| Joni Mitchell – Black Crow Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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LOVE. The drone of the beat and the sharp imagery of the black crow and the blue sky... wow. Wow. |
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| Joni Mitchell – Barangrill Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| But this is actually on "For The Roses" which I think is interesting because it illustrates the difficulty in medicrity. Which is largely what FTR is about, which Hejira is slightly more adventurous as far as travel and exploration. | |
| Joni Mitchell – A Strange Boy Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| I adore this song. A lot. So powerful, so poetic. And not as easily likable as many of her others, which I think makes it more appealing to me. | |
| Joni Mitchell – Little Green Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Joni really is a genius. Perhaps I'm biased because I adore her and have grown up on her music. This song, though, is incredible. She captures the bitersweetness of childhood beautifully. And I think that "Little Green" is a plant. This song always gives me this image of second graders planting a flower and crowding around to see how its growing. How very sweet. |
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| Bob Dylan – It Ain't Me Babe Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I love Dylan's use of "babe" here. We always think of it as a filler word, as it is used today. A pet name, or something to run up and down the scale on as you show off your range. In reality, it is simple, pure, and endearing. Whether he is speaking to a country, a woman, or the folkies, he loves them. It's the ultimate, "I love you dearly, but I cannot be with you right now." Not a break up- frusteration. The frusteration of something difficult separating them. How incredible. Oh, Bob. You always make my day. |
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| Queen – Body Language Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| See, the thing about Queen is that they don't set out to be "deepandprofound" like so many groups. There is something to be said for a group that can just have fun. And if this song is fun and makes you feel like dancing or makes you laugh or smile or feel sexy, then the job of writing a song people resond to is accomplished. That's what a good song is. And Freddie Mercury totally knew it. | |
| Bob Dylan – Don't Think Twice, It's All Right Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Let's use an art metaphor shall we? If musicians are like artists, then songs are like art. And if songs are like art, then any Joni Mitchell song has to be a beautiful portrait. And any Miles Davis song has to be a sculpture. And any Bob Dylan song has to be a stick figure on a napkin from a cheap restaurant. But don't be fooled-- he doesn't draw us those stick figures because he can't paint a landscape or make a sculpture. He can do both and all of the above and below. In "Don't Think Twice It's Alright," the ambiguity is killer. Is there bitterness there? Is it pure acceptance? Can anyone really truly accept everything about life? Was Bob just too stoned to really care? Can you take guilt from others by personal acceptance (as implicated in the title)? What is this song, really? Is it the "I'm over it," statement? Is it the "I'm trying to get over it," statement? What are we getting over? Can it even be gotten over? The tone is soulful, accepting, a little mournful, and resiliant. The harmonica adds emotion in ways Dylan's voice can't-- the mourning sound of losing something dear. The lyrics imply a little bit of bitterness, but the tone would never give you a hint of it. You have to dig to find it here. In fact, you have to dig to find everything here. You have to dig to find acceptance, bitterness, tears, lonliness, hope, resiliancy, memory, anger, compassion and complacency. Bob Dylan has mastered the art of giving the listener nothing to go on... Except a guitar chord or two and a funny sounding note from a weathered voice. And I am jealous of all those songwriters who can make a girl feel so much using nothing but a bunch of notes. |
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| Josh Ritter – Girl In The War Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I think it's a combination of both-- he's using the illustration of war to talk about being ripped apart from someone. He's holding on, completely intoxicated by his memories (ala the champagne) but there is some part of his who knows it's a very bleak situation. I adore extended metaphors, don't you? |
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