submissions
| Ani DiFranco – Pixie Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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I interpreted this song as mocking the people that simpy "all hold hands and pretend we're (they're) having a good time". The protagonist in the song is passive and opinionless - a simple 'paperdoll', who smiles and would rather sit back in ignorance than question the things around her. Of course, we know that this isn't Ani's 'voice' at all, as she is a woman who will - and does - stand up and speak her mind about issues. |
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| Ryan Adams – Sylvia Plath Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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There are also a few specific references to Plath's life:
"and maybe she'd give me a bath" - Plath once said, "There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them"
"the kind that goes out and then sleeps for a week" - referencing Plath's suicide attempt
"while she was swimming away, she'd be winking at me " - also, if the Bell Jar is to be taken as part-truth, she also attempted suicide by trying to drown herself in the sea |
submissions
| Leonard Cohen – Chelsea Hotel #2 Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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Chelsea Hotel is a hotel in New York City often frequented by musicians, artist and writers (also the place where Nancy Spungen was allegedly murdered by Sid Vicious). The lyrics are about Leonard's sexual encounter with Janis Joplin at the hotel. |
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| Siouxsie and the Banshees – Hong Kong Garden Lyrics
| 20 years ago
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I think it's about the western world taking advantage of eastern culture and traditions. It refers to the brutal commercialisation of things that should be kept sacred and beautiful. |
submissions
| Sinead O'Connor – Nothing Compares to You (Prince cover) Lyrics
| 20 years ago
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luv_burns_me is right. Although Sinead didn't write this song, her mother had recently died and because the lyrics were so applicable, she cried during the video shoot. Sinead had a difficult childhood and had only recently begun to rebuild her relationship with her mum. It's really such a heartbreaking song and video. |
submissions
| Hole – Rock Star Lyrics
| 20 years ago
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Such a fantastic song and such a damn shame that it never did appear on LTT in the end. But, obviously, since Kurt had just died before the album's release it wouldn't have been very respectful. Gah, it still should have been properly released as opposed to only being available on bootlegs. |
submissions
| Hole – Rock Star (Alternate Version) Lyrics
| 20 years ago
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Well, to me it seems to be about riotgrrrls - especially since the movement pretty much began in Olympia. But I think it can be applied to a lot of situations, such as literally going to a school where everyone is the same. |
submissions
| Hole – Petals Lyrics
| 20 years ago
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I'm pretty sure it's about sex and virginity. And perhaps yearning for the time of child-like innocence when you didn't know what 'truth' was. It's one of my favourite Hole songs. |
submissions
| Hole – Playing Your Song Lyrics
| 20 years ago
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It's about over-commercialisation of music (hence the 'mall' reference) and how greedy record company execs take music and dehumanise what it stands for.
I mean, you only have to look at how Smells Like Teen Spirit has become an almost corny corporate logo for misguided teens (thanks to the media) to see what Love is talking about here. She's saying that these bands and these songs used to be REAL and actually mean things to people, but the over-use of them has meant they've become empty and meaningless. |
submissions
| Hole – Heaven Tonight Lyrics
| 20 years ago
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I can't remember where I heard this, but apparently it's based on the idea of a young girl who's decided she's ready to lose her virginity, but dies before she has a chance.
But I also think it could be about Frances, and Courtney telling her that as long as they have each other then things will always be in 'heaven'.
A really beautiful song, regardless of its subject. |
submissions
| Hole – Northern Star Lyrics
| 20 years ago
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Although everyone seems to think the entire Celebrity Skin album is about Cobain, I usually disagree - however I think this is clearly about him and Love coping with his death. It really is a beautiful song, and her voice just drips with bitterness. |
submissions
| Hole – Use Once And Destroy Lyrics
| 20 years ago
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the phrase 'use once and distroy' was hardly invented by Cobain, since it's been a well known phrase for years.
I'm pretty sure this song is about drugs. And possibly about being in a relationship with an addict and having to constantly be the person to help them out of it. |
submissions
| The Carpenters – Rainy Days and Mondays Lyrics
| 21 years ago
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I know that Karen didn't write this song, but when you learn about her problems it really seems as if she could have wrote it. As with many of the Carpenters' songs - when you know more about the people behind the cheesy smiles, Karen's voice then seems to drip with a beautifully bitter irony.
I really recommend the film 'Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story' by Todd Haynes to anybody who has ever even heard one of their songs. Really wonderful movie. |
submissions
| The Smashing Pumpkins – For Martha Lyrics
| 21 years ago
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Every SP album seems to have that one stand-out track that just sits above the rest of the album and just *knows* that it is pure genius. This song really is perfectly beautiful. If you aren't emotionally affected by For Martha then there is something very wrong with you. I want to live inside of it. |
submissions
| The Smashing Pumpkins – Pug Lyrics
| 21 years ago
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To me, I feel it's about loving and desiring somebody so much that you want them to almost 'abuse' you in a way for you to get as close to them as possible. It's very sexy, sensual and raw. Definitely one of my favourites off Adore. |
submissions
| Fleetwood Mac – My Little Demon Lyrics
| 21 years ago
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This song is about the 'inner demons' that we all struggle with through our day-to-day lives. It's a really positive song with a great message. Also, it seems to be quite likely about drug addiction and the fight to resist. |
submissions
| Hole – You've Got No Right Lyrics
| 21 years ago
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I think the Hole version is way better than Nirvana's version. Although they were Kurt's lyrics, Courtney sings them with more honesty and rawness. Kurt's voice is just boring and tedious. In my opinion, Nirvana are seriously over-rated anyway. There were other much more innotive, original and exciting bands to come out of the 90s, but people seem to think Nirvana were the definitive. Oh well. |
submissions
| Hole – Retard Girl Lyrics
| 21 years ago
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I don't think it's actually about real retarded people, but rather the odd kid at school that everybody picked on for being different. It's okay, but not the best Hole song (although I suppose it was one of the first...) |
submissions
| Bikini Kill – Alien She Lyrics
| 21 years ago
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I think this song is about women constantly having to struggle with what society wants them to be. It's like having a split-personality - one part is the 'bad' part of the woman (Feminist, Dyke, Whore) and the other is the stereotypically girly-girl (She wants me to go to the mall... To put the pretty, pretty red lipstick on).
I love the last part :
"And all I really wanted to know
Who was me and who is she
I guess I'll never know"
It's as if the two parts of her have become so blurred together that she doesn't even know who she should be anymore. Both parts are part of her, but she struggles to survive with such contrasting characters. |
submissions
| BIS – Punk Rock Points Lyrics
| 21 years ago
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I think this is how people are constantly trying to 'out-punk' each other. For example, there will always be that one person that claims a particular band are 'so not punk' and that only *they* know what punk really is. Bis are trying to say that punk music and culture isn't about trying to look cooler than the person standing next to you by rewarding yourself with 'punk rock points' from knowing the most obscure bands. |
submissions
| Rasputina – Watch T.V. Lyrics
| 21 years ago
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I also think this song is about an infatuated fan. Some people can become terribly obsessed with TV stars and live their lives through the situations and characters on the screen. It's simple, but really effective. It makes you think about how attached we become to these made up people on television and movies, and how empty our lives seem when they are no longer on our screens. Sad really. |
submissions
| Lunachicks – Down At The Pub Lyrics
| 21 years ago
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Obviously some sort of tongue-in-cheek stab at British-male culture. It's pretty funny actually, but I have no clue what made them write it....! |
submissions
| Le Tigre – Get Off The Internet Lyrics
| 21 years ago
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I love this song. The lyrics speak for themselves really - Le Tigre want to revieve the early 90s riot grrl political way of thinking ('destroy the right-wing') and have found that, through the numerous e-zines, riotgrrl communties etc on the internet, there are still plenty of girls and women who have that way of thinking.
So, this song is all about getting those girls back into action and fighting for their rights. I'll join you Kathleen! Hurrah! |
submissions
| Jack Off Jill – Swollen Lyrics
| 21 years ago
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Okay, perhaps I am way off here - but I always assumned that this song was about her performing oral sex on a boyfriend. She really does not want to do it, but it makes him feel like a 'big man' ("Or do you still think you are so much bigger than me?")
Also, I think that the lines -
"I let out the freak
for all to see
And she won't let you think that you're
so much better than me"
- is her saying that she has found a girl (labelled a ‘freak’ by society for being a lesbian), who treats her with respect and who gives her pleasure (instead of her having to always give the man pleasure and get none in return.)
Maybe I'm all wrong, but it's just that several phrases really make me think the lyrics are of a rather sexual nature - "chew toy head", "stretch out your face", "Circus sideshow freak grows bigger and bigger" and the ‘swollen lips’. |
submissions
| Jack Off Jill – Girlscout Lyrics
| 21 years ago
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I agree with 'vapid' - I also imagined the ‘Girlscout’ to be a groupie. Girl scouts are typically innocent young girls and groupies/fanatics are typically young girls who are seemingly innocent and perhaps society thinks they 'should' be girl scouts instead.
I think that the person who's perspective the lyrics are based upon (be that Jessicka herself or another 'rock-star', or perhaps Jessicka is the girl scout herself?) treats the girl badly and with little respect, but the girl still seems to love them.
The person sees that the groupie really loves them but, instead of letting them down gently, they hurt them more in an attempt to drive them away ("Will you love me any less if I hurt you any more ?")
They claim that the endless rounds of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, have 'dehumanized' their heart and that all they want to do is 'fuck what I want'. But really, they are human deep inside and only claim to be dehumanized because of the status they have been given.
Also, to me, the lines - "Kissed by a star, kissed by a star. Hurt by a star, fucked by a star" are the rock-star's admittal of being hurt by the groupie and that the careless front they put on is a direct result of how the groupie makes them feel. They are saying that the groupie has had her moment of glory and 'fucked a star' and that now she should just leave as she has ‘served her purpose'.
The more you look into these lyrics, the more intersting the whole situation becomes and it really makes you think about the true feelings between ‘rock stars’ and their ‘groupies’. |
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