| Hole – Jennifer's Body Lyrics | 4 years ago |
| @[CloudOnMyTongue:31662] Also, Black Frances from the Pixies (one of Cobain's major influences). | |
| Prince – Darling Nikki Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I think that this song is an intentional jab at the Moral Majority. I don't feel that this song is about having sex with a hooker. In truth, I believe that Nikki is the Devil. Old Nick is one of Satan's nicknames. The singer signs on the dotted line to seal the contract on his soul. What he is selling it for is unknown - maybe just an amazing sexual experience? However, "my body will never be the same," makes me think that he sells his soul for some physical change or attribute, and that the sex is either a bonus to the actual transformation, or else a a metaphor for the change. The use of the word "castle" indicates one of royalty (Satan being the leader of hell), and to tempt people, there is everything that money could buy. His head is spinning, not knowing what he's in store for - this is a hallmark of the individual that undergoes a transformation. Her love will kick your behind - she'll show no mercy --- could be attributes of Satan. The backmasking at the end? Certainly a wink at religious zealots who claim that rock is evil, and that Satan hides messages in backwards lyrics. In this case, Prince laughs at them by telling them what they already believe - that The Lord is coming soon. The word grind makes me think, though. Rather than being a euphemism for sex, I wonder if the word GRIND is using the definition "WORK" -- The Devil works His magic. Interestingly enough, and this is probably just a few irrelevant coincidences, but in 1985, there was a Broadway play that bombed called GRIND. First coincidence, the director was Hal Prince. Second coincidence, it was about an African-American, nineteen-thirties burlesque house. Third, it featured a character that is a stripper, named Satin (satan?). |
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| They Might Be Giants – Take Out the Trash Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| When you take out the trash, you are removing it from your home. This is the equivalent of breaking up with the guy. Kicking him to the curb, so to speak. Leaving him for the Garbageman to pickup and dispose of permanently. | |
| They Might Be Giants – Contrecoup Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Love this song. First, unrelated: the terms "coup" and "countrecoup" refer to physical head injuries. When a stationary head is hit with a moving item, it is a coup injury. A countrecoup is the result of a head moving into the object. So, a baseball bat slammed into the back of someone's head is a coup injury, whereas tripping on soap and banging your head on the bathtub water faucet is a countrecoup injury. Furthermore, a coup-countrecoup injury (most likely referred to in this song) occurs when the force of a blow to the head is great enough to cause the brain to slam into the opposite side of the head. Both sides receive the contusion. It would appear that this "injury" is the latter definition, based on words like "rebound," and "hurt me again," and "the brain went the opposite way." But this is almost certainly a figurative representation of the injury. My thoughts here are that the subject fell in love, which would be the coup action - the word limerence comes from a 1970s scientific study on the nature of love. When you are in love, you share many of the physical characteristics as that of brain injury -- stuttering, pallor, flushing, eye-dilation, weakness, stammering, and confusion. His countrecoup injury affects his ability to speak – he becomes nervous, can’t form his words, because he’s so infatuated with the person with whom he is speaking. Phrenology, for those that don't already know, is the study of the bumps on the skull (which equate to different sizes of the brain). This is a form of pseudo-science which involves personality evaluation, using nothing more than the subject's skull shape – areas of the brain that are bigger have more of certain given characteristics that are known to be associated with that part of the brain. This has been proven by modern science to be inaccurate. But in terms of this song, the subject feels that his brain injury changed his personality - he falls in love due to a bump on the head (either a real bump, or a metaphorical one). Using phrenology, we can determine the subject’s injury location. His speech has been affected by the countrecoup injury. Depending on which phrenology model you consult, the speech part of the brain is right behind the eyes. If this is the area that receives a countrecoup injury, then the initial injury would have happened to the back of the head, which is the cerebellum, located at the top of the neck. Phrenologists identify this area as dealing with the propensity for physical love. |
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| They Might Be Giants – I'm Impressed Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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The video has been released, if you're curious: http://tinyurl.com/39yoaf As for the interp, this is obviously about people being controlled by aggression. Point in case: * Gorillas beating their chest to maintain dominance * that same gorilla becomes a metaphor for a loud and harsh boss, pounding his desk * Generalisimo, being a military leader barking orders * Godzilla scaring Japanese into docility * Nature's violence The writer appears to be indicating that he can always run away, regardless of the foe ("the exit's in back of me"), though he doesn't - he feels weak with fear ("My legs are not following," "I fall to bits"). "Five good reasons to follow him," is talking about that old schoolyard threat --- "I'll give you one, two, three, four, five good reasons," while putting down a finger for each number, until you have a fist. The only thing I'm unclear on is the "torpedo in the vest" line. Unless it's somehow a submarine reference? Might is right? Not sure. |
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| Guns N' Roses – Sweet Child O' Mine Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I found this on the Internet, and wanted to share. So funny... *** JOHN MOE'S POP-SONG CORRESPONDENCES, VOLUME XIII. BY JOHN MOE - - - - Notes on "Sweet Child O' Mine," as Delivered to Axl Rose by His Editor. - - - - Hi, Axl, Just got your manuscript and demo for the song "Sweet Child O' (sic) Mine." I think we need to talk. As your editor, I am responsible for making your songs as cogent as possible, for helping them reach the high editorial standards your public has come to expect. With this one, I am certainly earning my keep. After several attempts to reach you by phone, I am sending along my notes. Please make appropriate fixes as soon as possible, at which point I can send them to copyediting and proofreading in time for your upcoming studio session. She's got a smile that, it seems to me—Why equivocate? You weaken your point by framing this as a mere personal observation instead of a fact. Reminds me of childhood memories—Redundant. You either have a memory or you're reminded of something. You're not reminded of a memory. Heavy-metal fans won't stand for such writing, my friend. Where everything was as fresh as a bright blue sky—I asked around the office and no one is sure a blue sky is "fresh." You could have a blue sky at the end of a long, sweaty day and there would be nothing fresh about it. And she reminds you of a time when things were fresh? Fond reminiscences of freshness are no foundation for love. Fix. Now and then when I see her face it takes me away to that special place—Again, you're weakening your own argument. Why does the sight of her face transport you only periodically? And is it just her smile or her entire face that does this to you? Because you've already said both. Consistency, Axl! And if I stared too long, I'd probably break down and cry—Why would you do that? Because you miss the freshness you described earlier? I think the whole "fresh" thing is really tripping you up. Also, crying? Wimpy. OK, on to the second verse. She's got eyes of the bluest skies—See, this is just getting worse. Now her eyes are made of sky? Nice imagery, but you just got done saying her smile reminded you of memories of sky. Is this verse actually supposed to be a second draft of the first verse? Am I just confused on formatting? Help! As if they thought of rain—Axl, eyes can't think of rain. And even if they could, which they can't, why would bluest skies think of rain? Perhaps less imagery of thinking eyes made of sky and more direct exploration of your feelings? I hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain—Well, hell. I guess in your special Axl World anything is possible. Eyes can be made of sky, ponder the weather, and exhibit pain in amounts that can be weighed. Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place where as a child I'd hide—Delete. Fix. Do something. You'd hide in a place that reminded you of hair? Never show me such phrases again. And pray for the thunder and the rain to quietly pass me by—Whew. OK, listen to me now: Thunder can't quietly do anything. It's thunder. And, more importantly, do you really want to come across as a wuss who's constantly on the verge of weeping and skittering into hair caves to escape from rain? Is this a song about love or climatic anxiety? You need to work these things out. Finally, Axl, I think we might have had a misunderstanding regarding my previous notes. When I wrote in colored pencil "Where do we go now?" I wasn't offering that as a lyric. I was simply observing that, in narrative terms, the song needed to progress in some way. You love the girl, she's helping you work through some issues, whatever. So where do we go now? But instead of providing a satisfactory conclusion, you simply took my note and repeated it over and over again before ultimately just stating the title of the song. This is unacceptable. Don't ask us, the listeners, where we go. That's up to you as the writer! Tell us where we go now! Again, let's try to fix these things soon and get "Sweet Child of Mine" ("My Sweet Child"?) into your fans' hands as quickly as possible. Because, frankly, if it should ever hit the street in its current form, the song would be a colossal failure. Talk soon! Your Editor |
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| Billy Joel – Piano Man Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Found this VERY funny take on the origin of this song. So very funny... *** JOHN MOE'S POP-SONG CORRESPONDENCES, VOLUME XVII. BY JOHN MOE - - - - A NOTE PLACED IN THE PAY ENVELOPE OF BILLY "THE PIANO MAN" JOEL. - - - - Hi, Billy, It's hard to find time to talk at the club since I'm busy managing the place and you're at the piano. And we need to talk. I've occasionally given you a nervous smile hoping it would initiate a conversation, but that hasn't worked out. I'm hoping that by writing my thoughts down, you'll have a chance to read this when you're at home or something. I think you should sing songs. Actual songs. Because you don't sing any at all right now. You've been playing at my club for three months, and though you're a fine musician and an acceptable vocalist, these things you perform are just not songs in the traditional sense. They're streams of observations about what the people in the club are doing, punctuated by the occasional "la la la, de de da da" when it's clear you've run out of things to say. It's just a continuous stream of musical small talk lasting up to five hours. How about "Stormy Weather" or "Yesterday" or something? Hell, "Feelings." Anything. Do you need sheet music? I have some at home. Frankly, this has been bothering me since you started, but I figured since we get a regular crowd shuffling in on Saturdays when you play, why rock the boat? But this past Saturday I couldn't help notice that there was a lot of tension in the room. As you know, it was actually a pretty good crowd that night, customers who wanted to forget about life for a while by having some drinks and hearing some music. John the bartender provided the booze, so they looked to you for the songs. But instead they just heard their own sad lives echoed back to them. That nice old man wanted to hear something from his childhood but couldn't remember the tune all the way. It would have been great if you had at least guessed at one before loudly rephrasing his confusion in rhyming verse before firing off more "la la la, de de da da" lines. That old man—a regular customer, by the way—was so humiliated that he ended up performing a sexual act on his cocktail. Of course, I don't need to tell you that. You put that in the song, too. You had to be a big shot, didn't you? Billy, that kind of thing is why people kept yelling at you all night. "Sing us a song, piano man! Sing us a song tonight!" they shouted. But instead of doing so, you simply shouted their words back to them and added a line about how you were making them feel all right. Which you weren't. You were making them mad. People aren't just in the mood for a melody, they're in the mood for a legitimate composition. They were annoyed, too, because the observations were cruel. Davy often discusses his plans for when he gets out of the Navy (it's a steady paycheck but the rhyming-name thing annoys the hell out of him), but to hear you speculate that he would be there for life was a crushing blow. Again, why the public humiliation? And our businessmen were irate about your description of them getting "stoned." Do you not know the difference between drunk and stoned? Hint: One is acceptable businessman behavior, the other's illegal. But even if you were to say they were getting drunk, that still would not be OK. As a matter of fact, just don't sing about the businessmen. They're nice guys and good tippers. I guess I do owe you some thanks, however, for singing about the drink called Loneliness. That's a terrible name for a drink. I'm renaming it Banana Mambo. More festive. As to our waitress's efforts to get a graduate degree in political science or Paul's attempt at pioneering the literary genre of real-estate fiction, Jesus, Billy, leave them alone. Looking back on that Saturday night, I'm actually surprised that with all your observational nonsong music, you didn't notice the acrimony you were creating. The smile faded from John the bartender's face, yes, but he wasn't giving you free drinks, he was throwing empty beer bottles at you. He wasn't playing jokes or lighting your smokes, either, he was literally trying to set you on fire. The only thing you got right was having him say, "Bill, I believe this is killing me." It was killing all of us. But still you would not sing songs. I got so desperate I poured a beer on your microphone and shoved huge wads of bread in your tip jar, thinking it would get your attention. "Man, what are you doing here?!" I shouted. But instead of stopping, you just sang it all back to me. I mean, I'm sorry I lost my cool and all, but Jesus, what is your problem, Billy? So for next week: Please sing some actual songs. That's what you were hired to do. You're the fucking piano man. Thanks, Anthony Cacciatore Manager |
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| Pixies – Is She Weird Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I was going to make many of the same points that MamiyaOtaru made --- the fact that "weird" could also be interpreted as "wyrd" - wyrd, btw, is another way of saying "Fate," as Mamiya indicated. The slight element of Witchcraft / Wiccan that "is she promised to the night" might conjure up in some people, might be taking the song too literally. But track with me here: I don't know why, but I always had the feeling that he was singing this about the Moon - albeit, a personification of the moon. Or else maybe comparing a woman to the moon? Or how about this --- the Wyrd Sisters (fate as represented by The Maiden, The Mother, and the Crone) are often linked to the three phases of the moon (Waxing, Full, and Waning). Maybe it's supposed to be the goddess Hecate (who is also a form of the Wyrd sisters - she predates Greek mythology, but is lumped in with that pantheon - eventually losing importance)? Hecate is the goddess that is Earth-Mother to wizards and witches. She is viewed as a young maiden with three faces - Luna in Heaven (the moon), Diana on Earth (Artemis), and Hecate in the Underworld. She is the Light-Bearer, Hecate of the Earth, and the One Who Guards the Gate, in her three forms. When Black Francis says, "Is she over me, like the stars and the sun," I think of Luna - the moon. The Triple Goddess is another thought - She is worshipped in Pagan cultures - her colors are white for the maiden, red for the mother, and black for the crone. It's obvious that this song is being sung to the Maiden - and he even calls her "white." And promised to the night, like the moon. Perhaps "her head has no room," because she already has THREE faces - no room for more faces? "Your mouth is everywhere, I'm lying in it," could be her representation as the Earth Mother, maybe? As for the material items - "...rich in good clothes and little things:" "Hecate, whom Zeus the son of Cronos honoured above all. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea." Also, as the mythology tells us, "Hecate gains the title of the 'Queen of Ghosts' and her role as a goddess of sorcery," in one of the Greek dilutions. Yeah, this was rambling. ;-) -SL |
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| Paul Simon – Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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MJ_Williams, that was hysterical. Nice. I adore the Romeo and Juliet connections that HGRINDROD made. I never even THOUGHT of that - and it makes so much sense. I always took it to mean homosexuality - but I never drew the other connections. Like a modern retelling of R&J with gay characters. Wow. |
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| Hole – Jennifer's Body Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I've always loved this song, too. Always meant to analyze it. Okay. Here goes. My thoughts on this (and this is going to be a bit free-form, before I finally have an answer), is that it might be about infidelity, but maybe not the sexual kind. Maybe it's about emotional abandonment. "You're hungry, but I'm starving" refering to emotional abandonment - he tells her he needs her intimacy, that he hungers for it, while deep-down she feels that her needs for it outweighs his. "He cuts you down from the tree," could be representative of the last glimmer of their love - as she says, alive, but just barely. Perhaps the box contains love letters from their past. "Kill the family, save the son," is similar to the old addage, "Spare the rod, spoil the child," which means that if you don't discipline your child, (s)he will grow up lacking respect for rules. Coupled with the line "hit me again," I wonder if this COULD be about spousal abuse, perhaps emotional abuse (not physical). Let's back up a minute. In the opening lines, she talks about KNOWING something, though she doesn't FEEL it or SEE it. So, this issue is something that is happening, but that she refuses to believe. Maybe he hits her - she knows he's abusive, even though she doesn't feel like he's abusing her - doesn't feel abused. The so-called "pieces" that are kept in the box are empirical proof - she could see those, so this first part is obviously not related to Jennifer. Somone mentioned Heroin, and my mind keeps drifting back to that - maybe "Jennifer's Body," is code for heroin. The "pieces" might be the items needed to cook and inject the substance. He's gotten to the level where he uses heroin to just remain normal - she never SEES him take it. He doesn't FEEL different to her. Maybe the part where he says, "I'm your lover, I'm your friend, I'm purity, Hit me again," is not the lover's words at all. Maybe there IS no lover? Maybe this "other person," is heroin. Or better yet, maybe she's an addict in a relationship with another addict - it's bettering me. It's bettering you. She's her own worst enemy - she's an addict. She OD's, but he "cuts her down from the tree." --- in other words, she's hanging, and he saves her life. "Hit me again," is not physical abuse, but the act of injecting the drugs (give me a "hit"). This fits in with the "just relax, just relax, just go to sleep," lines - about heroin use. ANd maybe the opening lines don't refer to HIM, but to herself - she doesn't feel different when she takes it, but she KNOWS it is working. Okay, so after all that, I'm going to say that I'm fairly certain this is about Heroin use, that she (and possibly her lover) are addicts, and this is a way of expressing her feelings about the substance. |
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| Boston – Foreplay/Long Time Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| I will never be able to hear this song, without thinking how it could apply to Brad Delp's suicide, over thirty years later. :( | |
| Queen – Mustapha Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Isn't the word actually "FARSI?" Farsi is the language of Iran, I believe. I didn't like the song initially, either, for the Islamic sound -- almost like a call to Prayer in Mohammedan societies. But, after hearing it several times, I think the song is musically brilliant. Multi-layered harmonies, and beautifully sung. I have to wonder at the lyrical meanings --- some people here have suggested that it means nothing, while others think it's a generic "God Bless You" type greeting. Hard to say. Wish someone with more of an Islamic background could say for sure. |
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| Queen – Let Me Entertain You Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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In many ways, this reminds me of Pink Floyd's, "Have a Cigar." Paying intentional tribute to themselves. I can see why Jimmy Kane (above) thought this was a parody --- but I think parody isn't the right term. It's more about them just talking about their music, and the relation of it to their fans, in an outlandish large way. I think Freddie's line about, "Cruela-de-ville" is Freddie's way of comparing his outlandish performances with something from 101 Dalmatians. The way Cruella DeVille tended to prance around. And the "wicked" connotation of the loud, heavy music. "Rock a la carte" is referring to the broad stylistic varieties in their music -- if you don't like heavy metal, go for a ballad. If that isn't your thing, here's a nice bouncy little number on a piano. Still not into it? Here's some operatic rock. Almost like Freddie is saying that he's willing to do anything he can to entertain the crowd. Breakfast at Tiffany's was a musical movie from decades ago, and a lot of Queen's softer music resembles music from those old movies. Singing in Japanese was a clear reference to Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together). |
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| Journey – Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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This song is more about sour grapes. The writer has been dumped. He's depressed and angry. He tells his ex-girlfriend that he's all torn up over her. Then, because anger is the second stage of grief, he gets bitter; he "curses" her - you dumped me for someone else, but won't it be sweet when you get dumped in the same way? You'll be torn up inside, just like I am right now. And then, he becomes really childish, and starts mocking her - actually mocking her - with the old childhood, "Nyah, nyah, nyah," taunts. "You're gonna get dumped! Nyah, nyah!" Such a great song, but - yeah, kind of childish. ;-) But it really fits the mood of the writer, and anyone who gets hurt by being dumped for another person. |
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| XTC – Hold Me My Daddy Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I always felt that this was written to a father that has died. Even though this is all written in the present tense, there is a finality to the line, "I forgot to say I love you." Almost like he has written this as a private eulogy - a note that he feels he SHOULD have written earlier. I always loved the line about being the best of friends in an alternate universe- where history bends, in another time and place. And the flashbacks to being held like a baby - as sons are held by their fathers when they first meet. Just a really touching song. So very personal. |
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| XTC – Merely A Man Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| I think this song is something of a companion piece to "Dear God." He is saying that the consciousness of humanity can be lifted WITHOUT "magical" and/or religious leaders (Jesus, Buddha, the Wizard of Oz) - without superstitions or myths (Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow). He entwines love and logic, calling them sane. Any non-logical exploration of reality would be insane. Knowing his beliefs on God (see the "Dear God" thread) helps with this appraisal. | |
| XTC – Dear God Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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This forum is meant as a place to discuss the meanings behind songs. The name calling should go. The external "evidence" should go. I want to read about what people feel the song means, not about why the singer is wrong - not about why the lyrics are pointless, or contrary. We don't need to attack each other. I liked UglinessMan's points, btw. Okay, we can argue all day about whether God is real or not. Let's talk about the song. Seems to me it's about the hypocricy of religion, as it pertains to an ultimate truth. He's taking the dogmatic statements of The Bible, and then comparing them against the hypocricies of man and nature. Why create disease? Why create starvation? If you are real, why allow men to fight and kill in your name? Where are you? It always seemed like a spirtual struggle, but hearing Andy Partridge quoted as saying that he should have made it more virulent, makes me revise my thoughts. I always felt it was about a man, speaking with his inner-child, asking pointed questions of God. "If you're there... answer me." If you created blue diamonds, tell me. If you exist, help Your creations to stop crying. We Beseech Thee, Here Us. He says, "If you're there, my heart's on my sleeve -- I'm BEGGING you -- let me know." |
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| The Beatles – Got to Get You Into My Life Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Another song that uses this tactic - using love as a metaphor for drug-use - would be "Semi-Charmed Life," (Third Eye Blind) - a song that sounds like it is about a person wanting to end a painful love affair, but is really about trying to quit Crystal Meth. This is kind of the opposite of that, though. This is the introduction of the drug, as a positive thing. In this song, Paul commits himself to Marijuana - tells it that he wants to use it everyday, wants to make it a part of his daily life, and that he will never feel otherwise. He personifies pot, in a very intimate, romantic way. |
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| Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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If this was from Bernie to Elton, then I doubt that Elton would have sang it. He's not stupid - why would he sing a song bashing himself??? No, this is defintely written to the artistic upper-crust. People like Andy Warhol - but not necessarily to Warhol in specific - who surround themselves with famous artists (musical, artistic, etc...) and show them off at parties ("look who MY friend is!") and other social events. Lines like, "I didn't sign up with you," make me think that this was NOT meant for the Record Labels (whom he DID sign up with). Lines like, "I'm not a present for your friends to open," makes me think this is not written about a signifcant other (why would he be shared with others, if he's in a relationship?). Also, if he were in a relationship, would his lover get over being dumped with a couple drinks? Possibly, but coupled with the line about finding a replacement, it makes me think the relationship is a bit less intimate. "Where the dogs of society howl," paints a really good picture of someone being surrounded by morally vapid people, just clamouring for a "piece" of the singer. The replacements, being mongrels, looking for "tidbits like you," sounds like he's calling the object of the song unimportant. Not someone who made the singer what he is, but someone who gave him simple social spotlight. We can wrap this up by taking the main line, "Beyond the Yellow Brick Road." The Yellow Brick Road leads to Oz - a city of pure superficiality. All glittery, but very little substance - the Wizard himself being a metaphor for the life of empty wealth. I kind of see the singer comparing himself to The Wizard, in fact. A country-boy, elevated to prominence, then giving it all up to fly back to that poverty. In other words, "Stop worshipping me! I'm breaking free of this life-style." |
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| Barenaked Ladies – Brian Wilson Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| sl8r: I believe the Pavlov's Dog reference is talking more about Dr. Landy's system of "helping" Brian. Notice, after the line about Pavlov's Dog, the next lyric asks Dr. Landy if he's just a pedagogue. It's addressing Landy's techniques, and comparing Wilson to the dogs in the aforementioned experiment. | |
| The Knack – Good Girls Don't Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| I had forgotten about the line involving cunnilingus. What a vivd description, for 1979! Very cool, indeed. :-) | |
| Ben Folds – Rockin' The Suburbs (Over the Hedge version) Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| I was trying to figure out why this song was redone --- but on this site, this is the "Over the Hedge" mix, so I can only assume that it is in the kiddie movie, "Over the Hedge." It makes sense now --- can't imagine they'd have used the same lyrics... | |
| David Bowie – All the Young Dudes Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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This song is not a "gay anthem." Bowie, and Mott the Hoople, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Marc Bolan, etc, et al, were Glam rockers. Glam was neither gay nor straight. It was a refutation of sexual stereotypes. The movement said, "It doesn't matter what I look like. I can wear a dress and be a man, or a suit and be a woman. I don't care what you think of me, and I will wear makeup if I want." Glam rock was an offshoot of the rebelious hippie movement, and paved the way for the metal image in the 80s. 80s bands like Poison, Montley Crue, Guns and Roses --- long haired guys, wearing makeup and possessing a general "F.U." attitude towards the establishment. Some of the Glam rockers were bisexual (though certainly not all of them), and that was yet another way of thumbing their noses at the people in charge. Just like the hippies of the previous decade had done pot and acid, and had "free love," in order to piss off their parents. The glam generation kicked it up a notch. They had "free love," as well -- regardless of gender -- and they graduated to harder drugs - more club-type varieties - speed and amyl nitrate amongst them. Anyway, Bowie sings backup on Mott the Hoople's version of this song (you can clearly hear him singing the main hook, "All the young dudes..." etc...) I have to agree with others here, who are complimenting Mott the Hoople. It's a shame they were only a one-hit wonder, because so much of their other stuff deserves more credit, too. |
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| Kelly Clarkson – Since U Been Gone Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Okay. This site is definitely not intended as a way to bash artists -- so stop it!!!! ;-) We need more introspection about the lyrics! READY TO HAVE YOUR MIND BLOWN? I have come to the conclusion that this song is NOT about an ex-boyfriend. This song (written by Gottwald and Sandberg) is clearly about Kelly's 2003 move to different management, and her contentious dumping of Simon Fuller (American Idol creator) as her manager. Go ahead. Reread the lyrics. Think about this from a business aspect. She started off on a friendly level with Fuller. He became her manager. She probably told him she trusted his judgment, and that she wasn't going to fire him ("...how I picture me with you."). "I can breathe for the first time..." because he was controlling her career... "I'm so moving on... Now I get what I want..." because he was limiting her growth as an artist. She "fell for that stupid love song" from her first album - which really wasn't the type of music she wanted to be singing, or the image she wanted to be portraying, in hindsight. He put her career on the backburner, to work with newer idols -- "You had your chance you blew it Out of sight, out of mind." She keeps repeating that she's now getting what she wants --- she's not being controlled by a manager that isn't listening to her creative needs. And, if you think she wasn't angry with him, just remember the recent news about her not wanting her songs to be sung on American Idol. Yes, she relented, but still... she has some seriously bad feelings about Fuller. So. Anyone have any thoughts on this? |
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| Alanis Morissette – Unsent Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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This is my favorite Alanis song - as others have mentioned, the raw emotion is both sad and moving. I'm glad someone mentioned one of the guys in the song -- if the "Matthew" line was written to Dave Matthews, that would be really cool. It certainly fits. I know she wrote "Jagged Little Pill" mostly about her relationship with Dave Cloutier (yes, the Full House guy). I wonder if one of the stanzas in Unsent is about him. Could the last one, "Lou," be a shortening of cLOUtier? It would sort of fit, contextually. And if she's using her exes' last names to be anonymous (ie. Matthew = Dave Matthews), that would make some sense. Of course, she's no longer bad-mouthing him like in JLP, but she does admit that it was a tumultuous time... Also, she was living in Canada, while he was filming Full House in California, right? So the Long Distance thing works, too. Hm. I wonder... anyone else have any light to she on this, or any of the other, guys? |
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| Grateful Dead – Friend of the Devil Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Just an absolutely amazing song. It was written by Robert Hunter (the lyricist for the Dead - check out the original hand-written version - http://www.dead.net/RobertHunterArchive/files/HandwrittenLyrics/FriendOfDevil.html) My thought has always been that this song is about the choices we make -- sometimes stealing from Peter to pay off Paul. Sometimes picking the wrong ally for the right reasons. Indebting ourselves to those that are negative influences in our lives. There's a general feeling that the "hounds" are devil dogs, and that the writer can't sleep until he's in the "protection" of his home, or else the hounds of hell will steal his soul. I also wonder if this song is about chosing to go against the status quo. "An enemy of my enemy is my friend." Kind of fighting against the church by siding with their enemy. Lashing out at "The Man," in a sort of protest against popular morality. |
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| Grateful Dead – Friend of the Devil Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Just an absolutely amazing song. It was written by Robert Hunter (the lyricist for the Dead - check out the original hand-written version - http://www.dead.net/RobertHunterArchive/files/HandwrittenLyrics/FriendOfDevil.html) My thought has always been that this song is about the choices we make -- sometimes stealing from Peter to pay off Paul. Sometimes picking the wrong ally for the right reasons. Indebting ourselves to those that are negative influences in our lives. There's a general feeling that the "hounds" are devil dogs, and that the writer can't sleep until he's in the "protection" of his home, or else the hounds of hell will steal his soul. I also wonder if this song is about chosing to go against the status quo. "An enemy of my enemy is my friend." Kind of fighting against the church by siding with their enemy. Lashing out at "The Man," in a sort of protest against popular morality. |
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| The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| I'm surprised no one mentioned the genesis of this song. It was written when the Wilson brothers' mother died. Their mother always talked about finding "Good Vibrations" in even the saddest events. Brian Wilson has considered this song to be one of his best. | |
| The Beatles – Two of Us Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| Oops. I said, "preface," and meant, "epilogue." | |
| The Beatles – Two of Us Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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This song is defintely about John and Paul's relationship. Its more a bittersweet tone, though. Paul acknowledges his deteriorating freidnship with John in his lines. He understands that he and John only have a limited amount of time left as friends. They had been friends for fifteen years, give or take, and he saw that they would *not* be friends anywhere near fifteen more. The song almost serves as a preface for "We Can Work It Out" (another song written to each other). That line also serves as one of the saddest to me, because Paul (unwittingly) predicts the end of John's life, a mere decade later. "You and I have memories, longer than the road that stretches on ahead." It really makes you think. |
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| Paul Simon – Graceland Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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That Human Trampoline line... I kind of wonder what it means. Is he saying, in some way, that this girl in NYC tries to find her own personal salvation through sex? Am I alone in seeing that imagery -- a woman as a trampoline -- as being erotic imagery? Another thing I find interesting. Calling the tourists of Graceland, "Pilgrims." As if the tacky museum/shrine of Elvis is like a modern-day Mecca for the "working man" of America. The idealized romanticism of Elvis, as "The King of Rock-n-Roll," almost a messianic figure in American pop culture, somehow reinforces the image of these tourists being like gypsy converts, heading to their personal "Wailing Wall" in Tennessee. As a Jew, I'm sure such imagery isn't lost on Simon. |
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| Paul Simon – Graceland Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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That Human Trampoline line... I kind of wonder what it means. Is he saying, in some way, that this girl in NYC tries to find her own personal salvation through sex? Am I alone in seeing that imagery -- a woman as a trampoline -- as being erotic imagery? Another thing I find interesting. Calling the tourists of Graceland, "Pilgrims." As if the tacky museum/shrine of Elvis is like a modern-day Mecca for the "working man" of America. The idealized romanticism of Elvis, as "The King of Rock-n-Roll," almost a messianic figure in American pop culture, somehow reinforces the image of these tourists being like gypsy converts, heading to their personal "Wailing Wall" in Tennessee. As a Jew, I'm sure such imagery isn't lost on Simon. |
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| XTC – Pink Thing Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Well, either this song is an obvious song about masturbation, which I think it could be on the surface, or else its the sentiments of a father, to his newborn baby boy. Both seem to fit, to a degree. A couple things that could lead the listener in either way: It could be a phallic reference for these reasons: why introduce a baby boy to a baby girl at this age? Why is he happy when the baby is crying? Why would he be happy when the kid throws up on him? Unless he's so overjoyed with being a father, that he loves even the unpleasantries involved. This song sort of goes along with "Earn Enough for Us," where he talks about his fear of not being able to support his wife and their unborn child. I'm sure its sort of a joke to Andy Partridge -- mocking the establishment with an endearing song about penile-worship, just to turn around and say, "Its really about the joys of fatherhood, get your mind out of the gutter," to anyone who would call him on it. |
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| Bob Dylan – Just Like a Woman Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Alright. I have three theories -- either she's underaged and/or a virgin, she's a prostitute, or she's the daughter of someone he knows. Maybe two of the three of those. Is it at all possible that this song might be about having sex with a virgin, who is trying to pass herself off as experienced? Queen Mary was the Bloody Queen - maybe this is a connection with the blood sometimes present during a woman's first vaginal penetration? Notice, he's not talking about Queen Elizabeth I (the Virgin Queen), since he's talking about already having had sex with her. My other thought is that this could be an underage girl. At first, I thought maybe a hooker - and I'm still not unconvinced of that, since he talks about going to see her again. Also, the meaning of fog, amphetamines, and pearls is probably drug related - at least, as I see it... "Fog" might be marijuana smoke, but more likely refers to freebasing, "amphetamines" is just that - uppers, and "pearl" is slang for Cocaine. So, maybe she's a crack (free-based coke) and crystal-meth (free-based amphetamine) junkie. That's another reason I'd wonder if maybe she's a hooker, though I do realize that those drugs are not limited to streetwalkers. Though, the hooker theory isn't ironclad - the familiarity with which he knows her -- "introduce us as friends" would imply that he knows he'll see her under a social setting in the future. Maybe she's the daughter of a friend or associate? He doesn't want her to acknowldge the "affair." His "hunger" is maybe his desire, while her "world" could be her vagina (allowing him to have sex with her). Could her "pain" be caused by physically being too small to accomodate him? He says at one point that he can't fit, and then follows that by saying that maybe they should just quit. The frustration of causing her pain is too much for him. Thoughts? |
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| They Might Be Giants – Purple Toupee Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Good points, all. Other things, interesting: Chinese People Fighting in the Park is probably a reference to Vietnam, "we tried to help them out, no one appreciated that." I heard somewhere that it could also be a reference to Tai Chi -- the meditative stretching exercises, that kind of look like martial arts. Obviously, anyone trying to "help out" someone doing Tai Chi is going to upset them. The King of Cuba could be a reference to the theories that Castro put the hit out on Kennedy -- after Kennedy had tried to assassinate Castro a couple times. That action cemented Castro in his leadership roll - ie. crowned him the King (as opposed to President -- a president leaves office, whereas a king stays until he's dead). Could "the camp" in the first line be Boot Camp? A reference to the draft? I think the Purple Toupee and Gold Lame is a ref. to styles -- the whole "hippy" culture, be free, conform to our non-conformity. To support this, "we're on some kind of mission," almost sounds like the author has no idea why he's protesting or dressing up - its just "some kind of mission," but whatever the reason, he's obligated to do so. On second thought, I think maybe those last three lines sum up the song. Its about a former 60's protestor who is so burnt out, that he has no idea why he was even protesting at all -- and he can't even get the events right. But it was a mission... |
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| They Might Be Giants – Alphabet Of Nations Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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This isn't anywhere near *all* the countries in the world -- and this song only came out a few months ago, so, no, Animaniacs never did a video of it. That being said, my six-and-a-half year old can sing the entire song, without it even being on. God bless TMBG. |
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| Pixies – Here Comes Your Man Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I found the Hobo interpretation interesting -- however here's another clue as to why this could be a reference to WWII. The name of the album, Doolittle. Doolittle was a WWII General (Gen. James H. Doolittle, d. 1993). He won the medal of honor for his secret bombing raids on Tokyo. So, if there's a "theme," of this album, it could be the events of the early 20th century. In Debaser, "Un Chien Andalusia" making reference to a surrealistic film of the 1920s. Not sure if there are other refs, in other songs, but maybe "I Bleed" is a reference to Nosferatu, the silent-film of the early 1920s? Dunno. |
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| Bobbie Gentry – Ode To Billie Joe Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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My thought is that this was a self-administered abortion. A couple clues that lead me to this thought: the father disapproves of Billy Jo - while not iron-clad, it reveals a reason for the singer to keep the relationship quiet the singer is visibly upset to hear the news - again, not a hard reason for abortion, but it implicates her directly in the reason the item they throw, while possibly a token of love, probably isn't -- Brother Taylor says he saw the singer AND Billy Jo thowing something. If it was a token of love, why would Billy Jo be throwing it, too? More likely he and Billy Jo are throwing something that they SHARE. Otherwise, the phrasing would be different. Something about the singer threw something off the bridge, and Billy Jo got upset, or some other phrasing. Lastly, the flowers. Flowers represent a lot of things, but in this context, they've got to represent life. She picks flowers - in essence, killing them - and then throws them into the river. The symbolism can't be missed. The life of the fetus, snuffed out in the same fashion, the life of Billy Jo, also ended prematurely --- and both they, and the flowers, go into the river. Notice, she drops the flowers - she doesn't throw them. If she threw them, you could maybe see that as being connected to the throwing, pushing, or killing of Billy Jo. Instead, she's simply dropping them. Adding their terminated lives to the terminated lives of Billy Jo and the baby. |
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| They Might Be Giants – Hovering Sombrero Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Well, my knee-jerk thought is that this about UFOs -- at least one photographed hoax was created by using a sombrero-like object. Then, I think maybe they're simply calling the Sombrero a hat, because the human mind can't cope with it as a real alien-craft. And that they're saying that the aliens have been with us for many years --- waiting for us to evolve to a point where they can deal with us on their level. So, they're telling the aliens to just be patient, until we're able to communicate with them on their intellectual level. |
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| They Might Be Giants – I Am Not Your Broom Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I always thought this song sounds like a conversation between an unhappy married couple, the "broom" being a pissed off wife, and what she would say to her husband, just before filing for divorce. Sounds like the wife thinks that the husband only sees her as a non-human cleaning object - taking her for granted. Kind of sad little song, when taken from that viewpoint. |
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| They Might Be Giants – Spider Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| I think it's a throwback to some of the corny, English-overdubbed, B-Movies that came out of Japan in the late-60s. | |
| They Might Be Giants – Thunderbird Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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To me, I think this song is about the cheap wine that you can buy for a couple bucks. This song would be what a bum would sing, with his wine in a brown paper bag. Perhaps about alcoholism -- the part about crawling before falling, for instance, is probably making a reference to drunks needing to bottom-out before they can get better (before they realize that they need help). Fun Fun Fun is a ref, obviously, to the Beach Boys - not sure why, though. |
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| Nirvana – Pennyroyal Tea Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I agree with the theory that it's about his pains -- but its also got a couple meanings that have been stated - that he feels dirty inside, and wants to purify himself. If he drinks enough warm milk, it will coat his stomach. Laxatives will push out the bad food and feces that are causing him pain. One thing that hasn't been mentioned: Pennyroyal Tea also sounds like Penny Royalty. Along with the line about being anemic royalty (many royal family members had anemia -- iron-poor blood -- due to inbreeding) - which is probably a slam on his non-wealthy family (rednecks are also known to inbreed) -- he could be saying that he's Penny Royalty - like the King of Garbage, a near-worthless monarch. |
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| Charlie Daniels Band – The Devil Went Down to Georgia Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Er, Bert... I think the devil went down to Georgia because he heard your mom was single and living in Atlanta. lol |
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| Paul Simon – Kodachrome Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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Kodachrome is a brand of film that is used to produce slides (through the K-14 process). At one point (a couple decades ago), it was THE medium to use for people wanting the best color and archival capacities. Not necessarily anymore, though, since the E6 process has matured. Anyway, so many great thoughts in this song... I love this line, "And though my lack of education hasn't hurt me none." How brilliant --- the emphasis on his lack of education is exaggerated by his incorporation of bad grammar. I agree with firenexus - he's begging his "mother" (who, in herself, is probably symbolic for the nuturing elements of the universe) not to take away the memories that he's exaggerated in his mind. The real events would probably never match the importance and details that his imagination has given them. Like when you think about a great lovemaking experience with a girl from your past. It always seems to have been more magical than it probably was at the time. One other thing I like about this metaphor -- "bring them together for one night," can almost be seen as the way you view slides in a slide projector. "Bring them together," like you would have a box of slides, with all the pretty pictures neatly stacked, one-after-the-next. |
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| Paul Simon – Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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I think this song is about the expectations that come from dating someone above your station in life. The diamonds on her shoes seem to represent a person who is willingly treating her social standing as if it's unimportant to her -- not only is she hiding her wealth where no one will see it, but she's attempting to defile it by treating it like dirt on her shoes. Of course, they are diamonds -- one of the hardest substances known to man -- so they probably aren't being damaged too badly... as if her wealth, no matter how much she tries to deny and hide it, is still a part of who she is. People say she's crazy -- for dating someone outside her social class. She's more than likely been disowned, I'm thinking. The part about her being physically forgotten, and feeling like she's been taken advantage of could be her response to her boyfriend not seeming to appreciate her sacrifice. I've thought about the signs of the teaspoon and wave... not certain, but when you make the pantomime of holding a spoon, pinky extended, isn't that a symbol for wealth? And the wave symbol is like a hippie-dancing kind of movement, perhaps? Most hippies having given up material possessions, and all... not certain, though. The part about putting on aftershave is fairly straightforward -- he's trying to make himself "fancier" to live up to the wealthier ideals that his girlfriend has known. He's not even putting on cologne - it's aftershave, which tends to be cheaper and more watered-down. And she wants to go out, but they can only afford to sit in a doorway. They could be homeless, or maybe just turned down from entering a club on upper-broadway (told to wait in a line, where they finally fell asleep?). Anyway, just my thoughts. |
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| Paul Simon – Graceland Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| To add to my last comment, people see the effects of the wind blowing -- they don't actually see the wind itself. Likewise, people see the devastation that is brought on by an emotional separation - not necessarily the actual break or events leading to the break. | |
| Paul Simon – Graceland Lyrics | 20 years ago |
| I love the four lines starting with, "Losing love is like a window in your heart..." That describes perfectly the feeling of being on the dumped end of a marriage. Everyone sees your pain, even if you don't want them to. The window in your soul is one that can't be closed, and your pain is so obvious, and you just want people to move on, and not to pity you, but they can't help it - everybody sees you're torn apart - just like everyone can see the wind blow. | |
| Barenaked Ladies – Brian Wilson Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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The thing that appeals to my song is how it contains Wilson's history and song/album titles. The reference to Dr. Landry refers to the psychiatric guru that lived at Wilson's house, and (many feel) took advantage of Brian's mental sickness and addictions (a pedagogue is both the master and teacher of a person -- sort of like a cult or religious leader, or in this case, a pychiatric leader). The ref about the sandbox is true -- Wilson actually DID have a big sandbox in his house, to try to inspire creativity. Also, the line about him being in bed refers to the fact that there a period of time where Wilson couldn't leave his bed -- he was depressed and on coke/alcohol to a degree that he sat in bed, eating, doing drugs, and gaining lots of weight. His creativity was so constipated that he couldn't move. He became depressed right after his father's death (a man who was both abusive and controlling -- point in case, "When I Grow Up To Be A Man" was written after a big fight between Brian and his dad, where his dad basically called him an immature child - despite his musical success). Wilson also had mental problems due to a couple bad acid trips. His wife took their two daughters (Wendy and Carnie) and left him, after he (in a drunken, stoned state) gave Carnie (then a young child) a toke of marijuana. Go figure. ;-) Anyway, I love the musical refs -- Smiley Smile was a 1967 album by the Beach Boys (featuring "Good Vibrations" - a song written after the death of his mother, which Wilson considers one of his greatest songs). The line about building castles in the sun might be a reference to the song "Mount Vernon and Fairway" - or maybe it's just another reference to Brian's zen attack on his writer's block through play in the sandbox. "Fun Fun Fun" was a song of the Beach Boys. |
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| They Might Be Giants – Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes Lyrics | 21 years ago |
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I read something a while ago, that really made me go, "hmm," about this song. As much as I had already loved this song, I liked it even more afterwards. This song is talking about death. Here are some clues. "Heads are caving in," is what happens when the skin and muscle starts decaying in the face -- the cheeks pucker inward. "Rubber skin," is the skin itself becoming waxy and hard - losing more and more elacticity. "Domino that falls on different dots," has to do with the bones, I believe. Maybe the teeth. I can't recall, but I remember thinking that it made sense. Maybe someone else can fill this one in? The overcoat is the body skin, and the hat, mask, and dice are all features of the head - hair, face, and eyes. Nothing's smelling like a rose - the scent of decay, juxtaposed against flowers (which are given to the dead when visiting). No one's coming up for air, obviously, because they're all dead and buried. And the clothes you wear are the only clothes that you'll ever wear again - no one will be changing your clothes ever again. |
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