submissions
| Amanda Palmer – Oasis Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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Yes, I meant someone from Bavaria, not a cream puff.
But listening again, I think I was wrong. A shame, too - it was kind of a funny image. |
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| Sublime – Guava Jelly/This Train (Marley Medly) Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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"The stone that the builder refused" is a reference to Psalms 118:22. So yes, it's biblical, but I highly doubt "Jesus [was] referring to himself," as Psalms is part of the Old Testament, and the saying was likely first written down at least 500 years before he was born.
Also, a parable is usually a short story, not a single phrase.
Great song, by the way. :) |
submissions
| Amanda Palmer – Oasis Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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"and it isnt my fault
that the barbarian raped me"
I was pretty sure it was "the Bavarian raped me."
But I just started listening this week, so I could be mistaken. |
submissions
| Dead Kennedys – We've Got A Bigger Problem Now Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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Don't forget Grenada, Iran-Contra, the War on Drugs, his unwillingness to address the AIDS crisis...of course all that was after this was recorded, so I guess Biafra is being particularly prophetic here...or maybe he could just see the writing on the wall. I don't know; I was only a baby and hence too young to vote. :(
I love In God We Trust, Inc. in general - a very quick, very brutal attack on the wrong turn our country took in the 1980 election. |
submissions
| Dead Kennedys – California Über Alles Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I think the intent is simply to mock Brown for even attempting the presidency. The idea that someone with such kooky, hip ideas (if I'm not mistaken, Brown was the "Zen economics governor who got most of his ideas from Bucky Fuller) could or should be the leader of what Biafra views as a vicious, totalitarian government is kind of laughable - and the juxtaposition of typical tactics of control and Brown's "mellow," "cool" governing style is funny and a little creepy.
For the record, there are at least three versions of this song: the one here, with Jerry Brown as the fascist figure, "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now" from In God We Trust, Inc (Reagan is the "Bigger Problem" in that song), and the aforementioned "California Uber Alles 21st Century," which is recorded on Sieg Howdy! Schwartzenegger is the baddy in the most recent version, which is simply hilarious.
As for this song being based on Orwell: I don't think it's derived from 1984 more than any other DK song. I've always been of the opinion that the entire DK project is based on Orwell's writings - in any case, he's a huge influence on the lyrics. |
submissions
| Talking Heads – (Nothing But) Flowers Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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"but the truth of the matter is, if one day everyone collectively decided to get rid of all the things so common in our times now, we'd be completely lost. No quick meals to make, no cars to get places quicker, no videogames or television to pass the time."
Speak for yourself. I've nothing against insulin, but I've always found myself angry with the narrator here. The technique definitely seems to be irony - there's a sense of a bucolic pastoral paradise, but the narrator is whining about 7-11s and microwaves. Please - I never use a microwave if I can help it, and Pizza Hut makes me sick. We can get by without these things.
Remember that this was recorded in 1988, when environmentalists were still looked at as a lunatic fringe (I hope I don't need to remind you who got elected that year), so I don't think it's a stretch to say that this song is a stab at people who held views similar to this guy who prefers factories to mountains and rivers...
Definitely a thought-provoking song, in any case. |
submissions
| Ani DiFranco – Self Evident Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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jess-ka: She's referring to the first time radicals attacked the WTC. I think it was about 1994, someone parked a bomb in the parking garage...anyway, it didn't work. Their demands were pretty much the same - troops out of Saudia Arabia, etc - we simply ignored them... |
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| Ani DiFranco – Evolve Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I don't think it has anything to do with "how people talk when on reefer." It's an example of how governments extend their boundaries artifically over nature, which has its own set of laws and designs.
Calling this "stoner philosophy" is a bit ridiculous. It's a perfectly logical position - the United States government wastes taxpayer money "locking our sons and our daughters in cages" in an attempt to wipe out a mild narcotic that occurs naturally.
This verse ties in w/the philosophy of the song. "She navigates fine by the moon/but get her 'round a light bulb and she's doomed." This seems to make a libertarian/anarchist stance against government bodies, which - if we pay attention to how everything is naturally designed, attuned, and unified - are largely unnecessary. Basically, she says: your leaders are leading you astray. Take the time to evolve and see how everything works out and you'll be less anxious and nuerotic. The way our government has dealt with (or failed to deal with) marijuana legislation is a great example. |
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| All – World's On Heroin Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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This goes through my head everytime I have to deal with pointless beuracracy, unhelpful civil servants, and general idiocy. It's a classic. |
submissions
| NOFX – We Got Two Jealous Agains Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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jb2uk - yes by Devo. Classic album.
Nice job placing a lot of these; all this stuff is way before my time, and I hadn't heard but Freedom of Choice and Damaged when this song came out a few years ago...since then I've expanded my classic punk library, but a lot of this stuff is hard to find nowadays...:(
Anyway, I love this song, because the references are amusing and I love the premise. Reminds me of moving in with my girlfriend and sorting through our records & books, laughing with recognition over what we both had a copy of...good times.
One of the last good NOFX songs...Wolves in Wolves' Clothing was so disappointing... |
submissions
| Le Tigre – Nanny Nanny Boo Boo Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I'm not sure, but I believe it's a term referring to a process used in either sampling audio or recording & editing video.
It seems to me that this song is about both their image as lesbians and feminists and their artistic approach as musicians...both seem to befuddle closed-minded people. That's what I get out of "I guess this shit is too new," anyway. |
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| Le Tigre – Viz Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Seems to me to be about how many people see visibililty as showing off while it's really a serious sociopolitical stance and an important part of the movement. |
submissions
| The Dresden Dolls – Sex Changes Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Excellent work on the Macbeth analysis, hesterprynne...I would add that Lady Macbeth quite actively subverts her role as a mother figure in quite graphic terms:
"I have given suck...I would, while it was smiling in my face/Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums/And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn..." (I.vii)
*shudder*
That fits in well with all the abortion references flying around... |
submissions
| The Smiths – Death of a Disco Dancer Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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My first interpretation was that it referred to homophobic violence, but that's probably because I came of age in the aftermath of Matthew Shepard...given the historical context, the AIDS reference is more likely. |
submissions
| Bauhaus – Who Killed Mr. Moonlight? Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Not just goth rock, but the post-Romantic/Surrealist approach to art in general...the moon, in occult tradition (or even just in poetic tradition) is a symbol of inspiration; moonlight promises the unveiling of mysteries. |
submissions
| The Beatles – Run for Your Life Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I can see why John regretted writing it. This is one of the more problematic songs on Rubber Soul. There seems to be a theme running through the love songs on the album - they're less poppy and more cerebral, adding analysis to what was previously goofy lyrical love. Most of the other songs - "Think For Yourself," "I'm Looking Through You," "Girl" - take the moral high road, however, while this one is actually masochistic. At least Lennon's later "Jealous Guy" inspires a bit more sympathy. Catchy tune, but I don't care for the lyrics.
On a side note - on the Rubber Soul tribute album released last year, the Cowboy Junkies cover this song, flipping the gender roles. It's interesting. |
submissions
| The Beatles – Girl Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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The first time I heard this song (way back in high school), the sucking sound immediately reminded me of someone hitting a joint. It even seemed kind of out of place in the song, so I wondered. Maybe handsdown4dbeatles is right, though. |
submissions
| The Beatles – I Am the Walrus Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I think the idea that the song is deliberately meaningless makes the song more meaningful. Combined with the later reference in "Glass Onion," it is one of the most postmodern Beatles songs. Dada meets pop music...eerie. |
submissions
| They Might Be Giants – Youth Culture Killed My Dog Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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You have to remember this song was released in 1986, when "Hip-Hop" and "White Funk" represented relatively radical realignments of our pop-culture paradigm. The dog seems a very powerful metaphor, someone with a very simple mind who can't process all this new input, and apparently drops dead because of it.
Could the doggie be a symbol for the conservative backlash against the music industry? 1986 was, if I remember correctly, the year that the Dead Kennedys were sued by the government for "distribution of pornography" over the H. R. Giger insert in "Frankenchrist." It was around this time that 2 Live Crew went on trial, although that may have been later. |
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| They Might Be Giants – Exquisite Dead Guy Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I could be mistaken, but I believe "exquisite corpse" started as a Dada experiment. My poetry group does it once in a while. I thought of that when I read the title, but I can't see how it connects to the song. |
submissions
| Ani DiFranco – Serpentine Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I love how it goes back and forth between someone who's distressed over an estranged lover and a tirade about where our society's at, but managing to portray the same feeling of alienation in both threads of the narrative. |
submissions
| Ani DiFranco – Fire Door Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Great song. I love how Ani can sell an image with just a few well-placed words: "I opened the fire door to four lips, none of which were mine, kissing." Every thing you need to know, right there. The rest is wonderfully stark imagery trying to capture the pain and anxiety of that moment. |
submissions
| Ani DiFranco – Blood in the Boardroom Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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One of Ani's most powerful song. I love the juxtaposition of the imagery, and the rallying cry: "I can make life; I can make breath." Check out the video, too. |
submissions
| The Dresden Dolls – Sex Changes Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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It's the first track on "Yes, Virginia," release date April 18th.
My immediate interpretation was of a man undergoing a sex change (I think the line is "chop your cock off," could be wrong) and later regretting it. Maybe I've just been listening to Hedwig too much lately... |
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| The Dresden Dolls – Mrs. O. Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Mrs. O is obviously a schoolteacher, one who taught that the holocaust never happened. The interesting thing about the song is that it ironically salutes Mrs. O, wondering "will you leave us hanging now that you are old?" Don't we wish we could be fooled so easily now that we see how the world really is?
I think the "yes, Virginia" line ties it together well. Most of us seem to grudgingly agree that it's okay to tell children appealing lies, making the world seem a better place. But where does it end? |
submissions
| The Dresden Dolls – First Orgasm Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I love Palmer's breakup songs. The lyrics are so witty that it gives a really fresh look at an overused topic. "I'm taking matters into my own hands..." tee-hee. |
submissions
| Beck – Get Real Paid Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Most of the lyrics on Midnite Vultures defy analyzation, probably because it's his disco album, and the lyrics are subservient to the music itself. Regardless, there seems to be imagery here of a futuristic high society, where everybody's prosperous and free to be hedonistic. |
submissions
| Ani DiFranco – The Diner Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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This seems like a last attempt to save a relationship - a relationship that the speaker isn't sure she wants to save, but she's getting desperate. There's something vital there that's as ineffable as the steam rising off the coffee. Love the vocal effects, too; they really add to the feeling of isolation. |
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| Ani DiFranco – Parameters Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I don't really get rape out of this...the "strange man" seems to represent a sudden realization that the speaker has lost her way...maybe she had great hopes and lots of passion when she was young; now she is getting older and is isolated and lonely and realizes that somewhere along the way someone "turned the channels" on her dreams...maybe the man is a sense of dread that looms over her that she decides to ignore...he seems to be more metaphorical, at any rate... |
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| Ani DiFranco – Lag Time Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I believe the second line is supposed to read "something gets dropped and still"
It's a take on the "three-second" rule only half-jokingly followed in some food-service jobs: anything dropped on the floor is good if you pick it up in three seconds. The speaker being too slow to react seems to be a handy metaphor for coming to self-understanding too late to clean up your mistakes. |
submissions
| Dead Kennedys – Stars And Stripes Of Corruption Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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This is my Flag Day song. It always bothered me that people put so much store in something like a flag, which is only a symbol that means different things to different people. I thought the sentiment was quintessentially 80s until the recent spike in jingoism. And with the recent fad of anti-flag-burning ammendments, this song is once again on all my playlists. What's wrong with these people? A flag isn't freedom, it isn't equality, and it isn't justice. It's just a piece of cloth with some stars and stripes on it - a symbol that makes some people sentimental and makes others quake in fear. It all depends on where you stand. Want the world to believe we mean well? Put down your flags and start saying something sincere. |
submissions
| They Might Be Giants – No One Knows My Plan Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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The speaker suffers from social anxiety and has retreated into obessively planning his revenge on people. Above all, he is lonely and confused - I love the garbled Plato reference. |
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| They Might Be Giants – Alienation's For The Rich Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I think this is an intriguing song - the speaker seems to be someone rather unsophisticated who doesn't understand modern culture (TV in Esperanto, son in art school) but doesn't have the time to spend feeling alienated...there's something almost Satre-esque about it. |
submissions
| They Might Be Giants – (Untitled) Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Brilliant. Still funny after all these years. TMBG poking fun at how obscure they are - the funny part is this was recording long before they developed the huge cult following they have today. |
submissions
| They Might Be Giants – Purple Toupee Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I think the lyrics in this song are ingenious. The speaker seems to be a Boomer who sold out in the eighties and isn't really clear on what his generation was all about. I love the befuddled understatements referring to life-shattering events ("Martin X was mad," "Chinese people were fighting," etc). My favorite is the Kennedy line: "Someone put their finger in the president's ear..." I get the mental picture of Oswald playing a child's game with a thumb and index finger: "bang, you're dead." |
submissions
| They Might Be Giants – Lazyhead & Sleepybones Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I love this song. It really hits at the center of the hodgepodge that is most philisophical battles. Republicans and Democrats, Christians and Wiccans, Socialists and Capitalists - almost any dialectical pair you can think of - are always at each other throats when if you step back and think about it they're saying the same thing. Clever song. |
submissions
| L7 – Wargasm Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I keep returning to songs like this one whenever someone calls me a loony liberal for being opposed to Persian Gulf II. It was pretty obvious what was going on back then; nothing much has changed... |
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