| My Brightest Diamond – Ice and the Storm Lyrics | 10 years ago |
|
Of all the songs about ice storms which feature the repeated phrase "let it go", this is my favorite! But seriously, the desire expressed in this song seems to be for the ability to break through the layers of defense and secrecy which can inadvertently accumulate between lovers over time. I feel like the repeated phrasing and slow fade out without any real progression over the course of the song, let alone a resolution, paints a rather bleak outcome of the relationship. |
|
| The National – Exile Vilify Lyrics | 12 years ago |
|
I believe the song is about the 2 stages of an unrequited breakup. The first stage, exile, when you've been left, or thrown out, and feel utterly alone and abandoned. The first part of the song describes the thoughts that go through your head in such a state. Terrible luck, a trial of your strength and character, an all consuming pain and denial over someone who meant so much giving up on you and your love, and the wondering whether they are as troubled over it as you are. All you want to do is quiet your painful thoughts, but all alone, your only company is an overactive and uncontrollable mind. Like marbles on glass... The second stage is vilification. Once exile sinks in, both parties will vilify one another. The other will begin to vilify you to sooth their guilt and grief, and you will vilify them over the cruelty they've shown by giving up on and abandoning you. Once vilification begins, just trying to communicate is nearly impossible. Don't even try. |
|
| My Brightest Diamond – We Added It Up Lyrics | 12 years ago |
|
I think it's about the realization that she and a loved one, while both good and loving people, are simply incompatible. Instead of complementing each other, their tendencies nullify one another. Despite both being agreeable, they are disagreeable together. They add up to zero. However, this is not an easy conclusion to come to, for they genuinely love one another, and to face the reality of their ultimately untenable relationship, they must quiet the inner voice which tells them of the importance of love. I think the "exhausting inexhaustibles" refers to the toll that their list of incompatibilities has taken on what would otherwise have been an inexhaustible supply of love they had for one another. |
|
| The Shins – Sleeping Lessons Lyrics | 13 years ago |
|
I think it's about an escape from self-imposed conformity. We spend so much of our lives denying our true natures and desires in an attempt to fit our designated roles in society. But deep down, we all want to not only be something different, but many different things at different times. Perhaps Mercer equates this yearning to be "a thousand different versions" of ourselves with dreams. Our dreams, be they fabulous or terrifying, give us small tastes of a life free of barriers and the impositions others put on us. And much as literal insomnia keeps us rooted in stark reality, a metaphorical insomnia might have the same effect of preventing us from just shattering our fragile yet rigid frames, and letting our true selves flow out. But sometimes, the need to indulge our basic animal instincts and urges, be they creative, intellectual, sexual, or spiritual, force us to break free, and tell all those who would have us kept in our gray prisons of quiet conformity to go f#$% themselves. |
|
| Muse – Apocalypse Please Lyrics | 16 years ago |
|
I'm pretty sure the idea behind the song is to contrast what happens in the real world with what happens in all the similarly dire situations from myths and legends (ie. biblical) He sees the world sliding inexorably towards the abyss, and decries and laments the lack of miracles or saviors. In almost every myth or story about the end of the world, it's saved by some greater force, be it a hero or divine power, and this is his (probably sarcastic) desperate prayer for such an unlikely relief for humanity in the face of the apocalypse. Very powerful song :) |
|
| The Runaways – Strawberry Fields Lyrics | 18 years ago |
|
"- okay that is one of the stupidest things i've read on here. this song IS about drugs. get with it. you, iteration2 are a dumbass." You're probably long gone by now, but in case you come back: Wow... You're very defensive for some reason, and very quick to put down the overall intelligence of someone with a well articulated opinion while offering nothing of your own. I'm sorry to say, but, much as I like drugs (not all of them, and I'll leave my favorites up to conjecture), and acknowledge their importance both in artistic and introspective exploration and recreational value, not everything that's inspired by a trip is about one. One reason drugs have always been so popular amongst artists is because of what the artist is capable of seeing, feeling, or realizing while under their effects, and many of them find some deeper truths (or deeper falsehoods) while delving into less-filtered areas of the mind. We can either write these off as drug-addled delusions (as many do) or embrace them as a gift of insight given to us by those adept at clarifying their otherwise hidden inner thoughts. I can't tell whether you are so down on my "not about drugs" comment because you saw me as some ignorant square, oblivious of the importance of drug culture, or because you're one of them, and would rather write off this amazing song as an addled trip than acknowledge any deeper meaning... Or maybe you're just an internet troll. |
|
| The Beatles – Strawberry Fields Forever Lyrics | 20 years ago |
|
Here's my analysis of Strawberry Fields (probably my favorite Beatles song): First off, I don't think it's "about" drugs. It might contain references to drug-induced experiences, or been written either under the influence of them or as a result of having been, but that really doesn't mean anything. Use of pot or hallucinogens will affect your outlook on the world and influence your creative endeavors, as will many other experiences, but to say that "this song is about drugs" is extremely simple-minded. With that out of the way, I believe this song is about the concept of building one's own reality out of dreams (both literal and figurative dreams), fantasies, and delusions. Retreating into one's own dream-world is a concept that's hardly unique to this song. What makes Strawberry Fields unique, however, is that it takes the conept a step further, by not only retreating into a fantasy, but by actually realizing it to the extent that you can invite someone else to join you, hence the chorus: "Let me take you down, 'cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields Nothing is real, and nothing to get hungabout Strawberry Fields forever" However, the song also deals with the inherrant issues with the idea of dream-reality-living, which is that, over time, the lines between your fantasy and the real world can erode, leaving behind feelings of contradiction and confusion. What's more, it ultimately proves impossible for another to live (though she might try) entirely within your own fantasy world, as he realizes over the course of the song. In each verse, this progression is evident as the singer's views become more confused and unsure of himself. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out, it doesn't matter much to me " The first verse clearly acknowledges that he is not living in the "real world", and that he's even losing his "real world" identity, but that it scarcely matters, because the world he IS living in is an easy one to grow accustomed to and enjoy, and this is all he really needs. "No one I think is in my tree, I mean it must be high or low That is you can't, you know, tune in, but it's all right, that is I think it's not too bad" He realizes in the second verse that he's more lonely here than originally intended. The one he wants to share his dream world with can't entirely tune into it, and he finds himself alone there. What mattered little in the first verse is now noticed, but bearable. "that is, I think it's not too bad" "Always, no sometimes, think it's me, but you know I know when it's a dream I think I know I mean a "Yes" but it's all wrong, that is I think I disagree" These lyrics make little sense, and I'm fairly certain the lyrics listed on this site are innacurate, as I've always seen (and heard) this final verse as: "Always, no sometimes, think it's me, but you know I know when it's a dream I think, er, no... I mean, er, "Yes", but it's all wrong. That is I think I disagree" Assuming the latter lyrics are the correct ones, the final verse shows the singer's final acknowledgement that his reality is nothing but a dream, and one that he can't feel fulfilled living in exclusively. His confusion in this verse is very blatant, as he stammers over lines and corrects himself, trying to remain positive, but in the end, admitting that it's all wrong. What is left up to conjecture, of course, is how it ends, whether he comes back to true reality or whether he's too far gone. The repeated "strawberry fields forever" at the end of the song might imply the latter. As for "Strawberry Fields" itself, I think the fact that it's an orphanage in england is fairly irrelevant, because for the purpose of the song, it's simply a symbolic place or state of existance, and dwelling on why he chose it as his symbol rather than some other place is a mundane excercise. Interestingly, Paul's "Penny Lane", released as the B-side on the strawberry fields single, is about a similar concept. However, where Strawberry fields is about the singer actually attempting to live in his dream world, and dealing with the benefits, challanges, and consequences of doing so, Penny Lane simply takes the form of an idle daydream. "There beneath the blue suburban skies I sit and meanwhile back, on Penny Lane...", "Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes" and "And though she feels as if she's in a play, she is anyway" all drive the concept home. IMO, Strawberry fields is a much more powerful song due to the extent to which it delves into the idea of waking dreams, whereas Penny lane takes a very superficial (though also inspired and catchy) view of daydreams. |
|
| The Runaways – Strawberry Fields Lyrics | 20 years ago |
|
Here's my analysis of Strawberry Fields (probably my favorite Beatles song): First off, I don't think it's "about" drugs. It might contain references to drug-induced experiences, or been written either under the influence of them or as a result of having been, but that really doesn't mean anything. Use of pot or hallucinogens will affect your outlook on the world and influence your creative endeavors, as will many other experiences, but to say that "this song is about drugs" is extremely simple-minded. With that out of the way, I believe this song is about the concept of building one's own reality out of dreams (both literal and figurative dreams), fantasies, and delusions. Retreating into one's own dream-world is a concept that's hardly unique to this song. What makes Strawberry Fields unique, however, is that it takes the conept a step further, by not only retreating into a fantasy, but by actually realizing it to the extent that you can invite someone else to join you, hence the chorus: "Let me take you down, 'cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields Nothing is real, and nothing to get hungabout Strawberry Fields forever" However, the song also deals with the inherrant issues with the idea of dream-reality-living, which is that, over time, the lines between your fantasy and the real world can erode, leaving behind feelings of contradiction and confusion. What's more, it ultimately proves impossible for another to live entirely within your own fantasy world (though she might try), as he realizes over the course of the song. In each verse, this progression is evident as the singer's views become more confused and unsure of himself. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out, it doesn't matter much to me " The first verse clearly acknowledges that he is not living in the "real world", and that he's even losing his "real world" identity, but that it scarcely matters, because the world he IS living in is an easy one to grow accustomed to and enjoy, and this is all he really needs. "No one I think is in my tree, I mean it must be high or low That is you can't, you know, tune in, but it's all right, that is I think it's not too bad" He realizes in the second verse that he's more lonely here than originally intended. The one he wants to share his dream world with can't entirely tune into it, and he finds himself alone there. What mattered little in the first verse is now noticed, but bearable. "that is, I think it's not too bad" "Always, no sometimes, think it's me, but you know I know when it's a dream I think I know I mean a "Yes" but it's all wrong, that is I think I disagree" These lyrics make little sense, and I'm fairly certain the lyrics listed on this site are innacurate, as I've always seen (and heard) this final verse as: "Always, no sometimes, think it's me, but you know I know when it's a dream I think, er, no... I mean, er, "Yes", but it's all wrong. That is I think I disagree" Assuming the latter lyrics are the correct ones, the final verse shows the singer's final acknowledgement that his reality is nothing but a dream, and one that he can't feel fulfilled living in exclusively. His confusion in this verse is very blatant, as he stammers over lines and corrects himself, trying to remain positive, but in the end, admitting that it's all wrong. What is left up to conjecture, of course, is how it ends, whether he comes back to true reality or whether he's too far gone. The repeated "strawberry fields forever" at the end of the song might imply the latter. As for "Strawberry Fields" itself, I think the fact that it's an orphanage in england is fairly irrelevant, because for the purpose of the song, it's simply a symbolic place or state of existance, and dwelling on why he chose it as his symbol rather than some other place is a mundane excercise. Interestingly, Paul's "Penny Lane", released as the B-side on the strawberry fields single, is about a similar concept. However, where Strawberry fields is about the singer actually attempting to live in his dream world, and dealing with the benefits, challanges, and consequences of doing so, Penny Lane simply takes the form of an idle daydream. "There beneath the blue suburban skies I sit and meanwhile back, on Penny Lane...", "Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes" and "And though she feels as if she's in a play, she is anyway" all drive the concept home. IMO, Strawberry fields is a much more powerful song due to the extent to which it delves into the idea of waking dreams, whereas Penny lane takes a very superficial (though also inspired and catchy) view of daydreams. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.