| The Waterboys – The Whole Of The Moon Lyrics | 10 days ago |
| @seanpoet (I mean I guess you agree, but I'm just a bit allergic to the "about" word. Overall, there's nothing that says that the songwriters themselved have the best interpretation of their songs.) :) | |
| The Waterboys – The Whole Of The Moon Lyrics | 10 days ago |
| @[seanpoet:55076] Whatever the personal inspiration is for a songwriter, a song is not "about" that, imo. There is nothing in the song that reduces it to that one person or relationship - it would not be the great song that it is if it was reduced to that one interpretation. Great art takes inspiration from something and then makes it general. | |
| The Waterboys – A Girl Called Johnny Lyrics | 11 days ago |
| @[jezzieb:55068] I'm aware of that old story, but a song being inspired by somebody does not make it a song "about" that person. There's nothing inherent in the song that says it's about Smith, and once a song is out there, the interpretation is up for grabs. (Imo, it's a lousy song if it's interpretation depends on reading an interview with its author. And this is, to me, a brilliant song. :) ) | |
| So They Say – You Asked "Where Are We Now?" Lyrics | 1 month ago |
| @[CaptainFeedback:54748] I've liked BB since way back, and think Jones is one hell of an underrated artist and songwriter. And man, he can but bleak pictures to happy music :) | |
| U2 – Love Is Blindness Lyrics | 5 months ago |
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@[DelaneyN:54024] First, I must point out that I'm of the school that doesn't think the songwriters have monopoly on the interpretation of songs. Once a song is out there, it's up for grabs, and the best interpretation is not necessarily given by the author. Having said that, I recall reading (after loving this track for years) that Bono's aim was to write a lyric that could work on two levels: romantic/sexual love AND the love of an idea (e.g., political/idealogical). I don't recall his actual words, but I remember thinking "you clever bastard, you succeeded". It's one of the rare occasions where I was glad I read about the songwriter's idea behind a song, and where hearing about it did not diminish the song for me, but made it even better and bigger. I'm not saying that anyone should abandon their own interpretation, but I do think it works quite well on both those levels (for example the parked car part, that I somehow saw as referring to sex/sex addiction/maybe infidelity in a car, but can also refer to, e.g., a car bomb.) |
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| Tom Petty – Free Fallin' Lyrics | 5 months ago |
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Fantastic song, of course. But just to brag about how modern I was, I must point out that I, directly when the song was released, used to switch the genders of the song just to give it an interesting edge when I sang it (alone, at home, with my guitar). Later, I've heard a few female singers do the same ("He's a good boy..." etc). My only minor critique of the song might, namely, be that I feel the bad-boy/good-girl setting might feel a tad traditional, and I think it spices it up to simply reverse the roles. (I'm a long-time, male Petty fan btw. Became a fan when "Don't Come Around..." was released, when I was 11 years old. |
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| Jimmy Cliff – Many Rivers To Cross Lyrics | 11 months ago |
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I love the song. But on detail: in the last line of the bridge, is the last word "cry" or "try"? You can find both versions, both when it comes to lyrics on the net and actual recordings. It's a bit hard to hear in Cliff's original recording from the 60's, but I've found som fairly new live versions where he sure seems to sing "cry", e.g. here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgYLq4YLksA That is also how Joe Cocker sings it (he goes further, singing something like "guess I have to break down and cry"). Both work, of course. "Try" works well with the strife, and pushing on, described in the song overall, while "cry" works as an admission that the singer can't keep it together all the time, and sometimes breaks down. |
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| Jimmy Cliff – Many Rivers To Cross Lyrics | 11 months ago |
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I love the song. But on detail: in the last line of the bridge, is the last word "cry" or "try"? You can find both versions, both when it comes to lyrics on the net and actual recordings. It's a bit hard to hear in Cliff's original recording from the 60's, but I'v found som fairly new live versions where he sure seems to sing "cry", e.g. here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgYLq4YLksA That is also how Joe Cocker sings it (he goes further, singing something like "guess I have to break down and cry"). Both work, of course. "Try" works well with the strife, and pushing on, described in the song overall, while "cry" works as an admission that the singer can't keep it together all the time, and sometimes breaks down. |
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| Dire Straits – Romeo And Juliet Lyrics | 2 years ago |
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I'm starting to think that the third verse introduces a third (meta) character into the song: the singer of this very song. The story until then, about Romeo and Juliet who are described in third person, is what the singer refers to in the line "I can't do a love song like the way it's meant to be". He refers to his story about Romeo and Juliet, which has quite a lot of irony and sarcasm and maybe bitterness, and admits his attempt to write a love song to his own "Juliet" is not really how love songs usually go, and is maybe a failed try. At the same time the singer - and the whole song - turns more heartfelt and personal and honest, giving me the impression that the singer, at least for one verse, skips his made up story and sings directly to he woman he misses. We get the picture that the singer is in a rock band (Knopfler, in later versions, literally sings "rock and roll"), thinking about his lost love while playing and singing on stage. This also gives me the impression that the "Romeo" character in verses one and two aren't identical with the singer of verse three, but maybe a slightly comical. made up version of himself that the singer has created for his love song to his own "Juliet". --- Btw, I happened to see a version by Knopfler where he totally skipped the second verse (and did not repeat the beginning of the first verse at the end of the song). Made it a different beast, and moving it its own right. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – One Step Up Lyrics | 2 years ago |
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This song is so perfect. I've loved it since it was released, and it might be my favourite song by him. I was 14 when was released, so needless to say it hits even harder now. :) The last verse, with the almost film noir dreamy quality when he moves the focus between the bar and the dream, is simply amazing. |
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| Bruce Springsteen – One Step Up Lyrics | 2 years ago |
| @[renetitulaer:45685] I've seen that one before, and it's good. MJ has covered a lot of songs that I like (apart from of course being a good songwriter himself). | |
| Bruce Springsteen – Tougher Than The Rest Lyrics | 2 years ago |
| @[bank_robert:45684] Interesting. I've thought of that line as describing a not so glamorous place. An ordinary bar for everyday people, maybe in a smaller city. I.e., "you should not dream to big here, but realize thet what you find here are ordinary guys like me, and amongst them I'm the one who will stay true". | |
| Aztec Camera – Good Morning Britain Lyrics | 9 years ago |
| @[CultureShock2:15650] Good comment, but isn't it the corporal looking at his own gun? | |
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