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Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – So In Love Lyrics	16 years ago
Take the airy production of John Hughes-era OMD, add the grimmest, most vicious lyrics ever penned by the group, and you have a masterpiece.

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Sparks – Tips For Teens Lyrics	16 years ago
I'm pretty sure it's about puberty and its effects of the female body. Listen closely; one of them is singing "tits for teens" during the chorus; also, the whole thing about "tight sweaters", "D cup", et. al. Typical Mael crudity.

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Killing Joke – Wintergardens Lyrics	16 years ago
Sounds like it's about nuclear winter; the lyrics are fairly oblique, but every other KJ song is about nuclear war in some way or another, and I feel this is the most likely interpretation.

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The Damned – Generals Lyrics	16 years ago
About the fall of Berlin during World War II, obviously.

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The Damned – Smash It Up Lyrics	16 years ago
The Captain said this was about the death of Marc Bolan.

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The Damned – In Dulce Decorum Lyrics	16 years ago
Probably about World War I. "Dulce et Decorum Est" was a poem by Wilfred Owen written during WWI, to which I'm sure this is a reference.

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Tears for Fears – Mothers Talk Lyrics	16 years ago
I think it's a combination of a nuclear war song, and one of their paeans to record company pressure a la The Working Hour. "It's not that you're not good enough; it's just that we can make you better" is probably something some Mercury suit told them after The Hurting. Most of the song is just oblique references to nuclear destruction.

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Echo and the Bunnymen – Bombers Bay Lyrics	16 years ago
I think it's about the British experience in World War II. Berlin to Bomber's Bay (Bombay, India). Mandalay is in Burma, which was the scene of the British contribution to the Pacific War.

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Gene Loves Jezebel – Twenty Killer Hurts Lyrics	16 years ago
I interpret this to be about cocaine addiction. "She's got a headful of snow"; "I'm gonna burn, burn, burn...I'll do it again"; "you're on a roller coaster...you'd better stop". Really, it's the only thing that makes sense.

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Jane's Addiction – Ted, Just Admit It... Lyrics	16 years ago
You're thinking of Jeffrey Dahmer. Bundy rode the lightning in Jan. 1989.

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Siouxsie and the Banshees – Monitor Lyrics	16 years ago
Possibly about a snuff-film? As usual, excellent work from McGeoch. He could have been one of the greats had he laid off the sauce.

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Siouxsie and the Banshees – Arabian Knights Lyrics	16 years ago
In addition to the comment about the visit to the Middle East (also the inspiration for Swimming Horses), I'm pretty sure it also vaguely references Siouxsie's molestation by the "Candyman"--the Arabic candy store owner.

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Siouxsie and the Banshees – Make Up To Break Up Lyrics	16 years ago
I'm pretty sure this is about Siouxsie's poor self-image. Note how she refers to her "nasal atrocity": in the mid-80s, I think between Tinderbox and Peepshow, she had a nosejob.

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Echo and the Bunnymen – Never Stop Lyrics	16 years ago
According to "Rip It Up And Start Again", this was written in response to Thatcher's victory in the 1983 general election; the first verse, for example, is a diatribe towards those who voted for her.

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