| Mott The Hoople – Death May Be Your Santa Claus Lyrics | 5 months ago |
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A Deep Tracks DJ said the lyrics derive from a recording of a sermon. (That makes it like Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime.") |
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| Yes – Shoot High Aim Low Lyrics | 1 year ago |
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https://norselandsrock.com/shoot-high-aim-low-yes/ This ^retrospective supports the alternating vocals as representing events years apart (war, then much later, an idyllic scene), at Bluefields, a town on the east coast of Nicaragua. The nation was news in the 1980s when the song was written/recorded. Bluefields originated as a port for European pirates, the name being a corruption of (Abraham) Blauvelt, a "Dutch-Jewish pirate" per Wikipedia. The song's wartime lyrics are said to be partly inspired by the U.S. Marines' landing in 1912. The retrospective also confirms, however, that Jon Anderson sometimes says Trevor Rabin's vocals are "in dreamtime." This could invite alternate or subtextual interpretations (note: mine is bleak). To me, the song doesn't depict multiple eras. If years have passed, why are the sands (still) "crimson"? Also, the dual meaning of "sedan" imposes wealth and power in the utopian moment. The lyrics are thoughts or words of soldier(s), after a battle in which they were overwhelming victors. Their motto is: "shoot high" (set high goals), "aim low" (do what it takes). Also, there's the suggestion of betrayal: "the steel guitar and the love you give" followed by helicopters' descent, "Seeing the guns and their faces ..." To survive, the soldiers adopt an existential view: "Who says there's got to be a reason ..." Western powers claim morality, but in defending our interests, do the same things again and again: "I've heard the singers who sing of love, but ... we never get much further." |
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| The Raconteurs – You Don't Understand Me Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| From the lyrics, I suspect the song is about politics, not a romance relationship. It sounds like a political conv. with the specifics/issues left out. | |
| Elton John – Madman Across the Water Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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another vote for rockslider also, I believe the correct lyric is "Is it a new conscience that you're after" -- a new conscience to replace the guilty one they have. |
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| Tesla – Modern Day Cowboy Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| Good song, but hurt by the weak lyric, "Al Capone and Bad Boy Jones." This could have easily been improved, for example, (Johnny) Torrio was a colleague of Capone, so it could have been, "Al Capone and Torrio." | |
| Meat Puppets – Backwater Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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This song reminds me of Duncan Sheik's "Barely Breathing": "You really had me going, Wishing on a star, the black holes that surround you, are heavier by far." "Backwater" is first person, "Barely Breathing" is about the co-dependent, but they both describe people who go through the motions of change ("they may seem rearranged"), but they're not serious, they're not in it for the long haul. These are people who realize there's a problem but are terrified of letting go of it, unwilling to take full responsibility. People like me. |
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| Warren Zevon – Werewolves of London Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| A song can have more than one meaning, regardless of what even the artist says. Here there's a definite dread of the rich and powerful, specifically those who will do anything to succeed: victimize old women (or fiscal fraud). He's a "gent" with a "tailor," he knows the Queen (note the combination of Horror "royalty" with British royalty). The werewolves all seem to be urban males with expensive tastes, and the singer can't help admiring them despite their crimes. Also, there seems to be no check on them, no attempt to arrest them: the rich do as they please. "He'll rip your lungs out" could apply to tobacco companies, or drug dealers. | |
| Steely Dan – Aja Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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An education -- I always assumed the song was a nod to Asian culture, if from a shallow, neophyte p.o.v. What I logged in for: I love Steely Dan, but this album is so mellow that for me it's not their best work. Recently, I noticed that the song sounds a bit like the theme song from TV's "The Love Boat," which also premiered in 1977. "Love, exciting and neeeeww ...." Just sayin. |
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| George Thorogood & the Destroyers – One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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After listening to this all-time song hundreds of times, it's finally occurred to me that for a bartender, this guy isn't very friendly: "What you want this time?" He doesn't even tell him it's closing time until asked. I guess George was having that kind of day (or two). By the way, if you want to re-enact this song, do it while you're young, because once you're middle-aged you won't want to. |
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| Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I think I can explain this song -- if you really want to know. The song is about a type of hypocrisy that most of us engage in sometimes, as in, "I'm not a racist, but I'd love to tour ... in a traveling minstrel show." Or: "I know he caused a lot of suffering, but I'd love to meet Napolean," etc. The song refers to changing times, just as we comfort ourselves by saying "lots of progress has been made." Then, the tail-end irony: the singer stepped up on the platform (perhaps a platform for a "time-train") and is told "you must be joking son." Now he's been has been "profiled" as not good enough for the time-trip (or whatever he was planning on). The more things change, the more they stay the same. Logic, like time, is linear; hypocrisy twists it into "pretzel logic." (Genesis 41:15-16) |
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| I Blame Coco – Self Machine Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| In the 2001 film A.I., Haley Joel Osment plays the title character, a robot in the form of a boy. He's adopted by a couple who've lost their real child, later is abandoned, and ends up resting underwater in a depopulated future (the film is complex, and I don't remember exactly how it ends). This song is apparently about just such a rejected robot "rusting in a lonely harbor," so it may have been inspired by the SF film, directed by Spielberg (taking over from the deceased Stanley Kubrick) from a Brian Aldiss story. | |
| Elton John – Levon Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| I agree that the song is about a family line diminishing with the generations. Of course Alvin will say that his son "will be a good man," but he won't, that's clear. "Alvin" suggests "halving," the decrease in character already underway. Levon's fate could be sung as "he shall be leave on," i.e., everyone will leave on him, because he's a fool, so crass that he names his child Jesus even though not a Christian believer. | |
| Neil Young – Cortez The Killer Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| Neil Young is one of the greats, but there's no need for his historical revisionism. Cortez is still a killer, even if the Aztecs were brutal before he came. It reminds me of the way Hollywood "fictionalizes" true stories -- what? If the story is worth filming, then be honest (except for changing names as necessary). | |
| The Rolling Stones – Undercover Of The Night Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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"Center 42" may be fictional, but given the lyrics, it must refer to a torture center run by any repressive South American government. The young girls keep going back there either because they believe a loved one is imprisoned there, or if it's a prostitution reference, they are servicing the guards and officials. Lyrics mistake: the correct line is "and once-proud fathers act so humble." |
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| Steely Dan – Dr Wu Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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So many conflicting views, and so many people sure they know what the song means! Somehow, that's appropriate in this case. My take: the song is written/sung by an addict, possibly going through withdrawal. So, don't expect the lyrics to follow rules of grammar or punctuation. I've decided "you" refers to various people, and I think it's possible there's more than one speaker. For example, "Have you done all you can do," that might be Dr. Wu speaking. This would explain a lot: the song depicts the withdrawal/rehab, but the singer is also flashing on memories. And, if Katy and Dr. Wu were (are) real people, that's even more reason for the cryptic B & F to resist explaining things -- to protect the privacy of real people. Are you with me? |
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