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MGMT – Kids Lyrics 12 years ago
God, this song is catchy.

Interesting to see these ideas about the environment. I hadn't thought of that.

Sadly, all I envision is an emotionally neglected child who was sent mixed messages about acceptable behavior. I saw the mantra 'control yourself' as not being allowed to be creative and being told to just "exist". This person grows up not knowing how to navigate the real world.

I really don't get "a family of trees wanted to be haunted". It is the 'wanted' part that perplexes me.

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Empire of the Sun – We Are the People Lyrics 12 years ago
A gorgeous song...

A desperate plea of one half of a union to prevent the disillusioned half from abandoning him. One is living in the past, the other is probably already gone.

I am very intrigued by the lyric "the scent of a lemon drips from your eyes". If anyone has any insight I'd appreciate it.

The video is silly theater.

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The Smiths – Handsome Devil Lyrics 12 years ago
I really believe now that the "mammary glands" line was to throw everyone off. He was a clever devil. I think it is homoerotic. I remember listening to this song and dancing around in my house as a young (female) teenager and my father looking at me in horror when he heard these lyrics. ((Morrissey))

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The Smiths – Pretty Girls Make Graves Lyrics 13 years ago
Morrissey regretting that he was not heterosexual, as alas, he didn't want to ravage the gorgeous girl as any straight man would. I think the expression "pretty girls make graves" in this case is not a reference to how awful they can be but how jarring it is that they can make it so obvious that he is not "normal" and thus he becomes depressed. I will remark that it is POSSIBLE that he was just a "sensitive boy" and was not mature enough to enter a sexual relationship with an aggressive female pursuer. Females do mature faster than boys. But in this instance, I think back then we fans weren't bright enough to really "get it".

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The Smiths – Stretch Out and Wait Lyrics 13 years ago
A teenager being seduced by an older man? The teenager wondering "but shouldn't I be straight"? Then "ah, whatever"... Just a guess.

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The Stone Roses – Breaking Into Heaven Lyrics 13 years ago
Ok, perhaps this was about drugs, but as an atheist I can say what I take from it is- don't waste your time with worshiping myths, you have the power to create your own heaven on earth. Whatever that may be. BUT the more important meaning of this song is that it is musically perfect. It puts me in a much needed trance WITHOUT drugs.

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Nirvana – Pennyroyal Tea Lyrics 13 years ago
I 100% agree that this song is about the stomach problems he had arising from heroin use. Heroin abuse causes constipation, he probably had any number of gastrointestinal problems as a result and found himself in constant pain. I am a little unsettled by his whining about his pain (he did so in interviews too) as if it were an issue separate from, and not caused by, his drug use. He used the pain as an excuse to continue to DO heroin. Backwards rationalizing of an addict. Then again I think he was sick of himself too and we all know what that led to. He was a weak, doomed soul.

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Morrissey – All You Need Is Me Lyrics 14 years ago
I completely agree that this is is a taunt at idiot journalists and maybe fair weather fans. It is funny and I love the video- Morrissey looks adorable with a tan and a smile.

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Nirvana – Heart-Shaped Box Lyrics 14 years ago
Great ambiguous yet intense lyrics. I really think it is about the manipulative ability of women who appear so soft, attractive and innocent on the outside but who then become bloodsuckers who suck the life out of a man. Could be a mother, wife or child or a woman acting in a childlike or motherly way to get what she wants. This is an evolutionary dilemma for men. They are attracted to, repulsed by and afraid of women all at the same time. I love the sarcasm of "Forever in debt to your priceless advice". I imagine a woman reaching out to him after she has mistreated him and like a masochist he "climbs right back" to his mother symbol. As for Courtney- I would totally believe that she fucked him up royally with her manipulations.

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Guns N' Roses – Rocket Queen Lyrics 14 years ago
This is one of my favorite songs by GnR, I like the juxtaposition of sharp verbal abuse and sentimental reassurance in the lyrics. Very subversive. The tempo changes and music are great. I am fascinated by the idea that this is about gay sex between Axl and Slash. If only it were true but I tend to doubt it.

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The Doors – Twentieth Century Fox Lyrics 14 years ago
I like this song because it seems like it is about a woman who may feel like she is superior to Jim and that is something I think he would be very intrigued by. She sounds very confident, unsentimetal and driven and would probably not put up with anyone's BS. I am sure Jim would feel very challenged by a woman who would think nothing of kicking him to the curb. I would definitely agree that it may be about an actress. I am not sure about it being Pamela, I always saw her as somewhat vulnerable and masochistic with regard to Jim.

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The Doors – Moonlight Drive Lyrics 14 years ago
Sounds like a sociopath's love song.

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The Doors – I Looked At You Lyrics 14 years ago
It is about casual sex, something Jim knew much about. All he had to do was look at a girl and the pants came off. This song is confirming that he knows how things will proceed no matter what types of protests she may pretend to put up.

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Blur – Charmless Man Lyrics 14 years ago
I have to laugh that people are saying this is about Morrissey. LOLOL! No way. I always liked this song- it is sarcastic and silly and catchy. It is obviously about a rich, self entitled, upper class prick who has no clue. The "talks at speed" and "nose bleed" lines are about doing coke. The Kray line is about the fact that this guy is a total pussy, though he would love to be as dangerous as a Kray brother. Very simple to decipher these lyrics.

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Tricky – Overcome Lyrics 14 years ago
I am really not sure what this means but to me it sounds like the girl is totally into him but trying to play it cool because she knows he is a player. She is alluding to the idea that if he would stop sleeping around she might be with him again ( he will get treats and hear beats). She reminds him that their sex is amazing but she doesn't want to be one of many, even if she is on top of his list. She won't give him anything unless he changes (which we all know he won't). When she says leave us in emotional peace maybe it means she has his kid too? Just a wild stab. This song is so sexy and dreamy. Her voice is gorgeous.

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Iron Butterfly – In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida Lyrics 14 years ago
Great song to chill out to. Yes, he was supposedly drunk while recording so they named it phonetically. The lyrics sound like something a drunk hippie guy would say to try to pick up a chick. The song is psychedelic indulgence. His voice is pretty cool- very guttural. The lyrics are visceral. The drums rock. They put you in a trance. This song is kinda creepy in a satisfying way.

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George Michael – Careless Whisper Lyrics 14 years ago
Exquisite song about the pain of realizing you screwed up a good thing with someone you respect and who you know will not tolerate it. His voice is gorgeous, the music is sad and sensual like someone rocking you in their arms and stroking your head, the subject matter is sorrowful. This is one of my favorite songs ever just for its sheer beauty all the way around. I can listen over and over. George could have delivered much more in his career, it is a shame lawsuits and scandals prevented that.

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Toadies – Possum Kingdom Lyrics 14 years ago
Perhaps about a vampire about to turn a girl into a vampire, or a lunatic killer about to kill or a man trying to get his girl to agree to a suicide pact. Always liked this dark song- the guy sounds really crazy as if he is not all there- I imagine his eyes glazed over, delirious, hallucinating, etc and waiting for her to make up her mind or for himself to get on with whatever crazy thing he is about to do. I like the end where he says "be my angel" with effects and it sounds like he is lulling her softly...then he starts on with do you wanna die but can't control himself and starts screaming at her. He is totally unbalanced.

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The Smiths – Ask Lyrics 14 years ago
Beautiful, touching, catchy ditty about the amusing yet desperate insecurities of adolescence. This is the first Smiths song I heard as a teenager thanks to college radio. I was instantly fascinated. The Smiths/Morrissey were not popular (ever) among my friends from then until now but somehow I have been gripped ever since I heard Ask and it spoke to my feeling of isolation, sorrow and flickering hope. This is Morrissey's trademark ability to rise above pop and really communicate on a deeper level about real emotions and experiences- often with cleverness and humor. I say this because as pop-y as the music and lyrics of Ask sound- this is a song that completely changed my life!

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Morrissey – Something Is Squeezing My Skull Lyrics 14 years ago
This song makes me chuckle. I love the theatrical delivery of the word "skull" and the repetitive part shows that he is at his wits end and cracking up completely. He is two seconds away from going postal on someone. Something about this song makes me imagine a character in a play- an antagonist you should keep your eye on. Sometimes when I watch or listen to Morrissey interviews I hear this "guy" lurking underneath the surface- like a Hannibal Lecter type that wants to take a bite out of you then spit you out because you and the rest of humankind are idiots.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers – Scar Tissue Lyrics 14 years ago
This song has one of my favorite lyrics: "Fallin' all over myself To lick your heart and taste your health". This is a metaphor for sexual desire and its direct relationship to primal survival instinct all rolled up into a simple lyric.

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Dave Matthews Band – Two Step Lyrics 14 years ago
Beautiful love song. I am not a huge fan of DMB for various reasons but this particular song is so satisfying to me musically and lyrically. It is romantic and sentimental yet somehow so very sad. I love the rushing sound of the drums almost as if they symbolize how fleeting life can be when you are finally experiencing some rare moments of joy. You feel the desperate intensity to express and experience love because you know it will not last.

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The Smiths – Reel Around the Fountain Lyrics 14 years ago
It always made me think of one of two scenarios- 1. The narrator is a sexually immature and gawky twerp of a boy and a very rough working class teenaged boy continuously beats him up for fun and the young boy finds himself feeling aroused by it. or 2. The boy is sexually abused by the teenager or an older man/priest type and he is also very confused or aroused by it. Could also be a male/female scenario with the perp being a promiscuous girl. Though this all occurs, none of the abusers/teasers actually love the boy (as perhaps he thinks he loves them) or want to make love to him in a proper way by going to bed with him. The fountain and patio may or may not be euphemisms for areas of the body. They could just be locations at a school or park or housing complex. This is a tough one, if Morrissey were to shed any light about it being autobiographical it could explain a lot. Or he could be telling someone else's story.

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Morrissey – Disappointed Lyrics 14 years ago
It almost sounds like the words were written in a scattered rush- like he actually did drink too much before he wrote it. He just seems to be rambling on about things that bother him- the cruel nature of life, disloyal "friends", getting old, feeling insecure and unattractive, noticing that youth is wasted on the young, etc! An irreverent, fun and cynical song. I LOVE the music on this song- reminds me somehow of my favorite bouncy, jangly doors song Peace Frog.

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Morrissey – Jack The Ripper Lyrics 14 years ago
I have no good words to express the dark, lush gorgeousness of this song. Could easily be about Jack the Ripper himself (see From Hell- an excellent fictional film but for Heather Graham's acting)or could be about Morrissey's/narrator's experience with a mysterious or coy lover or potential lover. Morrissey's voice and the slow pace of the music make this a very sensual and satisfying song. MCR's version has NO PLACE IN THIS DISCUSSION OF MORRISSEY'S SONG!

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Morrissey – Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself Lyrics 14 years ago
It appears that he is licking his wounds after being abused by the music industry, colleagues and journalists for most of his career. The song is very touching and beautiful despite the cynical theme.

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Depeche Mode – Lie To Me Lyrics 14 years ago
Gorgeous, cynical little song. Very sensual musical and lyrical flow. I agree with most of what has been said. He seems to get off on the silly game, as if he is silently and smugly challenging the person to succeed at their attempted deceit.

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VAST – Pretty When You Cry Lyrics 14 years ago
prettywhenyoucry00- no one "really" wants to know exactly what the song is about. That takes away the magic of poetry- please let him express himself on his own- he doesn't need you clearing things up for him like a school marm. It is very egotistical and taboid-y for you to come here and blab. There is a reason songs are ambiguous. Also, your take on the situation may be somewhat different than his. I am sure all of my ex boyfriends would have a different take than I regarding our relationship and subsequent break ups. He is very talented, let his music speak for itself without your obsessive need to "clarify". Let his fans interpret his lyrics in their own way- that is the point of poetry. If all artists wanted their work to be precisely traced and explained then the arts would be very boring.

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VAST – Pretty When You Cry Lyrics 14 years ago
Dark, sensual song about an obsessive sado-masochistic relationship that the partners know is destructive but they cannot help being willing participants anyway. Sounds like the girl plays coy at first and ends up wanting it rough and the guy is struggling to appear to be the one in charge but deep down he knows she is. Amazing musical flow to this song- like a forbidden journey.

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Morrissey – When Last I Spoke To Carol Lyrics 14 years ago
Seems to be about a deeply depressed woman who perhaps turns to the narrator/Morrissey for consolation because she identifies strongly with him. The narrator understands her but is unable to provide the typical lip service about life getting better so he plays it straight and confirms that life is a constant struggle and he cannot save her. She takes her life and the narrator/Morrissey appears to see it as something inevitable and brave because he knows that life would never have turned around for her. The song is a way for him to tell her story very simply and elegantly without sentimental flourish. In my opinion it is a song that illustrates that for some people suicide is much less tragic than living a chronically painful existence. This song really sticks in the head- it has a 1960's/early psychedelic feel to me.

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Morrissey – The Never Played Symphonies Lyrics 14 years ago
Been thinking about this song. I offer somewhat of a flip side to my comment above. I wonder if it really could just be that he is thinking about missing out on opportunities to have anonymous sex with an attractive young person (like so many of his most ardent fans over the years- and like the image in the lyrics of the charming fan at his concert who kissed him and was gone). Now that he is old(er), he regrets that he did not partitipate when he and they were in their prime. Maybe his problems developing intimacy with people got in the way of enjoying physical connections and he wishes he just had sex for sex's sake. In my opinion, people who are always pained and disappointed by intimacy do tend to find some satisfaction in casual sex. This way one can attach any qualities they want to an individual without being disappointed by the reality of who they really are. For example- a handsome fan at a show who is sexually infatuated with you is very seductive but get to know him more than physically and you may discover he is a total idiot. Humans ALWAYS disappoint. That is why we have celebrity/literary/musical idols and why we worship fairy tale religious figures. We attribute the qualities we want in someone to them. It is also why beautiful dead people make such great idols (James Dean, Marilyn, Morrison, Elvis). Beauty is easy to adore and mystery (dying tragically young) adds to the infatuation. ACTUAL people disappoint.

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Morrissey – The Never Played Symphonies Lyrics 14 years ago
This song is about infatuation and sex. He repressed and denied himself his whole life. Despite the adoration and willingness of so many, he was aloof toward them and chose instead to pine for a romantic and sexual connection with some idealized lover. I think perhaps he may have chosen actual people to represent this lover over the course of his life. Like a masochist he puts them on a pedestal and then waits and expects to be denied or thwarted. Then he sinks into despair. As a woman, I can relate very strongly with this. I think now he regrets lost opportunities but he still also has not let go of the need for the idealized lover to save him. Morrissey wants to be united with his knight in shining armor, his true love, his soul mate, his heart's desire. He now feels old and regretful that it never happened for him. He also wants to experience or wishes he had experienced mind blowing sex with someone he is fully infatuated with. I do not in any way think this song is about music. It is about lost opportunities for emotional and sexual connection. :) Then again perhaps I am just another one of those people who thinks I understand him. ((Morrissey))

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