| Rob Thomas – Problem Girl Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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As opposed to others here, while i do think the "girl" in the song feels like a "problem", it's not because of people being mean to her, or otherwise behaving poorly. Instead, I see her as someone who thinks putting any "problem" on others makes her unlikeable. To wit: "Don't let 'em get where they're going to" She wants people to pass her by and carry on with their life without dealing with her putting her problem on them. "You know they're only what they think of you" In her mind, when people become aware of her problems, that becomes all they think about, and that thought makes her feel bad. "You heard of this emotional trickery And you felt like you were learning the ropes" She thinks that talking with friends about her problems tricks them into caring for her, but it makes her feel like she's using them. "But where you're going now you don't now" However, doing that is not good for her - she's bottling up everything inside, and she seems to be the only one who doesn't notice it. "And when the kids on the street say What's your problem girl" Everyone's trying to be an ear, to try and get her to open up. "And the weight of their smile's just Too much for you to bear" But their being nice and trying to help is hard for her to accept. "When they all make you feel Like you're a problem girl Remember You're no problem at all You're no problem at all" But to them, she's not a problem at all. She's a friend. "Pride like promises can let you down" Her being stubborn is, in the end, only hurting her. "You thought that you'd be feeling Better by now" She thought that getting away from everything would change things for the better, but it's not. "You worry all the things they could do to you You worry about the things they could say" But she's so concerned about worst-case scenarios, and how they could treat her poorly if she opened up. "Maybe you're seeing things the wrong way" But she's not seeing how her friends could be kind, supportive and everything she needs. "Try If you stand or you fall You're no problem at all" At her best, or at her worst, she's not a problem. Once more, she's a friend. |
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| Vertical Horizon – Carrying On Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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It's clear the person the narrator is talking about is struggling with their self-image: "The waves on the shore / Can't be ignored / Soon they're all around you" can be translated very simply as "you're drowning in your own negative thoughts, to the point where the only thing on your mind is your self-doubt". Other people (friends? Family? Both?) have tried, and failed, to help, and they've now given up: "the cavalry's failed / They've all gone". But the person is "holding on", somehow, surviving through the turmoil, but that's not what they expected, or wanted, from life: "somehow is not what you asked for". The narrator makes it clear in the chorus that they're their significant other: "Why do you cry in the morning / When the light is just forming". They wake up, alone together, at every dawn, with the subject crying in their despair. The narrator helps as much as they can, but they're struggling to get through, since the significant other thinks they're just doing it out of a sense of duty: "I know you think I'm just carrying on". But they're not. They've been in the same place, mentally: "I've been where you're going"; and they know this person doesn't deserve to do the same: "and it's not worth knowing", wasting days in their current state of mind: "burning the days and just carrying on". Everything keeps building, though, with every thought sowing seeds into more and more, though they're trying to find a way to stop the pain: "you search for the way / to harvest the pain / but fallout is contagious". The narrator knows this, and knows that, hard as they try, this person can't do it. Not on their own, at least. "Knowing your head / No control / Of what you let go". Part of the problem is their expectations, as they clearly idealize what their life should be, and can't accept any less, even if some moments do fulfill all their desires: "Sometimes / It's no what you dreamed of". The bridge uses the old line: "I've forgotten more than you'll ever know" to demonstrate that, though this person thinks they know everything about themselves, they really need to step back, and actually realize that they don't understand themselves at all: "After all that you've forgotten / You still don't understand". They blame life, the world, everything around them, for failing to reach their expectations, when really, there's nothing to blame. Everything just is what it is, and not just accepting that is ruining their life: "you think the world broke its promise / but it just slipped right through your hands". The last verse almost seems like it takes the figurative sense in the first verse, and turns it literal: "the waves on the shore / Can't be ignored / Soon they're all around you..." |
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| The Goo Goo Dolls – Happiest of Days Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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Sounds like a relationship with a person that suffers from depression. In that context, it's actually a very complex song lyrically. Among the symptoms of depression is overactive thoughts, which fits the first verse. I still hear the last line of each verse as "I know you're wrong, I know you're strong", which also fits with the general feeling of worthlessness depression brings. It can also be difficult for non-sufferers to relate and be supportive due to the often times random nature of episodes, sometimes without any obvious triggers, which fits a lot of the rest of the song: keeping to yourself to keep from making things worse after saying things like "just get over it". When you understand depression, and especially how sufferers cope, you learn that the best way to be supportive is to just listen. In the song, it definitely sounds like the narrator said something dumb about it, and it's putting a major strain on their relationship, but they want to fix it. There's no doubt they have strong feelings for the person in question, especially when the individual is struggling on their own ("it's so hard to see you staring right past me"). There's actually a level of heartwarming in the line from the title ("while you're struggling through the happiest of days"), considering, as the thought that they consider their life happy, even as they struggle through a mental illness that makes them feel sad, is pretty sweet. |
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| David Gray – Knowhere Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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A New Day At Midnight was written and recorded just after David's father died of cancer in 2001, and most songs seem to relate to that (it was dedicated to him, after all). Within that context, I think the song becomes much more straight forward. The first verse would be entering the hospital room. He says he wanted in, as soon as he does, he realizes he lied when he sees his father "just skin and bones". The chorus becomes a lament for a lost parent; "I don't know where I / I don't know what I'm / Supposed to do now / Get it on all night", while the end give the oft-repeated line about "being strong" and "keeping it all inside" when face with the death of a parent, especially for boys/men. The second verse gives a bit of that odd and often culturally misunderstood feeling of almost ecstasy when faced with grief. 36 hours later, he's "suck[ing] on the sympathy and feel[ing] the rush", and though it might not feel right, it helps get out of the moment and move on, even if he's still not sure how. It's actually an interesting song in its purity of relaying grief and moving on from it. |
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| U2 – When I Look At The World Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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As opposed to many people here, I view the narrator of the song being the pessimist with a jaded view of the world, and more importantly, wishing they could be the optimist like the person the narrator is talking to: "When you look at the world / What is it that you see? / People find all kinds of things / That bring them to their knees." The narrator wants to be like the person they're talking to. To be able to change the atmosphere in a room just by walking into it: "I see an expression / So clear and so true / That changes the atmosphere / When you walk into the room", and to be able to look at people who are facing terrible conditions or events and find a way to find a positive in those conditions or events so they can handle such conditions without shame or heartbreak: "When there's all kinds of chaos / And everyone is walking lame / You don't even blink now do you? / Don't even look away." The chorus, however, seems to indicate more romantic indications with the use of "without you it's no use", almost as if the narrator *can* be the optimist like the person they're talking to, but only when that person is around: "So I try to be like you / Try to feel it like you do / But *without you* it's no use / I can't see what you see / When I look at the world." I agree with the obvious religious overtones with the last verse, especially the Pope John Paul II ideas, since that so strongly fits Bono's persona and writing style. That said, I don't think that "I think of you and your holy book" must refer to the Bible or any religious book in general. I rather look at it as referring to a mindset, or a coping mechanism, one might fall back on when things get rough, to be able to see the worst of the world, whether that be nature, humans or whatever else and still find the best of the world around you. I find that view really makes the lament at the end of "Tell me, tell me / What do you see? / Tell me, tell me / What's wrong with me?" extremely sad. The narrator wants so badly to understand how this person can be so positive and have such a great effect on everyone they're around, they think there's something wrong with them because they just can't. They can't shake their pessimistic thoughts that "are too expensive to keep", and it's becoming too much to bear. |
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| Gin Blossoms – As Long As It Matters Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I've always thought of this as being from the point of view of someone that's dying, and the thing that "matters" is his/her life up to that point, especially in the eyes of the person he/she's with, whether it be a parental figure, a friend or someone he/she is in love with. ...Or maybe I'm just trying to make this song deeper than it already is. :) |
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| David Usher – Love Will Save The Day Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I think this song is way deeper than on face value. Take the first verse, "the pornography made me do it / So'd those drugs that got us high." A lot of people like to blame things in the world for the way people are, in this case, why children are rebellious, and, to a lot of older people, troublemakers. In reality, they shouldn't be blaming things, like pornography and drugs, but themselves, as it's people that shape other people, especially younger people. As much as we like to deny it, we all have rolemodels that we try to be like, and the last people we think about as rolemodels is always ourselves. Then there's the 2nd half of the verse, "So I walk you down into the water / But you keep up for air / All those people, they don't give a damn, they just stood around and stared." I think this is a subtle nod toward the war in Iraq, and maybe war in general. We all get mad when our country goes to war, or "walks" us "down into the water", but we don't actually ever do anything, we just stand around and stare. As we goes to the lead-in to the chorus, I think David is actually going "ha", as in, "see, I told you". What he's telling us is only "love will save the day". Nothing else. Not religion; "Last night God was on the TV screen / Taking dollars for their pain", or science; "C'mon, talk about that evolution / It's been poisoning my mind". He's tired of people waiting for something else, an entity that might not even exsist, to save us from ourselves. "I've been waiting for a savior / Yeah, I've been waiting for sign". I think this is said somewhat sarcastically. We've all been waiting so long for something else to come, but there's nothing so far. As an episode of "Futurama" once smartly said, the best thing you can do, as a God, is make people think you've done nothing at all. Faith in religion is such a tricky thing, and it's not a set-in-stone thing. Since that's the case, it's very suseptible to tampering to one's will, and we see it all the time. The end is probably the most curious part to me, as I can take it to mean at least two things. It could, again, be a poke at those that say but never do. We all want "love to save the day", but we don't want to do it. We all think, well, "maybe tomorrow". On the other hand, it could be him being hopeful. A thought that it hasn't happened yet, but "maybe tomorrow" it will. A very deep and emotional song. Keep it up, David! |
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| U2 – Window in the Skies Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I dunno why, but I keep getting the feeling this song was inspired by Live 8, and the results of it. Lyrics like "The bullet's quit the gun", which is, to me, talking about child soldiers in Africa, "The rule has been disproved", which makes me think about the media's doubt that 'washed up musicians' can make a difference, "All debts are removed", which is about the ultimate success, and "can't you see what a love has done", which is about how if you just decide to have love for everyone, anything is possible. Just another viewpoint. |
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| Crush – Live Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Great song. Pretty much the singer trying to silence people telling him that what he's doing isn't a good idea. He just wants to live his life, and that's what he's going to do. |
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| Crush – King For A Day Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Yeah, this was their breakout song in Canada, though they're on hiatus right now. Too bad the video sucked. *sigh* Anyway, about the song itself, it seems like the singer's trying to figure out his whole life. At the start, what I would figure at the beginning of the day, he's happy with the way it is, he's "fresh out of regret", and has decided to quit smoking. But later on, he's unable to handle what they day's thrown at him. He tries to put a brave face on, but he's unable to deal with the strains, and the day's not even over. I think the chorus is probably him wanting to pretend that he's in control of everything, even if just for a day. "Everything in it's place / Like I was king for a day". The second verse is very cryptic to me. One the surface, it seems to refer to his wife or girlfriend, but underneath, it could relate to a daughter, mother, or just a friend. Considering the particular view on this part, the rest of the song pretty much means what it says. Hopefully they get back together soon and write some more gems. Canada could use another good alternative band. :) |
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| Crush – Here Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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In my eyes, it's more that just a breakup song. Instead, it seems to be about a person leaving someone they love because the stars just aren't aligned for them. It seems there's a few reasons behind it. As the singer says, he "caused (her) pain", but despite leaving her, the singer still loves her; "It shouldn't be so hard to be in love." Despite all this, she seems to still love him, too. She's extremely depressed, so much so that she doesn't even water her roses, something she does religiously. The singer still thinks it's for the best, as though he's open for the relationship in his heart, he knows in his mind, it's "something that's just not there" for them. Great song by a great band. |
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