The Lyrics Thread.

[Patrick Jane]

Lyrics are easily the most important part of music for me, which is probably the reason i love rap music so much.

One of my favorite examples of excellent lyricism would be the second verse of Kool G Raps "Executioner Style":

"I keeps my forty-five loaded with dum-dums, in rear I hold this
Right at my waist for just in case somebody gots to get exploded
'Cause G. Rap ain't that n*gga that try to play so n*gga lay low
Or get yourself a pair of wings, a harp, and a halo
Clown, keep fuckin' around, and you'll be dead G
I'm spittin' out the lead see, to split your fuckin' head like the Red Sea
Charged up with anger, six slugs in every chamber
Dangerous stranger, with itchy trigger fingers like Lone Ranger
I'm comin' to split your cabbage like a savage
And put two in yo' ass bitch
And one inside the wifey and the baby carriage
So head for the hills, I kills z for thrills
'Causin' crazy blood spill, when I let one drill in your grill
I will pull out the glock to clear the blocky when I cock it
Get laid and played out of pocket with a rocket in your eye socket
So raise up queers, and say your fuckin' prayers
I've been killin' for years, huntin' motherfuckers like reindeers
If one n*gga's left standin, I'll squeeze the cannon (BOOM)
Opened his motherfuckin' ass like the Grand Canyon
Layin z like towel when I gets wild and fouol
I'm killin' executioner style"

 

[Flemmy Stardust]

Naughty by Nature, "Ghetto Bastard"

I ain't have jack but a black hat and knapsack.
War scars, stolen cars, and a blackjack.
Drop that, and now you want me to rap and give?
Say something positive, well, positive ain't where I live.

I live right around the corner from West Hell,
Two blocks from South Shit, and once in a jail cell.

Bowie, "Time"

Time
In quaaludes and red wine
Demanding Billy Dolls (of New York Dolls)
And other friends of mine
Take your time...

Bruce Springsteen, "Lost in the Flood"

8th Avenue sailors in satin shirts
Whisper in the air
Some storefront incarnation of Maria
She's puttin' on me the stare
And Bronx's best apostle stands
With his hand on his own hardware
Everything stops, you hear five, quick shots
The cops come up for air

The Gaslight Anthem, "We're Getting a Divorce"

On a Sunday morning the whole crowd assembled.
I've done some things that I'm not too proud of.
I never left you a deaf ear for longing.
Some hearts are gallows, I'm not here for hanging around.

 

[Rimbaud82]

I hope it's OK to post a Swedish song? I love this guy. Allan Edwall.

He was also a great actor, and is probably most famous for his roles in Ingmar Bergman's 'Fanny & Alexander' and Andrei Tarkovsky's 'The Sacrifice'. In Sweden he is mostly known for his roles in various children films though...

What a super talented man (and good person) who also was a musician, and made awesome Swedish songs like this one:



Allan Edwall - Mice and Men

Spoiler: Translated lyrics

Tweet tweet says all small birds
When they jump on their branches,
And the pig, he grunts and goes on
To express what he means.

Ba Ba bleat all the white lambs
And the cluck's heard from the geese
With the neigh the horse is neighing up
He wants to show that he is sorry.

But the mice, they run quiet around,
Wherefore "quiet as mouse".
From mice you never hear anything
Though they are teeming in the houses.

A mouse never dares to stand up,
He is always so quiet and closed.
A peep and you get yourself a wallop
So you learn to shut your mouth.

A boorish and unpolished way
It is appropriate to supplement
With ordinary cynicism and lack of sense
And an inclination to hector.

'Cause if the trap is as wide as the butt
And full of sharp teeth
Then every thing is almost always solved
Whatever in the world happens.

Course it's alright mate, in fact it's encouraged since you can bet it'll all be new to me. Do you like The Tallest Man on Earth (Kristian Matsson), obviously he sings in english but he is swedish. I like that though, not exactly the same but in some ways it reminds me a little bit of Irish folk.

 

[Rimbaud82]

Time for my favorite progressive rock band to enter the thread...

No album version on YT of course, so this one will have to do.



Said the straight man to the late man
Where have you been
I've been here and I've been there
And I've been in between.

I talk to the wind
My words are all carried away
I talk to the wind
The wind does not hear
The wind cannot hear.

I'm on the outside looking inside
What do I see
Much confusion, disillusion
All around me.

You don't possess me
Don't impress me
Just upset my mind
Can't instruct me or conduct me
Just use up my time

I talk to the wind
My words are all carried away
I talk to the wind
The wind does not hear
The wind cannot hear.

Love that record, and that's one of my favourites!

 

[Svithjod]

Course it's alright mate, in fact it's encouraged since you can bet it'll all be new to me. Do you like The Tallest Man on Earth (Kristian Matsson), obviously he sings in english but he is swedish. I like that though, not exactly the same but in some ways it reminds me a little bit of Irish folk.

I have a love-hate relationship with The Tallest Man, lol. His voice can be a bit much sometimes, but obviously he's a talented musician.

I thought Shallow Grave with songs like "Where do my bluebird fly" was a pretty good debut album. It definitely has some enchanting guitar play, and some interesting lyrics. But his sophomore album disappointed me when he tried to sound too American (maybe even commercial). I can't stand when folk music is basically a copied image just to sell good... Sure, you can be inspired and all, but as a bloody Swede you should never go full wannabe Dylan, lol. It's probably easier for me as a country man to feel he's fake and all though. I liked the style in There's No Leaving Now (2012) better, and some of the songs there are really good, like "On every page".

Yeah, I know! It's pretty awesome how similar Swedish and Irish folk music is, and yet they're both unique. I guess this would be true for all of northern Europe though(?) But yeah, our traditional folk really reminds me of yours, just with it's own swedish tone.

 

[Rimbaud82]

I think Arcade Fire have some great lyrics.

This has always been a favourite, a critiqiue of the state of contemporary US society and while I can't exactly relate to that specifically, I can relate to the general criticisms of consumerism and mass media...as that is unfortunately universal.

"I don't want to hear the noises on TV
I don't want the salesmen coming after me
I don't want to live in my father's house no more
I don't want it faster, I don't want it free
I don't want to show you what they've done to me...


...MTV, what have you done to me?
Save my soul, set me free
Set me free, what have you done to me?
I can't breathe, I can't see
World War III, when are you coming for me?
Been kicking up sparks to set the flames free
The windows are locked now, so what'll it be?
A house on fire or the rising sea?
Why is the night so still?
Why did I take the pill?
Because I don't want to see it at my windowsill"

 

[Rimbaud82]

With Fleet Foxes new song released the other day I thought I'd revise this thread, it has some brilliant lyrics:



Lots of great lines but these ones in particular stand out to me.

"I'm reminded of the time it all fell in line, on the third of May
As if it were designed, painted in sand to be washed away"

The feeling that there is something 'larger' behind everything, of things feeling like they have been designed a by a hicher power (Not necessarily God). But at the same time the sense that everything is so brief and impermanent. The "painted in sand" idea is a reference to different traditions practised by complete different cultures but with the same general idea, elaborate paintings are created as part of spiritual ceremonies and then destroyed afterwards. e.g. Navajo and Australian aboriginals sand art, and Tibetan Buddhist sand mandalas.

I like this line as well:

"Life unfolds in pools of gold
I am only owed this shape if I make a line to hold
To be held within one's self is deathlike, oh I know"

 

[mbinder]

Elliott Smith, Roger Waters, Warren Zevon. They all wrote unbelievable lyrics.

 

[Rav7n]

This is right up my street..
Ive mentioned this in other threads, but would really love you guys to take a moment to appreciate this.
I have spent a good while in this tread reading some brilliant lyrics, some i already knew, some i didn't.
but this song im posting, i really believe has some genuine all time great lyrics, and yeah its one of my fave songs of all time.


"Darkness Within"

Here in this darkness that I lay
Depression heavy in its weigh
And how my body aches to leave
To sing its final eulogy
My sons I love you evermore
And though the road beckons once more
I see the damage that I've done
In search for redemption

But I am just a broken man
Whose soul cries out to understand
How the madness shatters me
Upon the stage on bended knee
I scream out loud at skies above
That answer mute bereft in love
I struggle not to fall from grace
Or sing the hymns of my disgrace

We build cathedrals to our pain
Establish monuments to attain
Freedom from all of the scars and the sins
Lest we drown in the darkness within

Mystery's forgotten chords
I strum in vain to please the lord
But he has never answered me
My faith has waned eternally
In empty men who pass along
The woes of all religions wrong
But now the Shadowed veil it falls
Heed the Clarion call

So pray to music build a shrine
Worship in these desperate times
Fill your heart with every note
Cherish it and cast afloat
'Cause god is in these clef and tone
Salvation is found alone
Haunted by its melody
Music it will set you free
Let it set you free

We build cathedrals to our pain
Establish monuments to attain
Freedom from all of the scars and the sins
Lest we drown in the darkness within

Music my saviour (Save me)

We build cathedrals to our pain
Establish monuments to attain
Freedom from all of the scars and the sins
Lest we drown in the darkness within

 

[Gene Tunney]

Deep image lyrics.

The Doors - Break On Through

I found an island in your arms
Country in your eyes
Arms that chain
Eyes that lie
Break on through to the other side

The Cars - Since Your Gone

Since you're gone
I missed the peak sensation
(Since you're gone)
Since you're gone
I took the big vacation
(Since you're gone)
Well, never feel sedate
(Since you're gone)
Well, the moonlight ain't so great
(Since you're gone)

A Flock of Seagulls - I Ran

Reached out a hand to touch your face
You're slowly disappearing from my view
Appearing from my view
Reached out a hand to try again
I'm floating in a beam of light with you
A beam of light with you