| Arcade Fire – Rococo Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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OH MY GOD. I want to hug you. I was just readig T.S. Eliot's "The Wast Land" and got to this part: "Only a cock stood on the rooftree Co co rico co co rico" and I was like, WOAH, I have heard that before. To me, a rooster goes "cockadoodledoo", so this rooster sound seemed specific to the poem for me. This song is probably (ok, obviously) not referring to the poem, although their themes do fit together nicely. And, while it is probably a reference to the rococo art style, the crowing of the rooster is certainly relevant also, just in the way that the teens he discusses crow annoyingly and misguidedly about their own coolness. The fact that this is the French interpretation of the rooster crow (which I didn't know) makes sense for the band too. |
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| Arcade Fire – Rococo Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Exactly. And I think this is a good response to a lot of the hipster bashing going on here, and elsewhere, as well (even if you didn't intend that). It seems like the hipster fad is really no different than any other - trying to be the first, the most original, the least mainstream, and make this all look easy. Just like every other fad, though, many of it's followers don't understand it's true origins, much less themselves, and the heart of it gets lost. I would argue that Rococo, in this song, stands as an example of the fad of Baroque art become almost a mockery of itself in exactly the same way. As you said, this is a cycle of life, but also a cycle of society. Win's take on it is lighthearted and somewhat empathetic, as it should be. This is just the way it goes. |
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| Regina Spektor – Baobabs Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I really like this interpretation. The word "tame" always bothered me in the little prince, although I can't remember what they say in the French version. To "tame" someone, to me, implies that you've changed them and that you've become their master in some ways, which are both things that I don't think should be involved in any relationship. I like the idea that Regina might also feel unsettled by this view of love and might question why anyone would really want to tame someone else. | |
| Wilco – Jesus, Etc. Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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This is very far fetched and probably not what Tweedy was thinking of, but I just wanna throw it out there: the line "you were right about the stars/each one is a setting sun" sounds like it's taken directly from the Little Prince. I've read this book a couple times now in multiple languages and I've listened to Jesus Etc. about a thousand times, but the connection never quite hit me until now. In the Little Prince, the prince lives on a planet that is so small that he can move around on it to find a sunset to watch, which is his favorite thing to do. Therefore, for him, each star really is a setting sun. He tells this to the narrator, who had never thought of stars or sunsets in this way before. The later line, "our love is all of God's money/ everyone is a burning sun", could also be interpreted using the Little Prince. When the prince leaves the narrator in the end, he tells the narrator that he is going back to his star. However, he won't try to point out his star to the narrator, because that way every time the narrator sees stars they will mean something special to him because he knows the little prince is on one of them. To someone else they are just stars, but to him they are all the little prince. Likewise, our sun to others is just a star, but to us it is special so we call it the sun. All of this is really saying that each person becomes special to us through our love for them, and this love is "God's money", or the true richness of life. Anyway, just my own crazy interpretation, but I thought I'd share it :) |
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| Regina Spektor – Laughing With Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I disagree. I think we're all laughing with God because what is funny to God is funny to us and what is painful for God is painful for us as well. Perhaps this is simply because of my personal interpretation of God, but I see Him/Her as almost as helpless as we are in the horrible situations Regina gives. It's difficult to believe in a God who would orchestrate such horrors with pleasure. Perhaps in the grand scheme of things God had to have something bad happen in order for other things to work out, or perhaps God is simply unable to control all- I obviously don't know, and am personally agnostic anyway. I don't feel like Regina is trying to say that we're all laughing with God because we're afraid of Him/Her though. Anyway, that's just my interpretation of the final line. |
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| The Smiths – There Is a Light That Never Goes Out Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| Yay! I'm glad someone brought up that this was in 500 days - I smiled like a nut when zooey started singing this in the elevator. | |
| Conor Oberst – Lenders in the Temple Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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that IS interesting... I'd completely forgetten about that EP he did with Britt and Spoon (that 'Spent on Rainy Days' is off of). Thanks for pointing that out ...And it's a great EP |
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| Glasvegas – It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I think it's weird that he brings up his mom in the middle of all this. Did he accuse his mother of cheating when he was little? Did he rag on his mom all the time because he felt guilty about being a bad kid, just like he's being untrusting of his gf now because he's actually cheating on her? Is it some weird Oedipus complex thing, where he's comparing his mother to his current gf? Or is he just bringing up all the shitty things he's done in his life? Anyway.Doesn't really matter. Brilliant song. |
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| R.E.M. – Swan Swan H Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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rikdad, you are completely right. I'd like to look at the last few lines: Long, low time ago, people talk to me A pistol hot cup of rhyme, The whiskey is water, the water is wine R.E.M. is a band from Georgia, so it is quite likely that they grew up hearing stories about the civil war. People talk to them about things that happened a "long, low time ago", yet for the people telling the stories the events still feel as real and recent as a pistol still smoking from firing, or a hot cup. Soldiers substituted whiskey for water, but "the water is wine" because at the last supper Jesus turned the water into wine (I think? Either way, I think it refers to the last supper). The soldiers remember drinking every night thinking it was their "last supper". Some other lines: Hey captain don't you want to buy Some bone chains and toothpicks? The bone chains and toothpicks sounds weird, but I think it's saying that that's all that was left - death, the chains of slavery, and worthless things like toothpicks. R.E.M mocks the captain who has fought a war to be left with just this. Wooden beams and dovetail sweep Dovetails are the corners of buildings. This line is talking about Reconstruction following the Civil War, and about the South trying to pull itself back together. Honestly, I have no idea what most of the specific lines are about. What the heck is the stuff about noisy cats? Why "swan swan hummingbird?" Overall though, it's about the Civil War and Reconstruction |
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| Wilco – The Late Greats Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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The greatest singer in rock and roll Would have to be Romeo His vocal chords are made of gold He just looks a little too old I love this. It just makes me giggle - I mean he's comparing this romance icon to a rock-star who's too old to be liked by mainstream pop culture, even though he's, like, the greatest thing since sliced bread. Reminds me of Dire Straits' Romeo and Juliet. I dunno. |
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| Wilco – I'm the Man Who Loves You Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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This is the most beautiful comment I've ever read. Does that sound weird? Oh well. "This is the kind of song I'd want to sing to a girl I'm in love with" and "I want to ride a bicycle to this song" That is my new standard for music - is it bicycle worthy. Go write a song or something. |
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| Wilco – I'm the Man Who Loves You Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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This song brightens my day whenever I hear it. It's like when you see a couple doing something really nice for each other, just fixing each-other's hair, zipping up a jacket, opening a door- something little and seemingly automatic- and they don't know anyone's watching. It gives me that same feeling, like you're witnessing their love, and even though it's not yours, it still makes you giddy. With the "throwing stones/run away" bit I think that maybe they didn't get in a fight or anything, he's just so in love with her he's not sure what to do. He almost wants to run away, or mess it up by "throwing stones". I'm not sure what biblical reference you guys (you know who you are) are talking about. Oh, and telecaster, you're pretty much a genious. I completely missed the lines/colors equaling paper. |
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| Wilco – I Am Trying to Break Your Heart Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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This is a really interesting interpretation. Someone later pointed out that American Aquarium is A.A. (as in Alcoholics Anonymous), but I like this too. It made me think about how his trying to break her heart is his American consumerism kicking in again - he has something great, but he doesn't value it. He's just going to throw her away. Not that devaluing people and relationships is limited to Americans, but it definitely shows how he has almost reduced her to an object, something he can easily get rid of or replace. My brother breaks stuff all the time, just because he's a messy person and he usually leaves stuff (headphones, glasses) on his floor and accidently breaks them. I was talking with him once after he had just broken up with a long-time girlfriend and he said: " I break everything Katie. I broke my girlfriend." I dunno. Made me think of that. |
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| Conor Oberst – Lenders in the Temple Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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The line about the tiger and paper ("That circus tiger's going to break your heart; Something so wild turned into paper") reminded me of a Spoon song called "paper tiger", so I looked it up and here's what I found. Bear in mind that this is off Wikipedia. "Paper tiger is a literal English translation of the Chinese phrase zhǐ lǎohǔ (Chinese: 紙老虎), meaning something which seems as threatening as a tiger, but is really harmless." <-- this works with the proposed theme of the song being that all these things that we make a big deal out of are really meaningless. It also goes with the connection of mandalas to Buddhist monks (kind of) The article goes on to say that the term was applied to the United States by Mao Zedong: "'In appearance it is very powerful but in reality it is nothing to be afraid of; it is a paper tiger. Outwardly a tiger, it is made of paper, unable to withstand the wind and the rain. I believe the United States is nothing but a paper tiger.'" <-- this works with the idea that Conor is attacking capitalist (or maybe just judeo-christian?) ideals and the importance placed on material objects in our society So.... that's all. Maybe he wasn't referring to that term at all, but it made for some good learnin' :) |
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| Grizzly Bear – Knife Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| hahaha i thought it said "with every blow comes another rise", like an erection, 'cause I saw the video and..... well...... yeah. Freaky video. But yes, I found it off of Skins too! Awesome song | |
| Death Cab for Cutie – I Will Possess Your Heart Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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haha I love that this song is about a stalker! It somehow makes the creepiness ok...... and I love even more when I hear people singing it. Like, randomly. Like, you realize you're singing a song from the perspective of a stalker, right? I dunno, I do it too I guess. Not stalk people, sing the song randomly. and yes, it is about a stalker http://stereogum.com/archives/ben-gibbard-writes-about-jack-kerouac-and-himself_009073.html |
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| Andrew Bird – Armchairs Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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wow, it's fascinating to read all the comments on here! I'd never really thought about what this song meant, in fact, I didn't even know the lyrics. I always thought he was saying "life's a crooked bone", which made me think of that famous scene in space odyssey with the monkey throwing the bone up to represent evolution and the passing of time. As to what kind of bow he's talking about, I've no idea whether it's a violin bow or archer's bow ( I find it very unlikely that it's a bow like on a present). I think the more important part is that it's crooked, meaning time is inconstant and unpredictable and that your actions will come back to haunt you. Personally, I image the scene as him sitting next to a woman, each in their armchairs. So literal, I know! They're not speaking, and yet the whole song is directed at her. He's angry that she doesn't realize the "crookedness" of time. He wants her to do something, to speak to him or move, but he won't do anything either so he's angry with himself too. When he says "your armchair calls to you" he mocks her by saying she might as well just sit back some more and let her life pass by, but in truth that's exactly what he's doing. I dunno, those are the thoughts that come to me right now. Love the song though, it's like a whole journey in a few minutes - "epic" is the perfect word to describe it. |
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| The Morning Benders – Patient Patient Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| what does he say after the last "patient patient"?!?! I MUST KNOW! | |
| Stars – Elevator Love Letter Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Everyone seems to think that the guy's hopes are "so low" because he doesn't think he has a chance with the girl, but I get the feeling that they're low because he doesn't want anything besides a one-night stand. The man isn't really thinking that his hopes are low and he doesn't know how to love, he's probably quite pleased with the way he loves, but stars is communicating that he really is this very shallow, empty person. Have you ever been sitting with someone and just people watching and you start filling in they're conversation with your own words? That's what I imagine Torquil and Amy doing. Likewise, the woman doesn't realize how "hard" she's become, or even that she relies on the elevator to escape her dull office life. I suppose this is a much more cynical way of looking at the song, but I thought I oughta put in a different perspective. I love that, according to stars, neither one knows how to love. It makes me wonder how people should love. |
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| Sea Wolf – The Cold, the Dark, and the Silence Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I see how you might thing it's about drowning, given that he talks about water rushing into you're lungs, but that's really much too straight forward, and it usually doesn't snow near the coast anyway. I don't really feel like analyzing this song right now, which I know is the point of the site but whatever. I will say, however, that the song has a very mocking tone to it. Or at least that's what I get. He's telling her he'll protect her and stuff, but he's also pointing out how afraid she is, and how her fear is silly (sorry, it's not necesarily a her). He throws in the "my love" for good measure. |
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| Sufjan Stevens – The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us! Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| alright, i must admit that i haven't read all of the other comments, so sorry if i repeat what someone else said. i definitely think it's about him and his brother. i imagine them on a roadtrip or something, as children, so they sleep in the car together. the wasp seems to be a metaphor for his hurting his brother somehow, whether that means causing him to kill himself or just causing him to distance himself from him (the running away). when he sees the wasp on his arm he realizes that the pain he inflicts on his brother is actually hurting himself too. the beginning of the song is great. he's cold and alone, and then suddenly he sees this wasp that reminds him of his childhood, and the song warms up into a fiercely real memory. perhaps he feels that the "wasp" has something to do with the poor conditions he's living in now. anyway, that was all pretty out of order, but i think you get the idea. | |
| Coldplay – Viva la Vida Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| considering that the album's cover is delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, a painting of the french revolution, i assume that the song is about the french revolution. for one thing, king louis XIV was beheaded during it. however, the entire revolution idea seems to be only a metaphor for some failed relationship, which becomes apparent when he starts addressing the listener as "you" (usually a sign that the singer is talking to a boyfriend/girlfriend). he compares himself to a mighty king who lost his power and happiness when he lost his partner's love. the parts about Rome and whatnot are probably just to give examples of other great empires that fell to revolution. | |
| Otis Redding – (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| I always thought of it as sort of a sad song. He's traveled so far to get to San Francisco, expecting to find some sort of happiness or reason for living there. He thought that going somewhere would give him new opportunities and rid him of old problems, when in fact nothing has changed. It sounds like now he's given up, or perhaps decided to continue his usesless seach for meaning or redemption, or whatever it is he's searching for. | |
| The Smiths – This Charming Man Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| the "jumped up pantry boy" reminds me of someone worse-off than the charming man, a new character perhaps on the level of the protagonist. he warns the protagonist about the fancy things that the man promises and the thoughts he instills in his head (the rings), but the protagonist brushes off these warnings by saying sarcastically saying "he knows so much about these things". the protagonist finds the lifestyle of this charming man enticing and wishes to live in just as care free. or at least that's my interpretation..... | |
| Arcade Fire – (Antichrist Television Blues) Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| I was listening to this song today and heard the line " you'll always be a stranger in a strange strange land". I'm reading the book Stranger In A Strange Land right now, and, similar to this song, there is a big focus on both the corruption and question of religion. Like the girl referred to in this song, the main character is unaware of this corruption and therefore a stranger to it. There's probably no relation to the book intended though, as it would make much more sense for it to be simply a biblical reference. | |
| Belle & Sebastian – Piazza, New York Catcher Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| Wow! After actually reading all of the previous posts, I deffinitely thing I need to listen to this song again- it's so complex. Anyway, I just thought I'd thrown in something about the "pagan holidays", even though the line is not particularly important to the song. I've noticed that a number of Christian holidays include traditions based off of pagan parctices. For example, the christmas tree most likely comes from a pagan ritual, as does the entirety of Vallentine's day (except for the name). Well, I guess Valentine's day isn't really a Christian holiday, although I'm not sure what it is. This simple act of referring to common holidays as "pagan holidays" adds to the generally mocking attitude of most of B&S's songs. Then again, I could be reading waaaaaay too much into the whole thing. | |
| Regina Spektor – Samson Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| ok everyone, before you comment I just want to say READ MICHAELJ AND LUVBUG12321 ON PAGE 7 FIRST! except the part about there not being any wonder bread in the bible (ofcourse not you fucking idiot, she's probably just alluding to the fact that samson was an israelite b/c wonder bread is kosher (or atleast that's how i look at it, either way it's ovbiously not in the bible)), these two comments give terrific explanations of the song. Michaelj's tells the story of samson, specifically relating it to the song, and the other one gives information from an interview with Regina about the song. | |
| Stars – Take Me to the Riot Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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i deffinitely think its about drug dealers. if it helps at all, i found this on youtube as a comment to the video: I heard Torq and Amy on XM yesterday... Torq says it's about two drug dealers in love with each other, but one of them has their shit together a little bit more than the other. .....but ofcourse it's not exactly a reliable source. |
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| Regina Spektor – Samson Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I think the song itself is talking about Samson and Delilah, and that she is taking on the rold of Delilah, talking to Samson and telling him that she loved him before he was loved by everyone else for being a hero and stuff (I don't really know the story). And ofcourse, this also has to do with the " you are my sweetest downfall", because he was a downfall. It's possible that with this song Regina was trying to get at the bad light that the Bible often seems to portray women in. She is humanizing Delilah, someone who (i think) is usually thought of as evil. It's also possible that she was just using this biblical allusion to describe a similar relationship that she was in, where she felt that she caused the downfall of a person she loved. |
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| Spoon – You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| to me it feels like the cherry bomb is her love for him. or her heart. he says "you got to know it's on your sleeve", which makes me think of the saying to wear your heart on your sleeve. it starts with him saying "we lost it long ago", meaning their relationship ovbiously, and then there's the stuff about the sleeve, then thinking back on the break up. then he says " it could burn right up your sleeve", meaning her love will only hurt her. throughout the song he repeats "blow out that cherry bomb", wanting her to forget about it, but at the end surprises us with "i could pay to have all your cherry bomb" (i could pay to have all your love), which makes me think that maybe the cherry bomb is her love for someone else. maybe she cheated on him, and he's really been begging her to blow out her love for this other guy. anyway, that's my take on it. love the song. | |
| The Magnetic Fields – The Book of Love Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| i'd never heard the PG version of this, but i was introduced to it through a cover - by Now It's Overhead (who i don't actually like but Andy LeMaster is so fucking good on the Bright Eyes cds that i had to look into them and the book of love happened to be the one song i downloaded....... haha sorry that was an irrelivent backstory eh?) and though i LOVE their cover of it, i was inspired to find the original.....which is how I discovered TMF. so, in conclusion, i agree with romonathepest.who cares as long as it leads to tmf? | |
| The Magnetic Fields – 100,000 Fireflies Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| my goodness something just occurred to me about this song! i never got the part about the fireflies, i thought it was a beautiful image but rather random.... but now i get it..... it does all relate to being caught. the fireflies remind her of her lover because he, like them, is trapped, an just flying around one small room. it's about them being caught in love, being caught in a place they don't like, being caught by their habits... | |
| Bright Eyes – I Believe in Symmetry Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| shoez..... is there anything left to say? i do have to point out though, that it seems that he comes back to symmety later in the song with the (symmetric?) pattern between the last four stanzas, in which he uses repeating lines (this repetitivness being another theme of the song). | |
| Bright Eyes – You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will. Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| i love this song completely, even at it's booming parts it reamains sort of pretty and innocent sounding. my favorite part is the repeated you wills. even though the girl is confidently telling him "you will" (return to me) because it's repeated it also sounds like "will you?" i think it really reflects on how connor sees everyone as young and weak and uncertain, nomatter how they appear. | |
| Bright Eyes – Devil Town (Daniel Johnston cover) Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| i agree with both kris and xian. kris's reasoning makes a lot of sense, but it's probably only part of the meaning behind it. besides that though, i really like what kris got out of it (which is probably why i'm agreeing with them). as we grow up we do tend to judge those around us more critically, when in fact we're just like them. | |
| Bright Eyes – Road to Joy Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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My parents, they have their religions But sleep in seperate houses haven't you heard that thing, "me and my husband split for religious reasons - he thinks hes god and i dont" |
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| Wolf Parade – Same Ghost Every Night Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| woah your right! it does sound similar.... | |
| Wolf Parade – It's a Curse Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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little highway lights reminds me of that one arcade fire song.... headlights look like diamonds. actually it reminds me of in the backseat to..... while i completely agree with what positive tension is saying i find some irony that the sky is neutral and the highway lights shine. It's sort of like saying how we've taken the stars from the sky (by polluting the air) and though we've made our own new night lights it's really just the same as when the light came from stars. That was really badly explained, but I hope you have some idea of what i mean. |
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| Wolf Parade – I'll Believe in Anything Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| i immediately interpreted "if i could take the fire out from the wire i'd share a life and you'd share a life" as using those shock things that bring people back to life or something. yeah i know that sounds vague. after reading what some other people had to say though that's unlikely, especially because some of their other songs are very anti- modern science and what not. i could take away the salt from your eyes is ovbioiusly saying i could stop your crying. i think the stuff about olive trees is talking about peace (olive branch = peace) and to me most of the song - besides being a love song - is talking about finding peace. | |
| Wolf Parade – Modern World Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| comparing it to the modest mouse song is interesting, because didn't isaac brock help out during the recording sessions for this album? | |
| Wolf Parade – Fancy Claps Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| i agree with obsessed. it's very much seems to be about dying. "we'll be home then we'll be home then we can sing and we'll be home then" it sounds a lot like angels singing. that's a little religious though.... i'm not sure if they'd use that | |
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