| Radiohead – 2 + 2 = 5 (The Lukewarm) Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| Does anyone else hear "Me and mine have been paying attention" (The thirteenth time he sings "paying attention') ? | |
| Joni Mitchell – Barangrill Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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I'm going to try and write about as many of Joni's songs as I possibly can, and I encourage others to get writing and give their opinions. It's a travesty to see so few attempts at interpretation of a lot of songs form her 'golden period', as they deserve to be understood, or at least attempted! This song is about Joni searching for 'Barangrill', which seems to represent pleasure in the simple things in life rather than looking for the deeper meaning. The word 'Barangrill' when broken down to 'Bar and Grill' represents drink and food, two of the simplest necessities of life. The song has an air of paranoia, as if there's something the narrator doesn't know that everyone around her does. There is also a strong sense of irony throughout the track, as the deep thinking narrator searches for answers from the simpler folk in her surroundings of a 'Barangrill', what appears to be a trucker's café. At times she seems to be searching for answers from them, and at times looking down on them, as if she can't quite decide what's real. Three waitresses all wearing Black diamond earrings The song starts with her observation of the waitresses, she immediately notes they are all wearing the same kind of earrings, a sign of uniformity. 'Black diamond' can also refer to old printed $10 bills, as they had a bull named Black diamond on them. It could be a reference to the earrings being cheap. Talking about zombies They're not discussing anything 'important', nothing enlightening, they are simply discussing "Zombies' (this is probably a reference to popular movies, void of depth,easy to watch and something that many people who work in a place like this might be talking about, just shooting the breeze and killing time. Although it could also refer to the people in their lives, the customers, brain-dead like zombies). And Singapore slings Singapore slings are a type of cocktail; Once again what they're discussing has no depth. No trouble in their faces Not one anxious voice They are not concerned with the same things as the narrator, the deeper meanings, and as a result they look younger and sound less anxious, less affected by seeing things with the jaded experience of the narrator. None of the crazy you get From too much choice Simple people, living simple lives, and seemingly happier because of it. The thumb and the satchel Or the rented Rolls-Royce This is a reiteration of the last line, the thumb and the satchel is a reference to academia and schooling, and the rented Rolls-Royce a reference to personal wealth. (Who RENTS a Rolls-Royce? Children with money going to their prom.) And you think she knows something By the second refill You think she's enlightened As she totals your bill You say "Show me the way To Barangrill" The narrator is convinced - take me out of my life, your problems seem much simpler than mine, this must be the way I should be living, not with all my worry and the burden of my art and my love. Well some say it's in service "It" is Barangrill. They say "Humble Makes Pure" The reason the waitresses still have the purity that Joni feels she lacks is that they are humbled by serving people, instead of spoiled for choice You're hoping it's near folly 'Cause you're headed that way for sure She's talking to herself - She feels she's headed for eventual foolishness, and is hoping that 'Barangrill' is on the way, hoping her enlightenment can be found before she becomes the fool, before she becomes crazy which is what she feels she's becoming with all the clutter of her life. And you just have to laugh 'Cause it's all so crazy She's laughing at herself and changing her mind again, telling herself she's crazy and that it can't be that simple, it can't be the way it seems to be. Ah, her mind's on her boyfriend And eggs over easy This is like saying to herself "Come on, don't be so stupid, there's nothing going on in her head but what you'd expect" . No deeper enlightenment, no hidden conspiracy, just what you'd expect - her job and her boyfriend. It's just a trick on you She's seeing things that aren't there. Her mirrors and your will If someone has mirrors on them and you're looking at them, then you're looking at your own reflection. She's seeing what she wants to see. So you ask the truck driver On the way to the till But he's just a slave To Barangrill The truck driver has no answers for you, he's a simple man who doesn't know much outside of Barangrill. The guy at the gas pumps He's got a lot of soul He sings Merry Christmas for you Just like Nat King Cole And he makes up his own tune Right on the spot About whitewalls and windshields And this job he's got This is literal - She has come across someone outside of Barangrill, and he is funny (Impersonating Nat King Cole) and creative (Making up his own tune), and she is distracted from her paranoid thoughts by someone who seems more similar to her own view of herself rather than the waitresses, despite their professions being world apart. And you want to get moving And you want to stay still You're being pulled in different directions - you want to get out of there and forget all about Barangrill and the things you were thinking about, but you're also suddenly content with where you are, for the first time in a while. But lost in the moment Some longing gets filled She realizes that the only time she is happy in her life is when she's actually LIVING it, and not worrying about what other people might be thinking, and thinking her dark thoughts. And you even forget to ask "Hey, Where's Barangrill?" You stop looking for things to worry about when you are distracted. Her preoccupation is not what's driving her mad - it's the very thing that is keeping her sane. She's happiest in life when she's not thinking about whether she's happy in her life. Joni is a genius! Give me your thoughts if you make it though this short essay, I'd love to hear other fan's interpretations, and read any revisions/improvements on what I've written. |
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| Jackson Browne – The Road Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| This song was actually written by Danny O'keefe. Both versions are tremendous, and quite different. | |
| Keane – This Is the Last Time Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I'm pretty sure in the second verse it's "So tread it into the carpet Or hide it under the stairs you say that some things never die Well I tried and I TRY" Which is a subtle but quite important difference. |
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| Sting – Windmills Of Your Mind Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| This is possibly the most pretentious song ever written. | |
| David Bowie – Lady Stardust Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I always thought that this song was about Marc Bolan, but I always took it as having a completely different meaning, the meaning that David Bowie didn't like him at all. The first verse is just a description of Marc Bolan on stage and the crowd's reaction, "People stared at the makeup on his face Laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace" He's saying people were laughing at him. "The boy in the bright blue jeans Jumped up on the stage And lady stardust sang his songs Of darkness and disgrace" This is a literal description of what Bowie was seeing, Bolan on stage dressed up (in Bowie's eyes)like a poor version of him, and singing of misery. The chorus is Bowie saying Bolan was JUST alright. Nothing special, like he was. He was jealous of the attention Bolan was getting considering how mediocre he was in comparison to Bowie. And he was alright (Alright, like not bad) the band was altogether (The band at least were not bad) Yes he was alright the song went on forever (As in : "Is this song gonna go on forevr?? It's so boring in comparison to what I'M writing at the moment!) And he was awful nice, really quite out of sight I think this refers to Bowie thinking that Bolan's pretty, and at least has that. Second verse : Femme fatales emerged from shadows To watch this creature fair (Creature is another word you would not normally describe something you like as, continuing the derogatory tone of the first verse) These lines are Bowie thinking "He's getting lots of attention. Even though I'm a thousand time the songwriter and musician he is girls love him cos he's good looking" More jealousy. The next lines I find interesting : Boys stood upon their chairs To make their point of view This is him thinking this isn't how Bolan should act, dressing up in public and making a fool of himself. Boys in a classroom would stand up on a chair as an act of rebellion against a teacher, to make themselves heard, they wouldn't mope around and sing about their sorrows like Bolan is doin I smiled sadly for a law I could not obey And Lady stardust sang his songs Of darkness and dismay He's smiling to himself realising that he's no better than Bolan, because he gets dressed up and sings just the same as Bolan does. In his own eyes he's as much of a coward as Bolan is. And he was alright the band was altogether Yes he was alright the song went on forever: And he was awful nice really quite paradise And he sang all night long And the last line - Ooh how I sighed, when they asked if I knew his name He was sick of Bolan getting all his attention, as if he was a thing of the past and Bolan was the future. He would hear his name a lot because he was the next big thing, and it made him sigh to think that Bolan was making a living out of what Bowie was doing, only not as well as Bowie. I think Bowie is calling Bolan "Lady Stardust" because that's exactly how he sees him. A feminine and emotional version of himself(Ziggy), always singing of darkness and disgrace. I also think the opening piano riff is a musical jab from Bowie at the child-like simplicity of Bolan's songwriting in comparison to his own. For the record I think Bowie is a genuis and Bolan is okay, but my opinion didn't affect what I took the meaning to be. Whatever it's about, really fucking good song! |
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