| Frank Turner – Journey of the Magi Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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My favourite part of this song has to be in the last verse, "To a stable in ruins In some backwater town, To a virgin defiled, No king but a child, Too small for a crown." The rhyme of "defiled" and "child" just emphasises the pure innocence of the little baby, the virgin "defiled" answers both an atheist view that Mary may have been raped and used the story of the child of god as a cover or out of ignorance (equating her unmarried state with virginity) and the religious stance that she is a virgin and this virginity is broken by the birth of her child. This is absolutely beautiful, the "crown" for that little child being both the crown of the "king of the Jews" but also the crown of thorns. That that little child would one day be killed in the horrific Crucifixion. Frank Turner, like me, isn't a believer yet the imagery and poetry of this verse is inexplicably beautiful |
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| The Cribs – City of Bugs Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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I have spent a really long time trying to work out what this song means. A couple of images suddenly clicked for me so I'm going to go through and see if I can make some sense - any clarification is appreciated! It came to me like a voice from above Or like a message in praise of platonic love At the moment I'm leaning towards this being a sarcastic little joke, perhaps a "message in praise of platonic love" because it's a condemnation of any other kind of love? IE: a message damning sex? And if you stand in the booth Then you don't have to sit with a stranger So "booth" to me just means photo booth or confessional booth. Confessional booth perhaps makes more sense, if you're in the booth you don't have to sit with the stranger (the Priest). Also sets the scene for confessions being necessary A perfumed gust drifts to my core I give you one last look Through a cross-hatched door So the "perfumed gust" (I heard ghost?) is clearly a woman, he's leaving her but it's cutting him to the "core" and he's hurt. The "cross-hatched door" to me implies prison, the last look she gets is of him in a cage (the van they take you off to prison in?) But I'm messed up baby Like the Berlin Wall Tonight Clearly this is just saying he's gone wrong You feel the rape in the city of bugs Fill the hole with glass Vessels burst after love So the "City of Bugs" has to be insanity or hell, perhaps the two are one and the same. I get the feeling all of this is just give an impression of torture and depravity, "glass" being followed by "burst" makes me think of broken glass, and the presiding line talking about "rape" certainly sounds like torture to me. But don't go too long without letting them know That you're there I'm not sure if this is intending to be comforting or not, so far we have no likable characters in this song so knowing they're there may not be a good thing You came into reach Like the Serpent and Peach Clearly the Biblical idea of Evil, also Knowledge and perhaps freedom? Came to me in the dream That contractions set free So here's why I can't help thinking of this being a song about miscarriage or stillbirth. The Cribs have a lot of songs about sex in the procreative sense - We Were Aborted, Hari Kari etc. so I get the feeling it may be an overarching theme of the album. The previous references to a condemnation of sex, rape, "forbidden fruit", "after love" I just get the feeling it may be about pregnancy But it's never too late to admit to me That you're worried Never a choice Don't remember your voice I was born out of glass I'll return there at last In a shattering climax "climax" has to be another sexual image which is quickly framed by more vaguely violent images. "glass", "shattering" "never a choice", on its own a "shattering climax" could be dismissed as purely sexual but with the "glass" in the line before it becomes destructive. Either the orgasm itself is destructive or the after effects for some reason are (pregnancy?) For left out children to carry A world without sin is a laughable thing So go out on a limb Take a stone for a swim Whilst this verse seems to be a strangely positive one lyrics-wise this line here is clearly about suicide, or more aptly, murder. Generally when someone takes "a stone for a swim" they are being dumped in a river against there will (usually because they're dead). I get the feeling this entire verse may be more black humour. "Sin will always happen! So have a laugh, go on, go swimming with stones" I don't know, I get the idea the whole song is just pieced together, or extremely idiosyncratic. Either way it's brilliant! |
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| Oasis – Fade In-Out Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| Fade In/Out at the G Mex is amazing, far better than the album version | |
| Marina and the Diamonds – Blindfold Me Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| Completely agree with this but I also think there's airs of an abusive relationship, "danger", "run as fast as you can" even walking in his "daddy's shoes" (many abusive people come from abusive environments). "What [he] did" was become violent, and what she "didn't do" was run | |
| The Verve – Come On Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| Apparently those lines are sung by Liam Gallagher | |
| Lorde – Royals Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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I like the idea of a pun on Queen Bee and Queen B IE Queen B the second Queen. Not Queen Liz but a different kind of Queen, a Queen of not royalty and elitism and inherited titles, because the lower classes don't inherit those kinds of titles. |
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| Milburn – Lipstick Lickin Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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Very, very late reply I know but I thought I'd help out anyway (and perhaps remind you of the great song!) Pretty sure it's about being caught by the police on a night out. The lights are flickering because he's high, the lipstick licking just says there's a woman there who's into him. The "big boy with the headlight glare" is a policeman and they're "telling lies" by saying they're straight sober, his friend later hits the copper which is obviously going to get him into trouble. But he doesn't mind because he has this woman there with him who he loves |
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| Dirty Pretty Things – Wondering Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| Not familiar with it myself but I'd assume it's linked to a hangover or come-down. Bangered as in "banging" headache | |
| Two Door Cinema Club – Sleep Alone Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I don't think it's intentional but this song could be interpreted as being about a murder-suicide. Originally I just thought insomnia and nightmares leading to a suicide "I don't know if in the morning I will be here" but I'll see if I can fit the murder in Now, my only goal is to see And I'm always fast asleep It takes more than strength to find This peace of mind Either before or after the murder, he has difficulty finding "peace of mind". Also the idea of only wanting to be able to see when he's asleep. Either he's afraid of his life, of what he'll see when he's awake "fast asleep" representing peacefulness, innocence. Or he's contemplating suicide, he doesn't want to be awake anymore. So I'll hold, hold, hold Hold it close to my heart Beating with every step Hold, hold, hold it close There's something which he is trying to keep hidden, holding it close to himself. Either his violent urges or some tortured psyche which later causes him to commit the crimes He sleeps alone He needs no army where he's headed 'Cause he knows That they're just ghosts And they can't hurt him if he can't see them, oh And I may go To places I have never been to Just to find The deepest desires in my mind The first part of the chorus definitely fits in, in a weird way. If you believe in any gods then generally doing something dreadful (in this case, murder) causes you to be punished in an afterlife. The dead "he" "needs no army" because he has done nothing wrong, he is innocent. "Where he's going", the afterlife isn't frightening to him because he'll end up in heaven (or your equivalent). The narrator, on the other hand, needs an "army" because he is going to be punished. The "ghosts", either the family of the dead "he", or demons will punish him for his crime of murder. The second part is harder to fit, possibly this occurred before the murder. The "deepest desires" was his violent urges We, we only know what we see 'Cause we're always fast asleep Is it so hard not to believe That we'll never know Perhaps this is the people who will find them, they'll "never know" why the murder-suicide took place. They're reluctant to accept the truth or keep searching for some meaning behind the action. Either way I integrate this I can't help but see this verse as a filler Oh, hold, hold, hold Hold me close I've never been this far from home Hold, hold, hold me close Is he regretting what he's just done? Is he scared, terrified or the implications? Is he even requesting for the dead to hold him close? If we consider this as purely a song about insomnia, nightmares and fear then this is easy to interpret but if we take my darker ideas then this verse gets terrifying. They're in my head And I have said That I must be like you now Who sleeps alone Who sleeps alone And one last chance To make sense Of what has long escaped us He sleeps alone I sleep alone There we go then, he's tortured by his actions, dreams, inner conscience and guilt. He decides he is going to have to "be like him", the dead one, he decides he must kill himself. Perhaps he believes that death will bring "sense", will bring answers and peace to his clearly broken mind. And I don't know if in the morning I will be here And if so Let it be known That I was worthy, I was worthy, I was worthy, I was Either this is set before the murder and he doesn't know if the "him" that people know, the sane, normal him will be there. He doesn't know if he's going to become dangerous and do something horrible Or it is afterwards, he's going to kill himself and he won't be there for the simple reason that he will be dead. The fact that he was "worthy" is difficult to fit in with a murder-suicide. But if we take it as simply someone driven to suicide then they are easily "worthy" because they haven't done owt wrong All in all it is a brilliant and wonderful song, I love the manic drumming |
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| Infant Sorrow – I Am Jesus Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| General claims of divinity again link back to Oasis but the entire song might be a parody of "I am the Resurrection" by Stone Roses? | |
| Infant Sorrow – Yeah Yeah Oi Oi Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Sounds a lot like a Blur or Oasis drunken song. Blur is one of the few bands that isn't clearly parodied so I reckon it's probably them | |
| Infant Sorrow – Furry Walls Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Sounds like Oasis. Probably purposeful. Can't be the only one who thinks the nonsensical lyrics relating to an injoke is very Oasis. "When the world slips you a jeffery, stroke the furry wall" is no more nonsensical than Champagne Supernova. Most of the songs on the soundtrack are parodies of something and overall Infant Sorrow sounds a lot like Oasis | |
| Infant Sorrow – Gang of Lust Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| This was written by Carl Barat.. Reckon it's a parody of the Libertines | |
| The Stone Roses – Love Spreads Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I'm pretty sure he's using the idea that the Messiah (god) simply IS Love incarnate. He wasn't particularly trying to make a controversial point of Jesus being a black woman ("I don't see it as controversial"), that was simply how he saw it. He's saying that God was/is Love. So he's not saying she is having her arms spread by love- unless he's saying that her love for humanity was spreading her arms- he's saying she IS love. |
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| The Stone Roses – How Do You Sleep? Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Don't shout. | |
| The Stone Roses – How Do You Sleep? Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Don't shout. | |
| The Cribs – Hari Kari Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I reckon it's about abortion, whether it's pro-abortion or not I can't decide. I get the feeling it might be about someone pressured into getting an abortion. I'm leaning towards it being slightly-anti abortion. I'm pro-choice myself, before I start analysing If you combine flattery With a long history Then there are no easy answers I reckon this is about the conception, or the beginning of the relationship. You hid your face You hid your face in a place Where there are no easy answers The person is hiding, they're ashamed or scared, "no easy answers" is that is usually used to describe an abortion. It's not an easy decision In the name of everyone who met me Am I supposed to commit Hari Kari? With sword in hand I face demands Delivered with the best intentions From the department of corrections She's scared, everyone is wanting her to get an abortion but she's not sure. She hasn't reached the decision herself but she's going to do it anyway. The people who are telling her to abort have "the best intentions" but are "demand[ing]" her to do it. The "department of corrections" is correcting the mistake of having become pregnant. "Department" sounds clinical but also obvious and easy, perhaps he's implying it's too easy to get an abortion? Not considered emotionally enough? But who will tell my next of kin That tomorrow stand for nothing? I think this is implying that the value of life has been cheapened. "Tomorrow stands for nothing" because tomorrow isn't important in this situation, to this pregnancy. "My next of kin" is clearly her children. However another idea could be that the abortion is unsafe, her "next of kin" is just her family and "tomorrow stands for nothing" because she might not get a tomorrow It was years ago, it was years ago Since you left us Alone It was years ago, it was years ago And only time will show, only time will show How much you mean to The world Only time will show It was years ago I'm not sure what this one means, perhaps it's referring to the foetus, it seems to be implying a death rather than a person simply leaving, "how much you mean to the world". It could mean the woman who died getting an abortion. It could mean the man who left the woman pregnant Somebody said you should have left her I think it was an empty gesture I think this is aimed at the man who got her pregnant, someone said he should do a runner and leave her alone. Perhaps he didn't run and offered to help, this is the "empty gesture". Or perhaps the advice to leave her was the "empty gesture" It's not as though they really cared, like "It's a shame about the weather" This is the friends again, someone has explained the situation but they don't really care, or they're uncomfortable talking about is so just change the conversation You left home on a stretcher I remember cause I saw a picture of it I reckon this is aimed at the woman, and seems to change the meaning of the song to referring to an unsafe abortion gone wrong. She left home on a stretcher because she has become very ill trying to abort. Seeing "a picture of it" would just emphasise the fact this song seems to be said from the point of view of a relative or family friend. The "picture" also implies that all they have left is a picture because she died. If she was alive they wouldn't need a picture Y'r mind Y'r voice Y'r body Y'r choice I think this could be saying, she didn't need to get an abortion she could have had the "choice" to continue the pregnancy. It could also be "pro-choice" in terms of "pro-legilisation" to regulate and keep abortions safe because this woman died. On a side note "y'r" spelt like that means "house of", in the sense of being a representation,"house of Lords" is where the laws are decided. It may be irrelevant but it's an unusual way to spell it if it isn't important. |
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| The Fratellis – Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I think this is about a girl who is pressured into having sex with a lot of people at a party to fit in and then regrets it, told from the point of view of one of the lads who had sex with her Whistle for the boys now don't be shy Give us all a song and a reason why Clearly this is some sort of pressure from "the boys" for her to "whistle" or to entertain them, the plural of "boys" sounds to me like they're catcalling her and having a laugh about her Baby got the bones and a hand me down Says her heart is black but her eyes are brown I'm not quite sure about the first line either, I think "hand me down" suggests childlike as well, you don't get hand me downs when you're an adult. I think use of the word "baby" is a double-meaning word, signifying the slight sexual connotations but also the literal meaning of "baby" and innocence. I disagree with the other comment on the brown eyes thing. I think brown eyes tend to signify innocence or naivity because they tend to look bigger than blue. I think she's saying her "heart it black", pretending to be cool and "bad" when really "her eyes are brown", she's innocent. Give the boys a flash and they'll love you so Give the girl some cash cause your mother said so Clearly this is the girl being desperate to fit in, and ending up being used for her body or her money And take em out to look at the queen And any old girl who's in between I think this might be a tease about her being rich or posh. The idea of all the fancy people in England sounding like the Queen is common, so perhaps this girl is being teased and having jokes made at her expense which is what leads her to do whatever to get people to like her Lay yourself down by the side of the bed Oh you naughty girl you know you tickle me red Clearly she's had sex with him. I'm not sure what "tickle me red" means, perhaps the other answer is right with the mix of anger and amusment. Perhaps he is angry and having sex with her aggresively, which leads to his amusment and entertainment You look so dumb and you sound so twee And you can only wish that you was married to me After they've had sex he's immediately insulting her again. She might be sounding "twee" because she's suggesting their should be a romance, which is where he responds she "can only wish". Perhaps this is her desperation to be accepted or loved and he's telling her she never will be. Well, that's what you get Oh don't get upset Ridiculous you He's blaming her for her upset, it's her fault now for sleeping with people. And it's "ridiculous" of her to be upset Waiting in the queue oh whoopee doo "Whoopee doo" is a dismissive thing to say to a girl who's upset, I think the chorus sounds like a few people, perhaps a group of people she knows making fun of her. She's upset, and regrets what happened but none of them care You could have been The best that I've seen Under the red light They're now teasing her, implying she's a prostitute, Everybody knows you cried last night And this is the line which leads to my interpretation. This clearly sounds like a schoolfriend thing to say, "everybody" would be a big crowd of people, who find it funny that she's been upset Give us all a go till your face turns red Little Greg said you went home instead Clearly all the boys she's slept with want another go, her facing turning "red" suggests pain, embarassment, fear. Perhaps she's crying or regretting the act whilst it's still happening. This is a very bullying thing to say. "Little Greg" has told them she's gone home, she doesn't want to be there in that sort of enviroment anymore If you stick around you'll get an alibi And we'll try and keep your pretty face bone dry I'm not sure what her "alibi" would be. But them trying to not have her cry means that she's in a situation where she could be crying. "Pretty face" is also dismissive and condescending, they're not really that fussed about her crying Rent a honey rent a honey one two three Chasing all the boys from your door can't be easy This is again teasing her about what happened, again suggesting that she's a prostitute, or easy enough for a lot of people to want a "go". Well Ruby said you was wrecked But you was never well behaved the last time I checked "Ruby" has told people that she was upset, perhaps trying to fix her reputation but they dismiss this and respond that the things she did has already tarnished her reputation. This again sounds like a school environment thing to be said. Passing messages, the use of "Ruby said" "Little Greg said" it sounds like gossip and messages being passed Everybody knows you cried last night Everybody knows you cried last night This is the final words and is chanted almost, sounding like playground gossip, bullying. The girl has made a mistake and they're not going to let her forget it. |
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| Arctic Monkeys – Evil Twin Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I stumbled across this song by accident and I'm so glad! They seem to have taken the Oasis route with this song and put one of the best songs in the album as a B Side. You've never met before But still she greets you like a long lost rock and roll She's definitely one of those Where you go wherever she goes The woman is friendly and charismatic and he knows that he's going to be obsessed and fall in love. Oh my body and my mind Both start talking at the exact same time Try'na think of ways to make her mine But they're difficult to find His "mind" is probably saying that this is a stupid thing to do whilst his "body" is saying that he really wants her. It's not what I need No, your love's not what I need So don't give it to me I think this is from her point of view, she's telling him not to fall in love with her because that's not what she wants. Greeting him "like a long lost Rock N Roll" implies that she's interested in his name or talent but doesn't want his love. And she said: 'Oh, well I knew this will sound cold But I really have to go Oh it's not that I'm not free There's nowhere I need to be It's just your love's not what I need So don't give it to me' This seems to back up the chorus, she doesn't want him really. I think they've just slept together and she leaves because she's not interested anymore and she doesn't want him to love her or to spend time with him She said: I baby I can never leave you How can I believe you when you can't believe your luck No point sticking to the plan when it's going slow I think "baby I can never leave you" should be in quotation marks, she's quoting him telling her he can never leave. She then replies that she doesn't believe him because he's so amazed at being near her, he "can't believe [his] luck". The "plan" he should be sticking to is the plan of how to "make her [his]". He wants to be in a relationship with her but she's telling him this "plan" isn't going to work It's more a hunger than a thirst You'll break it out the second time Before you know about the first Looks well-equipped to leave you in the lurch But you'll let her do her worst I reckon this verse is just sexual, the Arctics hardly shy away from sexual themes And it's not hard to tell It's obvious the other angels faces fell When she told them that she had to go Traded her wings and overcoat for something colorful The "other angels' faces" confuses me. From "other" I'd assume these are other women, she's decided she doesn't want to be an "angel", perhaps she's going to be a devil? She's not going to be well-behaved and good anymore. May I also point out that as a Brit, Alex isn't going to write "colorful" it's going to have a U in there. |
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| Oasis – Lord Don't Slow Me Down Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| There is a version on youtube with Liam singing, it's a far better song as far as I'm concerned, Liam has the attitude to pull it off. | |
| The Coral – She's Got a Reason Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I think this is such a beautiful but confusing song She watched the sky as it bathes into black Watched with the lovers that never came back The princes and kings, all the beautiful things And more I think the line "the lovers that never came back" is the important one here. The use of the word "lovers" despite generally being used to refer to a sexual companion does evoke ideas of love and the idea of them never coming back clearly implies that she wants them to come back but that they don't. The thought of watching "beautiful things" with these people she loves only for them to leave her is a very sad one. She won't wait, she'll never look back Through the morgue where the mirrors have crashed She slides through a dream with all her beautiful schemes And more This verse seems vaguely contradictory. The first line tells us clearly that she doesn't mind that much about these people leaving her but then talks about a "morgue" and broken mirrors. Morgues are clearly not happy places and cracked mirrors are indications of bad luck. Perhaps the woman in this song is self-destructive and the act of watching "beautiful things" with her "lovers" is her attempting to be happy.When she's alone she feels like she's in a "morgue" and she feels as though she has bad luck. The image of a "crashed" mirror may also indicate a broken sense of self, as mirrors are used to see yourself. I think "beautiful schemes" is such a bleak but wonderful lyric. The idea seems to be her "scheming" and coming up with plans and plots yet the use of "beautiful" seems vaguely condescending, perhaps suggesting that all of her "schemes" are for nothing because there's nothing she can do. She's got a reason to roam with the stars Watch her go as she sings Dumb dumb dara ra ra, dumb dumb dara ra ra Dumb dumb dara ra ra, dumb dumb dara I think the "reason to roam with the stars" may be suggesting that there's a reason she's mad or a reason she's behaving irrationally. The nonsense singing suggests madness. Love is gold, time is a thief She's the river that runs to the sea With her arms open wide, a sorrowful smile And more Her "arms open wide" clearly shows supplication and openness, she's there ready to reach out and connect with people yet her "lovers" leave her. The "sorrowful smile" suggests inner strength but also a sense of loss and emotional fragility. Still she wonders soaked to the bone The road she's on, well, it won't lead her home To the place she cried for the stranger inside And more I think her wondering "soaked to the bone" shows madness and self destructiveness again. Wondering also gives the idea of searching for something, perhaps love, perhaps sanity. But the "soaked to the bone" gives the impression of hopelessness, whatever she's looking for she won't find it. This is backed up with the idea that her "road" won't "lead her home". Whether "home" is what she is searching for of what she's leaving it gives the idea of her being lost. She won't find what she's looking for but neither will she be able to return to what she came from. Crying for "the stranger inside" I think changes a lot of the rest of the meaning or backs up my theory of madness. She doesn't understand who she is and this makes her cry. She sees herself as a "stranger" or there is a "stranger" in her head who is making her cry |
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| The Coral – Secret Kiss Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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"And all the wonders of the world Mean nothing until I return In time for tea Sat on my settee" I love this verse. It reminds me so much of somebody I know that it's almost unreal. The idea of the "wonders of the world" meaning "nothing" until you can sit on your settee and eat your tea. Because to him (and perhaps also to the singer) it is eating your dinner in your living room that is the real "wonder". I think within the context of the song, suddenly becoming involved with an old lover the idea of the settee and your tea is the idea of stability. He's questioning whether he'd rather have this old flame or whether he'd rather stay as the "rock" and be able to eat his tea in his own living room |
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| The Coral – Pass It On Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I think this song is an obvious life plan sort of song. "And all the tales will be told Whilst you and I are in the cold But don't think this is the end 'Cause it's just begun my friend" We miss out on things we would have loved but it doesn't matter "it's just begun" For every tear cried in shame There'll be someone else to blame And every crime that I commit There'll be a punishment to fit I think the first two lines are confusing, in this seemingly ideal song there's the idea of passing the blame onto someone else for your "shame". However the second couplet seems to fix this because you're going to be punished for your crimes and mistakes. The fact that these two contradict each other confuses me though And I'd accept what's coming round If I could only lose this sound That's been ringing in my ears And tormenting me for years For this verse I automatically thought of the song by Florence and the Machine "Drumming Song". In that song "drumming" is a clear metaphor for love. I think perhaps the "sound" in this song is also a metaphor for love, perhaps he's wanting to lose the feeling of being in love with someone so that he can just live his life in his way. Or perhaps it's the opposite and he wants to give up on feelings of hate so that he can "find this feeling". I love this song, I've been thinking of getting a tattoo from this song for years |
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| The Coral – Liezah Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I can't believe this song has no comments! Clearly the song is about a woman, whether a real woman or an invented one for the purpose of the song I'm not sure. I think the chirpy, upbeat melody hides the fact that this is not a happy song. The simple first like "I had a girl her name was Liezah" makes this seem like a generic love song. However "Liezah" as a name is a misspelling of "Liza" come from "Eliza". Clearly this is done on purpose to give the pun on "Lie". "With Crowley as her close companion His diaries went hand in hand with All the men that she has known She leaves their silver but keeps their gold" I love this verse most of all. I think what's interesting is that "Crowley" has strong associations with occult and "dangerous" ideas. In a Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman novel (Good Omens) Crowley is the name of a devil, there was also an occultist known as "The Beast" who called himself Crowley. So clearly this woman is not as good and innocent as she seems. Leaving their silver yet keeping their gold is also a clear image of a woman who wants money and knows how to get money. "All the men she's ever known" gives a clear indication of her knowing lots of men and of getting "gold" off them. So lawyers, doctors please beware Of that girl with wavy hair For she will cut you down to size Reveal the truth behind your disguise I get the impression of her as a charismatic and powerful woman, similar to Nero's mother Agrippina in her ability to manipulate yet still somehow seem likable. She puts these lawyers and doctors (the professions stereotyped as middle-class and arrogant) in their places and makes them realise their inadequacies and shows them up to the world as living behind "disguises" and actually not being as good as they make themselves out to be. Liezah Just passed by yer Now you're standing Empty handed Liezah Can't despise her She'll change your look She'll have you hooked Liezah has apparently pickpocket this person who she has "just passed by". Yet they "can't despise her" and are soon going to be "hooked" or fall in love with her. Whether Liezah is some kind of witch (remember "Crowley" and connotations of black magic) of is just a genuinely fascinating person is unclear. The city sleeps as she's arriving Tongue tied and twisted was her timing Her eyes are glazed in deep despair Those crocodile tears they don't care I'm not sure about the first two lines but in the second Liezah is crying and putting on a show of "despair" perhaps to get sympathy but people don't care. Perhaps this is what "the city sleep as she's arriving" means, Liezah is used to a fanfare and people being "hooked" but here they're all asleep. Perhaps this causes her to be "tongue tied" and uncomfortable. Don't turn your back cos she'll be gone Chasing shadows in the sun All along the dusty road Where she goes well we'll never know I think this is just to demonstrate that the singer himself is "under her spell" or in love with her. The idea may also be that she uses people for her own ends and then leaves when they "turn [their] back" And everytime I think of Liezah I break down and I start crying Although she tore me apart There's still a place for that girl in my heart Just reiterating the idea that he loved her and she "tore [him] apart" she used him, perhaps for "gold" or perhaps for the thrill or making people love her. |
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| The Coral – Dreaming Of You Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| It definitely wasn't written by Pete Doherty, he's admitted that he made up the claim (although I can't think why). | |
| The Coral – Don't Think You're The First Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I think a wonderful structural technique that we ought to draw attention to is the placing of "yes I love you" right next to "don't think you're the first"/"don't think you're the last". IE: He loves them but he's going to love other people and he has loved other people Overall I think it's a song about accepting reality, you're not as special or individual or unique as you'd like to think. All the problems and wonderful moments you've had have been had be someone else. In the same way in having the love of this person you're not alone, he's loved others and he's going to love others after you. |
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| The Coral – Bill McCai Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I love this song! It takes a very skilled artist to be able to mix a bleak meaning with such an upbeat tune, as InColour said it's very surreal However I can't be the only one to get slightly uncomfortable at the use of "hung" when referring to a person rather than the grammatically correct "hanged"? |
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| The Big Pink – Stay Gold Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I love this song! I think The Big Pink made a mistake in their choice of single for this album. I can see this song getting a LOT of radio play and becoming a common track at parties and clubs. I think it's a simple "live for the moment and be happy" sort of song, accepting your mistakes but not regretting them "forgive your lovers but don't forget their names" although that may also be, remember their wrongs but forgive them. Overall though it's such a catchy and upbeat song, I love it! |
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| The Big Pink – Rubbernecking Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Rubbernecking is the practice of looking at a tragic event (eg a car crash), it's often used to describe cars slowing down on a motorway or crowds forming around an accident. Normally the act of rubbernecking leads to problems with movement around the incident. I reckon in the context of this song the singer was too busy looking back at the past or looking at all the problems in his relationship that he didn't even realise they had drifted apart. Or the act of rubbernecking caused him to push his lover away because they couldn't move forward, they couldn't go anyway because hw as too obsessed with the mistakes or tragedies in their relationship. |
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| The Big Pink – Give It Up Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I think this is a song about a destructive relationship that keeps rekindling and falling apart. The "strange little girl" he's referring to seems to be manipulative "you'd smile and torture me just for fun", "behind those eyes there was nothing there" but captivating because he knows he's going to "give [her] another chance". "A glass of goose" would be grey goose vodka. |
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| The Big Pink – Golden Pendulum Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Anyone else think this is about death? I didn't even realise it until I'd read the lyrics but it seems pretty obvious to me. "You said I feel no pain Where are you going With number nothing Unnaturally" Seems a premature summing-up of the song. The person is claiming to "feel no pain" whilst they kill themselves, the narrator is amazed and confused as to why they're "going". They're definitely killing themselves because it's "unnatural". I'm not sure what "number nothing" means, perhaps there's the idea of you're number "being up" when you die. Perhaps this is again reiterating that they're killing themselves, dying before their time, their number isn't up yet? "It's the feeling that can't be lost It's another that you can't explain It pulls on strings like falling in love Instant love instant love" Here the comparison seems to be between depression severe enough to encourage suicide and love may show another side to the song. The idea of you not being able to explain it and it "pull[ing] on strings", these may be your "heartstrings" or emotions or the "strings" in the idea of a puppet. So the feeling of love and depression affects your life and decides how things change in your life "Only you asked to go lower And don't you just know it Dead fingers falls" Before I read the lyrics I assumed "asked to go lower" was a sexual image, but perhaps it's intending "lower" in the form of emotionally. If you're emotionally "low" you could be feeling dead, emotionless or you could be feeling absolutely sad and desolate. "Dead fingers falls" could potentially be a sexual image but it seems far more likely to be a literal one. They may be wanting to go "lower" by slipping into death itself. When you sleep the next level is death and that's when your fingers "fall". "A star fades out of my heart But you laughed and just rolled and rolled over Everything slowly goes You said you knew and that's what you wanted" Obviously the star is fading because he's lost someone he cared about. The laughing and rolling over bit confused me. This may again be the mixing of romance and death. In a romantic sense you could be rolling over in bed, perhaps after having sex when you're preparing to sleep. However it could be drawing links with the idea of "turning (or "rolling") in your grave". So the star is fading in his heart because his lover is rolling in their grave and is "laughing" so is happy about it? And then there's another line which makes me think suicide. The person knows that everything will be fading and that's what they want, that's why the chose to kill themselves. This also gives the impression that the singer has asked them not to, tried to persuade them out of it yet failed. "If time gone is history Then this is a victory A victory worth losing for you And all you need" So the past is history, none of it matters. Perhaps the "victory" is the victory of the person dying, finally being free from a world they hate. Perhaps his loss in the battle "a victory worth losing" is trying to persuade them out of it. He accepts that's what they wanted and perhaps what was best for them, it was what they needed. "You said I feel no pain Where are you going With the number three" And then the first few lines repeated again. This time you know better what they mean, they felt no pain when they died. "The number three" I think is the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. People tend to evoke religious imagery far more when referring to death than they do when referring to life. I think this is a really amazing, beautiful song with a far deeper meaning than first apparent when you listen to it. It's such a shame how underrated and under appreciated the Big Pink are. |
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| The Big Pink – Hit the Ground (Superman) Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I think this is a song dismissing the idea of comic books and heroic saviours. There's a romanticised idea of "blue plastic bags full of cans" but this is a very down-to-earth normal image. They're trying to find beauty and mysticism in normality and the dullness of mundane life. I think the idea of falling off "this cloud" could be falling off the view he has of his life being wonderful, realising perhaps that the "blue plastic bags" are actually just rubbish. So the calling out to "oh Superman" is asking Superman to return to his life and through Superman also the mysticism and excitement. This seems to be backed up in the "who'll catch me when I drop" perhaps the realisation that he is actually alone. The "no Superman" bit as well seems to describe clearly a loss of the ideas and stories However the "cloud" might be a way of describing sanity. Perhaps falling off a cloud is falling into insanity, going too far with the stories, ways of making life interesting. Perhaps the (as I heard it) "I'm Superman" is the idea of going too far and losing your grip on reality. |
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| The Big Pink – Lose Your Mind Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I love this song! I think this is trying to convince yourself that you're alright on your own. The "wear my scars with pride" is very cliched and seems like a mantra, he's trying to convince himself the saying is right. I think this is a song trying to celebrate independence but at the same time showing the loneliness and fear. As DriftingDreamer said the use of "doing it on my own" shows that he is very aware of being alone. I also agree that he is attempting to leave a legacy and meaning on his own, as that is all he has to do. Perhaps he wants to be remembered because he doesn't feel that he's done anything of note at the moment. The idea of being "naked" and losing your mind is clear vulnerability. Also "I wanna be adored" - Stone Roses reference? |
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| Pulp – After You Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I adore this song! They gave it out for free to people after a gig before they put it up for normal purchase. I think in very basic terms it's about going to a party and meeting a woman and getting very out of your depth and comfort zone. Realising and accepting that most of what you're doing is perhaps wrong and certainly out of character for you (the "room crammed with loathing and hate") but you're doing it anyway because you're caught up in it. On a side note I like how Jarvis hasn't become a Waitrose kinda guy |
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| Pulp – She's A Lady Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I adore this song, one of my favourite Pulp songs. I think it's far more complicated than it seems though, woman who is described seems unusual (at least to me) so I'm gonna try to explain my ideas about the woman "I met her, selling pictures of herself to german business men Well, that's all she wants to do" Why she would be selling photos of herself to "German businessmen" I'm not sure. The idea of this being "all she wants to do" is also interesting. Perhaps she's famous or in some way interesting to the "businessmen". Maybe she's conning the businessmen into buying worthless photographs and this line is just to show her ability to manipulate Perhaps she's a prostitute and the idea of her "selling pictures" is a euphemistic way of implying she's selling herself or selling sex. However Jarvis doesn't usually go for subtlety when talking about sex, it's possible the idea of "selling pictures of herself" is just to show her narcissism and belief that people would pay for pictures. She lived at her father's place played his records, though they jumped Wore her body back to front I have absolutely no clue what wearing her body "back to front" means. I think her playing her father's records may be to show some sort of hook onto music or belief that music is important. It may be just a personal meaning of a woman who used to play records who jumped. However the idea of playing "records" or old ways or playing music (why not CDs?) may show an air of nostalgia backed up by the idea that she plays them despite them being faulty. It also gives the impression of a woman with old records jumping, an idea of neglect or something almost scary. The idea of her being a bit out of touch and unusual is also reflected with her living with her father. The relationship itself seems to have fallen apart because she doesn't care about him as much as he does about her, although it's possible she's denying her feelings because she's afraid or enjoys using him. Does anyone else notice the whispered "stop" at the end? |
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