| Beck – Missing Lyrics | 10 years ago |
|
I love this song, Beck is such a genius. As others have noted, obviously about femme fatale. But I think it's also about how broken people attract other broken people. The evil chick sounds like classic borderline personality type woman. They tend to attract people who are broken themselves. The title "Missing" refers to the fact that she had something missing, and so does this guy. Whatever was missing in his life, he uses her to fill the gap. She screws him over and breaks his heart, and all he can do is feel hatred, self absorption and self pity. "someone always missing something" - probably ever lover he had was missing something, just like him. The perfect music video for this would be cartoon type anima who are each missing something, finding each other, than someone else, than someone else, and on and on. Every character would be missing a piece, borrowing from each new person they came across, then losing a new piece, etc. |
|
| Spoon – The Mystery Zone Lyrics | 11 years ago |
|
I love this song .. definitely my fav song from the album. I think it's about how people search for the unknown to fill a perceived hole they have in themselves. i.e. "once I lose this extra weight, THEN I'll be happy!"; "once I find the perfect girl (or guy), THEN I'll be happy!", or the perfect house, location, job, etc. Often it can be an undefined longing for something that feels out of reach ... a lot of people feel this way, I think, which is sad. My favorite line is "times that we met, before that we met". Also "you weren't there, but you were" ... it perfectly describes that deja vu longing that keeps returning. People often repeat this pattern in relationships or keep making the same mistakes because they don't know what's really driving them .. like "the rider" in the song, chasing "something he don't understand". Fucking great song, and the music fits it perfectly. The main motif sounds like something out of an old 60's horror or mystery film. |
|
| Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 – Hurricane Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Atter giving it more time to soak in, I definitely think this is about being enmeshed in a dysfunctional relationship. The lyrics fit perfectly and so does the music. This song is stunning and powerful. | |
| Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 – Hurricane Lyrics | 12 years ago |
|
I agree with chrisrazor on all points - transcendent music that perfectly matches the lyrics, which are wonderfully open-ended. Depending on one's perspective, it could be a wonderful relationship or highly dysfunctional. It reminds me of past experiences I've had with unstable girls when I was much younger and pretty naive ... it can feel wonderful and overwhelming at the same time. Certain people can suck you in to their drama if you don't have your own shit together. Or, this could just be a heartfelt love song, who knows haha. |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Doctor Dark Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| Love this song. Listen to it with headphones, and in parts you can hear the horse clippin and clappin - the percussion sounds exactly like a horse's canter in some parts .. genius | |
| The Fall – Middle Mass Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| I believe this is about Marc Riley | |
| Tom Waits – Please Call Me, Baby Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| It's endearing how much this sounds like a Sinatra song (as do a few other songs on this classic album). As everyone knows, the cover of the album is a remake of Sinatra's "In the Wee Small Hours", and this whole album is a concept album (Wee was kind of a concept album itself) that touches on the same stuff .. desolation, isolation, desperation, dreaminess, hope .. I frikkin love this whole cd | |
| Beck – Lord Only Knows Lyrics | 13 years ago |
|
Beck is my (Gen X, I'm same age) generation's Dylan, no question. 'Cause Lord only knows it's getting late Your senses are gone so don't you hesitate To give yourself a call, let your bottom dollars fall Throwing your two bit cares down the drain Frikkin genius. Layered meanings going on here. This was written in early 90's, pre cell phone. People used to use these things called pay phones, often with quarters. When he says give yourself a call, let your bottom dollars fall, he's talking about quarters (2 quarters = bottom half of a dollar). Obviously, 'bet your bottom dollar' is a ref on another level - but sticking with this "first layer" of interpretation, we've got the pay phone thing going on. Throwing 'two bit cares down the drain' = throwing two quarters (two bits) down the pay phone drain. On another level, it sounds like a dysfunctional relationship has run it's course. I always visualize a 'trailer trash' type of scenario with one of those Jerry Springer type chicks you see on the tv .. don't know why, maybe it's the lazy, laconic rhythm of the melody and overall tone of the song .. |
|
| The Kinks – Dandy Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
I love this song (love the whole lp!). I like the open-ended-ness of the last part, "you're all right". Could be a confirmation of the person's character - not everyone is suited for marriage and some fellas just plain love women ... or, it could be more ironic. We've all known at least one guy like the eternal skirt-chaser in this song - who is so guided by their libido that it controls their life and gives them poor judgment. And these fellas tell themselves it's all good and they're "all right" in their 30's, 40's, 50's and so on. The idea being that perhaps it's not "all right" and there is some irony in this line. The casanova complex has been written to death, but the consensus is that there are self-esteem issues at root with this personality, especially if it's not outgrown and continues into middle age. Yet another great song from the Kinks, you could read this more than one way, and there's no "right" interpretation |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Ice Cream for Crow Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I was thinking about this song today, and something just occurred to me so I thought I'd add another comment. The line "white hat on a pumpkin - you KNOW there's somethin'!" is just too awesome. The moon is full, and can be seen at night reflected on the top of a pumpkin, giving it a white hat. "you know there's something" is a line about the muse/other side/wildness .. whatever you want to call it that creeps into human beings from time to time. The line actually reminds me a bit of the whole motif in Moonlight from Vermont, which is a celebration of the spirit of that "wildness" (in the case of that song, he tells the tale of an entire town that basically howls at the moon one funny night). Many great poems have been written about this kind of thing, and I'm sure Don has read many of them himself. | |
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – My Human Gets Me Blues Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
According to John French, Van Vliet wrote the lyrics about him (Drumbo) as a way of poking fun. Some of the recording/transcribing sessions for the songs were brutal and took a physical and psychological toll on Drumbo - and Beefheart would tease him for it. I'm sure he'll mention it in his upcoming book. Also, John is a Christian, and Van Vliet was apparently very condescending about his religion (preferring Eastern religion himself) so a lot of religious imagery in the lyrics may be jabs - perhaps good natured jabs in Beefheart's own mind - towards Drumbo. Who knows. Anyway, with that in mind, some of the lyrics do make a lot of sense: "i knew you were under duress", "jaw hanging slack", "fear in your windows (eyes)", etc. If Drumbo was physically and emotionally spent after some of these harrowing marathon sessions, he could have had his religion to fall back on and give him strength - which Van Vliet would of course know about (I don't think there were too many secrets in that house) and goad him for. This is all speculation of course - from one man's own account (well, two men if you count Harkelroad's own book and interviews) of the TMR sessions. Still, I see no reason why he would make anything up. He is still very respectful and really complimentary about Don's genius and clearly wishes that they could have remained friends. |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Big Eyed Beans from Venus Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Nice one ziff - how did I not see that, it's obvious really. And yes, I'd have to agree about that last line you wrote - god bless boobies, god bless the captain | |
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Space-Age Couple Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
Pretty self-explanatory - just wanted to mention that the second verse of "leaves/dew" sounds exactly like "what's on the lease ain't due no more". The Captain loved to play with words and this line would fit the song perfectly - an indictment of greed at the expense of the planet - our nice cars and big screen tv's taking precedent over all else. Sadly, it's a perfect song for today's troubled times. |
|
| Beck – Side Of The Road Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
endlessskies - yeah, I think Beck is a fan actually; I love the album art for this and the fact that the cover is pink .. maybe a hidden tribute to Nick? Fripod - great assessment, I agree; I too can relate and really am floored by the empty can across the empty floor line - Beck is the empty can, and the empty floor is his environment - his friends are not there Of course, another analysis would be that the "borrowed dime" is the whole album - we, the listener, are being taken through his experience and can make of it what we will - we are kicking the empty can across the empty floor - or blank state - of our own listening experience I just broke up with my girlfriend yesterday. Tonight, I went for a night drive, listening to Sea Change .. kind of a catharsis .. I sobbed like a baby during a lot of it, but by the time it got to this song I felt ok If the final songs are leading to emotional acceptance, perhaps this last song of the album is that he wants to share it all with us - for artistic reasons of course but also that maybe we can take away something from it ourselves beyond commiseration |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Yellow Brick Road Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
Quite a few lazy thinkers when it comes to Beefheart, I've noticed. His lyrics are not abstract meanderings. That's like saying his music doesn't make sense. It all makes sense, it just requires a small degree of effort, like much of the best poetry. This particular song sounds like it's about one of the many "free thinking" cults that were prevalent in Los Angeles in the sixties. I wouldn't be surprised if this was about scientology, but it could be about any number of free love cults that were floating around back then. Google "yellow brick road" and "mind control" and see what you come up with. The 1-2-3-4-5 is significant as well. After doing some reading on that stuff, go back and re-read the lyrics and consider that it was written in 1966 by a guy who had conversations with every kind of wacko in Cali that you can imagine .. |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Hey Garland I Dig Your Tweed Coat Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
Great song. The first section seems to be describing the setting. It would appear to be outdoors, in the city. Perhaps they're on a bench or an outdoor cafe of some kind. The description on neon plants swimming and red thyroid sunsets make it sound like hotel or bar signs lit up, with picutres of palm trees, sunsets, girls, etc as part of their flashy neon advertising. Perhaps this is somewhere in Arizona, where I believe he lived for a while .. during Ice Cream for Crow period maybe. Trading the domino that is mothball-scented sounds to me like an old tape of his - maybe a video even. He would have to dig through the mothballs to get it, and it would indeed resemble a large domino, with the big circle on either end of the rectangle. The second section is describing Garland. He's older, chewing and spitting tobacco juice. His thumb print is inked on to the newspaper he's holding, and of course there's a small o in a thumb print,making it look like it's screaming. The third section I have half figured out. The first part describes Garland blowing his nose and smoking a hand-rolled cigarette. He drops the used match into an ashtray. The sound of the match hitting the tubed ashes from previous cigs (hot sillhouettes) makes for the applause. As far as the rainbow baboon and the fifteen fish eyes .. who knows. Maybe they're black-eyed peas being eaten. Maybe there's a blackjack game going on nearby, and the fish eyes are chips being raked in by the dealer's "spoon" .. I have no idea. It's possible that Garland - besides being a person described by the Captain - is also symbolic of something else. Just a thought. The fact that he got his coat at the "religious scene", and that the Captain wants to trade some music for it, and then Garland decides not to sell the coat .. it all smacks of something deeper, beneath the surface. Perhaps a comment on religion and commerce going hand-in-hand .. just a thought. I'm sure Pena asking "who'd you look like underneath?" has at least two meanings as well. Any thoughts on this poem are much welcome. |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Pachuco Cadaver Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| snow white bag full o tunes may also refer to a white sound system installed in the front or back - very common | |
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Pachuco Cadaver Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
I'm a man obsessed .. here are more thoughts: the car is named FOREVER AMBER - the pachucos would name their cars "she looks like an ol squaw indian she's 99 she won't go down" - this is describing the car itself, all done up in gaudy colors like an old squaw; he then goes on to say she's 99 - being playful here, he is likely referring to Highway 99, which ran through Mexico to California all the way up to Washington - it was decommissioned in the 60's; "she won't go down" is a play on words and has several meanings: 1. a 99-year-old squaw would certainly not "go down" - Beefheart being a little naughty here 2. the car itself is "hopping" on it's hydraulic system .. not ready to just "go down" and cruise low until after the peacock strutting at the car show is over (this also explains the line about the pachucos getting the blues when the umbrella is folded - that would mean the hopping is over, show's over) 3. Highway 99 was around for years and years; it began getting phased out in '64 but it took a long time before it was final - that Highway did not want to go down the flowers may be actual flowers decorating part of the car, or flowers on the street itself - where the cars were slowly cruising during a lowrider parade - I saw a few pictures where flowers were littering the streets of the car parade It's a cadaver because the pachucos would take a car and basically rework it and finish it from the ground up - make the original car 'cadaver' into something beautiful and expressive |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Pachuco Cadaver Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
I just did some reading on low rider culture, originating in SoCal in the 50's, and here are final thoughts: "She wears her past like uh present, takes her fancy in the past" is indeed about the car itself. There is a culture there, and much work was done on the car over time - with visible results to the other pachucos in the barrios. Tattoos - the car is elaborately designed, tattooed if you will. The undercarriage is painted a bright broma seltzer blue and has a hydraulic system for lowering. "When she walks flowers surround her" - this may refer to the rear of the car being so low to the ground that sparks are flying - not uncommon. The sparks are the flowers and would indeed give off a scent. "Her lovin sticks out like stars" - Self explanatory at this point, but since I've come this far .. all the work that went into the car was a labor of love - and it shows brightly and beautifully for all to see ... like stars. |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Pachuco Cadaver Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
Another thought is that the car itself is the cadaver and could be a float of some kind, maybe in a street parade. "When she walks, flowers surround her" is what made me think of that. The blue umbrella that keeps her up off the ground could be the undercarriage. The round red sombreros could be the lug nuts on the tires - which are the high tap horsey shoes. "skin as smooth as the daisies, in the center where the sun shines in" - the windshield |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Ice Cream for Crow Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
Ok, one last note on the song. I believe that scarecrow is "the man" - meaning the suits in the business world involved with art and music. A big part of this song is his refusal to capitulate his art or distill it in any way (even though he had already done this with Bluejeans - and probably regretted it). The crow as mentioned above can represent any number of things, but I definitely think it symbolizes his art and is a kind of muse/energy for purposes of this song. "Crow pants the scarecrow" .. it's like "fuck you, I'm the artist, I'm calling the shots. The "boss and toss" line probably has to do with being lied to/mistreated by certain industry types. "Don't shake my hand" is a great line. Again, he's saying F - you, suits! You want to talk to me, or connect with me in any way - do it as an actual person who can appreciate art and not just see dollars ... give me your claw! Damn, I've written a lot about this song. Well .. I was inspired. I've loved it for a while and only recently started digging into the lyrics. Glad I put this out there - all other thoughts and viewpoints on this one are welcome .. |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Ice Cream for Crow Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
After thinking about it a bit, I think that one possible meaning for "light the fire piano" could refer to an electric guitar. Don often referred to guitars and basses as "upright pianos". Lighting the "fire piano" could mean plugging in the electric guitar - and getting ready to rock. Again, I feel like there is a lot going on within this song - which is often the case with his lyrics. On the one hand, it evokes obvious Crow Dance imagery. Native Americans of various tribes in North America would have crow dances, celebrating Crow. Crow Spirit meant various things to different tribes, but a common element was mortality, from a spiritual perspective - not a negative thing. When dancing, they would sometimes dress up as different powerful animals, including panther - "crow dance ah panther". And of course there is the black/white connotation again - crow/panther/night combined with sun/cream/white hat moon. All the black/white imagery makes sense, as he would often paint or do his ink drawings in black and white. There is a bit of Crow in all of us - that part of our spirit that is attached to the other side, so to speak. Don may be suggesting in this song that some of his rituals for both creating art and music tap into Crow (or as Jung said the Shadow side) for inspiration. These are powerful forces not to be tampered with. Hence - "scare crow, YOU answer". I love the video for this where he does the pointing thing at the camera when he lip syncs that line. The "two tears in a haystack" could symbolize the two sides of his art - the music and painting - that can get lost in the big business of those two worlds. |
|
| Spoon – The Ghost of You Lingers Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
Interesting .. when I first heard this song, it instantly made me sad and like chorp I started thinking about "the one that got away". I just assumed it was a breakup song. Then I looked at the lyrics on paper. And as time went by, I formed the opinion that this was about drug addiction. The bit about "would you settle the score" and the clinic references were only part of it. The other part was the music itself, which is really so masterful. The jolty piano rhythm, the "ooh oooh" vocals that just go right into the heart of you and give me the heebie jeebies .. I've never been into drugs but can only imagine what withdrawal symptoms must feel like. Now, several months later, I see that this is about addiction and withdrawal, and that he's likely comparing the experience of a past (or present) relationship to a bad addiction. So like a lot of great songs, the lyrics are layered and it's about both - or whatever the listener wants it to be about, to be more precise. At least, that's how I feel about it - certainly not an expert on Spoon lyrics, just my two cents. I usually skip this song when I have the cd on because while I think it's the best one, I don't always want to hear it, if you know what I mean. Gotta be in the right mood for that one .. |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Ice Cream for Crow Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
There's a lot going on with this song. Part of it is about his creative process with paiting. You can get this from the video he made as well. He would (and maybe still does) paint by moonlight in the desert because it was cooler and he liked the energy of the night better - and because the lighting was better! Hence, "the sun ain't stable" Crow may be Vliet, or the creative process, or something else entirely. Any thoughts on that? I also think "cut the cake, we'll all get well" is a comment on the business/commerce side of art - be it with his painting or his music. "It's a keeper" could mean he came up with a painting that was a good one. Also "ice cream for show" - an art show or even a concert. One last thing - there are two lines that have always confounded me, I'd love to hear outside thoughts: 1. "light the fire piano" 2. "two tears in a haystack, scarecrow get back" |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Electricity Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
Thanks futatorius. That makes perfect sense, considering it was 1967, and he's referencing Midnight Cowboy. Too bad the song didn't make it on the 1969 soundtrack for the movie .. I read some Beefheart interview where the interviewer was asking him if Electricity had to do with working with electric guitars, the sounds that came out of the amps, etc. .. I kid you not. Vliet played it off beautifully and said "yeah man, you got it". I'll bet he did that quite a bit with people. Anyway, connnecting the dots with Whitman's poem, the midnight cowboy reference and Vliet's own compassionate mindset of total freedom for everyone .. it all comes together now. |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Pachuco Cadaver Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
Thanks futatorius! Good info. Now, I've gone back and looked at this with new eyes. I think she's an older woman, and the car makes her feel young again. Yellow jackets and "red debbles" are the pachucos .. they're wearing yellow jackets and red devil jackets, and of course she's sporting the bee hive hair do. So, they're buzzing around her for the car, like they used to buzz around her in her youth. "tattoes and tarnished utenzles", "snow white bag full o tunes" may be referring to the woman, and is another line that suggests she's in her later years. One line really intrigues me: "Her lovin makes me so happy if I smiled I'd crack m' chin" I now think this may be the car's perspective, describing how he loves her energy and the great care she gives to the it (the car). Of course, if the front part of a car tried to actually smile, the front fender would crack! The rest of the poem may be describing the woman .. or the car .. or both! What do you think? Skin as smooth as daisies and teeth as clean as combs (i.e. a well kept front grill) could easily describe the car. Still, I think the word cadaver has meaning .. Beefheart could just be referring to her very old age, or it could go deeper ... |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Ink Mathematics Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Forgot to mention .. I also love the line "noggin elastics" because it also sounds like "not gonna last-ics" - the Beef loved to play with words and this is a great example of that. | |
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Ink Mathematics Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
This is one of my favorites by Beefheart. The poetry and playing is just brilliant in they way they interlock and on their own as well. The song has a few different meanings for me. The main thing he's getting across seems to be that there is math in everything (which there is), and that can lead to pretty scary stuff - stuff beyond ourselves (moon to a flea). Einstein's math somehow got translated into the atomic bomb - which is what the top and middle sections of the poem are describing. I love the line "it's plain to feel, hard to see". If you break it down and do any kind of reading on quantum physics, WE are math and the air is math and really everything in the universe - including our own thoughts - is information. Which of course is plain to feel and very hard to see. The last part of the poem is a bit more upbeat - Don breathes black and white, day and night. This refers to his own ink mathematics - writing songs and painting as well. Many of his drawings and paintings were in black and white during his Beefheart days. |
|
| Beck – Nobody's Fault But My Own Lyrics | 15 years ago |
|
I agree with edmon, it's about taking on one's own portion of responsibility. It's about taking responsibility. Beck himself takes on some of the responsibility for whatever went on in this relationship - he treated her like a rusty blade, likens himself to a grave robber and admits that some love "gets used". They were both doing a bit of using; this is how I see it anyway. Like edmon mentioned, it is a selfish way to lose when you don't own up. The wasted blues line refers to blues being wasted if you lie to yourself. Implying that when you are honest and take on personal responsibility, you can learn from your painful experiences and the blues aren't wasted. The line about the moon being counterfeit and finding the one that fits is just brilliant. That line is clearly about lying to yourself and avoiding reality/responsibility. On another level, this song may have something to do with his attachment to Scientology. I believe much of his sad/negative outlook with Mutations, Guero, etc. has to do with feeling deep down that something isn't right with this cult he was born into, his role in it, etc. He's a true artist and feels that he can only express musically what's inside him - and I suspect that is where all his bummed out messages are coming from. Just a theory. |
|
| Frank Black – Your Mouth Into Mine Lyrics | 16 years ago |
|
Herman Brood's music - and life/death - acted as a rejuvenator, catalyst, whatever word you like - for Charles Thompson this song is about that, and very cleverly comes afer "Angels Come to Comfort You" on the album, where Herman has jumped out the window, passed on, and the angels march down to bring him up to the heavens that's why at the beginning of "Mouth" Francis is saying "hey! where ya going?" it's touching really .. the man has passed on but his music and spirit live on through a fellow artist |
|
| Frank Black – Two Spaces Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| two spaces - one is outer space, the other is the ocean, which is so huge it's like it's own universe, mostly undiscovered; there is one line where he mentions he's a little concerned about all the pollution we put in the ocean - glad it's only one line or the song wouldn't be as much fun | |
| Frank Black – Dead Man's Curve Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| this is about Freddy Fender | |
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Big Eyed Beans from Venus Lyrics | 16 years ago |
|
I think this is a love song, believe it or not. A simple, really great love song. The Big Eyed Bean is not from Venus by accident. It is a symbol - a strange symbol granted - for love. "Don't let anything get in between us" ... what a great line. It's so easy sometimes for outside forces to break apart couples. Anyhow , just my two cents on this one and I wholeheartedly agree about the guitar work ... just killer. Oh yeah, and that part where he goes "you can be on the right track woman - of course, of course" ... so cool. It makes me smile every time. He was so cool, in such a strange kind of way .. Let's hear it for the Captain! |
|
| Les Savy Fav – Patty Lee Lyrics | 16 years ago |
|
just got a note from Tim Harrington - the song has nothing to do with the poem, just an odd coincidence that there are similarities there anyone out there have any ideas on this song's meaning? clearly, the moon is a key element, but I must say it almost seems the lyrics are intentionally open-ended towards the end |
|
| Les Savy Fav – Patty Lee Lyrics | 16 years ago |
|
one of my fav LSF songs, musically and lyrically .. awesome I haven't completely worked out everything going on lyrically but there is a 19th century poem called "Patty Lee" by some English fellow named Brodrick. it's on Google books, easy to find the poem is about this mysterious gypsy girl who is more than what she seems and probably bad news King William the Second's murder (alleged! it was never proven) is mentioned as well ... awesome poem if you have the time to read it and it wouldn't surprise me if it was an inspiration for the song a side note: there are interesting parallels between William 'Rufus' II, son of William the Conqueror, and the current leader of USA's Executive Branch |
|
| Les Savy Fav – Slugs in the Shrubs Lyrics | 16 years ago |
|
I had another thought .. it could be that one of the robbers was a jew in one of the death camps in a past life ...? and he's seeing this past life unfold in front of him at an inopportune time - in the middle of a heist that would explain the legs shattered/teeth chatter part - if he is reliving some awful event that happened years ago .. IT'S A MYSTERY I have no idea if someone has this song figured out, please post .. |
|
| Frank Black – Fiddle Riddle Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| It's a story told from Planet Earth's point of view. Even though the planet sort of shrugs off people - gobbles them up so to speak - the machines live on without humans. Standard sci fi theme, told from a cool perspective. | |
| Les Savy Fav – Slugs in the Shrubs Lyrics | 16 years ago |
|
Great song, it sounds like it's about a couple different things. On the one had, some reckless kids (I'm assuming they are young and wild) are pulling heists. In the past tense part of the song, it sounds like the writer is referring possibly to Jews? - ground up bones (they did this at the camps and indeed "where were the Prophets?" would be an appropriate question) is what lead me to this thought. I thought it might be about Native Americans but "the Prophets" kind of steers my thinking towards Jews. The whites/eyes line has to do with the old line "don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" which was taken from someone who commanded at Bunker Hill - in the Revolutionary War, 1775. It has become a modern proverb, meaning don't get yourself into a situation until you've checked it out, done your homework, etc. The "cannons fly" is a nice metaphor for modern guns firing, back at Bunker Hill of course they were using cannons. So - it there are no whites and no eyes, it could mean that these robbers are in a situation where caution is not needed because bullets are flying everywhere constantly anyway .. the Middle East, maybe? Or, it could just be a comment on how gangs are ramping up, getting more nihilistic each decade .. I really don't know, it's definitely about something. Anyway, it's a rocking song and I'm seeing the band in a few days and CAN'T WAIT ... |
|
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Pachuco Cadaver Lyrics | 16 years ago |
|
I love this song!!! One of my favorites from Beefheart. I still have not figured this one out lyrically but it love it just the same, maybe more so because of this. Musically, it is pure joy - great song to play for someone who has never heard the Captain before. There is obviously some car imagery going on, and I think cartune is some kind of play on words ("car tune"). Sometimes I think this is about an old woman who once was quite the catch and is now well past her prime but still highly sexual (she wears her past like uh present, etc). Sometimes I think it's about a car. Sometimes I think the woman has passed away, and the car is her coffin (the umbrella keeps her up off the ground, and when she pases the umbrella is unfolded - and the pachucos are sad that she's gone). I have no idea, but the lyrics are wonderful. I love the way he delivers the lines, it goes so well layered over the music .. so much warmth. I know that Vliet was in SoCal for much of his teens and that there were "pachucos" around his neighborhood at that time. Mexicans who would dress up in zoot suits, almost gangsters really. I know this song is about SOMETHING .. I'll figure it out one day ... |
|
| Bob Dylan – Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands Lyrics | 16 years ago |
|
I love this song, it is absolutely incredible. It is about BOTH his wife Sara and Saint Helena of Skovde. One of the reasons this song is so amazing is that it is layered. A line in the song can have - and does have - dual meanings in many instances. One line will be both about Sara and also applicable to Saint Helena's story. Some of the lines are just about Sara, obviously, while others are more parallel in nature. That he would compare her to Saint Helena of all people is very interesting and says a lot about how highly he regarded her. I have not researched Sara's past before she met Dylan, nor do I want to. I'd rather not know all the details, but clearly she went through some form of persecution or other, even if it was on just an emotional level. The line about the thief is very interesting; I think it's one of the double-meaning lines. Is Dylan the thief who is stealing her time/love (in his own mind anyway), or is it someone else? Who would the thief be in Saint Helena's tragic story? I could spend days looking into this, but I like having some of this stay open-ended in my own mind. It makes the song more enjoyable, somehow. I find this to be the case with a lot of Dylan's stuff. Sometimes it's good to not figure out TOO much and just enjoy the beautiful mystery of it. There's so much here in this song - every line has meaning and depth, and just reading the lyrics you can feel the deep love he must have had for her. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.