| Bob Dylan – It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Aside from years ago acquiring a screenname from it and decades ago a band name, I was working a midnight shift in a convenience store in Atco, NJ, c. 1989 and a regular customer came in ashen-faced and said "I just heard the most haunting song ever on the radio . . " I said "WMMR?" He said , "Yeah. I wish I knew what it was!" I taped the whole BIABH album for him the next day. Just one of many fond memories associated with this song.:) |
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| Hot Tuna – Candyman Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I meant ORIGINALLY sung as ^^^^ Same reference as Hank Williams' 'My Buckets's Got A Hole In it (I Can't Buy No Beer).' One used to have to bring your bucket to the tavern to have thm fill it with your beer for the evening. You din't go out and get a case. |
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| Hot Tuna – Candyman Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| It's usually sung "Run & get the bucket, get the baby some beer" | |
| Tom Waits – Black Market Baby Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| ^^^That's funny. I'd never thought about that. I DID, however, think of the supposed Marilyn Monroe/JFK link and its alleged possible involvement in her Death. | |
| Tom Waits – All the World Is Green Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| The worm/plow line is a quote from William Blake's 'Marriage of Heaven & Hell,' and Waits and his wife wrote the song for the musical adaptation of the 1913 play "Woyzeck," in which it is performed as a duet. | |
| Grateful Dead – Truckin' Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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kamyatek is on the target. Robert Hunter wrote many other verses as well. He jotted down lines as the band did their tour, and culled a lot of them from the final draft. It's discussed in a documentary called, I believe, "Anthem To Beauty," an excellent work which focuses on the recordings and surrounding times of the Anthem Of The Sun" & "American Beauty" albums. Highly recommended and featuring footage of an awesome early Sugar Mag. The New Orleans setup bust is an interesting story in its own right, but only warrants that small part of the song. I'm not sure if it was Hunter or not, but someone in the Dead's touring circle said Sweet Jane was inspired, at least in part, by Janis Joplin, and they said "cocaine" instead of "heroin," (her drug of choice) because it fit better. IN 1983 or so, Bobby changed the lyrics a few times to "What in the world ever became of sweet Jane? She lost her sparkle; y,know, she isn't the same Ever since she went and had a sexchange All a friend can say: "It's a f#$kin' shame . . . she just AIN'T the same" |
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| Grateful Dead – Terrapin Station Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Never thought of the "Trippin' Station" idea before. Funny. The opening tale is borrowed from an old folktune that Hunter sometimes performs (with altered lyrics). Here's a set of the traditional lyrics: Down in Carlisle, there lived a lady Being most beautiful and gay She was determined to live a lady No man on earth could she betray Unless it were a man of honor A man of honor, and high degree And down the road came two loved soldiers This fair lady for to see The first one being a brave lieutenant A brave lieutenant and a man of war The other being a brave sea captain Captain on the ship that came from far Then up spoke this fair young lady Said: "I can't be but one man's bride If you'll come back tomorrow morning On this case we will decide" She ordered her a span of horses Span of horses at her command And down the road these three did travel 'til they came to the lions' den There they stopped and there they halted These three young soldiers lay gazing round And for the space of half an hour This young lady lay speechless on the ground When at last she did recover She threw her light fan in the lions' den Saying "Which of you to gain a lady Will retrieve that fan again?" Then up spoke the brave lieutentant In a voice both loud and clear Sayin': "Oh, I am a dear lover of women But I will never give my life for them" Then up spoke this brave sea captain In a voice both clear and high Sayin': "Oh, I am a true lover of women I will return her fan or die" Down in the lions' den he boldy entered The lions being both loud and fierce He marched around in and among them safely returned her fan again And when she saw her true lover coming Seeing no harm had been done to him She threw herself unto his bosom Saying "Here's the prize that you have won" |
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| Grateful Dead – China Doll Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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The song is actually about a suicide. In fact, its original title was to be "Suicide Song." It's discussed in David Dodd's Annotated Dead Lyrics. The deceased is answering the living's query as to why s/he took his/her own Life. I'm just glad/half surprised no one's sayig the song's about drugs like they do in all the other GD song threads.:P |
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| Cream – N.S.U. Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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I've always heard, and have actually found sources on the webernet (one to be quoted below), that Eric had been suspected to have a VDat the time of the songs writing: From http://www.angelfire.com/ca/oldtimers/freshcream.html : 2) N.S.U. was a song written by Jack and had been one of the numbers the band performed on stage from the outset. In fact, Jack had written the song for the band's very first rehearsal. N.S.U. is the acronym for non-specific urethritis, a form of venereal disease Eric is rumored to have been afflicted with at the time. The lads, apparently having a bit of fun, thought it would be a good title for the song. Interestingly enough, there is also a myth that Eric chaged his name to "Clapton" from "Clapp." This, however, has its basis in fact, as the couple he believed were his parents and was raised by had the last name of "Clapp." However, they were truthfully his grandmother and stepgrandfather. He was devastated when he discovered the truth at 9 years old. Noene of which has to do with the song except that "Clapp" sounds like "Clap," a nickname for VD, and was the reason cited for his mythical name change. |
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| Chicago – 25 or 6 to 4 Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Oh, and I'm not sure what Gennotropolis means by saying LSD-25 was the SECOND most poplular acid of the time - it was the only acid. Acid IS LSD-25. And I still believe Lamm. Since he talks candidly about the band's history with drugs even going so far as to explain how another song on the SAME ALBUM is about an LSD trip, I have no reason to think he's lying about the song being about struggling to write a song and the clock saying it was 25 or (2)6 to 4 (3:34 or 3:35). Nothing about 3:54. And remember, there were no digital clocks then and the minute hand was often ambiguous in its readability. At 3:34 and a half the minute hand would be in between the two times. And s the band was very open about their drug use, it is reasonable to think he may have been on something at the time. And 25 or 26 parts water to 4 parts heroin is not "the proper mixture." And Gary from Chicago, IL seems intent on arguing that Lamm himself is wrong on what the time thing means. First of all, yes, LSD-25 is the common LSD out there, but the word "or" in "25 OR 6 to 4" then should be the title. And why would Lamm say it was about the time and lie about WHAT time, Gary? It's like he says. It's about trying to write just before dawn. And he was probably on LSD or meth or something, too. So what? The song is STILL quite obvioulsy about writing a song at 3:34 o 3:35. Seems pretty simple to me. |
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| Chicago – 25 or 6 to 4 Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| The first time I read the lyrics of the song I thought it had to do with the time and writing. I also suspected it may have been influenced by drugs. Often writers are in altered states while writing. Why couldn't Lamm be telling the truth about the song and STILL have been on something. Despite Skaball's assertion that "Chicago as a whole was anti-drugs," Lamm, in the same original interview where he described the song's meaning/origin, was also quite candid about the bands history of drug usage. So, yeah, they were high. A lot. Thus, it may be safe to assume that as he did drugs and wrote music, he may (and almost certainly did) combine the two activities. Why wouldn't this have been one of those times. It seemed obvious to me decades before I heard the interview, the first time I hard the song and read the lyrics. (I won't comment on my state of mind at the time, though ;) ) | |
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