submissions
| Iq – The Road of Bones Lyrics
| 8 years ago
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The musings of a serial killer as he spreads death and fear in a small American town. Brilliant song but I can't help hoping there will be a follow up where they've caught the bastard... |
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| Anathema – One Last Goodbye Lyrics
| 8 years ago
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A song about bereavement. To the band it was the Cavanagh's mother but just as relevant to anyone who has lost someone they loved. Very sad, very moving. The original version on the Judgement album is heart-wrenching, the revised track on Hindsight is to me even more emotional. |
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| The Duckworth Lewis Method – Jiggery Pokery Lyrics
| 10 years ago
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I think it unlikely that anyone researching this song will have any doubts as to its meaning! Sung in the first person, Neil. Hannon takes on the character of Mike Gatting having faced what is commonly referred to as the 'ball of the century' of which Gatting was the victim, bowled by Aussie spin bowling wizard Shane Warne. |
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| Genesis – Me And Sarah Jane Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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You would have thought that after all that expensive Charterhouse education Tony would have known it was 'Sarah Jane and I', not 'Me and Sarah Jane'.
:-) |
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| Elbow – High Ideals Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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When you are young you either want to change an errant world or party yourself into a stupor. When you get older you get married, settle down, get a mortgage and a mother-in-law and suddenly you find you are happy with a cup of tea and a Hob Nob.
Occasionally you feel a bit guilty about it. |
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| Elbow – Fugitive Motel Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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It's about being in love with someone who is a long, long way away. At least that's what Guy said when he introduced the song at the O2 in London last night! |
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| Genesis – For Absent Friends Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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Not much one can add to Madprophet's analysis. The song reminds me of the village I spent the first 13 years of my life in. The church, children's playground, the bus ambling down the street, small children pushing prams. Had they referred to a chip shop, a cricket pitch and a pub I would have assumed that they had been there before it was written... The unquestioning assumption that Christianity is the ultimate truth and that twopence a week can reserve you a place in heaven still held sway back then but times were difinitely changing. |
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| Genesis – Firth Of Fifth Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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Not a song for the aquaphobics I feel. Perhaps it's best not to try and analyse the lyrics too much and simply enjoy the music. Tony's piano solo at the beginning doesn't have any words to distract from it but he famously got the yips playing it live once that from then on when played live they launched straight into the vocal section without the intro. |
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| Genesis – Silver Rainbow Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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The silver rainbow is a zip? Never thought of that one before but I quite like it! Must admit I always thought the song was about sex so I'm glad I'm not the only one. The silver rainbow, be it a zip or not, is the dividing line between the awkward will we/won't we moment and let's get it on.
Shooting up heroin? Don't think so. Getting jiggy? I prefer that theory :-) |
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| Genesis – Pigeons Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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I've a bit of a hunch that this song might be about pigeons.
I'd love to know how a knockatizer rids us of the pigeon menace! |
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| Genesis – No Son Of Mine Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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Ouch! The father is a right old bastard isn't he? He was a bastard back then and is still a bastard now. Physical or mental abuse? Probably both.
I can see the obituary when the father dies: A hard working man who didn't suffer fools gladly. Obituary code for a right old bastard... |
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| Genesis – Keep It Dark Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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parberoo got it right first time - aducted by aliens, upon his return our hero is forced to lie about his wonderful experiences about a 'world so bright'. The phrase 'keep it dark' literally means keep it a secret, the advice the aliens have given him if he doesn't want locking up for being a nutcase.
It is the reverse situation to A Trick of the Tail where an 'alien' (the beast with the horns) strays into the human world and can't wait to get back to 'the city of gold'. |
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| Genesis – Jesus He Knows Me Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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As previously stated it is simply a piss-take at the expense of televangelists. As Phil said before performing it, on a Sunday in the USA no matter where you turn that dial, there they are. Some of them are decent honest types and do what they say they are going to do with the money. Others, however... Collins then slipped into character: And I believe the Lord told me to get eighteen million dollars by the weekend!
Interestingly ex-Marillion frontman Fish had recently done a song about televangelism called Big Wedge. |
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| Genesis – Inside and Out Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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atlknight has hit the nail on the head with this one. I doubt it is a song that would be written now as it would be seen as misogynistic in these politically correct times. The subject, the narrator's brother, has been locked up for some time on a rape charge after being given the come-on by his victim. Recently a politician in the UK got into bother by suggesting that there are various levels of rape. The uproar from the Guardianistas (middle class lefties) in this country was huge as rape is rape and there can be no mitigating factors.
The song never made the LP, being released on an EP along with Match of the Day and Pigeons. |
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| Genesis – Dance On A Volcano Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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I'd love this to be a song purely about someone who wants to dance on a volcano, I mean, hasn't everyone at some stage!
To me though the meaning is all about taking risks to get to a place you really want to be. |
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| Genesis – Cul-de-Sac Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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I'm sure I saw an interview where Tony claimed it was about the extinction of the dinosaurs but reading the lyrics it does appear to be more to do with the extiction of the human race through an impending nuclear conflict.
Fun times back in the 70/80s! |
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| Genesis – Blood On The Rooftops Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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It's about living your life through the television. Despite there only being three channels in Britain back then plenty of people did. Had it been penned 30-40 years later the references would have been hundreds of channels showing the X-Factor and endless soap operas. The middle aged couple who seem to be narrating the story don't appear to like the serious stuff, all that blood on the rooftops is too much for them. They would be horrified with the 24 hour news channels today. |
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| Yes – South Side of the Sky Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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Jon has stated that the song is about a group of mountain climbers who got lost, froze to death and went to heaven. |
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| Yes – Soon Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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Jon said at a concert once that this song, which is the last section of the epic Gates of Delerium, was about lasers. Lasers had been around for a while in science labs by the mid seventies but they were a new innovation for concert lighting. |
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| Yes – The Gates of Delirium Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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It may well be about war but Jon said at a concert once that the final 'Soon' section was about the laser which was a new innovation in concert lighting at the time. Ours to shape for all time, ours the right. |
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| Yes – And You And I Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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Haven't the faintest idea what it is about but it is absolutely classic Yes and brilliant! |
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| Dire Straits – Money For Nothing Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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Thought this one was pretty self evident - Knopfler is singing from the point of view of a blue collar worker who has a low opinion of musicians. I don't for a moment think that Knopfler agrees with the persona he has created. |
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| Elbow – Dear Friends Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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Angels look after you, magi are wise, drunks are fun. Drunks can also be complete pains in the arse.
Sums up friends quite nicely I think! |
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| Elbow – Open Arms Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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Performed at the London 2012 Olympic closing ceremony. The general theme of 'you are welcome here' was quite apt even if the specific meaning of the returning prodigal and maybe slightly wayward son wasn't. |
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| Genesis – Guide Vocal Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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The "Duke Suite" might have been split up on the album but was put back together for the In Concert '80 tour which took place following the release of Duke, and, as it happens, the first time I saw Genesis live. Phil introduced it with a little story about Albert, the character on the album cover and presumably therefore the 'Duke' of the title.
According to Phil, Albert was a born loser. He fell in love with the Duchess who dumped him. Guide Vocal is apparently Albert expressing bitterness at this. Albert went on to fall in love with the television (Turn It On Again) and then, bizarrely, his walking stick (Dukes Travels I guess). He ends up at a retirement home for losers called Duke's End where he reviews his life (we get samples of the songs) and another round of bitterness towards the Duchess.
I sometimes wondered if the other songs fit into the suite. I'm sure they could - Misunderstanding is when Albert catches the Duchess having a bit on the side, Please Don't Ask suggests that he and the Duchess had children and he's missing them like mad, Alone Tonight is self evident. However, I presume that these are stand alones and Duke's Suite is indeed just Behind the Lines, Duchess, Guide Vocal, Turn it on Again, Duke's Travels and Duke's End. |
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| Elbow – Great Expectations Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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A fantasy wedding on the 135 bus to Bury! Bizarre notion but sheer quality. Just one point that's bugging me, if this was on the last bus home to Bury, presumably from Manchester, what were the Stockport supporters doing on it? Surely they would be on the last bus to Stockport. (Bury is north of Manchester, Stockport is south)
Bit shoddy in the detail there Guy :-) |
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| Elbow – The Everthere Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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Lovely song. As someone with more salt than pepper in my hair who has been married to his everthere for 26 years I can relate to it. Don't think I ever had any sequins to lose though ;-) |
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| Elbow – Mexican Standoff Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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I wish I was HARD! As in hard man. Basically, he wishes he was tough and brave enough to beat the crap out of the girlfriend's ex.
Jealousy and an inferiority complex. Bad times! |
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| Elbow – Buttons and Zips Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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Not just about 'getting it on' but yes, teenage groping is part of it. I think Guy is recalling the group he hung around with when he was 16 or 17. Al, Becks, Tom, Ed, Joe and Cath. Are they real? Maybe, maybe not but they sound much more fun than the guys I hung around with in the sixth form! |
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| Elbow – Mirrorball Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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A gorgeous love song. To me it is about that early part of a relationship when you can't think of anything else than the beautiful creature you find youself sharing your life with.
You make the moon our mirror ball
The street's an empty stage
The city's sirens, violins
Everything has changed
The whole world feels like a dancefloor and the narrator and his love are the only people on it.
By the way, how un-rock and roll is the word 'dear'? |
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| Simon and Garfunkel – Cecilia Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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Loving the saint and dog theories. Not convinced though, especially about the dog. I doubt Simon would advertise the fact that he makes love to his dog. No, to me the literal interpretation is best though it does pose a few questions. Simon is making love to Cecilia in his bedroom and suddenly feels the need to wash his face. What sort of sexual activity is he idulging in for heaven's sake???
Ablutions finished Simon heads back to bed and, oh no, Cecilia is getting jiggy with someone else!! Not only that, it is in HIS BED! Is nothing sacred? We then find that Simon is a very forgiving person as presumably once the interloper has finished and left, Cecilia loves him again. Jubilation! Not sure I'd be quite so understanding at the thought of Cecilia's sloppy seconds but hey, this was written in the hippy era, easy come, easy go as it were.
Alternately he could just be making love to his dog :-) |
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| Genesis – The Carpet Crawlers Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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I once heard an interesting theory that this song was about conception. The carpet crawlers are sperm, the red ochre corridor is the vagina, needle's winking eye is perhaps the opening of the vagina or cervix, only one direction is towards the waiting egg, the spiral staircase is the fallopian tube, the porcelain manquin is maybe the egg itself and, the clincher, 'You've got to get in to get out'!
Personally I don't believe a word of it but I thought it was worth sharing ;-) |
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| Genesis – A Trick Of The Tail Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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Don't believe this song has anything to do with the departure of Gabriel and the lyrics can be taken literally - a fairy tale of a creature from some parallel civilisation. Although they almost certainly didn't realise it at the time, the multiple universe theory fits this song perfectly - somewhere there is a world like ours on which there is a city of gold that contains intelligent horned creatures. |
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| Genesis – The Battle Of Epping Forest Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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Obviously a tale of two London East End gangs battling it out for bragging rights in Epping Forest. The character that interests me is Harold Demure. Harold is obviously gay and Gabriel camps him up mercilessly. Back in 1973 this was considered OK. I very much doubt the extremely PC Gabriel would have done that just a few years later lest it be considered just a tad homophobic. I wonder if he regrets it?
Whatever, it is still a great song on my favourite Gabriel era Genesis album. |
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| Genesis – The Fountain Of Salmacis Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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As mentioned, it is the story of the first hermaphrodite, taken from Greek mythology. As Collins stated in one of the post-Gabriel gigs, 'a hermaphrodite is a person that is a man and a woman at the same time, in the same pair of trousers as it were'. I guess the audiences were a little less worldly-wise back then and needed it expalining. |
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| Genesis – The Return Of The Giant Hogweed Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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A ripping yarn about a particularly evil species of plant that, having been introduced to Britain in Victorian times, proceeds to try and destroy the human race. A sort of rhododendron with attitude if you will.
It could be a metaphor for Europeans settling in America or Australia and almost wiping out the indiginous population but probably is just Gabriel's take on The Day of the Triffids. |
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| Genesis – Match Of The Day Lyrics
| 11 years ago
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No hidden meanings here. A song about the delights of going to football (soccer) games. Written in the seventies it reflects the matchday experience of the time: Most games were played on a Saturday afternoon and there are references to hooliganism which was rife back then. Some things don't change - overpaid players, dodgy chairmen and, of course, insulting the referee. Despite all that is wrong, however, it is the only way to spend your Saturday. The song is suitably upbeat and jolly and probably doesn't quite work IMHO but full marks to the boys for effort!
Not surprisingly the song never made the album Wind and Wuthering but was released as an EP along with Pigeons and Inside and Out.
For those that don't know 'Match of the Day' is the name of the BBC's long running football highlights show. |
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