submissions
| Chairlift – Sidewalk Safari Lyrics
| 7 years ago
|
|
@[cutewhensedated:12777] Yeah it's absolutely about revenge. It's one particular man she wants to run down. I love the part where she's deciding how best to kill him! |
submissions
| The Fall – The Classical Lyrics
| 8 years ago
|
|
Thinking about thiese lyrics today and the word "brag" jumped out at me. I'm 99% sure most of it is aimed at a long-running UK culture programme called The South Bank Show (whose presenter was Melvyn Bragg). The show was eclectic, but Bragg would choose very particular types of artist, probably for very partisan reasons, which I can imagine got up Mark E Smith's nose. |
submissions
| Kaiser Chiefs – I Predict a Riot Lyrics
| 8 years ago
|
|
Where "indie" is now just a code word for "middle class" and "chav" is the derogatory word middle class wankers use for the working class, this is just a hate song directed by the haves at the have-nots. You can see it in the comments here. Stop hating your fellow humans, and start listening to fresh and interesting music instead of this retrograde, clodhopping rubbish. |
submissions
| The Buggles – Lenny Lyrics
| 8 years ago
|
|
I'm trying to make "Lenny" refer to Copernicus, but can't do it. Leonardo wasn't a heliocentrist was he? |
submissions
| The Roches – Hammond Song Lyrics
| 8 years ago
|
I love a lot of the Roches songs, and this is one of their most beautiful. But I hate its narrator. She's a stifling and controlling parent. Instead of just advising her daughter to stay in school, not follow the man she's fallen in love with, she tries to manipulate her into staying by cutting her off from the rest of her family.
"We'll always love you but that's not the point"?! If you truly loved her you'd find a way to let her make her own mistakes - which this might not even be - support her, and respect that fact that it's her life. Grr. |
submissions
| Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra – Melody Dean Lyrics
| 10 years ago
|
|
That's my interpretation, too; except he's only "a little bit angry" about it. Seems very practical to me. Wonder how close to reality this is, given that Amanda and Neil live on different contintents, and spend a good deal of time "crossing the continental divide". |
submissions
| L'Trimm – Cars That Go Boom Lyrics
| 11 years ago
|
|
No analysis? I'm fascinated by this song. I get the strong impression that they're taking the piss out of guys who do this to their cars. Anyone agree? |
submissions
| Red House Painters – Lord Kill The Pain Lyrics
| 11 years ago
|
|
Well, there's something about his voice and the way he pus songs together that makes him seem deadly serious, but I find it very hard to take these lyrics at all seriously. |
submissions
| Red House Painters – Lord Kill The Pain Lyrics
| 12 years ago
|
I don't think this song is "half serious". It's a thorough piss take out of whiny, whinging teen angst. (I'm reminded of Radiohead's 'Creep'.)
"Kill my neighbors
And all my family, too
They doubt my direction."
is my favourite bit. So splendidly unreasonable. |
submissions
| Tanya Donelly – The bright light Lyrics
| 12 years ago
|
|
Holy cow, I never thought of that. I think the perfect, perfect fit with the music distracted me and I just never even considered what she might be singing about. (I say perfect, but she had to work at it: the first version of this song has completely different lyrics and is called "Her Bad Year".) |
submissions
| Eminem – Role Model Lyrics
| 12 years ago
|
|
Never heard of the dude. I assumed it was a reference to John Cage. Which would be funny, 'cause a recording of his most famous piece would be blank. |
submissions
| The Fall – Idiot Joy Showland Lyrics
| 13 years ago
|
|
It refers to the "Madchester" scene of the mid-late 90s, specifically The Happy Mondays and their ilk. "Kecks" is correct (it means trousers), but I'm pretty sure the last word of the first verse should be "mongs". |
submissions
| Queen – The Prophet's Song Lyrics
| 13 years ago
|
|
To me the song is about all that's wrong with the world, and how easy it is to scorn anyone who tries to do something about it. The effect of the massed voices and their haunting harmonies sounds to me like the mesmerism of modern culture, a hullabaloo over which it's hard to be heard, by which too easy to be swept away. |
submissions
| Amanda Palmer – Oasis Lyrics
| 13 years ago
|
Amanda is an unashamed Anglophile. I got into her after reading an amazing piece on her blog about how much she loves The Cure. Love the Sainsbury's reference: so rare to hear British shops turn up in song lyrics.
I'm assuming that, like Another Year, this song was written quite a few years previously, when Oasis still meant something to some people. |
submissions
| Frightened Rabbit – Keep Yourself Warm Lyrics
| 13 years ago
|
Interesting that no-one has mentioned the two uses of "hole" that I figured were in use here (didn't know about the Scottish slang):
1) literally, a vagina
2) "in a hole" - being stuck in a desperate situation, with no easy way of escape |
submissions
| Rage Against the Machine – Killing In The Name Lyrics
| 13 years ago
|
You're the kind of person Kurt Cobain was talking about who "loves to sing along / but he don't know what it means" aren't you?
The song is, as people have said, very specifically about racists in power: in the police, the military and the judiciary. In later versions of the song he sings "Some of those who *hold office*", making this even clearer.
The final "Fuck you..."s to me are essentially saying "I'm not going to let a racist like you tell me what to do".
And, gotta say, the final "Motherfucker!!" sends a big shiver through me. Righteous anger, yes, but totally justified in its righteousness. |
submissions
| Leonard Cohen – Story of Isaac Lyrics
| 13 years ago
|
I hadn't got the underlying meaning before, about old men sending the young generation out to die. Absolutely brilliant. I like the way he tells the story from Isaac's point of view - emphasising how appalling Abraham's actions were with tiny details like "I was running / he was walking".
I particularly like the reversal at the end of
"I will kill you if I must/ I will help you if I can."
and
"I will help you if I must / I will kill you if I can."
I agree with Mr.V above - he's condemning the generals and politicians as worse than Abraham: they have no excuse, no spiritual explanation for their actions. |
submissions
| The New Pornographers – The Spirit of Giving Lyrics
| 13 years ago
|
Oops, I re-read it - it's a *brass portrait* that shines through the morning din, isn't it? All much clearer now.
Actually I'm pretty sure I do know what he's driving at. See my other post below. |
submissions
| The New Pornographers – The Spirit of Giving Lyrics
| 13 years ago
|
I agree with most of what's been said above, particularly about consumerism, but I think it's specifically about Christmas. There are some obvious references like the herald angels and the song's title. "Cloud prayer Mary" and the sad "brass portrait" are religious icons - a Madonna statue and a crucifix, or something similar. The "morning din" is the sound of everyone opening presents.
"Your money or your life" seems to sum up what he thinks of Christmas, that it's a manifestation of "screaming decay".
I love the line:
> I was in a band we were singing, "Hooray," quite often
Also enjoy the parentlike way he says "I'll give you something to be sad about" as if he's about to give consumerism a smack.
Is he pissed off that Christianity has been marred by what Christmas has become?
Anyhow, great song, and I love the repetition of "Cloud prayer Mary come on" at the end (I really just came here to find out what they were chanting). |
submissions
| The New Pornographers – Myriad Harbour Lyrics
| 13 years ago
|
Yes! I'm sure this song is about diversity. Bejar has a peculiar, tangential way with words but the line "look out upon the myriad harbour" really speaks to me, like he's saying "look at all this amazing, unfamiliar stuff". Hadn't picked up on the scariness before, but it makes sense.
I think he's also telling off his bandmates for keeping their heads down and missing out on it all. |
submissions
| Cocteau Twins – Iceblink Luck Lyrics
| 13 years ago
|
In the dictionary, under "joyful".
Written down, though, the words seem a bit... erm... rubbish? Like with Kate Bush, so much of the feeling is in the performance. |
submissions
| The New Pornographers – Crash Years Lyrics
| 13 years ago
|
|
Great theory, LittleEyes! This is my favourite song on Together, but I hadn't the foggiest idea what it was about. I like that she sings "the ruins were wild" - suggesting that she's not only sympathetic but perhaps actually approving of their fuck-up. |
submissions
| Eminem – My Mom Lyrics
| 14 years ago
|
|
Insightful question. I'm with the theory that he's making fun of people who blame their parents for everything. The answer, for me, lies is the last line of the chorus. He is patently *not* his mum, so doesn't that nullify pretty much everything else he appears to be saying in the song? |
submissions
| The National – You've Done It Again, Virginia Lyrics
| 14 years ago
|
|
I think you're right that "Can I ask you about today?" is the key line, but I don't hear it that optimistically. I think he suspects she's seeing someone else, so he's really tipping his toe into dangerous waters that will probably end the relationship by asking what she's been up to. |
submissions
| The Fall – Fortress/Deer Park Lyrics
| 14 years ago
|
Great lyric and stonking... I hesitate to say "tune".
"King Shag Corpse" = earlier incarnation of the look-back bores. |
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.
