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KISS – Great Expectations Lyrics 14 years ago
Well the title is obviously a reference to the classic Charles Dickens novel by the same name, so I'm guessing that the lyrics have something to do with orphans and the industrial revolution.

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XTC – Making Plans For Nigel Lyrics 17 years ago
hmm i always assumed that nigel in this song was a mentally challenged boy that needed people to look after him and was gonna end up in the steel mill... didn't consider it could be about british conformity...

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Thin Lizzy – Hollywood (Down On Your Luck) Lyrics 18 years ago
is this song about how ppl in hollywood are rich and don't have to deal with the harsh reality of life?

that's all i got.

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The Futureheads – Cabaret Lyrics 18 years ago
Hmm I always made the connection that they were drawing a parallel between the sex industry and the music industry. The big record corporations find small acts, take them in, dress them up and market them, not unlike some sort of sex objects. Brings to mind media pop stars and the old addage "Sex sells".

Maybe I just made this connection because The Futureheads are an Indie Rock band and it seems logical for them to criticize the mainstream recording industry.

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The Shins – Phantom Limb Lyrics 18 years ago
this song is interesting for so many reasons... humorous and tragic at the same time.

anyway i think "file past one five and one" could just be that the girls are walking past room 151 at their high school.

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The Clash – Spanish Bombs Lyrics 19 years ago
According to Wikipedia, the black flag is also a traditional Irish Republican symbol, so there might be some significance there...

Also, "Mockingbird Hill" (Mockin' Bird Hill) was a 50s pop song by Les Paul and Mary Ford. The Clash might be commenting on how the Spanish gave up politics and resistance and decided to live in consumerist complacency under Franco.

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The Killers – All These Things That I've Done Lyrics 19 years ago
I think the Christian interpretation is interesting, I can definitely see the symbolism. However I think that the song has an ultimately broader meaning.

When I listen to the song, I can't help but pick up a hint of existential dilemma...

Asking if there's "room for one more son" seems to me like he's referring to the impersonal, modern world, where he's just one person among millions.

Most people can probably relate to the concern of growing older and trying to find meaning in life. Since modern life lacks the collective spirit of pre-modern life, we find ourselves as individuals searching for meaning or a purpose to live (i.e. religion, consumerism, political activism).

So how does this relate to the song? I think the protagonist is somebody who was raised with some unquestioned beliefs, but now that he's out in the world he's reexamining himself.

And though he's alienated, he calls for help (maybe to God, maybe to friends, maybe to complete strangers). He thinks maybe they can help him find meaning.

However, I think that the revelation at the end of the song is that his interactions w/ the people he's met (who are probably going through the same thing) and the things that he's done (the "battle" to find meaning) were meaningful in themselves.

In this light "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" line could be acknowledging that he's not trying to change the world, only live in it.

Not saying that this interpretation's airtight, but it definitely has personal significance for me and anybody else who's trying to cope w/ modernity (read: college).

And sorry for the long post. =)

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