submissions
| Kyuss – Freedom Run Lyrics
| 4 months ago
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@[ZestyMordant:49390] This is awesome and I think you will dig it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fMDb7BLUlU |
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| Death Cab for Cutie – You've Haunted Me All My Life Lyrics
| 11 months ago
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This is a masterfully written song by Ben. On first impression, it seems to be about either unrequited love or a lost romantic love from long ago. But this song is about something far bigger than that. Ben is talking about the never-ending pursuit of a happy peaceful life. A key line is "You are the mistress I can't make a wife". A mistress is someone a person enjoys fleetingly - a few hours here and a few hours there. But she's not the person you share your life with/spend the days of your life with. Ben is saying he's experienced that peace & joy only fleetingly but he can never truly obtain it. He's been on the search for that true peace & happiness all his life - through hi career, his marriage to Zooey D etc... But he's come up short every time. He's not alone in that regard. |
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| Atlanta Rhythm Section – So Into You Lyrics
| 2 years ago
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This song was inspired by co-writer Robert Nix\' love (from afar) for Leslie Hawkings. Leslie was a member of The Honkettes - the female backing singers for Lynyrd Skynyrd. |
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| Kate Bush – The Morning Fog Lyrics
| 2 years ago
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This is the song of The Ninth Wave in which Kate has said the female protagonist is rescued and lives. I’ve always interpreted it as a rebirth after death. A more specific interpretation is that she is saved, her old self has died and she is spiritually reborn of water as a new person with a new belief/worldview. |
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| Tom Petty – The Best Of Everything Lyrics
| 3 years ago
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This is one of Petty's best 'deep cuts'. Sad that too few know about this track. It's the final song on the Southern Accents album and what an emotional tune it is to close out the album. (The alternative version of this song is the best b/c it contains an extra verse.) This is a song that cuts right to the bone. Petty, though clearly not fully over this girl, is wishing well to a long-lost love. He's lost track of her through the years and wonders what's become of her and what she decided to do with herself in life. He hopes it has all worked out for her and hopes she's found what she was looking for. But he You can hear the hurt in the lyric and Petty's voice. The horns are used perfectly and give the song a stately feel.This track certainly taps into an emotion that so many of us have experienced at least once in our lives. A companion song that comes to mind is "Black" by Pearl Jam. |
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| The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979 Lyrics
| 3 years ago
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@[Arianrhod:34596] So I guess you are about 35 years old now. What have you discovered since you wrote that post back in February 2005? |
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| The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979 Lyrics
| 3 years ago
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@[Arianrhod:34595] So I guess you are about 29/30 years old now. What have you discovered since you wrote that post back in February 2005? |
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| Kate Bush – The Saxophone Song Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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This song is the young Kate Bush's homage to one of her idols - David Bowie. The song opens with "You'll find me in a Berlin bar......when I'm listening to you". This of course is a nod to Bowie who, at the time this song was written, was living in Berlin composing what would eventually be considered some of his finest work.
"Tuning in on your saxophone" also alludes to Bowie in that he (Bowie) played the saxophone on all of his own songs. And in the final verse Kate expresses how much Bowie's music has meant to her and how it inspires her: "You'll never know that you had all of me/You'll never know the poetry you stirred in me/Of all the stars I've seen that shine so brightly/I've never known or felt in myself do rightly". Wonderfully subtle homage by Kate - she never states Bowie's name or makes it beyond obvious so it's like a coded message to the man recognized only by other Bowie-philes. |
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| Iggy Pop – I Got a Right! Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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“I Got a Right” will always get my vote for the single most ferocious rock n roll song ever recorded. It’s absolutely relentless. Ig’s vocal delivery + James Williamson’s guitar = greatness. |
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| David Bowie – Blackstar Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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One of Bowie's masterpieces for sure. And considering how long he'd been writing and recording songs by this time - and that he was dying of cancer as well - it's truly amazing that he was still able to create art of this magnitude.
Regarding the interpretation, in a general sense this track is surely about Bowie's impending death. It is reflected both in the lyrics as well as the music. Lyrically, he tells us he's a "solitary candle". Bowie's life is about to flicker put like the candle. He tells us it's the "day of execution" "at the center of it all." Bowie is saying his death moment has arrived, it's his moment.
Then the song cascades into a middle part that sounds like a transition is taking place. At this point in the song, Bowie is transitioning from life to death. By the time he sings "Something happened in the day he died..." his transition from life to death has taken place. The music has now changed from the ominous sounding Gregorian chants to a lighter, more freer sounding melody. And Bowie tells us he's now a "blackstar" and no longer any of the things he had formally been - "pop star", "film star", "white star", "star star". I do believe Bowie used the word "blackstar" as a result of both the Elvis Presley song (he was a huge Elvis fan and Bowie band members have spoken of how he studied Elvis and Sinatra) as well as the reference to the British TV series Peaky Blinders where in Season 1 a black star was used to indicate death. Bowie loved Peaky Blinders. |
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| Blind Melon – I Wonder Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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@[MELONcholy:33049] Yep, that line gets me every single time. And that feeling goes deeper with each passing year. |
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| Kelly Willis – Talk Like That Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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Love this song so much. Yes, it touches on that thing of how if you're a Southerner and you hear a Southern accent in an unexpected place it just brings you right back home. |
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| Victoria Williams – Periwinkle Sky Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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Overall, I'm not much of a Victoria Williams fan. However...this song, omg. I've not much of an idea of what the lyrics mean but the music is quite simply gorgeous. The track opens with a cymbal splash + rolling drums then an arpeggiated piano. This sets the musical mood perfectly. Gentle but powerful. At the 2:00 mark, there's a trumpet that comes in and it's as beautiful as music gets. The songs' music evokes a sadness/wistfulness but you'll feel better for having heard this song. |
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| Free – Mr.Big Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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The solo by Paul Kossoff in this song is definitely one of the best guitar solos ever recorded. He builds it up beautifully. The guy was amazing. |
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| Neil Young – For The Turnstiles Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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"For The Turnstiles" sees Neil Young pondering the fleeting nature of fame/stardom - if not life itself.
In the First Verse, Neil sings about "sailors" out to sea longing for their wives/girlfriends only to visit a prostitute upon getting to shore - their love/longing for their woman quickly an afterthought as soon as they hit shore.
In the Second Verse, Neil sings about "great explorers" who are now deceased - their accomplishments now seemingly forgotten as soon as their bodies got cold.
In the Third (and final) Verse, Neil uses a baseball analogy. He sings about "bush league batters left to die on the diamond". And "the home crowd scatters for the turnstiles". I interpret the "bush league batters" dying on "the diamond" as famous musicians, actors, entertainers etc...who are now used-up and no longer producing art and who, when they pass away, fans just gracefully forget about them and move on.
So despite all of the great accomplishments, at the end of the day (as the final line of the chorus states) "It doesn't matter".
Musically, the song uses a variety of roots music instruments - banjo, dobro, fiddle and acoustic guitar. This instrumentation convey the sadness and hopelessness of the lyric.
This is one of Neil Young's greatest, if not lesser known, songs. |
submissions
| David Bowie – Teenage Wildlife Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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Lyrically, this song sees Bowie taking a thinly-veiled swipe at the new legion of imitators who had sprung up in the late 1970s as a result of his success. Bowie refers to them as the "new wave boys" and sings that they do the "same old thing in brand new drag". Indeed, there were new New Wave artists such as Gary Numan, Falco, Joy Division and The Cure among others who owed much of their existence and success to Bowie. And this track finds Bowie dismissing them with lyrics such as "The fingerprints will prove you couldn't pass the test".
Musically, the song purposefully echoes Bowie's own classic song "Heroes" as is to drive the point home that his artistic godchildren are just blatantly copying him and acting as if they invented this new style ["pretending it's a whiz-kid world"].
As the years moved on, Bowie came to terms with his followers and made peace with it - even with Gary Numan who he seemed particularly perturbed with at the time "Teenage Wildlife" was written. |
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| The Shins – The Past And Pending Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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@[aLieToRiseAbove:32205] Wow I think that's a spot-on interpretation of "and some foreign candle burning in your eyes". I always loved the sound of those words as pure poetry but could never quite come to terms with what they meant. Until now. |
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| Prince – Cindy C. Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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JesseBaker - So Prince wants to meet Cindy Crawford and she declines (which she has the right to do) and Prince accuses her of being a glorified high price whore? Wow, that's truly pathetic on Prince's part. During those years in the mid-80's Prince took to surrounding himself with bodyguards everywhere he went - including to accept awards at shows. He wouldn't let anyone near him. He also wouldn't speak to anyone who made the approach to him - including other famous musicians such as Stevie Ray Vaughan. So he was the worst in that regard and yet he calls someone a high priced whore who declines to meet him. That's pure narcissism. |
submissions
| Better Than Ezra – King of New Orleans Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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Good song but as a lifelong NOLA resident, I remember thinking as soon as I first heard it that it was pretty obvious that this song was pandering to their NOLA fan base. Made up anthem of sorts. At least its a good tune. |
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| The Civil Wars – Poison & Wine Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[3calls:30515] I've always felt that Poison & Wine was The Civil Wars in a single song. Musically, this song showcases how John-Paul & Joy harmonize so beautifully and effortlessly. Lyrically, it summarizes their relationship - "I don't love you but I always will". |
submissions
| Beth Orton – I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[loveandsqualor:30508] Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry & Philip Spector wrote this song for the singing girl group The Ronettes. But Beth certainly sings it with total conviction as if she's lived it. |
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| Warren Zevon – Detox Mansion Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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This song is just an amazing rocker by Zevon. Lyrically, this one is a great example of Zevon’s sarcastic wit. Talking about raking leaves with “Liza” (i.e. Liza Minnelli) and cleaning the yard with “Liz” (i.e. Elizabeth Taylor) and doing his own laundry - love the images of that. But, musically, this song rocks as hard or harder than any song in Zevon’s canon. The electric guitar playing is killer on this song. Does anyone know who is playing the electric guitar leads? And Zevon lets out the greatest rock n roll scream of his career at about the 2:45 mark of this song. Awesomeness. |
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| Joni Mitchell – This Flight Tonight Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[cindalou:29054] I see it's now been over 5 years since you wrote your comment. Did you fly to Germany? If so, did it turn out to be a mistake? |
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| Chris Stapleton – What Are You Listening To? Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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Such a great tune. The song starts where the guy puts on a record and listens to a song that he and his old girlfriend used to listen to together. That he listens to it on repeat is the first indicator that he's not over this girl. He hasn't been able to let his feelings for her go. It also lets the listener know that listening to music together was an aspect of their relationship. And it implies that the meaning of the song they listened to described their relationship.
But they're no longer together and so he's wondering what song(s) she's listening to now. He doesn't know where she lives or what she's doing these days but he knows, or at least believes, that whatever song(s) she's listening to would give him an indication of where she's at emotionally. And he wishes he knew.
The sentiment in this song is somewhat similar to Bob Dylan's "Girl From The North Country" where Dylan is pining for his old girlfriend whom he's not seen for many years and is wondering if she still remembers him, if she still looks the same. |
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| Down – Mourn Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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Phil Anselmo unleashing his sadness, anger, bitterness, rage for being (totally unfairly) barred from attending Dimebag's funeral.
Incredible tune. |
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| Peter Gabriel – Only Us Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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One of my all-time favorite songs (by anyone) without a doubt. This song has a deep spiritual quality to it. That spiritualness isn't necessarily obvious from the get-go but it's there and it's overwhelming. Musically, every aspect of the song is stunning but I find myself more often than not locking in on the drums/percussion & bass. The rhythm is so complex you can find nuances you never heard before even after 100 listens. Tony Levin (bass) and Manu Katche (drums/percussion) are masters. But there's so much attention to sonic detail by Gabriel in every aspect of this song its truly amazing.
Lyrically, it's certainly influenced by Gabriel's failing marriage with Rosanna Arquette. In these lyrics, Gabriel is trying to hold onto hope that the relationship will survive - particularly "The further on I go, oh the less I know/Friend or foe, there's only us" & And I hear you calling me home again/I am coming home again/Only us". Gabriel's vocals have an incredible vulnerbility to them as he sings these lines. |
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| XTC – Millions Lyrics
| 6 years ago
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This song is a great example of how more musically advanced XTC had quickly become (especially compared to their punk/new wave contemporaries) since their debut album. The bass line in "Millions" is so different and unusual but oh so incredibly effective. And the frenetic rhythm guitar - who else would even begin to think about playing it in that style. These guys were a genius group. |
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| Tobias Jesso Jr. – Without You Lyrics
| 6 years ago
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Gorgeous song. Yes, it's clearly influenced by John Lennon solo work such as "Mind Games" and "Imagine" but not to the point that he's overwhelmed by Lennon's influence imo. Popular music has been missing a keyboard based singer/songwriter of this quality for far too long. Lyrically, it's a great song of unrequited love. |
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| The Replacements – Rock N Roll Ghost Lyrics
| 6 years ago
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Haunting song for sure. I hear a lot of regret in Paul's voice. This song has to be referencing a number of things: Bob Stinson (who was not dead at that point but had been kicked out of the band a few years earlier), the wild but ultimately vacuous lifestyle that comes with being in a rock n roll band, and perhaps even regret about choosing rock n roll for one's livelihood. |
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| Alice in Chains – Would? Lyrics
| 7 years ago
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Would?=Wood i.e. Andrew Wood - lead singer of Seattle hard rock band Mother Love Bone. He died of a heroin overdose in 1990. Jerry Cantrell wrote this song for/about him. |
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| Ryan Adams – Desire Lyrics
| 7 years ago
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I had the good fortune of hearing Ryan play this song before it was ever released in Hamburg, Germany in 2002 at Grosse Freiheit. From that first time I heard it I knew it was a special song. |
submissions
| Prince – June Lyrics
| 7 years ago
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Stunning song. A metaphysical ballad of sorts.
This song has a definite sense of foreboding. On one hand you could say it is an introspective song about a past girlfriend/wife. On the other hand if you read into the lyrics a bit deeper there seems to be more. Specifically, the pasta simmering at the beginning of the song and then, as Prince is ruminating about listening to Richie Havens and wishing he'd been born on the Woodstock stage, then the interesting line "But I'm just here, waitin', and waitin', and waitin'". Waiting for her? Waiting for his end?
Then realizes he let the pasta burn on the stove. Is Prince alluding to the fact that he sensed, due to his deteriorating health, that he was fast approaching his own end? Literally taken, Prince was so preoccupied with his ex and his place in the world that he forgot to pay attention, screwed up, and let the pasta burn. In a deeper sense, could it be talking about Prince being so consumed with his music and his love life that he didn't pay attention to his deteriorating health and was near the time he'd pay the consequence? Is that what the line "Pasta simmers on the stove in June/Makes no sense yet, but it will soon"? It'll make sense soon after more things transpire? Is Prince saying goodbye? It sorta seems so.
Also the "it's June" part of the lyric - the last time Prince said that was in his famous song "Sign O' The Times". In that great song, June is the month that Prince says his cousin is now a heroin addict. He says "it's June" here as well. In fact Prince ends the song, and the album with those two words. Does "it's June" mean things have reached a critical point with his health, his life?
Even if unintentional, the sense of foreboding in the music and lyric of this song are particularly poignant when you take into account the fact that Prince was a mere eight months from passing away when this song and the album (HitNRun Phase 1) were released. |
submissions
| Laura Marling – When Were You Happy? (And How Long Has That Been) Lyrics
| 7 years ago
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This is an amazing piece of music. It combines elements of Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, and Richard Thompson but, in the end, it's...Laura Marling. It's (yet another) showcase for Laura's beautiful, delicate guitar playing.
The song deals with LM's move from her home in England to her move to Los Angeles - her "new friend across the sea" - where she went to make ONCE I WAS AN EAGLE. The song answers its own question in this couplet - "we are all looking for answers/where no answer can be found". Laura knows she'll never figure it all out - this world, other people, or even herself - but she'll keep on searching. And there's beauty in that, |
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| George Harrison – Be Here Now Lyrics
| 7 years ago
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George's advice here is to live in, and appreciate, the present moment. No use stewing on the past - the good or the bad. |
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| Prince – Something In The Water (Does Not Compute) Lyrics
| 7 years ago
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Phenomenal song. I don't think there's another song ever recorded that utilized the Linn-LM1 drum machine to such devastating effect as Prince does on this cut. Prince was a genius at everything musically and the way he used the Linn-LM1 drum machine certainly fits that as well.
And the vocal acrobatics from 2:24-2:45 - wow is all one can say. Truly amazing. |
submissions
| Prince – All The Critics Love U In New York Lyrics
| 7 years ago
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Very underrated deep-cut by Prince - stripped-down New Wave influenced funk. I particularly love the way Prince recorded electric guitar during this part of his career - this song is a good example of that. The electric guitar almost sounds as if it's being played at full volume and distortion......but in a nearby room.
Some musical sleuthing I've conducted here:
I actually think Prince's "All The Critics Love U In New York" was influenced by The Talking Heads song "The Great Curve" from their Remain In Light album which was released in 1980 - approximately 2 years prior to Prince's 1999 album. "All The Critics..." is by no means a rip-off of "The Great Curve" but the two songs have things in common. Check out the electric guitar squeals on "The Great Curve" from 1:54-2:30 as well as from 5:30-6:23. The electric guitar on "All The Critics..." sounds very similar to that. Similar sound (almost heavy metal-ish) and particularly similar in the way the guitar was recorded. It's uncanny. Also, both songs have a three note bass-line repeated from start to finish which gives both songs a sense of urgency. And both have a simple rhythmic beat that is repeated for the whole song.
Again, Prince's ATCLUINY is not a rip-off of TH's "The Great Curve" - but I do believe there was an influence there. At that time, the Talking Heads were a critical New Wave favorite New York band. Prince was listening to a lot of New Wave at that time. |
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