| James Iha – Beauty Lyrics | 3 years ago |
| I don\'t know if these are the right lyrics, but this song is perfection. It has a sweet, expectant urgency. | |
| Fleet Foxes – If You Need To, Keep Time on Me Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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In the liner notes it says "January 20th, 2017." That was the inauguration of Donald Trump. "How could it all fall in one day? Were we too sure of a sun?" Basically I read it like this- Trump getting elected was a scary moment. Even Clinton would've been scary. I don't think either option would've been a nice shower of 'sunlight.' Either way, Trump got elected and it was a discouraging moment to be an American. While this song was more than likely written from the perspective of friendship, an older married friend of mine told me his (personal) interpretation of this song: in a biblical marriage, it is very rare that either spouse will be going through the same season of doubt at exactly the same time. If the husband is doubting, he can rely on his wife's faith. If the wife is doubting, she can rely on the husband's faith. It's not meant to be a total fix, but in a moment of discouragement, that's what people do when they love each other. We lean on each other when we can't see the sunlight, ultimately to hold on to the hopeful truth of Jesus Christ. At least that's what my life looks like. I love the lyric "wide oceans roar, a frightened fool stokes heatless/heedless fire." I read that as an appropriate commentary for all the roaring of social media during the election process. The fire was constant, and didn't seemed to help anything. Of all the noise, very little of it had any real impact (so it was "heatless") and frightened fools were constantly voicing their opinion, without giving much thought to what they were saying (heedless). I think this is a beautiful song about lovingly supporting each other during dark days. |
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| Neil Halstead – Digging Shelters Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| I think he's referring to how technology has made isolation much more popular. More people are prone to stay home and watch Netflix alone, rather than building relationships with real people- because it's easier. Obviously not every person is guilty of that, but it's foolish to think that isolation (paired with technology) is not a growing phenomenon. | |
| Owen – Settled Down Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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Beautiful song and a beautiful music video, too. I think the lyrics are mostly about sharing bed with his wife. When he is tossing or turning in the night, it's like he's afraid that he'll wake her up. Every movement is like an "earthquake," and then he sits there in silence, wondering "did you feel that too?" The only line that confuses me is: "I'm bored again, torn between giving in or getting lost for good." Thoughts? |
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| Fleet Foxes – Blue Spotted Tail Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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I don't believe this is an end-all answer to what the singer believes. Just looking at the words, most of the lyrics are interrogative. As well, the song is a delightful little ballad. It's not as if he is singing it in a hopeless vacuum. It's more like he's singing it looking back on the times when he's questioned the purpose of life- yet, he finds reasons to experience joy. My person beliefs (faith in God) conflict with the idea of 'blissful meaninglessness.' I'm sure that concept has another name, but that's the idea that this song seems to convey on the surface. But is Pecknold really a surface level writer? I feel like his material runs a little deeper than that. Personally, I don't hear this song as the grave of one's faith. It seems more like a photograph of a season of doubt. You can look at an old photo of yourself and remember who you used to be, and gain a little bit of perspective that way. |
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| Into It. Over It. – Closing Argument Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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Compared to the Intersections album, this song is a much better 2nd track than "Spinning Thread." A few reasons... 1. The lyrics are genuine- they are spaced out and well written. "Spinning Thread" is a migraine of a poem. This song is way more refreshing. 2. This is a hopeful tune. Musically and lyrically. Paired with "Open Casket" it flows nicely as an optimistic following thought. 3. That polyrhythmic drum beat at the end is sick. All of the instruments in this song gel together really well. I think it's a song about a man maturing in his relationship with the woman he loves. The relationship has been rough before, but he is realizing that he ought to be with her. Lines like "you don't deserve to erase all our days" sound selfish, while "there's really no need for one more of me" echoes a selfless sentiment. I like that the chords at the breakdown sound more innocent, and so the lyrics ring out with more clarity: he's tired of his selfishness. He's realizing that giving is more important than receiving. This has grown to be one of my favorite Into It. Over It. songs. The lyrical content is some of his best. |
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| Blake Mills – Seven Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| This song doesn't need much explaining. It's a love song. And man, it has a way of silencing everything around you. That little muted piano solo is beautiful. | |
| Jeremy Enigk – Saint Feliu de Guixols Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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I think this is a series of thoughts (basically Jeremy Enigk's lyrics) about the reality of living in a fallen world- I'm referencing to Genesis 3. I'm sure Enigk has that in mind, too. Since the fall of man, there is a difficulty that permeates life. There isn't a full picture of true beauty, mostly just glimpses. It's hard to remember that this life isn't all there is. God is perfect and wonderful, but man is not. Man's rebellion against God brought us the fallen world we live in now. There is hope though, as the song points out. "We are marching through the hardest part of all." I think he means that we ought to remember that this is just a temporary struggle, and if we cling to the grace of God in Jesus Christ, God will save us from this fallen world. He'll make everything right. |
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| Beach Fossils – Clash the Truth Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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I may be wrong, but this song feels sarcastic. The first line seems to point out how he really feels. "Life can be so vicious that we can't even appreciate its purities." The rest sounds like some wannabe punk mantra, that doesn't really mean anything. Almost like he's making fun of songs/poetry that use vague words to sound like they are making a statement. "Dream, rebel"/"Nothing real, nothing true" etc.. Maybe I'm just wanting it to be an optimistic song. I mean the music sounds optimistic anyway, right? |
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| Gregory Alan Isakov – Second Chances Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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Isakov has a way of stringing words together that shouldn't make sense, but somehow the sentiment is still successfully expressed. "I'm all bloody knuckles, longing for home" by itself hardly means anything, but in the song, you can gather that he means he's tired and he wants to belong somewhere. For me personally, I think this song is about realizing that we don't deserve anything good, but because of God's grace, there is still good to be found in our existence. Good friendship gives second chances. My relationship with God is unlike any other relationship I have, because I can't hide anything from him, so he sees every ounce of dark that I have. Yet, he continues to reach out to me and love me. Long story short, I think this song is about being given grace- in human relationships, too. He's a unique songwriter, and one of the best around at the moment. At least I think so. |
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| Switchfoot – Daisy Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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This is one of my favorite songs, period. This sounds cheesy on paper, but whatever- I was walking to class one time and it started raining cats and dogs, and I got drenched. My first inclination was to be angry that I was soaking wet, but I remembered the lyrics in this song. "Look up at the rain, a beautiful display of power and surrender, giving us today, when she gives herself away." Rain (she) is obedient to God. Rain is not something I can control. It happens as God wills it to happen. This song means a lot of things to me, but mainly it's that I cannot completely control my own life, and it is foolish to think I can. For the "daisy" analogy, I think it at least means this: when we root our trust in the things of this world, we will always find that they don't truly hold our interest, and they definitely don't hold our soul. God has saved me through the sacrifice of Jesus, and my true identity is in Christ. And why would I trust anyone else with my allegiance? God designed me and knows me fully. The best thing to do is to let go of my selfish desires and trust Jesus with my life and my salvation. This is a beautiful song with a solid point. Either root your life into a fallen world, or let it go and give your life over to God. |
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| Wilco – Hell Is Chrome Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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This song probably is about heroin, yeah. But... I would argue that it's mainly about addiction. You would never get addicted to something if you first saw how truly awful it is ("when the devil came, he was not red"). Instead, you take a crack at it because it's enticing, ("he was chrome") and it looks promising. Red gives cause for alarm. Chrome is shiny and nice looking. This song reminds me of the book of Proverbs, specifically 5:3-4. "For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword." I know that's about adultery- but still. The main point is that we get involved with things that hurt us because they actually look pretty good at first, but as time passes you start to see the harm. That's my take on these lyrics. It's a great song. |
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| Into It. Over It. – Embracing Facts Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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This is a really solid first song. I think it's about how we can't rely on our own wisdom. It's like he's coming to terms with how selfish he's been. And he can't afford to play "minor chords" because it doesn't do any good to sulk for yourself/throw a pity party. You gotta get back up and try again. That's how I hear it, anyway. |
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| Into It. Over It. – Adult Contempt Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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Call me crazy but is this song about internet comments? When it says "first"- maybe he's alluding to the people that comment "first" on internet posts/videos. Maybe that's a stretch, haha. I'm not really sure what this one is about. Also, I thought the line was "blood as ink just prints as privilege." I thought that was an interesting phrase, and I'm a little disappointed that's not what it is. Still a great song though. |
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| Blake Mills – Curable Disease Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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This song took a few listens before I realized how good it really is. I interpret it like this- A boy can fall in love with a girl. He reads her attitude like she loves him too, and then he does everything in his power to bring the two of them together. His love for her is completely sincere, but she doesn't actually have any true intentions of being with him. So he ends up putting everything he has on the table, "like a worm out on a line," only to find that she didn't want the same thing. The best line to me is "I don't believe that it's wrong to have heard love and dared the cost, but love can be a mistranslation, and lines can be crossed." He loved her, and held onto the hope that she loved him too. Sadly she did not feel the same way. His dreams were different than her's. I love the hopefulness of the last line: "...the writing on the wall looked just like water on the windowsill, it said love can be a curable disease." It's pretty interesting to refer to unreciprocated love as a disease. Either way, there is solace in this song. In the instrumental, in the lyrics, all of it. I think Jeff Tweedy said something about the best songs being written in spite of pain. This song is a good example of that. |
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| Gregory Alan Isakov – Living Proof Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| Gregory Alan Isakov has a way of stringing words together in a beautiful way that only make sense in the context of the music. This song has a lot of vivid imagery in it, but I can't put my finger on exactly what it's about. Although that's kind of what makes it beautiful. It's a big string of thoughts, all floating around in this warm instrumental background. His songs might not make a lot of sense, but he sure knows how to convey some feelings. | |
| Into It. Over It. – A New North-Side Air Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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I think it's about trying to give up bad habits. The first one referenced is obviously smoking. The line "filled up my lungs with our home" is cool to me. I remember seeing a video where he played this song and he prefaced the song by saying it was about him thinking he'd gotten rid of a lot of bad habits in his life but then realized he was still dealing with them. |
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| Into It. Over It. – Spinning Thread Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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This is one of those IIOI songs that kinda gives me a lyrical headache. There's a lot of words here... he seems to have had a lot on his mind while writing this one. It definitely sounds like his head was "spinning." Really cool instrumentation though, as always. |
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| Sufjan Stevens – Fourth of July Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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This is definitely a poetic "conversation" between Sufjan and his mother. I listened to this song recently, and honestly this song seemed morbid. But, being a Christian (as Sufjan is, too) I think this song is actually pretty hopeful. Bare with me... The joy of Christ is that his power prevails through every circumstance, even the really devastating ones. He conquered death, so that his followers will have "abundant life" on earth and after death. So then, death becomes hopeful, not hopeless. With that in mind: When Sufjan's mother says, "Well you do enough talk, my little hawk Tell me why do you cry? Tell me what did you learn from the Tillamook burn, or the Fourth of July? We're all gonna die." ... It's his mother comforting him. I'll be frank- I love my mom, and she has comforted me through all kinds of pain. Sufjan's mother was dying, so it makes sense that the most comforting thing to say would be "someday you will die, too." Death is a reality, but I find that with Christ, I'm really alright with dying. And even though it hurts, I can have hope in the midst of watching someone I love die. Anyway, the main poetic point of the song is a mother trying to provide comfort for her son, even as she didn't do the best job when her son was a child. And of course there is emotional pain from a loved one dying, because this is a broken world. It's just interesting to me that the mother is talking to Sufjan as if he were a child, but this song was written when he was a fully grown man. I can relate to that. Even as I get older and become and adult, I am still my mother's child. |
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| Copeland – Eat, Sleep, Repeat Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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This song, to me, makes a very crucial point: love is evidence for God. The first verse expresses how even the most brilliant-minded people still experience the unexplainable depth of love. Not just romantic love, but love for their friends, family, whoever... just genuinely caring for someone. And it's interesting that he doesn't beat the listener over the head with that truth, but comes at it from an angle of skepticism. "Love could be a great illusion," but yet even the most intelligent people have not figured out how to resist the power love has over us as human beings. The choruses are just exploring (I think) the more personal side of the song, which is just that the singer hasn't quite figured out how selfless we have to be in order to love someone. 1 Corinthians 13:5 says this about love: "It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." So maybe on a personal level, the chorus is talking about how he hadn't really considered those things yet. He was still self-seeking, and did not understand yet that love doesn't work that way. The second verse is beautiful. I think that it, again, further explains how love is evidence for God and that love comes from God. Now, I am mostly talking about love in a general sense- not specifically romantic love. Essentially, love exists in every corner of the world. It looks different for different cultures, but it all stems from the same place. "Love gets everything it asks for" means that, even though you choose to love someone, the reason you choose to love them is somewhat beyond you. The most beautiful reason someone could love you is simply, "because I love you!" So with that in mind, love is as simple as a "young girl picking flowers in the lawn." There is no particular reason for a child to be picking flowers, other than the fact that they enjoy doing it and they find a simple, innocent beauty in it. So, love "gets every kiss and tear, she gets every smile and fear..." because that is how God made us. We will express our love to each other, cry and mourn with each other, we will laugh with one another, and we will worry about the ones we love if we feel something is wrong. But the big question is "why?" Why, if all life is just happenstance, why does love have such a strong grip on even the most brilliant people? Surely we would have figured out how to shut it off by now, if it were all just chemicals. "But still, she never finds the last of them is gone." Love has no end. It is eternal because God is eternal. Cultures will change, nations will rise and fall- and all the while, love never ceases to exist. |
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| Blake Mills – Don't Tell Our Friends About Me Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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On first listen it seems like he's talking about a secret relationship that he doesn't want his (and her) friends to know about. But, having heard this song a lot of times now, it's not about a secret love affair- it's about a man realizing that he has acted selfish to a woman he loves, dealing with the embarrassment, and apologizing. The guy in the song is embarrassed because he has realized that he is more selfish than he thought. Or at least, more than he wanted to admit. He really likes the girl and things have been going smoothly, but because of an argument or some altercation (which i do not believe was physical) his ugly side was shown. I think the song is about an ill-tempered man playing the "nice guy" role really well, up until a certain point where he snaps, and the girl sees that's he is actually a jerk on the inside. But because he cares about the girl, he is pleading with her to work things out with him ("I could be a good dog and just sit with you"). It's a beautiful song. I love a well-done apology song. This is one of them. A lot of times, apologies can really bring on the cheese when expressed through song... but this one hits the nail on the head. |
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