| Bob Dylan – All Along the Watchtower Lyrics | 8 months ago |
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@[eyeland:48201] one of those long lost sources such as you describe also stated that Dylan did use the "watchtower" from the book of Isiah for symbology. if not religious, it does pull from prophetic sources. wish some of these old links were still active, sadistic sniper gave one i'd love to follow up over on the hendrix version of this song. |
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| Simon and Garfunkel – El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could) Lyrics | 11 months ago |
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@[Spoth:47039] possibly. however, this song was written decades before Simon and Garfunkel covered it. and it resonates with a theme which is as old as humans: Every post I see on here is about the physical existence. "i'd rather BE the oppressor than the oppressed. .." as Lao Tzu, Victro Frankl and many others have highlighted; to control my individual self IS the ultimate control. If I am a hammer, I can choose if I control a nail. If I am a sparrow, I have more options than being bound to the ground i'm on. It doesn't matter what physical position I'm in: I choose my mental, spiritual and emotional response. |
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| The Bangles – Manic Monday Lyrics | 1 year ago |
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I am curious about the cryptic line, "doesn't it matter that I have to feed the both of us. employment's down" song writers have always had a way of including a serious barb in an otherwise upbeat, seemingly lighthearted song. don't get me wrong; I love the song and always have. Just curious. |
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| Roger Whittaker – I Don't Believe in If Anymore Lyrics | 2 years ago |
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@[whatdoctor:39561] i suppose from this perspective, i can see that view. if God is only a God of my race and not of the entire universe. i wonder why we are such a contradiction. we can't see the hypocrisy of denying God, but only accepting God on second hand views and information i.e. "preacher" says, etc; seek for yourself. The bible has been translated from greek and hebrew. look for yourselves. |
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| Roger Whittaker – The Last Farewell Lyrics | 2 years ago |
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@[raenman:39560] Quick tidbit to dating the era of sea travel: the ship sits 'rigged and ready' not 'steaming' in the harbour. definite distinction between sail and steam ships. |
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| The Monkees – Daydream Believer Lyrics | 2 years ago |
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@[hubbyhw:39559] it's early and i haven't had my coffee yet. Gotta take this swipe at freetobeme: all that negativity in one ugly body. . .how do you cope? regardless, hubby makes a good point, the dream sounds to good for depression. I have depression and can agree that dreams aren't this good when avoiding the real world. more important maybe, but not this good. So, put your self loathing back up and use it to do some valid self-improvement. |
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| R.E.M. – Losing My Religion Lyrics | 2 years ago |
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"losing my religion" also means losing one's faith. If the band is from georgia, then they're in the "Bible belt" of the United States. For my personal views, i am Christian, but, I can also understand the song having a duel meaning: I'm losing the religion I was brought up with. My views are changing and I'm trying to keep up with them. Usually related to love and/or relationships. Perhaps coming to grips with sexual orientation. The line that cinches it for me is "choosing my confession" which is heavy in catholicism and some denominations of various churches. I'm deciding what exactly I'm sorry about and wish to repent and what i'm not sorry about. For the record, i like the song and think REM has captured the melancholy mood of self-reflection and self-acceptance. |
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| The Who – Baba O'Riley Lyrics | 2 years ago |
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@ Queenfan 1991 look. history class is next door. and don't assume ignorance where there is none. I realize "vietnam" was not just fought in vietnam. Please work on your reading comprehension. What i said was that if the songwriter himself made a statement about the origin of the song, then chances are pretty good it's accurate. Besides: "vietnam" was not just a "war". It was a time throughout the world when teens and young adults were beginning to realize there was more going on than they were being told through official channels. It was an era of turmoil, uncertainty and angst. |
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| Asia – Heat Of The Moment Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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just one more thought from an aging Gen Xer concerning this song: As i study martial arts and eastern thought-prepare for the moment and be aware that things (ANYTHING) can happen so fast you barely see it let alone control it. and preparation is mental. you really can't plan physical action ahead of time. just learn from the past and read the signs. |
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| Gordon Lightfoot – Old Dan's Records Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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This may be the only upbeat song Gordon ever did. And even it is in loving memory of a lost love one. I do wonder how many today know what a "78" is? |
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| Gordon Lightfoot – Cotton Jenny Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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Too crass, Zorro. More about true love shared by two people stuck by life circumstances. She doesn't need riches to be content with another human being. And neither does he. Sex is part of that, but it's more than "just" sex. In fact, if you bothered to actually think and observe: there's no such thing as "just" sex. emotion, good or bad, now or later, is always attached. |
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| Gordon Lightfoot – Don Quixote Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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I never did manage to "read" cervantes. always got about halfway. But i did get it completed on an audiobook. I always felt Don Quixote represented society's attitude toward ideals like honour, justice, equality, etc; Basically, you have to be crazy to truly believe such nonsense. Gordon manages to extend this metaphor. Our more "progressive" society does lip service to some of the afore mentioned ideals, but only really cares about the appearance of such. As with circle of steel, Gordon does a fantastic job of highlighting the contradictions and hypocrisy of humankind. |
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| Gordon Lightfoot – If You Could Read My Mind Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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to audiophile and others who project their own ideals: Music is basically poetry. While Real Life experience goes into it, it is still an abstract metaphor for emotions we each experience in one fashion or another. I think Gordon does an excellent job conveying emotion, especially reflective melancholy, in all his songs. as a culture we don't tend to think ahead and only in hindsight do we wonder, "what if"? enjoy the mood of the music. learn from the mistakes of another and use this experience to explore and strengthen your own mind. |
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| Ram Jam – Black Betty Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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i like the aspect of black betty being a musket. at least it's not taken at face value as many songs are metaphoric. I am listening to james lee burke novels and just wanted to add that "black betty" is also a name of a whip used in southern prisons like angola. I'm also truly glad to see that the default interpretation is NOT drug related. I don't doubt many songs are about drugs, but i really wish folks would look at potential meanings outside the drug culture. |
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| Dire Straits – Ride Across The River Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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I have extremely mixed emotions concerning "war". It's easy to protest war when you live in a relatively free society and can voice your opinion, come/go and do what you want (within reason). Not so easy to protest it when you live in an oppressive dictatorship and find your family and friends killed for stepping outside certain lines. That said, after reading some of these comments i'm reminded of george orwell's "animal farm" which beautifully illustrates the cycle of human society: when the oppressed grow tired enough, they revolt. Then there's a period of uncertainty as leaders are chosen. If the right leaders are chosen, the society can be relatively beneficial for all who live in it. If the wrong leaders are chosen, then you substitute one dictator for another. as happened in animal farm. This song seems to be a thumbnail of the latter. we revolted, we chose wrong, now i'm going back to war to crush a new uprising. and the cycle continues. |
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| Dire Straits – The Man's Too Strong Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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After reading some of the posts on this song, I'm convinced that the song itself is a metaphoric blend of a former dictator/warlord that could fit many throughout history. I also just now noted the contradiction: If the main character rewrote history, had armies of crooks, burned books, etc; How could he be "just an aging drummer boy"? I'd also point out that no one, not God, religion, or other humans judge us. We each judge ourselves. If we do harm like the character in the song, do we own it, repent of it, and do better? or do we deny it, justify it, or blame someone else for it? That is truly how we are judged. |
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| Dire Straits – The Man's Too Strong Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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@[mike105163:35545] Indeed. Thank you for the reminder of metaphor as well as physical in literature, poetry, and song. |
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| Dire Straits – The Man's Too Strong Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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@[Mephitis:35544] Died mid eighties. I remember the news article around 85, 86. Interesting tidbit: The book "the square circle" later made into the movie "wild geese II" was about a team of mercs hired to spring Rudolph Hess from spandau. By the end of the story, the mercs were whittled down and Hess was left unguarded. it the story, Hess simply returned to spandau as he had nowhere to go. |
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| Bob Dylan – Mr. Tambourine Man Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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I may not agree with each person's interpretation. but like hpylori I am utterly sick and tired of stoned and strung out geniuses dictating that each and every song they hear is about drugs. Especially when the song writers themselves have gone on interviews and stated otherwise. I won't deny that drugs might play a part, but songs are only poetry set to music: the melody adding an element to the words. Not all of us are doped up and not all of us rely on chemicals for our inspiration. I'm also tired of the druggies accusing others of doing exactly what they do: give the ultimate interpretation and pass themselves off as pretentious morons who think they have all the answers. If you were truly as "open minded" as you think you are: stop calling every song a drug song. There really is more than one point of view in this universe. |
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| John Mellencamp – Human Wheels Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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@[nealmorton:35067] it's not so much the eastern "religions" as it is the ancient eastern thought process. as well as the thinking of the native americans. I believe it was the cheyenne who said we don't inherit the earth from our parents, we borrow it from our children. The ancient asians had the attitude that a young lady would plant a tree today so her great-grandchildren might enjoy the shade. 2 other mellencamp songs stand out to me in tandem with this one: you gotta stand for something and paper in fire. Mellencamp hits a balance we all seem to seek without knowing we seek it. the same balance eastern thought has been practicing for millenia. the balance between being self-centered and being self-aware. Self-centered is "i want". I want a smooth life, money, good things, "why do bad things always happen?", etc; Self-aware is knowing that i am but one short lived human being in a vast universe in an unknown stretch of time. I learn when to give and when to take. I keep check on my appetite and don't consume too much. Self-aware can seem self-centered; but i assure you focusing on the self for a bit can give great insight into how we each fit into the grander scheme. And Mellencamp does a fantastic job of setting these ideas in verse and song. |
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| The Who – Baba O'Riley Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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@[PJ10:35012] jgm4661: sorry dude, people like you irritate me to no end. If the songwriter himself says "it's aabout vietnam", then there's a pretty good bet it's about vietnam. I can't stand people who "know" what the songwriter meant better than the songwriter. and you need to look into history a bit. prior to the US being involved in southeast asia, france had occupied it. I'm sure the british had some involvement in that area whether officially or unofficially and could have predicted that a "police action" would not accomplish much. other than a "teenage wasteland" drug out over far too many years. |
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| Natalie Merchant – Carnival Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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Sorry, have to add this tidbit: I see that most posts are seeing facets of this song. I get the feel of all facets at once. Yes, we are trained to wear masks in our society. No one really wants to know you or how you really think/feel. We feel ridicule and hide it while con artists see that and exploit it. Merchants red carpet they rolled out "just for me" is similar to cheryl crow's, "you're an original, turn around and there's a hundred more". it boils down to self aware vs. selfish. A lack of introspection leads to superficial interactions and "going along", while too much self importance leads to "it's all about me". it's a balance. and from merchant in this song, with the lyrics and music, i get the feel of someone reaching this bittersweet conclusion and taking the time to look within and seek that balance. |
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| Nena – 99 Red Balloons Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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after reading the literal translation from sirpsychosexy: I have to agree that no work of poetry or philosophy, whether musical or not, survives a direct translation in any language. This is the same issue the bible, many religious texts and philosophical texts have faced for centuries. It just does not offer a 1 to 1 translation. not only the words, but the culture and the "double" meanings many phrases have in various dialects. the word nena uses is "luftbalons" meaning literally "air" balloons. not necessarily "red" as was stated in one post. The original also fits the chaotic turmoil of war. I'm not saying war isn't necessary at times, but it is confusion and not as pretty as hollywood makes it out to be. So, the literal translation seems to fit better with the feel of being disjointed. No one knows what is truly going on, who to aim at and every individual wanting to be the hero. As with another song of the time facing a german to english translation, peter schilling's major tom coming home, i feel both versions have merit. each has a different feel and possibly even a slightly different message. Or, at least the same message delivered in a slightly different way. it's more than just translating the words. it's translating the emotion: sadness, angst, isolation, confusion and hope (if there is any). |
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| Bruce Springsteen – Blinded By The Light Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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@[Blenderhead91:34593] Either that, or a boulder on the shoulder, feeling so much older. . . . I'm carrying a heavier load and feeling my age could be another way of looking at it. Still NOT a drug reference, though. |
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| Heart – Barracuda Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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@[shauncreaney:34592] It is ironic (hear the sarcasm?) how the words that can sound like a pimp can very much sound like an agent and/or a record company. Or any other industry of this sort. I marvel how some people boil every song they hear down to drugs or sex. Even when the songwriter themselves tell you it's not about that, somehow you know better than the songwriter what they meant. |
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| Dan Fogelberg – Same Old Lang Syne Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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@[stevebufo:34577] gotta disagree. From the sound of the conversation, drinking toasts to _______; they both shared the old flame they had years ago. However, the years and her marriage made it difficult to pick that back up. Neither knew how to broach that subject, so, they just talked in circles until they're "tongues were tired". And I'm surprised on one has mentioned that the song ends with a sax rendition of the classic, "Old Lang Syne" |
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| Michael Martin Murphey – Wildfire Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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@ trailboy i think we're as certain as we're gonna get that she died. As stated by others, she disappeared into the blizzard after wildfire and neither were seen again. If this song is truly set in the 19th century, pre-cellphone, satellites, gps, etc; Yeah, that's about all we're gonna get. |
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| Jim Croce – I Got A Name Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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Well, to the untrained eye, a tree is a tree is a tree. A fir looks like a pine, a pine like an oak and they all resemble palm trees in one way or another. Look, just like the forest full of trees he's saying i'm distinct, different. I got a name that separates me from the rest. No, individual pine trees have no individual names that we as humans know of. But as with all songs, it is poetry set to music. And songs of this era are full of metaphor and symbolism. you have to using something we used to call "imagination" to see beyond the surface level of the song. |
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| Peter, Paul and Mary – Lemon Tree Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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More about substance over appearance. what you "feel" is what is beneath. Trust, love, etc; The kinston trio's version plainly says, "put your faith in what you FEEL, not in what you SEE." "feel" not so much being emotional, but the deeper things that only come to the surface with time. The lemon tree being the basic reminder: Just because it looks good doesn't make it good. |
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| Peter, Paul and Mary – Lemon Tree Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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@[Groujo:33988] I heard the kingston trio's version. I always got the meaning to be don't be blinded by the beauty of a thing. Look deeper, look for substance; not for appearances. "Fruit" according to the new testament bible is what we actually produce. So, while being lovely and beautiful; the lemon tree produces sour "fruit". |
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| Eddy Grant – Electric Avenue Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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@[mbrachman:33935] Gotta agree. Not only do i hear the "b" sound in the song here, but it fits better with the overall feel. I work hard and don't make enough to feed my kids, let alone enough "disposable" income to buy frivolous crap on tv. So, yeah, I abhor yah: the society that set up this whole situation. |
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| Kenny Rogers – The Gambler Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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not too cryptic. the narrator does say, "in his final words i found. . . " right after he said the best you could hope for was to "die in your sleep". not being smart, just seems a little obvious. otherwise, interesting insight. hadn't looked at the overall song that way before. |
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| Kenny Rogers – The Gambler Lyrics | 4 years ago |
| @[tuxrose:33578] | |
| DragonForce – Soldiers of the Wasteland Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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I'm 47 and got into Dragonforce and Hammerfall and such about 10 years ago when my martial arts instructor played this during class. I love this song because the whole song seems to exhibit the spirit of trudging on. No matter how dark, hopeless, dreary or tired; keep putting one foot in front of the other. The guitar bridge does a lot for this feel. I also love because it is so long and is a great song to play when doing cardio. I especially love it when rowing. |
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| Iron Maiden – 2 Minutes To Midnight Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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I'm rather partial to the theory this song is based on the cold war, but could well represent the horrors of war in general. I thought the doomsday clock was a British advent, but really haven't researched it. If i understand correctly; the doomsday clock represents not the time until a full blown war, but to annihilation. that is, 2 minutes from first launch to last missile launched. won't be much war after that. |
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| Iron Maiden – Aces High Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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@[SOAD:32886] FAN Late to the party, but Kamikaze pilots did not become a thing until later in the war. So, not only is the song NOT about pearl, Kamikaze pilots did NOT hit pearl, either. furthermore, ME are the meserschmidt planes from germany. Mitsubishi made the Japanese Zero's that bombed pearl. A little research goes a loooong way. |
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| Three Dog Night – Shambala Lyrics | 4 years ago |
| Shambhala and Shangri-la are usually mentioned in the same vein. Not sure if it's a cultural/language difference of the same place or if they're 2 different places. Shangri-la was the city written about in Hilton's "lost horizon". | |
| Three Dog Night – Joy To The World Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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@[paulyz:32800] One who rides rainbows? |
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| Three Dog Night – Joy To The World Lyrics | 4 years ago |
| My favorite Christmas Carol. . . . . . . . . | |
| Peter Schilling – Major Tom (Coming Home) Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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@[Rubbadub9202:32601] I grew up talking to my mother about songs: her reply to each and every one was, "sounds like a drug song". Makes me wonder who drugs affect more. And why is every song about drugs in a "round-about way"? Frankly, you could take any song, poetry or literature and spin it to be about drugs. After all, even Sherlock Holmes was an opium addict. Doe that mean everything Conan Doyle wrote was about opium in a "round-about way" or was it a trait/weakness of a character to offer more insight into how mind and body interrelate? To me: this song has little to nothing to do with drugs. It is more about some of what this forum has discussed. Possibly other things the song writer hasn't disclosed. As with all poetry, it is open for exploration. |
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| Grateful Dead – Touch Of Grey Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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okay. I've spent the last 7 years getting my therapist's license, and the last 15 years studying martial arts and studying eastern philosophy. The eastern ideals use a treatise. A treatise is a document (scroll, letter, book, etc;) which is written to be read: not micro-analyzed. All of this to say: I feel when taken as a whole, this song reflects the seeming contradictions we all face. Lao Tzu says many things seem paradoxical on the surface, but when looked at longer and deeper don't contradict at all. We've all had beautiful days which seemed awful. We've had dark days that seemed wonderful. We want light, but still complain when we get it. We want beauty, but don't see the beauty in the mundane. With all good is a little evil. With all evil is a little good. With each silver lining is a touch of grey. |
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| Mr. Mister – Kyrie Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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@[victoriam8:31651] I never read that much symbology into the song. I always figured it was about the choices we make, many of which are neither right or wrong. If we dare to follow our plans or fall into a dark despair in which we never attempted anything. Kyrie Eleison: Lord have mercy on my chosen path. |
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| Mr. Mister – Kyrie Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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Yes. It is Greek. this song actually made me reach for the dictionary when i was a teenager. It is also what blind Bartemeus cried out to Christ as Christ passed by. Good song and prayer. |
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| Simon and Garfunkel – Scarborough Fair/Canticle Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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I love the song, especially the age old English balled of the fair and the lovers. However, one line in the Canticle bugs me to no end: To fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten. Who forgot the cause? While war itself may be reprehensible, our society does have a warrior class that we take far too much for granted. Not only the military, but police, fire, first responders, paramedics and any other members of crisis teams who stand between society and dangers lurking beyond. True warrior class are those who, when asked why they do it, cannot give a specific reason. It's something we just have to do. When a cause is forgotten, it is a sad commentary on those who should be learning from history. Even bad or wrong causes should be remembered so as not to be repeated. |
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| Simon and Garfunkel – Scarborough Fair/Canticle Lyrics | 4 years ago |
| @[JeremyClarkson:30786] A bit heavily put, but agreed. The old balled segment of the song is about 2 lovers setting impossible tasks that the other cannot meet. | |
| Warren Zevon – Lawyers, Guns, And Money Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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Singapore, wasn't it? and not all americans abroad are trouble makers. I grant you, most are. but not all. |
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| Supertramp – Take The Long Way Home Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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This is quite behind the power curve of the other posts, but I've been listening to this song on the way to work. I feel it is an admonition about getting the most out of life, but that "taking the long way home" is the proper course of action, not the wrong one. The song does a wonderful job of describing the conflict between what a person loves to do and what society says is the "proper" thing to do. While I am all for marriage for the right reasons: Marriage and settling down because it's expected is the wrong thing to do. Settling into a job, a house, a lifestyle because society says it's the "respectable" thing and you should "settle down". Thus the line, "when the day comes to settle down, who's to blame if you're not around?" then: "you TOOK the long way home." Do what you got to do. Don't let others dictate your life. |
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| Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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@[njrockstarbandit:27347] Agreed. Some of these posts seem not only to be unable to read, but to write as well. Let alone study classic literature and seek enrichment through the written word. I'm not a big fan of LZ or StH, but I'm reading these posts and am SICK of the ignorance that does not know that Lord of the Rings is a work of literature that predates the song. |
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| Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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@[njrockstarbandit:27346] sorry, late but i have to add: Please research the Lord of the Rings when commenting on things. Many movies are based on actual books which predate a lot of things. Lord of the Rings, Narnia and others are based on books which are older than the likely average age of people posting here. Please at least see if your movies are based on such works before ASSUMING which came first. |
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| Eagles – Hotel California Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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@[drderail:27341] I've encountered this information before. I tend to agree with most posts: song lyrics are poetry in music and therefore art. So, they're cryptic, at best, and open to anyone's interpretation. However, i also get the feeling that the satanic church is a theme woven in with the rest of it. Whether it's an endorsement, a lament, or just a statement is. . .well. . .open to interpretation. |
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