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fantasticsteve

Which Song Has Your Favorite Lyrics?

By fantasticsteve, in Music In General: David Bowie Appreciation Station

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fantasticsteve

fantasticsteve

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MGB instrumentals sound beautiful alone, even despite their general lack of techinical difficulty, but it's truely his lyrics that set him apart.

On that note, which song of any artist has your favorite lyrics?

 

For me its hands down Sympathy for the Devil by the Stones...

 

I heard the song a few times but didnt really listen carefully.. just kinda thought "cool, nice sounding song". When I actually sat down and listened to the words I was totally amazed! They tell a hell of a story and are extremely craftly written. I'm pretty sure I heard Mick wrote them in about 15 minutes too

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HoboFactory

HoboFactory

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Some of my favorite lyrics have been from Modest Mouse. There's a whole lot of angry bitterness, but given the guy's background, it's somewhat justifiable. Always enjoyed that the music could be blunt, yet poetic. And then all the ones where ya wonder what the hell he's talking about, those are just fun.

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sodamntired

sodamntired

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most songs by the band Pluto

 

"i keep trying, but i'm not satisfied, i'm not crying, i've got something in my eye"

 

"and the blood from her little veins said it was hopeless"

 

"melt away the ice and all you'll find is a lonely shoulder"

 

"don't say goodbye to the goodbye girl, just say see you soon. I said hello to the goodbye girl, and its our nineteenth honeymoon"

 

so yes

 

also got to say Sam Roberts - Brother Down has some real good ones

 

"you're looking for peace but they're bringing you war"

 

"no reason to die but no reason to care"

 

so those two come to mind.

Edited by sodamntired
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shenanigans87

shenanigans87

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I always thought that Sloan had quite clever lyrics. Their song "Autobiography" has some interesting plays on words:

 

I'm writing "young and gifted"

In my autobiography

I figured, who would know

Better than me

 

I'm certainly the former

But I'm not so much the latter

But no one's gonna read it

So I'm sure it doesn't matter

 

When you find that you're the former

Take pride in how you form

And when you find that you're the ladder

Don't let those people walk under you

 

I'm writing "sharp and adult"

With my finger on the steam

On the mirror in my bathroom

While I'm applying shaving cream

 

Which would suggest that I'm the foamer

But how can I be the lather

And something tells me

It's the opposite I'd rather

 

When you find that you're the foamer

Be careful what you foam

When you find that you're the lather

Don't shave too high, you'll regret it later

La la la la

 

I've stayed in school this long

But still no one will tell me why

They figured who would know

Better than I

 

I know I'm a conformer

But I'm sure it doesn't matter

My new friends are all adults

And my old friends all have scattered

 

When you find you're a conformer

Take pride and swallow whole

But if you're trying to climb the ladder

Don't let people walk over you

Because that's just what they'll do

Don't let people walk over you

Because that's just what they'll do

 

As well, The Weakerthans' lyrics are simply pure poetry.

As someone who lives in Winnipeg, I can completely relate to their song, "One Great City!":

 

Late afternoon another day is nearly done

A darker grey is breaking through a lighter one

A thousand sharpened elbows in the underground

That hollow hurried sound of feet on polished floor

And in the dollar store the clerk is closing up

And counting loonies trying not to say

I hate winnipeg

 

The driver checks the mirror seven minutes late

Crowded riders' restlessness enunciates

The Guess Who suck, the Jets were lousy anyway

The same mood every day

And in the turning lane

Someone's stalled again

He's talking to himself

And hears the price of gas repeat his phrase

I hate winnipeg

 

Up above us all,

Leaning into sky

Our golden business boy

Will watch the north end die

And sing 'I love this town'

Then let his arching wrecking ball proclaim:

"I...hate...winnipeg"

Edited by shenanigans87
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Prometheon

Prometheon

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I need to say Matthew Good as well, as his lyrics are just amazing. A bunch of other bands I like have some cool lyrics too, like Rilo Kiley, which is more about the singers presentation of the lyrics than the words themselves, Kamelot, which has an amazing concept album where each song is part of one epic story and tons more...

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QueenCanadia

QueenCanadia

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i find it hilarious that i pretty much grew up on depeche mode songs and am just now realizing that every single song is about twisted sex and drug use.

What about Policy of Truth and Blasphemous Rumors?

i counter with Strangelove and The Sweetest Perfection.

Edited by QueenCanadia
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