| Bob Dylan – Hard Times in New York Town Lyrics | 1 year ago |
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It is quiet interesting how in his early period Bob interpeted/borrowed/stole folk songs. This song was taken from Gid Tanner and Riley Pucket's "On Tanner's Farm". This song can be found on the great old timey compilation: "Ragged but Right: Great Country String Band's of the 1930's". Here are the lyrics, taken from Flashlyrics.com On Tanner's Farm Come you ladies and gentlemen listen to my song I'll sing it to you right, but you might think it's wrong May make you mad, but I mean no harm It's just about the renters on Tanner's farm It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm You move out on Tanner's farm Plant a little crop of 'bacco and little crop of corn Come around and see you gonna flit and flot 'Til you get yourself a mortgage on-a everything you got It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm Hasn't Tanner got a flattering mouth Move you to the country in a little log house Got no windows, put the cracks in the wall He'll work you all summer and he'll rob you in the fall It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm You go in the fields you'll work all day Way after night but you get no pay Promise to meat or a little bucket lard It's so hard to be a renter on Tanner's farm It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm 5) Here's Tanner he'll come in town With his wagon load of peaches, not-a one of them sound Got to have his money or somebody's check Pay him for a bushel and you don't get a peck It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm Tanner's renters, they'll come into town With their hands in their pockets and their head hanging down Go in the store and the merchant will say "Your mortgage is due and I'm looking for my pay" It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm Down in his pocket with a trembling hand "Can't pay you all but I'll pay you what I can" Then to the telephone the merchant'll make a call He'll put you on the chain gang [if you] don't pay it all It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm Tanner's renters, they'll come into town With their hands in their pockets and their head hanging down Go in the store and the merchant will say "Your mortgage is due and I'm looking for my pay" It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm |
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| Robyn Hitchcock – Glass Lyrics | 1 year ago |
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There appears to be all sorts of contradictions here. Glass can protect us, but it can shatter and harm us. We are made of glass and hence transparent, but no one can see your dreams. |
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| Robyn Hitchcock – Human Music Lyrics | 1 year ago |
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I find there are a number of rather deep psychological insights in these lyrics. Human music seems to refer to love and/or romantic/ sexual attraction. The narrator seems to be struggling with fear of intimacy. While he is attracted to the person he sings to (I know your lip was made for kissing), he is afraid to pursue her – love and intimacy being more than he can bear (sickly sweet like overripe meringues). He has refused to pursue any intimacy despite urgings of friends, society, and or potential lovers (I hung the phone up many times on angels when they rang). He feels broken (I was born with something missing) which is what people who have experience childhood trauma and/or neglect when living in a dysfunctional/ alcoholic/ abusive family situation. Perhaps the abuse (slept on glass) is self-imposed, or perhaps not. Some of the fear of intimacy comes from a previous failed relationship (I had a girl the shape of you…). But it appears the fear is a more long-term issue (I've forgotten what it's like, if I ever knew at all). While he is admittedly confused about this love/attraction thing, he seems to have some grasp of possible solutions: one is mindfulness (When you're thin and damp and shoddy / Just remember that you're in a body) and the angel telling him he must confront his fears ( What scares you most will set you free). |
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| The Smithereens – Beauty and Sadness Lyrics | 2 years ago |
| The opening sounds like The Beatles\' \'She Said\'. | |
| The Bangles – I'm In Line Lyrics | 2 years ago |
| Sounds like The Beatles\' \'Taxman\'.T | |
| Throwing Muses – Crayon Sun Lyrics | 2 years ago |
| Amazing backwards guitar. | |
| Belly (US) – Sweet Ride Lyrics | 2 years ago |
| Tanya is an under-rated guitarist. The solo on this song is amazing. | |
| Sheryl Crow – If It Makes You Happy Lyrics | 2 years ago |
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Er..... this song came out in 1996. She got together with Lance Armstrong in 2003..... |
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| Joe Cocker – Delta Lady Lyrics | 3 years ago |
| From the title I presumed this was about a woman from the Mississppi Delta region. I have an overall fascination with Mississippi Delta Blues, along with songs about geographical places focusing on different genres of music. But the lyrics certainly suggest that this is about other triangles, as suggested by other comments. | |
| Bob Dylan – Highway 51 Blues Lyrics | 3 years ago |
| Dylan appears to have based his version of the song on Tommy McClennan's New Highway No. 51 which was recorded in 1940., which in turn was probably based on Curtis Jones's Highway 51 Blues recorded in 1938. There are are also other songs about this highway, such as John Lee Hooker's Going Down Highway 51 recorded in 1948 or 1949. This Highway is a major N-that runs from Louisiana to Wisconsin, and skirts the eastern side of the Mississippi delta region. It appears that Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited as an allusion to this delta blues homage- as 61 is the other N-S artery running along the western side of the delta region. | |
| India.Arie – Intro: Loving Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| The first part is the Serenity Prayer, widely used in 12 steps programs such as AA. The last part is new to me - "give me the courage to love with an open heart." Pretty deep." | |
| Jefferson Airplane – The House at Pooneil Corners Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| I believe the lyrics follow the album's lyric sheet, but I figured they were really singing: "And you do what you can to get BALLED and high." | |
| Jefferson Airplane – The House at Pooneil Corners Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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Another borrowing from A.A. Milne (author of Winne the Pooh). The title is based on the 2nd Winnie the Pooh book - The House at Pooh Corner, and the last verse is borrowed from the poem "Noise". For other A.A. Milne allusions see the Jeffereson Airplane's "The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil". Here is the complete poem. Oh, the butterflies are flying, Now the winter days are dying, And the primroses are trying To be seen. And the turtle-doves are cooing, And the woods are up and doing, For the violets are blue-ing In the green. Oh, the honey-bees are gumming On their little wings, and humming That the summer, which is coming Will be fun. And the cows are almost cooing, And the turtle-doves are mooing, Which is why a Pooh is poohing In the sun. For the spring is really springing, You can see a skylark singing, And the blue-bells, which are ringing, Can be heard. And the cuckoo isn't cooing, But he's cucking and he's ooing, And a Pooh is simply poohing Like a bird. |
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| Jefferson Airplane – Meadowlands Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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Once when I was praciticing my trombone in 8th grade or so (in the early 1970's), I was working on a piece called "Russian Fantasy or something. My older brother later informed me I was playing a Jefferson Airplane song. It turns out Meadowlands is a Soviet Russian-language song, written by Lev Knipper with lyrics by Viktor Gusev in 1933. It's title "Polyushko-Polye" has been translated to "Meadowlands", or "Song of the Plains" and Oh Fields, My Fields". The lyrics are a glorification of the Soviet military. A number of musicians have played versions of this song including Theodore Bikel and Marc Almond. All of this info comes from the great source Wkipedia. |
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| The Beatles – She Loves You Lyrics | 6 years ago |
| A very nuanced song that tells several storeis. On one hand it is Paul McCartney making fun of John Lennon's infatuation with Yoko Ono.On the other hand, it's about heroin addiction - "With a love like that / You know you should be glad." | |
| The Allman Brothers Band – In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed Lyrics | 6 years ago |
| As an aside, Lou Reed's sister was named Elizabeth (but she went by Merril). | |
| The Allman Brothers Band – In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed Lyrics | 6 years ago |
| As an aside, Lou Reed's sister was named Elizabeth (but she went by Merril). | |
| Emmylou Harris – Boulder To Birmingham Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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@[unkfred:19154] I presumed she was talking about I-95 which passed through her hometown Baltimore..... |
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| Neil Young – Old Man Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[jehosefat:19153] Thanks.... I was trying to figure out who was playing banjo | |
| Jefferson Airplane – ReJoyce Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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I was under the impression that these lyrics are a reinterpretation of the final “Penelope” chapter of Ulysses – the only chapter from the perspective of Molly, wherein her middle of the night musings are captured through punctuation-less stream of consciousness. That said, several of the lyrics come from other sections of the book , but Molly did say that when Leopold returned he recounted the events of his day to her. I reread the book last year and it wasn’t until near the end that I thought to consider how these lyrics fit in. I downloaded the book (for free) on a Kindle to search for phrases. Many of the lyrics seem to have no relation to the book – of course with the disclaimer that the book is so dense that I will admit that many allusion could have slipped by me. I couldn’t find any connections in the first 2 verses, - No white shirt and tie, no wedding ring, no chemical change. And later in the song… I can’t make any sense of the arm . The lyrics seem to capture more the spirit of the nocturnal stream of consciousness ramblings. The connections I have come up with are : • The third verse seems to refer to the Cyclops chapter – wherein Leopold attempts to meet up with an acquaintance in a pub midafternoon and gets into a political discussion with a local denizen, who ends up airing anti-Semitic grievances (Bloom being a Jew) and attempts to assault him at the end. I don’t think Bloom ordered Mulligan Stew though. No throw-up that I recall. • As previously mentioned, Blazes Boylan is a guy who Molly having an affair with (no mere crush) which is central in the book. She has a rendezvous with him that afternoon, and Leopold is preoccupied with this throughout the day. Boylan is well endowed, according to Molly. • Leopold does sleep opposite Molly in their bed – with his head at the foot of the bed. • The gold star mothers farm I am guessing refers to Molly’s childhood in Gibraltar, but that is a guess. • I’d rather have my country die for me, was directly taken something Stephen said early in the book. • The references to mother in the final verse undoubtedly refers to Stephen’s mother who had died one month previous. Throughout the book, he reflects a lot on his mother, often with guilt. Hershey bar? Look like a car? No idea. • The ending of the song – “Somehow it all falls apart” is odd. The ending of the book is very positive and optimistic. Molly keeps repeating the word yes – presumably meaning a recommitment of her love to Leopold (although there are other interpretations). I am sure I missed much, and would love to hear others’ views. For another interpretation of the book, see Kate Bush’s The Sensual World |
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| Patti Smith – Radio Ethiopia/Abyssinia Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| One of the great ritardandos in rock. | |
| The Bangles – Bitchen Summer/Speedway Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| A great rarity. look for it. | |
| Derek and the Dominos – Layla Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| factual error- Eric did not steel Patti from George. After George and Patti broke up, he did get together with her. | |
| Blake Babies – Sanctify Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| and I failed to mention.... one of the greatest screams in recorded history......... | |
| The Band – The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| I agree with thecrossbone.... except for the idea that the civil war was about states rights is incorrect. The southern states were mad that the federal government was NOT enforcing the fugitive slave act.... letting states enforce it or not. They wanted a stronger government that wouldn't let the states do as they felt fit. | |
| Neil Young – Powderfinger Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| Your interpretation was the same as mine. I have since doubted that...... after all bullets were hitting the dock. | |
| Yo La Tengo – (Straight Down To The) Bitter End Lyrics | 9 years ago |
| "The Bitter End" is an instrumental on the US version of the Beatles "Help!" (a tune from the movie sountrack), one of a number of Beatles references on this album - Paul is dead, and lyrics in Tom Courtenay. | |
| Yo La Tengo – (Straight Down To The) Bitter End Lyrics | 9 years ago |
| "The Bitter End" is an instrumental on the US version of the Beatles "Help!" (a tune from the movie sountrack), one of a number of Beatles references on this album - Paul is dead, and lyrics in Tom Courtenay. | |
| Yo La Tengo – (Straight Down To The) Bitter End Lyrics | 9 years ago |
| "The Bitter End" is an instrumental on the US version of the Beatles "Help!" (a tune from the movie sountrack), one of a number of Beatles references on this album - Paul is dead, and lyrics in Tom Courtenay. | |
| Neil Young – Out on the Weekend Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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What's the story with all these people saying that the meaning is obvious? If he loves her so much, why is he wanting to buy a pickup, and find a place of his own, instead of hanging out with her on "her big brass bed"? Is his depression overwhelming him that he can't be around her? He seems to realize that he may not be able to "stay up in her head" when he's running down the road? The changes of point of view between first and third person are interesting - as if the depression causes greater detachment, allowing to see himself int he fhird person. I agree - great song. but as with many great song, much ambiguity lies within. |
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| The Beatles – Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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Er... the line in "Just Like a Woman" is "Queen Mary, she's my friend." |
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| Eric Clapton – Easy Now Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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This came out when I was in high school and I thought it was such a cool song. I listened to this the other day and it turned my stomach. The teenage angst thing, I guess. Is that and uncredited George Harrison on harmonies (and 2nd guitar?) |
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| Throwing Muses – Hate My Way Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| My memory is rusty... it may have bipolar.... | |
| Melissa Etheridge – Nowhere To Go Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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I agree with youreyes, being about a gay relationship, or more generally an otherwise scorned relationship. But it appears that the narrator does not know if the other person has the same feelings towards her. In the first verse she says that they can talk until dawn, or maybe more if it ends up that way. In the second verse, it is as if she wants to use the wine to seduce the other. It seems to me that she does not know if this other person is gay or straight. The pain she is feeling is twofold: not knowing if this person is gay or straight; and if she is gay, then not knowing if the love is mutual. As musiclover26 points out, "nowhere to go" could refer to the general lack of things to do of small town life, but I think it is much more... in small towns everyone knows each other, there is likely a greater need to remain in the closet. And yes... it's a great song. |
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| Jefferson Airplane – Wild Tyme Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| What does the parenthetical "H" in the title mean? Heroin? | |
| The Bangles – Dover Beach Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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The third verse is a reference to T.S. Eliot's 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrrock. "LeT us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient etherized upon a table; Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets, The muttering retreats 5 Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells: Streets that follow like a tedious argument Of insidious intent To lead you to an overwhelming question…. 10 Oh, do not ask, “What is it?” Let us go and make our visit. In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo. " Which seems ironic. In the potem I thought the discussions of Michaelangelo was about high society chit-chat that avoided any meaningful interactions among people....... I love the line " The world is no one's dream..." Which sums up why the 2 of them can never be together. |
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| The Bangles – Dover Beach Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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The third verse is a reference to T.S. Eliot's 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrrock. "LeT us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient etherized upon a table; Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets, The muttering retreats 5 Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells: Streets that follow like a tedious argument Of insidious intent To lead you to an overwhelming question…. 10 Oh, do not ask, “What is it?” Let us go and make our visit. In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo. " Which seems ironic. In the potem I thought the discussions of Michaelangelo was about high society chit-chat that avoided any meaningful interactions among people....... I love the line " The world is no one's dream..." Which sums up why the 2 of them can never be together. |
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| Eric Clapton – Layla Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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It wasn't unitl several years ago that I found out that he finally did get together with Patii.... I was disappointed. This was the greated unrequited-love songs of all times - and he almost kills himself with heroin around this time...... and then he gets together with her years later??? I imagine their relationship never matched the passion he expressed in this song....... Rather it is summed up by the song "Wonderful Tonight" - I always hated that song. But who I am I to judge? The greatest rock'n'roll was created under the influence of heroin. It must bring out a lot of raw passion - but you wouldn't catch me doing it. :-) |
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| Eric Clapton – Layla Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Thanks DesertBreeze. That matches what I have heard of the Patti | |
| Eric Clapton – Layla Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Thanks DesertBreeze. That matches what I have heard of the Patti | |
| Juliana Hatfield – Trying Not To Think About It Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Beautiful song... totally underated..... why did it only come out on a single???? | |
| UB40 – Sing Our Own Song Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Judy Mowatt did a version of this song that is amazing. | |
| Bob Dylan – Paths of Victory Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Does anyone know the origin of this song? I have several versions of this song in my collection. (Unfortunately, I am not near the collection so I don't have the details). One version is by Hedy West called "Pans of Biscuits." Same tune, but thelyrics describe the backbreaking life of a farmer. It's on a Smithsonian folk song collection, recorded in the early 1960's. According to the notes she learned from her great uncle who learned it circa 1880. Great version. I have another version of the song from a bluegrass collection - can't remeber the artist- Wilma Lee? Maybe from the 1960's . It's called "Palms of Viictory". Not sure how similar the lyrics are to this version. In the early days Bob was known for "reinterpreting" folk songs, so I am guessing that this is the case here. |
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| Bow Wow Wow – Louis Quatorze Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Quatorze means "14" in French, suggesting that this is about the French king, or that this Louis has taken his name. Griel Marcus in his book "Mystery Train" relates this song to "Louie Louie". Now the lyrics make sense..... NOT! |
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| Bow Wow Wow – Jungle Boy Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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The Lyrics as transcribed above are prevalent over the web. I found the following lyrics on the site www.lyrics007.com I don't know if they are 100% correct, but I think they come close. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ See jungle, see jungle, see jungle, see jungle Jungle boy don't fear, jungle boy come near See jungle, see jungle, go join your gang, yeah, city all over, go ape crazy Jungle boy I view, jungle boy come through In the jungle, I love a rumble, he's the fat guy, he's the bad guy When the city turns to rubble See Jungle, see jungle, go join your gang, yeah, city all over, go ape crazy See Jungle, see jungle, go join your gang, yeah, city all over, go ape crazy See Jungle, see jungle, go join your gang, yeah, city all over, go ape crazy See Jungle, see jungle, go join your gang, yeah, city all over, go ape crazy See Jungle, see jungle, go join your gang, yeah, city all over, go ape crazy See Jungle, see jungle, go join your gang, yeah, city all over, go ape crazy In the jungle, I love a rumble with my boyfriend He's a fad now, he's so bad now, he understands When the city turns to rubble, ooh the trouble City all over going crazy, going crazy, so let your body do the talking, going crazy City all over going crazy, going crazy, I love jungle boy, going crazy, I love jungle boy, going crazy See Jungle, see jungle, go join your gang, yeah, city all over, go ape crazy See Jungle, see jungle, go join your gang, yeah, city all over, go ape crazy See Jungle, see jungle, go join your gang, yeah, city all over, go ape crazy See Jungle, see jungle, go join your gang, yeah, city all over, go ape crazy In the jungle, I love a rumble He's a fad now; he's so bad now When the city turns to rubble He's a fad now, he's so bad now When the city turns to rubble City all over go ape crazy, go ape crazy, I love jungle boy, go ape crazy, I love jungle boy, go ape crazy |
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| Bow Wow Wow – Jungle Boy Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| This song is based on a song from the South African group, the Mahotella Queens. The song - Umculo Kawupheli (No End To Music)- can be found on the compilation "Soweto Never Sleeps: Classic Women Zulu Jive." Bow Wow Wow takes the original lyrics and phoentically transposes them (if that makes sense?) into English. This either explains why the lyrics make no sense whatsoever, OR that Bow Wow Wow are complete geniuses. | |
| The Velvet Underground – White Light/White Heat Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| Maybe the whole album is about the rush from shooting meth. | |
| The Velvet Underground – Prominent Men Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| Yes, I would say this is very influenced by Dylan - down to the harmonica. I would also say that a number of the songs on the first album have a vocal delivery not dissimilar to Dylan. | |
| The Velvet Underground – Lonesome Cowboy Bill Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| The old Cowboy Rock'n; Roll genre.... along with "Sly Stone's Spaced Cowboy", and The Mothers of Invention's "Lonesome Cowboy Bert"........ | |
| Yo La Tengo – Little Honda Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| That crossed my mind. Gotta love that buzzsaw guitar. | |
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