submissions
| Clutch – Frankenstein Lyrics
| 12 years ago
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Lol, what numbskull labeled this as written by Edgar Winter? That one's an instrumental! |
submissions
| Porcupine Tree – Dark Matter Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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The spoken word bit at the end of the song, about electroshock therapy, is actually from an old, old episode of Saturday Night Live. It was originally part of a fake advertisement for a beer aimed at lobotomized people, Spud. I'm a big fan of both Porcupine Tree and SNL and I thought it was crazy when I made the connection. |
submissions
| R.E.M. – Pop Song 89 Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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I feel like this song represents Stipe's realization that the band has the nation's ear, and as a pop singer, he has to come up with something to say. Especially as the first track following the more clearly sung and overtly political album Document. To cut the tension, Stipe sings as someone at a loss for words and they name the song the most mundane thing possible. |
submissions
| Silversun Pickups – Common Reactor Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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I've also though this song was about death. I imagine him finding the picture, squirreled away in the attic of some vacant house. The picture was sentimental and meaningful to the whoever some years ago, but now, the girl doesn't even have a name. The later parts of the song are about trying to fight off the eventual obscurity that comes with death.. not just of himself, but of his name. If he's loud, and gets enough people to pay attention, maybe he can at least live in the heart of someone else a little longer. But even still, he's going to cross the finish line. |
submissions
| R.E.M. – Bittersweet Me Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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I think this song is about unsatisfying sex. The narrator is doing what he thinks he wants, but it just isn't it. Instead of feeling good, he's left tired and naked. |
submissions
| Orgy – Platinum Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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I totally agree, EmpireofDirt. It's like a creepy drag queen voice. |
submissions
| The Smashing Pumpkins – G.L.O.W Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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From one of Billy's friends who played an extra in the video: "Well I know that GLOW is written about sex for enjoyment. It's not about connecting with someone. It's about a lustful act." |
submissions
| R.E.M. – Pretty Persuasion Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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Stipe introduced this track at the concert last night by saying 'This is a song about growing up queer in the 80's.' |
submissions
| Queens of the Stone Age – This Lullaby Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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Everyone's missing the last line in this song:
"When you left I'd only begun this lullaby"
In other words, she's been gone from his life (on account of a voyage, death, break-up, it's a bit ambiguous in that regard) for mere minutes, and already he's looking at faces, searching for her again. The build up of the song is supposed to make you think she's been gone for quite some time, but the line at the end twists it, revealing the listener's assumptions aren't correct.
The lines about the ocean and horizon make me think this song is possibly from the POV of a sailor, leaving his woman behind at home - which could be analogous to the life of a touring musician. |
submissions
| Clutch – 10001110101 Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I think it's about artificial intelligence gaining self-awareness and the expected disposing of humanity. I think the line most directly related to this is 'The shackles of automata will shatter like their bones', we simply won't be able to control them.
Plus, it fits the whole technology/evolution motif which exists throughout most of the Robot Hive: Exodus album. |
submissions
| The Smashing Pumpkins – Blue Skies Bring Tears Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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We're can't seem to hold on to a good thing. We ruin it. Both in a very personal sense (destroying someone you love emotionally) and in a global sense (apocalyptic warfare).
We can't be happy and love ourselves when things are going great. Blue skies bring tears. |
submissions
| The Smashing Pumpkins – My Mistake Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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This song is about cheating, and winding up giving yourself and your partner AIDS in the process. "We share the same monkey disease" can't really mean much else. It's a weird situation he's trying to talk through. Obviously, the stakes are way higher than simply "I cheated and it was wrong." |
submissions
| The Smashing Pumpkins – I of the Mourning Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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To me, this song always seemed one of the more direct stories about Glass. Glass hears God speaking to him through the radio. The radio is calling him, telling him to reform his band, The Machines of God. Glass asks him back, "What is it you want? What is you want to change?" The repetition of "radio" at the end of the song is Glass begging for a response.
Of course, Glass is crazy. |
submissions
| The Smashing Pumpkins – Jesus Loves His Babies Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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There are two versions of this song floating out there. The studio one has the answering machine bit at the end. These lyrics were taken from the other version recorded at a live show, hence the opening banter. The live version's a lot muddier. |
submissions
| The Smashing Pumpkins – Appels + Oranjes Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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I've thought for a while that this song is about suicide.
The opening portion of the song lists a lot of things that inherently do something, and their refusal. "What if the sun refused to shine? What if the clouds refused to rain?" Billy (or the narrator character) seems to be drawing a comparison, as suggested by the title. He's admitting it's a faulty comparison, as in "I know it's like comparing apples and oranges, but..." and then proceeds to talk to someone who's been let down by life. It's kind of a pep talk, suggesting the primary action of a person is to live, and dream, and continue on.
I tend to think it's specifically to a character currently contemplating suicide, or already gone because of two reasons. First and foremost is that the whole album, Adore, is heavily about death. Look at Tear, For Martha, The Tale of Dusty and Pistol Pete... Second is the very haunting lyric in the middle "What if the air could let you breathe." All the other what if's are things that can't happen, therefore it follows the subject is no longer with the living.
As to Appels + Oranjes beings spelled wrong, I heard this was in homage to the completely different early-era Pink Floyd tune. This sounds likely. |
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