Lyrics We Love

[TerryE]

As a group of readers and writers, I'm sure all of admire the written language to some degree. However we haven't talked much about music on the forum. I'm lucky enough in my job to have my own office space, so I get to listen to my 40Gb mp3 player (with over 12,000 songs) all day long. Often I'm struck by great lyrics from great songwriters. Some of the best create characters and entire stories in 3 or 4 verses and a chorus. My favorites in that regard include Bruce Springsteen, Natalie Merchant, Patty Griffin, Mark Knopfler, and Neil Peart from Rush.

So I figured I'd start a new thread to share some great poetry, wordplay, and story telling in song. Some of these songs can make us cry, laugh, think, or take us to whole new worlds. And then we have:

"Wellll... welllllll, I really, really, really, really, really, really, really like girls
Yeah, I really, really, really, really, really, really, really like girls
I like girls. I like girls. I like girls." - George Thorogood, "I Really Like Girls"

[Randy D. Rubin]

How about Ian Anderson from my favorite group of all time Jethro Tull.
This is just one of many I enjoy:
"Big bottled fraulein, put your weight on me,
said the pygmy to the whore
desperate for more and it is solved upon the mountain, little man, his youth a fountain..." from the album, Minstrel in the Gallery.

[TerryE]

Although I think my favorite from Tull may be the verses on the back of the Aqualung album, but aren't in any song.

1. In the beginning Man created god: and in the image of Man created he him.

2. And Man gave unto god a multitude of names. That he might be lord over all the earth when it was suited to Man.

3. And on the seventh millionth day Man rested and did lean heavily on his god and saw that it was good.

4. And Man formed Aqualung of the dust of the ground. And a host of others likened unto his kind.

5. And these lesser men Man did cast into the void. And some were burned, and some were put apart from their kind.

6. And Man became the god that he had created and with his miracles did rule over all the earth.

7. But as all these things did come to pass, the spirit that did cause man to create his god, lived on within all men, even within Aqualung.

8. And man saw it not.

9. But for Christ’s sake he’d better start looking.

[Xiabei]

Weak midnight promises of love
Were wept upon Her grave
And shunned by stars above

In mortal life lurks my dismay
An Angel stole my heart
and Death took Her away

-"Nocturnal Supremacy", Cradle of Filth. I find their lyrics to be quite poetic when read (it's not always easy to understand them when they're being sung).

[misery chastain loves co.]

"You know I never, I never seen you look so good, you never act the way you should, but I like it!!"
"step inside walk this way you and me babe hey hey!!"
"he's the wolf screaming lonely in the night, he's the blood stain on the stage!!"
"in the still of the night I hear the wolf howl honey sniffing around your door!!"

Sorry ya'll probably not quite what you had in mind... I am more of an ear candy type and those 80's hair bands rule my iPod. These are some samples of the opening lyrics to a few of my faves. I will not apologize!

EDIT:XIA-agree! Cradle of Filth have some great songs. Their lyrics can be pretty haunting at times!

[srboone]

I have different taste in music, I guess; either never heard of any of those songs or bands (or newver bothered to listen to them). At 46, know what I like and don't care for the rest. The soundtrack of my life was made up of Pink Floyd, Pre-Achtung Baby U2, The Band, Randy Newman, Leornard Cohen, and The Rainmakers. The rest was background noise.

I went to a party
with my new girl when
we got there we ran into
four of her old boyfriends
one was with my ex-wife
one was with my gay brother
one was with my masseuse
one was with my date's mother
seemed almost everybody there
slept with everybody else
when I figured it all out
I figured I'd slept with myself!

Little Tiny World--The Rainmakers

[TerryE]

You know, Leonard Cohen aint' much of a singer, but God! can he write. One of my favorite albums is a Cohen tribute called "Tower of Song". Tori Amos's version of "Famous Blue Raincoat" is brilliant, and has been known to bring tears.

"If you ever come by here, for Jane or for me
Your enemy is sleeping, and his woman is free.
Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes
I thought it was there for good so I never tried." - Leonard Cohen, "Famous Blue Raincoat"

[srboone]

I know--actually he had a beautiful voice in the sixties! Too much smoking and drugs took it toll on his voice and You ended up with his gravel on The Future!"

[srboone]

Then There's Randy Newman:

I've been his friend since we were little babies
I was a comfort to his mother and a pal to his dad
Before they passed away they said,
"Please take care of our Davy
You may be the only friend he ever will have"
Davy the fat boy, Davy the fat boy
Isn't he round? Isn't he round?
What do he weigh folks?
Can you guess what he weigh?
It's only a quarter
Win a teddy bear for the girlfriend
Or something for the wife
You got to let this fat boy in your life

I think we can persuade him to do
The famous fat boy dance for you
Give me half a chance
I just know you'll like my fat boy's dance

Davy the fat boy, Davy the fat boy
Isn't he
Isn't he round?

Davy the Fat boy--Randy Newman

[TerryE]

"Davey Crockett went out to Texas
To fight at the Alamo
Old Will Travis never told him
Texas is in Mexico
It's a bloody mess
You know the rest" - Steve Earle, "You Know the Rest"

I don't know how I forgot to mention Steve in the original post.

[Grant Wootton]

Livin' In The '70's (Skyhooks)

I feel a little crazy
I feel a little strange
Like I'm in a pay phone
Without any change
I feel a little edgy
I feel a little weird
I feel like a schoolboy
Who's grown a beard

I'm livin' in the 70's
Eatin' fake food under plastic trees
My face gets dirty just walkin' around
I need another pill to calm me down

I feel a bit nervous
I feel a bit mad
I feel like a good time that's never been had
I feel a bit fragile
I feel a bit low
Like I learned the right lines
But I'm on the wrong show

I'm livin' in the 70's
I feel like I lost my keys
Got the right day but I got the wrong week
And I get paid for just bein' a freak

I feel a little insane
I feel a bit dazed
My legs are shrinkin'
And the roof's been raised
I feel a little mixed up
I feel a little queer
I feel like a barman that can't drink a beer

[Randy D. Rubin]

Welcome back my friends
to the show that never ends
we're so glad you could attend
move along, move along...
there behind the glass
lies a real blade of grass
be careful as you pass
come inside, come inside. Emerson, Lake and Palmer

[Xiabei]

You know, Leonard Cohen aint' much of a singer, but God! can he write. One of my favorite albums is a Cohen tribute called "Tower of Song". Tori Amos's version of "Famous Blue Raincoat" is brilliant, and has been known to bring tears.

"If you ever come by here, for Jane or for me
Your enemy is sleeping, and his woman is free.
Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes
I thought it was there for good so I never tried." - Leonard Cohen, "Famous Blue Raincoat"

There was a great cd from '91 called "I'm Your Fan - The Songs of Leonard Cohen" done by bands and singers that, at the time, were considered "alternative" - R.E.M., Pixies, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Lloyd Cole, Ian McCulloch, et al. Definitely worth looking into. I'm happy I still have my copy.

[Xiabei]

I've always been partial to Paul Westerberg, too.

"With the scissors and a comb I cut my lawn..." That always cracks me up.

[Teriw]

This is one of the best songs ever written. There are too many good parts to make yas read it all so I am posting the video. Even if you hate he artist or country music just play it anyway and listen to the lyrics. many if not all of you may have heard it before.


http://vimeo.com/8716214