| Art Brut – Every Other Weekend Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I just discovered this song because I have the UK version of BBR&R and I finally got around to getting the b-sides. This song is amazing. It's everything that was good about their first album (and has been slightly lacking in their last two, IMHO). I love his droll delivery. Clearly about divorce. The last section, starting with "Last night I heard you screaming," is lifted almost word-for-word from a Tracy Chapman song about living next to an abusive husband and his wife in an apartment building. The last line should actually be "always come late if they come at all." Knowing where it came from, I can't help but laugh whenever I hear it. This was Eddie's playful songwriting at its very best. |
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| Islands – Humans Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Yeah, Islands are great. Unicorns were great too. Good stuff all around. Saw Islands live last month and they played lots of new stuff. It sounded awesome, absolutely great. Anyway, this song is clearly about some end-of-the-world situation. Seems like a recurring theme, what with "Volcanoes" and all. |
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| Islands – Humans Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Yeah, Islands are great. Unicorns were great too. Good stuff all around. Saw Islands live last month and they played lots of new stuff. It sounded awesome, absolutely great. Anyway, this song is clearly about some end-of-the-world situation. Seems like a recurring theme, what with "Volcanoes" and all. |
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| Tapes N Tapes – The Iliad Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| This song illustrates for me one of the things that's brilliant about Tapes 'N Tapes. The imagery is there, kind of muddled, but still kind of recognizeable. There doesn't appear to be a strong theme, but you can kind of catch undercurrents. And most of all, the words just flow well and sound good. It's mysterious but doesn't take itself seriously or anything. Great stuff. | |
| Tapes N Tapes – Insistor Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I know this band doesn't purport to write lyrics with much meaning, but based on what I've heard, read and seen (in the video), this seems to be about a scoundrel of sorts who wants to corrupt or accost an innocent lady and a more well-intentioned person who wants her for more pure reasons. And she's caught in the middle. Or something like that. Great song, in any case. |
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| Tapes N Tapes – Cowbell Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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It doesn't matter what this song means. It's just awesome to listen to. I dare you to listen to this and hold still the hole time. You can't do it. I mean, it's not like a really dancey song or anything, but it just has this antsy, wonderful energy and it infects you. Also, I love the line "I've been a better lover with your mother." |
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| The Futureheads – Decent Days And Nights Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I always thought this was another relationship song. The singer is in a rocky relationship with somebody who's confused and doesn't know what to do. He tells her to go figure her shit out, and if she can do that, they can get back together and things can be decent between them: "If you work it out, tell me what you find We can have a few decent days and night" Well, that's what I always thought, anyway. All the lyrics can be interpreted to support this view if you think about it. |
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| Art Brut – Moving to L.A. Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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OK, he's drinking Hennessy (cognac) with Morissey, not Tennessee. And it's "I hear the murder rate is in decline." But anyway, I think this song is great and hilarious. He gets all the tired L.A. cliches in there and paints it as this wonderful paradise where you hang out with famous people and you have no problems. Obviously the band knows this is a false image and is poking fun at it. |
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| Art Brut – Modern Art Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Is there another version of this song? The one I have differs quite a bit from the lyrics posted here: Modern art makes me want to rock out So, I'm in the Tate And I'm looking at a Hockney and wow, there's something amazing about that blue It makes me want to step outside I want to loosen my tie Sweet Jesus, my heart is beating faster and faster I'm palpitating I'm sweating I just can't help myself I just can't help myself Modern art makes me want to rock out So, I'm in the Pompidou That's in Paris And the French, they're far more laid back about their art galleries There's little children running around I see a piece by Matisse That's my window of opportunity I take five steps back I put my head down And I run at it! Modern art makes me want to rock out |
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| Camper Van Beethoven – Tania Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| Well, I'll just state the obvious for those who don't know. This song is about Patty Hearst and her abduction by the radical nutjobs who called themselves the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) in the 1970s. (Or was it the '60s? I wasn't around.) They brainwashed her and she took the name "Tania" as her new SLA identity, and she actually participated in a bank robbery with them. I think a lot of the place name references in here are about things the SLA did, such as San Leandro and Daly City. And Cinque was the leader of the SLA. The seven-headed dragon was the SLA's symbol. Then, of course, most of the SLA people died in a shootout with the police. I'm no expert on the SLA but those are the facts as far as I know them. | |
| The Futureheads – Man Ray Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Here is an excerpt from a PopMatters review of the album that seems to clear it all up regarding Man Ray/Weston: *** "Man Ray" namechecks photographic legends Man Ray and Edward Weston, but like a young Charles Thompson referencing Salvador Dali and Luis Bunuel, the meaning of the song is deliberately vague, the lyrical rhythms fitting well with the band's performance ("Touch yourself, touch yourself, touch each other in black and white"). *** (The "Charles Thompson" bit is a reference to the Pixies lead singer, who called himself Black Francis, and the song "Debaser," in case anybody didn't know.) BTW, the review was glowing. As are all reviews of this record that I've read. "Man Ray" has gradually become my favorite song on this album, too. I rock out to it frequently. Woo-hoo! |
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| The Futureheads – Robot Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I think it's about wanting to become a robot so you never have to stop being with somebody. Probably an obsessive stalker thing, possibly unrequited. I get this last part from the "programmed to follow you, do exactly as you do" line. Just my thoughts. Excellent song, excellent album. |
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| Thunderbirds Are Now! – 198090 (Aquatic Cupid’s) Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I got this CD a week ago and this is the first time I've looked at the lyrics. Seems like it might be about one of those death cults where they all drink the poison Kool-Aid or eat the poison s'mores or whatever. By the way, this is an awesome band and I'm honored to post the first comment. Finally, let me point out that the (Aquatic Cupid's) part of this song title is misplaced. That should be at the start of the title song #4 on the disc, "Harpoons of Love," not at the end of the title of song #3. At least, that's the way it makes sense and the way it is on the CD case. |
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| Les Savy Fav – Asleepers Union Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| That was an excellent interpretation. You even worked a Unicorns reference in there. Nice. I have nothing to add. It think you've got some good ideas there. I just thought this song should have more than one comment, because it's a great song. | |
| The Fiery Furnaces – I'm Gonna Run Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| I've read that a lot of what's in this song is stuff that Eleanor overheard at work while she had an office job. All the office-supply references toward the beginning make sense in that context. All of the other stuff could easily have been overheard, too. That makes it a pretty pointless and nonsensical song in a way, but it all knd of fits together and the sound of the words really fits the style of the song. Sometimes the best songs are the ones that don't really try to say something obvious, and I think that applies here. | |
| Camper Van Beethoven – Club Med Sucks Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| No, they WERE pseudo-intellectual punks/hippies. | |
| Camper Van Beethoven – Cowboys from Hollywood Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| An ironic take on America's role as the high-profile, shoot-'em-up "cowboys" of the world? Or just another wacky Camper song? | |
| Camper Van Beethoven – Wasted Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Remake of the Black Flag song, except with the notable lyrical addition of "I was so gnarly and I drove my dad's car," which is a nice touch. Interpetation: "He was so wasted." Great song, though. It's a really fun on at their live shows. |
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| Camper Van Beethoven – 51-7 Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| Formerly troubled kid cleans up his act and joins the military, aspiring for the elite unit known as 51-7. This one's much easier to figure out than the earlier Camper songs. | |
| The Fiery Furnaces – Rub-Alcohol Blues Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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"The easiest thing I ever done Was loving and drinking wine The hardest thing I ever done Was paying off a judge's fine" I love this verse. |
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| The Fiery Furnaces – Blueberry Boat Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| Any theories on the role of the girl who's "waving goodbye" and utters the ominous "just wait see what you get?" | |
| Pixies – Bone Machine Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I agree about the theme of the "cuckolding fetish," but I guess I have a little different intepretation of the "preachy-preach" verse. I always thought he was actually referring to a preacher. I think it's a flashback to when he was young and sexually confused. He went to a preacher for advice (perhaps he was brought up in a religious family, where this would be a natural thing to do), and the preacher initially was supportive ("bought me a soda" as a friendly gesture), but then revealed his true colors by trying to take advantage of him by sexually molesting him. This might be a way of looking back into what kinds of experiences shaped him into the kind of person who still is still kind of a sexual weirdo -- getting off on watching his girlfirend be unfaithful to him and all that. He was betrayed by somebody in a position of trust, someone he confided in, and it only made his sexual confusion worse. The idea that "preachy-preach" refers to the japanese lover and that "molest" means beating up just doesn't seem to fit for me. |
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| The Fiery Furnaces – Inca Rag/Name Game Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| I don't have a clue about much of this song, but I guess Francisco PIzarro was a Spanish conquistador who conquered the Incas and founded the city of Lima. So that might have something to do with "Mummy day Pizarro" and "Inca Rag," but the rest of it is a mystery. The only other things I know is that the song makes me want to have a rum and Coke, and oh yeah, it's an incredible song. So listen to it! | |
| Cannibal Corpse – Raped By The Beast Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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What this song means to me: It means there is a really shitty band out there that had an idea to make a lot of money off a bunch of misguided teenagers who think that listening to music that's as pointlessly offensive as possible will make them "rebels." Sad. I did like their cameo in Ace Ventura, though. I think it helps that you can't understand the lyrics through the singer's guttoral growl. I can see how that would help someone's appreciation of this band. |
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| Operation Ivy – One Of These Days Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| I know Nancy Sinatra did it a long time ago. Not sure if hers was the original version or not. | |
| The Hives – Oh Lord! When? How? Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| I don't have anything to say about these lyrics, but man, it can be fun just to read the names of the Hives' songs. Like this one. | |
| The Hives – Die, All Right! Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| I think this song is about consumerism and the pointless pursuit of money and possessions in a capitalist system, taken to the extreme of selling one's own body for profit. | |
| The Hives – Hail Hail Spit N' Drool Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| Great Hives song. If you haven't heard Barely Legal, check it out, especially this song and AKA I-D-I-O-T. Great stuff. Much more raw than the newer stuff. | |
| The Hives – Introduce The Metric System In Time Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| It's about thinking about something in a new way. Changing time to the metric system. Instead of 24 hours, you convert it into 100 fractions. Then you get the appearance of more time, even though it's still the same amount of time, just in different portions. So it's all a big, crazy illusion. | |
| Camper Van Beethoven – Club Med Sucks Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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This song is about how Club Med sucks. Authority also sucks. Also, our protagonist does not like golf and lacrosse. There isn't much to this one, is there? |
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| Ramones – Blitzkrieg Bop Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| This is a "crazy kids" song. About all the crazy things the punk kids were doing. Piling in the back seat, and losing their minds, and whatnot. I'm sure Blitzkreig was chosen because of its connotations of something that's fast and furious, which is how these crazy kids lived their crazy lives. I don't think anything in the song supports any WWII or HItler themes, except the word Blitzkreig itself, but the Ramones seem like they were just very interested in Germany for some reason ... I don't know the history of the band, but the lyrics to other songs such as Commando, Judy is a Punk and Bonzo Goes to Bitburg, just to name three, suggest some kind of fascination with Germany. | |
| Ramones – Judy Is a Punk Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| This is the best Ramones song. | |
| Camper Van Beethoven – Surprise Truck Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| This is a song about a surprising truck. Or something. | |
| Pixies – Vamos Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| I thought this was another Pixies incest song, myself. Living with his sister, "keeping well-bred" (by inbreeding), all that jazz. Plus he says "we'll have our sons," implying that both he and his sister will have sons, but their friends will say "your daddy's rich, your mama's a pretty thing" -- only one daddy and one mama mentioned. So the singer is the daddy and his sister is the mama. | |
| Beck – Minus Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| I always thought he was saying "genital vandals they bark in your face," instead of "janitor vandals." I kind of like "genital vandals" better. | |
| Beck – Fume Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| I think "talking to the devil and drinking a Coke" is about the funniest line in a song I've ever heard. | |
| Pixies – Cactus Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| I always thought it was dine, not dying. He's talking about spilling food and wine on the dress, so "dine" isn't much of a stretch. | |
| Pixies – There Goes My Gun Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| This song is a perfect example of how it doesn't really have to make sense. It's like twisted poetry. The phrases "look at me," "there goes my gun" "friend or foe" and "yoo-hoo" don't really mean anything when you throw them together, but they all have interesting connotations by themselves. Have Frank Black scream the lyrics while Kim Deal provides smooth backing vocals and set the whole thing to the usual Pixies noise and you have a winner. This is the formula for lots of great Pixies songs. This band is/was brilliant. | |
| Pixies – River Euphrates Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| I have no clue what this song means, although the sex explanation makes sense. I think this is one of those cases where the lyrics don't have to make sense in a broader way. The imagery just creates a particular mood that really takes the song to a new level. The Pixies were masters of doing that. | |
| Pixies – Monkey Gone to Heaven Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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For a long time, I thought this song was about the death of religion as a way of explaining the world. The "underwater guy who controlled the sea" is clearly the Greek god Neptune. "got killed by 10 mllion pounds of sludge from New York and New Jersey" seemed to me to be a metaphor for our modern society taking control of the Earth in such a way that we no longer have any use for superstition, myth and religion to comfort ourselves and explain things. "Hole in the sky" would be the void created by the removal of God, "the creature in the sky," from people's lives. Without any hope for the afterlife, everyone is screwed: "Everyone is gonna burn, we'll all take turns." Then the 5-6-7 verse is just a maniacal kind of mocking of the hierarchy of man, devil and god. The "monkey" could be the monkey that was on mankind's back for so many years, again, religion. Saying that the monkey is dead by saying it's "gone to heaven" could be another ironic way to mock the idea of religion and afterlife. But I may be overthinking this. The environmental interpretation makes plenty of sense, too. |
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