| Leonard Cohen – Dance Me to the End of Love Lyrics | 3 years ago |
| @[MMFB2001:41784] You don\'t think Cohen was capable of writing multi-themed lyrics? Interesting. Seems to me you really DO want to limit people\'s ability to interpret. Why can\'t it be placing all of our passionate relationships in terms of a gas chamber string quartet? In the interview, he refers to song inspirations as being "seeds", the beginning of a long process of creativity. You might have missed that. | |
| Leonard Cohen – Dance Me to the End of Love Lyrics | 3 years ago |
| @[SJMEJIA57:41783] I think he\'s just contrasting the conceptual/emotional feeling of love with the raw, sensual nature of physical intimacy.\r\n\r\nYou can look into each others eyes, kiss, hold hands, swear eternal troth, but lovemaking is real surrendering yourself intimacy. It is animal, instinctual and powerful, and it is also, as much as a couple\'s emotional bonding, a part of us. \r\n | |
| Tom Waits – Burma-Shave Lyrics | 3 years ago |
| This is a Leonard Cohen, Richard Thompson level of lyrical poetry, and that\'s the highest compliment. \n\nWhen I was a kid, and Rte 66 was still a viable way to get some places in the Southwest, I saw some of these signs. Surprisingly engaging, and Waits\' use of Burma Shave as a mysterious, undefined desert version of Shangri La is perfect, because neither the song nor the protagonists\' quest is about a destination, really.\n\nYou can tell Presley\'s from someplace little different from Marysville, and he wants...something. To be cool, at the very least. And so does she. The wonderful 3rd verse:\n"And with her knees up on the glove compartment\nShe took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like root beer\nAnd she popped her gum and arched her back\nHell, Marysville ain\'t nothing but a wide spot in the road..."\n\nShows clearly: She wants to be cool, too. And there\'s sexual tension in the car, they both know it, but it\'s a long road, so there\'s no rush.\n\nWhen she says: \n"Why don\'t you take another swig\nPass that car, if you\'re so brave\nI wanna get there \'fore the sun comes up\nin Burma Shave"\nShe\'s adopted his "quest". To turn away from the self-destructive aspects...well, that wouldn\'t be cool. Been there, seen that.\n\nThe final result is, of course, tragic, and Waits leaves you with the perception that the mysterioso destination is still there, somewhere past the end of that straight-to-the-horizon road, though your reward might be small:\n\n"And when they pulled her from the wreck\nYa know she still had on her shades\nThey say that dreams are growin\' wild\nJust this side\nof Burma Shave"\n\nBut at least she\'s cool. | |
| Morphine – Murder For The Money Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| PS) Oh, the movie is "Wild Things" 1998. | |
| Morphine – Murder For The Money Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| Heard this at the end of a movie I had on as background, KNEW it was Morphine. Nobody else could do...THAT. Love the way they've mixed multi-tracked echoey vocals way in the background, adds a lot. And the bass is even more overpowering on this than most Morphine tracks, just wonderful. | |
| Morphine – Radar Lyrics | 8 years ago |
|
I corrected the lyric per the above post, and the spelling of "alarms". I think there might have been some meaning to Sandman, but suspect it was meant to be impenetrable to anyone else. Musically a great song anyway. |
|
| Morphine – I Had My Chance Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| One of the lowest and dirtiest Morphine songs, musically. Doesn't matter the specifics of the situation, the "chance" that was missed, it's the regrets that's conveyed, and he clearly feels it DEEEEP. Love this song. | |
| Morphine – Honey White Lyrics | 8 years ago |
|
I know Morphine fans most rabidly deny any connection between Mark's lyrics, the music, and drugs but...damn! This is a pretty inside knowledge portrayal of the attitude of new heroin users-"It won't get me!", and the attitude of dealers and longtime users when they hear it. Great song, musically, and the closing refrain of "poor Honey" is an empathetic response to the situation. Note that "writing accurately and insightfully about drug use" is NOT the same as saying Mark or members of Morphine were druggies, addicts or even users...but it's ridiculous to deny the KNEW about what they were conveying so well. Me, I don't care either way, I loved Sandman and mourn the loss of a creative genius and good man. |
|
| Morphine – Gone for Good Lyrics | 8 years ago |
|
@[elGarzon:20955] That last verse has brought me to tears, also. I actually think this one is much more straightforward than most of his lyrics, though I think, given his clear knowledge of how many ways there are to 'accidentally' encounter some ex lover, that this refers to someone who has passed on. There really IS no chance of an accidental or manufactured encounter. He has to face the fact that she really is "gone for good". Sadness. |
|
| Morphine – Super Sex Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| @[fission_hole:20953] "evocative" Yep, I believe that's exactly what he was going for and perfectly achieved. I first heard this and the explosive conflict between the "Wait! That's fucking poetry! On MTV!" reaction and the "What the hell sound is that??" reaction caused me to hurt my neck whipping my head around to see who the hell it was. I don't thank MTV for much, but this was a revelation... | |
| Morphine – Whisper Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| Absolutely wonderful "seduction at a party" song. That's how it goes, and Sandman sounds like someone who knows it well. The contradiction in the first chorus is wonderful writing, which is a sometimes-overlooked aspect of Sandman's genius. | |
| Morphine – Buena Lyrics | 8 years ago |
|
I know Morphine fans are rabidly into denying any connection between the lyrics, the music and drugs, but goddamnit, I loved Mark as much as anybody and the songs convey the treacherous, deadly, wonderful pleasures of some drugs better than anything else by anybody! How the hell does that happen without some knowledge and intent? From what I know about Sandman, he was way too smart to be an addict, but the music itself, beyond the lyrics (pretty clearly in some cases), conveys at least the temptation of some high that is beyond the natural "high on life" pleasures straight society would limit us to. I mean, listen to his songs about succumbing to ill-advised sexual liasons...the first person character always gives in to it, whatever the consequences. Part of reason I loved him, because that was me, too. I survived my bad decisions, both with women and drugs, as I'm sure Sandman would have had tragedy not struck. But don't be so defensive, fellow Morphine fans. Saying a song is about drugs, when it perfectly conveys a drug experience, is NOT saying anything bad about Morphine or Sandman. |
|
| Gordon Lightfoot – Pride of Man Lyrics | 9 years ago |
|
@[MJacobson:17420] I heartily agree w/ that opinion, MJ. If QMS never covered the song, the Lightfoot version would be okay, but you realize the song really calls for the desperate exhortation and Summer of Love guitars of the Quicksilver cover. Great song. Also has one of those "crystal lines": "All those who place their faith in fire, in fire their faith shall be repaid" practically sings/says itself. Of course it has the four instances of alliteration, doubled internal semi-rhyme (place/faith:faith/repaid), and quadruple repetition of "th" (those/faith/their/faith) that make it an easily delivered line that (to me) serves as a culmination, or summation of the lyric (thematically and structurally). |
|
| Leonard Cohen – Dance Me to the End of Love Lyrics | 9 years ago |
|
Only commenting to point out that this song is PERFECT. The depth of allusion, the layers of meaning, the beauty of the words themselves within the constraints of rhyme and meter (the quadruple repetition of "o" sounds in verse 2 ("Show me slowly what I've only known the limits of") is unadulterated genius) is all...perfect. Cohen is almost, maybe, the best songwriter/poet I know of. Among songwriters, only the Deads' Hunter, Richard Thompson and, more recently, GIllian Welch even compare. They're all very different, but have in common the one thing I most love and respect in an artist: they WORK terrifically hard at the CRAFT of their art. It's not just "a flash of sublime inspiration" or "unparalleled genius" (though inspiration and genius are surely present), it's being very, very good at what they do and working very, very hard at it. Rest in peace, Mr. Cohen, and thank you for all you gave us while here. |
|
| Leonard Cohen – Dance Me to the End of Love Lyrics | 9 years ago |
|
@[anot:17297] Thanks, I wrote a reply above before reading that, and I think it's important to note that Cohen says the language of the song can be related to both that horrific situation AND to the feeling of overwhelming love and desire. |
|
| Leonard Cohen – Dance Me to the End of Love Lyrics | 9 years ago |
|
@[misterbojangles:17296] Probably the intensity of it. Nobody writes, or can write, anything this raw....I was going to say "any more", but in point of fact, I don't think anybody, anywhere, ever, wrote with this much passion. You can substitute screaming vocals, hyperspeed guitar solos, overwhelming volume, etc., but this song QUIETLY surpasses anything else in intensity. And yeah, that's almost creepy. |
|
| Grateful Dead – Touch Of Grey Lyrics | 9 years ago |
|
After reading all the interpretations, I have to say a lot of them are...well, not simplistic, but more simple than this terrific and subtle song deserves. First, a few points addressing misconceptions put forth in some of the other interpretations. a) The lyrics were NOT written by Jerry Garcia (except, as noted, the line "Light a candle, curse the glare") B) The song was recorded AFTER Garcia's brush with death in a diabetic coma, but Hunter says he started writing it even before that, and that it wasn't directly addressing that situation. c) It WAS written while/after/during the bands' cocaine phase, which Hunter says adversely affected EVERYTHING in and around the band. d) The comments regarding the bands' opinion of Deadheads were very insightful, but I don't think the song is just addressing a single situation or circumstance. Oaky. What people are missing is that the lyrics are NOT simply optimistic OR pessimistic. It's more subtle than that, I think. To me, it seems to be saying "Yeah, things are bad. Don't pretend they're not. You won't get through by pretending everything's okay-matter of fact, they're EVEN WORSE THAN YOU THINK..." The observation that "Every silver lining (optimistic view) has a touch of grey" (negative aspect) reinforces this. They're saying "No, you won't get by just by being optimistic." and also "Being realistic will show you things are even worse than you think" which then gives MUCH greater impact to their assurance "we will get by...we will survive". This, combined with the propulsive, uptempo musical accompaniment, makes it so very much more than just "Don't worry, be happy" or "Always look on the bright side of life". I think that's an important distinction. "Getting by" isn't the result of being positive, or realistic, OR pessimistic. The Dead don't really say much about HOW to "get by"*..but they're there for us with the sure knowledge that we will, indeed, get by. So lift your head up and carry on. (Listening to the Dead can't hurt, either.) *-note "grace" is unearned favor, and the lyrics do indicate it's worth seeking. And at the end of the song, "give a little love", being the only real recommendation about how to get by, is the real exception to my interpretation-the persistent echo of the hippy ethos. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.