| PJ Harvey – When Under Ether Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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"something's inside me unborn and unblessed disappears in the ether this world to the next disappears in the ether" To me it's not clearly about abortion, but rather about an unwanted child. Ether is the only temporary solution she's found to escape from her sorrow. Unfortunately, it goes the same way with every sort of drugs, that's why it's in the end of this so beautiful and haunting song : even if you're stoned and anywhere seems like the coolest place on earth, when you go back to real life, the shit goes on... |
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| Sparklehorse – It's A Wonderful Life Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| aubreymcfate and no_one69, you're so right... Maybe the most beautiful and strangest lullaby I've ever heard. Cheers | |
| The Rolling Stones – Wild Horses Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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The most beautiful song by the Stones... I'd like to thank you, Tinypinkdancer27, for having cited Gram Parsons : he was a friend of Keith Richards, and has sung "Wild Horses" 1 year before it was issued on "Sticky Fingers" (Parsons had a band called The Flying Burrito Brothers). To me, Mick Jagger's vocals are deeply inspired by Parsons' early version. And he was a truly great songwriter too... |
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| Joni Mitchell – River Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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L-E-7, I think you're just right, it's pretty obvious that she was missing her native Canada when she was writing this song. There's another aspect that seems important to me : Joni seems to say she got sick of everything and needs to run away and take the road to who knows where : "I'm going to make a lot of money Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene I wish I had a river I could skate away on I wish I had a river so long I would teach my feet to fly" It's the same mood, the same urge to flee you can hear in many Neil Young's songs, especially in the wonderful "Thrasher" (in which he uses water metaphors too). He offers those lines to some companions from the California folk-rock scene, the same scene Joni says it's "crazy" : "So I got bored and left them there They were just dead weight to me Better down the road without that load" |
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| Steely Dan – BarryTown Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Between the moonies and interracial prejudices, I'd rather incline towards the 2nd point of view. I don't think you could read something about moonies in the "Daily news"... Barrytown could be sort of a Black ghetto. When he says "what you carry" in the chorus, he could refer to the color of the skin, of the man he's talking to... Then, "the way you cut your hair" could be an Afro. Most of all, I think the opening lines are obviously referring to Civil Rights movement, expressing that things have gone better for Black people, but prejudices are still there : "I'm not one to look behind; I know that times must change But over there in Barrytown they do things very strange" All through the song, the narrator is telling that segregation times were preferable to present days : "I like things like they used to be And though you'd like some company I'm standing by myself Go play with someone else " In the same way, the last verse is absolutely ugly ! Fagen gets inside the head of the "good"-ordinary-white folk, so this song is really close to what Randy Newman does in his own songs : singing from a decayed character's point of view, showing what stupidity and hatred look like. |
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| Steely Dan – Charlie Freak Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Incredible song. You're absolutely right, Booyacka. A song about a homeless man is so rare in a pop context, and what's extremely rare, is the way it is told : with so spiritual and deeply moving words, not condescending at all, not filled with conventional pity. Who said that Steely Dan were always cynical ? I'm still struck by the tragic double meaning of the line "Five nights without a bite" : the horror of both hunger and drug withdrawal. Then, the musical richness of this 2:45 song is just unbelievable : the dramatic crescendo created by the successive additions of an eerie guitar part, then the sleighbells, and those heartbreaking strings in the final, everything led by a wonderful piano melody. If one wants to know what "songcraft" means, he must listen to "Charlie Freak" |
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| Joni Mitchell – Song For Sharon Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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2 things I can't believe : -1- only one comment for one of the most beautiful songs ever written at the surface of the earth -2- that Joni wrote this while sniffin' cocaine... Such a haunting melody, very subtle changes in the backup playing... Very few albums or songs reach that level of lyricism, I mean music that's purely led by emotions, in all their implied contradictions, as is all the "Hejira" album, Talk Talk's "Laughing Stock" or Robert Wyatt's "Rock Bottom" (and I almost forgot Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks"). That's music that grows on you, into you, ever deeper and deeper, endlessly... I love (the word is weak) the way the lyrics are written : Joni floats between her present melancholy days, memories of the past, of Sharon, all linked by repeating images ("the lace"), metaphors, places, united by a sort of road trip feeling... "I can keep my cool at poker But I'm a fool when love's at stake Because I can't conceal emotion What I'm feeling's always written on my face" Once you've heard this song, you're tied |
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| Joni Mitchell – Black Crow Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Magic song... It's dark-mooded, it's all about loss and drift, and it's so healing and uplifting... Once again, it shows Joni's craft at writing lyrics that sound directly connected to her heart and soul. Each word is at the right place, providing incredible emotional and musical power : "In search of love and music My whole life has been Illumination Corruption And diving, diving, diving, diving" Joni's rhythm guitar part is absolutely stunning, perfectly complemented by Jaco Pastorius's bass mastery, and Larry Carlton's "guitar-painting" in the background (marvelous evocation of the "black crow flying"...) |
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| The Clash – Washington Bullets Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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You're so right, you all, "Washington bullets" is maybe rock's greatest history lesson ! The subject (US foreign politics during the 70's) still remains obscure and misunderstood nowadays... F**k Nixon ! F**k Kissinger ! I'd personally add that Castro is another kind of b@stard too... Nevertheless, I gotta correct some points (sorry for my French-informed English...) : - magpi1, Salvador Allende has not been shot. He killed himself in the besieged Moneda palace, when Pinochet troops were about to come in. - then, Pablo Neruda wasn't assassinated either. He died from a pancreas cancer 12 days after the Pinochet-Washington's coup (and Allende's death). - Then, Fat Ted, you said : "The afgan rebels in this song that America funded during the USSR's war in afganistan later became Al Kaeda who america now hate." It's not that simple. The first main man during the war against USSR was colonel Massoud (dubbed the "Lion from Panshir"). He was the highly respected leader of the Islamic Army, which fought soviet army with endless courage. But then, at the end of the 80's, to make sure that Afghanistan would win, USA and Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan had the wonderful idea to bring 1000's of mujahadeens from many Muslim countries, who helped for victory against USSR. But then, they created their own fundamentalist regime : the "talibans" were there... Back to Massoud : after the soviet war, he had to fight the talibans, who didn't exactly match his open-minded vision of islam... Finally, he got killed just 2 days before the Twin Towers attack, assassinated by 2 Al Qaeda members. So, keep in mind that the rebels Clash members refer to aren't the ones who later forced women to wear burqas, for example... |
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| The Clash – The Equaliser Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Absolutely right, pretzzr ! Sweet smoky dub song, with reggae imagery : "See the world you have built it with shoulders of iron See the world but it is not yours say the stealers of Zion" I'm really struck by the premonition of these 2 lines : "Don't check with Rome paint strike on the door It's one to one the fight is on so don't go to war" The pretty ugly Margaret Thatcher had to face big strikes and social fight, in response to her ultra-capitalist and reactionary politics during the 80's. 2 years after this song was written, she distracted people's attention from the resentment they felt by declaring war to Argentina about the Falkland Islands... |
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| The Clash – Hitsville U.K. Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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MHH62, the bassline and funky guitar riff sound very similar to some hit song by the Supremes... 2 years later, The Jam would have a hit (of course...) with a very close song, "A Town Called Malice". Anyway, it's an homage to 60's Motown sound (which studios in Detroit were dubbed "Hitsville, USA". Those who say they don't like this song should really listen to these delightful sounds ! About the lyrics, I think it's a tribute to the abounding music activity of late 70's UK (with this music label name-dropping), and a tribute to the do-it-yourself spirit : "They stole guitars or used guitars - So the tape would understand, Without even the slightest hope of a 1000 sales" |
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| Neil Young – Revolution Blues Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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You're absolutely right, mikegross ! The last lines are, hmm, obvious : "Well, I hear that Laurel Canyon is full of famous stars, But I hate them worse than lepers and I'll kill them in their cars." And the following ones are maybe the greatest expression of cold rage : "I hope you get the connection, 'cause I can't take the rejection I won't deceive you, I just don't believe you." Fucking great song ! |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Oh, maybe no one can write songs like the Boss, but no one can write songs like Neil Young or Mark Kozelek... Cheers ! | |
| Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Another fantastic song from the album "Nebraska" It refers to the (real) story that Terrence Malick put on the screen in his first movie (in 1974, I guess), the wonderful, unique "Badlands" (see Bruce's references ?), with Charlie Starkweather played by Martin Sheen (yeah !), and Carol Anne Fugate played by Sissy Spacek (yeah ! (bis)). Thanks for their names, Voodoochilde... |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Highway Patrolman Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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F***ing great song... It must be the name Franky (as for Suicide's "Frankie Teardrop") that makes this song so haunting... I think you're 3000% right, Cherub Rock, nothing to add to it. I'm fond of your geographic references, msgelter... |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Badlands Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Nobody said that this song has the same title as Terrence Malick's splendid first movie, whose story is the same as what Bruce tells in the song "Nebraska"... I've never heard "Badlands" but I'd really love to hear it, especially when I read those lines : "I want control right now talk about a dream Try to make it real you wake up in the night With a fear so real spend your life waiting For a moment that just don't come Well don't waste your time waiting" Great, great songwriter |
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| Styx – Come Sail Away Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| What can I say ? The lyrics, the piano part, the ending synth sounds... It's all too much ! but I can't help smilin' when I hear it, not only in an ironic way... Probably because the center of this song is just incredible, with one of the greatest guitar/drums break I've ever heard ! Anyway, it was so well used in "The Virgin Suicides", along with 2 f***ing brilliant songs, 10cc's "I'm Not In Love" and ELO's "Strange Magic" | |
| Mark Kozelek – If You Want Blood Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Another splendid arrangement by Kozelek, with stunning rhythmic interplay between vocal and guitar... Amazing how his vocal performance makes me think of Bruce Springsteen singing "Highway Patrolman" on the "Nebraska" album (another spare, overwhelming folk-rock masterpiece) |
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| Mark Kozelek – Up To My Neck In You Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| of course, all the songs on "What's next to the moon" are covers of Bon Scott-era AC/DC stuff ! It's just one of the most splendid folk albums I've ever heard, and it can show anyone what a great lyricist Bon Scott was. | |
| Thin Lizzy – Whiskey in the Jar Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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About the "Thintallica" debate *I'm 23, heartbeats xxx*, it's a question of production, playing, singing... and songs ! That said, "spread the world around" : Thin Lizzy is 100 times better ! It's a perfect melting of trad Irish "murder ballad" mood, with straight rock sound and structure. To deaf people like 133 or Nameless 123, I'd just say that Lynott is a great singer, especially on this overwhelming track ! Last but not least, I think you're absolutely right Albanyankee, even if I prefer beer (why not a pint of Guinness ?) |
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| Iggy Pop – Funtime Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Hum, explicit lyrics ! Bowie's production is amazing, he clearly inspired new-wave musicians, some years ahead of its time | |
| Iggy Pop – Nightclubbing Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Great great great song ! Iggy's vocals are really good, especially on the second half, when they're much more nasal... Is it Mick Ronson who played that stoned guitar part ? And what a perfect beat ! I particularly love the line : 'Night clubbing we're night clubbing / We're an ice machine' | |
| XTC – The Somnambulist Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Yeah, this is a solitary trip by Andy. And what a strange trip... It floats and drifts, but never sinks, in blind-like darkness, music and lyrics... It's a sort of an ambient track, which is miles away from anything on 'Black Sea' (which might have been a good title for this song...) | |
| Prince – Sexy Dancer Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| And, hum ! NO OTHER COMMENT ??? | |
| Prince – Sexy Dancer Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Probably the greatest sex song ever ! And one of the funkiest too ! I particularly love his orgasm sighs... It's quite amazing to me that he played all the instruments on it... | |
| Prince – Kiss Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Incredible synth sound, and fucking great, funky guitar part ! So minimalistic and sexy... I hate the world "cool", but the chorus is just the "coolest" thing I've ever heard ! That song is wonderful | |
| New Order – 5 8 6 Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Great track, the hidden brother of Blue Monday... The bass sound makes me go weird every time ! | |
| Primal Scream – Keep Your Dreams Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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One of the most soothing song ever... The only peaceful track on XTRMNTR, with such gentle lyrics : "Keep your dreams, don't sell your soul, be careful" It makes me think of Suicide's... "Dream baby dream" ! Great synth sounds |
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| XTC – Ten Feet Tall Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| No comment ? The lyrics are quite pretty, but most of all, it's just a PERFECT pop song ! It's so beautifully sung, on such an immaculate melody... So healing and soothing | |
| Mercury Rev – Goddess on a Hiway Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Great song, with a fantastic chorus ! You're right loafer, I won't add anything... Just say this song is perfect when you're... drivin' on the highway ! |
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| Grandaddy – Kim, You Bore Me to Death Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Pretty song. To me, it's referring to Kim Deal, the bassist from the Pixies... I've heard that many Pixies fans thought she was the one who killed the band, to go on and form the Breeders. So, as Jason Lytle IS a Pixies fan, he says : "I swear I'd never name my kid Kim"... |
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| Steely Dan – Bodhisattva Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Perfect song ! (perfect drums, bass, synths, guitar... incredible) One of the Dan's greatest ! I read somewhere that a journalist had written this song was "semi-religious"... what a fool ! It's a really ironic song. I think you're so right, what123ever. It sort of anticipated the "hype" for Buddha and the Dalai-Lama, I saw it in France 7 or 8 years ago... Fagen is in a total hurry when he sings that, then a man who wants to reach the "nirvana" shouldn't do it so fast, he'd really have to slow down... But that's the Occident : fast sex, fast food, fast music, express philosophy... Like Nobody the Indian would say : "Stupid white men..." |
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| Steely Dan – Reelin' In The Years Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Good song, yet not one of my favorites by the Dan. Hum, Donutbandit, the music business metaphor just can't fit : that song was issued in 1972 !!! And I never thought the Dan was progressive (except, maybe, on the song "Aja")... Then, why do you say that disco has a "ugly head" ? It's not just Boney M and all that crap, disco had deep underground roots, and great artists that had nothing to do with the mainstream shit : Loose Joints, Larry Levan, for example. Did you ever mention that on the album "Aja", there were great jazz/funk/disco musicians, say members of the Crusaders ? Hear the sound of songs like "Josie" or "FM", or the bass work on "Peg"... To end this, why do people think that every song, every sentence written by Fagen & Becker is "obscure" or "cryptic" ??? They also wrote songs whose meaning is really obvious and which don't need to be over-interpreted : this one, or "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", "Dirty Work"... |
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| Daft Punk – Digital Love Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Pretty silly song... Please, stop it ! It's not a great song, lyrics have certainly been written in 30 seconds... The melody, as indicated above, is directly taken from George Duke's track and the whole song is almost a copy of a 1980 stupid hit, "Video Killed The Radio Stars", by the Buggles... | |
| Daft Punk – Face to Face Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| The best song on this album ! Incredible use of samples... Sounds just as great as 80s Prince hits... In fact, the song is sung and co-written by Todd Edwards, a Chicago house producer. | |
| Daft Punk – Something About Us Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| One of the few real good tracks on the rollercoaster-esque "Discovery"... Sounds like a mix of Double's "Captain of her heart" and Phoenix's "Honeymoon". As I'm French, I can say that it's simple BECAUSE it's written by French guys... Pretty song, though | |
| Happy Mondays – Bob's Yer Uncle Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Fucking great fucking song ! Does anyone know what its title mean ??? | |
| Air – Playground Love Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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This comment is absolutely stupid, but I need to say it to the face of the world : I'm in love with Kirsten Dunst. Sorry |
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| Air – Cherry Blossom Girl Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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"strange magic" song... That's it, psychocherry... To pumkinhed : I thought it was one of the boys that sung, but in fact it's a girl called Lisa Popineau, who sang on some tracks from "10000 Hz Legend". And obviously, their best album is the "Virgin Suicides" soundtrack, no way to discuss it. Second is "10000 Hz Legend", a great underrated album, some majestic, over-produced and fascinating 70s trip... |
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| Gang of Four – To Hell With Poverty Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Here's the other version I found for this song : "in my arms we shall begin we're not on the rocks well there’s no charge in this land right now some are insane and they're in charge to hell with poverty we’ll get drunk on cheap wine to hell with poverty the cheque arrives it's in the post again to hell with poverty the cheque arrives it's in the post again in my arms we shall begin we're not on the rocks and there’s no charge in this land right now some are insane and they're in charge to hell with poverty we’ll get drunk on cheap wine to hell with poverty" I'll just add : what a terrific bass work on this song ! |
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| The Smiths – Bigmouth Strikes Again Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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This song is just fantastic... One of the songs I perfectly remember since my childhood and I'll love till my last day... I'm surprised that no one noticed the mentions of the walkman and the hearing aid associated to Joan of Arc, as she was supposed to have heard voices... For a Frenchman like me, it's pretty to see a patriotic icon that's turned to something quite ridiculous, cause it's easy to hear God's voice or anyone's voice when you put it in your fucking walkman! Joan of Arc-that-hears-too-much and Bigmouth-that-speaks-too-much... Morrissey really has a wicked sense of humor |
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| Television Personalities – A Life Of Her Own Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Sad tender song... The lyrics are not very subtle, their meaning quite obvious, but it's so rare to hear this kind of words in the mouth of a man... It's so true, the words are very simple, and consequently so close to reality. When I first heard it, I instantly thought of all those young women I've seen in my life, that switched from "girls" to "mothers" (sometimes, they're "girls mothers" like Morrissey would say...), and have done it just "too much too soon" or "too much too young", as you want. A life lost : the sort of thing you can read on their faces Please, excuse me there are some errors in the lyrics, cause I'm French and I did the best that I could |
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| The Beach Boys – God Only Knows Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| I do agree with you all : "God only knows" is a pure gem, incredible song... I'll add that the mellotron and the harmonic slide after the second verse just kill me each time I hear this song... Macca was so right ! | |
| The Beach Boys – Caroline No Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Just one of the most beautiful songs ever written... A man that doesn't cry when he hears that just has no fucking heart... I can't comment this song... On the second verse, I think it might as well be "Oh, Carol-I knew", but "I might be wrong" |
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| The Velvet Underground – I Found A Reason Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| For a long time, I thought this was a scary song, because of the way Massive Attack sampled it on "Risingson", which truly is an icy, haunted song... What a surprise when I heard the original song ! | |
| The Velvet Underground – Lady Godiva's Operation Lyrics | 17 years ago |
| Great song ! What I like most is the end of the song, when the Lou just throws down the song and takes the place of John Cale as a narrator, who makes a very good imitation of the sound of the oxygen mask... So weird ! | |
| The Velvet Underground – I'm Sticking with You Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Mo Tucker, I love you ! In this delicious song, there are two lines that sound really perverse to me : "So you're hanging from a tree And I made believe it was me" It seems to push a sort of romantic vision of love to its limits : wishing to be "dead in love", together... And it's sung in Mo's childish way... |
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| Arab Strap – Packs of Three Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Very "diplomatic" way to open an album : "It was the biggest ever cock you’d ever seen, but you’ve no idea where that cock has been." No comment ? |
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| Arab Strap – Afterwards Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Awfully sexy, nearly morbid, haunting and healing song... Absolutely terrific ! These lyrics just kill me each time I hear them, associated to the perfect combination of Aidan Moffat / Adele Bethel's voices... And once more, how can one be so true : "I know we're a couple now 'cause we went down the Family Planning. It hit me in the waiting room waiting for you when you were getting what you need." One day, I will make a ten feet tall statue of Aidan Moffat (with his fucking kilt, of course...) |
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| Television Personalities – Stop And Smell The Roses Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Pretty trippy sad love song... with strongly stoned, Velvet-like violin and drums I'm French and I don't speak English very well, so I do what I can to contribute with TVP's lyrics. This one is the opener of the best album I've heard from them, "The Painted Word". TV Personalities are really a pleasant and totally weird band, born at the end of the 70's. It's not always easy to ride through their irregular (in all means of this term) discography, but I hope some people will contribute with their lyrics. They deserve that, with such songs as the surrealistic "14th Floor", "Oxford street", or "I know where Syd Barrett lives"... There's also "Arthur the gardener", an horrible and hilarious song for children, and their biggest pop "hit", "How I've learned to love the bomb" (terrific title !) For me, it's hard to understand everything because leader Dan Treacy has a particularly strong English accent, and for some of their songs, I just don't get a word... I write too much, so I'll just add that those who want to know them better should listen to the excellent compilation "Yes darling, but is it art ?", with which I discovered them. |
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