| Warren Zevon – Tule's Blues Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| The phrase "running down calliope" refers to an instrument that sends a gas through locomotive whistles to produce music. According to Wikipedia, they are almost impossible to tune accurately. It's an intelligent reference, but I had trouble finding out what the hell the phrase meant. So I figured I would put that information here in case anyone else didn't have any idea what Warren was talking about. | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[aj4Canada:14973] -- And if you want to know why I say the song has nothing to do with NAFTA: well, its because the song was written and recorded BEFORE NAFTA EVEN HAPPENED. The song was released in 1989. NAFTA was approved in 1993, and went into force in January 1994. So you see, there is no way this song has ANYTHING to do with NAFTA. Your post is just ridiculous overthinking and retroactive assignment of meaning on your part. | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[hip49:14972] -- Gord's intros are usually jokes, and that's the case here as well. Also, the bombing of Pearl Harbor happened in 1941. The fact that you believe it happened in 1955 is kind of hilarious and depressing all at once. | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @...and i melt -- Actually, I was wrong. Blue_Man has a pretty good interpretation of what that reference means. | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[snapdragon:14971] -- Otherwise, I agree with your comment. | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[snapdragon:14970] -- I don't think he wants to "go down with it," considering that he says he doesn't want to swim. | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[OpinionHead:14969] -- I just saw your other comment explaining this one. And I still don't like this post whatsoever. Its just a bad joke, dude. And its easy to misinterpret this post too, because it just seems like you're saying, "LOLZ, dis song is about HURRICANE KATRINA." | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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@[aj4Canada:14968] -- Are you really saying this song's about NAFTA? What the actual hell? It has nothing to do with that. You are thinking WAAAAY too deeply here. Also, the line is, "You can't tie yourself up for a DEAL." Not steal, DEAL. |
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| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[Dropkick_Rover:14967] -- Well that diatribe had nothing to do with anything. Good job typing up all that gibberish, though. | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[OpinionHead:14966] -- What the hell does "vocally retarded" even mean? And no, your "joke" wasn't funny in the slightest. Once again, you are an idiot. | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[OpinionHead:14965] -- Now, if you had said something similar to katerxdaisy, I would've agreed with you. But what you're saying is just completely wrong. | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| Interesting interpretation, but not much of an explanation on your part. | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[OpinionHead:14964] -- Except this song was released in 1989. So there's no way its about Hurricane Katrina's 2005 devastation of New Orleans. Idiot. | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @...and i melt -- Just a joke on Gord's part. Nothing to really interpret there. | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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@[hoodoovoodoo:14962] -- Nice job upvoting your own comment. I downvoted to even it out again. Don't get me wrong, I like the way you attempt to explain the lyrics via cultural context. But the lyrics aren't wrong here. And your explanation hinges on them being wrong. Meaning that, even if there's a grain of relevancy to your explanation (and I truly think there is), it is ultimately a little erroneous in its ultra-focus on, "Burning blue," and, "Cleaning up modern New Orleans." In short, don't upvote your own comment next time, and listen more closely to the lyrics. |
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| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[Hagar_the_Horrible:14961] -- And I believe you're completely wrong on that. | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[hiplover:14960] -- "...did an interlude I call..." YOU call? Um, that's the official name of this interlude, you twat. It was released as a B-side with one of their singles. And it has nothing to do with the actual meaning of the lyrics, its just an extended improvised joke story. | |
| The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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@[r_u:14959] -- "...best rock and roll song of all time." Oh please. "All nationality biases aside," it isn't even close to the best. Get over yourself. Only reason I didn't downvote you is because I think your second paragraph's actually a decent explanation of the meaning. |
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| The Tragically Hip – Ahead By A Century Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[Skizem:14957] -- No. Just...no. | |
| Kate Bush – Moving Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| The reason why a whale song is included here, according to Wikipedia: "In an interview with the magazine Sounds, Bush commented, "Whales say everything about 'moving'. It's huge and beautiful, intelligent, soft inside a tough body. It weighs a ton and yet it's so light it floats. It's the whole thing about human communication—'moving liquid, yet you are just as water'—what the Chinese say about being the cup the water moves in to. The whales are pure movement and pure sound, calling for something, so lonely and sad ..." | |
| Gordon Lightfoot – Don Quixote Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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This song is kind of like a late-20th-century updating of the novel Don Quixote. It contains several classic references to the book, but also some modern allusions, such as the mention of, "the youth in ghetto black." "The judge upon the bench," "The man who tips the needle," (I assume this is a person addicted to drugs), "The man who buys and sells," (maybe a reference to a drug dealer, or some other unscrupulous buyer/seller of things), and "The man who puts the collar on the ones who dare not tell," (possibly a reference to a slave owner, but more likely just a general reference to a man who limits the freedoms of others), are a mix of classic and modern allusions as well. The "soldier with his gun who must be dead to be admired" is another modern reference; imo, that particular lyric sounds a lot like a reference to Vietnam veterans, and the way they were basically spat on when they returned home alive. This interpretation would fit, as the song was released in 1972, and the Vietnam War didn't end until '75. Though this may be reaching on my part. Also, for those who don't know, "Tilting at windmills," is a phrase deriving from an iconic scene in the novel. In this scene, Quixote, a former knight who's gone mad from reading too many tales of chivalry, believes that a bunch of windmills he sees are actually giants, and proceeds to "attack" them. He ends up getting injured by a windmill's sail that hits him off his horse. Lightfoot describes Quixote as, "Wild, mellow, strong, weak," etc., because, as I previously mentioned, Quixote has gone mad. Though he believes in honorable notions of chivalry and does his best to "right wrongs", these notions are ultimately the delusions of an insane person. Thus, he often ends up hurting innocent people due to his naivete/lack of awareness of common reality. This is a large reason why Miguel Cervantes wrote the book, as he wanted to satirize chivalry with his work. This is also why there's a sense of hopelessness and futility in this song. In Lightfoot's "version", Quixote believes he can yell across the sea, and that this will somehow change the world. He even "shouts like a prophet bold" and "stands like a preacher" whilst doing so. He truly believes what he is doing will help change things. But in reality, no one can yell across the sea, it is a futile effort, and it wouldn't change the world even if you could. When he is done, he goes "in vain to search again, where no one will hear." Presumably on another ocean shore somewhere. In addition, I think the Quixote of this song could potentially be a representation for Lightfoot himself. Or an avatar for every musician traveling the world at the time of the song's release, trying to make social changes happen with their music. Given that the title of the album is also Don Quixote, and Lightfoot traveled from shore to shore of Canada while touring (as well as other musicians traveling from shore to shore of various countries while on tour), this interpretation might also make sense. Maybe Lightfoot saw himself, and others like him, as Don Quixotes of a sort, full of idealistic notions, but ultimately unable to effect any real change. It would also fit with the disenchantment expressed by much pop culture of the '70s, driven by realizations that hippie culture couldn't bring utopia, and events such as Watergate. The only thing that makes me doubt this interpretation a bit are the references to the rusty sword, battered book (which I assume is either a Bible, to fit with the priest imagery, or one of Quixote's treasured chivalric novels in Cervantes' book), and tarnished cross that this Quixote carries. However, I think those might just be references to the book/pieces of imagery meant to evoke a particular feeling more so than to be taken literally. If I'm right on this, it'd be yet another example of this song being a late-20th-century update of Cervantes' classic novel. As far as the tone of the song is concerned, its rather upbeat for the most part, but at times has a sense of melancholy about it, mainly at the parts where Quixote attempts to futilely shout across the sea. This also imitates the tone of the novel to a degree, as Don Quixote is tragi-comic in its cruel absurdity. Also, I like how Lightfoot switches from a third person perspective of Quixote in the first verse, to Quixote's own point of view in the second, then back to third person for the rest of the song. Lightfoot uses that second verse to have Quixote describe his own past, and also to give us an idea as to the personal motivations behind the character's endeavors. I also appreciate the episodic way Lightfoot writes the song, which is exactly like the book. Lightfoot mentions all kinds of different people, presumably ones that this modern Quixote has met on his travels, but doesn't linger on any one person or their story. He also repeats the chorus about Quixote shouting "across the ocean" as if he is constantly traveling to multiple shores across the world. Ultimately, not my favorite Lightfoot song, but one that I like, and I very much appreciate its lyrical content. I love these lyrics in particular: "Then in a blaze of tangled hooves,he gallops off across the dusty plain," which is a reference to La Mancha (a dusty, arid area of Spain that the fictional Quixote hails from), and a reference to Quixote's faithful, yet tired, weary, and worn-down old nag Rocinante. I also love this lyric: "See the wise and wicked ones, who feed upon life's sacred fire." Remarkable imagery; you can ascertain several meanings from that one. P.S. -- In response to John Johnston, I don't think your interpretation of the lyric, "See the drunkard in the tavern, stemming gold to make ends meet," is correct. Your analysis doesn't make any sense in context with the other lyrics. I looked the phrase up on Google last night, and there were a couple posts on Lightfoot-centric forums about it. Apparently, one of those posts was created by a person who recently asked Lightfoot himself, after a concert (nowadays, Lightfoot often comes out and interacts with people who linger for a while after his concerts), what "stemming for gold" means. He responded that "stemming" was slang, similar in meaning to "bumming," as in "bumming for cigarettes." Supposedly, a couple people Lightfoot knew in the '70s used "stemming" as slang a lot, and they would "stem" for cigarettes all the time, so Lightfoot incorporated that bit of slang into the song. I think it makes the most sense, honestly. A drunkard would definitely be the kind of person who'd bum a few gold coins off someone in order to get another beer. And if you wonder why the drunkard would be bumming for "gold coins", I chalk that up as another reference to the book/the time period the book was written in (late 16th century, early 17th), when the Spanish were most likely still using gold coins as currency. |
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| Jackson Browne – My Opening Farewell Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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@[kitconsul:14525] -- It doesn't matter what the chronology of his life was. He was talented enough to write songs that weren't always about himself specifically. Of course, he wove a lot of personal details into his songs, but there are several bits of his songs that don't fit with his life at all. In short, this interpretation makes sense, because the song may not necessarily be following the chronology of Jackson's life. There is no reason to talk down to OldSoul1 like that. |
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| Jackson Browne – Rock Me On The Water Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| It's one of Browne's apocalypse-flavored songs. Similar to Before the Deluge. And probably a double entendre at the same time, as MMMerry suggests. Nothing more, nothing less. | |
| Jackson Browne – Rock Me On The Water Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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@[montresor:14522] -- For those who no idea what the hell montresor is quoting, it's T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land". montresor, at least tell people where stuff like that is from next time. Most people are just gonna be confused without context. Also, I don't think that has much of anything to do with the song. Downvoted. |
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| Jackson Browne – Something Fine Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| Lyrically, one of my least favorite songs on the album. Musically, it's alright, nothing special. Don't know why it's gotten this much praise from these other commenters. | |
| Jackson Browne – Fountain Of Sorrow Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[uncgurl:14461] -- Are you kidding? The ending is the most heartbreaking part of it. | |
| Jackson Browne – Late for the Sky Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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@[BRUCErulz:14460] -- The "sky" part refers to heaven. The relationship Jackson sings about has been dead for a while, yet they haven't left each other yet, so it lingers on. It is late for the sky, the afterlife. It means the relationship is dead, yet has lingered on unnecessarily after it's death, and should be put to rest. And as feralhamster pointed out, Jackson uses the imagery of being late for a morning plane to emphasize the anxiety and fear he has over this lingering, dead relationship. He really should be leaving, but he is very late in doing so. |
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| Roxy Music – Avalon Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[shakaman:14449] -- You're thinking about this a little TOO deeply. But I'm not gonna downvote your comment because I believe it adds something to the conversation. | |
| Roxy Music – A Really Good Time Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[livinginstereo:14436] -- Yeah, a lot of the lyrics on this site are messed up. Uploaded by people who didn't care to double-check what they were typing, I guess. | |
| Roxy Music – Triptych Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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@[NomadMonad:14427] -- You didn't comment on the Song Meanings page for Three and Nine. Does that make you not a "true fan"? By the way, "true fan" is an elitist phrase. If people like Roxy Music without being ultra-passionate about it, who cares? In short, don't use it anymore. |
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| Roxy Music – Bitter Sweet Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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@[NomadMonad:14426] -- Your feeble attempts at humor are quite awful. Now, let us be honest: no one called you a dope (although someone really should have), no one called Jim Morrison an asshole. It's clear that you knew this, and were desperately trying to be clever by "subverting" what they said. But "sadly," this attempt at intelligence wasn't successful. You WERE called an asshole, though, and quite deservedly. A minor reason you were called such is because you didn't know the ultra-famous guy's name. The major reason you were called that, though, is for referring to Morrison as "that dead guy." Which is disrespectful in the extreme. I'm sure that, if someone said something similar about Bryan Ferry after he passes, you'd go into a frothing rage, gnashing your teeth as loudly as possible in order for your immense displeasure to be heard. |
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| Roxy Music – Bitter Sweet Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[NomadMonad:14418] -- You are not funny. | |
| Roxy Music – All I Want Is You Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[NomadMonad:14417] There are no other comments here, because the meaning of this song is easy to discern. | |
| Roxy Music – The Thrill of It All Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @[markmcalonan:14400] I think they're saying, "Calling you". That's just what it sounds like to me, though. | |
| Elton John – The Bitch Is Back Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| Next time, lay off the heroin, or whatever the hell it was that made you type this...thing. This really, REALLY stupid thing. | |
| Elton John – The Bitch Is Back Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| @mikus-fikus ........................................... | |
| Elton John – Take Me To The Pilot Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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@[RealLove101:14307] -- He (the OP) never questioned anyone's spiritual convictions. He wasn't even trying to discuss spirituality with the people here. You idiot. And literally nothing you said had anything to do with robv156's post, until your final paragraph (which isn't even correct; this was the B-side of "Your Song", so a helluva lot of people heard it back in the day, and it's still listened to by a lot of people, if YouTube and Spotify are anything to go by). Don't mindlessly rant anymore, please and thanks. |
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| Radiohead – Karma Police Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| @[leo45:9805] In response to le cochon1 -- Ooooooooor, maybe you're just typing out nonsense. Because I'm pretty sure everything you've posted here has nothing to do with Yorke's words, or the song lyrics. | |
| Radiohead – Karma Police Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| @[Davos:9804] In response to le cochon1....wow, dude. That is an impressive amount of babble you've typed up. | |
| The Rolling Stones – Wild Horses Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| @[catem:7388] I realize that last post I made wasn't very well typed out. What I meant to say was, its entirely possible Mick was writing about Marianne when he created the verses. But the man says he doesn't "think" he was writing about her in that song. Which doesn't necessarily rule it out, but, combined with the fact that the song was originally Keith's attempt to write about how much he missed his family, makes it much less likely that Marianne was the subject of the song. | |
| The Rolling Stones – Wild Horses Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| @[DancenSweetie12:7387] And now I've just listened to Gram Parsons/The Flying Burrito Brothers' cover. THAT one is easily the best cover out of all of them. And its the only one that actually rivals the original, imo. Sorry for the comment spam, btw. | |
| The Rolling Stones – Wild Horses Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| @[catem:7386] Mick Jagger says he doesn't think he wrote it about Marianne. I mean, that's a possibility. But by his own admission, he doesn't think he wrote it about the overdose. | |
| The Rolling Stones – Wild Horses Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| @[greta:7385] Also, The Flying Burrito Brothers' version equals the Stones' version, imo. And its the only "cover" of the song that I think is great. | |
| The Rolling Stones – Wild Horses Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| @[scooter2009:7384] There is one cover that I think, at the very least, equals the original: The Flying Burrito Brothers' cover, released a year before the Stones' version. Its straight-up beautiful. | |
| The Rolling Stones – Wild Horses Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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@[EssEssDee:7383] Martin's cover really doesn't sound all that different, compared to something like Adam Levine/Alicia Keys' cover. I would also have to disagree with you on the quality Martin's cover. I mean, its good, but I don't think its "beautiful" or "very well done". However, your interpretation is spot on. Nice job. |
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| The Who – You Better You Bet Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| @[lairfans12:7382] Other than the obvious possibility that Townshend wrote it because it sounded cool/crazy/funny, and he couldn't come up with anything else? | |
| The Rolling Stones – Wild Horses Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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@[kristel101:7381] Not every interpretation should be given consideration, though. Many interpretations of songs are gonzo, to say the least. Oftentimes, interpretations are way too "deep", or too "shallow". And sometimes, even when the artists themselves explicitly say what the song's about (often, the artists say it numerous times over the course of decades), people still spread the same old false stories about the song, or make up new, crazier theories about it. In addition, it doesn't depend entirely on the audience to interpret art, unless the artist has intentionally made something vague and/or complex in order to garner different reactions/interpretations. Ultimately, your viewpoint on this is similar to a lot of erroneous, New Age-y Internet beliefs. Specifically, you have fallen into the belief that all opinions are equal, and no one's opinion is ever wrong. And that's simply not the case, with song interpretations or most everything else. [As an example, if a person's "opinion" is that black people are not as smart as white people, that person's wrong, regardless of it being their "opinion". Due to the fact that its an uneducated opinion, and completely unsupported by fact.] With all that said, though: for this particular song, I think A FEW different interpretations are fine, considering the semi-vague, poetic nature of the lyrics. However, we cannot allow all interpretations to be given equal consideration, because not all of them make sense/are supported by the facts. |
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| The Rolling Stones – Wild Horses Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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@[heylee:7380] Mazzy Star never did a cover of this song. The Sundays' cover is constantly mistaken as a Mazzy Star cover. Here's the history behind why this cover version by The Sundays is attributed to Mazzy Star. There was a file sharing service called Napster back in the late '90s. This song was incorrectly labelled "Mazzy Star - Wild Horses", either by accident or on purpose (to avoid being detected), and shared on Napster. It was circulated for years on Napster as a Mazzy Star song. Yet any fan of either group can immediately tell it's Harriet Wheeler's voice, not Hope Sandoval's voice. In addition to the fact that the supposed "Mazzy Star cover" sounds 100% the same as The Sundays' version. The fact that this cover song was only included on The Sundays' "Blind" album in some countries, and not others, added to the confusion. Hope that clears it up for you. |
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| The Rolling Stones – Wild Horses Lyrics | 8 years ago |
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@[DancenSweetie12:7379] Actually, I forgot about The Sundays' version. So, now that I remembered that version existed, I must say The Sundays' put out the best cover of this song I've ever heard. Yet the original is still way better. And honestly, Charlotte Martin's version would be better, if she didn't insist on singing it with a 100% "pop-song-singing" mentality. And if she didn't belt out so many parts for so long, for no reason. Otherwise, her version's good. |
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| The Rolling Stones – Wild Horses Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| @[Li1ium:7378] Well, its pretty much verified that it started out as a love song from Richards to his family. Whether or not Mick added some lyrics obliquely referring to drugs, who knows. But I think one can make a strong enough case that this is entirely a love song, such that one shouldn't completely write off that possibility, as you seem to be doing here. | |
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