| Elliott Smith – Christian Brothers Lyrics | 9 years ago |
| Same in Australia. I immediately thought that this song, and Abused, are probably about sexual abuse of children by priests/clergy members. | |
| R.E.M. – Mine Smell Like Honey Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| Sounds like he's referring to someone who is maybe too proud of their own accomplishments; someone who has do things first, better or different than everybody else. Even if it all goes wrong, they will still insist their way is the best way, and that the "fruit" of their own endeavours - or their own children - can do no wrong. | |
| R.E.M. – Wolves Lower Lyrics | 10 years ago |
| Totally agree with this interpretation. Closeted gay guys are said to be operating on the "down low" when trying to pick up other men. Also in a later REM song "Low" (a song which is clearly about romantic lust/sex in the absence of love) Stipe repeats the word "low, low, low" in conjunction with the line "howling at the moon". What animal howls at the moon but a wolf? | |
| R.E.M. – Chance Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| I agree with Avacyn completely. Chance details a series of supposed "chance meetings" that lead to an on-going romance of sorts, or at least a number of hook-ups. Avacyn is right again, when he/she says the couple live close to one another, or are staying in nearby hotels while in town temporarily. There is subtle humour in this tale, as well as a sense of urgency in the narrator's passion for the other person. | |
| The Cure – From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea charts the narrator's history of chronic infidelity - and the subsequent feelings of guilt, regret, shame and fear of losing the love of his life due to his own indiscretions. The very personal lyrics appear to be torn directly from the heart of Robert Smith, or at least a character like him: a man who, although in a committed relationship with one woman, nevertheless faces (and often succumbs to) temptation in the form of sexual overtures by other women. Though he tried to convince himself that these dalliances mean something to him, the last few lines makes it clear that they really don't. Long periods away from his true love (on the road touring, perhaps?) appear to be the indirect cause of his cheating ways, but no matter how he justifies his actions in his own head or how convincingly he deceives his lover/s, guilt and shame eat away at his heart, which belongs to one woman alone. |
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| The Cure – From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Robert and Mary are still together. However I agree that most of the songs on Wish are VERY personal as they concern the fallout from Smith's alcholism/substance abuse and the pressures of fame - including sexual temptation on the road, difficulties maintaining a long-term relationship and feelings of disenchantment with the music industry, and alienation from his audience etc.) | |
| Radiohead – Give Up the Ghost Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Having seen enough of this world and its various ills, Thom/the singer is ready to "give up the ghost" - in other words, he is finally willing to surrender his spirit unto a higher power (God, nature/earth). He realises that, as a human being, he can only try his best to aid the plight of the "lost" and "pitiful" of this world, but ultimately his efforts will have little impact as only the Creator/higher power can do "what is impossible". |
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| Radiohead – Codex Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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You just nailed it - good job! |
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| Radiohead – Cut a Hole Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Yes, I also thought of that book as soon as I heard the words. |
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| Radiohead – The Present Tense Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Oh my God - who ARE you? Not implying that YOU are God by that comment ;) ...it's just that you managed to articulate my own interpretation of this song exactly! | |
| Atoms for Peace – Judge, Jury and Executioner Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| What's more, the line "I tell it like it is / tell it like it was" is reminiscent of the description of an Omniscient Deity who "is, was, and ever shall be". | |
| Atoms for Peace – Judge, Jury and Executioner Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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These lyrics are all wrong. Pretty sure the correct lyrics are: "and twisted vespers" not "your twisted whispers"... and "all spiced and scented" rather than "all spies deceptive". Regardless, I think this song pertains to the Apocalyptic prophecy found in the Book of Revelation. In this story, the exiled St John encounters God while walking on the island of Patmos, who shares various visions and knowledge of how things will transpire on earth during the End Times ("and darkness follows / and no tomorrows") This chapter directly refers to a "horned reptile" who (after being cast out of heaven) "crawls across the earth" persecuting a woman who escapes into the desert. It also speaks of false prophets who "talk in layers" (convincing double-talk). In this song, the singer "just can't talk or reason with my executioner" because "it's all been decided" (ie: the Judge, Jury and Executioner is God, who has already decided how and when things will all end.) |
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| Atoms for Peace – Reverse Running Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Something to do with non-conformity perhaps? Doing the unexpected, reversing the patterns of a lifetime... trying to UNcomplicate life and find a simpler way to live. While everyone else is doing the same old thing ("while you all lie down"), while thinking they are being so cutting edge and original (imagine the video for Just)... the singer chooses to go against the grain, and this energises and inspires him. At the same time he recognises there can be dangers for those who veer off the well-lit path. |
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| Atoms for Peace – Default Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Woman* And no, I meant facetitious* in my earlier comment... I wrongly assumed you must having a laugh with your interpretation, so pease forgive. me. I DO believe that's what you heard in Lotus Flower though, haha. Thom is notoriously inarticulate sometimes - intentionally or otherwise - and for my part I thought the opening line of Feral was: "You there... get up off your arse." :D |
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| Atoms for Peace – Stuck Together Pieces Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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The lines "grown up together pieces / our stuck together pieces" makes me think this song could be about Thom's relationship with anyone who has lived and worked alongside him for many years (ex: long-term romantic partner or bandmates). The song may even be some sort of oblique commentary on the nature of "self" (ego/super-ego/id) and how he views himself as a broken shell of a man that has been expertly glued together so the cracks aren't immediately obvious to others ("you can hardly tell the difference / well I know, but I don't care"). Moreover - and similarly to many other songs on the album - Stuck Together Pieces speaks to the choices people make in life, and their consequences in the long-term. |
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| Atoms for Peace – Ingenue Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I believe it's significant that Thom mentions a "bell jar" in this song, because in Sylvia Plath's famous novel of the same name, the bell jar was symbolic of the main character's sense of alienation. This woman, "Esther Greenwood" was more or less an alter-ego of the author's - a virginal young writer (an "ingenue" in other words) who suffered from depression and was plagued by feelings of dissociation and an inability to fit into the socially-acceptable roles prescribed for women of her day. What's more, I think the Bell Jar reference (alienation, insanity) alludes to the breakdown Thom suffered post- OK Computer and his manic-depressive tendencies in general. In the song Ingenue, the singer blames himself for allowing various distractors and demons to torment him, while simultaneously recognising that he alone has the power to get himself out of the (emotional) mess he's in - a minor revelation of sorts, and one that offers hope that the power to trump his demons rests within his own hands these days. |
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| Atoms for Peace – Amok Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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This could be Thom's mantra against over-thinking. Kill all thought! A constant stream of information, intrusive thoughts and ideas compete with each other and stymie action. Analysing and second-guessing only serve to distract one's self from actually doing - instead, we should act on instinct more often and do what feels right and natural. Then again, this song could be written from the pov of a romantic partner who fears being left or forgotten by their lover ("a penny for your thoughts my love / they court disaster" & later "you'll forget me... tying round pieces of string"). |
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| Atoms for Peace – Before Your Very Eyes... Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I think he means that "sooner or later" all things will pass, and it'll happen "before your very eyes". Youth is soon frittered away... love lost... we grow old and die...the end of the world may soon be upon us, etc. His warning to the listener (or his younger self) is: don't waste a moment or you will be filled with regret for those things you didn't do. Doesn't matter so much if you f*ck up, because we're human and everybody makes mistakes... that's where "book of forgiveness" comes into play. |
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| Atoms for Peace – Before Your Very Eyes... Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Second part should be: "You are/were young and good-looking / the keys to the kingdom". |
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| Atoms for Peace – Default Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| I tend to agree, except it could also be from the married person's pov. | |
| Atoms for Peace – Default Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Your amusing (and facetitious, I'm assuming?) interpretation would be almost convincing... except the actual lyric is "snares and my nets" not "snakes on my head". | |
| Radiohead – Kid A Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I might be wrong, but I think the lyrics of this song refer to Thom's increasing sense (post- OKC mega-success) that he is somehow a fraud - albeit, a scarily influential fraud. The line "we've got heads on sticks" refers to Radiohead suddenly being perceived as "the voice of a generation" (or similarly, as mere puppets/talking heads of the music industry) - while the line "you've got ventriloquists" accuses the music media of putting words in Thom's (and the other band members' mouths) in order to cement an image of him as a melancholic (possibly doomed) prophet of rock - ie: the next Kurt Cobain. In the song, Thom himself recognises that this is a false image, built on the (mis)interpretation of his lyrics/personality and the band's collective intent. In the darkly humorous (or ominous, depending on your take) last line, Thom cajoles the "rats and the children" to follow him out of town ("c'mon kids"), aware that many people (music journos, fans?) may eventually feel as if they'd been lead astray or deceived by the band they'd previously seen as the "saviours of rock" when they encounter the new musical direction taken on Kid A, the album. |
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| Fleetwood Mac – Beautiful Child Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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This lyric in particular - "*you* are a beautiful child / and *I* am a fool once more" - seems to indicate that Stevie is singing about somebody *other* than herself when addressing the titular "beautiful child" - somebody she is hopelessly in love with. Given the word "child" it's likely that the object of her love may be somewhat younger than herself (although later in the song she also refers to herself as having been a child when they first met - ie: "I'm not a child anymore"). It is well known that Stevie has long held a torch for her ex-partner, Lindsey Buckingham - whom she first met as a teenager - so my best guess is that this song is about their complicated relationship. But I concede we may never know for sure unless Ms Nicks spills the beans. Whoever he is, this "beautiful child" provided inspiration for one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful songs in the Fleetwood Mac catalogue. |
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| Nirvana – Come As You Are Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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* Heroin (not heroine) - unless you intend to inject yourself with a female hero! * Addictive (not addicting) Now... spell troll for me. |
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| Nirvana – Come As You Are Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Kurt, not Curt. | |
| Nirvana – Come As You Are Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Interesting you should say this, because I was prompted to search this song's meaning just now after reading the phrase "Come As You Are" in a Catholic religious tract! I had to check it out to see if there was any connection. I know Kurt wasn't traditionally religious, but he was raised for a time by a Born Again Christian family after his family split, and he apparently believed in God in some form and used to pray regularly (according to Courtney). | |
| Nirvana – Come As You Are Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| Did you ever think that maybe the crowd didn't scream "yeahhh!" like maniacs during All Apologies because such a reaction doesn't suit the tone of the song?! I hate how there's always a handful of wankers who have to holler and whistle loudly whenever bands try to play their quiet, emotion-laden songs in concert, because it's SO damned disrespectful to the artist! Therefore, the fans who listen quietly to the quiet songs are NOT "denying emotion" like you say - on the contrary, they're the ones who actually understand the meaning the artist intended. | |
| R.E.M. – Undertow Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| *narrator | |
| R.E.M. – Undertow Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| Michael Stipe himself described this song as one of his many "point of death" songs. In Undertow's case, the narrative appears to be giving in to death - or at least not fighting for his own life. In addition he seems - if not exactly despairing - at least rather blase and accepting, even numb, at the prospect of his own demise (possibly a suicide?) and believes nothing will come afterwards, in terms of an afterlife. But he seems okay with this, or maybe he has moved beyond the ability to feel any hope in existence of any kind. | |
| The Temper Trap – Rabbit Hole Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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A really good interpretation TomParker ^ I agree it's about the myriad evils being played out across our world right now. Few can clearly perceive Truth through the hazy filter of deception, outright lies and distractions created by the Powers That Be (politicans, big business, media) and their allied forces of mischief (pop culture that breeds low self esteem and a life of shallow consumerism... and acts of violence, oppression, discrimination and intolerance against others.) This song is one of defiance against a corrupt system. The narrator is saying that even if others cannot see the truth of the world, or won't admit it ("I don't want to be the only one around here") HE knows right from wrong and will stand up for what is right till the very end. But at the same time, he warns that these forces of evil are not to be messed with... they will attempt to repress our freedom of speech, and will hunt down those who rebel against them. The lyrics convey a rather disturbing, bleak world view - albeit, probably an accurate one - describing the lengths some people/groups will go to achieve and maintain their positions of power. But in my opinion it also conveys a sense of the narrator's strength, in that he refuses to be silenced and will not take this oppression and ill-treatment lying down, but will speak out against corruption - even if it means giving his life in the process. |
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| Pearl Jam – Go Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| Having descontructed this song further, it is reminiscent of being caught in the crossfire of an argument between a volatile couple; perhaps two lovers, authoritative parent and child, or just close friends. The lyrics seem to alternative between bitter accusations and finger-pointing, to threats of violence, and desperate pleading with the other person not to leave or do anything stupid. | |
| Pearl Jam – Given to Fly Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Yay! Finally, someone who gets it. It IS about a lot of things, including surfing. However, I DO think EdVed deliberately used religious/Jesus metaphors as a lyrical device, though I know he's a devout atheist, hehe. |
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| Pearl Jam – Given to Fly Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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The songs you mention condemn the religious Right, racist macho males and gun culture attitudes - not God per se. Even though Eddie IS a confirmed atheist and tends to denounce organised religion and fanaticism in his lyrics, he also often utilises religious symbolism/references in his songs - metaphorically. Given to Fly is one of those. |
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| Pearl Jam – All or None Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I think that narrator is singing about old flame, who he was deeply in love with for the longest time. For some reason, they parted. Now, however much he tries to get on with his life, he has to admit he still has residual feelings for his ex-lover whom he hasn't quite managed to get over. He is emotionally conflicted; unsure whether he wants her back or not, or indeed if she still feels something for him. (It's a hopeless situation / and i'm starting to believe / that this hopeless situation is what i'm trying to achieve" ... "Here's the selfless confession / leading me back to war / can we help that our destinations are the ones we've been before?") The ex may or may not be leading him on, or perhaps there is a new lover in the picture... whatever the case, the narrator knows he needs to make a choice one way or the other or he'll never be able to move forward or regain peace of mind ("I still try to run on / but it's all or none.") |
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| Pearl Jam – Whipping Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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This song speaks about a form of "moral protectionist" attitude among conservatives - the Christian Right in particular I believe. The sort of attitude that distrusts the ability of young people - indeed ppl of ANY age - to make their own informed choices on a range of matters, not only abortion. (ie: protect me from myself) Eddie is railing against the idea that anyone ELSE feels justified in making moral decisions on his behalf. The lyrics hint that even though he may choose "wrong" or make a mistake and get hurt, it's still HIS mistake to make. |
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| Eddie Vedder – Sleeping By Myself Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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If these lyrics are autobiographical, as I suspect, it saddens me to contemplate the pain and disillusionment Eddie must have experienced as this relationship imploded. Though I suppose most of us have been there at some point, it's never easy to get over a great love. |
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| Pearl Jam – Corduroy Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I think he means he misses those simpler days when he was anonymous and had to pay his own way like everyday people. Because, after PJ hit the big-time, he no longer had to buy anything for himself as record companies and TV/radio stations plied the band with all kinds of freebies - only Eddie could see through this calculated attempt to suck up to rock's 'new sensation' and was loathe to accept such preferential 'star treatment'. |
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| Pearl Jam – Breakerfall Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| Funny, I was just coming on here to say the same thing - only 7 years later. ;) | |
| Pearl Jam – Rearviewmirror Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Yep, as many others have said, this song is about finally escaping from a violent/abusive domestic situation. As with Daughter, I've always imagined RVM being sung from a female perspective - possibly the same 'character' who has grown up only to become a battered wife in an abusive relationship. It may also be vaguely related to the narrator of Better Man. Anyhow, regardless of whether or not this song is strictly autobiographical, the message reflects Eddie Vedder's own troubled home life, his eventual 'emancipation', and the feelings of relief and freedom that came with getting away from that situation. |
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| Pearl Jam – Rearviewmirror Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| You're absolutely right about WMA being the song about racism and police brutality. | |
| Pearl Jam – Not for You Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| So... you done now? ;) | |
| Pearl Jam – No Way Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I used to wonder about the meaning of this song, as most of the lyrics sound like the polar opposite of Eddie Vedder's well-publicised social consciousness and activism. I thought either Ed might be second-guessing his (very public) stance on certain issues, or else being semi-sarcastic and self-effacing... Then I discovered that these lyrics were actually written by Stone Gossard, which obviously puts a completely different slant on the meaning. IMO, Stone was likely writing from his own perspective on being in a band that often seemed like it was trying to change the world. In public at least, the band appeared united on the issues of anti-corporatism and political reform (everyone remember the Ticketmaster shit-storm?) however No Way's lyrics seem to posit a 'counterpoint' to that position. It's possible Stone had grown weary of 'fighting the good fight' and just wanted Ed and the band to focus on the music for once. |
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| Pearl Jam – Nothingman Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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To me, this song is like Eddie's (and Jeff's) version of John Lennon's "Nowhere Man" - except even sadder and more regretful. For one thing, the titles are similar and the lyrics even employ a Lennonesque play-on-words ("Isn't it something? Nothingman.") Like some other interpretations here, my immediate thought upon listening to this song back in the day was that it and Betterman were two sides of the same coin: a dead relationship described from the perspective of the wife who can't/won't leave (Better Man) and the husband/man long after the relationship ended and he belatedly realises he is left with nothing worthwhile (Nothingman). Moreover I always suspected this one might've been written from the POV of Eddie's detested step-father - but now realise it's just as likely a song of SELF-loathing and regret along the lines of another great PJ song, I Got Sh*t. |
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| Pearl Jam – Fatal Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I agree tytdpwr above, in that I think the narrator is a man who has discovered his wife has been having an affair. The wife has assured him it is over with the other guy, but he is having difficulty trusting her again and moving forward with the relationship ("is he truly out of mind? / if he's truly out of sight"). The narrator/husband wants to put the incident behind him, but keeps turning it over in his mind ("how good is he?" / "I wake up and wait up"). Eventually he concludes that "the answers are fatal" - implying that he has realised there is no hope for their marriage. |
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| Pearl Jam – Black Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Oh, and I also meant to say - the lyrics "I know she gave me all that she wore" and "I'm surrounded by some kids at play / I can hear their laughter / so why do I sear?" fit with the above scenario. If this girl really DID give Eddie her scarf for him to remember her by while she was away, and she later broke up with him during his senior year at school, then the lyrics all point to the possibility that she is "the" lost love Eddie wrote the song about. |
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| Pearl Jam – Black Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Rumours abound that Black might be about Eddie's high-school sweetheart Liz Gumble. EdVed himself has claimed it is a "true story"; one that he relives every time he sings the song live. Check out the below quote, taken directly from a 1996 Rolling Stone article: "He was just a wonderful actor, really exceptional," says a former drama classmate (of Vedder, then known as Eddie Mueller). "His idol was Dustin Hoffman." In Mueller's junior year, he was cast in a school play with Liz Gumble, a student one grade behind him. The two began dating, in March 1981, and became, by all accounts, inseparable. When Gumble went away for a brief vacation with her family, Mueller expressed his grief with typical theatricality. "He wore her scarf wrapped around his neck every day till she came back," says a classmate. But if Eddie Mueller's high school years were less fraught with misery than the singer has claimed, there is little doubt that he did suffer an emotional blow in his senior year when Liz Gumble broke up with him. Friends recall that Vedder was inconsolable after the breakup. "Things fell apart for him in senior year," says a friend "He dropped out of the theater production, and someone else had to take over, so I know it had to have been serious, because he took the theater really seriously." Mueller left San Dieguito High shortly before graduation and moved back to the Chicago area to be with his family. He eventually completed his high school equivalency degree. It was also around this time that "Little Eddie Mueller," perhaps in a gesture of emancipation from his stepfather, took his mother's maiden name and became Eddie Vedder |
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| Pearl Jam – All Those Yesterdays Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I think Stone might've written this one about Mike McCready. The two were childhood friends long before Mike joined PJ. But a few years after the band made it big, Mike went through a tough time with health problems and addiction to pills and booze. According to interviews I've seen, MM distanced himself emotionally from the other band members for a while, which could be reflected by these lyrics: What are you running from? Taking pills to get along. Creating walls to call your own. So no one catches you drifting off and doing all the things that we all do. |
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| Pearl Jam – Porch Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I think the titular "Porch" refers to Middle America: the kind of dutiful, patriotic flag-hoisting folk who sit on their front porch and watch the world decline, but who never actively protest, or seek to enable positive change. They blindly accept what they're told by government (or like to complain about moral decay) but don't personally DO anything about it. When Eddie sings "left the porch / hear my name / take a good look / this could be the day" he's proclaiming his intentions to be a political activist, rather than a passive observer. |
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| Pearl Jam – Porch Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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At LAST - someone who can think and reason! I think the titular "Porch" refers to Middle America: the kind of dutiful, patriotic flag-hoisting folk who sit on their front porch and watch the world decline, but who never actively protest, or seek to enable positive change. They blindly accept what they're told by government (or like to complain about moral decay) but don't personally DO anything about it. When Eddie sings "left the porch / hear my name / take a good look / this could be the day" he's proclaiming his intentions to be a political activist, rather than a passive observer. |
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| Pearl Jam – Light Years Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I too think this song references Kurt's influence on the 'grunge' scene and PJ/Eddie's career in particular. The lyrics seem to express regret that so much energy was put into whatever dfferences existed between them (ie: silly feud) instead of joining forces to make the most of all the things they had in common. But now that Kurt (the scene's shining light) is long gone, that opportunity is gone forever. I believe this may be ONE meaning behind this song... but there may be OTHERS too, as the lyrics also seem to pertain to the breakdown of Ed's marriage, and sorrow over their lost love. |
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