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Of Monsters And Men – Dirty Paws Lyrics 14 years ago
"The sky wasn't be enough for them all."

*big enough for them all

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Iron & Wine – Walking Far from Home Lyrics 15 years ago
Great song. It reminds me a lot of "The Trapeze Swinger". Can't wait for the new album.

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Blind Pilot – We Are The Tide Lyrics 15 years ago
Such a good song. Amazing live. I hope they put it on an album at some point.

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Mason Jennings – I Love You and Buddha Too Lyrics 16 years ago
A new live verse goes something like this:

When prophets said they've heard
The one and only word
And every word is different
God becomes in all human
And we are left to choose
A side to refuse
The whole thing in its humanness
Learn from each with tolerance

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Andrew Bird – Scythian Empire Lyrics 16 years ago
Maybe the political overtones in his songs are unostentatious and subtle because they reflect how he feels about politics. Not every artist needs to hold passionate partisan political views.

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U2 – Unknown Caller Lyrics 16 years ago
I used to be a good Christian until I started listening to U2. Now I worship Baal.

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U2 – Unknown Caller Lyrics 16 years ago
FINALLY, someone nails it. Nice job ptanzola, couldn't have said it better myself. I like how Theresa1 actually responded to it seriously.

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U2 – Moment Of Surrender Lyrics 16 years ago
Dave Laut?

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U2 – Moment Of Surrender Lyrics 16 years ago
So idolatry, either A. you are at best boarderline mentally disabled, or B. you are desperately seeking attention on the internet by posting ridiculous statements. Either way I feel very sorry for you.

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U2 – No Line On The Horizon Lyrics 16 years ago
Bono is not Catholic. He does not profess to be a certain religion.

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U2 – No Line On The Horizon Lyrics 16 years ago
There is never an "obvious" when it comes to poetry. Especially when written by Bono.

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U2 – Cedars Of Lebanon Lyrics 16 years ago
"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon." (Psalm 92:12)

Just one of the many times in the Bible that cedars of Lebanon are mentioned. I don't really know what the song is about, but I thought that would be an interesting tidbit considering most of the other songs on this album have religious references.

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Bob Dylan – Gates of Eden Lyrics 16 years ago
Correction: El Che is the only one making sense to YOU. Don't pretend to know what Bob Dylan was thinking when he wrote this, just speculate. Stating that something has to be what you think it is just because you hold that particular view is close minded and counterproductive. Also, on a side note, it seems there is a lot about religion you don't understand. I suggest taking some college level religion courses, if you're old enough, in order to understand better.

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Bob Dylan – Gates of Eden Lyrics 16 years ago
Three reasons your post makes no sense. At the time you were writing this you had also not posted on this song, which included you in the group of everyone you were criticizing. Also, your post is directed at people who will never read your criticism, making it useless. Last of all, your comment did not provide any insight into the song, but rather criticism for those who have not provided insight into this song, making you hypocritical and worse off than not posting at all.

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Regina Spektor – Samson Lyrics 16 years ago
You should never reference wikipedia if you want to be taken seriously. There is a lot of faulty information on there, as you have shown in your post.

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Regina Spektor – Samson Lyrics 16 years ago
If YOU knew the story of Sampson and Delilah, you would know that Delilah never cut his hair. Judges 16.

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Regina Spektor – Samson Lyrics 16 years ago
Wrong. Read Judges 16.

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Regina Spektor – Samson Lyrics 16 years ago
Wrong. Read Judges 16. The song can't be about Delilah.

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Regina Spektor – Samson Lyrics 16 years ago
Also, in the Bible Delilah never cut Sampson's hair, which would mean this line, "I cut his hair myself one night" doesn't fit into the Delilah story.

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Regina Spektor – Samson Lyrics 16 years ago
Also, in the Bible Delilah never cut Sampson's hair, which would mean this line, "I cut his hair myself one night" doesn't fit into the Delilah story.

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Regina Spektor – Samson Lyrics 16 years ago
The story of Sampson and Delilah is clearly laid out in the Bible. Read Judges 16. If you look at the line "The bible didn't mention us, not even once", then the song cannot logically be about Delilah.

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Regina Spektor – Samson Lyrics 16 years ago
Thanks for pointing this out. Samson was only married once and it was never to Delilah.

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Regina Spektor – Samson Lyrics 16 years ago
Timnah is a place, not a person. The name of Sampsons first wife is never mentioned in the Bible, it just says she is a girl of the Philistines who is from Timnah.

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Blind Pilot – Three Rounds And A Sound Lyrics 17 years ago
MickT, how do you know Israel?

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Blind Pilot – The Story I Heard Lyrics 17 years ago
"Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak...Then the man said, "you shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed."" -Genesis 32:24-28

The man of course was God. A short and random story in Genesis. http://www.washingtonubf.org/BibleMaterials/Genesis/MSG14a.html
In case you want to know more about it.

Israel Nebeker is a genius.


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Damien Rice – The Blower's Daughter Lyrics 17 years ago
Please contribute to this song as it is listed under "The Blower's Daughter", as "Blower's Daughter" is not the correct title to the song. There is a much better discussion there as well. This lyrics entry needs to be deleted.

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Damien Rice – Closer Lyrics 17 years ago
Sexual healing.

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Damien Rice – Wooden Horse Lyrics 17 years ago
Yet another beautifully crafted song by Damien. I have a decent copy recorded from a show if anyone still needs one.

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Damien Rice – What This Night Is For Lyrics 17 years ago
I just heard this song for the first time. My friend has both a guitar and piano version that I stole from him. Simply one of the most beautiful songs I have heard in a long time. I might even say it is my favorite song of Damien's. Hopefully it will be on his next album.

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Carbon Leaf – Let Your Troubles Roll By Lyrics 17 years ago
First of all let me just say I don't think he is simply saying, as secondhandsmoke put it, "cry me a river, build a bridge and get over it." He talks about a mother having to get through the death of her child, and I don't think he'd be telling that mother to just "get over it".

That being said, I like how the first stanza kind of introduces us to the song. The tune and tempo is even a little different than the rest of the verses. He opens it by basically telling us that love is infinite, and I think that is something we should keep in mind while listening to the song and the misfortunes he sings about in it. Everybody has experienced that one song come on while you've been miserable, and it describes how you're feeling perfectly, and helps you feel like maybe you aren't alone after all. When he says, "Like the perfect song at imperfect times, It's the way the chord's struck with the rhymes" I think he's saying that even in the worst parts of your life, you will never be alone. I think he also purposely portrays this song as being one of those "perfect songs", and that's what makes the rhyming in the song so unique.

Just a few more things real quick, each verse describes a crappy situation to be in, but he always follows it up with "When all of your tears dry, let your troubles roll by." I don't think he's saying to get over it, like some have suggested, but rather he's saying that you can get through this, and after you have cried, mourned, been sad or depressed enough, then pick your self up and leave your worries behind. Because there is always a light at the end of the tunnel and love will always be with you, whether you know it or not.

Lastly, I don't think this is what he was intending, but the line, "The day is alive and that's why I cry", a lot of people when they are mourning feel guilty that they are living while their loved one is not, and just seeing things like flowers bloom makes then sad, because everything else in the world is moving on, but the deceased isn't.

Sorry if that was too long. Like always, it's just my opinion and nothing more.

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Carbon Leaf – A Girl and Her Horse Lyrics 17 years ago
Why do people have to find sex in every song these days? I would say that it could be about how men have a hard time understanding women, but I'm not finding any hint of cheating or sex in this song. I think that might be a bit of a stretch. Especially when you keep in mind Barry's writing style.

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Ryan Adams – To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High) Lyrics 17 years ago
As a Dylan fan and a Ryan Adams fan, I'm not a fan of this song. Both have their own styles and when Ryan tries to copy Dylan's sound, it comes off sounding really cheesy. Just my opinion.

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Halfpenny Marvel – Cold Side of the Pillow Lyrics 17 years ago
Definitely my favorite HPM song. It never gets old.

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Halfpenny Marvel – Ashes of an Argument Lyrics 17 years ago
A very beautiful song by Mr. Kramer.

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Sufjan Stevens – Happy Birthday Lyrics 17 years ago
Periodix, the song is obviously about Christmas. Just read the lyrics. Song writers do not usually worry about grammar and punctuation, especially on their first write throughs. As a song writer myself there have been many times when I have forgotten to capitalize pronouns in reference to God. Sometimes you can look too deeply into something when the answer is right in front of you, and I think that is what you are doing here.

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The New Pornographers – These Are the Fables Lyrics 17 years ago
What an amazing song. I can't believe it is not more popular. When she sings,

"Ten thousand dancing girls
Kicking cans 'cross the sky,"

wow. Definitely grabs me.

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The New Pornographers – Jackie, Dressed in Cobras Lyrics 17 years ago
This song is total B-52's.

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Sufjan Stevens – Casimir Pulaski Day Lyrics 17 years ago
I see there is still a lot of confusion over different parts of the song, so I am just going to give my interpretation and try to clear some things up. I will go stanza by stanza for the whole song.

"Goldenrod and the 4H stone
The things I brought you
When I found out you had cancer of the bone"

So we have the narrator bringing two gifts, goldenrod and a 4-H stone, to a person whom he has recently found out has cancer. I think most people understand the 'Goldenrod' part and that it is a flower very prevalent in the Midwest and in Illinois. I think there is still a lot of confusion with the '4-H stone' but as far as I understand it the '4-H stone' is a symbol of the 4-H youth organization with the mission of "empowering youth to reach their full potential, working and learning in partnership with caring adults." Sufjan has said that he was asked to write about the 4-H club in this album so I think this was his way of fitting that in there.

"Your father cried on the telephone
And he drove his car into the Navy yard
Just to prove that he was sorry"

We are not clear on why her father is crying on the telephone, but I would speculate that it was while getting news from the doctor about the cancer. I don't think the father is apologizing for anything when it says "Just to prove that he was sorry", rather he is showing how sorry he feels that she has cancer, and he does that by driving her to the 'Navy Yard'. Since we know this takes place in or around Chicago, and since there is no Navy Yard by Chicago, he might be talking about Navy Pier.

"In the morning, through the window shade
When the light pressed up against your shoulderblade
I could see what you were reading"

This is the first of several times that we see Sufjan use "In the morning". I think that there is something deeper than him just giving the time of day. Morning is seen as metaphorically referring to birth and optimism. This just one instance of Sufjan equivocally using opposites by using this line in a song dealing with death. I think the rest of the stanza is straightforward.

"All the glory that the Lord has made
And the complications you could do without
When I kissed you on the mouth"

This is the first of several times that we see Sufjan using the phrase "All the glory that the Lord has made." A lot of people have speculated that Sufjan is angry with God in this song, but I get more of the feeling of frustration and sadness than anger. I get the sense with this line he is saying, with all the great things the Lord has done, why does he have to take her? With the rest of the stanza it could refer to getting in trouble with her dad like they do later in the song, or I have a theory that it is kind of like a "Walk to Remember" type situation, if anyone remembers that movie. She doesn't want to get involved with anyone because then it will make it that much harder when she dies.

"Tuesday night at the Bible study
We lift our hands and pray over your body
But nothing ever happens"

I think this one is pretty straight forward. They go to a bible study on Tuesday nights, and every time they go they pray for her, but she doesn't get any better. I get the feeling of frustration again with this.

"I remember at Michael's house
In the living room when you kissed my neck
And I almost touched your blouse"

I think this is just showing how the two of them are becoming more than just friends.

"In the morning at the top of the stairs
When your father found out what we did that night
And you told me you were scared"

Some people are speculating that the two of them had sex, and that's what the father found out. Personally I don't believe that, but like everything else I've written on here, I could be wrong. I think these are younger kids who are each other's first love (and last for her I guess). I think the father did find out they had become more than friends and was angry like all overprotective fathers are when they find out their daughter is dating. I think it is especially hard for him because he feels like he is losing her, and he doesn't want to lose her any sooner than he has to. Also it sounds like the girl's mother is out of the picture so she might be the only thing he has left in his life. Hope that makes sense.

"All the glory when you ran outside
With your shirt tucked in and your shoes untied
And you told me not to follow you"

She's pulling away from him because she realized she upset her dad. Maybe.

"Sunday night when I cleaned the house
I found the card where you wrote it out
With the pictures of you mother"

I am really not sure on this one, but after reading it I get the feeling that her mother is dead.

"On the floor at the great divide
With my shirt tucked in and my shoes untied
I am crying in the bathroom"

The 'Great Divide" is a store, and obviously he is in its bathroom, on the floor, crying. Using the line "shirt tucked in with my shoes untied," just like he did before with the girl, again gives me an image of them being just kids.

"In the morning when you finally go
And the nurse runs in with her head hung low
And the cardinal hits the window"

Remember again that this is the Illinois album when reading this stanza. So we have them at the hospital, and after the nurse tells them that she has died, a cardinal, the state bird of Illinois, flies into the window.

"In the morning in the winter shade
On the first of March, on the holiday
I thought I saw you breathing"

The first line makes me think of Simon and Garfunkel's Hazy Shade of Winter. "And the sky is a hazy shade of winter." On the next line he gives us the date, March 1st, and says it's a holiday because the first Monday in March is 'Casimir Pulaski Day' in Illinois. The last time the first Monday in March was on the 1st was in 2004, which very possibly could have been the year this song was written. So we finally learn the relevance of the title. We also have the first of two things he sees that is out of the norm.

"All the glory that the Lord has made
And the complications when I see His face
In the morning in the window"

We now have the second of two interesting things he sees. In the blood of the cardinal that hit the window, he thinks he sees the Lord's face. I think he sees these things because of the struggles going on in his head. I'm not going to get any more specific with this because I think there are so many different things and ways you could infer from this.

"All the glory when He took our place
But He took my shoulders and He shook my face
And He takes and He takes and He takes"

"All the glory when he took our place" refers to Jesus taking our place on the cross, and dying for our sins, and how wonderful he is for that. It then goes back to his frustration and confusion, and what some might say his anger, when he says "BUT He took my shoulders and He shook my face, And He takes and He takes and He takes." The Lord took something from him and shook his life upside down, and he doesn't understand how someone so great could make him feel so miserable.

Hope you enjoyed my analysis of one of the greatest songs ever. I'm sorry it was so long. I also apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes, it is very late/early. Remember, this is just my interpretation and some, if not all of it, could be wrong. It's never wrong if it means something to you though.

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Sufjan Stevens – Happy Birthday Lyrics 18 years ago
I think it is pretty obvious that the birthday in question is Jesus', in other words, Christmas. I think the rest of the lines are pretty self explanatory after you figure that out. I love the line "A pair of shoes is what you need". Obviously talking about Jesus.

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Sufjan Stevens – Casimir Pulaski Day Lyrics 18 years ago
The correct lyrics are "4-H Doll" not stone.

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