| Sparklehorse – More Yellow Birds Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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And the Captain Howdy lit upon my shoulder And he left me with sulfur and rooms full of headaches Captain Howdy is a reference to the demonic spirit from The Excorcist. Pazuzu, the demon, is referred to as Captain Howdy during the eraly stages of the possession. I think that Linkous was comparing his depression and subsequent drug addiction to feeling possessed. The 'sulfur and rooms full of headaches' line seems to be both a description of his squalid surroundings (possibly drug den) and a reference to the idea of demonic possession (the 'sulfur' reference alludes to the sulphurous fire and brimstone ideas of Hell). The 'snakes' (a standard metaphor for evil) and 'poisoned ranks of strangers' are his companions in the 'dim interior' of their drugs den (though this dimmness could also serve as a metaphor for their whole, bleak lives). The yellow birds, I think, are indeed canaries and his coalmining heritage would support the argument that he is referring to canaries being used to detect poisonous gases. I guess the fact that he's asking for 'more' inplies that they keep dying, meaning that he must be dwelling in a pretty poisonous place. I particularly like the use of the word 'lit' in this verse. It's used as a pun, I think. |
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| Bob Dylan – Red River Shore Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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These are some of my all time favourite lyrics: Now I've heard about a guy who lived a long time ago A man full of sorrow and strife That if someone around him died and was dead He knew how to bring him on back to life Well I don't know what kind of language he used Or if they do that kind of thing anymore Sometimes I think nobody ever saw me here at all 'Cept the girl from the red river shore They really remind me of Nick Cave. |
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| Soulsavers – Can't Catch The Train Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| Absolutely love this song. The line "As sure as the shovel is blind, deaf and digging / One day you're hung at the end of the rope" is just about as bleak a lyric as I've ever heard; the inevitability of death, represented by the grave that is already being dug for you. | |
| The Traveling Wilburys – Tweeter And The Monkey Man Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| I used to listen to this song with my Dad as a little kid, and I always thought that the narrator of the song was the undercover cop. It was only recently that I realised the undercover cop was dead (found face down in a field). It got me wondering who the narrator was. In the end, I decided that the Monkeyman was the narrator - which is why he blew up the TV in The Lion's Den when it showed him on the nightly news. Maybe I'm wrong, though. Maybe the narrator is Jan. Either way, I love this song. My favourite part is the delivery of the line "The Monkeyman was on the river bridge using Tweeter as a shield!" Tune! | |
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