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| The Mission – Wake (RSV) Lyrics
| 3 years ago
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ModernDandy is basically right except that Wake is not a response to This Corrosion because This Corrosion didn\'t see the light of day until over a year later. Eldritch liked his wordplay so I don\'t think that is a specific reference to the song. \nI\'ve just read the book Paint My Name In Black And Gold which covers the Sisters early days up until the fallout from the split. It\'s interesting to find that the split was quite amicable until Eldtritch thought Hussey and Adams were planning to call themselves The Sisters , which apparently wasn\'t true and was all a misundestanding. Eldritch got his lawyers onto them , and they called themselves The Sisterhood initially to get up his nose. |
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| Siouxsie and the Banshees – Monitor Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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Agreed it's about people watching CCTV for entertainment - which with the subsequent rise of reality TV , surveillance culture , youtube etc and crazes such as "happy slapping" makes this probably the Banshees most prescient song. |
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| Siouxsie and the Banshees – Happy House Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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Siouxsie is on record as saying that it's about the kind of couples or families that present a happy image to the outside world , while hiding secrets such as domestic violence. "Safe and calm if you sing along". A brilliant , deceptively simple song |
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| Ultravox – White China Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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Given the explicit reference to China iy seems quite clear to me that the song is about Hong Kong and it's eventual transfer to Chinese control. |
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| Ultravox – White China Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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@[donn103936:38310] Seeing as it was written by a British band in the early 80s isn't it more likely that it is expressing concern about the future of Hong Kong?
I disagree strongly about one thing - the USA has never been socialist at now or any other time. However concerns about corporate control and the insidious growth of surveillance technology in every life are well founded. |
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| Ultravox – Vienna Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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@[juliankeynes:38309] I think the video, rather than the song was influenced by The Third Man which led to people interpreting the song in the same way. I expect Ultravox were happy enough for this to give the impression of their being an artistic influence behind the song, because Ure has since admitted it is about a holiday romance and he came up with the idea after mishearing a Fleetwood Mac song as "Vienna" on the radio,
Oh, and The Cure and Echo & The Bunnymen definitely weren't New Romantics. |
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| Ultravox – Vienna Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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@[juliankeynes:38308] I think the video, rather than the song was influenced by The Third Man which led to people interpreting the song in the same way. I expect Ultravox were happy enough for this to give the impression of their being an artistic influence behind the song, because Ure has since admitted it is about a holiday romance and he came up with the idea after mishearing a Fleetwood Mac song as "Vienna" on the radio, |
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| The Associates – Club Country Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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Simon Reynolds' book on post punk, Rip It Up And Start Again , with some supporting quotes from Alan Rankine, says it's a dig at the posing in the new romantic club scene of the time - Billy Mackenzie had been involved in it and had gone to clubs like the Blitz, but ultimately found it very shallow |
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| The Associates – Club Country Lyrics
| 4 years ago
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Simon Reynolds' book on post punk, Rip It Up And Start Again , with some supporting quotes from Alan Rankine, says it's a dig at the posing in the new romantic club scene of the time - Billy Mackenzie had been involved in it and had gone to clubs like the Blitz, but ultimately found it very shallow |
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| Siouxsie and the Banshees – Night Shift Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[Foggypebble2:34736] Not far off but it's about Peter Sutcliffe the Yorkshire Ripper. Some of it is writtten from his point of view but I think other parts are from victims points of view |
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| Siouxsie and the Banshees – Paradise Place Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[vin:34735]Ãciusol Mantovani was a conductor of light orchestral music, so I guess thsi is the kind of music that might be used as a backdrop to plastic surgery. I guess the soft voice is the plastic surgeon talking to the patient while operATING. I'm not sure why lint or pink but I'm guessing it suggests soft and relaxing. |
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| The Exploited – Army Life Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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Based on Wattie's actual experiences in the army. He been kicked out because he wanted to dress punk, which obviously didn't go down well! |
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| Crass – Hurry Up Garry (the Parsons Farted) Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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It's about Garry Bushell but also Tony Parsons ("The Parson's Farted"). Both had slagged Crass off in the music press. A couple of years later Penny Rimbuad said he thought it was the one song where they went over the top.
Steve Ignorant was interviewed by Bushell on his podcast a few years ago - they seem quite matey these days! |
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| The Clash – Rock the Casbah Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[drake34:34730] Close but it wasn't a CBS exec it was Bernie Rhodes their manager who appaapparently said "Does ecery song have to be as long as a f*cking raga?" Another direct influence he had on Clash lyrics was when he told them in 1977 he wanted "complete control" and they fell about laughibg. |
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| The Sisters of Mercy – Christian Says Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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This is by Tones On Tail (formed by Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins of Bauhaus) not Sisters Of Mercy and I'm not aware of the Sisters ever having covered it. |
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| The Clash – London Calling Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[bahoevel:34717] London is drowning refers specifically to the danger of flooding from the Thames, Strummer has always been specific about that. If CBS were that worried about the Clash being violent and subversive home come they released White Riot. |
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| The Clash – London Calling Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[knockout000:34715] Not far off - Strummer was tlking about different potential disasters being reported in the media , soem of them seemingly contradictory, but saying that he wasn't going to worry about these because living where he did the Thames flooding was a more immediate threat (before they built the Thames flood barrier) |
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| The Clash – Straight to Hell Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[benulitron:34714] Mick Jones himself did a lot of sampling with Big Audio Dynamite, so I can hardly see hime objecting to someone sampling the Clash |
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| The Clash – (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[ntwjones:34712] White Riot was written in 76, Hammersmith Palais in late 77, Both songs were based on different experiences that led him to different conclusions. Anyway, although it's patronising in places Hammersmith is also critical of white bands - the "new groups" wearing "Burton suits" is generally taken to be about The Jam who the Clash had fallen out with. |
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| Dexys Midnight Runners – There, There My Dear Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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The song is aimed at another musician , or at least a type of musician represented by "Robin" who Kevin Rowland is on record as saying wasn't a specific person (although there is Robin Campbell of UB40, contemporaries of Dexys from Birmingham). Rowland is calling out Robin as fake, willing to talk about politics and quote intellectual and artistic influences that would impress magazines such as the NME, but not willing to actually do anything about the causes they claim to care about. The line " If youre so anti-fashion, why not wear flares" is about the kind of bands who would claim not be following fashion but in reality did not doing anything to really stand out - in 1980 weearing flares would be just about the most unfashionable thing you could do. |
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| Dexys Midnight Runners – Plan B Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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This could be a love song of sorts but I think it's more likely about Kevin Rowland's plan to launch the new Dexys after most of the original members had left to form The Bureau. The song is addressed to another member of Dexys who's stood by him , and Plan B is the new Dexys. The "whispers more than loud enough" refers to tensions in the old band and the band members turning against him. |
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| Thompson Twins – King For A Day Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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Tom Bailey imagines an abdication crisis as a means of declaring his love. Very romantic! What lady could fail to be bowled over by such an offer from a young tassell haired Tom.
But let's look closer. He is only proposing that he would king for one day. What exactly could he do as monarch for 24 hours? Open parliament? Knight the other Thompson Twins? Do a walkabout at a Dyson factory and ask the workers what they do? It's not much to give away is it?
Unless he means that as king he would give something else away. Balmoral? The crown jewels? Scotland? Well Tom., I've got news for you - you only had them for 24 hours, they weren't yours to give away!
Either way the man gives the distinct impression of being a bounder and a cad. Keep away ladies, that's my advice. |
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| Thompson Twins – King For A Day Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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Tom Bailey imagines an abdication crisis as a means of declaring his love. Very romantic! What lady could fail to be bowled over by such an offer from a young tassell haired Tom.
But let's look closer. He is only proposing that he would king for one day. What exactly could he do as monarch for 24 hours? Open parliament? Knight the other Thompson Twins? Do a walkabout at a Dyson factory and ask the workers what they do? It's not much to give away is it?
Unless he means that as king he would give something else away. Balmoral? The crown jewels? Scotland? Well Tom., I've got news for you - you only had them for 24 hours, they weren't yours to give away!
Either way the man gives the distinct impression of being a bounder and a cad. Keep away ladies, that's my advice. |
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| Spandau Ballet – Gold Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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"Thank you for coming home
I'm sorry that the chairs are all worn
I left them here, I could have sworn"
OK is it just me? are the chairs a bit tatty? Or has he carelessly misplaced them? If the latter then surely he would apologise for them not being there at all, not for them being worn. IOt doesn't make any sense unless the narrator is very confused. |
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| Spandau Ballet – Gold Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[glkk100:34710] An entertaining creative interpretation but wrong. If Hadley had written it perhaps... |
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| Spandau Ballet – True Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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Gary Kempo trying to get out of the "friend zone" with Clare Grogan - he's said as much hmself |
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| Adam Ant – Ant Rap Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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"So tired of anarchists looking at me" is almost certainly a reference to Crass the anarchist punk band that had a very big underground following at the time, and were criticial of anyone from the punk scene entering the m,ainstream. His response shows that he hadn't really grasped what their message was anyway, but hey. Crass in turn had a dig at him in the song Have A Nice Day. |
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| Adam Ant – Press Darlings Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[heatherfer:34709] Can't agree with that interpreation at all. If it's about gay control of the London media then why target Bushell of all people who gained a reputation for being homophobic? As for vaseline, I've never known what that line means but it's "WE are the vaseline gang". "We" in the song refers to Adam and the Ants throughout. My theory is it's a reference to them being theatrical instead of presenting themselves as authentically working class, such as the bands taht Bushell champions. The song is about how the Ants were scorned by the media , and that's about all there is to it. |
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| Adam Ant – Goody Two Shoes Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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"When they saw you kneeling ..... pretrending that you're Al Green" is sometimes taken to be a dig at Kevin Rowland from Dexys Midnight Runners, although they were friends . It certainly reads like a description of Rowland but "pretending that you're Al Green" seems a bit too pointed. Hmm... |
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| The Clash – Complete Control Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[Cpt:34708]-Sensible I think the line is a bit sarcastic. Jones is playing a great (if brief ) guitar solo, Joe is mocking him as a "guitar hero" - basically it's the band having their cake and eating it, and probably also a sign of the needling relationship between Joe and Mick |
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| The Clash – Complete Control Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[shadowwiththeeyes:34707] Nothing to do with the song, the US branch of the label thought the album was too raw , but it went on to become the(at the time) biggest ever selling import album in the US so they eventually decided they'd better cash in on it. |
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| The Clash – Clampdown Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[jdmc22:34704] Nothing whatsoever to do with unions , which the Clash were broadly supportive of (playing benefots for the National Union of Mineworkers, and one of Strummers last gigs was for the Fire Fighters Union). It's about the system in general, in particular the rise of the Thatcher governemnt. There are a few references to Nazis drawing a parallel and I think "blue eyed boys" has a deliberate double meaning. Anyway, why would "evil presidentes" in South America be working for trade unions? |
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| The Clash – Clampdown Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[aisha_08:34703] They don't. The line is drawing a link between racist violence against minority groups in Britain (including Sikhs , who wear turbans) and the rise of the Nazis. |
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| The Clash – Clampdown Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[fte:34702] The Clash certainly weren't orthodox Marxists but I think that interpretation of the song is way off. The Clash had still found common cause with the SWP , playing the Anti Nazi League carnival although it's true they never fully signed up to any party line. I think the clampdown here refers to the increasing authoritarianism of the British esrablishment - after all Thatcher had recently come to power when the song was written. "Cover the wall" is actually "Kick over the wall" - that's what it says on the lyric sheet on the album. The "evil presidentes" are most likely right wing US backed dictators, and "fully paid their due" just means "got what was coming to them". The "best years of your life they want to steal" in context refers to factory work. You might be right about "there's nothing coming" but that might equally mean being offered some golden opportunity by the system. |
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| The Clash – Clampdown Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[myfriendoak:34701] Possibly but I always thought that referred to joining the police or the army to serve the establishment. |
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| The Clash – Clampdown Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[lyrisgenius:34700] Seeing as most people in the UK at the time were fully aware that it was Sikhs that wore turbans I would say the song is obviously drawing a parallel between racism against the newer immigarnts groups in the UK and the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany. Doesn't take an idiot to work that out I don't think. |
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| The Clash – Clampdown Lyrics
| 5 years ago
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@[korkord:34699] Despite the fact that this song is by implication anti-nazi and against anti-semitism? |
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