| Gang of Four – At Home He's A Tourist Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| That is so weird, I had a totally different interpretation but the hudsband/wife thing makes a lot of sense. I was thinking it was about youth and consummerism and how trends and fashion dictate a person's identity in the modern world. But it is all empty and false, hence the ulcers. | |
| Flight of the Conchords – Ladies of the World Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| I find this song totally hilarious and flattering. There's absolutely nothing degrading or sexist about it. There's nothing wrong with wanting ladies, or sexy ladies for that matter. Once again, feminism rears its ugly head not out of defense for women's right but out of discomfort with sex and the natural desire for it. All human beings want sex, and this is a song about sex. There's nothing perverted about it. Or actually there is, but in a funny and ironic way. | |
| Xiu Xiu – Mike Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| I think the "pull my finger" line is this sort of random and absurd thing you say when things just become unbearably bleak. This sense of saying something, anything, to lighten the cirucmstances even though it makes no sense at all... just anything to stop you from losing it. | |
| Deerhunter – Little Kids Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| This is my favourite track on the new album, and I think it's about resentment of youth being punished by resentment of the elderly. And with this amazing crescendo of shoegaze and noise rock near the end, I can just imagine the shed being all up in flames by then. Really nice juxtaposition of sound and thematic content. | |
| Yo La Tengo – Madeline Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| This entire album is filled with a really poetent sense of nostalgia, and I think elwyn5150 is right. I think it's about old friends. A lot of the songs on the albums are really really simple and that is an absolute compliment. Everything is simpler and gentler through the prism of memory. | |
| Lou Reed – Lisa Says Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| The version acepod8 posted is the live VU version, and also by far my favourite. | |
| Malajube – Casse-Cou Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| I meant to put "One day you will", not "One you will". | |
| Malajube – Casse-Cou Lyrics | 17 years ago |
|
I am french-canadian and while not a direct translation, this is how I think it makes more sense: Oh my God, You sing like a cat! Be patient still One you will Smile like me Jesus cries out even louder I'm having trouble hearing you Oh my God, You piss me off! I really don't know what it means, but perhaps it has something to do with the petty annoyances that occur in a relationship. The Jesus reference seems kind of random, but it makes for a really clever double entendre in French. ("Jesus cries/yells" is pronounced the same as "Jesus Christ" in French.) |
|
| Hercules and Love Affair – Hercules Theme Lyrics | 17 years ago |
|
We took him to town Pushed him around Little boy Hercules I'm pretty sure is how it goes in the second verse. I think the song, and probably the whole concept of this project, is that the strongest figure you could think of, Hercules, is just as easily brought down by love. It's a cool idea for a dance album, and that's ultimately what's it's about (dancing), so it's kind of silly to go into too much detail about the "meaning". |
|
| Minor Threat – In My Eyes Lyrics | 17 years ago |
|
I think the song is about living your life based on what you believe in. That something is better than nothing. And trying is better than not trying. People are focusing too much on the straight edge connotation, when I think it goes much broader than that. I think it's a fucking condemnation of people who don't live out their beliefs and try to make themselves worthy by somehow twisting that notion of doing-nothing-because-we're-all-screwed into something cool, something to aspire to. The truth is that doesn't mean shit. It's nothing. If you think you're cool because you live your life aimlessly, moping around and believe there's absolutely no meaning to life, you're a fucking jackass who needs to get off the couch and go out there and tell people about what you think would make the world a better place. And then do something about it in your own way. "You tell me that I make no difference Well at least I'm fucking trying What the fuck have you done?" Perfect. |
|
| Sonic Youth – The Sprawl Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| I think it could be a double entendre for prostitution and commercial consumption. That's how I see anyway, and it's really powerful. This may be my favourite Kim-on-vocals SY track. | |
| Liars – Grown Men Don't Fall in the River, Just Like That Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| I think it's "Not too political, nothing too clever" instead of "Not too political, enough to discover". It's hard to make out though, what with the overpowering badassedry of the song. | |
| Super Furry Animals – Demons Lyrics | 17 years ago |
|
I think this song is about society's (or perhaps his own) obsession with self-help and therapy and such. When he says "And the demons never need to know / What the demons never got to see" I think he means sometimes you should just try to live with your demons instead of wasting your life trying to solve all your problems. Because it's ultimately futile, and you wind up missing out on life if you're constantly looking to better yourself. In reality, there is no "clarity" as to what makes one person miserable or happy. It's much too esoteric to be able to understand with concrete information, like self-help books or gimmicky psychology theories. My favourite bit is the first two verses, in particular: "And sunny days in January left spaces in my diary." which essentially means that it only took a nice day in the middle of winter to make him content, with no struggle to write about in his journal. I have to say that I relate immensely. I never write about the good things that happen to me, just the bad. I absolutely adore this song. |
|
| Patti Smith – Gloria Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| Patti Smith is such an inspiration. Every teenage girl at all interested in rock'n'roll needs to get "Horses". | |
| M. Ward – Poison Cup Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| The most romantic part of this song for me is when he sings "A sip or spoonful won't do / Cos I want all". To me it means, he wants her completely. Not just one part of her. He wants to love her for everything she is, for every human, flawed, beautiful part of her. But the song is sung ambiguously, so you could be singing it to anybody. I love that it's not gender defined. | |
| Atlas Sound – Quarantined Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| This song is amazing. It is obviously explicitly (though succinctly) about Bradford's teen years spent in and out of surgery, locked in a hospital room. Though I think the song speaks stronger about a general sense of alienation that could be just about anything, and it's so beautiful in its simplicity. | |
| Animal Collective – Chores Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| A lot of Animal Collective's songs, especially their early ones, evoke childhood or what it's like to be a kid, and this song, to me, seems to be about being a young teenager. Having to grow up, but not really wanting to. I think it's pretty funny, actually. In the words themselves and the way it's performed. | |
| Malajube – La Monogamie Lyrics | 18 years ago |
|
The beginning goes like this: Tu bourgeonnes dans ma tête Et tu t'enfonces dans mon cerveau Tu fais ressortir la bête Et je sais que tu aimes les animaux ...and here's my translation: You take your place inside my head And you dig inside my brain You bring out the beast in me 'Cus I know you love animals |
|
| Liars – Houseclouds Lyrics | 18 years ago |
|
I thought it was: "Shattered pieces on the kitchen floor underfoot, You're impatient of the promises we undertook, Our plans would sacrifice this life, Would say goodbye" And then: "Are you sick of shining flavour to benevolence?" But I could be wrong. They don't seem to make that much sense either. |
|
| Deerhunter – Octet Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| Closer by Dennis Copper, I believe. | |
| My Bloody Valentine – Sometimes Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| I really think that this song (like all My Bloody Valentine songs) is more about the sound than it is the words. The words seem an afterthought, and seem there more to create mood than to be deep or thoughtful. Not that this takes anything away from any of the songs, in fact it adds a level of sincerity which only makes it more beautiful. I think it's the best song on 'Loveless' which is just a brilliant album. But this isn't news to anybody reading this. | |
| The Chemical Brothers – The Pills Won't Help You Now Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| The obvious assumption is that this is about drug addiction. But the tone of the song is so beautiful, and Tim Smith's voice is so gentle and sweet that it permeates the subject matter with innocence. It feels to me like a gentle plee to someone to let someone else help them. In some sense, it's one of the sweetest love songs I can think of. The music and beats by the Chems are a huge part of that too. | |
| The Radio Dept. – Keen On Boys Lyrics | 18 years ago |
|
I see the first verse as being an after-the-fact reflection of the whole situation. He sets up his confliction, then tells the story. I think it has more poignancy because it's a male voice singing, adding to the gay undertones. I mean, "Why is it I can't kill my..."; "Nothing assumed but you know..."; "And was I aware of what I missed?" I think it is very much homosexually based. But it could still be from a girl's perspective, and it's still one of their best songs and lyrics. I absolutely love this song. My favourite line is "Nothing assumed but you know..." Love it. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.