| Echo and the Bunnymen – My Kingdom Lyrics | 2 years ago |
| @rikdad101@yahoo.com Great idea about connecting \'kingdom\', and \'thy will be done\' to \'thy kingdom come, thy will be done\' in the Lord\'s Prayer, to a father\'s abuse, you have me convinced and I wish I\'d thought of it before. Thanks for the shout-out with compliment about my earlier comment too! Adding support to your idea, in the line \'There\'s blood on my hands and you want me to listen" the word \'blood\' could be read as having an added meaning, \'alluding to the narrator persona having common \'blood\' with the character being addressed, hinting at a biological relationship. Also now I am reading the line \'Born of the grain like all good riddles\' with added meaning. It could be another hint of the narrator being \'born\' the son of the person at whom the song is directed. "Born of the grain..." therefore would cast the father character as \'the grain\', which would mean that going proverbially \'against the grain\' would mean opposing or fighting the father. The mention of \'...good riddles\' could be taken as a hint that there is a hidden meaning to be puzzled out from the lyrics. Nicely done, +1 from me. | |
| The Sundays – My Finest Hour Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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This song is about someone thinking back with pain and regret on what might be the lowest point in her life, and gradually coming to terms with it. Thus, the title “My Finest Hour” is ironic. Her low point comes about following her ill-advised attempt to connect romantically with an older, more experienced and accomplished man, one who likes afternoon tea, poetry, and corresponding by mail the old-fashioned way. Perhaps he is her English literature professor at university where she is a student. The song begins with her feeling of defeat, or being "shown up", by circumstances ("When the world it shows me up...."). She irrationally blames her youthful age, as reflected by the way she dresses as she normally would for her stage in life, in contrast to the man who is the object of her admiration ("My clothes they show me up....") She berates herself as naive, lacking in enough self-awareness ("...I never knew this before....") or experience ("...I've never been hit before...") to have foreseen this turn of events. She bitterly recalls an anecdote she had blurted to him uncontrollably, using "words" that came "stumbling out", about how she luckily came upon a coin in the London subway station. ("The finest hour that I've ever known / Was finding a pound on the Underground....") Bitterly and sardonically, she calls that her "finest hour" she's ever known. In retrospect she feels that telling him that story had backfired on her by emphasizing their age difference, despite her intention to avoid doing so. She had been repeatedly but unsuccessfully trying to form a relationship with him, dreaming that they might be soul mates ("And I keep hoping you are the same as me…”), by writing him letters and coming over to his place for tea and discussions of poetry. She realizes that a romantic relationship between them would be considered inappropriate, but was willing to rebel against societal rules to pursue him ("We are who we are, what do the others know...." and "...whatever the others say....") She even fantasizes about trying to use illegal means to legitimize her idea of a romantic relationship between them ("Bribed the judge and sat down....") Eventually she confesses that that it's not poetry that interests her and it was just an excuse to spend time with him ("...poetry is not for me....") She has no clue how to develop their platonic, mentor-mentee relationship into something intimate, so she asks him to show her how. ("...so show me the way to go....") He rejects her as "too young". In the line "Show me the way to go... (home)", the “(home)” parenthetical represents his reply to her question by telling her to leave. She goes "tumbling out" of his residence, mortified, perhaps in tears, returning to her dorm room for solace. ("Oh, I'm going home...." and “Oh, I just want to go home…”) The refrain of “You’re too young….” In the final section represents his words of rejection echoing in her mind as she dashes mortified from his place, intertwined with her heart's regret at the notion that he could have been the one for her ("Should've been you....). In her mind, their words and her thoughts merge and overlap ("Should've been you...you're too young...bribed the judge and sat down..."). It ends with the repeated phrase "you're too young", meaning that she is starting to accept that it would not work out between them. |
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| Blue Öyster Cult – Don't Fear The Reaper Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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This is a long post, so I'll start with an outline, which helps keep things clear and organized: I. My interpretation of the song II. My arguments against other interpretations of the song III. Note about quotes from band members as evidence for or against an interpretation of a song. I. My interpretation of the song. This song seems to be about a girl/woman who doesn't want to go on living due to sadness (the cause of sadness is unstated): Came the last night of sadness, And it was clear she couldn't go on. During the course of the song, she overcomes her fear of death by thoughts of death in romantic terms: Romeo & Juliet are together in eternity.... Redefine happiness.... At the end, by her acquiescence, she dies without fear of what lies ahead for her (whether her death is by suicide is not stated)-this interpretation assumes that "he"/"him" refers to the Reaper himself, or to part of herself, which in her imagination takes the form of the Reaper**: And she ran to him... then they started to fly. They looked backward and said goodbye... she had become like they* are. She had taken his hand... she had become like they* are. *[they = Romeo&Juliet, the 40K who die every day, the seasons, the wind, the sun, the rain] **Note: without that assumption, the verse, and along with it, the entire song, become incoherent. See below under "Arguments against...." The above doesn't necessarily mean the song is advocating or promoting suicide. Nor does anything in the lyrics explicitly suggest any kind of death pact between (ordinary) human beings who are lovers. Throughout the lyrics, a persona is advocating/promoting the acceptance of death, discouraging fear of death. (That does not have to mean that the band/songwriter is encouraging suicide, are we clear on that!) It is not clear who/what that persona is, but there is ample evidence within the lyrics to support the interpretation that the persona advocating acceptance of death is the Reaper himself, the personification of death. Such evidence includes: (1) The persona is clearly advocating/promoting acceptance of death. The song title for starters, which of course is repeated throughout the lyrics in the chorus. Also the romanticization of death. Romeo & Juliet together in eternity... redefine happiness... we can be like they are, etc. need I go on? Who would have motive to advocate the acceptance of death? Death(the Reaper). (2) "he" appears mysteriously, suggesting "his" supernatural nature -- The curtains flew then he appeared... saying don't be afraid, etc. "he" is the one advocating/promoting acceptance of death because he is death. At the end, when she takes "his" hand, that means she accepts death. And then they start to fly. See where I'm going with this? II. Arguments against .... ...the interpretation that it's about some kind of death pact between two ordinary human beings who are lovers: Many have posted the belief that the song is about a suicide pact between lovers, or some kind of death pact between lovers. Here's my problem with that. If "he" were an ordinary, living human being, why would "he" advocate for her acceptance of death and why would the lyrics portray him as appearing as though out of thin air when the curtains flew? Why would they start to fly once she takes his hand? That interpretation raises more questions than answers and ignores the words of the lyrics themselves. ...the interpretation that "he" is her deceased lover's ghost: "he" might be a ghost of her former lover who died for unstated reasons. That might explain why she wanted to accept death at the end. However, still it raises more questions than answers. Why would he want her to end her life? If he really loved her in life, wouldn't his ghost want her to live happily, rather than for her to die out of grief, or was he really that selfish? And if he was really that selfish why would she have loved him so much that she would die out of grief for him ... etc. See? more questions than answers. IMO, that is not a satisfactory interpretation in view of what the lyrics say. III. Note about quotes from band members as evidence for or against an interpretation of a song. Just b/c I don't think this song is necessarily about promoting or encouraging suicide doesn't mean to imply that I believe what the members of the band have said publicly about the song. I often see postings that include a quote from a member of the band or the songwriter about the intended meaning of any given song, as support for any given interpretation of a song, or to argument against someone else's posted interpretation. Generally, IMO, a quoted statement by the artist/songwriter/ a band member about the intended meaning of a song should be considered automatically *untrustworthy*. How can you tell if the statement is true, or partially true, or flat-out fabricated i.e. plausible alternate meaning used for interview purposes to cover up the real, shocking truth? You can't tell unless you can read the source's mind, or unless you have inside knowledge. If you have inside knowledge, I'm pretty sure you're not posting about it on songmeanings.com. Same thing if you can read minds. Thanks for staying with me to the end of this lengthy post. Bye now. |
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| Figures on a Beach – Accidentally 4th Street (Gloria) Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Continuing my post above, The title "Accidentally 4th Street" might be a play on Bob Dylan's "Positively 4th Street". In that way, this song could be viewed as a response or follow-up of that Dylan song. Dylan's song targets an unnamed person for being opportunistic, insincere, secretly hostile, lacking integrity, self-pitying, and otherwise an all-around *****, while this song, I think, targets modern consumer society and its decaying moral values. The same derisive tone is used in both songs. Another similarity is that "4th Street" is never mentioned in the lyrics of either song. |
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| The Church – Under The Milky Way Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Oh, I forgot to talk about the chorus. This is to continue my post above. "wish I knew what you were looking for... might have known what you would find" I take this to mean he's talking to himself in his moment of solitude. He wishes he knew what he was looking for (in life? at that point in his life? at that moment? could mean any of these) so that he might know what to find. sometimes there's a feeling of discontent that is hard get rid of, because one hasn't figured out what it is that one wants/lacks that is missing. that's the kind of discontent I sense from this chorus. |
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| Lloyd Cole & The Commotions – Brand New Friend Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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This song is about someone who is "between" relationships. Previous relationship involved walks in the rain, mutual faith in Jesus & probably religious discussions, and stupid, pointless dares i.e., tying themselves to railway line, probably abandoned and they didn't know it, hence they knew no better it was no crime. He was happier then, but now it's over and looking for a "brand new friend". |
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| Joe Jackson – Steppin Out Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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My rather mundane take on the song is that it's about a couple that's been married for a long time, their kids have gone off to college, and the spark in their romance may have waned a bit, and the husband wants to encourage the wife to go out on a date to rev things up again. "the mist across the window hides the lines" the lines of his wife's face due to her age. he would have similar lines. "steppin out..." etc. means what it says. "We - Are young but getting old before our time We'll leave the T.V. and the radio behind Don't you wonder what we'll find" also means what it says. the married couple is getting on in years but it's not too late to go out on a romantic date. they will leave the tv and the radio behind and have a night out on the time, for a change. maybe they'll find that old spark again. "You - Can dress in pink and blue just like a child And in a yellow taxi turn to me and smile We'll be there in just a while If you follow me " here the husband is encouraging his wife to dress young and to feel young. that's the simplest interpretation I get from the lyrics, anyway. maybe there's a dual-meaning that has to do with the afterlife (hence the "other side" as someone said earlier) |
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| Joe Jackson – Another World Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| I take it as a happy song about someone who starts off depressed or down, and then unexpectedly meets a new group of friends or possibly a support group where he feels like it's another world. Rehab perhaps? or a really good party? | |
| Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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From urban dictionary: Buffalo stance = To stand with your arms tighly crossed looking over to side at somebody. This comes from the pose struck by Bruce Smith of the Buffalo Bills in the late 1980's From these lyrics I imagine a streetwise gigolo (or somebody who appears that way) seemingly trying to mack on the narrator. At first she thinks he's just trying to be her pimp. she's looking for true love, not swayed merely by money. she thinks he's just trying to replace the prostitute that used to work for him before he was sent to prison (for crime of solicitation presumably, or somesuch). He tries to convince her otherwise: "Smokin, not cokin". The guy is proud of both his sex appeal ("smokin...looking good...") and that he's now living a clean, drug-free life. [well, good for him.] "state of mind: don't look behind you" means he's learned to move forward in his life, not dwelling on mistakes of the past. this guy is very self-confident...it's all about state of mind, according to his philosophy. "Bomb the bass, rock this place"-- she and the guy meet at a club and have a fun time dancing. [the beat of this song is quite catchy, after all.] but the narrator's friends warn her, this guy's a gigolo, man. At the end somehow she falls for him, water from her eyes perhaps means tears of joy, and sinking deeper into his soul means she's gotten to know the real guy behind the gigolo/pimp facade. Maybe her friends were wrong? or maybe she's been had and he's really just a gigolo. Ambiguous ending. just a guess anyway. |
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| The The – Uncertain Smile Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I think this song is about an unrequited love that the narrator hopes will become requited. The object of his love is uncertain of her feelings, hence the title. the first verse: ordinarily he tries to put her out of his mind, but he must actively try to do that every day, and must look at the clock to remind himself. On this one occasion, though, he indulges himself to dream of her. The chorus is about how she's gotten under his skin, and he is ready to swoop to her rescue wheneever she shouts for help. The second verse is about how he perceives her as a broken soul, perhaps because of her uncertainty of her feeling, and perhaps in need of his rescue. |
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| The Church – Under The Milky Way Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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My impression of the song is that is very simply and straightforwardly written, about the writer's feelings at a certain moment in his life. i don't think this is meant to have much hidden meaning. From these lyrics, I imagine that once after a show in Memphis, after the crowds had gone and the lights had faded, the songwriter/narrator was feeling pensive, lonely for lack of a relationship due to having been on the road for a while. "loveless fascination" means adoration of the fans during his tour, but without someone for him to love. "got no time for private consultation" simply means he wants to be alone, under the stars (without being bugged by fans, perhaps). "under the milky way" and "something shimmering and white" both mean the stars in the night sky. "leads you here despite your destination" = he was heading for his hotel, but decided to gaze at the stars instead. |
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| Echo and the Bunnymen – Bring On The Dancing Horses Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| you could be right. maybe at the end he gives in to the drug, which he calls the new messiah. that fits. | |
| Echo and the Bunnymen – Lips Like Sugar Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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i agree with those who say this song is about doing lines of cocaine. sugar = white powder. Mirror kissing, siamese twin alone on a river, point to doing lines on a mirror. she taunts him, flying away to other shores, means the addiction, you can never get enough to be satisfied. although i thought lines of coke would be straight. here, it seems to portray the lines as curvy like a graceful swan's neck. |
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| Echo and the Bunnymen – My Kingdom Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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This song is about an angry, perhaps violent, argument between two people who consider each other loved ones, who unsuccessfully try to get the other one to listen. "I chop and I change and the mystery thickens There's blood on my hands and you want me to listen To brawn and to brain when the truth's in the middle Born of the grain like all good riddles" these lines juxtapose imagery of committing violent murder ("chop", "change" (to dispose of blood-stained clothing), "mystery" (i.e., murder mystery), "blood on my hands") with words describing what might happen during a verbal disagreement ("you want me to listen....") means that its about an argument, in which the narrator is extremely angry, i.e. figuratively screaming bloody murder, and has trouble listening to the other person. "to brawn and to brain...." means the dichotomy between passionate anger and cool reason "when the truth's in the middle" means the resolution lies in compromising between passionate love and calm, civil, rationality. "born of the grain...." means as opposed to "against" the grain, meaning, to favor harmony rather than opposition. "...like all good riddles" means that the way to resolve the argument is a riddle to be found, which riddle must be solved together through harmony and cooperation, not stiff opposition and hostility. "B-b-burn the skin off and climb the roof top Thy will be done B-b-bite the nose off and make it the most of Your king- kingdom kingdom kingdom" That chorus is sarcastically said to and heard by the narrator during the ongoing argument. The narrator is so angry, he won't take no for an answer ("thy will be done") and he in effect bites his own nose off to spite his face. "His kingdom" is sarcastic--the narrator has no control over his words and actions, he is the opposite of a ruler of a kingdom. I say the narrator is the one being spoken to in the chorus, not the one doing the speaking, because the title is "My Kingdom" rather than "Your..." Also, it could be that they are saying it to each other. "You kill when you talk and the enemy weakens Your words start to walk when you're not even speaking If my heart is a war its soldiers are bleeding If my heart is a war its soldiers are dead" with lyrics like those, the song has to be about matters of the heart and conflict with a loved one. Still more killing imagery , but this time it's the narrator's partner doing the figurative violence, and the "enemy" is the narrator. The last two lines of the verse are explicit similes relating his heart to an army in a war. These two lines make it clear that this song is about matters of the heart, and that the violent and militant imagery is just figurative, not literal. "I've lost and I've gained and while I was thinking You cut off my hands when I wanted to twist If you know how to dance to Boney Maroney He's doing the ballet on both of his wrists" that verse juxtaposes dance imagery ("twist" "Bony Maronie"*, "ballet") with imagery of violent amputation. again this is about conflict with a loved one. the narrator is trying to work things out (dancing) but the partner is "cutting off his hands" meaning the partner is making it difficult or impossible to talk things over. the lyrics in parentheses at the end are the hostile thoughts of the narrator toward the other person, or perhaps the mutual thoughts of both persons, which are thought in a moment of anger, even though each professes that other person to be a loved one. *From wikipedia: "Bony Moronie" is Larry Williams' third single, which has been covered many times, including a version translated into Spanish re-named "Popotitos". Williams' original peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #4 on the U.S. R&B chart. |
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| Echo and the Bunnymen – Bedbugs And Ballyhoo Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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This song is saying that sometimes you find yourself having to take the subservient role, to have to get down on your knees or to say please for something. Sometimes you have to lower your head and take it, and it sucks but, "that's the way the thunder rumbles/bee bumbles" (he avoids saying "... cookie crumbles" but that's what we think of because of the rhyme.) The stuff about buffalo/bison--rifle/cannonball is about hunting animals in the wild. sometimes innocent animals get shot by hunters, and that's the way the thunder rumbles. i don't know if cannonballs are used for hunting, but it fits in with the rhythm better than, say, "bullet". kanagaroo/chipmunk, and bedbugs/ballyhoo. bedbugs and ballyhoo are opposites. bedbugs means poverty, uncleanliness. Ballyhoo means opulence, extravagance. Kangaroo and chipmunk are kinda opposites in that there's a big size difference. kangaroo happens to rhyme somewhat with ballyhoo; otherwise a better opposite might have been "elephant" or "hippopatamus". That verse might mean: sometimes things good happen, sometimes things bad happen. Hard times, rich times: either way you get what you get, that's the way the bee bumbles. It's a depressing song about the inevitability of hard times and humility, disguised ironically as a fun, upbeat tune with animals in it. |
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| Echo and the Bunnymen – Bring On The Dancing Horses Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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or instead of cheating, it could be about someone addicted to a drug, and the addiction is hurting those around him including his relationship. "shiver and say the words of every lie you've heard" means he's strung out and lying about it. "Skin and bone" plays into that as well. He hates it but keeps doing it. Cheating and doing drugs are kinda similar in many ways, both will harm a relationship and hurt others in your life and leave you all alone, no way home. |
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| Echo and the Bunnymen – Bring On The Dancing Horses Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I am agreeing with the view that this song is about someone cheating, and feeling bad about it. The title, as some have commented, compares the relationship to a circus, coming to an end. The names of characters in the song are players in the circus but also metaphors for the narrator's persona, the one who is cheating. "no way home" means no more relationship. "headless and all alone" means the way he will feel when he has destroyed the relationship. "shiver and say the words of every lie you've heard" means the lies he will say to try to keep the relationship, knowing they are lies and hating it. The chorus means he feels he is destroying something he has built up and he hates it even while he keeps doing it. "all alone, sinking sand, skin and bone" is, again, how he expects to feel after the relationship is dead. "bring on the new messiah" might mean that the narrator is comparing himself to the antiChrist. Instead of the merely end of the circus represented by the "dancing horses", it's the end of all good things in the narrator's world, his own private apocalypse. |
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| The Association – Windy Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I suppose it could be about a prostitute as commenters have said above. but it could also be about a free-love hippy chick from the 60s. |
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| Slade – Run Runaway Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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The song has the narrator speaking to another person the "runaway" of the title. The narrator is mocking the "runaway" for running away from risks in life. It's an ironic way of advising someone NOT to "run away" from taking risks and making commitments. The narrator relates to the subject of the song in that they both like things clearly laid out in black and white. But the subject is a chameleon and runs away when things are not black and white. "dreaming of black and white"= the subject is a dreamer, head in the clouds, wishing everything to be clearly laid out and simple. Narrator can relate to that, but thinks the subject is doing too much dreaming and not enough actual pursuing of what the subject wants. the way narrator sees it, the subject runs away from problems, risks, or commitments, such as when money starts running low ("in the swing") or rather than pursue a crush ("don't beat around the bush"), or rather than commit to a relationship ("can't you wait") that might lead to love ("love don't come on a plate"). The narrator mocks the subject: go on, run away like you always do. When he says "see chameleon lying there in the sun?" he's comparing the subject to the chameleon, i.e. narrator is saying to the subject: see that lizard? first its lying in the sun, trying to be all things for everyone but then suddenly it runs away rather than pursuing what it wants for itself. that's what you're like. go on, run runaway, like the chameleon. |
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| The Anniversary – All Things Ordinary Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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When the male is singing, it's from a male persona's perspective. His sister is coming over for dinner and he is plagued by "secrets" that he is afraid to tell her. The secrets are making him depressed, thus he prefers painting without colors...bleaching out the world. Also, "the secrets" have been keeping him up at night. "Full from the dinner yet feeling somewhat thinner"-he is suffering from AIDS, which one of the "secrets" he's been holding. Another secret is that he's been in the closet most of his life and that his HIV is something that he caught from his gay lover. "Kids behind the windows" means his subconscious, the child within him, which comes out because his sister reminds him of when they were growing up. "Calling out the answers"--he subconsciously blurts out the secrets to his sister, like a child might, even though she never asks. When both male and female are singing, it's from the sister's perspective, talking to her brother. After he tells her about his secrets, including the insomnia, she asks her brother "Was it the end...." i.e., fear of death, that kept him up all through the night, or "was it the boy" that "stole his heart" (and infected him). "Summer...dies quick" is about his prognosis coming soon. Summer is a metaphor for his life. "All things ordinary" is ironic--the circumstances do not feel ordinary to the brother and sister. For them the news is devastating. But it also has a double meaning: that kind of thing happens in life, all things ordinary. WHen the female sings, it's from sister's perspective, but silently to herself. She has "seen those eyes" of her brother, sleeping at night...she remembers their childhood, and recalls the way he looked when he went to sleep at night. The news of her brother's illness is shocking to her, prompting her memories of him to play out, including memories of watching him sleep. "What queen goes in...." might be an odd reference to his gay sexuality, as gay men might be referred to as "queens", even though that term usually means transvestites who might not necessarily be gay. "always goes out again..." might mean that everyone born into this world must eventually depart, referring to inevitability of the brother's death and death in general. |
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| The Echoing Green – Supernova Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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this song expresses religious ecstasy by comparing the feeling to a supernova. the devotion and faith portrayed in these lyrics, such as the belief that the sky is God-created, is absolute. the narrator's tears have been consumed, suggesting having been born-again after a period of unhappiness. |
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| The Echoing Green – Heart With a View Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| this song encourages those who suffer spiritual or emotional pain, and/or religious doubt, to find solace by letting grace touch the soul. Grace is a Christian term meaning something that is God-given. | |
| Iris – It Generates Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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this song takes rather bleak view of our mortality. The song encourages us to beware that our time may come sooner than you think, that death is not something to look forward to, and all you can do is do the most with what time you have left in this existence. "And you leave another body" initially gave me some pause. i don't think this song is about a spirit that hops from body to body, or about reincarnation. Instead, "leave" should be read in the sense of leaving this world (dying) and leaving another body (corpse) behind in your place. What is the repeated "It" referring to? "It" is what generates life but also makes you sick, seeps inside, makes a hole, and kills you. What generates life? Water, or time, or ???. What can leave a gaping hole due to its corrosive qualities? water, or time, or ???. Looking at the broader context of the lyrics, I think it is "time" not "water". "darker days are still to come" means the narrator doesn't believe that death is followed by a bright, pleasant afterlife, but in a nothing, abyss, nihilism. "let us sound the alarm, let a warning rage 'fore its gone" = let's beware that our end may occur at any moment. live to the fullest before you run out of time in this existence and you leave a corpse in your place. |
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| Iris – Lose In Wanting Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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my impression is that this song is about the narrator's greatest fear: losing something by wanting it (too much). "lose in wanting" = having the object of desire slipping from his grasp, even after having committed 100% to obtaining/attaining it, and then afterward regretting that maybe he could have gotten it if only he hadn't tried "too" hard or wanted it "so" much. the reason he wouldn't have a plan where he's going or memory where's he's been is that he's spent so much time and emotional effort wanting something, that he never thought beyond that. no plan B, and no recollection of where he's been b/c he's been thinking of nothing but the thing he wants. imagine if you put so much into getting something, and end up with nothing to show for it. scary and heartbreaking. i don't get the sense from the lyrics that it's necessarily about a relationship. I think it's meant to be about losing something, anything, in a broader sense. the fear is that he will lose it by wanting it too much. the "you" is whatever object of desire, e.g., fame, love, a red Mustang. |
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| Iris – Annie, Would I Lie To You? Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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The Annie Lennox connection is amusing, probably not intended. but then again maybe the name annie was chosen specifically due to that connection. My impression of the song is not abt drugs or addiction, but abt lifestyle as becoming a rockstar musician/ entertainer. his new lifestyle is alienating his friendship with annie. he chooses rockstardom but hopes annie will change her mind and be more patient and understanding with him. he's just landed a sweet label contract and his life is changing. "they have led him out to play" means literally play music. friend annie notices the difference in him and interprets it as false behavior. he says yes and no--its theatrics and show biz, but he's doing it sincerely for the music/art. it's all he's ever known = aspired to become, worked at becoming. now that he's gotten the chance, what's wrong with embracing it? it's not like he's given up his name/ his face or has run away frm home or anything. she's never been an aspiring rock musician, so she would not understand. if he follows her advice, all his dreams of becoming a rock star will lie sadly dying. |
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| Assemblage 23 – Let me be your armor Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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lyrics very powerful and vivid here. This song is about the two sides of the coin of love, in terms of protectiveness / overprotectiveness. So easy for that line to be crossed or to fade altogether. I don't think the song was meant to be so specific/narrow as to be about stalking or co-dependency necessarily. I think it's about any kind of relationship that involves protectiveness/overprotectiveness, in a broad sense. My initial feeling was that this song is sinister in tone, but I now feel that the song is meant to be ambiguous: the sinister interpretation is straightforward, but as some have suggested, it is open to a non-sinister interpretation, in that the narrator may be warning the other of the consequences of getting too dependent on his protection. |
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| Assemblage 23 – Drive Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Gotta agree with the above 2 posts. Can't think of a better song to be listened to while driving. I love the terse imagery of these lyrics. My highlights: "crushed between the cogs that work us" machine gears imagery, life as an oppressive machine The road as an "onyx ribbon spreading out" |
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| Figures on a Beach – Accidentally 4th Street (Gloria) Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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first, the lyrics offer no clue what "4th Street" in the title signifies. therefore my guess, below, is preliminary and subject to change in the event the 4th Street reference ever becomes clear. the song criticises aspects of modern America: the first verse condemns celebrity worship. the second condemns violence on TV and commercialism. The third condemns the myth of America as an affluent nation of Cadillacs and a chicken in every pot, juxtaposed with the reality of widespread domestic poverty, and hypocritical lip-service to altruistic values masking a culture of greed and egocentrism, of which much denial prevails. "All the girls named Gloria" is a sarcastic term for angels "sing sweetly out of key" heavenly praises sung of America, however sweet, ring false, out of tune and out of touch "sun rose in the west today" could mean that everything we think is true is false/opposite (the sun should rise in the east). "...accidents in the land of the free" pulling this out of an unnamed orifice here, but this could be mean that individual "success" stories in America are nothing more than accidents, that success comes in spite of, not because of, the way things are. or it be meant sarcastically, that success-story "accidents" are not accidents at all and that individual success in America occurs only after climbing upon the backs of others. "accidents do/will happen.... don't you dare ask me how" the narrator is ashamed of his/her own success, either calling it an accident literally, or suggesting sarcastically that it occurred not as an accident but at the expense of others. "4th Street" may refer to a place where an accident occurred that inspired the song, but I can't fathom how an accident might have inspired this criticism of American culture/economy/society. |
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| Depeche Mode – Little 15 Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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The lyrics make sense if "you" is a 15 year old boy and "she" is an adult woman, and the narrator is someone who is trying to talk sense into the 15 year old boy, as the adult woman show no sign of remorse or willingness to call it off. The boy Little 15, and the woman are in a sexual relationship and the narrator thinks the woman is wrongfully taking advantage of the boy. The 15 yr old thinks he wants the relationship, but the narrator thinks (correctly) that the 15 yr old isn't old or mature enough to know what's good for him and what isn't. "Why take the smooth with the rough When things run smooth It's already more than enough" the narrator is responding to the 15 year old's rationalization of the relationship. The relationship makes the 15 yr old sad, but the 15 year old thinks that it's worth it due to redeeming factors in the relationship. the narrator points out that there are no redeeming factors, the relationship is inherently bad for the 15 yr old. "She knows your mind Is not yet in league With the rest of the world And its little intrigues" the narrator is pointing out that Little 15 is too young to be a match for the older woman, it cannot be an equal relationship. the older woman knows this and does not care. "Why does she have to defend Her feelings inside Why pretend She's not had a life A life of near misses Now all that she wants Is three little wishes" the narrator is pointing out that Little 15 is wrong to defend the woman's intentions. The narrator dismisses the 15 yr old's attempt to rationalize the relationship: Little 15 claims that she has not experienced a relationship, which Little 15 can provide her. Narrator says this is bunk--she's had her chances in life. She shouldn't now be looking to a 15yr old for what she craves. "She wants to see with your eyes She wants to smile with your smile She wants a nice surprise Every once in a while" the narrator is saying to the 15 yr old that the woman is only using him, and his youth, to feel like she's experiencing her lost youth. |
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| Depeche Mode – Dreaming Of Me Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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not sure but here's a guess. he's making a film, realizing that the film, like a dream, reflects himself and his psyche. this may be a stretch but: "dancing with a distant friend", as dancing is a form of interacting with another person or communicating with an audience, making a film could be a way of dancing with a distant friend, i.e., communicating over a distance rather than dancing physically up close or live. "association whore" is an odd phrase. My best guess is that refers to free association, the psychoanalytic technique. in this context a "whore" is someone who is obsessed with getting a lot of something, i.e., attention whore. The narrator, as a filmmaker, is a "whore" for "association" in that he's obsessed with learning about himself through filmmaking. the vagueness of the lyrics goes to the theme of psychoanalysis and free association. vague lyrics can be interpreted in different ways like a Rorschach test and the interpretation tells something about the interpreter rather than about the inkblot. |
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| Yazoo – In My Room Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I have more questions than answers about this song. Maybe it's just me being dense, but I didn't find it self-explanatory. Please explain. My initial impression was that the narrator is schizophrenic, or whatever the proper diagnosis is, as I'm not a psychologist. The "the room locked up inside me" can only be about the narrator's mind. In the narrator's mind, she is "standing" alone. That means she is psychologically paralyzed and can't relax enough to even sit or lie down. Watching the clock, waiting for it to stop, may be about OCD--she's obsessed with the clock and is compelled to keep watching and waiting for the moment it stops, which never comes. The "picture" within a "picture" in the second stanza is a metaphor for the infinite regression taking place in her mind. The narrator has lost hold of what is real and what is hallucination. Is what she is experiencing real, or is it a waking dream? and if it's a dream then would "waking" lead to reality, or is the dream merely nested within another dream? "the walls are white and in the night, the room is lit by electric light" the narrator keeps the light on even at night by choice b/c when it's dark, the nightmares come. each time after that repeated line, there's a sound of glass shattering. that's the sound of the narrator's sanity shattering, which happens over and over again. The narrator is *not* a patient in an actual psychiatric hospital, or at least the lyrics are not describing an actual hospital room. In an actual psych hospital, the walls would not be white, which is not a very therapeutic color for psych patients. and why would there cut-out magazines? a patient in that environment should not be allowed scissors. also why would the lights be on at night? the narrator must be describing the room inside her mind. the nurses would shut them off when it's sleep time. The way the Lord's Prayer is recited throughout the song in a cold, resonating, almost mechanical male voice is done ironically. The prayer itself is meant to bring spiritual solace, but the way it is delivered is the opposite of comforting. it could be that others, the narrator's loved ones perhaps or a member of the clergy who has paid a visit, are praying audibly for the narrator to get well, and the narrator can hear--but in the narrator's mind, the tone of the words become twisted so that they sound distant and cruel. The Lord's Prayer is intentionally left incomplete in the song. It ends with "but deliver us from evil", which is repeated several times, concluding the song. The narrator, having gone insane, has committed a heinous crime and now she needs to be delivered from the "evil" that apparently grips her. i don't know why the walls would be white though, that doesn't sound very therapeutic. |
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| Ultravox – The Voice Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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It is about the process of finding inspiration to write a song. The lyrics come from within, hence "native" to him, and mean something to him, hence "all speech directed to me". He draws from his emotions and past experiences that he has "seen/heard/felt/lost once before" The "Voice" has double meaning: the narrative voice of the lyrics, and the voice of the singer (and by extension, the performance by the band). "they try, they try" refers to the lyrics, and/or the performers, trying to convey the songwriter's message/story/artistic vision/etc. |
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| New Order – Ceremony Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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the "ceremony" is a funeral "Notice whom for wheels are turning Turn again and turn towards this time" = the turning wheels of the hearse and funeral procession heading toward the cemetary. Avenues all lined with trees=the avenues that the funeral procession takes to get to the destination. "All she asks is the strength to hold me" the narrator is remembering her dying words, i suppose. "Too frail to wake this time" can only be about someone dying. |
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| New Order – Blue Monday Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Yours is the only interpretation I've seen that makes sense to me, other than the Tuesday discrepancy which is minor. "I can and shall obey" can only refer to a military operation from a combatant's POV. +1 rating and a "thank you, well done" from me. It's probably not important which war. If the band members have said that it was about Falklands War as somebody else posted here, then I'd take the band's word for it. |
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| Elvis Costello – Alison Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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It's about murdering an old flame who has moved on. From the way she looks, he understands that she's not impressed = she's not exactly happy that he's suddenly showed up "after so long", that he's confronting her about her indiscretions with his friend and about her unhappy marriage, and that he brought a gun. This song is similar to the Beatles' _Norwegian Wood_ |
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| The Echoing Green – Fall Awake Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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the lyrics above say "And if I could dress your wounds in place" shouldn't that last word be "lace"? that's what I thought I heard. I agree with rawrdotrar's comment above. Rather straightforward really. |
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| The Echoing Green – The Story of Our Lives Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| I'm no Bible scholar but this song seems to be about the Rapture. | |
| Kermit the Frog – Rainbow Connection Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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previous comment continued.... (i inadvertently submitted it before I was done) What's on the other side? "the other side" = the afterlife What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing What do we think we might see? = God, Heaven, or whatever's on "the other side", or at least, the questions we ask ourselves about such matters. star gazing means gazing to "the heavens" = thinking about the afterworld Have you been half-asleep and have you heard voices? I've heard them calling my name the voices = angels? or, unanswered questions about the unknown that has concerned humankind throughout its existence? Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors? It may be one and the same the sweet sound = sailors' legends about singing mermaids or sirens may actually be about angels or other beings from the afterlife, beckoning them. Many years ago I was watching the TV show "Picket Fences", and in one of its episodes, this song was sung at someone's funeral. More recently, my 4-yr-old was watching a kid's show, and the same actor/singer who sung at the "Picket Fences" funeral appeared as a guest singer, and sang the same song. One of the puppet-type characters asked: "What about me? Can I find the Rainbow connection too?" and the singer replied "Oh sure you too! I didn't mean just me. Everybody will find the connection!" It kinda creeped me out but I didn't say anything. But it shouldn't creep me out. death is a part of nature and life. questions about the afterlife is something relevant to everyone. |
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| Kermit the Frog – Rainbow Connection Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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I don't mean to sound morbid, but this song is about death and the afterlife. But in a positive way. Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection The lovers, the dreamers, and me The Rainbow Connection = death. Someday we'll find it, the lovers, the dreamers, and me. = death is inevitable for all Have you been half-asleep and have you heard voices? I've heard them calling my name Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors? It may be one and the same |
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| Lush – Lovelife Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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Stroaters-the song could still be special to you like before. just one new possible interpretation shouldn't have to dispel the magic. one might even go deeper and interpret it as a love song/tribute to a person, but by likening the person to a city as a metaphor. i feel ya though--it's now harder to think of it as a love song addressed to a person. Many years ago, I included the song on a mix that i compiled for my s.o. who is now my spouse. if i had thought of the song as a tribute to a city, i probably would have omitted it. |
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| Enya – May It Be Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| yes its Quenya (High Elvish) | |
| Enya – May It Be Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| i love the song as well. however, i thought Annie Lennox's Into the West managed to exceed it. | |
| Enya – May It Be Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| As an LOTR fan, i'm impressed that it includes some lyrics in Tolkien's Elvish language, Quenya. Enya's lyricist had to study the language for writing the song. The Quenya language lyrics sound beautiful when Enya sings them. There should be more such songs. I think Tolkien designed the language to be well-suited for music and singing, and to be reflective of his Elves, who were written as inherently musical and having been created by song. | |
| Milla Jovovich – Gentleman Who Fell Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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the following was previously posted as a comment to the same song but replicated under "Milla" instead of "Milla Jovovich". i'd like to build on previous posts which started the idea that the song is about jesus and about doubt in religion. to me, it sounds like the song starts from the point of view of a new mother "reaching over" to her newborn boy, who is literally, physically incapable of lifting his chin, as though "ashamed" (by his original sin?) "life to life" makes me think of the umbilical cord. "a voice is speaking / he's the prophet" = in the reverie of having just given birth, the mother's thoughts turn to the words of Jesus ? or perhaps St. Paul, who upon his conversion to Christianity was "blinded by the light" when he was still named Saul of Tarsus while he was travelling to (or was it from) Damascus (not really a prophet though, but perhaps poetic license is being taken here) maybe she (either Milla the writer, or the persona of the new mother) is combining/syncretizing the traits/histories of Jesus and Paul into a "prophet/blinded by the light" or maybe the mother is the one who is "blinded by the light" of the harsh fluorescent lamps of the hospital room while thinking of "the prophet" "A heart is breaking/I can hear it/dropped when gone beyond my sight" she can hear her baby crying (thus "a heart is breaking" which she can "hear") once the nurses take him out of her arms, then the sound ceases ("dropped") once the baby is out of the room ("when gone beyond my sight") "Mr Talk Too Much" = refers to Jesus, portraying him as someone who preaches voluminously to a fault "what's in store for us now" she wonders and worries about the future for herself, her baby son and her family (maybe she's a single mom in which case its just the two of them) the lyrics "I don't know how to love you" remind me of "I don't know how to love him", sung by Mary Magdalene about Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar the musical. the "you" in the song would be Jesus, which may be a synecdoche for Christianity and/or religion and/or spirituality in general. "I don't know how . . . . etc." the new mother is troubled or frustrated that she doesn't feel her faith in Jesus more strongly, which she feels she should have because she is worried about what it will be like raising her baby, and would like to "trust" that Jesus will be there for her but has trouble. "i feel your closeness/like a shotgun/a chill within my soul...." she responds emotionally to the idea of having faith in jesus "your passion takes its' toll" and "let the suffering go" = both lines refer to the Passion (suffering) of the Christ, which the new mother feels she can relate to after her long, arduous labor giving birth. "talk is cheap..." she has trouble believing religious sermons, particularly about the suffering of Christ as a the salvation of humankind. "let the suffering go" double meaning--the new mother wishes to leave behind ("let go") her suffering (of the labor), but also she wishes not to feel indebted to jesus for his suffering for the sins of humankind, thus beseeching him to "let" it "go". could the new mother be comparing her suffering of labor to that of jesus? and thus questioning her faith while hoping to find it. -Mike |
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| Orianthi – According To You Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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here's a pessimistic take on the lyrics: maybe she reprises the first verse at the end because the lyrics are no longer directed at the "you" guy from earlier, but the "him" guy whose attitude or feelings have changed/soured over time, thus the "him" guy sadly has become just like the "you" guy. a vicious cycle...? just a possible interpretation. --Mike |
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| Orianthi – According To You Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Evasroses6543, yours is very thought provoking interpretation. i have put some time into considering it. my trouble with it, is that "Why can't you see me through his eyes? / It's too bad you're making me decide" seems to be about forcing a choice between "you" and "him" if "you" is a guy then it makes sense that she'd have to choose between "you" guy and "him" guy. if "you" is herself, however, then i'm not sure how that fits. why would it be "too bad" that she'd have to "decide" to let go of her poor self-esteem and start thinking better of herself, which would seem to be a good thing? or maybe i'm reading those lines too narrowly? still, i liked your idea b/c i would like to think there's more to the song than the obvious interpretation of complaining to an underappreciative boyfriend. Thank you. --Mike |
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| Milla – Gentlemen Who Fell Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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i'd like to build on previous posts which started the idea that the song is about jesus and about doubt in religion. to me, it sounds like the song starts from the point of view of a new mother "reaching over" to her newborn boy, who is literally, physically incapable of lifting his chin, as though "ashamed" (by his original sin?) "life to life" makes me think of the umbilical cord. "a voice is speaking / he's the prophet" = in the reverie of having just given birth, the mother's thoughts turn to the words of Jesus ? or perhaps St. Paul, who upon his conversion to Christianity was "blinded by the light" when he was still named Saul of Tarsus while he was travelling to (or was it from) Damascus (not really a prophet though, but perhaps poetic license is being taken here) maybe she (either Milla the writer, or the persona of the new mother) is combining/syncretizing the traits/histories of Jesus and Paul into a "prophet/blinded by the light" or maybe the mother is the one who is "blinded by the light" of the harsh fluorescent lamps of the hospital room while thinking of "the prophet" "A heart is breaking/I can hear it/dropped when gone beyond my sight" she can hear her baby crying (thus "a heart is breaking" which she can "hear") once the nurses take him out of her arms, then the sound ceases ("dropped") once the baby is out of the room ("when gone beyond my sight") "Mr Talk Too Much" = refers to Jesus, portraying him as someone who preaches voluminously to a fault "what's in store for us now" she wonders and worries about the future for herself, her baby son and her family (maybe she's a single mom in which case its just the two of them) the lyrics "I don't know how to love you" remind me of "I don't know how to love him", sung by Mary Magdalene about Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar the musical. the "you" in the song would be Jesus, which may be a synecdoche for Christianity and/or religion and/or spirituality in general. "I don't know how . . . . etc." the new mother is troubled or frustrated that she doesn't feel her faith in Jesus more strongly, which she feels she should have because she is worried about what it will be like raising her baby, and would like to "trust" that Jesus will be there for her but has trouble. "i feel your closeness/like a shotgun/a chill within my soul...." she responds emotionally to the idea of having faith in jesus "your passion takes its' toll" and "let the suffering go" = both lines refer to the Passion (suffering) of the Christ, which the new mother feels she can relate to after her long, arduous labor giving birth. "talk is cheap..." she has trouble believing religious sermons, particularly about the suffering of Christ as a the salvation of humankind. "let the suffering go" double meaning--the new mother wishes to leave behind ("let go") her suffering (of the labor), but also she wishes not to feel indebted to jesus for his suffering for the sins of humankind, thus beseeching him to "let" it "go". could the new mother be comparing her suffering of labor to that of jesus? and thus questioning her faith while hoping to find it. -Mike |
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| Lush – Lovelife Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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ChrisBayer your interpretation makes a lot of sense. in my view, the tone of the lyrics, when heard in that light, fits the music better than the darker interpretation of the lyrics suggested in earlier posts. i see the song in a whole new light now. Thanks! |
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| Gin Blossoms – Follow You Down Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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isn't this song about bungee jumping? or to be fair, isn't the song about bungee jumping imagery as a metaphor to convey a deeper meaning? i think this song came out around the time bungee jumping started growing in popularity. "Did you see the sky [if not then] I think it means that we've been lost" if you haven't seen the sky, it means we've lost our connection to nature, being holed up indoors, working/studying/running the rat race/whatnot. "Maybe one less time is all we need" we need one less time staying indoors-let's go out and enjoy nature under the sky. "I can't really help it if my tongue's all tied in knots" i've been indoors running the rat race for so long i can't help it if i can't talk straight. "Jumping off a bridge, it's just the farthest that I've ever been" the coolest, most daring thing i've ever done is bungee jumping (& u should try it with me!) "Anywhere you go, I'll follow you down"-anywhere you go to bungee-jump, i'll come too. "Anyplace but those I know by heart" I'll follow you in doing anything except for the boring, repetitive stuff that I've done so many times its like I've memorized it. i.e., let's go do something different, like bungee jumping! "...but not that far" but not farther (deeper) than ground-level (or sea-level) b/c that would hurt! "I know we're headed somewhere," as we bungee-jump, we're inevitably heading downward. "I can see how far we've come" I can see how far we've bungee-jumped just by looking. "Let's not do the wrong thing and I'll swear it might be fun" lets follow all safety precautions.... "It's a long way down when all the knots we've tied have come undone" if we're not safe and the bungee cord comes loose, it'll be a dangerous, potentially fatal fall. "How you gonna ever find your place/Running in an artificial pace" how you gonna ever feel good living at a pace artificially set by society (unless you go bungee jumping with me?) "Are they gonna find us lying face down in the sand" are we going to be found dead at the bottom of the cliff due to a failed/fatal bungee jump? "So what the hell now, we've already been forever damned" who cares, we're going to die someday (and probably face damnation) anyway, so let's just do it! --Mike |
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| Shriekback – Gunning For The Buddha Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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"if you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." -- Zen Master Linji, (the founder of the Rinzai sect) the quote above is usually interpreted to mean that if you think you've met someone who fits your notion of who the Buddha is, it's actually not Buddha, and the best thing to do is to "kill" your notion of Buddha by ridding it from your mind. The song "Gunnin' for the Buddha" is about a couple of friends who enjoy discussing ancient Eastern philosophy while traveling through Greece (or through Europe, including Greece) together. these characters Mark and Danny are "gunning for the Buddha" in that they are pondering the teachings of the Zen Master Linji, questioning their personal conceptions of the Buddha, and/or possibly playing a game at trying to spot (read: hunting for) fake (or "half-baked") Buddhas. While agreeing to do so, they joke about "gunning" (substituted in place of "killing") for the Buddha during their travels. They encounter one such would-be Buddha in a bar "down south" from their Greek hotel. he is disussing politics and nuclear fission in a pompous, self-important, probably inebriated ("all washed up") enough to result in a wicked hangover ("Moving on into the body of a beetle/ Getting ready for a long long crawl") possibly they consider getting into a philosophical discussion with the drunken blowhard in their attempt to expose him as a phony, thus "killing" the fake Buddha. they take a bus uptown where they find more fake Buddhas, which they expose as fake by way of arguments relating to "Death and Money" (in discussing politics & economics) they describe themselves as "philosophical assassins" and as "deadly angels for reality and passion" in warning us not to be persuaded by "half-baked Buddhas" lest we be left with "nothing". |
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