I love lyrics. It's fascinating to see how other people translate ideas into words. I thought it would be interesting to see what phrases/verses really stand out to other PG music members. My idea was something short so it is quick to read and digest, but if you feel compelled to post an entire song, go for it. I'll start the ball rolling. I've been listening to a Don Henley CD in my car lately so here's a powerful lyric
There are people in your life who've come and gone, they let you down, you know they hurt your pride You better put it all behind you baby cause life goes on, you keep carryin' that anger it'll eat you up inside
I'll bet nobody even remembers the origins of it as a no-no word anymore.
Mac,
I bet I do but won't say here other than it was a not to endearing slang for immigrants from Italy. But I can still take you to a restaurant south of New Orleans where they feature a "[*****]" Salad on their MENU. And the kicker being the restaurant is an Italian Restaurant established by a 1st generation Italian Family.
Some of my favorite lyricists are people you have never heard of. There's a guy in Australia named Mike Debenham who releases songs just into the online communities he participates in with incredibly poignant lyrics. There's a song he has written called 'The Clearing' which describes settler/shepherd life in Australia which gives me goosebumps each time it shows up in my mp3 player playlist. Here's an example from 'The Clearing':
"my dreams are a hundred black faces close my ears to the cry and i wake in the morn for there's work to be done the axe and the gun"
There are many folks that participate in February Album Writing Month that are penning very memorable lyrics. Some of my favorite 'Fawmers' lyricists are gerrybhoy, oddbod, jaenadon, resonance.
Another one I love is from a blues CD I'll have to chase down at home - it goes something like this: "Took me 20 years to get discovered overnight".
Edit - I found it as I had done a review on it for the Phantom Tollbooth. Michael Powers is the artist and Successful Son is the song. Why this guy isn't world famous, I'll never know.
Nice to see all the responses. This is another classic Don Henley verse (I love the END OF THE INNOCENCE CD).
Lyin' here in the darkness, I hear the sirens wail Somebody's goin' to emergency, somebody's goin' to jail You find somebody to love in this world, you better hang on tooth and nail The wolf is always at the door
A lot of impact in about 40 words. He, I believe, is one of the true geniuses of pop songwriting. Keep 'em comin' Take care. Greg
I marvel at this close to "Lola". I often wonder if Ray Davies knew what he had done, or if it was an accident from making the lines fit.
"I know what I am and I'm glad I'm a man and so's Lola"
-Ray Davies from "Lola" by the Kinks
In this (brilliant) song, the singer meets a girl named Lola in a club.
Throughout the song there are lyrical hints dropped that Lola is actually a man.
So you're expecting it at the conclusion, but the way the final line plays out, (where the clause "and so's Lola" is in the sentence) makes it real muddy.
Is Lola just glad that the singer is a man? Or is Lola actually a man?
Brilliant!
(One of my favorite rock 'n' roll records. Great tunes too! Worth a listen if you've never heard it!)
I marvel at this close to "Lola". I often wonder if Ray Davies knew what he had done, or if it was an accident from making the lines fit.
I love those lyrics....
My favorite parts: Well I'm not the world's most physical guy But when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine ..... Why she walked like a woman and talked like a man
Yeah, I love BUILDING THE PERFECT BEAST AS WELL. Month of Sundays is a masterpiece. Also, love the chorus:
I was either standing in your shadow or blocking your light Though I kept on trying I could not make it right For you girl, there's just not enough love in the world
I'm a big Ray Davies fan from way back also
My bank went broke and my well ran dry It was almost enough to contemplate suicide I turned on my gas but then I soon realized I hadn't settled my bill and they cut off my supply
Ray was one of the only rockers who had a lot of great humor and great emotion!
That's called flatulence, Danny. Probably incomplete digestion or an excess of legumes in your diet or quite possibly, an Irishman in your ancesTREE. He'll fall out and swagger home as soon the free drinks run out.
I think it has more to do with the modern diet and the male digestive tract passin' thru the 50th birthday mark. That, and swallowing air when you eat or drink.
Hard to believe the same cat who wrote "wings" also penned "I like Peanut Butter".
Later,
Originally Posted By: Don Gaynor
That's called flatulence, Danny. Probably incomplete digestion or an excess of legumes in your diet or quite possibly, an Irishman in your ancesTREE. He'll fall out and swagger home as soon the free drinks run out.
That's a great line. James Taylor is a genius. Which song is that? I'm a huge fan but don't know that one. Here's a verse by him that I love. I believe the song title is MY TRAVELIN'STAR
My daddy used to ride the rails (so they say, so they say) He was soft as smoke and as tough as nails (box car Jones, old walkin' man) Comin' back home was like goin' to jail Sheets and the blankets, babies and all So he never did come back home, never that I recall
Beautiful writing!! I particularly love the second line
One that sticks out in my mind is Bowie's Rebel Rebel; The original song said You want more and you want it fast However when live he often substituted You want more than you're wanted for
The latter fits the song better and rhymes.
Another Sting line - There were rooms of forgiveness In the house that we share But the space has been emptied Of whatever was there There were cupboards of patience There were shelfloads of care But whoever came calling Found nobody there
One that sticks out in my mind is Bowie's Rebel Rebel; The original song said You want more and you want it fast However when live he often substituted You want more than you're wanted for
The latter fits the song better and rhymes.
Another Sting line - There were rooms of forgiveness In the house that we share But the space has been emptied Of whatever was there There were cupboards of patience There were shelfloads of care But whoever came calling Found nobody there
these are some that I always seem to catch myself singing
amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now I am found was blind but now I see
Mercy said no I'm not gonna let you go I'm not gonna let you slip away You don't have to be afraid Mercy said no sin will never take control Life and death stood face to face Darkness tried to steal my heart away Thank You Jesus, Mercy said no
You saw me crying in the chapel the tears I shed were tears of joy I know the meaning of contentment now I'm happy with the Lord
Some secular lyrics and lines that seem to have made an imprint are
Been through the desert on a horse with no name
Workin' for the man
wasted days and wasted nights
Before the next teardrop falls
Ain't nothing wrong with the radio
trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let fifty cents No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes Ah, but two hours of pushin' broom buys an eight by twelve four bit room I'm a man of means by no means, king of the road
Dust in the Wind all we are is dust in the wind
We are the champions my friend and we'll keep on fighting til the end
Now it all comes down to money, now I'm glad that I have quit Folks these days just don't do nothin' simply for the love of it
or
You can arm yourself, alarm yourself, but there's nowhere you can run Cause a man with a briefcase can steal more money than any man with a gun
or
Cause the flesh will get weak, and the ashes will scatter So, I'm thinkin' about forgiveness, forgiveness
or
You see a lot more meanness in the city, it's the kind that eats you up inside Hard to get away with anything that feels like dignity, hard to get home with any pride
or
I thought of all the bad luck, and the struggles we went through and how I lost me and you lost you
or
We got the bubble headed bleach blonde who comes on at five She can tell you 'bout the plane crash with a gleam in her eye It's interesting when people die, give us dirty laundry
Don's got a million of them. One of the best writers ever!
another of my all-time favorites in terms of clever lyrics:
"You've got a smile so bright, you know you could have been a candle.
I'm holding you so tight, you know you could have been a handle.
The way you swept me off my feet, you know you could have been a broom.
The way you smelled so sweet, you know you could have been some perfume.
Well, you could have been anything that you wanted to, and I can tell the way you do the things you do.
As pretty as you are, you know you could have been a flower.
If good looks was a minute, you know that you could be an hour.
The way you stole my heart, you know you could have been a cool crook.
And, baby, you're so smart, you know you could have been a schoolbook.
Well, you could have been anything that you wanted to, and I can tell the way you do the things you do. *Eddie: Ah, baby, yeah *Other Tempts:(The way you do the things you do) (The way you do the things you do)
Time is short and here's the damn thing about it You're gonna die, gonna die for sure And you can learn to live with love or without it But there ain't no cure
She's got the wind as a witness She's got feelings that fly by night She believes in forgiveness It's not love if it holds too tight
Why we used to laugh together And we'd dance to any old song. Well, ya know, she still laughs with me But she waits just a second too long.
- John Prine, "Far From Me"
Well, I started the engine and I gave it some gas Cathy was closing her purse Well, we hadn't gone far in my beat old car And I was prepared for the worst. "Will you still see me tomorrow?" "No, I got too much to do." Well, a question ain't really a question If you know the answer too.
On the corner of Government and Bay Avenue The old doomsday fanatic wore a crown of kudzu Sirens where wailing in the gulf coastal heat And it seemed like the whole world was in forced retreat
I paid no attention, revolved through the door Passed the newspaper rack on the worn marble floor Near civil war history my heart skipped a beat She was standing in fiction stretched high on bare feet
Love in the library, quiet and cool Love in the library, there are no rules Surrounded by stories surreal and sublime I fell in love in the library once upon a time
I was the pirate and she was the queen Sir Francis and Elizabeth the best there's ever been Then she strolled past my table and stopped at the stairs Then sent me a smile as she reached for Flaubert
Love in the library, quiet and cool Love in the library, there are no rules Surrounded by stories surreal and sublime I fell in love in the library once upon a time
She gathered her books, walked while she read Words never spoken but so much was said You can read all you want into this rendezvous But it's safer than most things that lovers can do
Well stories have endings and fantasies fade And the guard by the door starts drawing the shade So write your own ending and hope it come true For the lovers and strangers on Bay Avenue
Love in the library, quiet and cool Love in the library, there are no rules Surrounded by stories surreal and sublime I fell in love in the library once upon a time Surrounded by stories surreal and sublime I fell in love in the library once upon a time
"I was sittin' in the bathtub, counting my toes When the radiator broke, the water all froze I got stuck in the ice, without my clothes Naked as the eyes of a clown
I was cyin' ice cubes, hoping I'd croak When the sun came out, the ice all broke I stood up and laughed Thought it was a joke That's the way that the world goes 'round"
"I'm leavin' my family, I'm leavin' all my friends My body's at home but my heart's in the wind Where the clouds are like headlines on a new front page sky My tears are salt water and the moon's full and high."
James Taylor and Peter Gabriel are, to me, songwriting gods--JT for his ability to express the heaviest subjects lightly (not take them lightly, that's different), and PG for his capacity for taking the deepest subjects and making them accessible, both in pop music form. A rare art, in my estimation.
An example from Taylor's "That's Why I'm Here" on the death of an addict, speaking to other addicts or those knowledgeable of addiction:
"John's gone, found dead, he dies high, he's brown bread Later said to have drowned in his bed After the laughter, the wave of the dread It hits us like a ton of lead"
Thinking about it reminds me of my reaction to the news of Jerry Garcia's death. At first I was angry, but after reflection I simply grieved the loss of another artist whom I admired to something over which he had no power.
***
I was going to add something from PG here, but I'm going to have to do some more research. He packs much meaning into very few words, but in many cases you need the entire song for context. I'd rather pick out a verse or so.
In reference to Peter Gabriel, I think his song "Sledgehammer" is a pop/rock masterpiece. There's a ton of great lines and that infectious guitar riff just drives it home.
I've always had respect for Mr. Taylor and not only because of his songwriting abilities, but also love the kind of musicians he surrounds himself with, their knowledge and abilities, from which he can easily keep pace, but also I think he has the ability to FEED off of their inputs as well, both musically and lyrically.
"There's always room for the BEST."
That "pursuit of excellence" thang.
"Just yesterday morning, they let me know you were gone..."
Classic use of the "when" opening line.
Songwriters should practice the same old school journalism mantra of, "Who, What, Why, Where and When" - the hard part is knowing which one to put where IMO.
. Yellow matter custard Dripping from a dead dog's eye. Crabalocker fishwife Pornographic priestess, Boy, you been a naughty girl You let your knickers down. I am the eggman, they are the eggmen. I am the walrus, goo goo gajoob.
L.A. is a great big freeway Put a hundred down and buy a car In a week, maybe two, they'll make you a star Weeks turn into years, how quick they pass And all the stars that never were Are parking cars and pumping gas
I'm a Bacharach/David fan myself. A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME, THIS GUY'S IN LOVE. Great stuff!! Have you checked out Bacharach with Elvis Costello? Also, great stuff! Take care. Greg
from "Like A Lover" Originally by Dori Caymmi and Nelson Motta, but these English lyrics by Alan & Merilyn Bergman are extremely poetic. (Making sure I give credit where credit's due)
Brilliantly performed by Sergio Mendez and Brazil '66
Like a lover, the morning sun Slowly rises and kisses you awake Your smile is soft and fuzzy As you let it play upon your face Oh, how I dream I might be like the morning sun to you
Like a lover, the river wind Sighs and ripples its fingers through your hair Upon your cheek it lingers Never having known a sweeter place Oh, how I dream I might be like the river wind to you
How I envy a cup that knows your lips Let it be me, my love And a table that feels your fingertips Let it be me, let me be your love Bring an end to the endless days and nights Without you
Like a lover, the velvet moon Shares your pillow and watches while you sleep Its light arrives on tiptoe Gently taking you in its embrace Oh, how I dream I might be like the velvet moon to you
Beautifully crafted lyrics. I love the traditional style of writing. There are some great raw and gritty lyrics but I'll always have a soft spot for the abstract and poetic style! Take care. Greg
"The jeweler has a shop on the corner of the boulevard In the night, in small spectacles, he polishes old coins He uses spit and cloth and ashes He makes them shine with ashes He knows the use of ashes He worships God with ashes."
Janis Ian, not 17 at the time, but still at the tender age of 22, penned these amazing lyrics:
I learned the truth at seventeen That love was meant for beauty queens In high school girls with clear skinned smiles Who married young and then retired The valentines I never knew The Friday night charades of youth Were spent on one more beautiful At seventeen I learned the truth
And those of us with ravaged faces Lacking in the social graces Desperately remained at home Inventing lovers on the phone Who called to say come dance with me And murmured vague obscenities It isn't all it seems, at seventeen
"They all said Louise was not half bad It was written on the walls and window shades And how she'd act the little girl A deceiver, don't believe her, it's her trade."
That's the way that the world goes round. You're up one day, the next you're down. It's a half an inch of water and you think you're gonna drown. That's the way that the world goes round.
On a live version he tells the crowd how a girl came up to him and asked him to sing the song about the happy enchilada. He said he'd never written a song about any kind of enchilada and asked her how it went. She said: "It's a happy enchilada and you think you're gonna drown."
Probably some of the most memorable lyrics nobody ever knew or understood were those in Louie Louie by The Kingsmen. Due to the dominant music and slurred words everyone seemed to put their own interpretation to the obscured lyrics.
According to wikipedia : The Kingsmen's edition was the subject of an FBI investigation about the supposed but non-existent obscenity of the lyrics, an investigation that ended without prosecution.
For the record, the actual lyrics are:
CHORUS:
Louie Louie, oh no Me gotta go Aye-yi-yi-yi, I said Louie Louie, oh baby Me gotta go
Fine little girl waits for me Catch a ship across the sea Sail that ship about, all alone Never know if I make it home
CHORUS
Three nights and days I sail the sea Think of girl, constantly On that ship, I dream she's there I smell the rose in her hair.
CHORUS
Okay, let's give it to 'em, right now!
GUITAR SOLO
See Jamaica, the moon above It won't be long, me see me love Take her in my arms again Tell her I'll never leave again
This thread got too long to easily search, but whether or not anyone has shared the following Sting line, here's a line that echoes through my head quite often:
"I don't every wanna play the part, of a statistic on a government chart"
Says a lot about a lot of situations where you can choose to stick your neck way out - maybe do something amazing, or much more likely - become a statistic.
Where or When...fabulous balland known around the world, and it can't be done with such pizzaz as Diana Krall, my uber living pianist and female jazz singer...
I am also a big fan of Hal David´s lyrics. In fact I find it very difficult to pick out any specific line as they are all more or less great ! So why not take this line from The Look Of Love:
"The look of love is in your eyes a look your smile can´t disguise"
"The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red and all the night´s so blue, and then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like I love you !!!!
"The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red and all the night´s so blue, and then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like I love you !!!!
Cheers Dani
Now there's a blast from the past. I can remember as a kid hearing that song on the am radio of my folks' Pontiac.
Funny, but I never thought that those lines were ment for a father to sing with his daughter ? I doubt that it was the intention of the lyricists either ?
From the musical Guys and Dolls with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser
"More I Cannot Wish You"
But More I Cannot Wish You Than to wish you find your love Your own true love this day With a sheep's eye And a lickerish tooth And a strong arms To carry you away.
I love this tune and those wonderful lines especially as sung by the Singers Unlimited:
That's life, that's what the people say Ridin' high in April, shot down in May But I don't let it, let it get me down Cause this old world, she keeps spinnin' round
Sung beautifully by Old Blue Eyes, or if you prefer, "The chairman of the board"
She's no doubt brilliant. Diane Warren frequently occupies the small intersection of the sets "good songs" and "popular songs". UNBREAK MY HEART is great, as is IF YOU ASKED ME TO (simple but beautiful sentiment--"all you have to do is ask me too")
When black Friday comes, gonna stand down by the door And catch the brave men when they dive from the 14th floor
OR
Daddy don't live in that New York City no more He can't get tight every night, pass out on the bar room floor Daddy can't get no fine cigar, but we know you're smokin' where ever you are Daddy don't live in that New York City no more
I don't remember the exact lyrics but something like:
A chair is still a chair, even when no one's sitting there But a chair is not a house, and a house is not a home when you're not there
That's the sentiment and logical/emotional flow anyway. Love it!!
Greg
Yes, more genius from Hal David and superbly orchestrated by Burt, written in 1964
A chair is still a chair, Even when there's one sitting there But a chair is not a house, And a house is not a home When there's no one there To hold you tight And no one there You can kiss good-night
I just dug out one of my Bacharach & David Original Song albums (ca. 1970) to check the lyrics. The album contains: - Wives and Lovers - Magic Moments - In Times Like These - Make It Easy On Yourself - Loving Is A Way Of Living - A House Is Not a Home - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - Blue On Blue - The Story Of My Life - With Open Arms
And the price is on the front cover? Try 60 cents.
There are far too many great lyrics to list, but there's one that always makes me smile. It's an acute autobiographical observation from Boy George's "Karma Chameleon": "I'm a man; without conviction".
Lots by Pete Sinfield, particularly when with King Crimson.
I'll be there for you These five words I swear to you When you breathe, I wanna be the air for you I'll be there for you I'd live and I'd die for you I'd steal the sun from the sky for you Words can't say what love can do I'll be there for you
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain You are young and life is long, and there is time to kill today And then one day you find ten years have got behind you No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
And you run, and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking Racing around to come up behind you again The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say
Home, home again I like to be here when I can And when I come home cold and tired It's good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away across the field The tolling of the iron bell Calls the faithful to their knees To hear the softly spoken magic spells
Just a couple of the many from Bobby D. I like.
Johnny's in the basement, mixin' up the medicine I'm on the pavement, thinkin' about the government The man in a trench coat, badge out, laid off Says he's got a bad cough, wants to get it paid off Look out kid, it's somethin' you did God knows when, but you're doin' it again You better duck down the alleyway, looking for a new friend The man in the coon-skin cap in a pig pen Wants 11 dollar bills – you only got 10
The lamppost stands with folded arms, its iron claws attached To curbs 'neath holes where babies wail, though it shadows metal badge All and all can only fall with a crashing but meaningless blow No sound ever comes from the Gates of Eden
One I wrote that I like Setting on the corner of a dead-end street drinking from a paper bag MD 2020 Maddog Wine will drive you right on out of your mind
