| Donna Summer – State of Independence Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| I only know the Donna Summer version of this song but have loved it since it first came out. The way the music and words and Summer's voice build from about half way through to the joyous climax is wonderful. I'm an agnostic, but whenever I hear this song it always makes me feel I should return to my christian roots. | |
| John Mellencamp – Jack and Diane Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| Overall this song is about the hesitancy (if you are lucky and mostly sensible) and regret (if you are not) about becoming seriously (physically) involved with your (probable) first love. Basically, instant decisions you make (in the throes of passion or not) in your mid-late teens and even early 20's, can have a lasting - either positive or (more likely) negative - impact on the rest of your life. Tammit's comments on Jack and Diane over 10 years ago are among the best I've read here and his/her observations on teenagers thinking the whole world revolves around them and that they shouldn't grow up too fast is spot on. Great song though. | |
| John Mellencamp – Jack and Diane Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| @[tammit1971:28612] | |
| Depeche Mode – Everything Counts Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| @[likalaruku:28469] Likalaruku, I love the last part of your comment - and you know what - you're absolutely right. Still a great song though. | |
| Al Stewart – Year Of The Cat Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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@[happilyopen:28160] Several people have said this song is about heroin addiction - 'Chasing the Dragon' - etc. I don't buy it. Putting aside the fact that there is no 'Year of the Cat' in the Chinese calendar, all these drug addict buffs state that The year of the Cat comes BEFORE The year of the Dragon. Well if that's the case then the Cat is ahead of the Dragon and if you are ahead of something, your not 'chasing' it. Seems fairly obvious to me, unless I'm missing something? And why do so many people STILL put drug connotations - usually in absurdly round about ways - on so much 60's & 70's contemporary music. Not everything was written about and/or under the influence of drugs. I've always viewed it as a (largely male) fantasy. It's one of those rare songs where the music and lyrics (in the original recorded LP version) come together perfectly. The simple, elegant piano on which the whole song is hung. The soaring guitar and sax solos and the gorgeous strings, especially in the middle 8. And then the words, oh goodness! My favorite bit - "But the drum-beat strains of the night remain, in the rhythm of a new born day" - pure poetry. Still largely underrated and ignored in the UK, The Year of the Cat is an absolute classic - one of the best songs EVER written and should be heard on the radio and elsewhere as much as the likes of Queen, Oasis and many others - as good as they all are. It should even be on school and university curriculum's in some shape or form! |
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| Toto – Africa Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| @[Dumbdumb:28159] Putting aside novelty nonsense like Viva Espania, what's wrong with including tourists and/or tourism in lyrics? The wonderful, The Year of the Cat, by Al Stewart is about a man visiting the Orient. He sees and gets caught up with a mysterious women and spends the night with her. The next day, he finds that "the bus and the tourists have gone" and (he's) "thrown away (his) choice and lost (his) ticket, so (he) has to stay on". If the words fit the story - and in this case they do perfectly - there's nothing wrong with it, no matter what the subject matter of the song is. | |
| The Buggles – Video Killed the Radio Star Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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Damon 1973: With all due respect but what an (over) long-winded and I have to say, somewhat patronizing, 'interpretation' of Video Killed the Radio Star by Buggles - no one else - a record I absolutely love both musically and lyrically. Firstly, everyone who remembers the record when it first came out and I dare say many younger people will know exactly when the 'New Wave' era - in the UK - was, tail-end of the 70's - first half of 1980's. Also, everyone of the, probably 100's of millions who have ever heard the record will know that '52' refers to the year 1952 - we don't need to be told thank you. Next, a lyric correction. You write the second line as - 'Lying awake intent on hearing you'. It's actually "Lying awake intent at tuning in on you". I have virtually no idea what (if anything) the vast majority of your text has to do with the meaning of the words to this song which is, after all, primarily what this website is for. You sound like an (oh so clever) lecturer in a college study hall. Like Queen's 'Radio Ga Ga', VKTRS is quite simply, a paean to music radio and it's gradual demise in the face "of all this visual". So while both are lyrically beautiful, neither song requires extensive study and explanation. But if that's 'your bag' - to use an old hippy term - I'm 22 years older than you are - you might want to check out THE SPIRIT OF RADIO by Canadian trio Rush, from their 1980 album Permanent Waves. Lyrically it's very probably the best song ever written about radio, but goes further than Queen and Buggles, questioning artistic integrity and celebrating "Emotional feedback on a timeless wavelength, Bearing a gift beyond price, almost free". Have a look and listen - you'll love it. |
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| Kiki Dee – amoureuse Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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Valjeang, a somewhat belated response to your comments. I am a (straight} male probably only a few short years older than yourself and I have loved Kiki Dee's version of Amoureuse (the only one I know) since it first came out in 1973. As a bit of a late starter with the opposite sex, I could relate to virtually every line - I don't need to read the words, I've known them for 45 years. The song was written at a time when for probably most women - and more than a few men - losing your virginity was still a major life event and - at least for a few weeks after - you felt so much more confident and sure yourself and that the world really was your oyster. Sadly that is somewhat less true today. Amoureuse - lyrically and musically - is a beautiful song that deserved to get higher than 13 in the charts and I'm disappointed that (before mine) there are only two comments - a sign of the times perhaps. If you've ever wondered how the song came into existence, you might like to look it up on Wikipedia. |
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| Uriah Heep – Lady in Black Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| To this day I still love this song. Although different from most of Uriah Heep's stuff I remember being proud of the fact that they (Ken Hensley, so under-rated) wrote it themselves. The lyrics are absolute poetry. I saw Heep live six times in the first half of the 1970's. They did a 'solo' gig at a local theatre not long after Salisbury came out and over 45 years later I still remember them closing the first (quieter) half with Lady in Black and opening the second half with the fabulous 'Bird of Prey'. Oh such memories! | |
| Uriah Heep – Gypsy Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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To this day I still remember seeing Uriah Heep's first album in the window of my local record shop when it first came out. Over the years that followed there was a handful of albums that I bought purely because of the cover but 'Very eavy, Very umble' was the first. I became a fan just on the strength of the opening track, Gipsy. Salisbury came next and I still adore every moment of the title track. And Lady in Black remains one of Ken Hensley's finest compositions. I saw Heep live six times in their first few years. In the summer of 1973 I turned 20 years of age and saw them for the last time at the week long London Music Festival at the Alexandra Palace when they headlined the final night. The Heavy Metal Kids opened the show and I remember their singer, Gary Holton introducing one of their numbers thus; "This next song is for all those people who don't like us, It's called We Won't Talk To You" - which still ranks as one of the best song announcements I've ever heard! The Alex Harvey Band were next. It's the only time I ever saw them but I remember Alex getting a bit annoyed at the (unfair) heckling from people who were only there to see Uriah Heep and I think they cut their set short because of the heckling. And then Heep were there, probably one of the biggest gigs they'd done in Europe up till that time. Though I can't remember much about it, I know it was a great show with David Byron resplendent in a matching shiny short jacket and loon pants - can't remember the colour! I kind of lost track of the band around the mid 70's. I was into so many bands and artists by then I simply couldn't afford to follow everyone so some had to give way and Heep was one of them. I was very saddened upon reading of David Byron's passing. Though he's no longer with the band, Ken Hensley, as well as being a fine musician, is, I think, one of the great and most underrated songwriters of all time, in any genre. In recent years I've wished I'd kept up with Heep but their still going strong due entirely to Mick Box, bless him. So despite damaged hearing, caused almost entirely by loud music, I may still one day get to see the Heep live! Love and best wishes to all. |
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| Uriah Heep – Come Away Melinda Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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It's fairly simple really. A father attempts to explain to his young daughter why she has no 'Mummy' but due to circumstances - she's died in the war - finds it difficult. It's a great song - music and words. I only know the Uriah Heep version but have loved it since the very early 70's. |
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