| The XX – Islands Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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Many people have said pretty interesting things about this song, and I agree with most, especially the ones who have been talking about fear of commitment and the likes. I might be overanalyzing things, but the "now I don't ever have to leave" has always struck me as slightly ironic, in a bitter way, just as this song gives me an overall bittersweet feeling. Feels like the singer is saying "well, I'm in love now, I have someone, so I'll just be stuck here forever, and be happy about it, it's not like I can do anything else", or something of the kind. I feel like this song might be talking about a feeling of entrapment, and how since love or the idea people have of it is supposed to be a major goal in life, once you have it, there's nothing to do anymore. You're just supposed to drop everything else (like the protagonist's metaphoric dreams of exploring) because you have now everything you could ever have asked for. So you burn all your bridges, but what are you going to do if that perfect love turns badly when you've forsaken everything else in your life? The "couldn't overlook" feels like the protagonist somehow had no choice in the matter, and the "I am yours" like she's not in possession of herself anymore. I don't know if I'm making any sense, but that's what the song made me feel. And the way the dark-haired woman is left alone at the end of the music video while the couple in the middle grows further apart and everybody gradually leaves does not exactly bode well for the future of any relationship the song might be talking about. |
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| The Gentle Waves – Pretty Things Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| While I agree with the general idea of outer beauty fading with time, for me this song has a melancolic, and maybe slightly bitter quality. I picture the protagonist as a woman who is beautiful and a bit jaded, and offers her beauty to find warmth and love in hope that a partner will ease the sadness she feels inside (can you caress broken wings). She does realize that it will most likely be shallow and not last (castles melt in the sand), but is willing to try if only for the comfort it will provide her while it lasts (but you could still touch my hand/and have a dream, then go away). | |
| Garbage – Dog New Tricks Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| To me, it's more precisely about someone popular, or well-respected, that everybody think of as clever, deep, etc (everyone mistakes the things you say...), but is actually pretty shallow and is repeating easy truths to make themselves seem deep, which would refer to the "dog new tricks". Like something you teach to a dog to amuse yourself, that person is shining in society by metaphorically sitting, rolling over, catching the ball... The "you make me feel so worthless" part would be about how she feels belittled by this person's pretending to be so much better than her. It actually might be someone that she appreciated before and became that way to make themselves popular in society (I would have never pegged you...), so it stings even more. | |
| Tom Waits – Green Grass Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| This song is really beautiful, though simple, and the lyrics are so poetic and sad. It really moves me everytime I listen to it. It talks about not wanting to be forgotten, though being dead, and not being able to let go of a loved one. In books and movies, we always hear that in the case of the death of a loved one, the dead would want us to move on, forget and be happy, but I think that song is actually more accurate. Though it might seem selfish, as humans, it's normal not to want to be forgotten by someone we love and not to want to be replaced. Well, at least, that's what I think. | |
| The Gentle Waves – Falling From Grace Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| Um, I didn't really saw it that way. On the contrary, I felt like the girl herself indulged in an enjoyable but shallow relationship on purpose (but that's alright by me/ we happen to be free) because she is weary of love and the pain it brings (if I could tear my heart, etc). At the end, she seems to say that though that kind of relationship and mindset is usually considered bad (if we fall from grace...), she doesn't regret it (at least we had a taste/of something more than this, etc), and that she had fun and will keep looking for hope. Well, that just the way I though of it... | |
| The Gentle Waves – Hangman In The Shadow Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Lovely song. I was wondering about the meaning of this song (and especially about the title), and I stumbled on this: "The hangman candle has a very long shadow and a very small real body. Typically, it has no upper shadow (or at the very most, an extremely small one). To be an official hangman, the lower shadow must be at least twice the height of the real body. The larger the lower shadow, the more significant the candle becomes." Made me think a little. The third part, "we'll lie under blossom..." describes a carefree, happy life, while the second and fourth part seems to refer to a kind of anxiety, fear that the main character cannot get rid of though her life is apparently happy and slowly takes over her, like the shadow becoming bigger than the candle. The references to the clock and ticking made me think about the passing of life, so maybe, this song could be about trying to enjoy life but without managing to forget the threat of death waiting at the end? Just a though... |
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| Émilie Simon – En Cendres Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I'm surprised nobody commented on this song yet, it's one of my favourites by Emilie Simon, and probably one of the saddest ones. I love the "crackling fire sound effects", and the lyrics are really beautiful and bitter, though I don't get it all (like the part about a mysterious "he"), and it overalls speaks of quiet depression, heartache and a person giving up on life and slowly crumbling. I especially like the "je ne fume plus: I don't smoke anymore..." line. Here's a rough translation, if anyone's interested ^^ I am only a shape with vague outlines With a gloomy gaze, slightly haughty I advance blindly and I am grumpy A room without windows with view on my feet Chorus : By dint of misunderstandings I am hearing-impaired (originally a pun on the words malentendu-misunderstanding/malentendant-hearing-impaired) And these déjà -vus make me malicious I don’t smoke anymore but I’m going up in ashes (the original one resembles « going up in smoke/flames except it’s ashes) How long will I still have to wait for you I often hear him whispering on the evening Taking for witness the cement of the damaged walls He promises them beauty but he feels so ugly In front of his(/her) picture on the bedside table Chorus I don't smoke anymore but I'm going up in ashes... |
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| Émilie Simon – Dernier Lit Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Here's the literal translation, though it's a bit rough. I really like the sound effects in the background, light and cheery like bubbles. The song gives a very happy feeling though it talks about death, like the woman had a very fulfilling and joyous life, and welcomes Death like a lover, with open arms. Laying on her bed, dreaming, she smiles The old woman once alluring is losing her life For sure tonight it’s her last bed Tomorrow for sure will be without her Death whispers to her to wear laces It’s a good omen for the Eternal Death whispers to her her song/ritornello She lies down a white glass of absinthe in her hand Her lover waits for his missing one for tomorrow For sure tonight it’s her last bed Tomorrow for sure will be without her Death whispers to her « you are so beautiful » In the name of the Father and the Holy Spirit Close your eyelids, join the night |
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| Émilie Simon – Le Veil Amant Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Roughly translated, it starts like this: My love I thought with naivety That one sprig of lily of the valley could bring you back So I found One or two old sonnets To remind you To call you back (here the french word is the same for the two meanings) To me my love Through this beautiful day Of spring I let Close to your feet fall A lone sprig of lily of the valley But it withered Waiting for this kiss That will never come The month of may Played me This year I let flow too many feelings This time the month of may Laughed at me This year etc etc Excuse my poor english... I don't want to spam, so I won't put the whole translation, but basically it talks about a past love that was never fulfilled and is now a bitter but cherished memory. The Old Lover could be the one she loved, but from the whole song, I got the feeling (that could be just me though) that the one singing the song is actually the old lover, who talks about a woman he loved when he was young, and who has now withered just like the sprig of lily of the valley and lives on his memories. A woman singing in first person about a man is not unheard of. |
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| The Birthday Massacre – Unfamiliar Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Great song! One of my favourites with Nighttime. Just a thought in passing, but since TBM seems to be influenced by japanese culture, the whole "close the doors" thing made me think about the hikikomori phenomenon. You know, it's those people who shut themselves in their house or room because of depression or social pressure. Well, I might be completely off the mark though. |
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| The Birthday Massacre – Video Kid Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Pop culture? I had never thought of it that way, but it does make sense *thinks* As for me, as soon as I saw the title of the song, I thought about video games. Doesn't the beginning sound like somebody playing with a gameboy? (would be a DS now... whatever, I'm old school XD) I take the video kid as those kids who get totally obsessed with video games to the point reality doesn't matter anymore: "Need a new game, need a new something more. Got a new face got a new way to score." Onto the next game when the last is finished, they can't stop, it's like a drug. The stuff about beating up people makes me think about how video games are sometimes outrageously violent, and how they become a way for people who can't express themselves in real life to let out their feelings. But it's still "just pretending". TBM is influenced by japanese culture and stuff, so it would make sense. Well, great song anyway ^__^ |
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| Radiohead – Faust Arp Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I might be far off the mark, but then, everybody intepret songs as they feel it. For me, this song is about being stuck in a situation (like a relationship, but not necessarily), and not being able to escape it (or not being brave enough), and slowly, quietly breaking down while everything keeps going as usual. Like having enough of everyday life. The repetitive music, and the lyrics "wakey... it's on again, off again", would be about waking up everyday, doing the same dull routine, while dying on the inside ("watch me fall like..."). The protagonist has to do what is "reasonable and sensible", because life goes on, but desperatly wants to "get off". "The elephants that's in the room" would refer to the problem the protagonist knows exists and that weights heavily on his heart, but ignores because it is easier to, and its "tumbling" to his breaking down and unability to bear it longer. "It's what you feel, not what you ought to", would mean the protagonist knows how he (or she) should feel normally, but cannot help to feel otherwise. Like how somebody should be happy because everything seems to be going well in their life, but cannot deep down. The "duplicate and triplicate" would refer to the days coming one after another, always the same. "We thought you had it in you but not": the protagonist should, by social standards, being able to go on, but is not able to. "There's no real reason": once again, everything should be alright, but still, nothing is. Still, the "I love you but enough is enough" hints that the situation he is stuck in could be relationship which keeps going on because it has become a habit, but which has no meaning anymore, and he cannot take it anymore ("exactly where do you get off": he wants to stop it, but does not know how to anymore). Well, I could be saying rubbish, but that's what I understood right away '^_^ |
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