| Genesis – Behind The Lines Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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This is only speculation, but Phil wrote this as his marriage was on the rocks, largely due to the demands of his music career. It seems to be about the heavy realization that the relationship has reached a tipping point, one where no "talk" is going to be the antidote. I think the "book" is the collection of memories of earlier, happier days, when the relationship was full of promise, when commitment was easy, because life was good. And isn't it an ancient story that when one's relationship is on the rocks, that he transports back to those sublime days, to that 'Book of Love,' of lovelier, less complicated times, before returning again to wondering what went wrong? When I first read the song title, "Behind the Lines," I first thought of war, meaning the "battle lines," meaning, what others cannot see looking superficially from the outside in. It might also refer to the "lines" in the "book" referenced in the song. If their earlier scrapbook of their honeymoon phase contained love notes and photos and and sweet yet superficial overtures, then what is "behind the lines" is a more complicated story of 'life getting in the way," a spotlight shone on the realities of relationships post-honeymoon. |
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| Genesis – Duchess Lyrics | 4 years ago |
| This song is indelibly linked to "Behind the Lines," which sets the table of "Duke" as potentially a concept album. It's gorgeous melodically. If you're not moved by the transition from verse to chorus, then have your heart checked. | |
| Jethro Tull – Cheap Day Return Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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I see this song as capturing the experience of visiting his Dad, who was in hospital, or perhaps receiving home-based care from a nurse. Ian made the day-trip, purchasing a "Cheap Day Return" ticket to Lancashire. After saying goodbye to Dad and arriving back to the station, he has to wonder about the quality of care the nurse is providing him. He wishes she were less concerned about getting Ian's autograph and more concerned about looking after his old man properly. And true to Ian Anderson form, at the end of the day, he found the whole thing a bit laughable. And regarding the question of Aqualung as a "concept album," I have heard radio interviews with Ian, where he states in no uncertain terms that he does not promise to, subscribe to, or commit to, adherence to some model of an integrated "concept album." It's certainly true that "Aqualung" has recurrent themes -- a scathing condemnation of the Anglican Church, "Aqualung" as the embodiment of social ills, for example. But the inclusion of songs that do not serve these themes does not mean they "don't fit." Ian never promised listeners a jigsaw puzzle, where the whole album ends up looking like a perfect little farm scene. Moreover, he rejected the idea that JT was about "concept albums." |
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| Victoria Williams – Crazy Mary Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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I understand these lyrics to mean that an angry, drunken mob (who'd gathered underneath that sign), drove out to the "house of Mary" and terrorized her. The author's dream occurred when Mary died as a result, and "rose above it all." It's the heartbreaking story of how people with mental illness or intellectual disabilities are misunderstood, and then feared, and then vilified, just as Boo Radley was in "To Kill a Mockingbird." I think "That what you fear the most could meet you halfway" refers to the drunken mob giving into their own inner demons. They saw "Crazy Mary" as different, strange, to be reviled, to be feared. As they "passed the bottle around," they bought into a group-think mentality that "something must be done about her." or "let's go to Mary's house and raise Hell." And she didn't survive their assault on her. It's a song about the tragedy of human cruelty toward people who are seen as different. |
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| Dar Williams – Calling the Moon Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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This song moves me on a deep level as well. It somehow "goes all the way in." Of course this is only speculation, but it feels as though the moon serves as a sort of witness to Dar. It's always there, constantly overlooking but never judging. It's the perfect way for one to measure where one is, to take stock of one's current headspace, whilst remembering numerous other headspaces, under the same moon. Dar seems to describe the struggle for self-growth, on one hand yearning for answers from afar and being reminded that answers must come from within. So in that sense the moon is a powerful "mirror;" yet it is only a reflection, not a source of wisdom. She has been down the path of "vanity," only to discover that that is the path of a false self, not so unlike the smoke and mirrors of "the empire." So the power of the moon is that it doesn't discriminate -- it always "takes [one] back again;" but it also "shines on crumbling walls." So this definition of "acceptance" is that the moon accepts literally everything. Finally, Dar acknowledges that the moon is not merely a passive beacon. Part of what draws her (and so many) to her is her great influence: tugging at the oceans and reflecting the sun's light to the earth. So it's no wonder that she wonders what else the moon might be capable of. She seems to be channeling a prayer of supplication humans have been asking of the moon for millenia -- "Make sense of me!" My final thought actually ends with a question: Dar refers to the moon in the feminine. Culturally speaking, this tends to speak to archetypes of nurturance, teaching, introspection, and an emphasis on taking care of relationships. Those ideas seem to fit with the other themes in the song. But what do others think. To any readers of this verbose post: first, thank you for enduring it. Second, I will likely select this song as the "soundtrack" for a new musical-photo project, which I will share on Vimeo and YouTube. If you have any interpretive ideas as to how you would approach such a thing, please reply here. If I include your input, I will be most happy to include you in the credits! Cheers, Many Thanks, Ian |
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| Dar Williams – Calling the Moon Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| @[wildflowerfever:6507] -- My wife and I actually had the opportunity to ask Dar about that line, and she confirmed that it was indeed about Tennessee Williams. | |
| Jackson Browne – Before The Deluge Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| I liken "trading love's bright and fragile glow for the glitter and the rouge" to "The Last Temptation of Christ." In other words, it's hard to be a revolutionary. It must be so tempting to hang up the lifestyle of trying to change the world. It's a thankless life of risk and toil, often with no reinforcement or reward; and it's often undertaken by the young. As they grow older, new drives emerge -- for family, stability, comfort. I think the revolutionaries of the '60s felt a growing pressure to settle -- into families and day jobs. No judgment, but that is what I think Jackson is writing about here. | |
| Dar Williams – Midnight Radio Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| This song serves as something of an Aria in Stephen Trask and John Cameron Mitchell's "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." It helps explain Hedwig/Hansel's appeal to music as the lifeline that can keep one afloat through any hardship. But it also brilliantly generalizes to any and all of us who "get it." Young people are disdained, condescended, and "enfringed" routinely for their musical and lifestyle explorations, as expressed in Stephen's references to "misfits and losers." Yet there is an often uspoken solidarity in our collective appreciation of music that others consider noise. That music permeates us, identifies us, and binds us. "Midnight Radio" serves as an appreciation of those of us who could no more forsake our music than we could forsake our breathing. We love it so much we could be found listening, playing or dancing deep into the night. We live individually, yet our individual muses are evidenced collectively. And so the song is a "hang in there!" kind of advocacy message that we should never slip into feeling too alone, that we "misfits" need to honor our musical selves, and each others'. | |
| Queen – Fat Bottomed Girls Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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I got turned onto this song as a 12-or-so-year-old kid, and was always moved by it. As an adult, I discovered that the first verse actually refers to sexual abuse by the "Fanny the Nanny." The song was actually written by Brian May, not Freddie Mercury, which begs the question about whether he is self-disclosing actual events from his history. I agree with the post below that since he had a warped experience as a child, he is left with compulsive sexual weirdness as an adult. The rocked-out mood of the song seems to be one of striving for empowerment, yet he acknowledges that he still is involved in the the residuals of his history. I always thought the final lyric was "heap big woman you DONE made a big mad outta me." But the lyrics posted above says "you GONNA make a big man outta me." Quite a big difference from an interpretation standpoint. |
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| Dar Williams – Mercy of the Fallen Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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I appreciate all of these comments, and I am fascinated with this song presently, so the insights provided here are just adding to that fascination. Speaking broadly, I agree that the song is largely about what guidance system one chooses and what means to question and let go of traditional guidance systems. The term "errant" doesn't just mean "in error;" it also means to seek adventure and going to an alternate path. When the writer agrees to lay her head in a bed that "has no answer," she has found the courage to exist in a world of uncertainty, complexity and struggle. And as a poster suggested here, terms like "weak" and "strong" are on one axis of thinking about people and are relative. There are indeed other ways, ways that include compassion and mercy for those struggling ("on their last mile"), and humility and friendship would be of higher value there than intellect or individual excellence. So this song seems to be about advocacy for the good that comes from being lost, seeking non-traditional paths and showing love and support for those who are having a hard time. She seems to say, "certainty is over-rated." Love it, just adore it. This is my favorite song right now. |
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| Neil Diamond – I Am... I Said Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| I first heard this song as a young boy in the '70s, and had no clue (or care) as to what Neil was singing about. I now find myself going back to those songs whose lyrics I know as a child, and hopefully with some increased capacity for interpretation. Very recently, Neil chose to perform this song as part of his being accepted into the Rock and Roll Hall Fame. This I think speaks to how meaningful it is to him and to how he considers it a very accurate portrayal of his very dark experience of that time in LA. So my best conclusion about "I am...I said" and "I am...I cried" is that he is crying out "I exist," "I am here," and it is his stark awareness of his aloneness that leads him to this outcry. Indeed, he remarks later in the song, that he "...never cared for the sound of being alone." So yes, I'm with the Descartes theory. | |
| Joan Armatrading – Drop the Pilot Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| I had to look up "mahout." For anyone else who also didn't happen to know, a "mahout" is a driver of an elephant; derived from Hindi. | |
| Dave Matthews Band – The Maker Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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It seems to me to be much more about a spiritual struggle than a religious one. Speaking in themes, verses 1 and 2 seem to be about the writer's estrangement from the Creator; end of verse two is about being welcomed home / reconnected / rejoined. Verses three and four seem to be about a recognition that so many others suffer from estrangement / disaffectation / oppression, and so he was not alone in this dismal state; and he feels compelled to be "awake" to this. So the result of his epiphany of consciousness was his recognition of others' suffering, and his commitment not "to turn his head away." I think it's interesting that verse four leaves things unresolved. The flaming swords are burning East of Eden, followed by a prayer for the river to 'rise from your sleep;' but that's where it ends. That is likely purposeful as well; kind of "now what people?" Such beauty and complexity in this song's simplicity on the face of it. There's a reason it is covered so often. I am performing it at Unity Church in about an hour and appreciate seeing everyone's thoughts and insights. |
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| Simon and Garfunkel – The Only Living Boy In New York Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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"Half the time we're gone, but we don't know where..." seems to have the same kind of introspection that "slip sliding away.." does. The theme that we lose ourselves, that we are not as self aware as we think we are, or as we would like to be. Just brilliant. I adore how the delicate melancholy in the verses gives weigh to the more intense bridge of "half the time we're gone..." and then returns to the somber mood again. Truly reflects a troubled state. And now knowing that the end was near for S&G as a duo, it is all the more poignant. |
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| Dar Williams – Mercy of the Fallen Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| The song strikes me as a new way of looking upon one's unrealized dreams and unresolved questions. Dar seems to be defending those inner struggles as worthy, and not to be shamed or discounted e.g. "...the field grew as sweetly for the flightless," and wishing for a place "...where half-dreams may dream without end." I wonder if she is saying that she wouldn't trade away those unanswered questions, even those "self-imposed" struggles. So the song seems to be advocating for "mercy" of all that's "fallen." | |
| Hair – The Flesh Failures / Let The Sun Shine In Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I am so pleased to see these engaging and insightful interpretations of this song. I recently reunited myself with the Hair soundtrack and I am particularly focused on "The Flesh Failures" at the moment. Re: the final verse... "Singing our space songs on a spider web sitar Life is around you and in you Answer for Timothy Leary, dearie" I suggest that the last line sets up "Let the sunshine in." In other words: Answer for Timothy Leary: "Let the sunshine in." As this number is the finale, this might be score writer Gerome Ragni's "answer" to Timothy Leary's idea that whether through LSD or other means, we have to escape the oppressive and illusory culture which blinds us to one another. So the author's response to Leary's question about how we go forward is to let the sunshine in, to expand our capacity to love and be loved, to experience the "sunshine" of love and peace and fulfilment. And this verse is in stark contrast to the oppression and falseness and deceit described in the earlier part of the song. So, that's my humble crack at it. :) |
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| Emmylou Harris – The Maker Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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This song lived in the vault of my memory for years, and resurfaced yesterday. Perfect timing. The short answer on this song for me interpretively is the experience of estrangement from God, followed by being welcomed home. I think there is an implication that this estrangement is self-imposed..."I've run a twisted line..." suggesting that he has gone without Spirit and tried to go it alone, and found himself a stranger to God--blinded by the finite nature of the world, and numbed by fear. And in verse two, his reckoning comes from a figurative or literal Great Divide, and his experience is one of being rejoined by Spirit. It's not unlike Dar Williams' similar awakening in her "After All," when she says, "Well the sun rose, with so many colors it nearly broke my heart; it worked me over like a work of art; and I was a part of all that." In other words, sometimes when we realize our smallness against the vast beauty of creation, we open our capacity to connect to the Divine. So he is no longer a stranger to the Maker. And in his heightened consciousness, he turns back East of Eden (referencing civilization and all the mess that's been made of it) and is moved by so many others who are experiencing separation from Spirit, or "homelessness." And as the flaming swords are "burning in the eyes of the Maker," Lanois points to the idea that God is the eternal witness, the infinite Consciousness. The metaphor of his eyes being a mirror reflecting human experience and suffering is so powerful--the notion that God is always present, waiting, available for our return, and always witnessing. |
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| Dave Matthews Band – The Maker Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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This song lived in the vault of my memory for years, and resurfaced yesterday. Perfect timing. The short answer on this song for me interpretively is the experience of estrangement from God, followed by being welcomed home. I think there is an implication that this estrangement is self-imposed..."I've run a twisted line..." suggesting that he has gone without Spirit and tried to go it alone, and found himself a stranger to God--blinded by the finite nature of the world, and numbed by fear. And in verse two, his reckoning comes from a figurative or literal Great Divide, and his experience is one of being rejoined by Spirit. It's not unlike Dar Williams' similar awakening in her "After All," when she says, "Well the sun rose, with so many colors it nearly broke my heart; it worked me over like a work of art; and I was a part of all that." In other words, sometimes when we realize our smallness against the vast beauty of creation, we open our capacity to connect to the Divine. So he is no longer a stranger to the Maker. And in his heightened consciousness, he turns back East of Eden (referencing civilization and all the mess that's been made of it) and is moved by so many others who are experiencing separation from Spirit, or "homelessness." And as the flaming swords are "burning in the eyes of the Maker," Lanois points to the idea that God is the eternal witness, the infinite Consciousness. The metaphor of his eyes being a mirror reflecting human experience and suffering is so powerful--the notion that God is always present, waiting, available for our return, and always witnessing. |
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| Dar Williams – After All Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Wow, I just joined SongMeanings.com, and I have to say I am really impressed and moved by some of the insights I see on this string. "After All" is a song that is absolutely dear to me, and it's so cool seeing others' insights that lead me to say, "Wow I can so relate to what you took from that!" As a therapist working with adolescents, I have used this song to help kids explore their depression, to derive some empathy from Dar's sharing of her own past depression, and to help kids find their own words to tell their own story. I find the final verse incredibly powerful. That after dealing with such anguish, choosing life over death and STILL finding no meaning, continuing to struggle, and then---life chooses her after all. The beauty around her kind of comes to her in her hour of darkness, and she finds fulfillment kind of unexpectedly. It's like, you don't get to choose when and how you'll come out the other side of some struggles. But you have to work, think, explore, survive, and when the time is right, healing and relief will kind of dawn on you. What a gem that song is, and what a special artist Dar is. |
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