| Olivia Newton-John – A Little More Love Lyrics | 1 year ago |
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This song popped into my head a few days before ONJ died. I didn't know much about her, and I wouldn't rank myself among the fans of ONJ, or anything--just being honest--but she always seemed cool to me, and this song was pretty big when I was a kid, and I liked it despite not knowing what it meant. So, she died a few days later, and a couple of weeks after that, the song was in my head again. I got curious, read the lyrics, and... WHOA! One of the first things I gleaned from that second verse was that a guy seduced a younger person (perhaps an underage person, but definitely very inexperienced). The first verse by itself hints at what was once referred to as, "hit it and quit it." The verses point to an attempt to maturely reconcile all this with her needs, both carnal and emotional. She's going to try to show more love, hoping to make him feel... This is a very unhealthy situation. Also, according to Wikipedia, this song was written by her collaborator, who happened to be a guy. Quite a lot happens to guys that they don't talk about; but equally, thoughtful men see how some women get treated, and I suspect this was a song stemming from that. I think this adds an extra layer to things, while, on the surface at least, ONJ as a woman sings it to anchor it for women. |
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| Killing Joke – European Superstate Lyrics | 3 years ago |
| If you listen VERY closely, there are two lines being sung in the background during the bridge. Each line spans two utterances of "Old Europe," and are sung in what sounds like falsetto, probably by Jaz. No one seems to have these lines in their lyrics. Bonus points in Heaven to whoever tracks those lines down and gets them added here. ???????? | |
| The Church – Maybe These Boys... Lyrics | 3 years ago |
| This song might be lacking in production insofar as a rock and roll legacy goes, but has potential, and isn't as bad as some folks (the original members, for example) might think. It's a big confusion of musical and cinematic production, and probably prompted an essay or two from Brother Russell (I wouldn't know, but when I read his essay on musicians vs actors, I can't help but think of this song), and as not-so-steeped-in-blues as it wants to be, it's interesting--again, that word, "potential." This band has unleashed much worse, so forgive a failed experiment and listen closer. That means y'all, The Church. | |
| The Church – Blood Money Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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My Fellow Americans: this was the song from that Miami Vice scene. Not the greatest set of SK lyrics, but pitch it an octave up and give it a bit of metal grit, and the cynicism and disdain will shine through nicely. Of course, I'm thinking of karaoke. ????♂️????♂️ |
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| Death in June – The Calling Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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I imagine a private party hosted and attended by the most decadent of homosexuals, at least one of which likes piss, and another of which likes to see the destruction of the decadent façade in the penetrative truth of...well, NM, let's keep this PG13, or something. "SHE" is the spirit of lust, older than time or modern religion (IMO). DISCLAIMER: I am not a monosexual or a decadent, but I've seen some shit in my time. |
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| Killing Joke – Pilgrimage Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| While this probably reference Islamic faith, Jaz was raised Christian (see the Wikipedia article on him). I think that Jaz is thinking of something beyond both Christianity and Islam, or any religion, for that matter. I think he is writing about a struggle to achieve something beyond concepts of a god that were canonized in the past by mankind and get in the way of the future of mankind. | |
| Killing Joke – Prozac People Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| I knew some Prozac people. Most of them didn't need it. Fuck Big Pharma! | |
| Killing Joke – The House That Pain Built Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| Sounds kinky! | |
| Beth Orton – Central Reservation Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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I always thought this was a good song to describe a woman's first time with another woman. She doesn't have to be gay, or even to do it ever again; she just has to be satisfied with both having been brave enough to have the experience, and also to walk away from it to ponder what it means, if anything. Really, though, it could be about ANY first time sexual experience that a person has been reluctant to do (hence the title, "Central Reservation," I should think). I just think it fits a F2F scenario, mainly because of that second line. I have been able to smell and taste female lovers on my fingers and breath before; but she's singing it, and all I can do is relate in that way. Of course, I'm not saying any of this to be a creepy pervert. I think the song is beautiful, and has a sense of relief, self-discovery, freedom, and empowerment... ...although, the version I have does seem to have some different lyrics, so I could be way off base--LOL! |
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| Editors – Like Treasure Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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It sounds like a story of a reunion after so many years, and he's describing the person mainly from their POV (perhaps with the exception of the bridge--"I used to want to be you," etc.). It turns out that the other person had what they considered fond memories, partly colored by the potential celebrity status of Tom Smith as Editors began to rise in stature around that time. They came sauntering up saying things like, "remember me?" The whole perspective is something more possessive--not as in, "I own you," but rather, "I own memories of you, therefore we are connected." Thus, "You will keep forever, I'll bury you like treasure." The aforementioned bridge seems more obscure. It seems more likely that the other person looked up to Tom, rather than the other way around. However, I can imagine the bridge being inspired by Tom's revulsion to the realization of the other person's fake or self-serving approach. Tom seems to be referencing vampires or spectres with the line, "Now, where's your shadow? You're see-through." This could be the other person's attempt at a guilt trip, or Tom's reaction to the other person's attachment. Only Tom could say for sure. "Well, love...isn't felt, no, love is tested." I think this speaks to the other person's state of mind. They don't feel any REAL love for Tom; rather, they seem to think love is a game. A real "old friend" as referenced in the line, "Ain't it just like the old days" suddenly thinks, "Wait and see how the hand plays, living our our second-hand cliches." Compare this to something like, "Love is shown more than felt" (I often say that, myself--similar to "Love is as love does"). What kind of love is this other person showing for trying to cash in on old memories relative to Tom's growing status? |
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| The Dukes of Stratosphear – Shiny Cage Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| A great song about a night owl type of denizen, from the slightly more pastoral and locally concerned Colin Moulding. I enjoy this one quite a bit. There have been times when I've been up during graveyard hours and wished I had these problems just cuz it would indicate that I did something with all that time. | |
| The Dukes of Stratosphear – Pale and Precious Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| Aside from the obvious and deliberately demonstrated Beach Boys influence, this is another song about universal love couched in admiration of its personification. I wouldn't say that adulation of an actual person would be an incorrect interpretation, however. That's the beauty of Andy Partridge's lyrics, though. | |
| The Dukes of Stratosphear – My Love Explodes Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| This is another one about universal love, as sung from the POV of love personified, but with a decidedly noisy, masculine, and energetic expression--very different from many other similar songs by Andy Partridge. It's meant to be a little more humorous than other similar songs, as indicated by the part at the end in which the guy complains about what he just heard. This was actually sampled off a New York radio station; whoever said it was complaining about a different song, of course, but the sample was added to bolster the humor. The complaining guy actually sounds ridiculous in how he emphasizes some of the words, like, "abomi-NATION"--LOL! | |
| The Dukes of Stratosphear – Little Lighthouse Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| This is basically about love as an ideal, and not necessarily about a specific kind of love. Andy Partridge was really big on the brotherly love theme and has a million ways to express the call for it, outside of what he's shown us already. I don't think he's religious (neither am I, for that matter), but I could see this being played by a church band somewhere in America. It really is that universal in its appeal. | |
| The Dukes of Stratosphear – Have You Seen Jackie? Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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I agree with most of this song's point--quit harrassing the gender nonconforming folks, and let them live as they please. Lines such as, "pigeons have flown, not on the phone at all these days, [etc.]" seem to be colloquialisms for eccentricity or mental illness, which I disagree with. If such people are or become mentally ill, it's likely due to the abuse and neglect traditionally heaped on them by our oh-so-free-and-enlightened society. As for being eccentric, who's got the right to judge? Rock on, I say! I got the Dukes collection (both the EP and LP on one CD) when I was living in Austin, TX. Around that time, one of the more well-known denizens of the city was Leslie Cochrane. I actually met the guy a couple of times. This song reminded me of him in a very superficial way, cuz the first time I saw Leslie, he was dressed in a two-piece bikini and high heels, sporting a long red beard and hair, and had a young lady under each arm. This song isn't about people like him, though. He was a man, and he knew it, but as he explained to me once, he crossdressed outrageously just to piss off the Austin police, with whom he had a very contentious relationship. I might add that I, too, grew to dislike them, and pretty much Austin in general, but that's another story. The point is that to the APD, he WAS one of the Jackies, and they only left him alone after he gained popularity with the people of Austin. Hearing this song made me think of what he told me, as well as how he presented himself. |
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| The Dukes of Stratosphear – Collideascope Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| Considering that the Dukes stuff was meant to be both reverent and satirical of the psychedelic music that Andy Partridge (and maybe the others--IDK) grew up on, it seems reasonable that Andy would write a song inspired by the aspects of that era that tried pushing Western society forward from whatever nonsense it was hung up on. This song implores people to stop looking at things from such a narrow viewpoint and accept that some things NEED to change to expand on such notions as freedom. That's not to say that every idea is a good one, but unless it is explored and examined without prejudice, it will always be viewed as a threat by certain people, who will "dream" as they sleep, until one way or another they find themselves in what they consider to be a nightmare. The most obvious idea is equal rights and the end of racism as instituted by colonial and imperialist history. Andy's lyrics are not particularly difficult to understand, despite being heavy on metaphor and imagery. This is a great example of a message he WANTS people to understand, even if this song isn't exactly well known. | |
| The Dukes of Stratosphear – Brainiac's Daughter Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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A great song, and one that's definitely inspired by comic books. For those who don't know, Brainiac was a Superman supervillain, which explains the references to the Daily Planet reporter and Kandor. It could be metaphoric, considering that this girl he's crazy for seems to be bumbling and at odds with the world around her. It could also arguably symbolize London and its contrast with the English countryside (XTC/Dukes are/were from Swindon, which is apparently mostly rural to suburban), or any city's contrast with its rural surroundings, in terms of culture. It could also be total nonsense, the way the Beatles stuff this song spoofs seems to be at first listen. The possibilities are endless, but I'm sure Andy Partridge did it all on a whim and never thought much about what it meant. Aspects of psychedelic culture drew on everyday things simultaneously distorted and used as symbols, not too far off from esoteric traditions. |
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| The Dukes of Stratosphear – Bike Ride to the Moon Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| It's a pretty straightforward song about a psychedelic date, simultaneously uplifting and weird, and true to the Andy Partridge of self-contained show tunes taken straight from plays and musicals only seen in his head yet described well enough for us. It's also one of my favorite songs from the Dukes stuff. | |
| The Dukes of Stratosphear – 25 O'Clock Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| Although this COULD be interpreted as some sex maniac creepozoid's delusion of how to get the girl, the more I think about Andy Partridge's love for supervillains, I think this is a song about a megalomaniacal creepozoid's delusion of how to get the world. | |
| Foals – Tron Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| I actually just read something, referenced in another Foals song, about an interview in which Yannis discusses mental illness in his family, and the therapy that the family went through to try to fix things. The impression I got is that his father is/was an emotionally distant person, and that Yannis was in danger of being the same way. I think this song addresses that, and also seem to alter between the thoughts of his father (trying to get away from what he viewed as a "system"), and either Yannis or the therapist(s), or perhaps both, in the verses and choruses, respectively. I get the idea from the chorus that his father believed once, or was told once, that having children would help him change. I think the line is mostly "something won't heal, children can't help you out, a compass can't help you out." Of course, this is just MY theory; only Yannis could tell us for sure. | |
| The Rolling Stones – Street Fighting Man Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| Just heard this song for the first time today, and I have to say, it's punk as fuck, without all the trappings of playing too fast or sounding like a snotty kid from the suburbs. I can imagine that guys in bands like The Clash and The Damned secretly cranked this up when none of the excessively "true" believers of punk were around to deride them for it. Rock and roll will outlive mankind! | |
| Killing Joke – Dark Forces Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_Grove Be sure to read Nixon's quote, and the part about non-men getting kicked off the property by 10pm. "Someone's taking you for a ride" gets an ENTIRELY different meaning. Not that I care what rich old queers do--I'm not straight, but I'm not exactly hiding behind invented money or the hedges of a country club, either. Ya wanna cum? |
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| Killing Joke – You'll Never Get to Me Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| iomusik sez it all! Every bar in the world needs this song on the jukebox or karaoke, once every fucking hour. | |
| Killing Joke – Loose Cannon Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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Moral of the story: educate yourself, or you're just a product of what you fear and consume... ...kinda like all the cultie-ultie-righties (CURs) that seem to think their time has come--prescient much? |
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| Killing Joke – Blood on Your Hands Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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Oh, yeah... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rhodes_Colossus ...this was kind of a big deal back then. |
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| Killing Joke – Blood on Your Hands Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_de_Molay https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Rhodes Not that this song was hard to understand without these references, especially with the first two lines of the chorus, but there ya go! |
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| True Widow – Blooden Horse Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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This seems to be about a sexual addiction. A cursory search of "Blooden" brings up references to succubi, the temptresses of lore that were said to seek semen to proliferate. I'm not sure what the "Horse" part brings to the title, so I'll leave that to others to elaborate on, but a horse was used for travel and getting places quickly, so I'm going with that for now. Seeking casual sex with women (cis or trans--take your pick there) or intimacy with prostitutes is seen by some as cutting to the chase. "Place in line" seems to reference those who wait to find the right person. Practically and statistically, most people--regardless of gender--prefer a relationship in which the sex is good. For this majority, sexual compatibility is not necessarily the most important thing, but it is still important. For others, it is the only thing worth considering at all, and they will seek this any way they can have it. The lyrics seem to say that the first person in the song is going "into the alley with my hurried hands," feeling "over the ocean with my clouded head," in his (presumed--Dan sings this one) pursuit of his place "under the lady with her swaying sin." He knows he is fortunate for being able to partake of what he wants and how he wants it without judgment or persecution in "my place in time." He is probably submissive, but not masochistic. He knows what he wants, and he loves how it is sold to him and what it will mean to him. Of course, this could all be metaphoric in some way--perhaps a spiritual one, with sexuality "subbing" (see what I did there?) for some other higher-level subject matter for them. Or, I could just have too dirty a mind to deal with this song in any other way. |
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| Tim Buckley – Song To The Siren Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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@[mmci:27211] In case you didn't know (and sorry if I'm being presumptuous), the singer is Liz Frazer of Cocteau Twins--one of the best on the planet for the style of music. Look for a copy of It'll End In Tears, by This Mortal Coil, as well as anything from Cocteau Twins, if you like good left-field records. |
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| True Widow – Fourth Teeth Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| Sounds kinky! | |
| Belle & Sebastian – The Stars of Track and Field Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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I think this is basically a total burn (slag, maybe taking the piss, etc., if you're in the U.K.) of someone who basically uses people via sex. Notice that the song doesn't say how good she is at track and field--no mention of actual victories, for example. The mention of her being one of the stars, and a beautiful person, is probably based on something other people think of her, but which the narrator doubts and even scoffs at--irony, in other words. I don't think her actual sexual orientation matters--she could turn out to be a lesbian, or bisexual, pansexual, etc., or eventually settle on being straight--but what DOES matter is her use of sexuality to get what she wants. I also don't think the identity of the narrator or his/her experience (or lack thereof) matters. The narrator, who is still somewhat sexually conservative regardless of other details, sees the real person that she is, and describes her. There's one other thing I might mention regarding sexuality. Thanks to Gore Vidal and others, I have read about a system of pseudo-dating that occurs in private schools in the U.K. It appears to be homosexual (especially to puritanical American eyes and ears), although sex doesn't normally occur; but it's mostly intended to be practice, and kids are expected to grow out of it and into heterosexuality. I don't fully understand it, nor can I say I experienced this firsthand; nor do I know if it still goes on, if it also happens in U.K. public schools, in our private schools, or etc. However, it explains quite a lot of references and ambiguity in B&S songs. I might add that I read about this after becoming a B&S fan, and I had a lot of the same questions regarding what was going on. I'd definitely be interested in hearing folks from the U.K. private school experience comment on this. |
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| The Stone Roses – Breaking Into Heaven Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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I think this could be about robbing a store. It seems chock full of observations about how retail and capitalism has such a hold on people's lives. The average person lives and dies by the queue, whether it's for a job, cashing a paycheck, buying stuff at the store, paying for stuff at the store, etc. This guy has been watching all of this, and has decided he is going to get what he wants in an entirely different way--no queues, no money, no wandering around comparing stuff, just a line of nose candy for bravery and whatever it takes to get inside and back out again. Just kidding. Actually, I think it's about eschewing the standard lines of religion in favor of the message. |
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| The Jesus and Mary Chain – Kill Surf City Lyrics | 6 years ago |
| "I'm gonna send that mutha down!" Oh, yeah! This song and this record comprised my introduction to the ideas that would inform shoegaze. Check the entry for the J Church cover to see if the lyrics are correct there. | |
| The Velvet Underground – What Goes On Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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I think the first line in the last verse is, "One minute, 1, and one minute, 2," but that's just what it sounds like to me. It definitely doesn't sound like "born...doomed." This song doesn't seem terribly metaphoric. A lot of people wrote songs about lovers who didn't know how to behave in a relationship. This particular person, who happens to be a lady, seems to make things more complicated than they need to be, creating fusses over nothing, etc., as well as being indecisive or extreme with reactions. Ironically, they're often the first ones to cheat, physically assault someone, or do something sneaky or passive-aggressive. Their partners (the singer in this case) are often the types that like to keep things simple and don't pile on layers of intrigue; so they don't understand what hell is going on half the time with the reactions, accusations, and attempts at finding complexity in what should be fairly simple and straightforward situations. It tends to be the quick end of the honeymoon period; and with particularly egregious retaliatory behavior, it causes a very bad breakup--probably for the best, too. All of us, at least once in our lives, have either met people like this, or were people like this (or both!). |
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| R.E.M. – Fireplace Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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The lyrical structure reminds me of some of the repetition in the lyrics of earlier R.E.M. songs, especially stuff off Chronic Town, with a reversal of verse and chorus added in for good measure. The "verses" are now the most repetitive part, which is often the chorus of other songs. I think this is significant. Combined with the political themes of the record, I think he's trying to channel a feeling of restlessness, similar to "Finest Worksong," for what was then the upcoming election for a president to follow Reagan's 2nd and last term. He also channels a bit of an old rustic Southern vibe with the lyrics. To sweep floors into the fireplace implies winter, cuz otherwise, it would be warm enough that you'd sweep the dirt outside. The same is true of shaking out a rug. Hanging up chairs is something done in a busy place, so we're talking about a church, dance hall, etc., which were the centers of many communities back then. So now, a dance is mentioned--lots of people normally expected, except it's "winter outside," so who's going to brave the elements to come to the dance? This is a metaphor for apathy, a theme also touched on in "Finest Worksong." The "chairs" reference also invokes several other things involving meetings, protocols followed in Congress, etc. Soon, the chairs are going into the fireplace, because, metaphorically speaking, change is needed, much like a harsh winter being the death of furniture. Finally, into the fireplace go the walls--crazy times, indeed. But, did he mean the outside walls fending off winter, or the interior ones separating people from each other? |
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| R.E.M. – Finest Worksong Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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People often seem to miss the line, "I'm talking here to me alone." It's basically a rallying cry for himself--a Democrat who was pretty much against Reaganomics, de-regulation, the false propaganda used during the War on Drugs, the government's lack of significant action against the AIDS crisis, the Iran-Contra Affair, and lots of other stuff--to not be an apathetic non-voter, and get up and make the necessary change happen. Stipe had opinions, but he wasn't quite as engaged in politics as he was after Reagan won a second term. Much of the political aspects of their art began with the previous record, Life's Rich Pageant; before that, there were some opinions expressed, but not in so strong a way as these two records. Did anybody see the T-shirt with a laughing Dubya that said, "I'll bet you'll vote next time, won't you, Hippie?!" Now we have Trump, thanks to people who didn't vote (I was one of them, so I accuse myself as well), and only a select group of people in utter denial really think he's a good President. The time to rise has truly been engaged for the Democrat youth? As it turned out, we had another 4-yr term of Reaganomics with Bush, Sr., after this song came out; but after that, Bill Clinton won, and most of the 90s happened. |
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| The Who – I'm a Boy Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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I'm all for the trans interpretation, and in fact, I read the lyrics to make sure that this interpretation was actually possible. It seems like a slight reworking for modern methods of gussying up would be in order, but otherwise, it works. However, the song was actually written as part of a story about some futuristic parents that ordered four girls, but somehow mistakenly got three girls and a boy. You have to realize that the concept of computerized inventory control hadn't even been conceived by ordinary folks back then. Anyway, the mother goes nuts, denies the boyhood of the son, and treats him like a girl and daughter, prompting his misery. |
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| Violent Femmes – Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? (Culture Club cover) Lyrics | 6 years ago |
| I heard this in HS and noticed from the start that they sang different, possibly satirical, lyrics from the original Culture Club song. | |
| Future Bible Heroes – She-Devils Of The Deep Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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Sounds kinky! JK. This is definitely one of the better songs from this Stephin Merritt side project. |
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| Fleet Foxes – Quiet Houses Lyrics | 6 years ago |
| @[cdn42:23390] I heard, "doggie man," and since then, I sing it like that to my mom's dogs--LMAO! | |
| The Church – Under The Milky Way Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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1. It's definitely about drugs, but it's easy to misinterpret it to be about some cold, selfish person's reply to another who is naively crushing out or obsessed. Many of Kilbey's songs over the years just kinda drop you right into a scene he's already painted and leave you to work out what might be missing or unspoken. 2. This was my first introduction to their music. They're still my favorite band of all time, nearly 30 years to the day after hearing this song for the first time. They only put out one stinker of a record, and one or two that are hit-or-miss; the other twenty-something records are brilliant, but they're not making records for parties or weddings, so be warned. 3. If you want to hear THE best cover of this song, look for the one by Jimmy Little, an Aboriginal Australian country singer. Kilbey mentioned it in an award acceptance speech, and I looked it up. Little's version might even be better than the original! |
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| KMFDM – A Drug Against War Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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There certainly is a "think for yourself" theme here, but the lyrics are pointing to more than just clichés. What I get from this is that, if all you ever do is echo what others say is right or wrong, and don't think for yourself, then, even if your conclusions are sound, you're no more a part of a solution to problems or a contributor to progress than anything else. You can't truly say you believe or conclude something if you don't "test the scriptures," so to speak. Whether your individual beliefs are or could be judged to be qualitatively right or wrong have no bearing on this. The point is whether you've arrived at your conclusions in an effortful way. It's why some folks can agree to disagree. Referencing the war on drugs is just one example. It was a prevalent thing on TV and everywhere else at the time. Back in those days, I used to believe all drugs were bad, cuz that's what I was told. I was also raised as a Roman Catholic. I don't mean to assert that drugs aren't ever bad, or that Catholicism is wrong; I'm just saying that I didn't question anything, until I did. Now, I'm not a Catholic, and I don't think all drug use, or all drug users, are bad. I arrived at these conclusions on my own, rather than simply accepting things. Also, lines about "substance substitut[ing] love and affection" indicate that being handed beliefs about things, especially the war on drugs, is no different on one level than being on drugs. That's unmistakable, and not the way to build a better society, or to be better people. In another light, this song is inspiring to those of us who are trying to think for ourselves, as well as those who have broken away from the idiot box and gravitated to attempts at being well-informed or even to autodidactism. It's so much better even today than all those heavy songs that just want to be heavy, angry, or menacing without actually saying anything more meaningful. |
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| The Church – Field Of Mars Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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I think that BonzoDog has a very valid point. To me, this song is likely to be about a ghost stuck in a cemetery. Many lines point to a life that has ended and cannot be returned to, as well as the condition of being a corpse or a spirit without a body. For example, "Only just the rain, makes the skin feel colder," implies that a coldness was probably there beforehand. Other lines about elements of the former life being "distant," "long ago," unable to hear, etc., as well as the description of the "grief [that] won't last in the departing cars"--that is to say, departing from the funeral, or from paying respects, during autumn, perhaps even sometime in March in Australia, connecting to the name of the field itself--seem to bear this out as well. The "she" is likely the widow, and the "cruelty of the years" could be referring to a long illness, a certain existential dread of eventual death after a long life... ...or the realization that the widow has many years to continue to live apart from the deceased, and he in turn must be apart from her, stuck at his gravesite. The entire song has a standard chord progression and a vibe that mixes elements of Pink Floyd (especially in the solo, crescendo, and denouement aspects of the song) with some Byrds and other 60s psych elements. It is easily one of the best songs The Church ever did. Later songs such as "The Awful Ache" (another excellent track) are similar in theme and vibe. |
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| Laibach – Alle Gegen Alle Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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Translation: Our clothes are so black. Our boots are so beautiful. [To the] left the red lightning. To the right the black star. Our cries are so loud. Our dance is so wild. A new evil dance. All against all. From Google Translate, with the following corrections assumed: "schön" = "schön" "böser" = "böser" "Shreie" = "Schreie" I also added what I think is a necessary clarification in one line. The original song (same lyrics) seems to be about youth culture and its factions, especially as manifested in punk and skinhead youth cultures of the time. The changing of "red star" and "black lightning" (references to socialism/communism and the SS, both of which figured into the aforementioned cultures) to "black star" and "red lightning" seems to indicate that the lines between the two sides were getting blurred in various ways in the course of the youth movement--for examples, members of one side could be seen as behaving more along lines of the opposite ideology, and some members of one side switched or appeared to switch sides as time progressed. Many of them dressed the same, or were indistinguishable from dress alone. Infighting was common, too. |
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| Laibach – Alle Gegen Alle Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| Laibach own this song now--no question. Its placement on NATO is, to my mind, telling of their desire to warn about the potential consequences of joining a mutual defense alliance. Such an alliance didn't exactly prevent WW1, which ironically started because of events in another former Yugoslavian city not far from Ljubljana. Personally, I'm in favor of NATO's existence, aside from recognizing the dangers. | |
| Laibach – Geburt Einer Nation Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| If you read about the history of Slovenia, as well as the political climate at the time Laibach was formed and began to work, this song has an even deeper meaning than a simple German/Nazi association might imply. In fact, all their songs and covers up to about 1991, when Slovenia became independent, require that filter in order to be understood. Laibach is one of the few bands that can claim to have influenced the true birth of a nation, by getting Slovenians to consider both separating from Yugoslavia ("Opus Dei"), and what kind of nation they wanted to be (a true Slovenia, versus a satellite of Germany, the U.S., or others). The more I learned about Slovenia, the more I understood Laibach. This song certainly does reference the former states of hegemony under Germany or Austria, but could also easily refer to Tito, who was the cornerstone of Yugoslavia while he was alive. | |
| Laibach – Geburt Einer Nation Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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@[radioardilla:18652] So, light beer is American, with all its implications. Later, it sounds (at least on my stereo) like he says, "black beer," which is a predominantly German style. Could it be more "implications?" ;) This song and "Opus Dei" would make a great beer commercial songs, with some changes. |
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| Laibach – Geburt Einer Nation Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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@[radioardilla:18651] Ha ha, you heard that, too? |
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| Cocteau Twins – Fotzepolitic Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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This one seems to be about a woman who has sexual or romantic fantasies about someone other than her partner, and decides to not only go with it, but to even claim her right to do so, since, as the old feminist saying goes, "I have the pussy, so I make the rules" (hence the title). From another POV, this could be a response to a partner's jealousy in the face of admission of such fantasies. She could be saying that she keeps it all to herself, but he (likely a he, but it really doesn't matter) never minds his manners and makes a fool of himself when he finds someone else to be a hottie. In any case, I love this song. The pedal point and chords in the last part are simple but cool. |
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| Laibach – Tanz Mit Laibach (English) Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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Based on the explanation at these two sites (they're the same--both are included in case one link breaks): http://lateblt.tripod.com/laibach.txt http://www.oocities.org/siliconvalley/2072/laibach.txt ...I think this is a sort of snapshot of how people in Germany and the U.S. were feeling at the time the Second Gulf War began, as well as a criticism of the use of war as a way to boost economies, as compared to how Germany and Italy bounced back just before WWII broke out. I can't comment on how Germans were feeling, but I could reasonably guess that there were similarities in outlook for many of the individuals in both countries. Italy is barely referenced, but I'll get to that in a moment. "Time-economy," being an apparent portmanteau of two German words, seems to refer to capitalism as an approach to life. If we look at capitalism from a socialist point of view (as I'm sure Laibach does), then the first verse makes sense. However, if people in the U.S. and/or Germany are "broken, cursed," etc., by the methods of capitalism, materialism, etc., in 2003, it is in a different manner from back in 1929-1932, when the Great Depression was at its worst. I might take the time to say for myself that while I'm not a socialist per se, I am definitely in favor of re-regulation of business and industry. According to many analyses I've read over the years, as well as what I was taught in school, the Great Depression was ultimately the result of a lack of oversight and limits within the financial sector. Part of the New Deal involved the installation of regulations to prevent another similar crisis in the future. After these regulations were rolled back, rather than reformed or revised, by Reagan and subsequent presidents, we had three major financial crises--the Savings & Loan scandals, the recession around the beginning of the 2000s, and the bigger one toward the end of the 2000s. All of these were tied to rampant freewheeling approaches to things in financial and business sectors--approaches that were allowed to take place due to the reversal of the regulations meant to protect us against their inevitable results. In short, we need those regulations to be restored. Put another way, finance is the blood of our economy. If blood flows inside arteries and veins, it can be of greater use. While it may take longer for some cells at the extremities of the body to get nourishment, everything is done in an orderly fashion. The blood vessels of regulation are the law of the land, in service of the people to protect them from exploitation, containing and channeling the flow in order to maintain functionality and health of the body. Is not bleeding of any kind a concern? And how do we purport to maintain health, vitality, and humanity by bathing in blood, or drinking it, like vampires? This, to my mind, ties in with the zeitgeist of today (2016), as well as 2003, 2008, and 1930--and other times, of course--as described in the first verse. Without a feeling of prosperity, we feel broken. Without "things" (and technology is a symbol of wealth and "currency" in the sense of being with the times--again, "time-economy"), we feel impoverished. In the links given above, the satirical characterizations of Hitler and Mussolini are explained as Charlie Chaplin characters. People in the U.S. saw these on TV or in movies, so it can be said that they were viewing the unfolding European situations remotely through media, just like with the Gulf Wars. I'm guessing that it was the same for Germans at that point, and the detachment, cynicism, objectification, etc., that come along with such a position was likely prevalent to such a degree that Laibach felt the need to comment on it. Another band, Stereolab, has a song called "Ping-Pong," that references an economic cycle that includes "a slump and war" followed by prosperity. Stereolab included some German people (especially one of the vocalists who sang that song), incidentally. I think the same point is made in both songs--war often causes economic recovery for the victorious forces. It isn't always the case, of course, but it seems to be a pattern for the U.S., and again, I will guess for Germany as well. For further ideas on Laibach's perspective, watch the video, with its dancing skeletons and the marching boots of Milan Fras on the invisible treadmill. |
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| Doves – The Cedar Room Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| I mentioned that cedar was used in the Temple of Solomon. I actually just read right now that the Holy of Holies, the room in which the Ark of the Covenant was kept in the ToS, was basically a room constructed entirely of cedar. I'll leave it to the curious to find out more about this room and its contents, and decide whether this has anything to do with the core meaning of the song. | |
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