| Josh Pyke – Clovis' Sons Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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I had listened to this song in passing and today as I was walking down the sidewalk the gorgeous opening riff/whistle came into my head. It took my a minute to place it... Josh Pyke says this song was inspired by a gruesome painting of Clovis' murdered sons, a story that turned out to be mere legend. "History has its own version of the truth." (From an interview on thebrag(dot)com.) I did find this on Wikipedia though: "Clovis would send gifts and money to the nobles and those responsible for protecting a rival king, to bribe them to betray their king, or he would tell a rival king's son that if the son killed his royal father, Clovis would support the son's ascent to the throne and the son would gain an alliance with Clovis. However when the son had killed his father Clovis would reveal the son's crime, have the son murdered and take over the kingdom without much opposition." This could give "set me lose, like Clovis' sons" a haunting echo of naivety, temptation, and betrayal. The entire song gives me a sense of the way we distort memories according to our own interpretation of events. We often do it with those closest to us, to those we have grown with. "How are we ever gonna get any better If we're always in the same room?" |
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| Jack Johnson – Hope Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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One more quick thought: It seems religion, or anti-religion, is a popular theme on this thread, and I can totally see what many of you mean. For example, I can see why one would interpret the line "It will teach you to love what you're afraid of /After it takes away all that /You learn to love" would be about following God at the expense of something else you want or need. (See:CadillacKincaid) I think many Americans feel Christianity means being a puritan and a bigot, and some rightly so, since they've only seen bad examples, but Christianity is not as mindless as people make it out to be, or want it to be. Jesus wasn't about making people "give up what they love," He was about helping people find it! Jesus taught that people try to find happiness in so many things - sex, food, wealth, whatever - that only leave you "chasing a shadow." He taught that our hearts are bent, that we love things we shouldn't and, on our own, either reject God or use Him for our own ends. To me, it is just like, if you interpret "Hope" this way, being addicted to fame. People long for fame because, really, they long for God's applause. It makes sense rationally - if only a creator and transcendent being could truly know you inside and out, then only that being's love and support of you are truly credible. Even the people who know us best don't know us completely, and it's often the one's we're closest to that we hide from the most, out of fear of rejection. So Christianity is about how Jesus died to save us from chasing the shadows, and showing us he's the only one who could ever love us the way we want and need. I know I probably sound "religious-y," but seriously, if a man truly rose from the dead, I feel like we all might want to rethink how quickly we dismiss Jesus, just because He's not a popular dude. And considering the previous posts, I think it's healthy to see things from both sides. Thanks for your thoughts! |
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| Jack Johnson – Hope Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Perhaps it's about fame. He could writing it tongue in cheek to himself, or about younger people he sees chasing after the "friday night lights." It might even be to written for a close friend. "...You really think that you are immune to Its gonna get that the best of you Its gonna lift you up and let you down It will defeat you then teach you to get back up After it takes all that You learn to love" When starting out, everyone thinks they are "immune to" the things that comes from fame, pride, conceit, a lifestyle oriented around getting more fame, etc. but it gets the best of even the humblest. Fame "lifts you up and lets you down," and then "teaches you to get back up" after it has hindered your relationships with your friends and family. This is actually a similar theme to some of Jack's other songs, such as "Rodeo Clowns" and "Symbol." Contrary to my first interpretation, I think that the line "You don't Always Have to hold your head Higher than your heart" is actually a negative thing in the context of the song. It's the classic Hollywood line about following your heart, but it becomes negative when your heart is addicted to fame or something else (see smoldielox's interpretation) even while your head is telling you to stop. "You better hope you're not alone" is pointing out that people can get so consumed by what they think will make them happy, that they can end up stepping on their friends to reach their goal, which of course, will leave you with no friends. |
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| Phil Wickham – Divine Romance Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I love his choice of words: "fullness," "richness," "brightness".... The rest of the world is so convinced that God means an absence of these things. So either Phil is lying, crazy, or the world is missing out on Someone absolutely incredible. "Your innocent blood, has washed my guilty life In Your presence God I'm completely satisfied" Incredible. |
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| Phil Wickham – Mystery Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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What an eye opener- literally and spiritually. It is so easy to get caught up in endless to-dos and to take life- and its giver- for granted. But in his song Phil is in absolute awe of God, of who He is and the beauty He's made, which spins around us and longs to get through to us every waking minute! It makes me want to tune into a different frequency, "in the quiet," and see Jesus' beauty instead of chasing after whatever else I think will make me happy... |
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| Ryan Adams – Oh My Sweet Carolina Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| this song makes me so nostalgic! i feel like it could apply to pretty much anything we long for but is out of reach. it is about that weird dissonance between longing for the very thing we keep leaving in order find what we long for... | |
| Jenny Lewis – You Are What You Love Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Such a stingingly accurate description of two people who are trying to be defined and fulfilled by each other; to him, she's his conquest. To her, he's her endless conversation. This song is an expression of her realization that they use each other, but it's also her decision to fight it, love him, and find value in that rather than in his love for her. Heartbreaking and encouraging at the same time! |
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| Josh Pyke – Make You Happy Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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It seems to me that he's singing about a relationship that is comfortable and established, but doubts or what-ifs keep sneaking to the surface of both of their minds. He is tempted to wonder if someone else could make him happy, but he cuts off those thoughts and focuses on making her happy instead. After all, she is really the one for him. But she also has her suspicions. They have been together so long though, that she can't imagine or see how to change things. I think it's a song about trying to be committed in the face of imperfection or even temporary unhappiness. It leaves me with a sense that they'll stick by each other and that the doubts will pass.. Keep her on your right, Josh! |
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| Fionn Regan – Abacus Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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it's a summer love song. they're counting down the days until the summer ends, but the summer days have seemed so endless that it's hard. there is some regret mixed in with the beauty of it all, because the last day of summer will come, and they'll have to leave. |
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