submissions

Bright Eyes – Waste of Paint Lyrics

21 years ago

I know it's kind of ironic, but this song really reminds the book of the bible called Ecclesiastes, which is about King Solomon who had everything his heart could possibly desire and his struggle with meaning in life. Here are some quotes from Ecclesiastes that illustrate my point: "I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." (1:14) and "All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." (1:8-9) I really recomend the book to anyone who is struggling with the apparent meaninglessness of life, whether you're religious or not. It contains a lot of interesting insights that describe the universal condition of man apart from God.

submissions

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Room Full Of Mirrors Lyrics	21 years ago
This is one of my favorite hendrix songs. I love the way it metaphorically describes how self-centered we are, and that when we can stop being so self-centered, we gain the ability to percieve the beauty of everything around us.

submissions

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – One Rainy Wish Lyrics	21 years ago
This song reminds me of a time when I actually met a beautiful girl who was sitting under a tree at a concert, and sure enough, her smile "stole my heart away." I'm still chasing after her to get it back, but when I hear this song, I'm reminded of how lucky I am to have actually experienced to some degree the beauty described by these lyrics.

submissions

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Little Wing Lyrics	21 years ago
I kinda agree with geejodibee, that this song is about a girl so wonderful and beautiful that it would be wrong for him to keep her all to himself. The song describes her as a selfless, free-spirit that wants nothing but to make others happy ("she says, 'it's alright, take anything you want from me'") and so he tells her to "fly on" and share her love.

submissions

Grateful Dead – Boys In The Barroom Lyrics

21 years ago

When I saw Robert Hunter close his set with this song, he put his guitar down and sang the whole thing accapella. It was amazing, a perfect Ode to Deadheads. It was like a prayer of intercession, asking God to bless the concert ("in hopes it be pleasing both here and above") and to forgive the audience for its sins ("Do lord deliver our kind"). A perfect closer to set the stage for a fantastic Dead show to follow.

submissions

Grateful Dead – Looks Like Rain Lyrics

21 years ago

I think that this song, especially in the band's later years, was a way for Bobby to vent his frustration with never having gotten married. You can really feel his anguish during the rant at the end of the song (particularly on a View from the Vault IV, but I'm sure in other performances of the song as well). Happily, Bobby did finally get married (in 1999 I believe), but when I saw The Dead play this song over the summer, it seemed to lack that same intensity and anguish that I remember from the View from the Vault days. Just a theory, I certainly wouldn't want to "fit this song into the lines I might've drawn."

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