This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Give me a job, give me security
Give me a chance to survive
I'm just a poor soul in the unemployment line
My God I'm hardly alive
My mother and father, my wife and my friends
You've seen them laugh in my face
But I've got the power and I've got the will
I'm not a charity case
I'll take those (long nights, impossible odds)
Keeping my eye to the keyhole
If it takes (all that to be just what I am)
Well I'm gonna be a blue collar man
Make me an offer that I can't refuse
Make me a respectable man
This is my last time in the unemployment line
So like it or not
I'll take those (long nights, impossible odds)
Keeping my back to the wall
If it takes (all night to be just what I am)
Well I'm gonna be a blue collar man
Keeping my mind on a better life
Where happiness is only a heartbeat away
Paradise can it be all I heard it was
I close my eyes and maybe I'm already there
I'll take those (long nights, impossible odds)
Keeping my back to the wall
(All that to be just what I am)
Well I'm gonna be a blue collar man
You don't understand
I'll take those (long nights, impossible odds)
Keeping my eye to the keyhole
If it takes (all night to be just what I am)
Well I'm bound be a blue collar
Gotta be a blue collar man
Gonna be a blue collar man
Believe it
Give me a chance to survive
I'm just a poor soul in the unemployment line
My God I'm hardly alive
My mother and father, my wife and my friends
You've seen them laugh in my face
But I've got the power and I've got the will
I'm not a charity case
I'll take those (long nights, impossible odds)
Keeping my eye to the keyhole
If it takes (all that to be just what I am)
Well I'm gonna be a blue collar man
Make me an offer that I can't refuse
Make me a respectable man
This is my last time in the unemployment line
So like it or not
I'll take those (long nights, impossible odds)
Keeping my back to the wall
If it takes (all night to be just what I am)
Well I'm gonna be a blue collar man
Keeping my mind on a better life
Where happiness is only a heartbeat away
Paradise can it be all I heard it was
I close my eyes and maybe I'm already there
I'll take those (long nights, impossible odds)
Keeping my back to the wall
(All that to be just what I am)
Well I'm gonna be a blue collar man
You don't understand
I'll take those (long nights, impossible odds)
Keeping my eye to the keyhole
If it takes (all night to be just what I am)
Well I'm bound be a blue collar
Gotta be a blue collar man
Gonna be a blue collar man
Believe it
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Hayalperest
Hayalperest
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Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
A lot of Styx songs don't have that "deeper meaning" that people try to find in songs. Sorry, many just DON'T have it...the meaning is directly in the lyrics, and usually has no depth whatsoever...not all Styx songs, but many. This isn't an insult to them, and although it is usually considered to be a trademark of a rather non-imaginative lyricist, Styx pull it off very well.
That being said...they're absolutely fantastic. Excellent vocal and musical work make the classic songs hundreds of times better than most modern music.
"keeping my eye to the keyhole" refers to, in this particular lyrical context, working a bad job and listening through the upper staff's door keyholes (literally) to hear about new job advancement opportunities.
This song is fantastic...but attempting to draw depth from it is a lost cause.
spiegelglanz, nice interpretation, but I'm sure even you can see it's stretched razor-thin. I wonder if Styx intentionally did this, to make people wonder about the lyrics, because people always have for as long as music with vocals has existed.
Then they would be keeping their ear to the keyhole, not the eye. It's about opening the third eye through ritual sodomy.
@madnesslover_89 not having a "deeper meaning" is absolutely NOT a sign of an "unimaginative" lyricist, and you're A) just making shit up and B) kicking an easy target, as all the Cool Sheep constantly dump on Styx for whatever reason.<br /> <br /> Yeah, there's some schmaltz in their recordings ( courtesy of Dennis DeYoung, usually, although he's also written great stuff too), but I've head laughable lyrics in my day, and Styx, at their best, do not have laughable lyrics normally. <br /> <br /> Pieces of Eight was one of my first lps and when I first head BCM & Renegade, I just thought they were hot shit, and I still do. Trust your inner 12-year-old, where there's no overthinking. If it rocks, it's good, critics be damned.