submissions
| The National – Lemonworld Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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I think it might be "I'm too tight to drive anywhere anyway," seeing as tight is sort of an old-timey word for drunk. |
submissions
| Neutral Milk Hotel – Two Headed Boy Pt. 2 (Live at Jittery Joe's) Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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This actually isn't a new version. Though it wasn't released until 2001, it was actually recorded in March 1997. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea wasn't released until February 1998, so the Aeroplane version of the song is actually the completed version of the song. |
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| Okkervil River – Westfall Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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This song reminds me of a Dutch/French film "Spoorloos (The Vanishing)." The antagonist of the film rescues a young girl from drowning and is praised as a hero. To determine whether he was actually as good as everyone seemed to believe he was, he decided to perform the most evil act he could think of to balance out the good deed. So he kidnaps a woman and buries her alive. I guess the parallel between the film and the song then would be the theme that nobody is inherently good or evil, that the people who seem and are capable of the greatest acts are just as capable of the most wicked acts. |
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| Cold War Kids – Every Man I Fall For Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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The line is "It's the law of diminishing returns." This is an economic law concerning employment. When firms hire employees, each employee produces a certain amount of output, or "returns." Each additional employee adds to this total output. However, it gets to the point where each additional employee crowds the workspace and hinders production, so that each employee is therefore able to produce less output for their wages. Therefore your returns begin to diminish if you hire too many employees. |
submissions
| Sigur Rós – Gong Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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All I know about this song is that it is intensely emotional and extremely beautiful. That, frankly, is all that matters. |
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| Sigur Rós – Veröld Ný Og Óð Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I've read elsewhere that the title means "Brave New World," which I would think was an allusion to Aldous Huxley's novel. |
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| Cold War Kids – Hospital Beds Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I think the quote from Nathan Willett is pretty definitive as far as the literal meaning of the song. But I think what the song is really about is just life in general. We can't control our situation in life, it really isn't up to us. "I did not choose him, he did not choose me." Sometimes it can get pretty bleak, "no chance of recovery." But what is up to us is what we make of it. We can either choose to whine or we can make the best of it. I think there is also a sense that life is about forging relationships, because everything is always easier to handle if you don't have to handle it alone, "sharing hospital joy and misery." |
submissions
| The National – Secret Meeting Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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"I'm talking ace" is definitely correct. When I saw them live I could hear pretty clearly that that was what they were saying. As for the second part, I also hear "fold," but instead of "but I'm folding" I hear "Don't fold it." But only the band knows. |
submissions
| Modest Mouse – Bankrupt on Selling Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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This song, as many people have related, seems to be about people exploiting other people, even those close to them, just to get ahead or be fashionable or whatnot. I would just like to point out (and someone might have already pointed this out) that he uses religious figures in a couple places, ie. the apostles and the angels. It seems like the church is being linked to backstabbing and selling people out just to make a profit. Coincidence? Let's just say it wouldn't surprise me if that link was intended. |
submissions
| The National – Squalor Victoria Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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As for the birds in the sleeves, I have a potential answer. Magicians usually have some trick where a bird flies out of their hand from seemingly nowhere, so maybe it refers to Bush believeing he can "magically" win this war on terror and so he's gonna rush in their with the fools. I realize this is quite a stretch. As for themes of the National songs, while many of their songs in the past and on Boxer tend to be personal, I find that a few on Boxer have potential political undertones, ie. "Fake Empire" and "Gospel." |
submissions
| Bloc Party – Waiting for the 7:18 Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I wonder if the line "I'd pick and I'd eat more wild blackberries" refers to the poem "Blackberry-Picking" by Seamus Heaney. I had to write an explication of that poem a while back and it seemed to me that it had some of the same themes of looking back on childhood in a somewhat regretful manner. Has anyone else made this conection, or am I way offbase? |
submissions
| The National – Squalor Victoria Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Okay, maybe I'm just seeing this because I want to, but I see this song being about our president. "I'm going down among the saints." Bush is a champion of right-wing evangelical Christians. What's more, squalor is a state of being filthy and unclean, while Victoria obviously means victory or victorious. Any connections? I think so. What's more, we do seem to praise ourselves, "raise our heavenly glasses to the heavens," if you will, for this so called victory in Iraq. But, as we all know, it isn't working Mr. President, my middlebrow fuck-up. |
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| The National – Gospel Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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This song really reminds me of where I live. It's a typical suburbia, full of trophy wives and rampant right-wing Christianity. This song specifically reminds me of how the people in my community act relating to the war, if it can be called that. They support it, as long as it doesn't affect them. In this song, the speaker seems to be experiencing the same feeling of suburban disregard-- he is hanging holiday rainbow lights, he wants to come over because he's bored, and they are playing GI blood. But this is about to change, and it is about to directly affect him. He is being called up to service, the killers (meaning the US military) are calling on him, and I think the gravity of the situation is finally hitting him, and he is getting scared, and asking his darling to help him prepare, ie tying his string. I might have completely missed the mark here, but this is what the song means to me. |
submissions
| Wolf Parade – You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I don't think the band had this in mind when writing this song, in fact it's highly improbable, but this song reminds me of Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls. The main character, Robert Jordan, is fighting in the Spanish Civil War and realizes that the mission he is carrying out will lead to his death. This causes him to think about his relationship with his father. He always thought of his father as an oversensitive person, somehow less manly. Jordan also thought of his father as a coward for committing suicide. Once again, this might not even be relevant. I just finished reading this book, though, and it's fresh on my mind so I can see some similarities to these lyrics. |
submissions
| Death Cab for Cutie – Crooked Teeth Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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First of all I would just like to say that this song was fantastic live. It had a lot of energy and was fun to hear. As for the lyrics, I think it is about a guy (or girl) who feels like he is falling for someone with whom he has been friends with for a while. However, this friend does not share these feelings, and never has or will, because "you can't find nothin' at all if there was nothin' there all along." I could be wrong about this, and the theory of a deteriorating relationship could be true as well. |
submissions
| Arcade Fire – Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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I think this song is about two people, obviously young as they live with their parents, who are going through some form of deep grief. This is a common theme among Arcade Fire songs, as both Win and Regine lost family members in short spans of time. In order to deal with their grief, these two young people seek comfort in one another, and effectively run away from the difficulties of society together until they forget what it means to be civilized. All they have left of their past lives is a faint memory of their bedrooms and parents, wondering what has become of them. These thoughts, however, are alleviated because they have each other, which is all they need or want. |
submissions
| Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Some Loud Thunder Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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Despite the distortion of his voice, I still love this song. It is one of the best off this album, and while it wouldn't fit on their first album I think the quality of the music is comparable. You have to realize that Clap Your Hands will always be attempting to come up with new and experimental ways to play music, and you just have to embrace it. |
submissions
| Bloc Party – The Answer Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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It could be about Bush, especially the part about bombing us back together. However, I think it is about christianity, the hypocrisy that is often involved with it, and the popularization and pretentiousness of the religion. That's just how I see it. |
submissions
| Modest Mouse – Bankrupt on Selling Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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I believe this song is about how people will sell anything for profit, whether monetary or social. I believe the part about college, seeing as Isaac did not go to college, is about the futility and pretetiousness of going to school because you simply learn some big words and talk real loud just to be heard. |
submissions
| Modest Mouse – Bankrupt on Selling Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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I believe this song is about how people will sell anything for profit, whether monetary or social. I believe the part about college, seeing as Isaac did not go to college, is about the futility and pretetiousness of going to school because you simply learn some big words and talk real loud just to be heard. |
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| Modest Mouse – Head South Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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I think it's about changing who you are because you are ashamed of yourself. Isaac is singing in response to this, ridiculing this notion. He wants people to be satisfied with who they are, not change because of what other people think. |
submissions
| Modest Mouse – Never Ending Math Equation Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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This isn't specifically about the song, but I have seen many people commenting on Isaac's stance on God and what he believes regarding the topic. While Isaac is a self proclaimed athiest, he refers to God in a good number of his songs. This leads me to believe that he does, maybe subconsciously, acknowledge the existence of God or, at the very least, is an agnostic not knowing what to believe. Just my thoughts on the topic. |
submissions
| Modest Mouse – Never Ending Math Equation Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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This isn't specifically about the song, but I have seen many people commenting on Isaac's stance on God and what he believes regarding the topic. While Isaac is a self proclaimed athiest, he refers to God in a good number of his songs. This leads me to believe that he does, maybe subconsciously, acknowledge the existence of God or, at the very least, is an agnostic not knowing what to believe. Just my thoughts on the topic. |
submissions
| Bloc Party – Helicopter Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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This is one of my favorite songs. I do agree with the Bush theory, and it seems very likely. However, in an interview Okereke denied that it was about Bush. This might just be so he could get people off his back, considering he is a very private person and doesn't like media attention. |
submissions
| Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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I'm not sure, but I believe that this song might be autobiographical, if Alec is from West Virginia. I know that the band lives in New York City, with the exception of Alec who lives outside of Philadelphia in the suburbs. I think he talks about his move to New York, but doesn't like it because it was too fast a change, from a rural background to this huge city. So he moves to the suburbs of Philadelphia, which by the way is a wonderful part of the country. In all, it's about a young man moving to the city, not liking it, and moving again to a place in between urban and rural, the suburbs, all the while not wanting to give up his rural background. |
submissions
| Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – In This Home on Ice Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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First I would just like to say that this is absolutely my favorite song, and that Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is in my top three favorite bands. As for the lyrics, I agree with thebot that it is about society, although I can where MoonArcher is coming from. That's the beauty of CYHSY, the way they write their lyrics leaves them open for interpretation. Unlike thebot, I don't think it is all about government, but more the social and cultural aspects of society. Im gonna try to break down the lyrics verse by verse.
The first, I don't quite understand the radiant blue part, but the part about dancing and being sad, I think he alludes to how people try to hide their emotions for fear of being vulnerable, so even though he is sad, he's gonna dance so he seems happy.
The second verse I believe is about how we define what is socially acceptable and how we ostracize those who don't fit that description. As for the part about "all that we had salvaged from the fire" I think he alludes to the emphasis we put on material goods. If a fire were to break out, we would attempt to salvage material goods, which in the long run are a waste of time.
Next I think he talks of celebrities and the media and pop culture. The rust on tv seems obvious to me. The disagreement with the dispossesed understressed ... I think alludes to how celebrities think of how they are important and always want more and how they lead fluffy lives and yet aren't satisfied.
The nest verse I do believe is about politics, and more specifically war. We've "Set out to plow unknown enemies" I think alludes to how we have gone to war with a country in hopes of fixing their government, and yet we know nothing about them. And yet the American public sits back watching it on CNN thinking this is some grand war, hence "Gee it looks so nice."
The final verse is just a summary. "Shout just let it on out" refers to the first verse about revealing emotions. "Confusion becomes a Philosophy" refers to how our society is so confusing that everyone just gets caught up in confusion and it becomes a way of life. The next line I think is about eventually (or rather hopefully) we will get to a point when we don't have to worry about all this, but until that time "Let's just take it slow on this home on ice."
This interpretation is in no way authoritative. These are simply my personal reflections on the song, and may hold no more merit than this is how the song makes me feel. This is only my opinion. Once again, this is one reason why I love CYHSY, their lyrics are open for personal interpretation. |
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