| Real Estate – Darling Lyrics | 2 years ago |
| Even though the sun now shines, he's still waiting impatiently. Forlorn song, great at saying things with the gaps in the story. | |
| Mr. Big – CDFF- Lucky This Time Lyrics | 3 years ago |
| The CDFF = the Compact Disc Fast Forward noise at the front of the song. Since you younguns won't even know what a compact disc is anymore. | |
| Band of Horses – Dilly Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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Dilly - dilaudid (or perhaps just slang for a drug, or perhaps he wrote Ditty and someone thought it said Dilly). I think the song is about confrontation. The first half is the intervention on behalf of a bandmate, the second half is the bandmate's realization & handling of the fallout. Bridwell likely found some parallels in the two dilemmas. The ends of eras. The loss of trust & bonds broken due to Dilly. Just the mentioning of such a simple phrase...perhaps "I'm alright to go on" Are we passengers on separated trains...they are losing their loved one. Take the mask off when you speak to me...they've changed "I'm alright to go on", it's the little things... I think that phrase is the trigger for a meltdown of their relationship. Maybe it's a former bandmate, maybe spouse, maybe it's written from the 3rd person. But the "I'm alright to go on" line sounds like something a bandmate would say when he's way too high to function, and they've had enough. Anymore you've become a criminal to everyone, everyone I think it's criminal, agree with earlier commenter. Again, the person's life is in the toilet. Maybe theft, maybe just getting into trouble in general. I'm reeling in the wrong days, didn't it hurt? Why didn't I think, 'what in the world??' It really took a tall one to see it, two to believe, Three to just get in the way. After rehab the person is looking back at how bad the situation was. All your life to think of what a mess you made. Dig a hole in the ground, throw your wedding ring Rainmaker come, throw the hammer down Everything that I know, can't remember now Anymore you've become, inherent of another one, another one. After rehab the person has found his spouse has run to a new relationship. He changes some lyrics in the live versions which makes it tough to a) decipher exactly what's said in the original cut, and b) can leave one with the impression that this is one of those songs where it doesn't mean much of anything, it's just syllables and phrases that sound good with the meter. But, there does seem to be a narrative around loss. Both the person who had to intervene and the one who was in the midst of dependency struggle to cope with the changes that were wrought by the addiction. |
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| R.E.M. – Nightswimming Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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Wistful memorial to the past. I don't think the nightswimming part has to be specific, though the backdrop of the music is perfect for that image. We all get to a point in our lives where we hold onto a fond memory too tightly. Or at least have this intense desire to experience it again. "It's not like years ago" may be the writer getting together with the person he shared that memory with long ago, only to find it wasn't quite the same. The taboo isn't nearly as taboo once you've done it. Plus all the additional years of experience & learning remove a lot of the pretense that colored the moment as special. |
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| Dan Fogelberg – Heart Hotels Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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“Too many windows in this old hotel,” Hotel is a place where anyone can have access for a price. I don’t think this necessarily has to do with sexual relationships, but maybe even just the process of writing his heart out in the midst of being a songwriter. Everyone has seen his inner thoughts, feelings, and life. He’s lost himself in the process. “And rooms filled with reckless pride,” His desire to please everyone and reach the top has left his heart filled with lots of resentment & other unhealthy attitudes towards himself and the world. “And the walls have grown sturdy, and the halls have worn well, but there is nobody living inside.” He’s tried to patch things up, cope with these feelings over time. He feels like it’s held up well given all he’s experienced, but in its current form, it’s not anything he (or anyone else) wants to love. “Gonna pull in the shutters, on this heart of mine, roll up the carpets, pull in the blinds, and retreat to the chambers that I left behind, in hopes there still may be love left to find.” He’s soul searching, trying to find himself again. He tried to dress himself up for everyone, and instead he needs to hunker down and examine things from the inside - let his real self back out from being hidden beneath all the facades he lays out. “Seek inspiration from daily affairs, now your soul is in trouble and requires repair, and the voices you hear at the top of the stairs are only echoes of unanswered prayers.” This is a restatement of the situation. He got so wrapped up in being a celebrity to all that he got damaged and lonely...and he feels as though God hasn’t provided the relief either. I think the restatement of “Well there’s too many windows in this old hotel” provides hope. He recognizes the problem, he can’t keep exposing himself like he has. The question is whether there’s still something left that someone can love. |
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| Toad the Wet Sprocket – Butterflies Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| The song compares three different attitudes within the world: the youthfully curious, the scientifically mature, and the woefully ignorant. In the end, the first blends into the next (becoming overly analytical of the shape on the water), and the second blends into the third (destroying the life s/he once adored). | |
| Boz Scaggs – Lowdown Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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I relate this to Do It Again by Steely Dan. Three separate stories, three guys ignoring reality (the "lowdown"), which is that they're wasting their time with: a) a gal who only cares about gifts. b) prostitutes c) drugs. |
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| Urge Overkill – Positive Bleeding Lyrics | 9 years ago |
| Heroin was their drug of choice, at least Blackie's. Positive Bleeding could be the blood pressure pushing blood into the syringe. It's a song about non-conformity, handling loneliness in a variety of ways. | |
| Genesis – Domino Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| @[planthorr:2369] Interesting tidbit, had never heard that slang. The rain may be tears, and he turns to acid to escape his reality. Instead he finds a greater horror. | |
| Empire of the Sun – Standing on the Shore Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I would characterize this song as a song for the discoverer, the inventor, the explorer. It's a song considering the future, and considering all the unseen forces that have brought the author's eternity to this point in time (i.e. cosmic forces impacting the tides). That then morphs into the idea of people who impart their opinions and perspectives on his future, and thus he believes that ignoring the talk and noise are crucial to him making his way forward. |
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| Little River Band – Reminiscing Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| When you're young you think that those special moments will always be present in a relationship. In reality things change, and you end up wishing for "the old days." | |
| Barenaked Ladies – Blame It On Me Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Great example of BNL's use of humor and wordplay throughout - seemed to depart from that as the years went on (unfortunately). The usual tug of war between a) the male, who holds the sexual part of a relationship in higher regard than other aspects, and b) the woman who yearns for more than the physical relationship she believes is the only thing the man holds dear to his heart. I think looking back to what "Blame It On The Rain" was about adds a hint. She acts as though she wants him back, but she doesn't want to admit she was wrong. That was what Milli Vanilli's song was about, and that's likely what this was about as well. She wants him to apologize ("but you're looking at me like there's something I'm supposed to say), but he's sick of apologizing for things that he didn't do. He would rather her blame him and break it off than yet again have to grovel back. "Oh, you're not together anymore?" "Yeah, it was his fault." This amounts to the mind games he's accusing her of playing - getting upset over the littlest thing, and then expecting him to be the weak partner. Great oxymoron - "here you are and you're a hundred thousand miles away" - she's not even close to seeing things from his perspective. "absence makes the heart grow fungus" - play on words, but clearly the relationship has lost the shine for him "I wax poetic as you're waxing your legs" - she ignores his attempts to be romantic. There is a kind of paradoxical cycle that often happens within the long-term relationship - the woman accuses the man of not being romantic anymore, and then when the man tries to be romantic, she thinks its superficial for only one goal. "You say you think there's a traitor among us." - On one hand, I could count this as a throwaway line to rhyme with fungus. On the other, it's a reworded, "You don't really love me anymore." |
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| Barenaked Ladies – Sell Sell Sell Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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While the initial listen of this song leads to the believe it's about movies or possibly politics, I believe this is also a major shot at the bow of the music industry. Basically, the takeaway from this is that substance means nothing in the arts anymore. Instead, it's about the person selling the product (actor, or ostensibly singer), no matter how inferior that product is. Who knows? Maybe it's semi-autobiographical...their most successful period in the industry's terms was a period when it seemed like their music went furthest from it's beginnings. |
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| Genesis – Hold On My Heart Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| Simple song about the fear of taking the next step in a relationship, likely related to previous experiences of rejection and depression. | |
| Ellis Paul – The World Ain't Slowin' Down Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| The "kid that just climbed on the merry-go-round" line is simply a reworked version of, "Were you just born yesterday?" I think he's basically telling her not to worry about him. Life goes on, and she's naive to think that he can't cope without her. Go enjoy life, I'm going to as well. | |
| Ellis Paul – The World Ain't Slowin' Down Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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This is the protagonist restarting a relationship he once had with a free spirit. He finds her on her suitcase, leaving her last relationship. He never changes because he never wanted her to leave in the first place. She goes back with him. The 2nd verse is about that relationship. The euphoria of the relationship is described, and he tries to convince her that the freedom she seeks is not worth it. In the end, she ends up leaving him again, hitting him like the southbound train she rides out of town yet again. Sad, sad song. Nothing like losing someone you never had to begin with. |
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| Billy Joel – Scenes From An Italian Restaurant Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I always envisioned Billy Joel sitting down to dinner with an old high school friend/flame. His date goes to the bathroom, and he then hears to separate stories at nearby tables (thus the two changes in musical theme). It basically edifies in him the sense that this restaurant was a place that was pivotal in the lives of many people. The last stanza would then be him hearing yet another table being asked about what they would like to drink. One of the most evocative and descriptive songs of all time. |
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| Billy Joel – Scenes From An Italian Restaurant Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| They went steady for a couple of years. They probably were sick of each other before they got married, and only did so because it was the thing they were "supposed" to do to live up to the expectations of everyone else. | |
| Crash Test Dummies – God Shuffled His Feet Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Another possibility...I'd call it a nested parable. If you look at the "Blue-Haired Boy" story as the "Blue Hair" that God is proud of telling to the people, then they pretty much rain on his parade by asking him about the deeper meaning. |
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| Crash Test Dummies – Two Knights And Maidens Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| A lesson in respect and unintended consequences. | |
| Crash Test Dummies – When I Go Out With Artists Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| Basically paying homage to artistic creativity. He throws some humor in about their proclivity to drink. | |
| Crash Test Dummies – God Shuffled His Feet Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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OK, there are some good interpretations here, here's an off-the-wall thought. Maybe Brad Roberts wanted to show how easy it would be to come up with his own Creation story. The premise of the song is very similar in overall theme to the fall of Adam and Eve, in a primitive way. Adam & Eve have paradise, and squander (by not following the rules regarding Tree Of Knowledge of Good & Evil). The people have paradise, adn squander (by not following the rules, day was meant for picnics and not absurd questions). He then shares with the people a parable about their stupidity. The Blue-Haired Boy has a wonderful gift of Blue Hair, loves it, is excited. But he doesn't enjoy it, and instead worries about things that aren't that important. In the end, the point of this song is to accept your situation with happiness and wonder, rather than needlessly analyzing and worrying about the minutiae. |
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| Gordon Lightfoot – Early Morning Rain Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| Runway Number 9...the runway number corresponds to the compass. 9 = 90 = East. | |
| Barenaked Ladies – You Run Away Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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"You run away, You could turn and stay, But you run away from me. I tried to be your brother, You cried and ran for cover" Very personal, not related to the band. Not us, but me. This wasn't him simply wanting to be a bandmate and work through professionally, but instead this is him upset that Steven didn't give him the chance to help him out like a friend (or brother) of 20+ years. "I made a mess, who doesn’t, I did my best but it wasn’t enough." Sometimes when we try to be that friend, or try to intervene with someone who's screwing up their lives, that makes the mess worse. Maybe it only started as the drug addiction, and the potential circus around the arrest. Maybe there was an overreaction from Ed...these guys have been friends for so long, people grate on you after awhile. I'm guessing Ed tried to help, and it just backfired. "I’ll give you something you can cry about, One thing you should try it out Hold a mirror shoulder high, When you’re older look you in the eye" Paraphrase of the altercation at the crux of this. Mirror probably a reference to his cocaine use. "I tried but you tried harder" A reference to Ed's own addiction? Maybe they started using together, but Steven's use went out of control. "I lied but you lied smarter" The song carries this sentiment of "you should have been a bigger man about this." Maybe Ed was confronted about his problems by his family (or the band), and he worked hard to right his own ship. But Steven didn't, he just hid his addiction, and when he was called out, he took off. "You made me guess who was it. I did my best but it wasn’t enough." I gather Steven was a different person when he was using. Ed was sick of going to his bus or room or whatever and wondering if he was going to find him sober or not. "But that’s not something to cry about (crrryyyy!), It’s not something to lie about" Guessing Ed was sick of the tears in the end. Basically telling Steven to man up and accept his choice of a lifestyle over the band (and Ed's friendship). At least from my perspective, it seems like Steven has run from responsibility over the years, and I guess this is Ed asking Steven to grow up. |
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| Barenaked Ladies – I Saw It Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I think this is about a child who has experienced the effects of sexual abuse by an authority figure (teacher, parent, clergy, principal, etc). The narrator sees another child getting abused, and approaches and tells the kid about the same thing happening to him. They then decide, together, to turn the perpetrator in. Instead they are rebuffed, probably because of the person's power. At that point, they decide to take matters into their own hands, so that no other children are molested. |
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| Barenaked Ladies – On The Lookout Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I think Jim Creeggan may have the most underrated voice out there. It's an analogy of the time when a couple realizes that they want to spend the rest of their lives together, compared with an adventure-type scenario. You get the impression he thinks of their single lives as boats, and they came together, sailed together, and eventually the wind (desire to look elsewhere) brought them to "the lookout." That's where they decide to "look out" towards their future and come together for good. The commitment they both realize they're making has them look back to see their pasts of being apart, lonely, etc, dashed by waves and wind. And from there, it just moves so fast through the stages of love. The whole bit about the rockface makes me think of the years after one is married. Tough to hang on to what you have, but in the end he recommits to caring for her. |
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| Don McLean – American Pie Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| Roberta Flack did not write "Killing Me Softly." | |
| Don McLean – American Pie Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| "You're So Vain" is about Warren Beatty. | |
| Steely Dan – Pixeleen Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Became my favorite song of the two post-reunion albums. To me, this is reminiscent in perspective to Haitian Divorce, with a cinematic/script-like feel to the writing. The first verse/chorus combo details the germination of this character. This is open for interpretation, but I can imagine that Pixeleen is the idea of a 16 year old female artist who's imagined herself as a teenage action hero. Her father wonders what she's drawing while at dinner and she explains her idea. He laughs it off, she gets mad and tosses her work on the floor of the "noodle shop." So later a budding screenwriter happens upon this sketch when he goes to pick up his dinner. He takes this idea, comes up with his own storyline, and pitches it to a studio as a potential feature film. These older men take the innocent idea and inject "sexiness" into her character, in order to sell on the big screen. In the bridge, the boundary between reality and fiction dissolves, as the character herself speaks to this "hack." She laments that she used to have character, but that she's been sterilized by people who want her to make them money instead of having true meaning. A film critic who has seen a private screening then pans it for that exact reason. The final chorus condenses the entire chronology into 8 lines, in the wonderfully-sardonic fashion we've come to expect from Fagen and Becker. There are two things for me that stand out about this song: First, the vocals of Carolyn Leonhart, and second, the understated grand piano by Bill Charlap. |
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| Barenaked Ladies – 789 Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| My only thought is that it's the Barenaked Ladies, and maybe they threw a curveball in there to see if you were paying attention. | |
| Barenaked Ladies – Straw Hat And Old Dirty Hank Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| Let's see...Barenaked Ladies: Canadian. Anne Murray: Canadian. That's the connection. The "spread your tiny wings and fly away" line is directly from her most popular song, Snowbird. The story is that she had an incident with a stalker, though her Wiki page doesn't reveal that story. In any regard, if you want to look in a global context it could be a warning to fans who read too much into lyrics...ppl like us. :) | |
| The Carpenters – Close to You Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| Bacharach and David. If a guy sang this song? Stalker!!!! Girl sings it, song about unrequited love. Quite genius. | |
| Shinedown – Second Chance Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I can envision this being said over the phone to a brother or sister. A sad song, no doubt. *My eyes are open wide, by the way I made it through the day. I watch the world outside, by the way I'm leaving out today.* The protagonist's parents have tried to shelter him throughout his life. He goes out into the "ugly world" that they tried to shield from him, and he realizes it's the place where he fits most, and might have the talent to succeed. He cannot do that while remaining under their umbrella. *I just saw Hailey's Comet she waved Said, "Why are you always running in place? Even the man in the moon disappeared Somewhere in the stratosphere"* Halley's Comet (lyric is spelled incorrectly) appears once ever 75 years. This is partly a metaphor for life. Life span of a human is typically 75 years. Most people only get a chance to see Halley's Comet once, and likewise most people only have one chance to "make it." Basically, he sees his life flying by and realizes that he will never reach his goals if he hangs around. He also acknowledges the cyclical nature. "The Man In The Moon" is seen around the Full Moon, and goes away during the New Moon phase. He's basically saying that he will be back, but that the current circumstance needs to change in order for him to realize his ambitions. *Tell my mother, tell my father I've done the best I can To make them realize this is my life I hope they understand. I'm not angry, I'm just saying Sometimes goodbye is a second chance* I don't believe this is the first time he's tried to leave. Like I said, I hear this as a phone call from somewhere on the way to his final destination. It sounds like they've derailed previous attempts. If he takes them out of the decision, his spite towards their lack of support will not rise up, and maybe that kind of "goodbye" will allow the parent-child relationship to mend one day. *Please don't cry one tear for me I'm not afraid of what I have to say This is my one and only voice So listen close, it's only for today* Basically, he's sick of repeating himself to everyone in his family who wants him to be the person they want him to be. He's only going to explain one last time. I think the element of this song that can be lost is that he doesn't want to lose the relationship. The phenomena that he mentions happen in cycles. He wants to return one day, but he can't right now. The problem is that his family are narrow thinking, to the point of this being "goodbye" for good (don't cry one tear). Instead, he wants them to know that he sees this as the only way to preserve their relationship as a family in the long run. Whether it works or not, who knows? |
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| Jars of Clay – Closer Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I think this is a conversation between the protagonist and God. I can see elements of a marriage, but then again that's a covenant in itself, just like we have with God. Here's my thought...the first part where he sounds like his speaking through a radio...that's him talking to God. He's expressing that he's known of God, but has not wanted that relationship with Him. He wanted his own space in this world, apart from God. He feels extremely distant from God. God then comes to tell the protagonist JUST how much He loves him, not only how much He wants to be a part of his life, but also shows that He HAS been all along. The Father has always been there. We forget how much God loves us. It feels unnatural to hear a line "I'll (God will) be the comets that are falling from the skies you (we) light up." We want to ascribe this to some guy saying a sappy line to his girl. But a God who gives His only Son? That's an extreme amount of love. God wants our lives to be intertwined with His work in the world, and beautiful, miraculous events can occur when we join Him in His mission here. |
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| Jars of Clay – Weapons Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| A song about the release that salvation should bring, and the peacemaking ideal that should follow. The world conditions us to be vengeful, callous people. When we realize that we've been saved, we need to realize that our own position in this world doesn't matter anymore. The battles we've fought for a better job, more money, respect, worldly love, and other selfish ploys...those battles aren't important anymore. What's important is that you approach situations with love, as Christ did at the cross. Don't think the worst of a situation, find the positive. | |
| The Goo Goo Dolls – Broadway Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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This could really be the elegy of Buffalo, NY. The line, "It always rains like Hell on the Loser's Day Parade" typifies the sentiment there that they can never come out on top. I myself am a big Buffalo sports fan, and the failings in those venues (football and hockey) typify the course of the city as a dying giant. Of course the city is turning around as this is being written, but this song was written in the midst of industrial exodus and urban demise. A city motto during my childhood was "Buffalo Talking Proud," but there wasn't much to be proud about in the 90's and early 2000's. So a young guy had no future in that setting. So he goes down to Broadway because he doesn't fit into the young crowd, instead he hangs out at the dives. To me, the whole song revolves around one line: "You think you're a joke, and nobody's gonna listen to the one small point I know they've been missing 'round here." What's the one small point? To me, it's that Buffalo is a city filled with good, honest, hard working people. Everyone wants to thumb their nose at the city for a number of reasons: climate, location, the perceived "loser" status, it's 2nd billing to NYC, taxes. But if the powers that be would LISTEN and follow their hearts, they could see that it's a city of great promise. |
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| Barenaked Ladies – Brian Wilson Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I think this song is an expression of Steven's fears. His drive downtown is probably to feed an addiction, I presume drugs, but I could be wrong. I think the reference to the record shop is sly, it makes you think that an album is his target. "When I'm surrounded" is a key line IMO. I think he's trying to write music, and he's not getting very far. He's surrounded by voices in his head, caused by doubts, insecurity, pressure...and perhaps even his drug of choice. As a budding artist, he sees the bright future for the band, and his mind keeps coming back to another talented singer/songwriter whose demons got the best of him: Brian Wilson. So he feeds his addiction, and every time he does, he keeps thinking to himself, "Look at where it got Brian." And then he starts imagining himself in Brian's shoes. I'm not sure it's even so much that the references were accurate, but more that Steven developed paranoia that his fledgling career was going to spiral out of control. While the song obviously is a tribute to Brian Wilson's history, I think Steven talks more about the cycle of dependency, perhaps stemming from a time of writer's block. |
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| Barenaked Ladies – Jane Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Boy meets girl. He falls in love with her, she is amused by the way he treats her. He spends a few nights, has some fun with her, and pronounces that they've moved in together. She gets gun-shy, realizes that she's exposed herself yet again to being hurt. So she has to hurt him before he inflicts the pain on her. So she tells him she doesn't want to get serious, because all guys are pigs and either a) cheat and don't break it off or b) leave. He then begins to wear on her. He gives her a creative gift, she takes it as being a joke. He tells her how she makes him feel, she uses a slick one-liner to deflect. He then laments that her insecurity has prejudged him. His love for her has morphed into obsession, and she cuts off all contact. He writes to her, but she ignores it. He even goes back to the store to shoplift, trying to get any level of attention from her. His dreams of loving her have gone all wrong, so much so that he's become jealous of her school- and workmates. He then gets shocked back to reality...he gets close enough to overhear her letting down the next guy in the same way. He then realizes that it's her and not him, and that he needs to let her go. |
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| Barenaked Ladies – Life, In A Nutshell Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I think she enters their relationship with "a history." For a long time she's been preoccupied with sex, as all of his friends tell him (even joking about her youth). Perhaps she's had many partners in the past, and maybe even had a career. But they have begun this relationship, and he's loving it. Babies need constant attention. Cats are notoriously into breeding. Put it together, and he's not complaining about the physical side to the relationship. Unfortunately, he knows that he can't satisfy her, because his schedule doesn't leave him enough time for that. So he's not concerned when his friends tell him that she's sleeping around on him. All he cares about is she. And she knows that he has to fulfill his duties as a musician, and it's not that easy for him to simply ditch the band in order to be the man she needs in her life. He knows that they aren't exclusive, as evidenced by her impeccably-chosen hair color which matches her eyes (or maybe she picked contacts that would match her hair?). He knows that she's out with another guy at the movies, and he's calling a "girl" to come over and keep him company after the show...they're never alone, even when they're apart. But those one-night stands and dalliances aren't enough emotionally for them. They need and care for each other. She has been his emotional shoulder-to-cry-on in the past (perhaps he called her out one night), and she means a lot to him. So they have this relationship built on a mutual understanding, both of sex and of emotional release, that is there for them whenever he returns home from his touring. |
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