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| Cradle of Filth – Honey and Sulphur Lyrics
| 9 years ago
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The Latin at the start is attributed to Cicero. Torture Garden is the name of an album by Naked City, John Zorn's avant-garde jazz/grindcore project. Golgotha was the hill on which Jesus was crucified. |
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| Nirvana – In Bloom Lyrics
| 9 years ago
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This song isn't an attack on the macho culture or posers, whatever that may be. First, it doesn't fit chronologically, this song was written before Nirvana were big. Second, music connects with people for all sorts of different reasons, maybe you like the melodies or the rhythm rather than the meaning. Third, it ignores the lyrics to the verses or interprets them in nonsensical or strenuous terms at best. Fourth, the lyric "don't know what it means" follows "likes to shoot his gun" which leads me to think that this song is about sex/reproduction with "gun" being a euphemism for penis, crude as it is.
This interpretation is consistent with the lyrics of the verse. "Sell the kids for food, we can have some more" -- its a subversion of the importance we put on children, we're told that children are the greatest gift, yet continue to do all these incredibly shitty things to them.
"Weather changes moods" -- Seasonal Affective Disorder is a condition in which people get depressed often attributed to a lack of sunlight effecting the regulation of serotonin. I doubt Kurt was aware of this, but the idea of "winter blues" is prevalent enough in culture for him to be aware of the effect.
"Spring is here again" -- spring being the season of regrowth and reproduction. "Nature is a whore" -- promiscuity is natural or there is no shame in being promiscuous. "Bruises on the fruit" -- again, a subversion of the idea of maturation, that children will grow up to be happy and healthy, and they are a gift, yet we damage them, even when we are unaware of it. |
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| Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit Lyrics
| 9 years ago
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Two of the prevailing interpretations offered thus far have been the contradictory call to arms for teen revolution and as an indictment of youth apathy. I would add that it applies more to society as a whole rather than focused purely on the teen angle, despite what the title might suggest.
One of the most interesting things about this song is the way the pronouns change. First line -- your (second person), third line -- she (third person), fourth line -- I (first person), Chorus second line -- we, us (first person plural), third line its back to I. This creates the effect of positioning the individual and an other "she" within a group dynamic. Then he finishes up with the indefinite articles "a mulatto" "an albino" which creates the effect of superimposing class over individual identity.
This song is an attack on conformity and the prevailing trends of the time. "Load up on guns, bring your friends" -- safety in numbers, which is later paralleled by "our little group has always been and always will until the end." "Here we are now entertain us" -- the need for constant and immediate gratification. Also, you can't turn a blind eye to the serious sexual undertones in this song. "My libido", "With the lights out it's less dangerous".
I always though that self-assured was the dirty word, as in a sort of sarcastic critique of gender roles, basically saying what total bullshit it is that it’s supposedly wrong that a girl is self-assured. |
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| The Velvet Underground – Heroin Lyrics
| 9 years ago
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This song is about so much more than heroin. Its about negation. The key line is "I'm gonna try to nullify my life." Starting from the second verse, the listener is presented with a list of things that he wants to get away from, "you guys and all you sweet girls with all your sweet talk" meaning all the people who get caught up in the gloss of life and don't deal with all the darkness in the world. The clipper ship reflects this idea of escape from modernity and the routine of living in a city and "the evils in this town", he wants to escape both the darkness and the superficiality of life. |
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| Pink Floyd – Eclipse Lyrics
| 9 years ago
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I feel that those who are interpreting this along the lines of meaninglessness are almost there but the word they are searching for is insignificance. The lyrics can be separated into three sections: 1) from "All that you touch" through to "and everyone you fight" which deals with the actions that an individual may undertake in the course of the lifetime; 2) "All that is now, all that is gone and all that's to come" which deals with the course of human history; and finally 3) "and everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon" which really is saying that all life unfolds in accordance with the rhythm of the sun (or really the Earth's movement around the sun). A lot of Dark Side of The Moon, ironically deals with the sun, its there in Breathe and again in Time, and yet here it is again in Eclipse being contrasted with the moon. I believe the final couplet is simply stating that everything in life will be eclipsed by darkness, by nothing, and what you really think is significant, such as the passage of time, money, your petty divisions of people etc are going to fade into insignificance. |
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| Pink Floyd – Us and Them Lyrics
| 9 years ago
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You have to consider the lyrics in two distinct section that relate to the theme of division, i.e. us and them. The first section running from "Us and Them" through to "There's room for you inside" is talking about the divisions that are created by a state of war. You have the division between the combatants, i.e. both sides of the war, the division between the soldiers and the generals, and the division between the poster bearer and the man with the gun. I take the last image to refer to a peace activist and a policeman, with "room for you inside" equating with gaol.
The second section of the song is looking at division in society between the haves and havenots (or in this case withs and withouts) and specifically homelessness (down and out). Veterens returning from war often have a hard time readjusting to civilian life and are more likely to experience homelessness. The one line that stands out in this section is "Who will deny it's what the fighting's all about?" which I take to refer to the notion of warfare as a continuation of economic policy. |
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| Pink Floyd – On the Run Lyrics
| 9 years ago
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I don't think the explosion at the end is supposed to be taken so literally. Its supposed to be more symbolic, meaning the breakdown of this sort of lifestyle of always being on the run, always travelling, being in a rush to get from point A to point B. |
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| The Beatles – Yellow Submarine Lyrics
| 9 years ago
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I think saying this song is simple and childish is a massive cop-out. First of all, very few people were constructing songs with sound effects in 1966, and they certainly were not reaching as many people that the Beatles were. Second of all, the melody to the verse and chorus are insanely catchy. Simple perhaps, but effective.
To put this song in its proper cultural tradition, one must look back to the absurdist radio program the Goon Show. This song isn't supposed to be interpreted on a symbolic level, its simply a heartwarming song about friendship and a life without worries. |
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| The Beatles – Eleanor Rigby Lyrics
| 9 years ago
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Overcoming loneliness is crucial for health and well-being. I doubt the Beatles were aware of this, but still it is pretty radical that a pop/rock band mostly known for writing love songs would choose to write a song about loneliness in the elderly.
The line about picking up rice at a wedding is about living vicariously through the lives of others. She isn't married and has no one to share her life with the best she can do is collect the rice from wedding ceremonies and dream about what it must be like.
The central question that I think the song is asking is not where do lonely people come from but what is the point of life without the company of other people. Eleanor Rigby puts her makeup on everyday in case someone comes over,but none does. Why? Father Mackenzie works on his sermons that no one listens to. Why bother? |
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| Radiohead – Karma Police Lyrics
| 9 years ago
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I always took the line "talks in maths" to mean he talks in code, i.e. is secretive rather than not making sense. Also, this song is more of a parody of the concept of karma and the hypocrisy of the self-righteous who claim to know who deserves what fate. Just look at the second stanza, "Karma Police, arrest this girl, her Hitler hairdo is making me feel ill and we have crashed her party" -- they're the ones being assholes, not the girl with the shitty haircut. |
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| Radiohead – Let Down Lyrics
| 9 years ago
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In the first stanza you have the image of transport being used to express the idea of life as a conveyer belt (starting and stopping) in the pursuit of security (clinging onto bottles) and when you achieve security its a disappointment. The tone of this song is of hope overcoming desperation and the crushing weight of life's experiences and expectations. It is the image of growing wings and flying away rather than passively moving through life and being crushed like a bug by disappointments. |
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| Radiohead – Exit Music (For a Film) Lyrics
| 9 years ago
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As far as I am concerned, any interpretation of this song that doesn't include discussion of Romeo + Juliet misses the point, since it was written specifically for that movie. I also think the line "we hope you choke" refers not only to the forces that have caused Romeo and Juliet to take their own lives choking on the realisation of what they have caused, but also to the characters choking on the poison they have swallowed. |
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| Radiohead – Subterranean Homesick Alien Lyrics
| 9 years ago
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To the people who interpret this song as relating to the closed-mindedness of small towns, I think the first two stanzas are supposed to convey the exact opposite. Its essentially saying I used to live in a place where you could smell and be refreshed by the surrounding nature but where I live now I cannot. From there it goes on to condemn people being caught up in the rat race, trying not to trip over themselves and being to afraid to upset the status quo. |
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| Radiohead – Paranoid Android Lyrics
| 9 years ago
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Not all songs tell stories. Some are landscapes of internal emotional states. I believe Paranoid Android to be such a song. To understand the song and indeed the entirety of Ok Computer, one must be familiar with the concept of Anomie, defined on wikipeda as a "the breakdown of social bonds between an individual and the community e.g. if under unruly scenarios resulting in fragmentation of social identity and rejection of self-regulatory values."
From the first line to the last, Paranoid Android is a song concerned with the rejection of societal norms. The way I see it, we have "unborn chicken voices" -- meaning a rejection of the standards of food production/consumption, "Gucci little piggy" -- a rejection of fashion/consumption, "the crackle of pigskin" -- sport, "the yuppies networking" mass-communication.
Allusions to Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy are used as a metaphor for the anomic condition, in which positive affect towards humanity is supressed. |
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| Phosphorescent – Song For Zula Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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I feel as if I need to explain my thought process behind the following actions. One does not simply call a track "Song for Zula." Zula is a very specific name, a specific person. This isn't anyone. So I googled Zula and I came across some imdb profile for a charcter from Conan. I don't think this is the meaning of the song per se as the rationale behind the title and the references to cages and freedom etc. |
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| Radiohead – Airbag Lyrics
| 12 years ago
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I can't help but feel that most interpretations of this song so far have failed to encapsulate the full spectrum of meaning in the phrase "jack-knifed juggernaut". Juggernaut has several interpretations which are all integral to the meaning of this song: 1) A destructive and unstoppable force (Ok Computer has several allusions to science fiction, juggernaut has been used extensively within this genre to refer to immense machines of war, which ties up nicely with the openning line "In the next world war" and images of intersteller bursts and the universe); 2) colloquially the term is used in Britain to refer to a semi-trailer truck, which ties up nicely with the "fast German car" and "an airbag saved my life"; 3) the term juggernaut is etymologically derived from Indian culture, where it refers to one of the manifestations of Krishna and literally translates as something like "lord of the universe", the meaning of "unstoppable force" is derived from a religous festival in which large crowds gather rather precariously around large chariots depicting the manifestation of Krishna, this ties up nicely with notions of salvation and rebirth.
Lyrically, the masterful thing Radiohead achieve with this song is to deliberately not give precedence to any of the three meanings of the term juggernaut, allowing for three separate but unified interpretations. |
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| Sonic Youth – Schizophrenia Lyrics
| 12 years ago
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Schizophrenia literally means "split-mind" which is essentially what the two halves of the song are attempting to convey. Its been touched on before, but Sister was inspired the life and writings of Phillip K. Dick who not only had Schizophrenia but also a twin sister who died when he was a baby. |
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| Sonic Youth – Green Light Lyrics
| 12 years ago
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Ok I am just going to pick this song to comment on EVOL's conceptual unity. It explores aberrations of love not love itself. Hence EVOL. |
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| Cradle of Filth – Her Ghost In The Fog Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Dani describes himself as a Luciferian. Cradle of Filth had a lot more philosophicaly satanic lyrics on their first album. Since than it has become more heavily romanticised and employed more as a literary device for explaining events and charcter's motivations etc. |
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| Britney Spears – Break The Ice Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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This is easily one of the best songs of the decade. The whole "I like this part" is post-modern brilliance, favourably comparable to Goddard films. |
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| Radiohead – Paranoid Android Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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References to Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy aside, Paranoid Android could be taken to refer to the dehuminisation of people with mental illness. |
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| Treble Charger – Slight Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Open new doors to life. Rejoice in what you have and know that fresh new experiences are always ahead. Greet the new with open arms, trust life to be wonderful. |
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| Immortal – At The Heart Of Winter Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Yeah, what mata moska said. Blashyrkh is an imaginary kingdom made up by Immortal. Blashyrkh is a romanticised vision of what Immortal would like Norway to ideally be, eternally cold, pristine and powerful. |
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| Radiohead – Go to Sleep. (Little Man Being Erased.) Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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I interpret this song as centering on political consciousness, with sleep being akin to a state of lack of awareness, political unconsciousness. "Something for the rag and bone man", policies that dissuage the suffering of lower socioeconomic groups, the government replies "over my dead body". "We don't want the loonies taking over" we don't want fringe political groups having a say, informing political decisions etc, silence them "tip toe round, tie them down". |
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| Emperor – With Strength I Burn Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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This song refers to ragnorak, which is like the nordic equivalant of the apocalypse in which several norse gods meet their ultimate doom. 'Slaves are those of this world given freedom to lay chains upon the master, the wolf is no longer free' refers to Fenrir who breaks free of his shackles and kills odin before being killed. 'In the distance, I hear the waves wash over solid ground' refers to the rising of Jorgmungandr, the world serpent, who is killed by Thor, who in turn dies from the battle, and the world is flooded. |
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| Emperor – Ensorcelled by Khaos Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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I think the maze refers to the minotaurs' labyrnth, to which seven boys and girls were sacrificed seasonally. Venus, or Aphrodite in the Greek tradition, is partially reponsible for the birth of minotaur, mars is the god of war and this is connected to the references to war and violence throughout the song. He is abscent from the myths surrounding the minotaur though. The first part also refers to the horsemen of the apocalypse, plague, war and death. |
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| Emperor – Thus Spake The Nightspirit Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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'broken seal' refers to the breaking of the seven seals in the book of revelations, signifying the apocalypse. 'Liars bound in thorns' refers to Jesus, who was crowned in thorns, and by extension christianity. I also think the title is a reference to the philosophical work of Nietzsche, especially 'Thus Spoke Zarathrustra', which is concerned amongst other things with free will, and the will to power, which is similar to the doctrines of satanists. |
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| Emperor – Alsvartr (The Oath) Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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I see Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk as a concept album. In the first track, the protagonist binds hmself, either through a Faustian pact ('as I lay this oath') or possession ('I am one with thee') to the Nightspirit, which is a manifestation of the violence and power of both the Nordic and Satanic traditions. In the Divine Comedy the innermost circle of hell, the ninth circle, is described by Dante as a frozen lake of blood, and is where traitors are punished. Satan, who betrayed God, is found at the centre of the ninth circle, frozen in ice and most likely Nightspirirt refers to Satan, a fallen angel, thus 'spread our wings and fly away'. |
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| Behemoth – From Hornedlands to Lindisfarne Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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I hate how badly mixed and underproduced the mid nineties extrememe metal albums tend to be. Lo-fi just doesn't do it for metal. This song references Lindisfarne, which was the site of a medieval monastry that was ransacked by vikings in 793 and 875. This is reflected in the line 'moonless night showed me their return' and drakkars are longships. I also suspect Horned Lands is a reference to the fantasy game Greyhawk. |
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| Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – As I Sat Sadly by Her Side Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Great song, but I don't think it is as ambigous as other songs by Cave. I think this is simply juxtaposing youthful naievity with cynical experience, in relation to the nature of existence. The girl, who is younger than the narrator ('softly she spoke these words to me and with brand new eyes, open wide'), sees the world as good ('lovely and amazing'). I don't see any evidence of the girl being ill, dying or suffering at all in the lyrics. The brushing of the hair, is simply a sign of affection and intimacy. The narrator's sadness, I think stems from the fact that although they are intimate they can't agree on the fundamental nature of the world, and shared beliefs are psychologically important for healthy relationships and attraction etc. Cave highlights this by employing 'different' to describe their faces in the second verse. The narrator rebukes, the girl's naievity which upsets her and she rebukes him in turn. |
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| Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Song of Joy Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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'The sun to me is dark, and silent as the Moon,when she deserts the night, hid in her vacant interlunar cave.' from Samson Agonistes. In the context of the original poem, the lines equate darkness with death and light with life. Also, note the personification of the sun as feminine, and the use of the verb deserts, which in the poem reflects Dalila's betrayal of Samson. This imagery might be used to mirror Dalila's betrayal of Samson with how the narrator feels toward his wife and by extension children, i.e. she betrayed him by turning melancholy. |
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| Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – O'Malley's Bar Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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I disagree with your interpretation of what motivates the killings. 'I bare no grudge against you' and 'To no man I am a stranger' suggests that being an outcast was not in fact the motive. Furthermore, the narrator could almost be seen as a moralist killer in that he kills a bar keeper's family, a divorcee, a fat man, etc. 'I am the man for which no God waits but for which the whole world yearns' is the most problematic line for me. I can't figure out what this refers to or what his name is, but the victims know him, I am certain of that. Another important factor to consider is how the killer feels about the slayings. He shows both signs of repentence and enjoyment of his work. He sees himself as birdlike, and compares himself and his victims to religous figures. The bar is described as being full of God, and this is the point of the song, the killer is carrying out God's will not acting in accordance to his own free will. |
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| Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Deanna Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Yeah, interesting interpretation, I particularly like your reading of "I cum a death's head in her frock" seems reasonable as does the idea of training for further murderous acts. |
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| Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Deanna Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Yeah I think I was interpreting the Klu Klux furniture literally, and I agree with your interpretation of Klu Klux furniture entirely, seems to be a more logical conclusion. |
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| Cradle of Filth – Lord Abortion Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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People seem to still be arguing about the meaning of anon. Its not an author, 'anon' is used in literature as an abbreviation of anonymous, meaning that the author is unknown or unidentifiable etc. Also it is an archaic Old English word which can be used to mean straightaway, soon, or again.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anon
So basically, I think Dani is cleverly using several of these meanings to signify that Lord Abortion, will kill again, soon, and will kill unknown victims, i.e. people who are unknown to him. |
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| The Whitlams – No Aphrodisiac Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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...or as she didn't say. She just quoted someone else. What she added was that it is gorgeous, which it isn't. But yeah I pretty much agree with your interpretation although I don't really see any evidence of love, feels to me more like longing or lust |
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| Jimmy Barnes – Working Class Man Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Please do tell how I am Woman is a sexist song, and I'm sure some men do complain about it. Thanks for the concern about my inclusion in society, but I'm actually quite content with my social life. |
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| Jimmy Barnes – Working Class Man Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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What is it with Australians and the fucking herd instinct? YOU'RE NOT ONE OF US!!! I'M SCARED!!! It's not a great song, its mediocre at best. Chisel and Jimmy have a lot better songs in their repoitore. Furthermore, why on earth would I not complain about something I find distasteful or instead write my own song, presumably about this song? I might just do that and call it 'Working Class Hero is an Overrated Misogynist Anthem Liked by People of no worth to the Development of mankind' And it doesn't define what it is to be an aussie, because a) not all Australians are working class or b) male. If you can't handle someone expressing an opinion different to your own than you should grow up. |
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| Jimmy Barnes – Working Class Man Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Do you think this is directed towards women, not know what former is, or just failed to read what you wrote before posting? And lets just accept its an Australian classic and ignore what it is actually saying. No wait, this is Australia and we slaughter sacred cows and barbecue them rather than just accept their status unquestionably. This song is drivel. |
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| Jimmy Barnes – Working Class Man Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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awesome logic, chisel, obviously australian men who actually aspire to do more with their lives than repair pipes and faulty circuits or shoot people with a differnt skin colour aren't men. This song is dated and reflects a vision of Australia which is no longer relevant. Australia is one of the most secular western countries. Who the fuck in Australia has any connection to god or a rural existence? I know I don't. I'd like to think this song is not representative of Australian men, but it probably is. It perpetuates and glorifies false myths about what it is to be Australian and male. |
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