| Radiohead – Separator Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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For me this is definitely about awakening from your mind-made self - the ego or identity that you've created for yourself, which is an abstraction and an illusion. We're so identified with our thoughts that we *become* our thoughts, and it's such a burden - but really, we're the awareness, or consciousness, that perceives the thoughts. We all need to wake up to our true selves, and see that we are not separate from the world, but a part *of* the world. |
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| Radiohead – Give Up the Ghost Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| I read some of the inane comments and juvenile arguments on this place and wonder why I bother with it, then I read a thread like this one and I remember why. Some really insightful comments that have helped to illuminate the song for me; I loved it anyway, but hadn't given that much thought to what it all meant. | |
| The Smashing Pumpkins – Appels + Oranjes Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Seems deliberately open-ended to me, he's asking a lot of questions without really offering any answers. Maybe that's the point, he's saying 'I'm not going to figure it out, you can do that yourself.' It's initially about fears and anxieties, but then the lyrics become more optimistic and ask 'what about just experiencing life without becoming consumed by all those fears?' |
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| The Smashing Pumpkins – Hummer Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| I should have said that comment was by existentialredhead, that was pretty retarded. | |
| The Smashing Pumpkins – Hummer Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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'However, I'm probably overanalyzing it:). I'm sure Billy didn't write it with all this existential garbage in mind, but that's what it's always been to me.' I'd like to think Billy did write it with all that 'existential garbage' in mind, I thought that was a great interpretation. Or maybe you've just articulated how I feel right now; either way, it was well put :) |
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| Radiohead – Lotus Flower Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| I can't stop listening to this at the moment, it's brilliant. | |
| Radiohead – Separator Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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It's funny you say that, BharathOS, because I watched Inception the other day and it occurred to me that this song would have complimented the film nicely. Radiohead really are on another planet, this is just a stunning song. |
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| Radiohead – In Limbo Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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REDUX zero: I listened to this song when I was high. I got stuck in it. It was almost like being in Limbo. The whole album's like that for me when I'm high. It's almost unsettling at times, but in a really good way :D Someone I know described it as hypnotic and I think that sums it up. It's incredible, puts most commercial music to shame with its sheer depth. I haven't given much thought to the lyrics tbh, but they fit in with the music perfectly - you get lost in them. |
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| Pink Floyd – Sorrow Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| shaown, I think it's basically about being stuck in the past. It's about nostalgia and regrets, pining for your youth, whilst with every moment time is passing you by. | |
| Pink Floyd – Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2 Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| NonDairy's pretty much spot on with his or her analysis. The only quibble I have is with that last sentence - the funky disco beat was co-producer Bob Ezrin's idea, the song was originally a pretty gloomy piece of music. Roger Waters was also dead-set against releasing it as a single (Floyd hadn't released a UK single since 1968), it was only when they added the beat and the kids' singing that he saw the pound signs. | |
| Pink Floyd – Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1 Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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Just to clear up a misconception - David Gilmour and Waters co-wrote 'Comfortably Numb.' Gilmour wrote the chord structure (apart from the 'I have become comfortably numb' chords - that line wasn't initially in the song, oddly enough), and Waters wrote the lyrics. It's one of only four songs on the album that Gilmour got writing credits for. Oh, and Waters' wife *did* cheat on him, and he actually did phone home only to be greeted by another man's voice (ie as in 'Young Lust'). |
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| Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| I'm not saying you need to do drugs to appreciate the meaning of the song, SacredCASHcow. But it's a more visceral experience when you're high, you notice things you don't notice when you're straight-headed. | |
| Pink Floyd – The Hero's Return Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| Another devastatingly beautiful song from 'The Final Cut.' I like the way the narrator's your typical cranky old geezer, and then he opens up to his sleeping wife about the sadness in his heart. Genuinely moving stuff. | |
| Pink Floyd – The Gunner's Dream Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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Has a more moving tribute to our servicemen been written? Just a beautiful song. I loved the bit where Waters' voice merges seamlessly into the sax too, mikemac. |
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| Pink Floyd – Coming Back to Life Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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PFVera: 'The newer pink floyd, has always given me this chill of isolation. Like you are all alone on a mountain watching the sun come up in the cold wintery chill, and it feels so isolated and alone. And it gives you this neat atmospheric view. Where it is picturesue, and beautiful. It gives me some awesome imaginatons. I just always get an isolated feel with the new pink floyd, which I love.' I was going to post something very similar, but you saved me the bother :). There's something very existential about songs like 'Coming Back To Life' and 'High Hopes,' and I can't get enough of it. Always takes me away to another place, this song. I think I actually love David Gilmour :D |
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| Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| TDel, I don't think Pink being high on drugs is really that important. It's not like he's on an acid trip, he's heavily-sedated. He's in a dream-like state, he's not on an LSD freak-out, so your interpretation is still valid. | |
| Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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The solos are brilliant, of course, but I think the whole song is a work of genius. It's a conversation between a doctor and a heavily-sedated patient (as we all know by now), and I love the way the doctor's dialogue is accompanied by a more muted musical arrangement, whilst the patient's dialogue is accompanied by a feverish, 'high' arrangement in order to reflect his drugged-up state of mind. By God, what a song. So good I could almost cry (and I know it's a cliché, but listening to it whilst high does give you a whole new appreciation of the song). (Sorry if I'm repeating other people, can't be mithered reading through 483 comments!) |
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| Doves – Satellites Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Doves are kings of the melancholy yet somehow uplifitng song, aren't they? This is another phoenix soaring from the flames, from one of my favourite albums. As for what it means, I think it's basically about someone who's experienced a lot of sadness, and who's found some sort of peace. |
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| The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| I think I know what you mean, jurisprudence. But I can't think of what it is, either - cheers, that's going to drive me mental now! | |
| The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I thought it was 'a dream, a lie' as well, endwords. Brilliant song, almost makes me want to go and see '500 Days Of Summer Love.' Actually, I quite like Zooey Deschanel... |
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| Pink Floyd – What Shall We Do Now? Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| I don't have anything constructive to say about the meaning of the song (the other posters have covered it all), all I wanted to say was that it's a shame that this didn't make it onto the album. Only discovered it recently and it's great! Good message as well. | |
| Doves – M62 Song Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Know what you mean, jcarriq, my mate and I have accidentally plagiarised pieces of music on a couple of occasions! Pretty gutting when you think you've come up with something half-decent and then you realise it's the chord progression from 'Comfortably Numb.' Love the song - hate the bloody motorway. |
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| Manic Street Preachers – She Is Suffering Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| If you haven't already, check out the acoustic version on YouTube, it's brilliant. I think I prefer that version to the studio version. | |
| Manic Street Preachers – Yes Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| I agree, blundertown, it's a great line. Because it's true, I think. And it cuts pretty close to the bone in my case tbh! | |
| The Smiths – Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I forget where I heard this, but apparently that sound effect at the beginning, where the volume level goes up and down, was put in by engineers so that the recording couldn't be used (standard practise, apparently), but the recording was used anyway, in error. Which doesn't contribute to the discussion re the meaning of the song, but, y'know, I thought people might be interested. |
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| Arctic Monkeys – Fluorescent Adolescent Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| I'd always assumed that 'landed in a very common crisis' meant that she was pregnant. | |
| Manic Street Preachers – Rendition Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Well this looks like a no-brainer on the face of it - Guitmo, Military Commisions, and extraordinary rendition (transferring people to repressive countries that are known to practise torture). But actually what I wanted to point out is the guitar at 2:17 - is it my imagination or does it sound uncannily similar to the guitar at 2:56 in 'Slash and Burn'? It would sort of make sense because MSP said they wanted to pay their dues to their hardcore, the ones who were there at the beginning (and 'Slash and Burn' is the first track on their first album, for anyone that doesn't know). Or maybe I'm reading too much into it, that's always a possibility! |
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| Morrissey – Everyday Is Like Sunday Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Was listening to a documentary about Morrissey on Radio 2 just now, and they pointed out that 'Come Armageddon' is most likely a reference to 'Slough' by John Betjeman: 'Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough! It isn't fit for humans now.' [Slough's a town in Berkshire, England, for those of you not familiar with English geography.] Can't believe I needed that pointing out to me! |
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| The Smiths – Butterfly Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Jemaeux, you mischievous scamp, are you trying to make insinuations about Moz's sexuality with that 'What do you see in her?' caper? Either that or you're dyslexic - in which case, fcuk ouy (sorry). | |
| Doves – Black And White Town Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Surely these lyrics, as posted by minkydave, are wrong? I always thought the second verse began: 'In satellite towns, There's no colour and no sound...' And the third verse began: 'Here comes some action, First time in my life...' Or have I been wrong all this time? |
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| Manic Street Preachers – Sleepflower Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Hell, I'm going to post another comment. Seriously, four comments for this song (technically, although it basically amounts to two comments), when Green Day attracts hundreds of comments (check the 'American Idiot' page if you don't believe me - never have I seen so many catty, childish comments). Forget the illegal war in Iraq, forget the oppression of the East Timorese, forget the poisoning of Russian dissidents - THAT'S what makes me lose faith in humanity! |
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| Manic Street Preachers – Sleepflower Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Wow, four years and only two comments (and the second's a duplication). No 'this song rawks!' comments, or something of that ilk? Mind you, Manics fans ARE generally more discerning. Anyway, as to the song itself: well, the recurring Manic theme of sleep crops up again, and as I think about it I see an odd connection between this and 'I Live To Fall Asleep'. Seems to basically amount to 'being asleep is better than being awake,' although I daresay it's slightly more nuanced than that. The restlessness, the despair of consciousness or something. Anyway, I do love this song, even if JDB can't stand it (he's not a fan of 'Revol,' either - what's that about?!). |
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| Manic Street Preachers – Yes Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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The 'conceive a god' line is most probably a reference to 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' by Friedrich Nietzsche. In the 'On The Blissful Islands' chapter, Zarathustra says, 'Could you *conceive* a god?' He argues that, rationally, you couldn't imagine the existence of God, so He effectively fails to exist - God is dead. In 'Yes,' of course, even this is possible - you can have anything you want in the consumer age (or, at least, you can have the IMAGE). I *think* that's the point, anyway. |
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| The Knife – Heartbeats Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Question: what does 'four hands' mean in this context? I'm guessing it's a sexual allusion, but what specifically does it mean? Great song about love coming from lust, her voice is certainly distinctive! |
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| Manic Street Preachers – Crucifix Kiss Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| Actually, ignore the above - Richey just cocked up, the verse he's referring to isn't in Luke chapter six, it's in Matthew. He quotes verbatim from the revised version of the Bible (ie s version that's been translated into modern English) that I've read. | |
| Manic Street Preachers – Revol Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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This is how Richey describes the thinking behind the lyrics: 'All adolescent leaders of men FAILED. All love FAILS. If men of the calibre of Lenin and Trotsky failed, then how can anyone expect anything to change. Won't get fooled again.' Which is really depressing (but hey, this IS The Holy Bible). He begins with a critique of Russian communism, logically enough considering that the Manics were big on Marxism. Personally don't agree with the over-riding sentiment that we're all fallible, and that hence there is no hope - if I did I'd kill myself - but there you go. |
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| Manic Street Preachers – Let Robeson Sing Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I assumed the line about Cuba was a reference to the Manics' visit to Cuba a few years back. Don't quite understand the part about Moscow, though, I don't know if it's supposed to be figurative rather than literal (Moscow, obviously, representing Russian Communism - or Stalinism, to be precise). Good song, particularly the snipe at McCarthyism and 'the lie of the USA.' |
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| Manic Street Preachers – P.C.P. Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Just to follow up on mynothing's point about Marxism, Karl Marx believed that the state apparatus would wither away after the initial revolution (Russian 'Communism' is actually Leninism/Stalinism, and makes vital revisions to pure Marxism). The song is indeed about the pit-falls of political correctness, and how it is a barrier to truth. Incidentally, 'PCP' is also a reference to the Portugese Communist Party, apparently. |
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| Manic Street Preachers – Crucifix Kiss Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Miss D pretty much sums this one up - nothing too ambiguous here. The only thing I'll add is that he is paraphrasing Luke sermon (ie chapter) six - well, he's quoting Nietzsche paraphrasing Luke sermon six. This passage of the New Testament is the 'turn the other cheek' passage - if someone hits you on one cheek, turn your other cheek to him so that he may hit that one as well. Which is a bloody silly argument when you think about it, and that was Nietzsche's point. |
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| R.E.M. – All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star) Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I agree with HaroldErwin; it's undoubtedly about being young and naive, but it's not neccessarily an indictment of that stage in life that many of us go through. I mean, it's not completely disingenuous - take 'Your Achilles heel is a tendancy to dream,' for example. I get a hint of condescending knowingness as well as envy - good songwriting! |
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| Radiohead – Airbag Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I think roger wilco's spot-on - this song is about how technology dominates our lives (although I think the album is more a critique of modern western civilisation in general, than a 'concept' album about technology). I always considered the line 'I'm back to save the universe' to be tongue-in-cheek, and the situation whereby his life was saved by an airbag was only made possible by modern technology - I think it's actually an ironic song, not to be taken at face value. The first line ('In the next world war') is a bit of a curiosity to me - possibly it's about the link between technological advances and war. (The internet, for example, was designed by the US military.) Oh, and I don't think that Radiohead are junkies or pot-smokers - people are getting post-modernism confused with psychedelia. Radiohead are fucking about with conventions, not going on an LSD trip! |
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| Manic Street Preachers – Of Walking Abortion Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| One of the most damning lines, possibly on the entire album, is 'We all love our children'; for me, it trivialises the supposedly sacred insistution of parenthood. It reminds me of something that Philip Slater said, about how 'for the children' is the greatest war-cry - and the greatest justification - for public atrocities. These anxieties that we have for the welfare of our families renders us useless - 'Little people in little houses/ Like maggots, small, blind, and worthless.' We become the self-contained family unit that Richey always abhorred, biologically fertile but mentally castrated. | |
| Manic Street Preachers – Motorcycle Emptiness Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I used to think the refrain was: 'I'm dying on loneliness,' then 'You're dying on loneliness,' which is more poetic, dontcha think? Obviously a critique of capitalism and the alienation it engenders. I particularly like the bit about 'happiness corrupt political shit' - unhappiness seems to be a bit of a taboo subject where I come from (despite the fact that most people I know ARE unhappy). |
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| Manic Street Preachers – Love's Sweet Exile Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Beyond sensationalist tactics, I'm not sure what relevance the video has to the song. Anyway, I think the song tries to destroy the idea of blind loyalty to your country of birth in the chorus line. State coercion, the destruction of meaning by capitalist culture, the concrete jungle, lives lived as automatons - why should we be loyal to this? Interesting, really - they seem to favour 'flight' over 'fight'. Or am I taking this too literally? |
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| Manic Street Preachers – Emily Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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This is about Emmeline (Emily) Pankhurst, one of the founders of the suffragette movement in England, apparently. Nicky Wire said that the song is about "the idea that an icon of Pankhurst's standing, who really tried to do something good, who got women's sufferage and got women the vote, can be replaced by someone as obviously empty as Princess Diana as a feminist icon" (info courtesy of www.manics.nl). |
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| Manic Street Preachers – Revol Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Richey said that the relevance of the political figures to the statements that follow are analogies. I like Dr Strangelove's interpretations, they stand up well. The second stanza's harder to interpret, possibly because I don't know enough about the political figures - Chamberlain is obviously the British Prime Minister who famously declared that he had established 'peace in our time' a year before WWII broke out (chuckle), so that line figures, and Che Guevara was assassinated, which might offer a literal translation for 'You're all target now', but I'm struggling with the rest. I'm intrigued to know what the connection between the leader of the Nation of Islam (Farrakhan) and alimony is. If there even is one. This is a song I like musically, and am baffled by lyrically - it's probably the most radio-friendly of all the songs on The Holy Bible. |
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| Manic Street Preachers – Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit'sworldwouldfallapart Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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America took action to suppress socialist - potentially communist - uprisings in Grenada, Haiti, and Nicaragua (and Chile, and Guatemala...), in case anyone was wondering what their relevance was. And I've since discovered that the title was inspired by Lenny Bruce, a controversial American comedian who strongly opposed censorship. Info courtesy of www.manics.nl, if anyone's interested. |
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| Manic Street Preachers – Of Walking Abortion Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Here's the opening monologue by Hubert Selby (an American novelist, wrote 'Last Exit To Brooklyn' amongst other things), for parity's sake: "I knew that some day I was gonna die, and I knew before I died, that two things would happen to me: that, number one, I would regret my entire life, and that, number two, I would want to live my life over again." A haunting confession, but I couldn't say with certainty what its relevance to the song is. The fourth line should also read: 'Recognised truth' and not 'recognise truth', by the way, which changes the meaning slightly. Misanthropic to say the least, the song is perfectly in keeping with the rest of the album. Partly it seems to be about turning a blind eye to atrocities, when, as Jeffjeffjeff says, sin is inherent in all of us ('Hitler reprised in the worm of your soul'). Like My Nothing, I don't think this song is an attack on men specifcally, it's an attack on all of humankind (although, yes, the title comes from the essay attacking men by Solanos) - the line is 'everyone is guilty', not 'men are guilty'. |
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| Franz Ferdinand – Michael Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I like the music, but I don't half get the feeling they've all sat around one day and had a brain-storming session under the title: 'the ingredients for a controversial/trendy/painfully hip band'. Let me see, who's incredibly cool in Europe and America? Hmm, I know - Morrissey! Let's throw in loads of ambiguous sexual references like he did, and we can play Glastonbury! ?Yay! What next - ridiculous quiffs and shouting off in the press every five minutes? |
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| Manic Street Preachers – Judge Yr'self Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Given the obvious sub-text of self-harm, I'm kind of surprised that this was supposed to feature on the 'Judge Dredd' soundtrack. I think it's about looking inwards at yourself - and being brutally honest with yourself - before looking outwards and criticising the world. Seems very anti-authoritarian when you consider lines like 'find *your* truth' - ie, don't take someone's word for it, work the world out for yourself. jeffjeffjeff's right about 'the brightest sun is the purest gun' being a crap line. I dunno, if you can't think of anything relevant to rhyme with 'gun', don't bother! |
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