submissions
| Styx – Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) Lyrics
| 12 years ago
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I can't be certain of this, but I think Tommy Shaw once said in an interview that Dennis DeYoung was the inspiration for this song. It seems that Dennis was a perfectionist & was getting himself too wound up. So the song was Tommy's way of telling him to lighten up & not be so hard on himself. It makes sense to me. This is one of my favorites by Styx. Love the intro & the synth solos. |
submissions
| Toto – Hold The Line Lyrics
| 12 years ago
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I agree with browntown123. I think this song is saying that love comes to us all sooner or later, but not always when or how we expect. (Love isn't always on time.) We have to be patient, stay the course & not compromise our principles or settle for something that isn't real. (Hold the line.) But when it clicks, there's nothing like it. It speaks to me because I'm "holding the line" at this point in my life. It also brings back memories from my younger days. I recall dancing to this song once with a real cute girl. We were just friends & nothing more ever came of it. So, I can't help thinking of her whenever I hear it. |
submissions
| It's a Beautiful Day – White Bird Lyrics
| 12 years ago
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Am I the 1st one to comment on such a great tune? Well, here's my take on it.
The white bird represents someone who is surrounded by wealth. But she is lonely, unhappy, possibly in an abusive situation & feels trapped (a golden cage). She feels she must escape for the sake of her sanity, even her life (White bird must fly or she will die.). Kind of sad, but a beautiful song.
Does anyone have a different take on it? |
submissions
| Def Leppard – Hysteria Lyrics
| 12 years ago
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Well, I have to agree with just about everyone else here. This song is about wanting so badly to be with someone that it makes you crazy. I've been there myself in real life, more than once. |
submissions
| James Taylor – Carolina In My Mind Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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This is one of my faves by James Taylor.
I call Arizona home, but I lived in North Carolina for several years. During my time there, I had some personal experiences which changed my life forever & helped to shape my character. I have a lot of fond memories about it. I still have many relatives & friends there. I've actually made a couple of trips back to NC over the years. Whenever I hear this song, it makes me want to hop on a plane & fly back there again. (I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind.) |
submissions
| REO Speedwagon – In My Dreams Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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This is one of REO's best & a personal favorite of mine.
In this song, the singer seeks escape from his sad & lonely existence. So at night, he escapes into his dreamworld, where he is loved. The object of his love could be either his crush or his ex-wife/gf. The lyrics seem somewhat ambiguous in this respect, which I think is intentional. In either case, it's something I can personally relate to, because I've experienced it first-hand.
Very sad, but a truly awesome tune. |
submissions
| Emerson, Lake & Palmer – C'est La Vie Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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For me, this song has a double meaning.
It describes how I felt when my marriage hit the rocks & when I separated from my wife. Through all of this I wondered if she had any feeling left for me (Do the ashes of desire for you remain?) It seemed that nothing I did made the slightest difference. (Is there no song I can play for you?)
It also makes me think of a girl I had a huge crush on many years ago. (She eventually married someone else.)
It also reminds me of my latest crush. I met her online. Because we live rather far apart, the chances of meeting in person are slim. I think she may have similar feelings for me, but she hasn't said so. (Do you love/ And then how am I to know/ If you don't let your love show for me.) When she faced some serious personal problems awhile ago, I realized how strongly I felt & I wanted to come to her rescue. (Took a storm before my love flowed for you...) I know that there are so many things working against us & that it might never work out any way. (Like a song/ Out of tune and out of time...)
Sorry for running on so much. This is such a beautiful & haunting song & it really speaks to me on a personal level.
Who knows, who cares for me
C'est la vie |
submissions
| Boston – More Than A Feeling Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Awesome tune! Boston's greatest, hands down. I thinks it's about how a song can bring back bittersweet memories & help us escape reality at the same time. Whenever I hear it, I think of a girl I had a crush on many years ago. (Her name wasn't Marianne, but that's beside the point.) I was too shy at the time to even ask her out. She started dating someone else & she eventually married him. Last I heard, she was still married to him. "...And dream of a girl I used to know/ I closed my eyes and she slipped away/ She slipped away/ She slipped away" Yep, she slipped away from me. Well, life goes on.
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submissions
| Boston – Don't Look Back Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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First of all, great tune - one of my faves by Boston. To me, this song is about letting go of our past, our emotional baggage & everything that weighs us down & looking to the future with hope.
"It's a new horizon and I'm awakin' now/ Oh I see myself in a brand new way/ The sun is shinin' the clouds are breakin'/ 'Cause I can't lose now, there's no game to play"
And the chorus:
"I finally see the dawn arrivin'/ I see beyond the road I'm drivin'/ Far away and left behind"
These lines, in particular really speak to me since my separation & divorce. I had to learn to let go & move on. I think everyone at some point has had to let go of something/someone & move on. So, "Don't look back", like the song says.
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submissions
| The Allman Brothers Band – Dreams Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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I pretty much agree with Dornan's take on it. On a personal note: This song has special meaning for me. At a particularly low point in my life, I once went up onto a mountain - literally - to clear my head & think & pray. When I went back down, I had renewed hope. That's what it means to me. BTW, I think the cover by Molly Hatchet is excellent as well. (Yes, the Allman Bros did it first!) |
submissions
| .38 Special – Fantasy Girl Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Am I the first one to comment on this? Well, here's my take.
The singer has suffered his share of heartache, so he's built this image in his mind of the ideal woman. He knows that she's not attainable or even real, but he still fantasizes about her. He doesn't want to let go of the fantasy. ("Don't set me free/ Be my fantasy girl/ Hold onto me/ You're my fantasy girl/ Don't set me free/ Yeah from this fantasy.") I think this is something that everyone has experienced at some point. I know I have. |
submissions
| Tom Petty – I Won't Back Down Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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I think Tom wrote this about a personal experience he had. But the message is simple & can apply to anyone: Stick to your guns. Don't compromise your values. Uphold your principles. Stand your ground, even if it makes you unpopular. That's how I look at it & how I try to live my life. |
submissions
| Tom Petty – The Waiting Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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I think shed 27 is right. That makes sense. It also works for anyone who's ever had to wait on something or someone. (That applies to all of us, doesn't it?) For me, it reminds me of someone I dated awhile back. I would get so excited at the prospect of meeting her or just getting an e-mail or phone call from her that I could hardly wait. "The waiting is the hardest part", just like the song says. |
submissions
| Lynyrd Skynyrd – Simple Man Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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I think just about everyone here is on target. This song has a simple, but powerful message: Live life simply, look to God for guidance ("And don't forget son, there is someone up above."), don't waste time chasing after worldly wealth ("Forget your lust for the rich man's gold."), seek to love & be loved, uphold your principles & preserve your integrity. That pretty much sums up how I try to live my life. |
submissions
| U2 – With or Without You Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Wow! This is one of the greatest tunes ever. There seem to be a lot of different opinions about what it means, all of which seem to have merit. It certainly has a lot of metaphors. I think this song, like many, has different levels of meaning. Bono & other members of U2 are in fact Christian & this comes through in their lyrics. It can be understood from the viewpoint of Jesus suffering for human kind ("...a bed of nails", "see the thorn twist in your side.") & waiting patiently for them to turn to Him. It can also be taken as a love song to someone who causes the singer great emotional pain & confusion. "And you give yourself away" could refer to infidelity. He "can't live with or without" her. That's something I can personally relate to, since I went through a painful separation & divorce. I think it also refers to a struggle to overcome a drug addiction. ("See the stone set in your eyes", "On a bed of nails she makes me wait.", "You give it all but I want more.") Bono once stated that he personally fought & overcame an addiction. In any case this is a very powerful, emotional song, rich in meaning. It makes me a little misty whenever I hear it. |
submissions
| Kansas – Miracles Out Of Nowhere Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Some members of Kansas, Kerry Livgren for one, are Christian. This is evident in many of their songs, this one included. This song is about the singer's spiritual journey & search for meaning, one which many others have rejected or abandoned in favor of more wordly pursuits. |
submissions
| Styx – Babe Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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byteskat got it right. Dennis Deyoung wrote this song for his wife because he was away from her so much while the band was touring. But if you have a special lady in your life, it also works as a love song to her. Beautiful song, BTW. |
submissions
| Rush – Subdivisions Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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OK, I'm new to this site. I've read a lot of good comments here & they all touch on various aspects of the song & various levels of meaning. But the line I can best relate to is: "In the high school halls, In the shopping malls, Conform or be cast out." I too was something of a social outcast (nerd, dork, geek) in high school because I would not conform just for the sake of popularity. So that line really speaks to me. Besides that, "Subdivisions" is a totally awesome tune, one of Rush's best.
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submissions
| Rush – Subdivisions Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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OK, I'm new to this site. I've read a lot of good comments here & they all touch on various aspects of the song & various levels of meaning. But the line I can best relate to is: "In the high school halls, In the shopping malls, Conform or be cast out." I too was something of a social outcast (nerd, dork, geek) in high school because I would not conform just for the sake of popularity. So that line really speaks to me. Besides that, "Subdivisions" is a totally awesome tune, one of Rush's best.
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