| The Tossers – Seven Drunken Nights Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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There's yet another version with the seventh verse that goes like this: When I came home on Sunday night as drunk as drunk could be, I saw a thing inside her thing where my old thing should be. So I called me wife and I said to her, "Would you kindly tell to me, Who owns that thing inside your thing where my old thing should be?" "Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk, ye silly old fool! Still ye cannot see, That there's just a tin whistle that me mother sent to me!" Now many's the night I've traveled a hundered miles or more, but hair on a tin whistle I've never seen before. Again, due to the bawdiness of the last two verses they are not typically sung and one has to hunt for versions that have them. Seamus Kennedy did a live version using the Englishman variation for the seventh verse that you can find on YouTube, and Wolfhorde did a version with the seventh verse I used above (also on YouTube). |
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| Nickelback – Burn It To The Ground Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| To KeEtMC: I understand where you are coming from but lyrical sophistication and emotional depth are not the point of this particular song. The persona taken on by the band when they sing is that of a strong, gruff, often disaffected man whose life never seems to straighten itself out. Much of Silver Side Up was about working through a bleak, angry landscape and facing down everything from child abuse (Never Again) to the death of a loved one (Woke Up This Mornin') and deep rural povery and abandonment (Too Bad), and then entering the upper echelons of society and finding it to be no more hospitable or accepting, even of its own, than the angry world they left (Hollywood, Money Bought). On a more personal level, the mix of anger and wry tenderness in How You Remind Me is incredibly poignant. As a whole, that entire collection represented a level of emotional force and depth couched in lyrical simplicity unlike anything I had listened to before or since (with the exception of Bruce Springsteen's album The Rising). Conceptually speaking, All the Right Reasons represented a softer side to the band (songs like Far Away and If Everyone Cared in particular, but also the only truly angry/militant songs on that CD were Next Contestant, Side of a Bullet, and Fight For All the Wrong Reasons, and even that last one was more conflicted than usual). From what I have heard, it appears that Dark Horse is attempting to weave together the old and the new, and thus return in part to the rough, tough, disaffected persona from Silver Side Up. This song essentially represents the flip side of that persona. While he is able to bear a level of pain, guilt, and anger that is nearly impossible to carry for most of us because his toughness shelters him, that same toughness also means that he (the persona) has no problem getting together with his buddies at a bar, getting ten kinds of shitfaced, acting like a wild man, and getting aggressive with anyone standing between him and more liquor. The point I am trying to make here is that we do not have to feel guilty about loving this song for its power despite its raw, unsophisticated, in some ways primitive attitude because it rounds out the album more and there is more than enough other material on the album to carry the lyrical weight. | |
| Gary Jules – Mad World (Tears for Fears cover) Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I will repeat what I said to ProphetOfNothing: I disagree deeply with your belief that an all-powerful, benevolent God looks out for us because if He even exists, then either He has spent the last ten millenia on the john or He has a truly warped sense of humor. I personally believe that the concept of God as a supernatural safety net is merely a psychological crutch for those of us who are unwilling to accept the idea of an unsafe world.  By unsafe I do not mean that there are dangers or predators, but rather that the universe does not operate according to any kind of moral law over timescales short enough to matter to most humans. If you want examples, there are certainly enough examples of atrocities perpetrated on humanity as well as many more personal examples of injustice that are never addressed. No matter if, when, or how the perpetrators of crimes on any scale are brought to justice, at least nine times out of ten action comes too late for someone and the best humanity has been able to do is clean up the worst of the mess afterward. Personally speaking I have no real love for a god after all my family and I have been through. Being born with a congenital heart condition that kept me in and out of hospitals as a young child and even now having to go in every six months to see if it will all end anytime soon has made me a hard person, but that is far better than the alternative. I have found it far easier to believe that chance dictated my birth than that someone or something deliberately made me so that I would grow up dancing with death because it means I only have to deal with random crap rather than supernatural aggression as well. As if that were not enough, no sooner did my heart condition stabilize than my family had to deal with an eleven-month strike followed by loss of his job, a bedbug infestation, and now the real possibility of Stage 1 brain cancer in my father just as I begin to get to know him. If there is any deity from any belief system who cares to answer for this, let Him come forward and face the damage He has done. Until He shows Himself and provides a satisfactory explanation for what He has done, then either He never existed to begin with or He is simply one more obstacle in my path and I would sell my soul to the highest bidder before I lift my voice or my thoughts to praise Him.  |
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| Gary Jules – Mad World (Tears for Fears cover) Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Frankly, I disagree deeply with your belief that an all-powerful, benevolent God looks out for us because if He even exists, then either He has spent the last ten millenia on the john or He has a truly warped sense of humor. I personally believe that the concept of God as a supernatural safety net is merely a psychological crutch for those of us who are unwilling to accept the idea of an unsafe world.  By unsafe I do not mean that there are dangers or predators, but rather that the universe does not operate according to any kind of moral law over timescales short enough to matter to most humans. If you want examples, there are certainly enough examples of atrocities perpetrated on humanity as well as many more personal examples of injustice that are never addressed. No matter if, when, or how the perpetrators of crimes on any scale are brought to justice, at least nine times out of ten action comes too late for someone and the best humanity has been able to do is clean up the worst of the mess afterward. Personally speaking I have no real love for a god after all my family and I have been through. Being born with a congenital heart condition that kept me in and out of hospitals as a young child and even now having to go in every six months to see if it will all end anytime soon has made me a hard person, but that is far better than the alternative. I have found it far easier to believe that chance dictated my birth than that someone or something deliberately made me so that I would grow up dancing with death because it means I only have to deal with random crap rather than supernatural aggression as well. As if that were not enough, no sooner did my heart condition stabilize than my family had to deal with an eleven-month strike followed by loss of my father's job, a bedbug infestation, and now the real possibility of Stage 1 brain cancer in my father just as I begin to get to know him. If there is any deity from any belief system who cares to answer for this, let Him come forward and face the damage He has done. Until He shows Himself and provides a satisfactory explanation for what He has done, then either He never existed to begin with or He is simply one more obstacle in my path and I would sell my soul to the highest bidder before I lift my voice or my thoughts to praise Him.  |
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| Green Day – Before the Lobotomy Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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    To continue with the idea expressed by greenday2012vp, I would argue that a book for each album would not work. I also feel that as poignant as the new album can be at times,  it (even and perhaps especially if American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown are viewed as one overall artistic work) only tells one part of the Christian/Gloria story. Fully told, Christian's story would probably be a much larger piece spanning several albums.    Act I would most likely begin with Longview and Who Wrote Holden Caulfield as a means of setting the stage for his disillusionment with society. Here he is simply a bored suburban kid, reduced to intermittent masturbation by a semi-dysfunctional family and environment. As he drifts through suburbia, his boredom begins to shift to discontent, at first playfully (Basket Case, Walking Contradiction, and Minority), but slowly taking on an edge as he begins to rail against traditions of all sorts, i.e. politicians (Jackass, Holiday) and religion (East Jesus Nowhere) until he finally hits a breaking point (Jesus of Suburbia) and leaves for the city.     Act II would probably open with Welcome to Paradise, as Christian arrives in the slums of the city, living among the lost and damned. It is there, seeking something more, that he meets St. Jimmy, a charismatic drug dealer modeled in part on Tyler Durden (St. Jimmy). At first the fixes provide an amazing release for him, allowing him to fly higher than he's ever flown before (Best Thing in Town). However, the highs do not free him but rather cloud his mind and desensitize him to the suffering around him (Brain Stew, Desensitized). Over time he slides into a deep depression and the heroin is all he has to keep him together (Give Me Novocaine). While there, he meets Gloria, one of the girls Jimmy keeps around him (Extraordinary Girl). He quickly attaches to her, but she becomes disgusted with Christian and grows hateful of St. Jimmy because she blames him for Christian's decay. After a particularly bad fight (Viva la Gloria?-Little Girl), she denounces both Christian and Jimmy and leaves (Letterbomb). The very next morning, Christian goes to Jimmy and demands out (J. A. R.). Things get violent and St. Jimmy ends up dead (Homecoming Parts I and II). Having nowhere else to go, he wanders.    Act III is largely about Christian withdrawing from heroin and wandering the streets in search of himself. He spends much of the day wandering the streets (Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Wake Me Up When September Ends) until he crashes in an alley and sleeps. Christian then enetrs a hellish dream sequence in which he begins to process all that has happened to him over the past two acts (21st Century Breakdown, Before the Lobotomy, Christian's Inferno). He wakes a broken man and professes his love for Gloria (Last Night on Earth) before going in search of her. This decision, combined with the high from a little heroin he has left, leads him to return to Jimmy's old hangout to rough up some of Jimmy's old gang (Horseshoes and Handgrenades). Battered yet triumphant, he arrives at an abandoned house in which Gloria lives that evening.     Act IV deals with the new relationship between Christian and Gloria, which begins with a bit of role reversal; Gloria got into a dustup with an old boyfriend that left her badly shaken, and she finds herself turning to Christian for comfort. He reassures her (One for the Razorbacks) and they sleep together (1,000 Hours). That evening, a riot takes place in the area, forcing them out of the house. Some of the other displaced street urchins rally behind Gloria and Christian and they do what they can to protect each other (Murder City). Christian sees this group as a chance for a new beginning (¡Viva la Gloria!). However, at the same time, a second wave of rioting interrupts this vision (American Eulogy) and many in his new group are killed. Gloria is sent to the hospital. This latest loss very nearly drives Christian over the edge (The Static Age) and forces him to question whether it was all worth it (21 Guns). The act ends with Christian by Gloria's side in the hospital expressing hope for the future (See the Light). |
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| Green Day – Before the Lobotomy Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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    To continue with the idea expressed by greenday2012vp, I would argue that a book for each album would not work. I also feel that as poignant as the new album can be at times,  it (even and perhaps especially if American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown are viewed as one overall artistic work) only tells one part of the Christian/Gloria story. Fully told, Christian's story would probably be a much larger piece spanning several albums.    Act I would most likely begin with Longview and Who Wrote Holden Caulfield as a means of setting the stage for his disillusionment with society. Here he is simply a bored suburban kid, reduced to intermittent masturbation by a semi-dysfunctional family and environment. As he drifts through suburbia, his boredom begins to shift to discontent, at first playfully (Basket Case, Walking Contradiction, and Minority), but slowly taking on an edge as he begins to rail against traditions of all sorts, i.e. politicians (Jackass, Holiday) and religion (East Jesus Nowhere) until he finally hits a breaking point (Jesus of Suburbia) and leaves for the city.     Act II would probably open with Welcome to Paradise, as Christian arrives in the slums of the city, living among the lost and damned. It is there, seeking something more, that he meets St. Jimmy, a charismatic drug dealer modeled in part on Tyler Durden (St. Jimmy). At first the fixes provide an amazing release for him, allowing him to fly higher than he's ever flown before (Best Thing in Town). However, the highs do not free him but rather cloud his mind and desensitize him to the suffering around him (Brain Stew, Desensitized). Over time he slides into a deep depression and the heroin is all he has to keep him together (Give Me Novocaine). While there, he meets Gloria, one of the girls Jimmy keeps around him (Extraordinary Girl). He quickly attaches to her, but she becomes disgusted with Christian and grows hateful of St. Jimmy because she blames him for Christian's decay. After a particularly bad fight (Viva la Gloria?-Little Girl), she denounces both Christian and Jimmy and leaves (Letterbomb). The very next morning, Christian goes to Jimmy and demands out (J. A. R.). Things get violent and St. Jimmy ends up dead (Homecoming Parts I and II). Having nowhere else to go, he wanders.    Act III is largely about Christian withdrawing from heroin and wandering the streets in search of himself. He spends much of the day wandering the streets (Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Wake Me Up When September Ends) until he crashes in an alley and sleeps. Christian then enetrs a hellish dream sequence in which he begins to process all that has happened to him over the past two acts (21st Century Breakdown, Before the Lobotomy, Christian's Inferno). He wakes a broken man and professes his love for Gloria (Last Night on Earth) before going in search of her. This decision, combined with the high from a little heroin he has left, leads him to return to Jimmy's old hangout to rough up some of Jimmy's old gang (Horseshoes and Handgrenades). Battered yet triumphant, he arrives at an abandoned house in which Gloria lives that evening.     Act IV deals with the new relationship between Christian and Gloria, which begins with a bit of role reversal; Gloria got into a dustup with an old boyfriend that left her badly shaken, and she finds herself turning to Christian for comfort. He reassures her (One for the Razorbacks) and they sleep together (1,000 Hours). That evening, a riot takes place in the area, forcing them out of the house. Some of the other displaced street urchins rally behind Gloria and Christian and they do what they can to protect each other (Murder City). Christian sees this group as a chance for a new beginning (¡Viva la Gloria!). However, at the same time, a second wave of rioting interrupts this vision (American Eulogy) and many in his new group are killed. Gloria is sent to the hospital. This latest loss very nearly drives Christian over the edge (The Static Age) and forces him to question whether it was all worth it (21 Guns). The act ends with Christian by Gloria's side in the hospital expressing hope for the future (See the Light). |
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| Frickin' A – Merry Merry Merry Frickin' Christmas (Family Values Mix) Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Schools out, Christmas Break. Home for the holidays, to meatloaf and fruitcake Off to Grandma's, it's so boring Screaming kids and Grandpa's snoring My aunt Margaret's lost her mind; She's trippin' on a train set, have another box of wine! It's gonna be a merry merry merry frickin' Christmas; I must be on Santa Claus's shit list! The tree, the gifts, the mistletoe kiss, Shoot me now, I'm sick of all my relatives! Have a merry merry merry merry frickin' Christmas! Uncle Richard? He's a weirdo, Passing out pictures of himself in a Speedo. My cousin Ashlee? Her singing really sucks; Blames it on her drummer and acid reflux. My brother's wife is really hot. She pulled me in the bathroom; I hope we don't get caught! It's gonna be a merry merry merry frickin' Christmas; I must be on Santa Claus's shit list! The tree, the gifts, the mistletoe kiss, Shoot me now, I'm sick of all my relatives! Have a merry merry merry merry frickin' Christmas! We haven't even opened our gifts yet, But now it's time to start. And so I'll fake a smile because it's going back to Wal-Mart... (Sweetie, are you okay in there) (ecstatic moan) It's gonna be a merry merry merry frickin' Christmas; I must be on Santa Claus's shit list! The tree, the gifts, the mistletoe kiss, Shoot me now, I'm sick of all my relatives! Have a merry merry merry merry frickin' Christmas! |
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| Breaking Benjamin – I Will Not Bow Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| I personally view this song as the sequel to "Until the End" from Phobia. In that song, the singer chose to face up to something that has been troubling him for a long time and fight it out to the bitter end, wherever that may lead him. This song revisits the singer, some time after "Until the End." At this stage, he seems to have shed most of his capacity for softer emotions and become so devoted to his battle that he is willing to win at any cost. It is clear from the chorus (And I'll survive /Paranoid/I have lost the will to change) that he cannot take joy from a victory, for the battle has too completely consumed him. He may well win, and he may well survive, but what he does to win has hardened and distorted him. | |
| Breaking Benjamin – Until The End Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Upon hearing this sing, I was greatly reminded of the poem "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas. I would agree in part with Rocky246 and say that this is a song about a person who is contemplating suicide, although I would say that this contemplation arises not from traditional depression, but that brought on by fear, perhaps a person who is facing cancer or something similar and has just discovered he will have a long, hard road ahead of him with little chance of success. The idea is simply that whatever may go on, to commit suicide would at that point be tantamount to conceding victory to that which he battles. At the same time, going through this sort of experience can leave a person a lot tougher, and in many ways colder than they were, hence the lines: "I live to die another day, Until I fade away." At the same time, he speaks of this experience as if he knew what he was facing beforehand and has to struggle with a certain degree of intense loneliness that he has only now decided to fight. Alternately, these lines could indicate that this is a battle that he has been fighting for such a long time that he has become hard and cold and is thus consigned to fight his battles wihtout aid. Yet a third possible meaning is that there are certain types of fight that, no matter how much others wish to help, we must fight alone, and this is the sort of thing ensnaring the singer. The lines "Alone I walk the winding way; Here I stay" and "I feel you creeping on again; Here I am" imply that whatever he has been facing is something he is long familiar with, that has often troubled him. At the same time, he is declaring that here and now is when he will begin the long hard slog back from the dark place that he is in. He acknowledges that he has little chance of winning his battle but cannot foresee a course of action with which he could live other than fighting(It's not enough/ it never is/But I will go on until the end). Finally, the very last few lines (The final fight I'll win/The final fight I'll win/The final fight I'll win/But I will go on until the end)are performed beautifully and contain a militant burst of energy indicating that he has made his choice: he will NOT go quietly. |
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