| Death Cab for Cutie – I Will Follow You Into the Dark Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Apologies for the geekiness to follow. Compare and contrast Ben Gibbard's views of death to Donnie Darko's ("Every living creature on this earth dies alone") and Dylan Thomas ("Rage, rage against the dying of the light"). Does death separate or unite young lovers? Is their anything to be read further into the Catholic school verse than a reference to a harsh school system or is it a genuine attack on religious dogmatism? Write an essay in 200 words or less on what this song means to you. Ok, so I'm kidding. But heck, this song makes me cry. |
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| Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer – The Mountain Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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1. There is Sumerian in the background. This alone qualifies Dave Carter for deification. 2. Remember the nursery rhyme "Some in rags and some in jags and one in a velvet gown"? I love the rhythm of that and that it was used in this song. 3. Dave Carter's melding of old world and new world (a theme running through many of his songs) merchants vs. drugstores, mountains vs. junkyards |
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| Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer – Tanglewood Tree Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| I love googling random lines from Dave Carter to see what allusions I can get. The "wages of sin" is death - yeah, some of you out there read the actual bible, but I had to look for it. Dave Carter's imagery is amazing, the contrasts of "old root" and "young vine", of love as a good and as a bad thing through nature imagery. Forgive my rambling, but I love the song. | |
| Shawn Mullins – Lullaby Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| Fir those of you asking about Nashville: Nashville, Tennessee is where a lot of country singers got their start, so aspiring country singers gather there in hopes of making it big. Hollywood is where all the aspiring actors go. The irony in this is that Hollywood is much bigger than Nashville, so perhaps he's revealing his country roots, as opposed to the glamorous cali existence of the girl. | |
| Cake – Meanwhile, Rick James... Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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According to wikipedia, Rick James went to prison for two sexual assaults and was found dead by his caretaker with nine drugs in his bloodstream. Castle Rock is a place in Lord of the Flies, as well as a fictional setting in a Stephen King novel. |
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| Dar Williams – Mark Rothko Song Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| It does set the art history geek's heart aflutter, doesn't it? | |
| Switchfoot – Something More (augustine's Confession) Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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"Grant me continence, but not yet." snerk. |
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| Switchfoot – Meant To Live Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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I think what a lot of the more militant Christians on these pages forget (and it's not everyone, but a few people stick out) is that, by many Christian sects, god's love applies to everyone (hence the whole sacrificing his only son thing). For those of you who don't feel that way . . . meh. Keep "your" god. This song is lovely for its spirituality, for its general hopefulness and reassurance. It can go into either a religious or secular way; whether you want to take it as a song about a Jewish man or a love affair is your choice. Maybe it's both. |
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| Dar Williams – Southern California Wants to Be Western New York Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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Because it's theme park planners not being very careful about geography? It's cute, not accurate. I think that the song is ironic. The California Myth a la the Beach Boys, Annete Funicello and Frankie Avalon, The OC - Dar Williams turns that around. What if western New York were the ideal? She gives all these snapshots of New York, like diner coffee, and a weekly meal of pork on sunday, always served with mint, creaking houses full of age. There are very few references to things specific to the stereotypical SC, only the Miata. None of the usual fun-on-the-beach, Hollywood glamour, finding oneself in California that fills so many other pop songs. She turns the cliche around to a part of the country that no one idealizes, sad old western New York, forgotten, but still steeped in New England. The inverse cliche mocks itself, though, when typical WNY waitresses are characterized as looking liek they "want to leave for the west coast," even if (by gravity defiant's measure) they are already in California. |
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| The Postal Service – We Will Become Silhouettes Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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Has anyone else read the story "There Will Come Sioft Rains"? It's queer little short story that starts off with a beautiful sunny day in a futuristic suburbia, as little housecleaning robots wake up and busy themselves cleaning a house. Eventually, we come to realize that the family is gone - the author describes the outlines in ash of two children and their parents against one of the remaining walls of the house. I don't remember who wrote it or anything, but that's what the song reminded me of when I listened to the words. |
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| Norah Jones – One Flight Down Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| I like that this song is self-contained. I hadn't really payed attention to the words, and it was just hazy, pleasant background music. I look them up and behold - "There's a song on low and your mind just picked up the sound." It describes itself! | |
| Tweet – Oops (Oh My) Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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It is masturbation and I think it is a lovely and affirmative song. Someone awhile back was declaring this "morally corrupt", but I can't say I agree. Maybe the drug use, but masturbation is a healthy form of release for many people (not counting asexuals, et. al). There might be some holdovers from the 17th century who believe that it causes syphilis and blindness, but it's terrific that someone's finally speaking about it. And I have to say, having a woman sing about herself is a refreshing change from the usual violence/objectification/idiocy. So, my question to you folks: Why do you think masturbation is a bad thing? I've heard a lot of people say it, but I haven't heard any justifications ("God says so" does not count. I will post on Onan and the OT later if need be). |
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| The Postal Service – Nothing Better Lyrics | 21 years ago |
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Postal Service was getting me though my (temporary) break-up, so I love the emo angle of it, but i also enjoy the implied criticism of emo as well. The young man has visions of a perfect future, "growing old together" in a happy everlasting relationship, but something about the way he thnks is implausible. He wants to continue this life of angst and melancholy which, as beautiful as it is, is simply impossible to sustain. The young woman is the real world gently coming in, explaining to him why he can't be a Romantic(1) forever. Though some of her words are cold ("charts", "lecture"), her tone is soft and she comes in politely ("I feel I must interject here . . ."). She also admonishes his lifestyle - not himself as a person, but the part of his personality that tends to be dreamy and detached ("Before you get carried away, feeling sorry for yourself"). She loves him ("Your heart won't heal right . . .") but he needs to move on. (1) Capitalized for a reason, grammar whores (Shelley, Byron, Keats, etc.). I'm skipping MLA standards because I don't remember them . |
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