| The Party Of Helicopters – Just As Astral Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| No really sure, but "more assholes cutting in line" repeated over and over is hilarious. | |
| The Party Of Helicopters – Pounding For Vipers Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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"Should I sell a line" implies a drug deal, but it could also do with "selling" a pickup line to a girl. This along with the previous line "Should I waste", could mean that he's trying to decide how to have fun: whether to get fucked up or hook up with someone (or perhaps both?). Depending on his choice, "busting out" of his spine could mean getting high or having an orgasm (again, could be both?). The rest doesn't make much sense, but "terror class" might be a bad trip that's creeping up on him and who knows "cat is it fat" might be an Ohio euphemism for sex (where these dudes are from there). Or the whole thing might be nonsense. Either way the guitar riffs are sick. |
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| The Party Of Helicopters – Bastard Motherfucker Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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A depressing song with two points of view: The first is from the eyes of a kid who constantly watches his parents fight. He sides with his mother because "Bastard motherfucker / I hate you" are presumably his feelings toward is father. The second part is from the eyes of the father. He feels unsatisfied with his relationship with his wife and home life ("What's a guy / Gotta do to find / Some variation"). Possibly a mid-life crisis? All signs point towards divorce. As I said, depressing song. |
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| The Stooges – Penetration Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| Sex. | |
| Slick Rick – La-Di-Da-Di Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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People who've sampled, covered or re-appropriated the lyrics: -Biggie Smalls (chorus in Hypnotize, and other places) -Snoop Dogg (covered) -Color Me Badd ("to the heart tick tock, ya don't stop" in "I wanna Sex You Up" -A ton of people have used "as we go a little somethin like this. hit it!", can't think of any off the top I know there are more. Please list them if you can think of any! |
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| T. Rex – Jewel Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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No one yet? This one reminds me of The Magnetics Fields' "Queen of the Savages". His lady is some kind of mythical indigenous goddess bathing in thunder with elves and hanging out with silver furred panthers. Far out! I love Bolan's slight lisp, but it's second best to that fuzzed out solo at the end. |
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| R.E.M. – Nightswimming Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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I'd also add something else... As I said, for me it's about youth and innocents, but also the moment of adolscents when you are on the verge of losing that innocence. No, not your virginity-- I mean that point in time where you start to see people and the world around you differently and from a more adult point of view (see: jaded). I guess for the boys it's "Then Again, Maybe I Won't" kind of thing... and for the girls, "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." "September's coming soon" School is going to start. And its the first day of that school year when everyone starts to define themselves based on a group they've gravitate toward (see: jock, nerd, punk, weirdo, etc). "You, I thought I knew you..." Everyone is changing. Your group is falling apart and soon you won't be friends the way you used to me. "this one laughing quietly underneath my breath" Some of them (maybe you) have decided they need to *NOT* like each in order to fit in. |
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| R.E.M. – Nightswimming Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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I got the "Automatic for the People" cassette tape when I was 13 years old via a BMG subscription. I listened to this album over and over, but especially this song. I remember crying on a few occasions alone in my bedroom while listening to it and laying on the floor next to my bed. I had no idea why, but it touched me on some very deep level that my 13 year old self didn't fully understand but could feel. Everyone has picked through the different meanings of AIDS, sex, homosexuality in the 80s, and literally swimming in the night. I think all of it is probably true, but for me, both as a 13 year old back then and a 30 year old today, its about a perfect moment in time that encapsulates your youth and total innocence. Also the feeling of complete awe toward the world around you, such as looking at the night's sky, as Stipe alludes to here. Anyways. Those are my feelings toward this song. After listening to it right now for the first time in over 5 years and I started crying a little bit and feel the same as I did when I was 13. |
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| Mott The Hoople – Roll Away The Stone Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Shocked no one has commented here! The speaking part makes me cringe, but the rest of the song more than makes up for it. |
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| The Magnetic Fields – The Nun's Litany Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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The singer is nun who feels her youth slipping away and is questioning her line of work as she "still [has] something left to sell". Bitter toward her mom/family which implicates that her profession might have been expected or forced upon her. Maybe she had older sisters who were married off leaving her to join the church. She is probably tired of spending all day with ancient fossils making rosaries for orphans in Uganda and just wants to be kissed one ("is that too much to ask??"). The whole think makes me think of Maria in "The Sound of Music". She may have simply fallen in love with someone she'll never have, but describes her longing in the most extreme level possible. This story would make a great movie where she has a secret romance with some sexy young priest. At the end they'd get exposed and excommunicated from the church and forced to leave the community, but they'd at least have each other. I'm sure that movie/story has been made 100 times already. "I want to be a brothel worker, I’ve always been treated like one" is the saddest line! Probably true. People treat nun's and priests as different from "normal" people (myself included). Anywhoo. Great song to listen to while slacking off at work. |
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| The Magnetic Fields – The Nun's Litany Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| Merritt's best lyrics yet. | |
| The Magnetic Fields – Papa Was A Rodeo Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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If Mike is a woman it might be a "Boy Named Sue" type if situation since we know Mike's childhood was just as rough as the singers. The crying at the end is not necessarily because Mike is leaving. They've beat the odds and it's bittersweet. I think about happy parts of my life all the time and feel like crying. Same thing happens to lots of people at the end of movies. I think the "wrestlin' gaters" part is best taken literally. Sulkowski's post is great. |
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| T. Rex – Hot Rod Mama Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| No one has sounded off 'bout this one yet? This song is genius. | |
| M83 – Car Chase Terror Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| cool song and dialogue. annoying voices thought | |
| M83 – Graveyard Girl Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| This song is great. Except for the lyrics. | |
| LCD Soundsystem – North American Scum Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I second what fourba said. This song is 101% tongue-in-cheek. "new york's the greatest if you get someone to pay the rent" |
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| Grace Jones – My Jamaican Guy Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Her jamaican guy sounds like the laziest dude ever... and completely pleased with himself. The "drive like a stubborn mule" line is great. |
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| Grace Jones – Nightclubbing Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Should have been a duet! The mood of Grace's version matches Iggy's to a tee. Actually now that I think of it Grace and Iggy would make the perfect duo. Yes, the song is about being part of an elite scene (art/music/nightclub/whatever). Being friends with the 'right' people. Living a glam life. Snorting drugs. Knowing where the after-after-after party will be. And eventually you catch yourself walking through the streets at twilight amazed at it all and also disgusted with yourself. Makes me think of Warhol's concept of celebrity. Or at least what my concept of Warhol's concept of celebrity. |
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| Grace Jones – Pull Up To The Bumper Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Yes, the subject matter seems pretty obvious. The bass/synth combo on this is genius. I could listen to this on repeat all day and not get tired of it. |
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| Grace Jones – Send In The Clowns Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| No comments yet? Grace Jones is the perfect person to cover this. That's about all I have to say. | |
| Iggy Pop – The Passenger Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Great interpretations. I agree with the idea of relinquished control and simply experiencing what is. The passenger is looking out his window passively and the world/life is flying by. All of it belongs to him and he just watches and lets it be. In the song everything the subject sees is is beautiful but the song is unnerving. This makes me think that he is startled by it all. The LSD comment works here - its like he is seeing the world for the first time through a new set of eyes (acid) and its kind of freaking him the fuck out. The realization that he owns everything is overwhelming and frightening. Bowie's backing vocals are not surprising as he was the producer and this album is considered one of his Berlin-trilogy albums. It was released as an Iggy album, but in reality it was a collaboration w/ Bowie.\ Anywho. This album is a masterpiece. |
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| M.I.A. – Boyz Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| song is dumb. jay-z rhyming on the remix doesn't make it any better. | |
| The Mountain Goats – The Mess Inside Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| depressing | |
| The Mountain Goats – Fall of the Star High School Running Back Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Some other thoughts: "Your grandfather rode the boat over from Ireland, but you made a bad decision or two." This makes me think the kid's family has a history to be proud of. It probably involves Irish immigrants coming here with no money looking for The American Dream(TM). Generations later the family has done well. They are affluent and living in the suburbs, but the grandchildren are brats. They probably think grandpa is uneducated and kind of crazy. They are embarrassed by his weird accent. They take everything for granted and have no respect for anything. What happens in the song is only going to bring shame to the grandfather who has worked so hard his whole life for the family. |
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| The Mountain Goats – Fall of the Star High School Running Back Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Initially the kid is at top of his game and then plans fall through. He gets ostracized by his friends (the football team), and ends up adapting to a whole new situation. These is some condescension in "people you used to look down on" but it's the truth. He realizes that this other group are actually pretty nice kids- even if they are fuckups. He gets accepted by them and for a little while things are working out. He's got friends again and he is happy. At this point I envision that he quickly becomes the "leader" of the group and does with his natural dimple cheeked charisma and through taking risks that impress everyone. This would involve stuff like smoking drugs, vandalize shit, shoplifting, etc. You know, the normal stuff teenagers do (and regret later). Eventually he takes one too many risks and ends up falling into a hole that he didn't realize he'd dug for himself. The new friends don't matter anymore because he is screwed. -- I love that at the end of the song you can hear John pushing a button the boombox that is recording the song. You can't beat that. |
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| The Mountain Goats – Going to Georgia Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Yup, the narrator is desperate and ready to seppuku (minus the part about dying w/ honor). We don't really know if he is racing to Georgia for a woman or a man, but regardless he can't live without this person. To me its not as romantic as it is a pathetic position to be in. His life depends on someone else accepting him. That guy was me. |
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| The Gerbils – Fluid Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| Not sure, but I think this song is about being in love. | |
| Roxy Music – Virginia Plain Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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In my opinion the best Roxy song. As previously stated, this song is about the glam lifestyles of the young jet-setting rich and fashionable. From travels to Rio and Acapulco, dancing the cha-cha on blue casino floors and then getting bored with it and looking for what's next ("So me and you, just we two got to search for something new"). To quote Zoolander: "Oh yeah? I've never even heard of it. Me and my friends have been been too busy bathing off the southern coast of St. Barts with spider monkeys for the past two weeks. Tripping on acid changed our whole perspective on shit. So, I guess, uh, I guess you can dere-lick my balls, capitan." And lastly - my guess is that the Robert E Lee thing was a non sequitur not intended to make any sense to anyone. |
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| Grand Buffet – Cool As Hell Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| Grunge's chorus is genius. Makes me laugh each time. | |
| Radiohead – Fitter Happier Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I really have nothing to add as far as the song meaning ideas go. It's clique, but I want to say it. I finally listened closely to the lyrics and I felt like it was a grocery list run down of my life (minus the parts that reference to church). I really wanted to cry, right here at work. It's just missing a reference to the pharmaceuticals that I (we) take to fix our brains. But perhaps that's an obvious implication. |
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| The Pogues – The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Thanks Anacharis, great explanation. My favorite Pogues song by far. Better than 'Fairytale'. |
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| The Magnetic Fields – 100,000 Fireflies Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| This one makes my heart swell and depresses me at the same time. | |
| Iggy Pop – Butt Town Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| What was Iggy thinking w this one? | |
| Diana Ross – I'm Coming Out Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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This song is not necessarily about being gay, just in general being yourself and not being afraid to let people know. It applies to LGBT, but also to anyone who has felt shy, embarrassed, self-conscious, etc. The single is 3:55, but the LP version is closer to 7 minutes long. The drum intro on the extended track are amazing. It's also one of the few songs that features a trombone solo.. which also sounds amazing. |
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| Iggy Pop – Funtime Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| This is basically a bowie song. He is just using Iggy for vox. | |
| Iggy Pop – Success Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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This song is great (as is the whole Idiot album) only b/c of Bowie. I don't care if Iggy purist don't consider this a real Iggy album. It rules even if Bowie has his hands on the reigns. The lyrics are making fun of himself and anyone in the business (of show) who has gained huge success over night and was suddenly overwhelmed by material possessions (a car, a chinese rug, leer jet(??)) and being under the scrutiny of the world (watching him go to the zoo, dance the twist, hop like a frog). |
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| Iggy Pop – China Girl Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| Better than the bowie version IMHO. Iggy's voice feels more vulnerable and desperate, which Bowie is trying to be sensual in a kind of gross over the top kind of way. | |
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