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Peter Gabriel – Solsbury Hill Lyrics	12 years ago
WHY do they call this website "Song Meanings" when very rarely is there a description from the actual artist? It's just a discussion forum full of people guessing. Which is all well and good but I think this website should change it's name since a lot of the times we are not actually getting the definition or meaning of the songs posted.

submissions

Don McLean – American Pie Lyrics

12 years ago

I think it's about many things but one thing stands out that people overlook. It seems to be about rape or the loss of someones innocence by having something stolen. I think it is about the plane crash, but it also reflects the doomsday feel people had back then about nukes falling. But there is a lot of hints in there about something bad that he witnessed or perhaps even happened to him. I used to work & volunteer for a local PBS station and he was a special guest. He came in at night wearing sunglasses but written on his face was a look of hidden sorrow. I've been through horrible stuff myself in life so once you've been touched so deeply by something disturbing it's written all over you. I may be reading into his song and my observations of him, I may be projecting my own thoughts. But even if the "rape" or "taking" in this song was metaphorical it seems that his perception of his beloved country and/or world had been seriously altered at one point before this song. By tapping into pop culture at the time he could resonate with the audience to convey the sadness, anger, and dismay in his heart. I sort of did the same thing once as a child without realizing it. It was after my fathers suicide and I played the part of the Kookoo Bird in Hansel & Gretal. I instinctively felt that if I sang the part sadly and walked slower across the stage I could use the part to vibrate with the audience and convey my pain. I was greeted by my teacher as I exited the stage. I thought he was going to be made that I altered my performance. He had a perplexed expression on his face and simply said "Wow.. that was good". Later I found out that I had made several people in the audience cry. Anyway, long story short, too late... I believe that Don was tapping into popular imagery of the time to bridge the gap between what was in his deepest feelings and that of his listeners. Something tells me that the song is more than about dead celebrities and fall out shelters. I'm not saying it's NOT about those things as well but just something tells me that there is a hidden or secret meaning to this song, or at least something not so obvious.

submissions

Interpol – Evil Lyrics

12 years ago

This song reminds me of that old scary movie Betty Davis was in called "What ever happened to Baby Jane". The reference to the beach (where she berried her sister) and "Who is on trial" a reference to her crime being associated to her mental disorder. Also her pleasure being set upon "slow release" was about how she drew out the abuse of her sister in the wheelchair. "Heaven restores you in life." could mean that her character was reverting back to a childhood state, driven mad by her jealousy. If there was ever a remake of "What ever happened to baby Jane" this would be a great spooky song to go with it's soundtrack. But of course I have read that this song is actually about a cereal killer named Rosemary.

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Interpol – Evil Lyrics

12 years ago

I suffered what was known as a False Repressed Memory that started when I was a teen, but it was about something I thought I did when I was a kid. I kept it a secrete until my early 30's when I had a nervous breakdown. Let's just say I thought I committed a terrible crime. I spend what felt like "a lifetime with no cellmate" until my confession later in life. In Psychotherapy I found out that the even never happened. My psychotherapist said that I conjured up the horrible act as a crutch. I had been horrible abused by my mother growing up and what kid would like to believe that abused can happen without reason. So, I created this horrible false memory... In psychological terms I was justifying the abuse I got unconsciously. I wasn't directly saying to myself "I deserve to be punished for what I did" but somewhere in the inner reaches of my mind I had created the idea/illusion that I was a bad person... therefore bad people deserve bad things to happen to them. This was almost 10 years ago now and I am actually dealing well with this "release" of information to my therapist and the outside world. In the end it wasn't I that was evil but the situation. I often feel like that puppet in the video, not in control of his own life until I cut the strings. When I saw the Interpol video and heard the lyrics "I spend a lifespan with no cellmate" reminded me of the mental prison I put myself in over a secret that wasn't real. All created by a coping mechanism to bend my mind around the abuse I got by my mother. Evil. This song reminds me of that evil.

submissions

Pet Shop Boys – I'm With Stupid Lyrics

12 years ago

Even before I read the song meaning by Neil I pretty much guessed it was about the USA. I tend to agree with this song. I didn't know it's exact meaning was that between Blair and Bush but for some reason it resonated with me. I can relate to this song as I find I have the same love/hate thing with my fellow Americans. I never felt like an American in my heart or at least not my interpretation of what it's "scientifically" like to be an American opposed to the "Cognitive Dissonance" vision most Americans hold of themselves. I've often felt like "I'm with stupid". However, one line in the song "Is stupid really stupid or a different kind of smart". To me, means that all the times I got hurt, was manipulated by Americans with ulterior motives and selfish desires they were very cunning. Even though I found them to be very dumb and ignorant for doing so they obviously had the cranial capacity for calculating great deceit. Though most the smart one's seemed to be able to memorize a dictionary or other book cover to cover and regurgitate every last word HOWEVER they seem to lack the cranial ability to comprehend what they memorized. Very smart people who use knowledge like a sward to cut others day or get what they want from other people. The line "is stupid really stupid or a different kind of smart" to me struck the nail on the head to how I feel about a lot of other Americans. Though a lot of them statistically speaking are very uneducated. As an "Independent" I am scared, mortified, and yet very much tied to my countries polarized Democrat and Republican parties but feel they don't really care about us citizens, nor do I feel they actually care about other countries. I can't trust them. Also to tell you the truth in my personal life I can't love another American because I've been hurt too many times. I could never have a serious relationship with another American. It's a rather perplexing country. It's a place were great inventions were made and yet used in very ignorant ways. A scary place.

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Bush – Machinehead Lyrics

12 years ago

I got the impression it's about a bad relationship with his partner and/or he is having sex in his car with someone who he just met. "Tied to a wheel, my fingers got to feel" sounds like he's holding onto his steering wheel while someone give's him "head" hence the "Machinehead". However the title I think has a double or even triple meaning. Such as that when in need to have sex it's all rather mechanical sometimes. "Leaning on my conscience wall" could be him figuratively becoming too week to resist so he's leaning. Also could be that while he's getting head he's either leaning against a wall or his car door, which also could change "tied to a wheel, my fingers got to feel" to him holding onto someone's head during the sex act. The rest of the lines are euphemisms that can be applied one way or another. I know not everything is sex but this is rock music so I'm guessing there is at least some sexual innuendo in these lyrics. I guess it's a song about cheating, a bad relationship sexually, and/or he's at some cruising area cheating on his wife or girlfriend. etc etc etc. He feels he deserves this but at the same time he's got guilt. There is also the possibility that he is the one giving and not relieving if you read the lyrics the right way. But, I digress. Like most rock songs they can be cryptic so it can be read into a lot.

submissions

Peter Gabriel – Big Time Lyrics

12 years ago

I always thought he was saying "Higher" and not "Hi There" meaning he's taking it higher. And when he sings this song it sounds like he says "My heaven will be a big hell" but I guess I got those two things wrong. ha ha But anyway, I think he was pretty obvious with his intentions of the song, specially with the 80s being thought of as the materialistic decade (the me decade)... you know, "shop til' you drop" and all that. Though I think the last 20 years has been very materialistic compared to the 80s and has gotten worse... well until the economy started to implode the last 5+ years. I like Peter's newer music but I miss his 80s youthfulness and spunk, stuff like Shock the Monkey and Red Rain. Awesome music.

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