| R.E.M. – Find The River Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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"Light years to go" Referencing the omega point (hopefully perfection), which is humanity's eventual fate. We all play a part in helping humanity reach this point. We are all connected. Like beads on a necklace. As another song in this album said: "you are not alone". The "task" you perform in the "city" today can ultimately help humanity. And I guess that's where the meaning is. |
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| The Flaming Lips – How?? Lyrics | 4 years ago |
| About the inability of an artist to communicate the beauty and wonder of the world (words are really not enough). And that's how that album starts. | |
| Patti Smith – Pissing in a River Lyrics | 6 years ago |
| They are very open-ended lyrics, and like the best poetry can hope to be lends itselft to multiple interpretations, but to me the song is about the contrast between doing something and doing nothing. You can either "piss in the river" or answer the call of the "beckoning sea" as the song mentions. Or you can "turn your back" and "keep pissing on the river". Looking at the other songs, in this album, I think that this is something that Patti Smith does a lot (ie: beckoning the listener to transcend, while mixing the mysticism that she is known for; hearing this album for the first time in my life, I have to say, I like it and I like her approach). | |
| Patti Smith – Pissing in a River Lyrics | 6 years ago |
| They are very open-ended lyrics but to me the song is about the contrast between doing something and doing nothing. You can either "piss in the river" or answer the call of the "beckoning sea" as the song mentions. Or you can "turn your back" and "keep pissing on the river". | |
| The Flaming Lips – Always There...In Our Hearts Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I think this song is about saying yes to life while being aware of the dark aspects of it. At first I couldn't get into this album by the Lips because I thought the album was too dark for my taste, in comparison with the Lips other albums. But I think, this being the last song and all, it is ultimately life affirming and positive. At the same time, it doesn't pretend as if life were perfect. So in this sense, the song and the album, is not that different from the Lips other albums, if you think about it. So, all in all, this song is pretty life affirming, as is the album. |
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| The Flaming Lips – The Terror Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| But pushing through anyway | |
| The Flaming Lips – The Terror Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| The song is about feeling that you are not in control. | |
| David Bowie – Love Is Lost Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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What is the song about? Here's my personal take. The song is about making a mistake that essentially changes your life. Knowing and recognizing that mistake, essentially transform you, into a beautiful girl/boy as the song says. It increases your beauty so to speak, in the eyes of the artist that is painting the subject (I picture the song taking place between an artist and his or her subject). The artist, being an artist, sees the beauty in his subject as he is painting. That's what some artist are taught to do. Unfortunately, at the end of the song, the subject of the song does not want to believe this. The song indirectly says that this is the real mistake. To believe that you're not worthy. That you're not beautiful. That's where the real mistake/s come/s in. Heck. Maybe the artist is the subject. And vice versa. And maybe the artist is the interpreter of the song. Ok, now I'm going on a tangent. But you get my point. |
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| The Flaming Lips – The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (With All Your Power) Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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I don't think this song necessarily has to be pessimistic. The chorus of "what you really do with all your power" is asking what you really do with all your power and the answer can be negative or it can be positive. Hell yeah. |
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| Beck – The Information Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| I heard this song (as well as a great part of the album) is about the theme of how communications (facebook, text messages, cell phones, etc.) have fragmented our lives and that instead of making us come closer together ... has done the opposite. More information does not necessarily mean that people are coming closer together. Technology is getting in the way of emotional intimacy and understanding. | |
| Relient K – Forgiven Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Good song about forgiveness. A bit pessimistic though ... | |
| Coldplay – Amsterdam Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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"Come on my star is fading" He is getting old from all the waiting for his problems to be resolved (physically, emotionally, psychologically). The character seems to be in a time in his life were desperation is seeping in (actually scratch that ... it has seeped in). He doesn't know what to do. The only thing that he seems to be able to do is wait. And that's what he does. Then, at the moment of greatest desperation ... he finally finds relief ... unexpectedly ... from all the problems that were gnawing at him. And the desperation was over ... or ... at the very least ... things had changed ... unexpectedly ... for the better. I think the message of the song is that eventually things will get better ... one way or the other ... cause something will come along to cut you loose from everything that weighing you down and keeping you from flight ... |
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| Bruce Springsteen – The Rising Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I think it can be both a tribute to the firefighters and also be taken as Dan is saying. There's no way of knowing which interpretation is correct, Springteen left it ambiguous enough for each person to have their own interpretations. But I think both interpretations are valid and I think we have to remember the sacrifices of the firefighters and also to come up with a solution in the future to a problem that has existed for far too long ... the unnecesary divisions created by religion (along with the distortions of extremist that are unfortunately a part of almost all religions). Instead of the ridiculous divisions that cause an event like 9/11 to occur, we need to remember that there is only one god and whether you want to call that Jesus, Allah, Buddha (technically not a god but whatever) or the universe (for the science-minded and pantheist) it's all the same ... we should be guided by what really matters ... spirituality and love. Sorry for philosophizing a little bit at the end there. | |
| Billy Joel – Souvenir Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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| Billy Joel – She's Always A Woman Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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This song is either the perfect embodiment of chivalry or it is about a guy that is basically being abused by a woman. Everything is presented in kind of an extreme way and you can take it either way, both interpretations are valid, and maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle actually (as most things in life). In any case ... I believed in chivalry as represented in this song and I still do. I still side with the guy in the song. Having said that ... I also see this song as a warning. There are some guys out there that are overly chivalrous who may not express when their significant other does something that they don't agree with. This can lead to trouble later on. Now, I believe in chivalry ... but with limits. When a person does something wrong or a person does something that one disagrees with ... there's nothing wrong with saying it ... in fact you better say it. That's what I've taken from this song regardless of whether that was Billy Joel's intended message or not. Maybe it was. In any case, the song paints a true picture of relationships between men and women imo and how far men can or should go in terms of being chivalrous but at the same time not being so chivalrous that they stay silent and don't communicate when it is necessary to communicate and express things that one may not agree with. |
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| R.E.M. – Chorus and The Ring Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Stipe said that the song was inspired by a conversation he had with Burroughs I believe ... but I think the song is about more than that. "Hey there now young wholly, swing along Quote the scriptures, keep them guessing Which pit you crawled from Just defy it, just deny it, was it fun? Your time has come... What have you done? What have you done?" A very religious person that often quotes scriptures, but really hasn't truly lived up to what he preaches ... uses this as a facade to cover up his whole nature (the "pit"). The person then "dies" and is asked the question "what have you done?" ... in other words ... Stipe seems to be saying that its not really about scriptures ... what's really important is what you do in this life that counts. If there is a god, that's probably what he really cares about and if there isn't, that's what a person should really care about. "That's when the insults start to sting You can't remember anything, the chorus chime in The Greek chorus, the machine of god singing." When faced with such a question (what have you done?) ... a person often thinks "darn, I didn't do enough in my life" ... That's when the insults start to sting. This attitude, though, is a dead end. Doesn't solve anything. Moreover, when you remember what you are, a part of the machine of "god," (nature) you see the big picture and remember how special a person is ... even though at times a person may not meet that ideal that they have of themselves. So Stipe seems to be saying two things: (1) it's not about fulfilling the scriptures, it's about doing your best to make a real life difference in this world ... to move along the evolutionary ladder; (2) to try to do this, but if you can't meet this ideal don't get discourage ... continue trying ... and to remember that every person is special b/c after all every person is part of the machine of nature/god. "It's the poison that in measures brings illuminating vision It's the knowing with a wink The we expect from Southern women It's the wolf that knows which route to dig to save itself It's the octopus that crawled back to the sea" Stipe gives examples/pictures of nature (one of the themes of this song) and also presents one of the features of nature ... its will to survive ("the wolf that knows which route to dig to save itself", "the octupus that crawled back to the sea"). "Hammered, shooting plywood in the backyard Laughing 'cause the racket makes the blackbirds sing Write the holy terror, such the marrow from the bone Singe your own wings burning books You got the chorus and the ring" I don't know. "That's when the insults start to sting You can't remember anything, the chorus chime in The Greek chorus, the machine sings That's when the instinct starts to ring You can't remember anything, the chorus chime in The Greek chorus, the machine sings That's when the calibration brittle as a stick gets you The gold ring and the tar museum Che Guevera wink Gold ring, sing..." Anyway he finishes the song by repeating the chorus inviting the listener to sing as part of nature. The gold ring I think maybe a Jungian symbol for wholeness and individuation. One way of achieving wholeness and individuation in Jungian psychology is by being aware of one's nature, coming to terms, accepting, and even loving one's shadow (which is referenced in the previous song of this album "Summer Turns to High" - "I won't step on my own shadow, no one wants to cry"). Or it could be a buddhist symbol which sees nature as interconnected, without separations. I think both interpretations are applicable to this song. |
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| Sean Lennon – Wait for Me Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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"Please don't ask me why True as a sky everyone is born to die" Why are we born to die? Is there a [hidden] reason? Or: is it just a coincidence, chance? No idea the singer says. And that is probably what most people (I suspect) would probably say. Ultimately, though, the question is not what is important. It's what we answer, what we tell ourselves that is. "you find yourself in trouble if you cannot tell a lie its easy as pie" To me ... I think this means that sometimes we do have to lie somewhat about things in general or things that we at first instance, perceive as untrue. This goes back to the other line that says "you can't regret what you forget, if only you could forget it" which imo means that there are some things that we do need to forget and lie about (to a point) because if you don't those things can hold you back ... be it mistakes committed in the past, etc. ... so a person that is creative ... may be more "powerful" in the sense that they are not held back by things ... because they are creative. I think that's Sean Lennon's opinion and it is also mine. |
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| R.E.M. – Suspicion Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Reason is an obstacle to truth (or can be, anyway). This song is about letting go ... |
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| The Flaming Lips – Race for the Prize Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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The song could be about our struggles to make something of our lives and the limitations that we face represented by the line "they're just human, with wives and children". We can fight and struggle all we can to achieve something in our lives but we can't forget that, ultimately, we are just human ... we are not superman (which is also probably the meaning of another song in this album "waiting for superman," strangely enough ...) |
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| The Flaming Lips – Race for the Prize Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| The song could be about our struggles to make something of our lives and the limitations that we face represented by the line "they're just human, with wives and children". Ultimately, we can fight and struggle all we can to achieve something in our lives but we can't forget that, ultimately, we are just human ... we are not superman (which is also probably the meaning of another song in this album "waiting for superman," strangely enough). | |
| U2 – With or Without You Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I think this song can work on many levels. It could be interpreted as a romantic love song, sure. But it can also be interpreted as a spiritual song about one's relationship with God. I think Bono is basically saying that one's relationship with God is not easy (it wasn't easy for Jesus for example, carrying the cross ... its not easy for the rest of us, either). I think the narrator maybe even questioning whether there is a God. Either way ... he can't live without God ... but, also, its hard for him to live with God and, I guess, all that he ask (of us). So ... for me ... more than a religious song ... I think this song is a spiritual or even an existential song,as well. Its about what we all go through. Even Jesus. Its about the difficulties of the world and life. Its mysteries, etc. Or it could be a love song ... who knows? Either way: great song. |
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| Nada Surf – Always Love Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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What I like most about this song is the first lines ''to make a mountain of your life is just a choice'' and the rest that follows. To me what this line and the rest of the song means is that often people attempt to change the world, fulfill their dreams, etc. and that is all well and good ... but life inevitably leads to some dissapointment ... people may be able to change the world to some degree and fullfill an aspect of their dreams but ultimately, probably for most people, no one can accomplish everything they want. We dream too big. And often that leads to dissapointment when people become obscess with this dream, this ideal that they have of their lives ... that they torture themselves ... in trying to scale or conquer the mountain. Dreams are all well and good but love is more important and trying to make a mountain out of your life (a choice) will often keep you from appreciating it (life) and the love that´s already there ... The message of the song imo is that, ultimately, its very important not to let THAT slip away. |
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| Alanis Morissette – Ironic Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| Take it off, take it off, take it off | |
| Alanis Morissette – Ironic Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| Quitenlo (ie: take it off) | |
| Alanis Morissette – Ironic Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| I wish I could delete all the post above ... it sucks that SongMeanings doesn't allow you to delete your own post ... fuck ... | |
| Alanis Morissette – Ironic Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| Life is ironic/funny ... and you better laugh at the punchline ... | |
| Alanis Morissette – Ironic Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| Life is ironic/funny ... and you better laugh at the punchlines ... | |
| Beck – Volcano Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Oh, and I just want to add that this song is pretty positive, all in all ... | |
| Beck – Volcano Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I think the song is about how the narrator decides to continue living. The song talks a lot about confusion and what is real and whether anything that he saw or live through was real ("was it all an illusion, a mirage gone bad?"). In the end he concludes that the only thing that he can really say is real is his death (the volcano that he is going to eventually). But unlike the Japanese girl that willingly fell to the volcano, he doesn't want to fall in (ie. he doesn't want to die). He wants to continue living warming his bones on the fire (of confusion? of life?) for awhile. That's just my interpretation ... in any case, it's a good song. |
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