submissions
| Sublime – Badfish Lyrics
| 8 years ago
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I forgot to add, for people who say this song was written before Brad was on Heroine. Badfish was written after Pool Shark. I don't think anyone will question what Pool Shark is about. |
submissions
| Sublime – Badfish Lyrics
| 8 years ago
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I hate when people find drug meanings in songs that aren't there, but in this case Badfish is a song about addiction. There are two pieces that some of you are missing. First "Badfish" was a slang term that Sublime and their friends used for a junkie. That is why when the narrator is talking to the woman he's talking too he notices the "four pints of booze" and then asks "Are you a badfish too?" ie are you an alcoholic or is this a party.
The second part of that is important to know. Is the word that he often changed when singing the song live. Every time I saw them he sang the line as "Lord knows I'm weak. Will somebody get me off of this tweek." Obviously heroine is not tweek but he was using reef as a way to refer to drug addiction in general.
Here is the thing with Sublime, their music is often fast and upbeat because of the reggae rhythms. So, the 90s drug culture latched onto the bad and many thought they were glamorizing drugs and alcohol and partying. But if you pay attention to the lyrics, most of their references are very very sad. Bradley knew he was going to die, he just couldn't find a way to help himself. In this song he's met someone with alcohol and he's warning them of who he really is. He's not a party guy he's a badfish, a parasite, one of the germs in the water. He used environmental and ocean reference because being from Long Beach that's what he knew.
I don't claim to be in their inner circle, I lived in northern Ca not south. But I met they guys after concerts a couple of times and have even been growled at my Louie Dog. I've heard them use badfish as a reference to junkies. This song is by far their most symbolic and probably the best lyrically. |
submissions
| Creedence Clearwater Revival – Lookin' Out My Back Door Lyrics
| 8 years ago
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@[chrisb1:8222] The "Flying Spoon" is one of those spinning fair rides. Not every thing with the a word in in that's been usurped by drug culture is a reference to drug culture. Those words all had long held meanings before. But if it makes you feel better about your choices continue to read drugs into every song ever written more power to you. |
submissions
| Billy Joel – I Go To Extremes Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Being Bipolar (used to be refered to as manic-depressive) this has always been my them song. I've never heard a song that captures the experiance better. |
submissions
| The Band – Ophelia Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Don't worry too much Rayman the part about being offended was said with my tou firmly in cheek. And yes, I am by far the exception. I never even thought "darken my door" referred to skin color although it's an intriguing thought. BTW nowhere in the song does it talk about her owning land. An other interesting interpretation (speaking of hamlet) a friend of mine always thought "The Ghost is Clear" was a reference to hamlet and that this Ophelia also committed suicide. (I’m more partial to Beatrice as an interesting female character my self) Something else worth noting Ophelia is a Greek name meaning “help” it is quite fitting for the song, I’ve often wondered if that was intentional. I don't know. We do agree about one thing, I don't think who Ophelia is or isn’t is at all important to the song. In fact, she could be a pet and not even a human at all and it wouldn't change this great song. What really matters is how deeply the narrator misses her. The beauty of the song is how much longing and love is portrait in relatively few words. You intertwine that with the horns and you have a song that gets better with each listening. |
submissions
| Led Zeppelin – That's the Way Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I’ve always got the impression that the "friend" in this song is gay. Maybe an older kid who the narrator used to look up too. and people in the small town have now found out that he is gay and there families are telling kids to stay away. And the narrator is a young child who doesn't really understand what is going on and why his old friend is now a bad person to the rest of the town, because in his childhood mind nothing has changed. |
submissions
| The Band – Ophelia Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I’m 27 and quite offended Rayman. This is one of my all time favorite band songs. And I’ve always thought it wasn’t just about any southern belle, but a black woman. I’ve always thought that that is why she had to run away and how they where “up against the law” but then again what do I know ;) |
submissions
| Traffic – John Barleycorn Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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It’s about beer and all alcohol distilled from barley. But more then that, about three men trying to give up drinking and failing. The song is a ballad of alcoholism not beer for beer sake. The irony of this song is that Chris Woods (traffics sax player/flutist) died of alcohol poisoning. Think about it and read the lyrics again. |
submissions
| Traffic – Feelin' Alright Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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As far as the lyrics, I think hippoman is right. I just went back a listed yet again with headphones and I think it’s “die.” As far at the meaning, I think you are both right in away. That song is about the point in a relationship where everyone knows that it is over but doesn’t know how to let I go. Maybe because it’s comfortable or because they aren’t sure how. So they keep recapping the same old ground and taking it back only to repeat the cycle. We’ve all been there; at least I know I have. |
submissions
| Bon Jovi – Dry County Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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"I made my bed I'll lie in it. To die in it's the crime" my be one of the best twist on a cliché I have ever heard. |
submissions
| Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Just A Song Before I Go Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Actually, this song is a bit of a joke. Graham had 5 minutes before he had to leave for the airport and someone bet him he couldn’t write a decent song in that time. So he penned this tune took his winnings and took off. |
submissions
| Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Almost Cut My Hair Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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To me this song always felt like it was about the draft. The “almost cut my hair” being a reference to the buzz cut of the army, and the “I feel like I’m owing someone” being the feelings of guilt that are placed on those who are against a war. And of course, the draft caused massive feelings of paranoia in many people. Especially as the draft approached there number.. And the sweet summer weather I always saw as a reference to South America and running from the war. Then again, maybe I’m over reaching who knows. Either way it’s a great song. |
submissions
| Creedence Clearwater Revival – Wrote a Song for Everyone Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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The story behind this song is actually one of my favorites. CCR’s “producer” Saul Zantz (john fogerty really produced the music) was breathing down Fogerty’s neck to come up with the next hit song. The pressure was getting to John as he was beginning to feel that the whole future of the band hung on him and him alone. A real prelude to the bands brake up. Anyway, John’s wife at the time was trying to help him through it but he felt like he couldn’t even turn to her. In frustration, he locked him self in his study and wrote this song. His own feelings of frustration came out in a brilliant metaphor that holds a much broader meaning when listened too on the outside. |
submissions
| Creedence Clearwater Revival – Who'll Stop the Rain? Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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It was written about the music industry and how they ripped off young people to get there money. As Saul Zantz did to the members of the band. It was inspired by CCR’s performance at Woodstock and grew from there. So it is a political song, but about the hidden politics of the music industry. |
submissions
| Creedence Clearwater Revival – Someday Never Comes Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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This has always been my favorite song. Tbone I love your interpretation of the song. Although John Fogerty had written it about fathers going away after a divorce (as his father did and he did later) and trying to let his son know that he understood how he felt. I think your interpretation is much more interesting. |
submissions
| Creedence Clearwater Revival – Proud Mary Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Drugs? Please. CCR was probably the least drug-induced band of the time. All though they did there, experimenting they never performed high and Fogerty never wrote hi. He felt that the belief that drugs made people more creative was not only wrong but also sad. This song is simply a beautifully told story about live on the river. Don’t over think it. |
submissions
| Creedence Clearwater Revival – Lookin' Out My Back Door Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Drugs? Please. CCR was probably the least drug-induced band of the time. All though they did there, experimenting they never performed high and Fogerty never wrote hi. He felt that the belief that drugs made people more creative was not only wrong but also sad. This song was written for his children. It’s about watching a carnival come through town through the eyes of a child. He was imagining what these strange things may look like to a kid. And that’s straight from the horse’s moth. |
submissions
| Creedence Clearwater Revival – Have You Ever Seen the Rain? Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Ebowtheletter the full band never recorded an other album after this. Tom left before the tour following this album. In addition, the last CCR album was in fact different then any other, with Stu Cook and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford writing and sings on some songs. The band was dead before that last album, and the member are the first to admit it today. John did in fact write this song about the band falling apart. They where still playing hits (ie the sunny day) but he could still feel the rain. |
submissions
| Creedence Clearwater Revival – Down On The Corner Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Actually, this song is about Creedence. Willy is John, Rooster Doug, Blinky Stu and Poorboy Tom. It’s just a song about a group of guys who love to play together as CCR once did. I’m sorry they lost that joy! |
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