| Flobots – Handlebars Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| It seems like it's all about arrogance. The seemingly mundane bragging that goes on when your a kid persists through adulthood as the situations get more and more serious. The accumulation of power is shown as a dangerous thing. Where we once only had control over ourselves and our bikes we eventually have the control over others and perhaps the world. | |
| Peter, Paul and Mary – The Great Mandella (The Wheel of Life) Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Fits pretty nicely. Need to find that version. But the song is about a man making a morally unpopular choice (existential) and giving his life for it no matter what his father or the public says. In my opinion it's one of the best anti-war songs ever written. |
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| The Beatles – Rocky Raccoon Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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This doesn't seem like a religious song to me. Rocky is cheated on (or he might be deluded into thinking he has been cheated on). Rocky decides to go after the man who "took" his woman. The Bible in the room seems ironic (I picture Rocky cursing at The Bible when he sees it). Rocky then confronts Dan only to be shot and for his "woman" not to care about him. He's told by the doctor that he's done for but sadly, Rocky won't believe him (the more and more I listen to the song the more and more I start thinking Rocky is crazed). Rocky then walks back to his room and finds The Bible (I know picture him grasping it praying that he lives and gets his girl back). But his prayers aren't answered ("Gideon checked out") and he is left to die on his bed. Paul even says "Sorry, Rocky" at the end of the song. |
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| Randy Newman – Sail Away Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Randy Newman puts himself in the shoes of a slave trader. He's coaxing black people from Africa to come to America in a sing-song type of voice. "Wog" is a racial slur towards blacks. The song is great because doesn't appear to be condescending at all, it just seems to be a song about how great America is, but then you realize that it's actually about slavery. Someone who doesn't know what "wog" means might say "YEAH" when they hear this song and think about the goodness of America, but if you know what it means you can see that it's actually pretty grim. There are still people starving in America, everybody isn't happy, not everyone is free, and slaves certainty can't take care of their families. |
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| Bob Dylan – Ballad of a Thin Man Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I like that, Welcome to Metaphor Circus. |
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| Randy Newman – Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Whenever I hear this song I think of a poor homeless boy in the Great Depression who performs for rich people for money, love, food, and acceptance. This is a boy who doesn't want money, just wants people to like him. |
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| Randy Newman – God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind) Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Such a bitter song about religion that asks the universal question of God: Why? I really love how he makes God a real entity, but at the same time criticizes his existence, or at least his influence on human kind. Very, very cynical. |
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| Randy Newman – Louisiana 1927 Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Yes, a very eerie song especially after Hurricane Katrina. They're tryin' to wash us away.. |
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| Randy Newman – Rednecks Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Lester Maddox, for people who want to know was the governor of Georgia in the 1960's and was the meaning of the term "Redneck" who always wanted to keep the niggers down (opposed to civil rights). But don't think this song is simply making fun of the southern boys, it sure seems that way in Newman's trademarked ironic way, but in the last bit of the song when he is describing how the niggers are free he lists all areas considered to be "northern" (I know St. Louis was in Missouri which was a southern state I think), showing that blacks really aren't free anywhere, even among people who want to give us civil rights, we are still discriminated against. |
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| Randy Newman – Political Science Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| Randy Newman was so ahead of his time, everything from just the title of the song make it great. Political Science to describe the growing feeling of American superiority and dislike of other "non-American" countries. | |
| Modest Mouse – Blame It on the Tetons Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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The Tetons referred to in this song are the Native American tribe who is mainly known for hunting buffalo. The Tetons were often used as a scapegoat in the 1900's as to why the Buffalo population in the Great Planes was dieing out, when in reality it was people industrializing and killing for sport. This song is mainly about people trying to find something to blame another thing on, and how people don't take credit for anything bad that happens, but are glad to take credit for anything good: All them eager actors Gladly taking credit for the lines created By the people tucked away from sight What's being pointed out is how this is a big problem with people and how we're ignoring the problem and getting obsessed with the excuse. |
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