| The Thermals – Here's Your Future Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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here's what the band had to say about the album: According to a press release, "The lyrics envision a United States governed by a fascist Christian state, and focus on the need (and means) to escape. While hardly a concept album, there is definitely a story told in the songs: a story about getting the fuck OUT while you still can." |
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| The Thermals – An Ear For Baby Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| the song is fairly vague but it obviously continues with the theme of the album. Like in Nazi concentration camps, the citizens of this dystopian christian theocracy are being stripped naked for inspection, to weed out dissidents. the song is narrated by an authoritarian figure telling a newcomer how to act and generally giving orders. "new world order" is of course a reference to Hitler's idea of the new world order. | |
| The Thermals – I Might Need You To Kill Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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this song is the album's introduction to the futuristic orwellian christianized dystopia. the song makes references to the bible (locusts, parting the sea, etc.) and there are references to nazis and the line about "ashes and friends" is probably a reference to Auschwitz as chilling as that may be. The song seems to be about a man who wants to escape the totalitarian theocracy. He's telling a woman or someone else, his love presumably, of the sacrifices and committment needed to succeed in escaping (e.g. "i might need you to kill...hack...cover tracks so we can hide if they sight us still" The line about drowning your disease might be about baptisms or might be a more straight forward comment on the killing of dissidents within this dystopia. |
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| The Thermals – A Pillar of Salt Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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this one references sodom and gamora of course. the album seems to oscillate between the biblical oppression of man by god and humans oppressing other humans through a totalitarian christian theocracy. the "dirty gods" part is a reference to the various pagan gods the citizens of the city worshipped most likely. the song also continues the theme of a man and a woman escaping christianity (past biblical or future orwellian). |
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| Liars – The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| the thing that makes this song so excellent is its total contrast with the rest of the album. the album sets up this concept of a dichotomy of drum and mt. heart attack. drum is always portrayed as the more positive element of confidence while mt. heart attack is more cowardly, less assertive. in this final track however, we literally see "the other side of mt. heart attack." liars show that the dichotomy isn't entirely negative and positive, that mt. heart attack has some loving, loyal and altruistic attributes. liars again demonstrate that there aren't any real boundaries. the character of mt. heart attack maybe be cowardly but that doesn't mean it can't be sweet and sentimental. | |
| Broken Social Scene – Major Label Debut Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| because of broken social scene's obnoxious production style! | |
| Neutral Milk Hotel – Holland, 1945 Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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ok, so we all agree: first verse is about anne frank (who mangum was infatuated with) and Pepito Arriola (who was living "proof" of reincarnation). the second verse is about a friend's brother who committed suicide. the bridge part is also seemingly about anne frank and visiting the house she hid in w/ her family for years. so, this needs to all get tied together. some of the song seems to be about persevearence(sp?) in the face of death (the chorus for example). the song continues the theme of loss of innocence (the girl in the holocaust, the aeroplane over the sea, etc.). in the final lines of the song mangum seems to be pointing out that so many people hear the fank's story and simply aren't emotionally affected by it. they would rather read the book and say that she didn't die in vain because her diary (a victim's first hand account) was preserved and we can learn from that. mangum, who has fallen in love w/ her, fallen in love w/ innocence and hopes for a victory over tragedy that can never be achieved in fact, wishes simply that she could be alive. anne frank througout this album represents innocence in the face of tragedy. she is perfect for this role, eternally young as she died in her mid teens in a concentration camp. what the overall message of this song is i have to admit i don't entirely know. |
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| Neutral Milk Hotel – Communist Daughter Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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since this entire album is about innocence in the face of sexuality, tragedy (i.e. the imminent loss of innocence) it stands to reason that this song continues that theme. jeff mangum did an excellent job painting a beautiful surreal picture here. so first she's a communist daughter. i think people are interpreting this way too politically. communists (uncapitalized) are (and of course i mean no offense to their righteous cause) possibly the most idealistic politcal strain possible. she is an idealistic youth, naive to the cruelities of human nature. the sea, as always in this album is the end of innocence and she stands right on the edge of it where the seaweed has piled up against the shores. in the distance are the catastrophes and tragedies (cars careening, bridges bursting, etc.) and the sexuality (imagine the snow capped mountains as actually covered in semen). the second verse about cocoa leaves etc. highlights the contrast between her innocence and the impending loss of it. (cocoa leaves, sweetness vs. cars and bridges crashing down). the next line i would also interpret as sexual and probably about masturbation. she still has a fairly innocent view of sex: she doesn't want anyone, she simply wants something warm and moving to soothe her, to give her pleasure to show herself her own existence. whenever interpreting lyrics from this album you need to aware of the theme of loss of innocence. the aeroplane precariously flying over the vast sea. |
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| Against Me! – We Laugh at Danger (And Break All the Rules) Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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the chorus of this song reminds me of the 2000 presidential election. of course, flordia eventually and extremely controversially was called for bush and thus he was the victor and new president ending the moderate liberal rule of the executive branch and putting the government entirely under the control of the right. i recall some type of van carrying ballots or something that was being followed by news cameras, etc. and that may be the van. the song seems almost to be about the band coming to terms w/ america's increasingly conservative leaning politics. despite the fact that now the fight seems lost or pointless with the government hijacked by the supreme court and an evangelical texas christian they believe they must continue. i think the girl in this must be a metaphor for something... of course it's also possible that it's simply a case of the band going on w/out some member or w/ a dispute within the band. however, the first time i heard what the lyrics were to the song's chorus i immediately thought of the 2000 election. |
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| Sufjan Stevens – They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhhh! Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| I'd just like to add that Caledonia was an old latin term for Scotland and Buda was a term for part of Hungary. They're both archaic terms, so in that part he's talking about names of places that have been forgotten over time. | |
| Broken Social Scene – Handjobs for the Holidays Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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Let me take you on we'll get high just a little Try to surface the calm We don't come inside Has it brought you closer to this, and has it brought you closer to this. And is it coming alive, try to believe it (too tired to believe it?) Was the question a point, i don't want your love. Has it brought you closer to this, and has it brought you closer to this. We've got eyes that leave us in places we don't see. We've got eyes that leave us in places we don't see. Let me take you on, we'll get high just a little. Come take some fun, we don't come at all. --- as to what the song is about, it's really hard to say. i was also wondering if the line could be "we've got eyes that LEAD us" but it does sound like leave. |
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| Broken Social Scene – Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day) Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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well if those are the correct lyrics then i was totally wrong about the whole israeilli-palestinian thing. i was also wondering if the title had anything to do w/ the band Pavement and i guess it does. the only other evidence for this being a war song is that in a pitchfork media interview kevin drew mentioned that they liked the version of the song w/ the vocals low in the mix because it had this feeling of being in a city while bombs were falling or something. but of course there's the possibility that it's just another part of how he feels about the collapse of pavement or the indie movement. after listening to the album version, here's my take on the lyrics: Well, I got shot right in the back; And you were there, You were there. I said I was never coming back; And you were there, You were there. I know the eyelids (islands?) are under attack; You were there, You were there. It's like the pressure wants to retract; You were there, You were there. And if God is what they made, Cut the hands off the meathooks Don't get high on what you create... Well, I saw the geyser (Gaza?) turn into bread And you were there You were there All the subtractions made it on time; 'Cause you were there, You were there. And all the nice boys wait for a sign; You were there, You were there. And all the time, The time, The time, The time. You were there. You were there. And if love is what they gave, Turning wives into heroes Don't get high on what you create... Oh, it might just steal you. the stuff w/ the question marks are things that could possibly be the actual lyrics but i also just put in what i could definitely hear as the right lyrics on the album. BSS is a strange enough free-form sort of band that the lyrics might change from one performance to another. |
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| Beck – Girl Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| Someone might have already said this, but the line "scrawling name on ceiling" might be something someone does when they're trapped or have been abducted and are expecting to die. I sort of think the songs about him indulging in a weird sort of fantasy about getting back at his ex by torturing and killing her, which is sort of his way of cleansing himself of the relationship and justifying whatever he did that made the relationship end. | |
| Broken Social Scene – Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day) Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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i think this song is about the whole isreali-palestinean conflict: "I saw Gaza turning to bread" the line about "olives are under attack" could just have to do w/ the how olive branches traditionally represent peace and of course there is never peace in that region of the world. a lot of the lines speak of war but not in the traditional sense "I got shot in the back" "I said i was never coming back" a lot of the lines seem to refer to the inability for the two sides to negotiate and make peace: "ran out of knobs" (ran out of doors, a classic metaphor for options, oppurtunities, or chances), "ran out of time, eat time x3" the title "ibi dreams of pavement" in my mind is about a little boy living in one of the countries dreaming of "a solid road" or a true civilized society w/out living in fear constantly. it's possible this song has a far more universal meaning that i'm completely missing. whether the refrain is "you were there" or "you weren't there", the latter seeming far more likely, i still don't know who it's meant to confront or what it's really saying. |
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| Broken Social Scene – Cause = Time Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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i've always wondered about the underlying sexual and childish tone in the lyrics. i can definitely see this song being about the whole catholic priest pedophila scandal. ex: "you got fornication crimes" ...and at first it says "i've see your hope on television" but later in the song the line is changed to "death on television." maybe that's about how the media woke up to the whole thing and it what used to be the church's hope through televangelism became their death through bad publicity. "they've got tricycles in skirts" seems to echo the whole thing about the children... and the line "this a mouth that needs religion" could basically be about a priest forcing a little kid to give him a blow job. ...it's really pretty fucking gross and i hope it's not just my mind in the gutter. "little pistols and companion halls, desperation tentactles" is pretty suggestive and the "i've been alone since '89" part could be from the priest's point of view since they became part of the church and couldn't marry or have sex or it could be from the child's point of view, isolated after the sexual abuse and unable to tell anyone for years. the church is actually mentioned later in the song and the whole "3 completes the 5" thing might have something to do w/ the holy trinity... or maybe not at all. it's hard to say. "separation is divine, here is a strike beneath your knees" seems to be from the abused children's point of view. the "strike beneath your knees" would be referring either to the child's height and their striking back against the priest years later by letting the truth out OR more likely it's referring to the fact that people pray on their knees and a strike from beneath that would basically be a non-religious/reformed christian, in this case the abused child letting the truth out. it's possible the song has a much broader meaning about the church... the phrase cause=time still doesn't seem to have a lot to do w/ the catholic church and pedophilia. yeah so that's my 2 cents. |
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| Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – The Ballad Of The Sin Eater Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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He got back up and started banging his microphone against his head, drawing blood. There is a picture here: The exact same thing happened at the show I went to a few months later. Beau geste can also (if i remember correctly) be a fake gesture of kindness, so that line sort of has a double meaning. It seems to me that in the line "I mean to doubt I'll not turn out a caricature" he's saying he's leaving America for a little while because he doesn't want to become some dumb American the way Europeans see Americans. He also claims that Americans have no convictions, or that their convictions change very easily. Ultimately, the song seems to be about wanting to get rid of the sense of doubt that we tend to have about everything. |
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| Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – Walking Through Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| Seems to have a lot to do with his experiences in Catholic school. "Now you're burned by all the lies that you once bought/And all the demons they created you once fought/Has it all been for nought?" I think those lines are about believing in the church and the things taught by the church, but then getting older and regretting those beliefs, but as indicated by the last verse "Well wear the cruxifications they've fixated to your mind" not being completely able to shake the spectre of those beliefs. | |
| Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – Stove By A Whale Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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The line "The distance keeps us safe/from waves/of subcutaneous problems" is important. Something that's subcuntaneous is underneath the skin. He might be saying (sarcastically) that geographical distance keeps us "safe" from that people that are different from us, or that dislike us becauseof something like our "governments/accents or parents." Then in the final chorus And I'm not talkin' to the people who've been in jail And I'm not talkin' 'bout just wanting to belong somewhere And let's not talk about the colour of your eyes or your hair. I'm talkin' 'bout talkin' 'bout the colour of the sea from way up there He's saying we shouldn't try to be something or try to fit in somehow. We should just all able to appreciate the beauty of life and that we all are alive. It's also interesting to think how this song relates to the title of the album "Tyranny of Distance." |
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| Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – Better Dead Than Lead Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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It seems like it's just about how people (or possibly the government) will always lie to you and make certain things seem more valuable than others for their own benefit. That's how I understand it at least. It seems like about half the lyrics are missing here. |
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| Q And Not U – We Heart Our Hive Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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yeah it sucks that they're breaking up. anyway, it seems to me that this song is about living in suburbia in a capitalist society. "the hive" as waitingforthevan said is the suburbs. the song might not be about living in the suburbs even, maybe just an average american city. it seems like they love hating the suburbs ("a pleasure to reject") but that they like a lot of it secretly ("my own sweet tastes...this city owns me. showed me"). the birthday presents and cassettes part might just be about the need of the consumer to keep throwing stuff away so they can get more stuff. maybe if they burn all their casettes there will be no chance of buying someone a birthday present they already have ("it's a measure to protect this birthday present from distress") i don't know. that's just one interpretation i thought of. the rejecting for pleasure part might even be about this cycle of consuming material goods. i have no idea about the swimming pool or amateur, or hospital lines. |
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| The Dismemberment Plan – What Do You Want Me to Say? Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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It seems like he's trying to show this person (probably his girfriend) that he has a emotions, and isn't just trying to hide everything he feels. At the same time, the line You need your man above or below you makes me think it's just about a girlfriend who either needs a boyfriend who's perfect and sort of looks up to, or she needs one that she considers pathetic and that she can sort of make fun of. I'm not sure where this version of the lyrics is from, but I always thought listening to the song that the line during the chorus was "To let you know that I do mean it" not "To let you know that I do feel and." Though I'm just going by my ear. |
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| The Dismemberment Plan – Come Home Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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i forgot to post what i think this song's about. it seems like a guy who had broke up w/ his girlfriend in a fight and the next day or soon afterwards at least he realizes he wants her back. "justice had to root for happy lives" means he was right in the argument they had maybe. "but now i'm not so sure at all"... he realizes that maybe just because he was right about the argument isn't going to make him happy, that being w/ her is what makes him happy. the next set of lyrics, the "come home" part, are pretty self-explanatory. i'm not exactly sure about the next few lines involving his dad and common sense... seems like he called his dad for advice on what to do about getting her back. the next part he's saying it's ok to get angry but that you shouldn't hold on to that anger. telling the scab from the scar just means a short term pain vs. long term pain. all this has to do w/ his relationship w/ this woman that left him after their fight and how he's "unable to let go." is their relationship a "scab," something he can just forget about and will be gone soon, or something he's remember always? that's my interpretation of some of those lyrics. |
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| The Dismemberment Plan – Memory Machine Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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The whole song is sort of a reference to Aldous Huxley's novel "Brave New World." It's about a future society that's basically about having pleasure and consuming resources. This is great of course, except that there's no real art or passion or anything left because no one feels pain anymore. Travis Morrison was probably just writing about the book and how he thinks that kind of future is extremely likely. People will ultimately choose constant pleasure and distraction over a life of hardship and pain that produces things that are poetic and beautiful. On the other hand, in the book, there's no actual "Memory Machine," there's just a drug called "soma" which they take whenever they have any somewhat painful experiences. So it may not be completely based off the book. |
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| The Dismemberment Plan – Memory Machine Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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The whole song is sort of a reference to Aldous Huxley's novel "Brave New World." It's about a future society that's basically about having pleasure and consuming resources. This is great of course, except that there's no real art or passion or anything left because no one feels pain anymore. Travis Morrison was probably just writing about the book and how he thinks that kind of future is extremely likely. People will ultimately choose constant pleasure and distraction over a life of hardship and pain that produces things that are poetic and beautiful. On the other hand, in the book, there's no actual "Memory Machine," there's just a drug called "soma" which they take whenever they have any somewhat painful experiences. So it may not be completely based off the book. |
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| The Dismemberment Plan – Come Home Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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The last guy completed butchered the lyrics to this song. This is by ear again, but about 10 times as accurate. Called in sick to work today, I couldn't have gotten a damn thing done....but anyhow Made myself some coffee and I listened to the rain rattle the leaves, yeah. I Told myself there's nothing wrong and stared right through the paper for a long, long time Stuck inside your dream so long it wears you down, it grows you old....and that's a fact Cold light comes to clear the fog away from time to time....but it'll be back soon Used to think that justice had to root for happy lives, but now I'm not so sure at all Come home Why don’t you come home? I could not remember why you left And I’d rather be happy than right this time Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba Called my dad to check in and to maybe find some common sense...more or less He says common sense is such a scam And I'm like "Dad, what do you mean?" oh He says you're either wrong or right and life will go on either way, whatever you choose....but I know: That anger's alright But bitterness? no Cold, uncontrollable sad And I'm unable to let go And it should be as easy as telling the scab from the scar Well I don't know ...(etc.) Called in sick to work today I couldn’t have gotten a damn thing done |
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| Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – The One Who Got Us Out Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| ted leo wrote this song about john kerry before the 2004 presidential election. he's asking for someone to stop the bush administration and be the one who got us out to put it in his words. | |
| Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – My Vien Ilin Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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i asked ted himself what this song was about since my brother and i had always been so confused about the lyrics w/ all the greek references and talk of DMZs (de-militarized zones). he gave me a short short answer but it made a lot of sense: "It's about growing up in America." In the first verse he's literally saying that he made himself a DMZ, that'd he have nothing to do w/ the military and would not join the army. Despite this though he still felt the pressure from recruiters and promoters of the military. As for the greek references, i'm not a classics major so i don't know. it's my theory that the line "Between the dense red clay and the deep blue sea, what horrors rage internally..." is speaking of america. the "dense red clay" is the american right wing and this reflects his feelings on them perhaps (they're "dense"). The "deep blue sea" represents the american left. The sea is of course a big theme on this album and seems to represent something positive throughout it. Ted Leo is extremely liberal and he might be saying what he feels about that side too. through the rest of the song he's just talking about escaping the pressure of the military and living in a war hungry america. that's what i've figured out. anyway, ted's answer is definitive. |
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