe the media). "Eye on authority" is probably straight out of fox news. "Eye on authority, / thumb print's a forgery / boy, ain't it crazy what the / lights can do / for counterfeit community;" These lines are about what the media is supposed to do -- uncover corruption, shining a light on the counterfeit community. But sadly, "every opportunity / wasted as the space / between the flash tattoo." VERSE 5 starts out elaborating on the frivolity of the media, referencing money and the "half-hearted hologram" that doesn't really care about important things. "Down for the record but not for freedom" clearly alludes to the media. He wants to get the story, but not because of his values or beliefs, just for money and glory. The "credit card, autograph" line pretty much says "money" and "fame/glory" in more colorful words. VERSE 6: If you keep the media in mind, most of the metaphors here are clear, especially the angry young mannequin one. An important line is "In the days of old you were a nut. Now you need three bumps before you cut." This is more news lingo. "Three bumps before you cut" probably doesn't allude to cocaine, as mentioned earlier. It's about that moment on tv news before a commercial break when they say, "Up next, is there poison in the water supply? Find out after these messages..." Saying you need three bumps before you cut sounds like a brilliant news diss... it means the person is so boring, no one will keep watching his program unless he keeps grabbing for attention with sensational news bumps. Overall this song is full of brilliant lines. I recognize news slang all over it, but the song has meaning and significance even without looking at it that way. And that's the hallmark of a great song. |
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| TV on the Radio – Dancing Choose Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I think this song specifically targets portions of the media. This is obvious in the first verse, but it also recurs throughout the song in subtle slang references. VERSE 1: The obvious relevant lines in the first verse are "he's a newspaper man / and he get's his best ideas from a newspaper stand.... from his comments to his rants / he knows that any little article will do." Earlier comments have suggested that this is a guy who doesn't think for himself, someone who gets talking points from the news. But I take the verse almost literally; the character is actually a newspaper reporter-type, a symbol of today's media. The first verse is observing how the media just feeds off itself, keeping some fad news items on cable tv until people are tired of a topic, and then moving on to the next sensational story. The lines I mentioned suggest that he is just looking for sensational headlines and doesn't care about the importance of the news "article". VERSE 2 is about the hypocrisy of many of these news types. He thinks he's some champion journalist, but he's really just a buffoon. Bill O'Reilly or Rush Limbaugh come to mind here. VERSE 3 could be about how irresponsible the modern media is. This one's hard to parse, but the imagery of indulgence, "sick stunts" and a riot speak to me about how the media is just out to make a buck, even if it means using scare tactics and not sticking to responsible journalism. One part of the CHORUS sticks out to me: "I've seen my palette blown to monochrome." Literally speaking, in a newspaper most photos can only be black and white. But metaphorically this lyric is about the media's inability to handle subtlety. All judgment is in black and white. VERSE 4: The lingo in this verse (like much of the lingo in this song) is familiar to people involved in the media (or who observe the media). "Eye on authority" is probably straight out of fox news. "Eye on authority, / thumb print's a forgery / boy, ain't it crazy what the / lights can do / for counterfeit community;" These lines are about what the media is supposed to do -- uncover corruption, shining a light on the counterfeit community. But sadly, "every opportunity / wasted as the space / between the flash tattoo." VERSE 5 starts out elaborating on the frivolity of the media, referencing money and the "half-hearted hologram" that doesn't really care about important things. "Down for the record but not for freedom" clearly alludes to the media. He wants to get the story, but not because of his values or beliefs, just for money and glory. The "credit card, autograph" line pretty much says "money" and "fame/glory" in more colorful words. VERSE 6: If you keep the media in mind, most of the metaphors here are clear, especially the angry young mannequin one. An important line is "In the days of old you were a nut. Now you need three bumps before you cut." This is more news lingo. "Three bumps before you cut" probably doesn't allude to cocaine, as mentioned earlier. It's about that moment on tv news before a commercial break when they say, "Up next, is there poison in the water supply? Find out after these messages..." Saying you need three bumps before you cut sounds like a brilliant news diss... it means the person is so boring, no one will keep watching his program unless he keeps grabbing for attention with sensational news bumps. Overall this song is full of brilliant lines. I recognize news slang all over it, but the song has meaning and significance even without looking at it that way. And that's the hallmark of a great song. |
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