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| Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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I got that idea too. I hate reading personal stuff into songs but the 'I speak because I can to anyone I trust enough to listen/You speak because you can to anyone who'll hear what you say' bit made me think of how public Charlie made the break-up with his album, while Laura's references to it are really subtle, if there at all. |
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| Alanis Morissette – You Owe Me Nothing In Return Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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I don't appreciate it being insinuated I'm selfish, wolfnrose. I'm not at all, my partner can tell you this so don't lump me in the same category with your ex. That's just rude and presumptuous. Relationships SHOULD be about equality and loving the other in return, it's not got anything to do with 'trade'.
Anyway, aren't lyrics in many ways akin to poetry? Now call me crazy, but I believe that with poetry you can't actually be wrong. Perhaps Alanis did mean for this to be a song about the true definition of love, but if another interpretation makes just as much sense, why can't people view it in another way? Another reason people might take an interpretation like the one I took is because it's a stance Alanis takes in a lot of her songs. 'Hands Clean', 'You Oughta Know' etc. are all generally about lovers chewing their significant others up and spitting them out. Maybe that means 'You Owe Me...' is just an anomoly, I'm not throwing that theory away at all, but it could also be continuing the recurring theme in a lot of her songs. |
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| Patti Smith – Dancing Barefoot Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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Patti dedicated this song to women such as Jeanne Hébuterne, mistress of the artist Amedeo Modigliani. She commited suicide when he died, so the idea of being completely taken over by love for one person would make sense. |
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| Lily Allen – Not Fair Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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Don't worry, my man isn't like this either haha, but you'd be surprised how many men are! |
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| Lily Allen – Not Fair Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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I disagree completely, I think Lily is also pointing out that no matter how nice a person can be sex IS an important part of a relationship. How is it fair that she should spend hours on him and never get anything in return? Yes, sex is not the most important thing for a good relationship, but it's pretty damn important. Lily has sung about lacklustre lovers in 'Not Big' as well.
Also, 'You never make me scream' is not a good thing. She's not referring to screaming as in getting angry, she's referring to screaming in orgasm. Lol, I thought that was obvious. |
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| Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton – Crowd Surf off a Cliff Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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I think the idea that it could be about Emily's father, Paul Haines, is a good one. For one, the cover art for 'Knives Don't Have Your Back' is based on that for Paul Haines' opera 'Escalator Over The Hill' so it's obvious that despite the fact he died 3 years before Emily's album was realised, he had a profound effect on her musically.
'Cursed with a love that you can't express
It's not for a fuck, or a kiss' - Can we entirely express why we love our parents? I don't think the idea of a long-distance relationship works here, because yes being in love is higher than the physical side but these lyrics seem to suggest no physical side at all, therefore making it possible for the love to be familial.
'Everywhere and every way I see you with me' - She still misses him.
I think the musical references, while possibly pointing towards choosing between a relationship and a musical career, could also be a nod to her father as a musician. It was he, after all who would make cassettes of rare and eclectic music for Emily to listen to. She ties them in with hints of suicide with 'Land out on the ice' because his death makes her want to join him.
'The life that you thought through is gone' - This just seems to be an obvious reference to death to me. Everything her father lived and worked for has gone with him and maybe there's some bitterness on Emily's part for this.
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| Alanis Morissette – You Owe Me Nothing In Return Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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Is it just me who thinks it's not as simple as people are saying? For me there is this slight air of cynicism, like 'You can do all these things that might hurt me and I'll just deal with it.'. Almost as in WHY would someone do that and the bit about 'I bet you're wondering when the next payback shoot will eventually drop' seems to me to be a bit odd. Surely an ideal relationship would be like that, as in he'd repay her in the same situation because of notions of equality. To me, equal grounding is more of a true love than doing everything for one person.
I'm not sure, it just seems to me to be a kind of critique on people who bend over backwards for their lovers no matter what they might do and don't care if the other person reciprocates. |
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| Damien Rice – Woman Like a Man Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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I may have an answer for why he was able to be so scathing about a girl he apparently loved, though obviously it's only my interpretation. I've never thought love and hatred were direct opposites, because on many ways they're also very similar - when you're really angry at someone and seem to hate them you can't get them off your mind and they bring out powerful emotions, as is the effect when you love someone. The opposition to love, in my opinion, is indifference as feeling nothing for someone is surely different to feeling everything for them? That might explain why he's so scathing. |
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| Sons And Daughters – Darling Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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It's definitely about Julie Christie's movie. She uses men to increase her chances of becoming an actress and it backfires on her, so this is probably about her manipulation of men. |
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| Sondre Lerche – Counter Spark Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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It's basically summing up the feelings of admiration towards a person. This girl (I'm presuming he's singing about a girl since he mentions bras) seems perfect - 'So well adjusted but with charm' - and he marks himself as inferior to her 'Your eyes were focussed, mine were grey'. His feelings for her are higher than wanting to be like her, as he's developing strong feelings for her. |
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| Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Green Eyes Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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Plus, doesn't Tori have bright blue eyes as opposed to green? I know it's a trivial detail, but nonetheless significant. This album has PJ Harvey stamped all over it. |
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| Arab Strap – Speed-Date Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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At first I didn't realise what a clever concept this song was, but it's literally an appeal to a woman he's talking to on a speed date. You can tell because it last 3 minutes (2-3 minutes being the general talking time for a speed date) and there's a whistle at the end ('Why don't we ignore the whistle?'). The speaker mocks the concept of relationships and dating nowadays, as they're talked about in self-help books and websites personified by 'Doctor Gray'. Rather than being revoultionary, dating has become clinical and he wants it to be real and more organic shown by the lines 'Just a look, a smile, a kiss'll tell you all you really need to know'. |
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| Arab Strap – (If There's) No Hope For Us Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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It's definitely about the breakdown of a relationship. The couple mentioned used to seem unstoppable and very much in love, which for me is the darkest bit of this song. The speaker is musing over how such a wonderful period of time could go so wrong. She cheats on him and initially lies about it but it gets to a point where neither of them cares and chances are he cheats as well.
I really like the female vocals in the last two stanzas. The voices really contrast. |
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| Camera Obscura – A Sister's Social Agony Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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I definitely agree with what's being said. The speaker has probably been through the same phase of growing up as her sister, quoting Mike Leigh films and thinking it makes her hipper and intelligent as a result. As an older sibling it's pretty easy to relate to because as you get older you realise how silly such attitudes are but ultimately can't stop the younger from doing it, just as no one could stop you yet.
I used to think this was a bit tame for the elder to be chastising the younger to be doing - I mean, what's harmful about listening to indie rock? I realised later though the thing about her 'friends' putting her down. The overall message of the song is about not trying to fit in and putting up with cruel treatment as a result. |
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| Bright Eyes – Poison Oak Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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Most of the time, yes this is true. This time, however, 'Poison Oak' obviously refers to Collin McElroy, Conor's cousin who battled meth addiction and who commited suicide in his parents' house aged 24. You can do the research and I think I read somewhere that Conor and Ian McElroy did/are doing a Desperacidos gig to raise money for a Collin McElroy fund. |
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| Bright Eyes – Poison Oak Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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I think there are definitely drug references in this song. What else could 'You wrote bad checks/Just to fill your arm' mean? Bad cheques occur when you have no insufficient funds in your bank account, but write a cheque anyway. Etta James the singer famously got into trouble for doing this while she herself was addicted to heroin. Filling ones arm would obviously be injecting the needle and so Conor's cousin must have got himself into trouble financially to feed his addiction.
The song itself is really complex, as it contrasts childhood memories with the sadness occuring now. He loves his cousin, but even though he's 'glad you got away', he feels resentful because he's been left with all the burdens, such as 'your brother's tears'.
Anyway, I love this song and it took me several listens of 'I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning' to realise just how much. |
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| Tori Amos – Precious Things Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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I like the idea of it being about the music industry. A lot of musicians or former musicians have told me that the music industry can seem a lot like school again because, if you aren't careful, you find yourself trying to do the right things to fit in. Tori seems to have used that analogy here, possibly drawing from personal experiences and made a wonderful song in the process. |
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| Laura Marling – Old Stone Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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My favourite song on her album. I definitely agree with it being about a conflict of interests. She wants to be with him, but doesn't want to get hurt and grow old too quickly. |
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| Damien Rice – Accidental Babies Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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It means is the man (not the one singing) strong enough to be able to understand her? The singer is basically saying that he and she are alike and suggesting that only he can understand her personality. |
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| Damien Rice – Accidental Babies Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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I've always read this song as being about an affair that has ended. There is still a lot of shame attatched to being found to have cheated and so the woman perhaps stays with her boyfriend as some point of honour while the singer sees her man as somewhat inadequate ('Is he bold enough to take you on?'). The 'accidental babies' are symbolic of tying both singer and woman in their respective relationships. She still has the oppurtunity to go back to him and should if she loves him, before it's too late.
It also reminds me ever so slightly of the movie 'Last Tango In Paris'. Anyone who hasn't seen it should, as it's one of Marlon Brando's best roles. He conducts a sordid affair with a young woman and neither know each other's names. She is engaged and decides to leave Brando's character to gain some stability in her life. Even though he's made their relationship completely sexual, he turns to her now and says 'You dummy, I love you.'
Anyway, the rawness of this song really gets to me. It's easily my favourite song off '9', though ironically the hardest to listen to. |
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| Vyvienne Long – Never Leave You Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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People have totally mis-interprested this song. Yes, it is immensely sweet-sounding, but it has a much darker meaning. This poor girl gets treated like crap by her boyfriend, but of cours,e allows him to do it, because she'll never leave him. I know many girls like this and it certainly doesn't mean they're 'cute' and 'in love'. |
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| The Long Blondes – Guilt Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I don't think adamz is right, Paddy_Kitten has sort of got it. Basically, a man is interested in the song's speaker, but she's worried about getting involved since she's already in a relationship. However, she does get involved, then does her best to avoid him afterwards. The fact that she sings 'Guilt has nothing to do with it' is ironic, since it really does.
This is a perfect pop song, I absolutely love it. |
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| Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Stranger Than Kindness Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I wonder if this is actually a reference to Tennessee Williams's play, 'A Streetcar Named Desire'. In it, the lead character, Blanche du Bois, goes to stay with her sister and her husband after losing the family home. She tells them she has left her job as an English teacher due to stress, but it is later revealed that she had an affair with a teenage student and, as a result, acted as a kind of prostitute in seedy hotels before being thrown out of town. Her last line in the play, to a doctor that takes her away to a mental institution, is 'Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.', so it would certainly fit with the title and lyrics. |
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| The Crystals – He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss) Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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This song was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King after they discovered that a singer called Little Eva was regularly beaten by her boyfriend. They asked why she took it and she replied that his attacks showed that he loved her. It's an amazing song, but so very haunting. |
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| Larrikin Love – Well, Love Does Furnish a Life. Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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Edward Larrikin said in an interview that he had seen a boy and girl crying when he was on a train and obviously didn't know why, so he made up a story where they went to a beautiful land and could not stay, hence why they cried. |
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| Al Wilson – The Snake Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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Definitely one of my favourite Northern Soul tracks. I like the metaphor with the snake too. |
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| Jamie T – If You've Got The Money Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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It's not totally about nights out actually, Mr T (haha) himself said in an interview that it's more about guys that spend loads of money and not enough time on their girlfriends. He said that the best date type things he'd have with girls had been when he was skint and that guys who lavish money on girls are a bit clueless. |
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| The Long Blondes – Autonomy Boy Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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dejavula, I disagree. I think the speaker is exploiting the boy's naive nature ("You cut your arms/Baby just to fit in") to get what she wants. It's ironic because she refers to him as 'Autonomy Boy', autonomy meaning self-governing or choice and yet she doesn't give him any. He says he likes to be alone and yet she won't let him do that and the second verse seems like she's dressing him too. Given the fact that this is a B-side to a song called 'Appropriation (By Any Other Name)', which is about a film called 'Vertigo' where a man dresses his new lover up to look like his former one, I think this interpretation is fitting. It seems to me that 'Autonomy Boy' is 'Vertigo' but with a gender reversal. MissMack, this song is not on an album. The Long Blondes recorded this way before making their album. |
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| The Long Blondes – Swallow Tattoo Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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I read somewhere that both Dorian (guitarist and main lyricist) and Emma (keyboardist and guitarist) have tattoos of swallows. I also heard they were together. |
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| Metric – The Police and the Private Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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All the interpretations are feasible, though I immediately thought 'Drugs' when I read it. The orphanage line at the end would still fit too. A lot of dealers will hang around schools etc. to sell drugs to children and if these children are troubled (like orphans) they are more likely to buy them. The drugs industry is a soulless one explaining the loss of love. Anyone who has read/seen 'Trainspotting' or 'Requiem For A Dream' or been an adict themselves will tell you this. |
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| The Pigeon Detectives – I'm Not Sorry Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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They're not contradictory. You can be sad for upsetting someone (aka. making her cry) but still be convinced you're right. That's why he isn't sorry. It's like upsetting her is a small price to pay so he can get his point across. |
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| Arctic Monkeys – 505 Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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This has to be my favourite song on the album, it's got such a melancholy, yearning feel. I'm glad they're doing stuff like this now, it'd be hypocritical if they were still singing about being skint and pissed in Sheffield. |
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| The Libertines – Can't Stand Me Now Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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This song really is a summary of Carl and Pete reaching the nadir of their friendship. That guy who said The Libertines are a 2nd rate Clash is very harsh. Part of what made The Libertines so enthralling was Carl and Pete's relationship...they almost seemed to have a chemistry that many couples don't reach, even. |
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| The Libertines – The Good Old Days Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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If Pete wrote these lyrics, could they be a direct message to Carl? It would certainly give the line 'tenaments and needles' a very forseeable meaning. Also, if things were going downhill by this stage, Carl could be harping back to better times. |
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| The Subways – Rock & Roll Queen Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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I like this song. Billy wrote it for the bassist, Charlotte, who is also his girlfriend as it turns out. It's not my favourite song on the album, however. That's reserved for 'Mary' or 'I Want To Hear What You've Got To Say' |
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| The Smiths – This Charming Man Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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Mozzer is quite openly bisexual. Say no more. I heard this in a pub on Friday and it put a big grin on my face. All the covers I've heard of it just don't match up. |
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| Saul Williams – Gypsy Girl Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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"My mother said he was in his forties" - It's actually thirties
"Two little boys with a magic marker marked her" After this a line is missed, which is "And it won't come out", which I think is pretty important.
Aside from that, this poem is incredible. It's definitely about child abuse, but for some reason I always thought it was about a girl who had been abused more than once, by the two little boys mentioned and, of course, the brother. I also thought the speaker was perhaps a lover or something:
"I want to call him names
But only mine seem to fit"
Since he found out about the abuse, he feels that by having sexual relations with her, he has taken part in the molestation:
"And if you rub your fingers
Ever so softly on her inner thigh
She’ll stop you"
The above lines further seem to suggest that he knows this from first hand experience. |
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| Klaxons – The Bouncer Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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Hahaha I love that last line. They opened with this when I saw them at the NME Rave Tour in Sheffield |
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| Dolly Parton – Jolene Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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The meaning is obvious, but how she came to write the song is very interesting. She was playing a gig and saw a beautiful little girl, about nine, fitting the Jolene physical description and the girl later told her that she'd never seen her father. There's this theory that a lot of women who steal people's boyfriends tend to not have had a father figure in their lives and so Dolly wrote this song with her in mind. |
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