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| Alabama Shakes – Rise to the Sun Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Go see the Alabama Shakes live if you haven't yet. This album, while good, does not do them justice for some reason. It sounds like it constrains them when you compare it to how they rock balls at a live show. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Working On The Highway Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Amen...only Bruce can take the worst moments of American existence and make them musical gems. The upbeat pop-influenced melodies overlaying the downtrodden lyrics are one of his hallmarks, especially on the Born in the USA album, which seems to me a brilliant critique on the American society in the 1980s. |
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| Alabama Shakes – You Ain't Alone Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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One of their best songs so far, in my opinion. I've seen this group twice now, and let me tell you, they're on to something good...I'm talking new stuff that didn't make it onto Boys and Girls. Trust me, as the Alabama Shakes continue to perfect their sound, they're going to be spitting some hot fire much sooner than later. Brittany seems to be coming into her own on stage, although she is still a tad bit inside of her shell, it seems. Even so, these guys put on a helluva live show. Check them out and track 'em down when they roll into your town. |
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| Genesis – No Son Of Mine Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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"Soon I was living with the fear everyday/Of what might happen that night"
Anyone who grew up in an abusive household should be able to relate to this. My father was an alcoholic who abused my mother frequently. I can remember being in Catholic grade school and sitting alone in the bathroom stalls feeling the anxious dread of knowing what the night would bring. |
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| Lynyrd Skynyrd – Ain't No Good Life Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Another SICK SICK tune being criminally hidden from mass public awareness! This is madness, this album should be mandatory at pubs across America, at least biweekly Saturdays or something. If I was President, I would create a Czar to handle this sorta thing. |
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| The Clash – Train in Vain Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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I agree with you only if you're willing to make an exception for Bruce Springsteen and grant him equal status. Both are in a class all of their own, although I do think The Boss has a slight edge. |
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| The Clash – Lover's Rock Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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How did they make this album so well? Its probably the best album of the post-WWII era. Wouldn't that make it the greatest of all time? |
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| The Clash – The Card Cheat Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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This song is out of this world...listen to it at maximum volume on the best head phones you can find. Man, I'm amazed every day with music. |
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| Drive-By Truckers – Zip City Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Agreed, Jaydot. When I heard him say "I ain't got no good intentions" I actually paused for a quick second, just to let it sink in. Sure, its a simple pronouncement, but as you said, it underpins the whole story and sums up being a teenager for many of us in this country. |
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| Drive-By Truckers – The Southern Thing Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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The Deep South is the only part of the country I still have never been to. Never met a southerner I didn't like. I'm from Wisconsin, and I think we have a similar disposition towards people, real friendly and fun loving. |
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| Drive-By Truckers – Dead, Drunk, And Naked Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Cannot believe this is the first comment on this song. I think its one of the best from the album. The lyrics are genius. Take a close look at this one, people. I think DBT would disappointed in us if they had to remind us to get more dead, drunk, and naked. |
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| Drive-By Truckers – 72 (This Highway's Mean) Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Holy shit, man...that was deep. Honestly, thanks. I find this very interesting. I sort've understand what you mean having conflicting feelings. I guess we all have our "No place like home" areas that tell us we're coming back to familiar ground, but I couldn't imagine such 'mean old highway' like you describe. That's sad in a way that this makes you feel like you could never leave. I'm not tearing you down, trust me I'm a small town country boy myself, from Wisconsin and now living on the east coast. I just find it really fascinating that you believe these stretches of road are like prisons in a way. Bruce Springsteen must've touched upon this issue in a few songs. |
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| Drive-By Truckers – Days of Graduation Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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This is one of my favorite albums, and I believe there couldn't possibly be a better intro track than this. It sets the tone perfectly, with the final seconds before the real music starts you're imagining a car wreck with wheels spinning, dying teenagers, and Free Bird playing on the radio. It doesn't get much more real than that. "You know its a very, very long song." |
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| Drive-By Truckers – Where the Devil Don't Stay Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Believe it or not, the first time I heard this song was at a live show in Philadelphia in November 2011. My buddy had tickets and I'd heard a couple of songs by DBT so I went. Well, they blew me right the hell away. This song in particular was played early, like 2nd or 3rd of the set, and I was hooked on DBT after seeing them play this one song. In the roughly 4-5 seconds between "It didn't take a hole in the ground to put the bottom in their face" and amazing riff that follows immediately afterward I knew these guys were something I'd been missing. But, what really took the cake is when I heard them sing "Your momma called the law and their gonna take me away." Any of you who grew up in households with alcohol abuse and problems of that sort might find this line very penetrating, as I do. It cuts to my soul and brings me back to bad places, but somehow it is comforting, too. But hey, that's rock n' roll. |
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| Drive-By Truckers – Let There Be Rock Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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My favorite line of this track has got to be "And the band that I was in played The Boys Are Back in Town"
Reminds me of high school days. And so true, any cover band worth their weight should put this on their party set list. |
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| Drive-By Truckers – Let There Be Rock Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Just saw them a few months ago in Philadelphia. I was honestly blown away by the guitar power coming off that stage. Literally, like an army of angry guitars attacking the crowd. It was the shit. |
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| Paul Simon – Mother and Child Reunion Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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I agree with you, Fivefortypm. This song has a strength over me, it can reduce me to tears as easily as it can make me want to get up and dance and be thankful for life's blessings. One of my favorite. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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A lot of Bruce's songs bring me to tears, too. However, this one never had that effect on me. Your first part about it being an in your face song is spot on, I love its confidence and tempered aggressiveness. I also enjoy its broad range of melody. This is actually the song I heard that made me realize I needed to start consuming all of Bruce's work in a serious way, analyzing it, studying it, reflecting on it. Its changed my life, and I'm not sure that would be the case if I wouldn't have been "abducted" by the utter genius of Rosalita that day as I drove down I-95 towards Philly. Something clicked in the universe. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Darlington County Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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This song is one of Bruce's great pop songs more palatable for the casual fan. However, those are some of Bruce's most important recordings in my opinion, since it always reassures me that he never took himself and his work TOO seriously. Anyway, two aspects of this song stick out to me. One is the chorus: sha la la, sha la la la la la. That says it all in ways words never could. They're two young guys all horned up and looking to impress girls while they explore new hot spots. I think "sha la la..." is poetically powerful here, for the reckless abandon, youthful cheer, and good time rock n roll it embodies. Secondly, and while being a minor point of opinion, it is nonetheless necessary for me to say that I think "C'mon baby, take a seat on the fender, its a long night and tell me what else are you gonna do?" is a line that summarizes a great deal of Bruce's songwriting. Besides, his raising voice sounds awesome on that line, plain and simple. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Jungleland Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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So much thoughtful and insightful commentary has already been posted on this magnum opus-like epic that I doubt I can add anything more helpful than what's been said. Although, I will say that this song has always reminded me of Bowie's classic "Ziggy Stardust" album in a vague way, especially with the parts about switchblade guitars and explosions into rock n roll bands. Does anyone else see a connection there? In the sense of both containing science-fiction or fantasy undertones (although of course Bruce not nearly as much as Bowie, obviously)? This just evokes an environment, or movie set, that is so grandiose, intense, a flurry of activity from a thousand different directions while simultaneously prompting us to think of dramatic stage choreography and synchronization. I guess its both. And then there's Clarence's sax....good Lord, who could ever be in the same category of musician/artist as the BOSS and his E. Street Boys? Absolutely, positively no one, that's who. I firmly believe that to compare Springsteen to other artists (and vice versa) is to gravely insult him. He has no equals, there is no heir apparent. The man never was before and never will be again. Bruce Springsteen is incomparable. To compare him is to limit him, and there can be no honest good reason to do something that careless. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Jungleland Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Whoa, TrentH I think you are definitely on to something here. Goddamn, I could spend hours exchanging ideas and interpretations of Bruce's music. I consider myself as much a student of Bruce Springsteen's artistic accomplishments as a fan of his music, so I always try to get really into each song as I listen and look for subtleties I may have missed before. However, it never fails me, I learn so much each time I read these posts on here. Then I usually immediately start playing the albums again. Somehow, they always sound fresh and almost mystical in a way. Springsteen is a musical genius that I don't think any academic or logical theory could even begin to explain. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Jungleland Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Truthfully, I find it more and more enjoyable to listen to Bruce while I'm alone, for two reasons. 1 is that I always catch some snippet or feature of a song I'd heard a hundred times and experience an entirely new emotional connection. 2 is that not just this song, but I'd bet around at least a dozen of Bruce's songs make cry almost instinctively when they hit their crescendos. I have no idea how this man created the music he did, but I thank God sincerely for allowing him to do so. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Jungleland Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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You are so right on. This line makes me so nostalgic for the teenage years. At this very second right now as I'm typing this I've decided that Bob Dylan can't tie Bruce's shoes when it comes to music writing. My God, it seems perverse to even entertain that thought for another minute. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Jungleland Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Wow, awesome reflection on this. I always felt the sax in this song was just epic, special in a way that is very rare in popular music. But you put it perfectly, the sax moves the story forward like something of an emotional cue for the listener...something big, life-changing is happening or surely about to happen. Also, if you connect the sax to the earlier line about kids flashing guitars like switchblades and then everyone exploding into rock n roll bands, it would make sense for the sax to symbolize a huge, final showdown for the gangs. Its ominous almost, but in a serene way. Just absolutely incredible. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Incident On 57th Street Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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I'm shocked that there are only 13 comments, since this is not just one of Bruce's best songs, but perhaps one of the top 5 songs recorded in the past 50+ years, maybe ever! Many would probably disagree, but just consider the narrative, plot, and mental pictures this song evokes. Not to mention beautiful piano arrangements and an almost haunting vocal performance. This is the real deal. Somehow, I find it fitting that Bruce wrote what I think is unequivocally his best song at 23 or 24 years old, before he became the legendary Boss of rock n roll. This is one of those rarest of rare musical gems that can change your life in a listen. Check out youtube for a variety of live versions, each of which is somehow more awesome than the next, no matter what order you play them. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Highway Patrolman Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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"Taking turns dancing with Maria, as the band played Night of the Johnstown Flood". For me personally, this song is evocative enough in itself to form the basis of an entire dramatic production. With the guitar in the background...my God, such a powerful scene. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Johnny 99 Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Wow, never picked up on that before. Now that you mention it I see Johnny Cash references and themes all over this song. The downtrodden man who goes crazy and kills someone, incarceration, dread, the mother begging not to take her boy away, alcohol abuse, etc. Thanks for the post. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Atlantic City Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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To me this version of the song from Paris in 1985 is his best. I can listen to it ten times or more in a row and it makes the hair on my neck stand up each time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2esNjuIhZM
Couple notes about the song:
* Bruce does say at the beginning of this performance that the song is about the "gang wars of Southern New Jersey". This definitely gives the song a cinematic quality.
* In this video, the song seems to really strike a chord with Clarence. The man seems genuinely moved and completely lost in the song. It almost makes me cry for some reason. Pay especially close attention to Clarence from the 2:50-3:10 mark of the video. Just about at the 3:00 mark exactly, as Bruce is singing "put on your stockings baby, cuz the night gets cold", Big Man is looking up into the heavens as though he was in the clutches of religious nirvana at some charismatic Church gathering. This is a powerful video. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Someone mentioned the echo effects in this song. Couldn't agree more. It sounds like a cross between Bruce singing from beyond the grave and Bruce singing in an empty room or hallway at the corrections institute at which he was executed. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Wreck On The Highway Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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"I just lay there awake in the middle of the night, thinking about the wreck on the highway." One of the reasons Bruce's storytelling is so vivid is because he oftentimes conjures up pictures and narratives by doing more with less words. How sad and pitiful does that line make you feel, especially if you really listen to it and understand the string of drama playing out in Bruce's soul like actors on a stage. Every song is a scene, every album an epic work of art, displaying elements of both drama and music. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Drive All Night Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Agreed. The first time I heard this song, I was bitter that I hadn't ever heard it before until that moment. The love songs on The River are beyond description, I think. Somehow, Bruce is actually able to channel human emotions and transmit them through his songs. "...Oh girl you've got my love, heeeeeeaaaaaaaaarrrrrrt and soul". Anyone who has ever been in love with someone and really attached to them should be able to discern the almost foolish level of desperation we can sometimes succumb to. This is about being giddy, blindly in love. The only thing that matters is the things related to her. Its when the tough guy front you put on to the boys at the pub melts into a dizzy little halfwit when she gets you one on one, and then you miss her unbearably until you see her again. "I swear I'd drive all night". He would. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Ramrod Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Bruce amazes me to no end. Every single time I listen to him I draw deep emotional connections to some facet of his music, be it a song, album, or mere lyric, and sometimes even a simple strum of the guitar or melody coming from the keyboard. Or I'll suddenly recognize that Clarence's sax plays a much more powerful role in a song than I ever noticed before. The Boss made some very sophisticated music, timeless and purely from his heart and soul.
If this song doesn't make you want to get up, grab a beer, grab your girl, get moving and have some fun than you are really missing an essential part of what it means to be American. Sounds dramatic, I know, but consider the power of this song, the pure 20th century American nostalgia that attacks you relentlessly for four straight minutes, almost daring you to let yourself go somehow. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Fade Away Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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This is one of those songs that really captures Bruce's true genius, and that it his ability to evoke emotions in his audience.
Verse 3 absolutely gives me goosebumps. Listen to the inflection in his voice in lines 2 and 4 of that verse, particularly on the words "lonely" and "dancing". I really can't explain Bruce Springsteen, he is totally incomparable, it would be like a perversion of morality to even try to judge him by any standards other than his own. |
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