| Beirut – A Sunday Smile Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I think kidmeh is right with his lyric correction suggestions. It sounds like that's what he's saying when listening to Cheap Magic Inside. So instead of "we felt true" it's "we felt clean," and instead of "and as we reach for the sky" it's "Hills reach for the sky." Also on Cheap Magic Inside I can't help but hear "What's to save, holidays I cannot bear," but I can't seem to make sense of that so I figure I'm mishearing. Either way I definitely think it's "save" not "say", and either "all the days," "are the days," or "holidays." I also don't think it's "buildings inside," to me it sounds more like "buildings in sight," or something similar. I definitely hear "sight." I also think he's saying "A sunday smile, we wore it for a while" not "you wore it..." I also hear "that cemetery mile" not "a cemetery mile." Which isn't too important, but it can give a sense of specificity to what he's singing about, almost qualifying what a cemetery mile would be, or referring to a very specific period, like the final moments of the relationship. Almost like a funeral procession of the relationship. And interestingly on Cheap Magic Inside he clearly says "about a sunday smile, and we felt clean" the first time, while the second time he says "about our sunday smiles, and we felt clean." Doesn't seem to be that way in the album version though. Does anybody else hear what I do, or am I just crazy? |
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| William Fitzsimmons – Find me to Forgive Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I think that it is saying that the baby is another man's but it's still more complicated than that. In "Just Not Each Other" he says he "…lost you forever. There's flesh in you, won't know her father." So we can understand that he initially thought it was his, which leads to questions regarding her actions. In "After Afterall" he sings "please don't keep me" while the female vocalist sings "please don't leave me," which may be significant as he does utilize female vocals significantly in the very next song "I Don't Feel It Anymore." In "Please Forgive Me" he leaves her "out at sea … to plea," and while the next section can be seen as him begging for forgiveness it can also be seen as what she was left to plead for … his forgiveness. We know from "Further From You" that he feels he "was wrong" and he "wasted half of [her] life, both of [their] lives," which can be placed wholly as his fault or just him placing all the blame on himself unfairly which is reinforced with "Even Now" when he sings "whose side should I take when both of us were wrong, when we both share the blame." However, this seems to be contradicted in "You Still Hurt Me" when he says that she was "perfect" and he was "just a creep," something he's lost friends over: "there are friends who never call me anymore." Regardless, "[she] still hurt [him]." So all together I think it's a complicated situation, at the very least a complicated record left for the listener to interpret. There's a lot in the album to take into consideration, much more than I included. |
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| Deerhunter – Desire Lines Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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These lyrics should be updated to what e8ghtmileshigh put down, they sound much better, and liner notes are pretty authoritative. I like the link from SeHablaBlahBlah, it brings about something of a new way to perceive the song. In fact it kind of brings about the distinct possibility that it's praising the following of desires instead of being stuck in an endless cycle of "reaching for the gold." For what if "when you were young, and your excitement showed..." is a good thing. But what if this excitement and matter of course that we followed with reckless abandon was abandoned (like say abandoning the use of a desire line (desire path)) even though it is the best (quickest) path. Then when you grow up, or "as time goes by," you stop following that path, or posed as a question: "is it outgrown?" "Is that the way things go?" Is it really the best thing we can think of as adults to give away our passion and excitement to reach for that promotion, to be "forever reaching for the gold?" An entire life wasting away not for our passions but for our social existence, until we come to the end of our life when "forever fades black," and it ends up we have nothing to show for it, or it all "comes up cold." The chorus is our way to escape this, to be "walking free", not on the carefully planned and paved pathways of our society, but on the desire lines of our instinct, those paths we carve naturally which are always so much more efficient and useful. To "walk with me," or follow the people who carve out these desire lines, "far away" from these fake societies we build, and not just on the weekends in between work, but "everyday." Why do we abandon this in the first place? Maybe because "when [we] were young, [we] never knew which way [we'd] go." We began relying on others to show us the way, we needed their kindness to show us what to do with our lives. And now "what once was grace now undertows." It used to be a help, now their direction just drags us down away from what we truly feel called to do, what we truly desire. So what should we take from this? "'Well everyday do what you can, and if you let them turn you 'round - whatever goes up must come down'" Their markets will crash, their societies will crumble, their cities will fall, and their people will revolt. It may come up and be a glorious empire, but it will surely come down. Granted on account of the minimalistic nature of the lyrics anyone could probably argue the exact opposite of this proposal, I don't see a problem with that, no one can help but read their own ideas into lyrics. |
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| Florence + the Machine – Dog Days Are Over Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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A slight discrepancy in the lyrics: "Happiness hit her like a bullet in the head" is definitely "Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back" |
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| Timber Timbre – Until The Night Is Over Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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"And it might become right away It might become till the day I'm done" I think that's actually "And it might be coming right our way / It might be coming till the day I'm done" And the second time I think it's "It might be coming right our way / It might be coming till the day I'm gone" These coincide with the end better as well: "It's a hundred thousand miles off / Comin' closer everyday" And a much less significant difference I wanna note is that I hear "I ain't no doctor, son" as "I ain't no doctor's son" |
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| The Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I don't get the same 'overcoming superstition' vibe that you get. How it appears to me the myths are employed to utilize what they are symbols of. For instance: I left a nervous little boy out on the trail today He's just a mortal to the shoutin' cavalcade To me this isn't to do with challenging the myth or anything like that, it's utilizing the myth to symbolize him leaving his childhood behind. Him giving his nervous childhood up for death, if you will. So instead of showing that he is fearless and will challenge the existence of the Wild Hunt, he is giving up his weaknesses and letting that be destroyed by it (symbolically). Of course you don't have to even take it as a reference to himself. Similarly in the line: And I will sleep out in the glade just by the giant tree Just to be closer when my spirit's pulled away According to certain traditions, in your sleep your soul could be pulled from you to join the Wild Hunt. If anything this line isn't resisting the myth but embracing it. And just to specify my own view a bit, I think the song is about embracing life, but moreso about embracing death. Embracing the loss of self in death, and not worrying about it. Just accepting it and humbly waiting, in the song seemingly knowing when (leaving in the fall). But yeah, basically just continuing life as normal because death is just death, and that's reality, that's how it is. There's also hints towards war, 'leaving in the fall' for instance may refer to dying to to leaving for your war duties. This also fits into the Scandinavian Wild Hunt mythology, the Wild Hunt can mean war is coming. So it's a mixture of the two themes, to me at least. |
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| Beirut – Cliquot Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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That's not a bad idea. Alternatively the first section could be about the death of desire within the relationship, the second could be about the purging of artifacts of the relationship, or in other words burning the person from you and your life, and the third could be when the memories of the relationship start occurring and it becomes nostalgic. I also like the idea of it relating to the tale of Francois Clicquot and his widow, it does nicely explain the title. Outside of all of this I think people are putting way too much emphasis on Pallett's sexuality. Likewise they are putting too much emphasis on a small part of the song, when the lover is referenced as a man. Frankly there is only one gender being referenced, and that may very well have been intentional so it can go any way. Instead of trying to figure out if Pallett intended the relationship as a homosexual one, we as listeners should instead interpret it as we shall. It's poetry not an essay, it's vague and meant to be so. There are gaps, that is the nature of the work, so we must write ourselves into the spaces and fill ourselves into the work, in this way we can connect deeper with the song. |
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| Leonard Cohen – Seems So Long Ago, Nancy Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| The other title, "Nancy," is correct. It's another version from his 1973 live album "Live Songs." | |
| Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Thought I'd add, don't know about the kitchen chair, but the cut hair is also a biblical story. Samson and Delilah. He had a particular role with God which granted him great physical power, as part of his covenant to hold the role he couldn't cut his hair, Delilah however enticed him, desire and all. She eventually cut his hair when he was asleep to take away his power. This also reflects what I posted earlier. | |
| Sufjan Stevens – Age of Adz Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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The entire album artwork was based off of Royal's work. It goes without saying that Robertson influenced more than just one song, it was definitely the entire album. Not to mention this is the title track of the album, if Robertson is so influential for the album as to get the artwork and this song is so pinnacle as to get the title it should be clear they correlate. Just because the artist doesn't say something doesn't mean it isn't so, to take that a little further, just because the artist didn't intend it doesn't mean it isn't there. Just because Stevens didn't reference Robertson for every song doesn't mean the influence didn't go in to them, to take that a little further, even if he didn't perceive this song as being influenced by Robertson it doesn't mean it wasn't. |
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| Kanye West – Dark Fantasy Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| That does make an exceptionally large amount of sense. I stand corrected. | |
| Kanye West – Dark Fantasy Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Nah it should be King of Leon, since it's a reference to Kings of Leon's song Sex on Fire. | |
| Sufjan Stevens – Age of Adz Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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"If your know anything about schizophrenia, it commonly occurs in people who are in the highest realms of intelligence." You shouldn't make such irrational claims. Something like "the highest realms of intelligence" doesn't even make sense, there is no quantifier in the statement. Simple reality is that there is nothing that tells us Royal Robertson was a smart man at all, 8th grade education with training in sign painting. Just because someone does art based around apocalyptic visions involving biblical revelations, numerology, and sci-fi with a large self-created and believed mythological background doesn't make someone a genius. He was insane, which doesn't devalue his work I might add, it adds something to it, an irrational passion and devotion uncommon to most created works. That's the beauty of his art and to me why it's such a suited inspiration for this album. The dissolution of R.R.'s marriage sent him over into insanity and in a lot of ways this album is about the pain, stress, and weight of love and relationships. It's about being on the brink, barely holding on, being lost, all swirling around love. This song is a perfect example, and in ways mirrors R.R. himself. The dissolution of love and its many challenges harken back to apocalyptic visions and emotions, internal being externalized. It is true that many intelligent people can end up with a mental illness, but this is likely because of mental stress and wear, meaning they pushed themselves too far. If you knew anything about schizophrenia you'd know it has nothing to do with intelligence, but heredity and life events. Drug use can aggravate mental illness, bringing out an until otherwise dormant case, you can inherit schizophrenia, and trauma and mass stress can bring it out too. This all goes for other illnesses too, Bipolar for instance. |
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| Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Yeah on the roof is a biblical allusion to a King David story, he saw Bethsheba bathing on a roof and eventually got her pregnant which led to him getting her husband killed in a war. Which of course is just a series of sins in the tradition, which is to say that the story applies to the song because they are both concerned with a struggling with sexual morality and commitment to God (and of course more, but that's the similarity between these two) which is what that line is referring to (in my opinion) "There's a blaze of light in every word/It doesn't matter which you heard/The holy or the broken Hallelujah" To me that's like if you were to praise God, there's that blaze of light in it regardless if you are right with God or not (if the praise is holy or broken). It's all about struggling with our broken humanity and our commitment to God. Trying to control our carnal desires and balance them with our faith and desire/need to stay true to God. | |
| Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| You have your dates and timelines somewhat screwed up (song was released in 1984 so must have been written by then, and he went to Mt. Baldy in 1994 ten years later) but you got the general point. The Buddhist phase (from what I've read) seems to have just been something to centre him and give him a better way to deal with his depression. Took him two years to become an ordained zen monk, so he was very serious about it. I don't know if I'd go so far as to call it a prayer, but I would agree with you that the carnal and spiritual struggle is a major theme of Cohen's. | |
| Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Just so ya know hellothere23, PrethGOG isn't even necessarily being genuine. He gives no basis for his idea, his spelling is incorrect, and he ends it all off with an exclamation mark. This led me to believe he was saying it just to bother people and try and be funny. Not to say the idea is completely unfounded, seeing as Buckley referred to his version as a Hallelujah to the orgasm it goes to show that with the set of lyrics at his disposal he was able to intend it to mean something which I feel couldn't be any more different than what Cohen intended. Regardless, to someone who is a fan of Cohen, has an understanding of his common themes and methods, and has much respect for his writing, the post left by Preth comes off as an ignorant insult for those three reasons I left. | |
| Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I'd agree that Cohen's is the best, his delivery sounds the most genuine, the most bare and honest with a subtle hint towards brokenness. | |
| Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| It's about much more than just King David, it also includes Samson and that "stuff about sex and love and faith in there somewhere" is the most important aspect of the song, it's the reason behind the biblical allusions, within all those ideas lies the meaning to the song. | |
| Alexisonfire – Crisis Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Yeah comparing this to Refused is just a pathetic attempt to try and disrespect the band. I call Bullshit. The intro is barely comparably to New Noise, considering the sound of the guitars is totally different, and the only similarity is the low low high sound, which isn't the same tempo or anything. Both bands are great, leave it at that and realize that not everything is a rip off. This isn't Dani California we're talking about. |
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| Alexisonfire – You Burn First Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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"not sure if youve actually listened to the new album or not... or even this song seeing as you said somthing about the screaming in this song which im stil yet to hear listen to the cd then get bak to us" Haha, you obviously don't pay attention to music when you listen to it. As for everyone criticizing this song, you might as well stop being so petty. It is a new direction they're taking, they are starting sets with it which shows they find it a powerful song, and they wouldn't have included it if they didn't think it showed a side of them that was worthy to note. Furthermore, it's amazing, and definitely NOT a mainstream sound, in no way is it a mainstream sound. In fact all these bands you are comparing too are not mainstream, they are popular (like AOF) but not mainstream. And I agree with DoItForTheTeam, I think it's about sex. But with that in mind there are some parts in the song that don't clearly make sense, with a stretch they do but still something I'm thinking about. |
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| Acid Bath – God Machine Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| It drives me nuts when people think science and religion don't go together at all. If people were intelligent enough to realize that if a religion were true then science would be completely right, just it would be composed of/made by the God of the religion. | |
| Acid Bath – Dr. Seuss Is Dead Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| It's about the death of innocence, just like he said it's about death on stage. | |
| Meshuggah – New Millennium Cyanide Christ Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I don't really see how it talks about any other religion. The usage of the word Christ only serves to communicate the idea that he person(s) is attempting to make themselves a saviour figure and have people follow him, because everyone knows that term coincides with Christ. Furthermore I believe that the descriptions of the changing to the human entity narrating serves as a criticizing of religious peoples attempts at conforming to society and change to religion to fit in with society, while they strive to become "high and mighty" above others. Continuing this idea, the narrator continues fabricating himself into some form of mechanic/chemical machine incapable of sin due to the lack of capabilities naturally given which he has transformed into previously mentioned materials. The fact that the tools used to purge him of his sinful appendages are all painful and dangerous/violent objects just serves one of the later points. The later point being that it goes on to the point that it becomes solely about the pain and no longer purging tools which can commit sin. Then it finishes with conformity of all members to endure the same "cleansing" pain which they don't necessarily wish to commit but are eventually forced into submission to follow the lies of the leader who started it all. Due to the beginning few lines he probably also believes himself to be Jesus Christ second coming (which would be the only connection to another religion, though definitely not a criticism of another, strictly just a criticism of cults). |
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| Tenacious D – Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown) Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Original tribute song from the show, rocket sauce is what destroys the demon when Jables is fighting him in a wrestling ring. It's rocket sauce, not rockin socks. And since it's so much different then what the whole Tribute story is, and since the whole Tribute song was just a random excuse to a cop in the show, I'm thinking this has nothing to do with Tribute. Just the final showdown with beelzebub. |
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| Tenacious D – History Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I don't know what "weezerific:cutlery" was thinking when he typed this up but this isn't right at all, in anyway, and the beginning is a completely different song "Kielbasa" from the first album... Oh well, here's the correction just so you all can see it. "This is a song called 'The History of Tenacious D' and it's not just a list of bullshit we've done in the past. It's a chronicling of our rise, to power! We ride with kings on mighty steeds across the devils plain We've walked with Jesus and his cross, he did not die in vain, NO! We've run with wolves, we've climbed K2, we've even stopped a moving train. We've travelled through space and time my friends to rock this house again, ROCK! We'll ride, we'll ride, we'll never subside, we'll ride till the planets collide. And if you say that we do not ride I'll turn your fuckin' hide, RIDE! Kyle's fingers be silver, Jack's voice then be gold, but lest you think we're vain. We know you're all robots and we don't care, Tenacious D, WE REIGN! We reign supreme, well oh God, burrito supreme and a chicken supreme and a cutless supreme, supreme yeah. Go now Kyle 1, 2, 3. Supreme. Go now Kyle 1, 2, 3. Supreme. Go now Kyle 1, 2, 3. Burrito supreme and a chicken supreme and a cutless supreme. SUPREME!" That turn your hide part is the only bit that I don't get because it doesn't make sense to me, but I could swear that's what he says. |
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| Tool – Stinkfist Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Well I only read the first few pages of opinions here and got tired of the same ol' "it's about drugs you dumb perverts" and the "oh man fisting this fisting that". It should be pretty obvious that it's about general desensitization and how it leads people to push farther and farther. And it uses different ways to show that, the fisting is obvious as the song is titled after it (hence why mtv censored the name) and how it goes further and further (finger-->knuckle-->elbow-->shoulder) and how each level they reach and get accustomed to and eventually dig deeper, and of course the use is exxagerated, show me a woman who can accept shoulder deep. Secondly drug use is also alluded to in the song, with tons of the other things that he says mentioning stimulation (which can double as sexual) and all sorts of other things like the media oversaturation. But again it isn't limited to these 2, its just a general overstimulation leading to searching for a new action to stimulate you. |
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| Queens of the Stone Age – You Got a Killer Scene There, Man Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| Actually OpiumForThePeople it isn't "But even I don't know what the hell I mean" seeing as you can clearly make out the posted lyrics. Furthermore it makes perfect sense, I don't understand how it can't make sense to you. | |
| I Mother Earth – No Coma Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| Not to mention SiC PhREAk can't spell worth shit. If YOU'RE going to make a post, that's only three words by the way, try to make it so you don't look like a fucking idiot. "Your on crack"? No. "You're on crack" | |
| Our Lady Peace – Not Enough Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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I like all the comments on this but to me personally he's singing about someone extremely close to him who has been raped. The following is why I think so: "There’s nothing you can say Nothing you can do There’s nothing in between You know the truth Nothing left to face There’s nothing left to lose Nothing takes your place" To me this seems like the fact that it happened and it can't be changed. She has to admit it happened so there is nothign left to face. "When they say You’re not that strong You’re not that weak It's not your fault And when you climb up to your hill Up to your place I hope you’re well" This is telling her that it's not her fault and she can overcome it, and at the end for the "up to your hill up to your place" I think it's her retreating into herself to try to avoid the situation because it hurts so much. "There’s nothing left to prove There's nothing I won’t do There’s nothing like the pain I feel for you Nothing left to hide Nothing left to fear I am always here" This is see as him explaining to her that she doesn't have to prove it to him that any of it happened and that he will support her and be there for her as much as he can. "What you want What you lost What you had What is gone is over" It already happened, she's safe and the healing process can begin. "What you got What you love What you need What you have is real" She is loved, he is there for her and he will try to fulfill her needs. "It's not enough It’s not enough It’s not enough It’s not enough, I'm sorry" etc. Him apologizing because he feels he can't help her in the way she needs it and the fact that as he mentioned before "there's nothing like the pain I feel for you" it tears him apart inside. Though I personally believe music and lyrics (excluding songs from concept albums) are open for interpretation to further appeal to the listener. So this is my opinion, everyone else here has made great ones on their own. |
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| Queens of the Stone Age – Long Slow Goodbye Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| I just have to comment on what messiah4theanimals was saying. I think that the songs at the end that worked to draw it out were actually the last songs. The last ones were the odd ones. Self Titled had "I Was A Teenage Hand Model" with the weird beeps and stuff at the end with the message from Nick. R had "I Think I Lost..." and SFTD had "Mosquito Song" They were the odd ones out that really made the album stand out. | |
| A Perfect Circle – Lullaby Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| You all know that the song is spelt "Lullaby" not "Lullabye" right? | |
| A Perfect Circle – Lullaby Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| AEnema what are you illiterate? idk spelt the name right. Learn to spell you stupid dipshit. It's Lullaby not Lullabye, look at the album if you have to you stupid fuckass. | |
| Queens of the Stone Age – Mosquito Song Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| I also think this song is about cannibalism. The references to meat and cooking and screams are all the humans who suffer a cannibals fate. While our_dead brought up some great points I think he didn't take it far enough. I can take all of your points and add on a little to each to support the cannibalism theory. I do have a few other ideas of what it could mean but I think that cannibalism is the most straight forward one. | |
| Queens of the Stone Age – I Never Came Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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I don't think it's about suicide at all, but love. I think it's about a guy who loves a girl and she won't love him back. To me it sounds like she knew very well he loved her but she was just using him, probably for sex or what have you. For example: all of the 'it won't die' comments I believe are about the feelings. They just won't go away, he can't help it. 'Ain't gonna spend another night, In your bed...' sounds to me like he's tired of being used and her constantly ridiculing him. 'Can't call it leavin, cause it's just I never came....' In his mind he never truly got with her because the feelings weren't requited. Of course I'm sure I am probably off with a few of my views but whatever. And BenLee, Josh is infamous for saying stupid shit live that doesn't matter, he said this about The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret live: Josh: "This song is about the secret of Nick's beard." Audience Member: "Beer?" Josh: "Did he say beard or beer? I can't fucking tell. It sounds like he's got marbles in his mouth." |
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| Queens of the Stone Age – You Got a Killer Scene There, Man Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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First let me correct some lyrics: 'I don't mean to make obscene' 'Some think to much then come to soon' 'You gonna do something killer C'mon give it a try' 'Lets put this town in my rearview mirror' 'We are united by drifting alone' ‘Just witches and scabs an awful mess’ At least that’s what it says in the Japanese liner notes. For the meaning I believe it's about the music scenes. Some interviews I’ve read with Josh include him saying how he likes bands that play what they want and don’t conform and that makes those bands similar, ‘We are united by drifting alone’. All the lyrics can be traced to his views on music that I have read. Mainly about just doing what you feel like and what you think works, don’t conform to any particular sound or writing style, just do what feels natural and right. There’s more I want to say but I don’t want to make this too long. |
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