Rock Lyrics

[ChadGuay]

Greetings one and all.

I am looking for great rock-and-roll lyrics. I realize that "great" is a highly subjective word, but any lyrics that really grab you... whether it's just a line or a whole verse, that's up to you.

Please post them here along with the song title and artist.

Here's one to start things off, so you see what I mean.

I had a dream but it turned to dust
And what I thought was love,
That must have been lust.
I was living in style when the walls fell in
And when I played my hand
I looked like a joker
Turned around, fate must have woke her
'Cause lady luck, she was waiting outside the door.

--Santana, "Winning"

[Questioninggeller]

Warren Zevon has some good stuff and even David Letterman sings on a song with Paul Shaffer's group playing on it.

"King's X" is very underrated in their 20+ years http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/singerAllSongs/86988FB622AD7C8148256C5200186600

Those are good song writers as for speific songs, I can't choose which child to love better :)

[Questioninggeller]

I'll post a song I really dig now, it's by "Dying Fetus" with great musicianship and crazy time changes.

Praise the Loard (Opium of the Masses)

One by one, the young will fall, indoctrination process growing
some to weak to fight at all, who controls their future?
god above, or god below, questions that no one can answer
live the truth, or die to know, its my agnostic vision

Jews killing Muslims, and Christians killing Jews
the circle is unending, and all sides always lose
if faith is blind devotion, then death is the result
when history is rotten, the young and pure grow dead and cold
I don’t need a book for saving, fellowship or days of praying
organizing means dilution, and results in persecution
through it all I keep a vision, understand what I believe in
truth is not the faith you follow, its far more than you could ever know

religion, the burden, we carry forth
mankind, addicted, the drug spreads on
paranoia eats all reason, driving their crusading mission
zealotry from Rome to Mecca, millions more become infected
God can not be mass projected, (or) beaten out through forced confessions

its for all of us to ponder, not for dogma’s chains to hold us down
wake up and put the past where it belongs
just beat them back till they are gone
because their doctrines lead to misery
they’re prophets preaching fantasy
how can they hold themselves above the rest?
from holy birth to martyr’s death
the moral quest for life beyond

is just a pipe-dream for the paranoid
born from the flesh just like all earth down below
which came from a life form we can never know ( in our present context)
pray for a world that only God above can save?

the church is the reason why they’ve lost their way
crusades and inquisitions, holy wars, jihad
they are the willing victims of a grand facade
above it all, the lies are told, the masses follow without question
first to die, or last to go, I know my convictions
flesh and blood and spirit life, the trinity of my perception
dead awake, or sleeping dead, we will find out in the end

[ChadGuay]

Good stuff, geller, but feel free to post any and all. I'm just looking to assemble a collection of great lyrics, so anything you or anyone else cares to supply is greatly appreciated.

Find the end of the rainbow,
Fly wherever the winds blow,
Laugh at night like a sideshow.
Just what it takes to make you feel better.
--Alan Parsons Project, "(The System of) Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether"

[Barsy]

These lines really stopped me in my tracks when I heard them first. I almost thought Bob Dylan was asking me!

How does it feel?
How does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rollin' stone

[abramis]

When I bought my first Soundgarden record, Superunknown, this song´s lyrics stayed in my head for months:

THE DAY I TRIED TO LIVE



I woke the same as any other day
Except a voice was in my head
It said seize the day, pull the trigger
Drop the blade, and watch the rolling heads

The day I tried to live
I stole a thousand beggar's change
And gave it to the rich

The day I tried to win
I dangled from the power lines
And let the martyrs stretch
Singing

One more time around might do it
One more time around might make it
One more time around might do it
One more time around
The day I tried to live

Words you say never seem
To live up to the ones inside your head
The lives we make never seem
To ever get us anywhere but dead

The day I tried to live
I wallowed in the blood and mud with
All the other pigs

I woke the same as any other day you know
I should have stayed in bed

The day I tried to win
I wallowed in the blood and mud with
All the other pigs

And I learned that I was a liar
Just like you


It says exactly how I feel every once in a while...
:( -------->:D

[JesFine]

Originally posted by abramis
When I bought my first Soundgarden record, Superunknown, [snip]


:D

V
V
V
V

[No Answers]

Convicted witch my life will end
At midnight on the stake
My dedicated life was spent
To insubordinate
Secured by lock inside a cell
Imprisoned for no crime
The shackles will be useless
When your life is out of time

Incantation spell gone by
I will see life again
My deals will made eternally
I signed the book of red
My rage will be unleashed again
Burning the next morn
Death means nothing, there is no end
I will be reborn

No gift of exile in my fate
I'll get no amnesty
You can't control my destiny
There is no habitual need
Proclaim my death, to end my wrath
It takes more than one try
Indulge your ineffective curse
I will never die

You think by killing me tonight
My powers will not rise
There'll be nowhere for you to run
When my hatred comes to life
Condemned to fill the prophecy
Allowing no first born
Defy your morbid declaration
Leave you ripped and torn

Count your blessings would-be priest
As I burn upon the stake
You'd be forgiven endlessly
But your values are all fake
Forever servant of my Lord
By choice and not submission
Maybe now I've made you wonder
Am I superstition

Incantation spell gone by
I will live again
My deals will made eternally
I signed the book in red
My rage will be unleashed again
Burning the next morn
Death means nothing there is no end
I will be reborn

[Frostbite]

Green Day - Panic Song

Ready for a cheap escape,
on the brink of self-destruction

Widespread panic

Broken glass inside my head,
bleeding down those thoughts of anguish

Mass confusion

The world is a sick machine
breeding a mass of sh*t
with such a desolate conclusion
fill the void with... I don't care

There's a plague inside of me,
mating at my disposition

Nothing's left

Torn out of reality,
into a state of no opinion

Limp with hate

The world is a sick maching
breeding a mass of sh*t
with such a desolate conclusion
fill the void with... I don't care

[ChadGuay]

Maybe it's the music (which is quite catchy), but this chorus has stuck with me since I first heard it:

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell.
I know, right now you can't tell.
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me.
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired.
I know, right now you don't care.
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be... me.

Matchbox 20, "Unwell"

[No Answers]

Hey Chad, a little story about "I'm Winning"

I attended my first Santana concert when I was twenty. When they played "I'm Winning" my loud remark was overheard by many who laughed:

"What the **** is this ****? Why is he covering this cheesy crap?"

My friend said, "This is a Santana song, he wrote it."

"Ohhhh, I thought it was some poppy Seventies group. It sure sounds like it."

[No Answers]

GOLD AND ROSE, THE COLOR OF THE DREAM I HAD
NOT TOO LONG AGO
A MISTY BLUE AND THE LILAC TOO
A NEVER TO GROW OLD

THERE YOU WERE UNDER THE TREE OF SONG
SLEEPING SO PEACEFULLY
IN YOUR HAND A FLOWER PLAYED
A WAITING THERE FOR ME

I HAVE NEVER
LAID EYES ON YOU
NOT LIKE THIS BEFORE
THIS TIMELESS DAY
A BUT YOU WALKED AND YA HA
ONCE SMILED MY NAME
AND YOU STOLE
MY HEART AWAY
A STOLE MY HEART AWAY LITTLE GIRL, YEAH
ALL RIGHT

GOLD AND ROSE THE COLOR OF THE DREAM I HAD
NOT TOO LONG AGO
MISTY BLUE AND LILAC TOO
A NEVER TO GROW OLD

GOLD AND ROSE THE COLOR OF THE DREAM I HAD
MISTY BLUE AND LILAC TOO
GOLD AND ROSE THE COLOR OF THE DREAM I HAD
MISTY BLUE AND LILAC TOO
GOLD AND ROSE, GOLD AND ROSE, GOLD AND ROSE

IT'S ONLY A DREAM
I'D LOVE TO TELL SOMEBODY ABOUT THIS DREAM
THE SKY WAS FILLED WITH A THOUSAND STARS
WHILE THE SUN KISSED THE MOUNTAINS BLUE
AND ELEVEN MOONS PLAYED ACROSS THE RAINBOWS
ABOVE ME AND YOU
GOLD AND ROSE THE COLOR OF THE VELVET WALLS SURROUND US

[ChadGuay]

Agreed. It does have that sort of feel, but the posted lyrics -- especially the second time around in the song -- really hook you.

Yesterday seems as though it never existed.
Death greets me warm, now I will just say goodbye.
--Metallica, "Fade to Black"

[Lothian]

For subtle imagery and post-modern ironical expressionism you can’t beat the lines from Black Lace’s monumental opus ‘agadoo’.

Agadoo-doo-doo, push pineapple, grind coffee,
To the left, to the right, jump up and down and to the knees,
Come and dance every night, sing with the hula melody.

I met a hula mistress somewhere in Waikiki,
Well, she was selling pineapple, playing ukulele,
And when I went to the girl, "Come on and teach me to sway,
"She laughed and whispered to me, "Yes, come tonight to the bay."

[LuxFerum]

Originally posted by ChadGuay
Agreed. It does have that sort of feel, but the posted lyrics -- especially the second time around in the song -- really hook you.

Yesterday seems as though it never existed.
Death greets me warm, now I will just say goodbye.
--Metallica, "Fade to Black"

Fade To Black

Life it seems, will fade away
Drifting further every day
Getting lost within myself
Nothing matters no one else
I have lost the will to live
Simply nothing more to give
There is nothing more for me
Need the end to set me free



Things not what they used to be
Missing one inside of me
Deathly lost, this can't be real
Can't stand this hell I feel
Emtyness is filling me
To the point of agony
Growing darkness taking down
I was me, but now he's gone



No one but me can save myself, but its too late
Now I can't think, think why I should even try



Yesterday seems as though it never existed
Death Greets me warm, now I will just say goodbye


edit: Damm google's "I'm feeling lucky":D

[ChadGuay]

At one point, I was taking a Mystery & Detective Fiction class at a nearby community college, and ending up writing a short story called "Fade to Black," structured around that song.

One slight correction, Lux, only because it kind of affects the meaning of the song. The last line of the first verse is "Need the end to set me free."


You may be right, I may be crazy.
But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for.
--Billy Joel, "You May Be Right"

[No Answers]

"There's something I must tell you
There's something I must say
The only really perfect love
Is one that gets away."

[arcticpenguin]

Almost anything by Dire Straits. This bit is from Tunnel of Love, off the Making Movies album: http://www.davemcnally.com/Lyrics/DireStraits/MakingMovies/

she took off a silver locket she said remember me by this
she put her hand in my pocket I got a keepsake and a kiss
and in the roar of the dust and diesel I stood and watched her walk away
I could have caught up with her easy enough but something must have made me
stay

[arcticpenguin]

A couple verses from Dogs, off Pink Floyd's Animals (aka let's bash the capitalist system that is making us rich) album: http://www.pinkfloydonline.com/lyrics/animals.html

You gotta be crazy, you gotta have a real need.
You gotta sleep on your toes, and when you're on the street,
you gotta be able to pick out the easy meat with your eyes closed.
And then moving in silently, down wind and out of sight,
you gotta strike when the moment is right, without thinking.

And after a while you can work on points for style,
like the club tie and the firm handshake,
a certain look in the eye and an easy smile.
You have to be trusted by the people that you lie to,
so that when they turn their backs on you,
you'll get the chance to put the knife in.

[No Answers]

ap, those two quotes are from a pair of fantastic songs, nice!

[Nasarius]

Originally posted by arcticpenguin
A couple verses from Dogs, off Pink Floyd's Animals (aka let's bash the capitalist system that is making us rich) album: http://www.pinkfloydonline.com/lyrics/animals.html

Roger wrote a lot of amazing lyrics, from Dark Side of the Moon to The Final Cut and his solo albums. Dark Side was probably his peak, though.

[Nie Trink Wasser]

• this is evolution
• the monkey • the man • and then the gun
• if Christ was in Texas • the hammer • the sickle • the only son
• this is your creation • the atom of Eden • was a bomb
• if Jack was a Baptist • we'd drink wine • from his head •

• this is evolution • the monkey • the man • and then the gun •

• I am a revolution • pull my knuckles down • if I could
• I am a revelation • and I'm nailed • to the Holy Wood •

• this is evolution • the monkey • the man • and then the gun •

• we are dead and tomorrow's canceled
• because of things we did yesterday

• we are dead and tomorrow's canceled
• they crucify us in our space • in our space • in our space... •

• this is evolution • the monkey • the man • and then the gun

• ...flies are waiting

CRUCI-FICTION IN SPACE by marilyn manson

[mythusmage]

Justin Hayward: English Sunset

I want to ride the range,
Across those skies of black.
I want to see for myself,
And see me coming back.
And when I've gone the distance,
I'll be making tracks,
For an English sunset.

We're on a runaway train,
Rolling down the track,
And where it's taking us to,
Who knows where it's at.
But if we hold together,
We can make it back,
For an English sunset.
We want an English sunset.

I feel the rhythm of the earth,
In my soul tonight.
May it never fade away.
And I've decided I can live,
With humility,
And the sad decay,
'Cos that's the English way.

We keep the faith alive,
in everything we do.
And at the end of the road,
We still keep coming through.
And though it's sad and sorry,
What else can we do?
It's an English sunset
An English sunset.

I feel the rhythm of the earth,
In my soul tonight.
May it never fade away.
And I've decided they can wait,
For the requiem.
We take it day by day,
'Cos that's the English way.
I saw the English sunset.

Album The Moody Blues: Strange Times

[Rat]

Back in the old folky days
The air was magic when we played.
The riverboat was rockin' in the rain
Midnight was the time for the raid.

Oh, Isabela, proud Isabela,
They tore you down and plowed you under.
You're only real with your make-up on
How could I see you and stay too long?

All along the Navajo Trail,
Burn-outs stub their toes on garbage pails.
Waitresses are cryin' in the rain
Will their boyfriends pass this way again?

Oh, Mother Goose, she's on the skids
Shoe ain't happy, neither are the kids.
She needs someone that she can scream at
And I'm such a heel for makin' her feel so bad.

I guess I'll call it sickness gone
It's hard to say the meaning of this song.
An ambulance can only go so fast
It's easy to get buried in the past
When you try to make a good thing last.

I saw today in the entertainment section
There's room at the top for private detection.
To Mom and Dad this just doesn't matter,
But it's either that or pay off the kidnapper.

So all you critics sit alone
You're no better than me for what you've shown.
With your stomach pump and your hook and ladder dreams
We could get together for some scenes.

Well, I'm up in T.O. keepin' jive alive,
And out on the corner it's half past five.
But the subways are empty. And so are the cafes.
Except for the Farmer's Market. And I still can hear him say:

You're all just pissin' in the wind
You don't know it but you are.
And there ain't nothin' like a friend
Who can tell you you're just pissin' in the wind.

I never knew a man could tell so many lies
He had a different story for every set of eyes.
How can he remember who he's talkin' to?
'Cause I know it ain't me, and I hope it isn't you.

[ChadGuay]

Great stuff, everyone. Let's keep it going!

When we walk into silence,
When we shadow the sun,
When we surrender to violence,
Oh, then the damage is done.
--Def Leppard, "Gods of War"

[Rat]

I need a crowd of people - but I can't face them day to day.
I need a crowd of people - but I can't face them day to day.
Though my problems are meaningless, that don't make them go away.
I need a crowd of people - but I can't face them day to day.

[BillyTK]

Shipbuilding--written by Elvis Costello and Clive Langer, covered by numerous artists but the best version is by Robert Wyatt. Shipbuilding is a very subtle protest song about the state of the UK in the early eighties:

Is it worth it?
A new winters coat and shoes for the wife
And a bicycle on the boy's birthday
It's just a rumour that was spread around town
By the women and children, soon we'll be shipbuilding

Well I ask you, the boy said,
"Daddy's going to take me to task,
But I'll be back by Christmas"
It's just a rumour that was spread around town
By the women and children, soon we'll be shipbuilding
Somebody said that someone got filled in
For saying that people get killed in
The results of their shipbuilding
With all the will in the world,
Diving for dear life, when we could be diving for pearls

It's just a rumour that was spread around town
By the women and children, soon we'll be shipbuilding
A telegram or a picture postcard
Within weeks we will be reopening the shipyard
And notifying the next of kin, once again
It's always killed in,
We will be shipbuilding

With all the will in the world
Diving for dear life, when we could be diving for pearls

[ChadGuay]

They say that these are not the best of times,
But they're the only times I've ever known.
And I believe there is a time for meditation
In cathedrals of our own.
--Billy Joel, "Summer Highland Falls"

[No Answers]

Ordinary People by Neil Young never recorded, only played live on the '86 tour

In a dusty town
a clock struck high noon,
Two men stood face to face.
One wore black and one wore white,
But of fear there wasn't a trace.
Two hundred years later
two hot rods drag race
through the very same place,
And a half a million people,
moved in to pick up the pace.
A factory full of people,
Makin' parts to go to outer space.
A train load of people,
They were aimin' for another place.
Out of town people.

There's a man in the window
with a big cigar,
Says everything's for sale.
The house and the boat
and the railroad car.
The owner's gotta go to jail.
He acquired these things
from a life of crime,
Now he's selling them
to raise his bail.
He was rippin' off the people.
Sellin' guns to the underground.
Tryin' to help the people,
Lose their ass
for a piece of ground.
Rippin' off the people.
Skimmin' the top when
there was no one around.
Tryin' to help the people.

He was dealing antiques
in a hardware store,
But he sure had a lot to hide.
He had a backroom full
of the guns of war,
And a ton of ammunition besides.
Well, he walked with a cane,
Kept a bolt on the door
with five pit bulls inside.
Just a warning to the people,
Who might try to break in at night.
Protection from the people,
Selling safety
in the darkest night.
Tryin' to help the people.
Get the drugs
to the street all right.
Ordinary people.

Well, it's hard to say
where a man goes wrong,
Might be here
and it might be there.
What starts out weak
might get too strong,
If you can't tell foul from fair.
But it's hard to judge
from an angry throng,
Of hands stretched into the air.
The vigilante people.
Takin' law into their own hands.
Conscientious people.
Crackin' down on
the druglord's land.
Government people.
Confiscatin' all
the dealer's land.
Patch-of-ground people.

Down at the factory,
they're puttin' new windows in.
The vandals made a mess of things,
And the homeless
just walked right in.
Well, they worked here once,
and they live here now,
But they might work here again,
They're ordinary people.
And they're livin' in a nightmare.
Hard workin' people.
And they don't know
how they got there.
Ordinary people.
And they think that you don't care.
Hard workin' people.

Down on the assembly line,
they keep puttin'
the same thing out.
But the people today,
they just ain't buyin'.
Nobody can figure it out.
Well, they try like hell
to build a quality end,
They're workin' hard
without a doubt,
They're ordinary people.
And the dollar's
what it's all about.
Hard workin' people.
But the customers are walkin' out.
Lee Iacocca people.
Yeah, they look
but they just don't buy.
Hard workin' people.

Two out of work models
and a fashion slave,
Try to dance away
the Michelob night.
The bartender poured
himself another drink,
While two drunks sat
watchin' the fight.
The champ went down,
then he got up again,
And then he went out like a light.
He was fightin' for the people,
But his timing wasn't right.
For Las Vegas people,
Who came to see a Las Vegas fight.
High rollin' people,
Takin' limos
though the neon night.
Fightin' for the people.

And then a new Rolls Royce
and a company car,
They went flyin' down the street.
Each one tryin'
to make it to the gate,
Before employees manned the fleet.
The trucks full of products
for the modern home,
Set to roll out into the street,
Of downtown people,
Tryin' to make their way to work.
Nose-to-the-stone people,
Some are saints, and some are jerks.
Hard workin' people,
Stoppin' for a drink
on the way to work.
Alcoholic people,
Yeah, they're takin' it
one day, one day at a time.

Out on the railroad track,
they're cleanin' up number 9.
They're scrubbin' the boiler down,
well, she really is lookin' fine.
Ah, she's lookin' so good,
they're gonna
bring her back on line.
Ordinary people.
They're gonna bring
the good things back.
Nose-to-the stone people.
Put the business back on track.
Ordinary people,
I got faith in the regular kind.
Hard workin' people.
Patch-of-ground people.

[Captain_Snort]

I have to post Wind Up by Jethro Tull from that album everyone has - Aqualung, I love the 2nd side (I have the original vinyl (twice) + the special remastered cd edition)

Wind Up



When I was young and they packed me off to school
and taught me how not to play the game,
I didn't mind if they groomed me for success,
or if they said that I was a fool.
So I left there in the morning
with their God tucked underneath my arm --
their half-assed smiles and the book of rules.
So I asked this God a question
and by way of firm reply,
He said -- I'm not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.
So to my old headmaster (and to anyone who cares):
before I'm through I'd like to say my prayers --
I don't believe you:
you had the whole damn thing all wrong --
He's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.
Well you can excomunicate me on my way to Sunday school
and have all the bishops harmonize these lines --
how do you dare tell me that I'm my Father's son
when that was just an accident of Birth.
I'd rather look around me -- compose a better song
`cos that's the honest measure of my worth.
In your pomp and all your glory you're a poorer man than me,
as you lick the boots of death born out of fear.
I don't believe you:
you had the whole damn thing all wrong --
He's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.

[ChadGuay]

This so-called supergroup could have been a bad joke, but they just sound like they're having so much fun on their albums:

Been stuck in airports, terrorized,
Sent to meetings hypnotized,
Overexposed, commercialized,
Handle me with care.
--Traveling Wilburys, "Handle With Care"

[Frank Newgent]

Idiot Wind
Bob Dylan

Someone's got it in for me, they're planting stories in the press
Whoever it is I wish they'd cut it out but when they will I can only guess.
They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy,
She inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me.
I can't help it if I'm lucky.

People see me all the time and they just can't remember how to act
Their minds are filled with big ideas, images and distorted facts.
Even you, yesterday you had to ask me where it was at,
I couldn't believe after all these years, you didn't know me better than that
Sweet lady.

Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your mouth,
Blowing down the backroads headin' south.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You're an idiot, babe.
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.

I ran into the fortune-teller, who said beware of lightning that might strike
I haven't known peace and quiet for so long I can't remember what it's like.
There's a lone soldier on the cross, smoke pourin' out of a boxcar door,
You didn't know it, you didn't think it could be done, in the final end he won the wars
After losin' every battle.

I woke up on the roadside, daydreamin' 'bout the way things sometimes are
Visions of your chestnut mare shoot through my head and are makin' me see stars.
You hurt the ones that I love best and cover up the truth with lies.
One day you'll be in the ditch, flies buzzin' around your eyes,
Blood on your saddle.

Idiot wind, blowing through the flowers on your tomb,
Blowing through the curtains in your room.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You're an idiot, babe.
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.

It was gravity which pulled us down and destiny which broke us apart
You tamed the lion in my cage but it just wasn't enough to change my heart.
Now everything's a little upside down, as a matter of fact the wheels have stopped,
What's good is bad, what's bad is good, you'll find out when you reach the top
You're on the bottom.

I noticed at the ceremony, your corrupt ways had finally made you blind
I can't remember your face anymore, your mouth has changed, your eyes
don't look into mine.
The priest wore black on the seventh day and sat stone-faced while the building
burned.
I waited for you on the running boards, near the cypress trees, while the springtime
turned Slowly into autumn.

Idiot wind, blowing like a circle around my skull,
From the Grand Coulee Dam to the Capitol.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You're an idiot, babe.
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.

I can't feel you anymore, I can't even touch the books you've read
Every time I crawl past your door, I been wishin' I was somebody else instead.
Down the highway, down the tracks, down the road to ecstasy,
I followed you beneath the stars, hounded by your memory
And all your ragin' glory.

I been double-crossed now for the very last time and now I'm finally free,
I kissed goodbye the howling beast on the borderline which separated you from me.
You'll never know the hurt I suffered nor the pain I rise above,
And I'll never know the same about you, your holiness or your kind of love,
And it makes me feel so sorry.

Idiot wind, blowing through the buttons of our coats,
Blowing through the letters that we wrote.
Idiot wind, blowing through the dust upon our shelves,
We're idiots, babe.
It's a wonder we can even feed ourselves.

[ceo_esq]

Yummy, yummy, yummy, I got love in my tummy
And I feel like a-lovin' you
Love, you're such a sweet thing
Good enough to eat thing
And it's just a-what I'm gonna do

Ooh love to hold ya
Ooh love to kiss ya
Ooh love I love it so
Ooh love you're sweeter
Sweeter than sugar
Ooh love, I won't let you go

[Mr. Skinny]

First - I have reported ceo_esq to the moderators for his last post.

Second - this song is likely no longer considered "rock-n-roll", but it's a great song.



A Case of You by Joni Mitchell

Just before our love got lost you said,
"I am as constant as a northern star."
And I said, "Constantly in the darkness.
Where's that at? If you want me I'll be in the bar."

On the back of a cartoon coaster
In the blue TV screen light
I drew a map of Canada, oh Canada
With your face sketched on it twice

Chorus:
Oh, you are in my blood like holy wine
You taste so bitter and you taste so sweet
Oh, I could drink a case of you, darling
And I'd still be on my feet
I'd still be on my feet

Oh, I am a lonely painter
I live in a box of paints
I'm frightened by the devil
And I'm drawn to those ones that ain't afraid
I remember that time you told me
"Love is touching souls"
Well surely you touched mine
'Cause part of you pours out of me
In these lines from time to time

Oh, you're in my blood like holy wine
You taste so bitter and so sweet
Oh I could drink a case of you
I could drink a case of you, darling
And I'd still be on my feet
I'd still be on my feet

I met a woman
She had a mouth like yours
She knew your life
She knew your devils and your deeds
And she said, "Go to him, stay with him if you can
But be prepared to bleed"

Oh, you are in my blood like holy wine
You taste so bitter and you taste so sweet
Oh, I could drink a case of you, darling
And I'd still be on my feet
I'd still be on my feet.

[ChadGuay]

Something timely from Billy Joel:

Weekend Song

This backbreakin', boneshakin', bellyachin',
Hardworkin', two more hours to go
Yes, it's keepin' me alive doin' nine to five
And I got nothin' to show
Pretty soon I'll be leavin',
With the wages I'm receiving,
But I know it's gonna be alright
Come on, babe, and take me away
We got some money to spend tonight

Pick me up at the station, meet me at the train
Have a meal and a shower and a change of clothes
I can't afford a vacation, but I can take the strain
Long as I can be with you, find a way to burn it as quickly as I earn it

And it's backbreakin', boneshakin', bellyachin',
Hardworkin', two more hours to go
Seven long years for the same corporation and
I ain't got nothin' to show
And tonight when I'm leavin'
I'll be just breakin' even
But i know it's gonna be alright
I shake off my blues when you put on your shoes
We got some money to spend tonight

I don't wanna stand here and sound accusin'
Ev'rybody does their share of losin'
If I'm gonna lose it I might as well be doin' it right

And it's backbreakin', boneshakin', bellyachin',
Hardworkin', two more hours to go
It's keepin' me alive doin' nine to five
And I got nothin' to show
And tonight when I'm leavin' I'll be just breakin'
Even but I know it's gonna be alright
Come on, babe, and take me away
We got some money to spend tonight
Come on, babe, and take me away
Got some money to spend tonight

[Mike B.]

Does anyone know the lyrics to Neil Young's "Down by the River" is about?

[rachaella]

A case of you is one of my very favorite songs :)

"Squint your eyes and look closer
I'm not between you and your ambition
I am a poster girl with no poster
I am 32 flavors and then some
And I'm beyond your periperal vision
So you might want to turn your head
'Cause someday you are going to get hungry
And eat most of the words you just said

Both my parents taught me about goodwill
And I have done well by their names
Just the kindness I've lavished on strangers
Is more than I can explain
Still there's many who've turned out their porchlights
Just so I would think they were no home
And his in the dark of their windows
Until I passed and left them alone

God help you if you are an ugly girl
'Course to pretty is also your doom
'Cause everyone harbors a secret hatred
For the prettiest girl in the room
And god help you if you are a phoenix
and you dare to rise up from the ash
A thousand eyes will smolder with jealousy
While you are just flying past

And I never tried to give my life meaning
By demeaning you
And I would like to state for the record
I did everything that I could do
I'm not saying that I am a saint
I just don't wanna live that way
No I will never be a saint
But I will always say

Squint your eyes and look closer
I'm not between you and your ambition
I am a poster girl with no poster
I am 32 flavors and then some
And I'm beyond your peripheral vision
So you might want to turn your head
Cause someday you might find you are starving
And eat all of the words you just said"
- Ani DiFranco, 32 Flavors

"And maybe the moral high ground isn't as high as it seems
Maybe we are both good people
Who've done some bad things
I just hope it was okay
I know it wasn't perfect
I hope in the end we can laugh
And say it was all worth it

We make our own gravity to give weight to things
Then things fall and they break and gravity sings
We can only hold so much is what I figure
Try to keep our eye on the big picture
Picture keeps getting bigger"
- Ani DiFranco, Hour Follows Hour

[ChadGuay]

Not a rock song, per se, but I always liked Don Henley's slowed-down, jazzy version of this Broadway standard (the lyrics are changed slightly):

I dreamed last night I got on the boat to heaven,
And by some chance I had brought my dice along,
And there I stood,
And I hollered,
"Some one fade me,"
But the passengers they knew right from wrong.

And the people all said,
"Sit down, sit down you're rockin' the boat."

And the devil will drag you under,
By the sharp lapel of your checkered coat,
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down,
Sit down you're rockin' the boat.

I sailed away on that little boat to heaven,
And by some chance found a bottle in my fist.
And there I stood,
Nicely passing out the whiskey,
But the passengers were bound to resist.

For the people all said,
"Sit down, sit down you're rockin' the boat."

And the devil will drag you under,
By the sharp lapel of your checkered coat,
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down,
Sit down you're rockin' the boat.

And as I laughed at those passengers to heaven,
A great big wave came and washed me overboard.
And as I sank,
And I hollered,
"Someone save me"
That's the moment I woke up,
Thank the Lord!

And I said to myself,
"Sit down, sit down you're rockin' the boat."

[ChadGuay]

I did just want to point out, it's not necessary to post ALL of the lyrics to a song (my prior post notwithstanding). It could be a line or a single verse that you find "great." (Just thought I'd save you all some typing.) :)

So, to everyone, thanks for sharing and keep 'em coming!

[Peter Jenkins]

Jethro Tull
" Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young To Die "
He once owned a Harley Davidson and a Triumph Bonneville.
Counted his friends in burned-out spark plugs
and prays that he always will.
But he's the last of the blue blood greaser boys
all of his mates are doing time:
married with three kids up by the ring road
sold their souls straight down the line.
And some of them own little sports cars
and meet at the tennis club do's.
For drinks on a Sunday --- work on Monday.
They've thrown away their blue suede shoes.

Now they're too old to Rock'n'Roll and they're too young to die

Best. Lyrics. Ever.
Peter

[ChadGuay]

I found this song annoying when it first came out, namely due to its CONSTANT presence on FM radio, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked the simple message contained in this fragment:

It’s what you do and not what you say;
If you’re not part of the future, then get out of the way.
—John Mellencamp, “Peaceful World”

[michaellee]

Lyrics:Stevie Wonder
Album: Innervisions, 1973
Song: Living For The City
.....
His sister's black but she is sho 'nuff pretty
Her skirt is short but Lord her legs are sturdy
To walk to school she's got to get up early
Her clothes are old but never are they dirty
.....
Her brother's smart he's got more sense than many
His patience's long but soon he won't have any
To find a job is like a haystack needle
Cause where he lives they don't use colored people
.....
I hope you hear inside my voice of sorrow
And that it motivates you to make a better tomorrow
This place is cruel no where could be much colder
If we don't change the world will soon be over
Living just enough, stop giving just enough for the city!!!!
.....


And for a change of pace, two from:

Lyrics: Ric Ocasek
Album: Candy-O

Song: NIGHTSPOTS

.....
you go dancing in the dim lit club
some pressure cooker crawls up on his knees
flashing sensation like a one on one
stomping around in the jitterbug breeze
.....
it's all behind you when you do catch on
you keep your lovers in a penny jar
a real romantic with a sultry stare
you keep messing with your blonde long hair
.....

Song: IT'S ALL I CAN DO

one too many times i fell over you
once in a shadow i finally grew
and once in a night i dreamed you were there
i cancelled my flight from going nowhere
it's all i can do
to keep waiting for you
it's all i can do
one too many times i twisted the gate
when i was crazy i thought you were great
i kept my renditions of you on the wall
where holiday romance is nothing at all
you wait in the wing like a saturday flirt
protecting the judge you don't want to get hurt
once in a moment it all comes to you
as soon as you get it you want something new

[The Whether Man]

Radar Love, by Golden Earring

I've been driving all night, my hand's wet on the wheel
There's a voice in my head, that drives my heel
It's my baby callin', says I need you here
And it's half past four and I'm shifting gear

When she's lonely and the longing gets too much
She sends a cable coming in from above
Don't need no phone at all
We've got a thing that's called: Radar love
We've got a wave in the air
Radar love

The radio's playing some forgotten song
Brenda Lee's: "Coming on strong"
The road has got me hypnotised
And I'm speeding into a new sunrise

When I get lonely, and I'm sure I've had enough
She sends her comfort coming in from above
Don't need no letters at all
We've got a thing that's called: Radar love
We've got a line in the sky

No more speed I'm almost there
Gotta keep cool, now gotta take care
Last car to pass, here I go!
And the line of cars drove down real slow
And the radio played that forgotten song
Brenda Lee's Coming on strong
And the newsman sang his same old song
One more Radar love has gone


Oh, the irony... :cool:

[Charlie Monoxide]

One song that always left an impression on me is "Calling Occupants" by Klaatu as sung by Klaatu, not that Carpenter's monstrosity.

The one line I love is towards the end:
....
You concentrate
Together that's the way
To send the message
We declare World Contact Day


I think this is profound. This is not to say I believe in UFO's or the "Greys" amongst us. If SETI ever succeeded in finding intelligent extraterrestrial life or we were contacted somehow, would there be a "world" holiday to celebrate this event? That is assuming the aliens are not the same ones from "War of the Worlds" or "Independance Day".


Charlie (Anus of Uranus) Monoxide

[ChadGuay]

Got to talking about Night Ranger today. I was a big fan back in the early to mid-'80s. Turns out they're still around, touring and making music. And no, the title is not a mistake; the band, this song and their first album are all called Night Ranger. :eek:

A Colorado schoolboy
Puts his days on the line,
Nights out of paperback
Catcher in the Rye.
--Night Ranger, "Night Ranger"

[jimerson]

Originally posted by Charlie Monoxide
"Calling Occupants" by Klaatu
The inspiration (http://iuser.iwarp.com/main/WCD.htm) :D

[Charlie Monoxide]

Very cool jimerson :) I wasn't aware of this.

Perhaps Albert K. Bender (or his estate) should sue Klaatu.


Charlie (Klaatu enlightened) Monoxide

[prettygirlsmakegrave]

Almost any lyric written by Morrissey (w/ The Smiths or Solo)

Some that stand out are:
"Is evil just something you are or something you do?"
"Now I know how Joan of Arc felt as the flames rose to her Roman nose and walkman started to melt"
"The more you ignore me the closer I get your wasting your time"


Also Sinead O'Connor's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" sends shivers down my spin. Gorgeous song.

[ChadGuay]

Soldier boy, made of clay,
Now an empty shell,
Twenty-one, only son,
But he served us well:
Bred to kill, not to care,
Do just as we say.
Finished here. Greetings, Death,
He’s yours to take away.
—Metallica, “Disposable Heroes”

[Tez]

Imagine there's no heaven, its easy if you try.

[TwoShanks]

We've been through fake breakdown
Self hurt
Plastics, collections
Self help, self pain,
EST, psychics, f*ck all
I was central
I had control
I lost my head
I need this
I need this
A paper weight, junk garage
Winter rain, a honey pot
Crazy, all the lovers have been tagged
A hotline, a wanted add
It's crazy what you could've had
It's crazy what you could've had

--REM, "Country Feedback"


I've found a way to make you
I've found a way
a way to make you smile

I read bad poetry
into your machine
I save your messages
just to hear your voice.
you always listen carefully
to awkwards rhymes.
you always say your name.
like I woulden't know it's you
at your most beautiful.

I've found a way to make you
I've found a way
a way to make you smile

at my most beautiful
I count your eyelashes secretly.
with every one, whisper I love you.
I let you sleep.
I know you're closed eye watching me,
listening.
I thought I saw a smile.

I've found a way to make you
I've found a way
a way to make you smile.

--REM, "At My Most Beautiful"

[QuarkChild]

Originally posted by The Whether Man
Radar Love, by Golden Earring
....
And the radio played that forgotten song
Brenda Lee's Coming on strong
And the newsman sang his same old song
One more Radar love has gone


Oh, the irony... :cool:
What's ironic about it, please?

btw, I always misheard that line as,
"One more Radar lover gone."

[UnrepentantSinner]

My two come from very different sources.

The third and forth verses of Don McLean's American Pie have always been particularly evocative for me. If happen to hear it in my car I tear up and hope my fellow drivers don't see me.

Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone
But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
Oh and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No vredict was returned
And while Lenin read a book on Marx
A quartet practised in the park

And we sang digges in the dark
The day the music died, we were singin'

(Chorus)

Helter Skelter in a summer swelter
The birds fiew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and fallin'fast
Plant a flower on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
But we never got a chance
'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching banmd refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died, we started singin'

And I Want To Be Sedated from the Ramones. It sums up life of a rock star more succintly than any other song I know of.

Twenty-twenty-twenty-four hours to go I wanna be sedated Nothing to do, no where to go-o, I wanna be sedated Just get me to the airport, put me on a plane Hurry hurry hurry, before I go insane I can't control my fingers, I can't control my brain Oh no oh oh oh oh

[The Whether Man]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by QuarkChild

What's ironic about it, please?

btw, I always misheard that line as,
"One more Radar lover gone." [/QUOTE

I thought that a song about a person's telepathic communication with another person being posted on a skeptic forum rather ironic. Maybe I'm misusing the word irony.

[QuarkChild]

Originally posted by The Whether Man
I thought that a song about a person's telepathic communication with another person being posted on a skeptic forum rather ironic. Maybe I'm misusing the word irony.
Nope, I'm just slow on the uptake. Thanks for the explanation.:)

[ChadGuay]

I picked up this CD for the song "Run-around," but in general, John Popper's lyrics are pretty substantial.

In the name of all the power
That’s centered in your hand,
If you crave some revolution,
Take possession of your stand.
It’s the only one you’ll get to make
In a moment come and gone,
So do your best to stay awake
And own the path you’re on.
—Blues Traveler, “Fallible”

[DeathToSophists]

Originally posted by Mike B.
Does anyone know the lyrics to Neil Young's "Down by the River" is about?

Heroin.

[ChadGuay]

A simple little ditty, but always one of my favorites.

Just a song before I go,
To whom it may concern.
Traveling twice the speed of sound,
It’s easy to get burned.
—Crosby, Stills and Nash, “Just a Song Before I Go”

[Kullervo]

(He was excellent last week, and played this like the guitar phenomenon he is)

Said Red Molly to James, that's a fine motorbike
A girl could feel special on any such like
Said James to Red Molly,
Well my hat's off to you
It's a Vincent Black Lightning 1952
And I've seen you at the corners and cafes, it seems
Red hair and black leather
My favourite colour scheme
And he pulled her on behind
And down to Boxhill they did ride

Said James to Red Molly, here's a ring for your right hand
But I'll tell you in earnest,
I'm a dangerous man
I've fought with the law since I was seventeen
I robbed many a man to get my Vincent machine
Now I'm 21 years, I might make 22
And I don't mind dying, but for the love of you
and if fate should break my stride
I'll give you my Vincent to ride

Come down, come down, Red Molly
Called Seargeant McRae
For they've taken young James Adie for armed robbery
Shotgun blast hit his chest
Left nothing inside
coome down, Red Molly to his dying bedside
When she came to the hospital
There wasn't much left
He was running out of road
He was running out of breath
But he smiled to see her cry
Said I'll give you my Vincent to ride

Said young James, in my opinion,
There's nothing in this world
Beats a '52 Vincent and a red-headed girl
Now Nortons and Indians and Greeves won't do
They don't have a soul like a Vincent '52
He reached for her hand and he gave her the keys
He said I don't have any further use for these
I see angels on ariels in leather and chrome
Swooping down from heaven to carry me home
He gave her one last kiss and died
And he gave her his Vincent to ride

[coalesce]

"Listen, should we fight forever
Knowing as we do know
Fear destroys?
Listen, should we leave our children?
Listen, our lives stare in silence
Help us now...

Listen, your friends have been broken
They tell us of your poison
Now we know
Kill them! Give them as they give us!
Slay them! Burn their children's laughter
On to Hell!

The fist will run
Grasp metal to gun
The spirit sings in crashing tones we gain the battle drum
Our cries will shrill the air will moan and crash into the dawn
The pen won't stay the demon's wings, the hour approaches
Pounding out the Devil's sermon!"

Jon Anderson/Yes The Gates of Delirium 1974

[TomStockholm]

Velvet Underground

By Jonathan Richman

Wild wild party as it starts to unwind
A close encounter of the thirdest kind
On the bandstand groovin
Everybody movin
How in the world were they makin that sound
Velvet Underground

You can look at that band
And wonder where
All the sound was comin from
With just 3 people there

Both guitars got the fuzztone on
Drummer standin upright poundin along
A howl, a tone, a feedback whine
Biker boys meet the college kind
How in the world were they makin that sound
Velvet Underground

You can look at that band and at first sight
Say that certain rules about modern music
Wouldn't apply tonight

Twangy sounds of the cheepest kind
Like guitar sale $29.99
Bold as brash, stock and still
Like the heats turned up and you kind pay the bill
How in the world were they makin that sound
Vevet Underground



I love that line about close encounters of the thirdest kind...
As well as being a great lyric it is also a great tribute...

[ChadGuay]

Although this song came out in 1990, its lyrics seem pretty relevant today.

Mother America
Is brandishing her weapons.
She keeps me safe and warm
By threats and misconceptions.
—Drivin-N-Cryin, “Fly Me Courageous”

[CSX2]

"Paradise by the Dashboard Llights"
Meatloaf -- Bat Out of Hell


The whole song but particularly...


"Will you love me forever/Let me sleep on it/Will you love me forever/let me sleep on it...

I couldn't take it any longer
Man I was crazy when the feeling came upon me like a tidal wave
I started swearing to my god and on my mother's grave
That I would love you till the end of time
I swore I'd love you till the end of time

And now I'm praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you
I don't think think that I could really survive
I'll never break my promise or forget my vow
But god only knows what I could do right now

I'm praying for the end of time that's all that I can do
Praying for the end of time so I can end my time with you

It was long ago and it was far away and it was so much better that it is today..."


Come to think of it that whole album is filled with great lines.

[ChadGuay]

I realize this quatrain is based on a feminist slogan from the '80s, but I like how it's woven into the song.

You feel her touch,
Fingers like icicles.
She needs you so much
Like fish need bicycles.
--Joe Jackson, "Take It Like a Man."

[Phillybee]

"All the girls walk by, dressed up for each other"
--Van Morrison, Wild Night

[coalesce]

Originally posted by ChadGuay
I realize this quatrain is based on a feminist slogan from the '80s, but I like how it's woven into the song.

You feel her touch,
Fingers like icicles.
She needs you so much
Like fish need bicycles.
--Joe Jackson, "Take It Like a Man."

I believe Nostradamus predicted this quatrain would be used in the early 21st century.

Michael

[ChadGuay]

On the avenue of sinners I have been employed,
Working there 'til I was near destroyed.
I was almost a statistic inside a doctor's case
When I heard the messenger from inner space.
He was sending me a signal that for so long I ignored,
But he held on to my umbilical cord
Until the ghost of memory trapped in my body mind
Came out of hiding to become alive.
--George Harrison, "Rising Sun"

[Temporal Renegade]

TAI SHAN, from Hold Your Fire (Rush)

Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson


High on the sacred mountain
Up the seven thousand stairs
In the golden light of autumn
There was magic in the air

Clouds surrounded the summit
The wind blew strong and cold
Among the silent temples
And the writing carved in gold
Somewhere in my instincts
The primitive took hold...

I stood at the top of the mountain
And China sang to me
In the peaceful haze of harvest time
A song of eternity --

If you raise your hands to heaven
You will live a hundred years
I stood there like a mystic
Lost in the atmosphere

The clouds were suddenly parted
For a moment I could see
The patterns of the landscape
Reaching to the eastern sea
I looked upon a presence
Spanning forty centuries...

I thought of time and distance
The hardships of history
I heard the hope and the hunger
When China sang to me...

[Underemployed]

And let us not forget The Kinks.

Song: (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman

WOKE UP THIS MORNING, STARTED TO SNEEZE
I HAD A CIGARRETE AND A CUP OF TEA
I LOOKED IN THE MIRROR, WHAT DID I SEE?
A NINE STONE WEAKLING WITH KNOBLY KNEES
I DID MY KNEES BEND PRESS UPS TOUCH MY TOES
I HAD ANOTHER SNEEZE AND I BLEW MY NOSE
I LOOKED IN THE MIRROR AT MY PIGEON CHEST
I HAD TO PUT ON MY CLOTHES BECAUSE IT MADE ME DEPRESSED
SURELY THERE MUST BE A WAY
FOR ME TO CHANGE THE SHAPE I'M IN
DISSATISFIED IS WHAT I AM
I WANT TO BE A BETTER MAN

SUPERMAN SUPERMAN, WISH I COULD FLY LIKE SUPERMAN
SUPERMAN SUPERMAN, I WANT TO BE LIKE SUPERMAN
I WANT TO BE LIKE SUPERMAN
SUPERMAN SUPERMAN, WISH I COULD FLY LIKE SUPERMAN

WOKE UP THIS MORNING, WHAT DID I SEE?
A BIG BLACK CLOUD HANGING OVER ME
I SWITCHED ON THE RADIO AND NEARLY DROPPED DEAD
THE NEWS WAS SO BAD THAT I FELL OUT OF BED
THERE WAS A GAS STRIKE, OIL STRIKE, LORRY STRIKE, BREAD STRIKE
GOT TO BE A SUPERMAN TO SURVIVE
GAS BILLS, RENT BILLS, TAX BILLS, PHONE BILLS
I'M SUCH A WRECK BUT I'M STAYING ALIVE
HEY GIRL WE'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF THIS PLACE
THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING BETTER THAN THIS
I NEED YOU, BUT I HATE TO SEE YOU THIS WAY
IF I WERE SUPERMAN THEN WE'D FLY AWAY
I'D REALLY LIKE TO CHANGE THE WORLD
AND SAVE IT FROM THE MESS IT'S IN
I'M TOO WEAK, I'M SO THIN
I'D LIKE TO FLY BUT I CAN'T EVEN SWIM

[Underemployed]

And of course...Apeman!

I think I'm sophisticated 'cause I'm living my life
like a good homo sapiens
But all around me everybody's multiplying and
they're walking round like flies man
So I'm no better than the animals sitting
in the cages in the zoo man
Cause compared to the flowers and the birds and the trees
I am an apeman.

I think I'm so educated and I'm so civilized
'cause I'm a strict vegetarian
But with the over-population and inflation and starvation
and the crazy politicians
I don't feel safe in this world no more,
I don't want to die in a nuclear war.
I want to sail away to a distant shore and make like an apeman.

I'm an apeman, I'm an ape, apeman, oh I'm an apeman
I'm a King Kong man, I'm a voodo man, oh I'm an apeman
Cause compared to the sun that sits in the sky,
Compared to the clouds as they roll by,
Compared to the bugs and the spiders and flies I am an apeman.

In man's evolution he's created the city
and the motor traffic rumble.
But give me half a chance and I'd be taking off my clothes
and living in the jungle.
Cause the only time that I feel at ease
Is swinging up and down in the coconut trees.
Oh what a life of luxury to be like an apeman.

I'm an apeman, I'm an ape, apeman, oh I'm an apeman
I'm a King Kong man, I'm a voodo man, oh I'm an apeman
I look out the window but I can't see the sky,
The air pollution is a-f***ing up my eyes,
I want to get out of this city alive and make like an apeman.

Oh come on and love me, be my apeman girl
And we'll be so happy in my apeman world.

[Underemployed]

One more I cannot resist inflicting upon you...Yes, you...

From Ian Drury and the Blockheads:

In the deserts of Sudan, and the gardens of Japan
From Milan to Yucatan, every woman, every man

Hit me with your rhythm stick, hit me, hit me
Je t'adore, Ich liebe dich
Hit me, hit me, hit me
Hit me with your rhythm stick
Hit me slowly, hit me quick
Hit me, hit me, hit me

In the wilds of Borneo, and the vineyards of Bordeaux
Eskimo. Arapaho, move their bodies to and fro

Hit me with your rhythm stick, hit me, hit me
Das is gut, c'est fantastique
Hit me, hit me, hit me
Hit me with your rhythm stick
It's nice to be a lunatic
Hit me, hit me, hit me

On the dock of Tiger Bay, on the road to Mandalay
From Bombay to San Jose, over the hills and far away

Hit me with your rhythm stick, hit me, hit me
C'est si bon, ah, das machts nicht
Hit me, hit me, hit me
Hit me with your rhythm stick
Two fat persons, click click click
Hit me, hit me, hit me

[Brian]

Speaking of the Kinks, there's this from "Strangers"

Holy man and holy priest
This love of life makes me weak at my knees
And when we get there make your play
'Cos soon I feel you're gonna carry us away
In a promised lie you made us believe
For many men there is so much grief
And my mind is proud but it aches with rage
And if I live too long I'm afraid I'll die

[Temporal Renegade]

There have been a few songs I've been listening to (since the Great Blackout of '03 made me glad I had batteries for my portable CD player)...these have no real 'value', except that I played them over & over again, and just had to foist them on the rest of you!:D
(They're in seperate posts, to break up the monotony).
Here's the first:

Run Runaway, by Slade

I like black and white
Dreaming in black and white
You like black and white
Run Runaway

Chorus
See chameleon
Lying there in the sun
All things to everyone
Run Runaway

If you're in the swing
Money ain't everything
If you're in the swing
Run Runaway

Chorus
See chameleon
Lying there in the sun
All things to everyone
Run Runaway

If you gotta crush
Don't beat about the bush
When I gotta crush
Run Runaway

Chorus
See chameleon
Lying there in the sun
All things to everyone
Run Runaway

(Break)

Oh now can't you wait
Love don't come on a plate
Oh now can't you wait
Run Runaway

Chorus
See the chameleon
Lying there in the sun
All things to everyone
Run Runaway

Run Runaway
Run Runaway
Run Runaway

[Temporal Renegade]

INSIDE, by Ian Anderson

All the places I've been make it hard to begin
to enjoy life again on the inside, but I mean to.
Take a walk around the block
and be glad that I've got
me some time to be in from the outside,
and inside with you.

I'm sitting on the corner feeling glad.
Got no money coming in but I can't be sad.
That was the best cup of coffee I ever had. And I won't worry about a thing
because we've got it made,
here on the inside, outside so far away.

And we'll laugh and we'll sing
get someone to bring
our friends here for tea in the evening
Old Jeffrey makes three.

Take a walk in the park,
does the wind in the dark
sound like music to you?
Well I'm thinking it does to me.

Can you cook, can you sew?
Well, I don't want to know.
That is not what you need on the inside,
to make the time go.

Counting lambs, counting sheep
we will fall into sleep
and we awake to a new day of living
and loving you so.

[Temporal Renegade]

MOTHS, by Ian Anderson

The leaded window opened
to move the dancing candle flame
And the first Moths of summer
suicidal came, suicidal came.
And a new breeze chattered
in its May-bud tenderness,
Sending water-lillies sailing
as she turned to get undressed.
And the long night awakened
and we soared on powdered wings,
Circling our tomorrows
in the wary month of Spring.
Chasing shadows slipping
in a magic lantern slide,
Creatures of the candle
on a night-light-ride.
Dipping and weaving
Flutter through the golden needle's eye
in our haystack madness.
Butterfly-stroking on a Spring-tide high.
Life's too long (as the Lemming said)
as the candle burned and the Moths were wed.
And we'll all burn together as the wick grows higher but before the candle's dead. The leaded window opened
to move the dancing candle flame.
And the first moths of summer
suicidal came, oh, suicidal came.
To join in the worship
of the light that never dies
in a moment's reflection
of two moths spinning in her eyes.

[prettygirlsmakegrave]

The part of Patti Smith's Hey Joe at the begining

Honey, the way you play guitar makes me feel so, makes me feel so masochistic. The way you go down low deep into the neck and I would do anything, and I would do anything and Patty Hearst, you're standing there in front of the Symbionese Liberation Army flag with your legs spread, I was wondering will you get it every night from a black revolutionary man and his women or whether you really did and now that you're on the run what goes on in your mind, your sisters they sit by the window, you know your mama doesn't sit and cry and your daddy, well you know what your daddy said, Patty, you know what your daddy said, Patty, he said, he said, he said, "Well, sixty days ago she was such a lovely child, now here she is with a gun in her hand."

[ChadGuay]

Not great lyrics, per se, but just the kind to get the blood flowing on a dark and dank Tuesday morning.

Best I Can, by Queensryche
A child alone in daddy's room
The gun was hidden here
No one home to catch me when I fall
A young man now in a private chair
I've seen the world through a bitter stare
But my dream is still alive
I'm going to be the best I can

I want to be a busy man
I want to see a change in the future
I'm gonna make the best of what I have
I want to write for a magazine
I'm gonna be the best they've ever seen
I know I'll win if I give it all I can

I won't let go, gotta make the grade
No, I won't let it go
To be the best man, the best man that I can

Back street hoop star you've got it good
You were the wonder of the crumbling neighborhood
Now taking bids on the next six digit plan
Showed me that my will survived
The tragedy that came into my life
Giving me hope
And the new start that I have

I won't let go, gotta make the grade
No, I won't let it go
To be the best man, the best man that I can

Step by step I dream the plan
From my chair to walking man
This constant dream is on my mind
Chase the light I see ahead
Luminate the path I tread
I live to be the best I can

Now I'm moving forward
And I'm never looking back
Straight ahead, focused on the big attack
On a roll and I'm never slowing down
I won't be torn between
The man in the chair
And the man that's in my dream
I'm going to melt the two men into one

I won't let go, gotta make the grade I set
No, I won't let it go
To be the best man,
The best man that I can.

[abramis]

... heard one of the most depressive songs I´ve ever heard today on the radio; "hurt" with Johnny Cash (NIN cover,I know)....
But the lyrics... made me feel really sad. :( :( :(

..."What have I become ?
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
You could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
...

:(

[ChadGuay]

The next two come from Joe Jackson's most recent album, Volume 4 . No one does a not-quite-love song like Joe.

Love at First Light
It’s the crack of noon
And I sit here watching you sleeping;
I only wish that I could remember your name.
But I know it’s written on a matchbook somewhere,
So maybe I’ll find it, and maybe you’ll care,
Or maybe you'll fix me with one of those stares
And put up a fight.
So when you awake, I admit I’m relieved,
As you flash me a smile like a diamond,
And just for a moment I’ll almost believe
In love at first light.

I propose a breakfast of coffee and aspirin.
You laugh, suggesting a raw egg or two.
But oh, was it ever so good being bad,
Like a couple of vampires, deliciously mad,
Saying this is the best blood that we’ve ever had,
So we drank it all night.
And if we untangle the webs that we weave,
Then maybe there’s room for more laughter.
`Cause just for a moment I almost believe
In love at first light.

Feeling cold,
You put a robe around my shoulders,
Smile and pull one of your favourite books from my shelf.
Let’s open the curtains and let out the dark,
And if the sun doesn't melt us and there's still a spark,
And we do something human like walk in the park,
The spark could ignite.
So maybe I’m moonstruck, or maybe naive,
But I know there’s a God and a Devil.
So maybe I’m crazy enough to believe
In love at first light.

[ChadGuay]

Blue Flame
I've got some walls around me too,
But they're not much compared to your house:
Fifty feet high with barbed wire,
Guards on the top
Aiming rifles at your lovers one by one.
And friends, too.

I've come with hands above my head,
But I'm damned if I'll try to break your door down.
If you ever come out, just call me.
I'll still be armed
With the memory of one evening when you smiled
At something.

Sadness spreads like a black stain,
But I know by now
That's not all there is.

There's a blue flame inside of you,
So beautiful and rare.
Love's not something we decide to do.
You'd be so hard to love
If love was not just...
There.

You tell me women get you down,
And as for men, well, they're all bastards.
I wonder what world you call home,
And I wish I could learn their language --
Just enough to make you laugh,
Just one time.

Yes, it was nice to see you too,
Although I'm never sure you mean it.
I'll pick up the tab and you won't thank me,
Not that I mind.
But in my dreams it's all so different, we even kiss.
Imagine this.

Bitterness is a black hole.
Don't you know by now
You've got more to give?

There's a blue flame inside of you,
So beautiful and rare.
Love's not something we decide to do.
You'd be so hard to love
If love was not just...
There

Impossible to love
If love was not,
For some strange reason,
There.

[Some Friggin Guy]

Roll on thunder shine on lightnin' the days are long and the nights are frightnin'
Nothing matters anyway and that's the hell of it
Winter comes and the winds blow colder well some grew wiser you just grew older
And you never listened anyway and that's the hell of it

Good for nothin' bad in bed nobody likes you and you're better off dead goodbye
We've all come to say goodbye goodbye
Born defeated died in vain
Super destruction you were hooked on pain and tho' your music lingers on
All of us are glad you're gone
If I could live my life half as worthlessly as you
I'm convinced that I'd wind up burning too

Love yourself as you love no other be no man's fool be no man's brother
We're all born to die alone y'know that's the hell of it
Life's a game where they're bound to beat you and time's a trick they can turn to cheat you
And we only waste it anyway and that's the hell of it

Good for nothin' bad in bed nobody likes you and you're better off dead goodbye
We've all come to say goodbye
Born defeated died in vain
Super destruction you were hooked on pain and tho' your music lingers on
All of us are glad you're gone


The Hell of It - Paul Wiliams - from Phantom of the Paradise

[Temporal Renegade]

Werewolves Of London, by Warren Zevon



I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain
He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fook's
Going to get a big dish of beef chow mein
Arrrrooooooooo Werewolves of London
If you hear him howling around your kitchen door
Better not let him in
Little old lady got mutilated late last night
Werewolves of London again
Arrrrooooooooo Werewolves of London

He's the hairy handed gent who ran amuck in Kent
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair
Better stay away from him
He'll rip your lungs out, Jim
I'd like to meet his tailor
Arrrroooooooooo Werewolves of London

Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen
Doing the werewolves of London
I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen
Doing the werewolves of London
I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's
His hair was perfect
Werewolves of London again
Draw blood

[WildCat]

Just found this thread, Kullervo already posted the first song that popped into my mind ('52 Vincent Black Lightning, though I prefer the Del McCoury version rather than Richard Thompsons' original) so I'll resort to a Drive-By Truckers (http://www.drivebytruckers.com/) song:

UNCLE FRANK

They powered up the city with hydro-electric juice.
Now we got more electricity than we canever use.
They flooded out the hollow and all the folks down there moved out, but they
got paid so there ain’t nothin’ else to think about.

Some of them made their living cutting the timber down, snaking it one log at
a time up the hill and into town. T.V.A. had a way to clear it off real fast.
Lots of men and machinary, build a dam and drown the rest.

Uncle Frank lived in a cabin down on Cedar Creek, bought fifteen acres when he
got back home from overseas. Fifteen rocky acres, figured noone else would
want, till all that backed up water had to have some place to go.

Uncle Frank couldn’t read or write. Never held down a job, or needed one in
his life. They assured him there’d be work for him in town building cars. It’s
already going down.

The cars never came to town and the roads never got built and the price of all
that power kept on going straight uphill. The banks around the hollow sold for
lake-front property where Doctors, Lawyers, and Musicians teach their kids to
waterski.

Uncle Frank couldn’t read or write so there was no note or letter found where
he died. Just a rope around his neck and the kitchen table turned on it’s side

lyrics by Mike Cooley / music by Drive-by Truckers

[ChadGuay]

Something appropriate to mark the 9/11 anniversary, ironically enough from a Canadian band, Rush:

Peaceable Kingdom
A wave toward the clearing sky

All this time we're talking and sharing our rational view
A billion other voices are spreading other news
All this time we're living and trying to understand
Why a billion other choices are making their demands

Talk of a peaceable kingdom
Talk of a time without fear
The ones we wish would listen
Are never going to hear

Justice against the hanged man
Knight of Wands against the hour
Swords against the kingdom
Time against the tower

All this time we're shuffling and laying out all our cards
While a billion other dealers are slipping past our guards
All this time we're hoping and praying we all might learn
While a billion other teachers are teaching them how to burn

Dream of a peaceable kingdom
Dream of a time without war
The ones we wish would hear us
Have heard it all before

A wave toward the clearing sky
A wave toward the clearing sky

The hermit against the lovers
Or the devil against the fool
Swords against the kingdom
The wheel against the rules

All this time we're burning like bonfires in the dark
A billion other blazes are shooting off their sparks
Every spark a drifting ember of desire
To fall upon the earth and spark another fire

A homeward angel on the fly
A wave toward the clearing sky

[Pak_43]

How many times have you woken up and prayed for the rain?
How many times have you seen the papers apportion the blame?
Who gets to say, who gets the work and gets to play?
I was always told at school, everybody should get the same
How many times have you been told, if you don't ask you don't get?
How many liars have taken your money, your mother said you shouldn't
bet?
Who has the fun, is it always the man with the gun?
Someone must have told him, if you work too hard you can sweat
There's always the sun
There's always the sun
Always, always, always the sun
How many times have the weathermen told you stories that made you laugh?
Y'know it's not unlike the politician and the leaders when they do
things by half
Who gets the job, of pushing the knob
That sort of responsibility you draw straws for, if you're mad enough
There's always the sun
There's always the sun
Always, always, always the sun

[ChadGuay]

These lyrics come from a guy I used to work with. I don't know that you can call him a rocker, per se -- he sings, with acoustic guitar -- but in this political climate, I find his words pretty telling.

I'm Just Numb, by Stuart Markus
I've seen that look before,
The furtive smile, the lingering glances.
The sweet beginnings of those
Everlasting true romances.
The playful touches
And alluring eyes gaze so adoring,
Flirtatious head tilt
Making conversation never boring.

But I've been through the mill
Too much to give my heart again.
Your kindness touches me,
So please forgive if I offend.
But love has let me down
With such consistency,
That I can't feel too excited
When you say "Try it with me."

I've been through it all before
And I've got no faith no more.
I'm not angry, I'm not happy, I'm not glum.
But the constant repetition
Beats my hope into submission.
I'm not crazy, I'm not dumb. I'm just numb.

My town's a whistle stop,
Your campaign staff is down here stumping,
Handing out bumper stickers,
Flags are waving, handshakes pumping.
The stirring speeches,
Cut my taxes, help the truly needy.
Make our streets safer
Build the future, penalize the greedy.

But it's the same old story,
Special interests get your ear.
Can't lead or compromise,
This ship is sinking while you steer.
I'm so sick of platitudes
And demagoguery,
That I'm just getting glassy-eyed
When you say, "Vote for me."

I've been through it all before
And I've got no faith no more.
I'm not angry, I'm not happy, I'm not glum.
But the constant repetition
Beats my hope into submission.
I'm not crazy, I'm not dumb. I'm just numb.

When I was young
I read the Bible and the Revelation,
Singing the hymns whole-hearted,
Joining with the congregation.
Chanting the praises
Of your great and infinite compassion,
God save Your people,
Hear their cries, answer their prayers impassioned.

But the good keep dying young
And evil goes its merry way.
Bomb blasts and religious wars,
We see it on the news each day.
The sins committed in Your name
Fill mankind's history,
So it strikes a hollow cord
For you to say, "Believe in Me."

I've been through it all before
And I've got no faith no more.
I'm not angry, I'm not happy, I'm not glum.
But the constant repetition
Beats my hope into submission.
I'm not crazy, I'm not dumb. I'm just numb.

[Marquis de Carabas]

She walked away from a happy man
I thought I was so cool
I just stood there whistling
"There Goes the Bride" as she walked out the door.
--They Might Be Giants "Lucky Ball and Chain"

If I had a pair of eyes in the back of my head for each time
You forgot to take out all the things you forgot to talk about
When you took a bite out of my spine,
I would have a lot of eyes on the other side, wouldn't I?
Wouldn't that just be fine?
--TMBG "Letterbox"

...and for some reason, my favourite lyric since I was a child has been:

I don't know, but I've been told
a big-legged woman ain't got no soul.
--Led Zeppelin "Black Dog"

[ChadGuay]

These next two might be a little more appropriate to post on December 4, but I'd probably forget to do it then. :p

John Lennon, by The Outfield
A soul full of anger - but nothing to show,
A world wrapped in cotton - but nowhere to go.
Obsessed by a woman that you didn’t know,
Don’t turn around - don’t turn around.

Torn between lovers - both mothers as well,
A mind a prison - a heart in a cell.
If only the screams could be heard from this hell.
Don’t turn around - don’t turn around.

You were surprised by a girl in the sky
Who changed everyone,
And as your life became so mystified,
There was a lonely heart - left by the side.

Tomorrow could never be just one more day.
Confused by an image - refusing to stay,
The child in your mind always wanted its way.
Don’t turn around - don’t turn around.

Then on a day in your life,
Still remembered by everyone,
There was a man with a gun at his side.
You and your monkey had nowhere to hide.
He was the man that was sent from the rye.
Don’t turn around - don’t turn around

So many things on his mind,
I’m not sure if he knew
Why he blew you away.
I can’t decide if it’s true
What he thought on that day.

Don’t be afraid when the day turns to night.
Don’t be ashamed when I turn out the lights.
Call out my name and I’d hold you so tight.
Don’t turn around - don’t turn around.

[ChadGuay]

The Dakota, by Christine Lavin
It was a Monday morning, I was coming in from a long trip on the road.
I flagged a cab near the East Side Terminal,
I said, "Please take me home."
We drove up along Third Avenue, crossed through Central Park.
When we came out at 72nd Street,
I felt a cold chill in my heart.

Every time I see the Dakota, I think about that night.
Shots ringing out, the angry shouts,
A man losing his life.
Well, it's something we shouldn't dwell upon,
But it's something we shouldn't ignore.
Too many good men have been cut down,
Let's pray there won't be any more.

Rush hour traffic was bottled up,
We slowly inched by.
I didn't want to look, but I couldn't help staring
At the scene of the crime.
There was an old man sweeping last night's dirt
Out of the darkened vestibule,
And a uniformed guard in a gold-trimmed cap
Watching the world pass in review.

But every time I see the Dakota, I think about that night.
Shots ringing out, the angry shouts,
A man losing his life.
Well, it's something we shouldn't dwell upon,
But it's something we shouldn't ignore.
Too many good men have been cut down,
Let's pray there won't be any more.

I don't believe in coincidence,
So why then on the radio
Did an old familiar voice
Echo back from not so long ago?
"Imagine all the people
Living life in peace."
Well, it's hard to do
When you are on this blood-stained street.

I wish I had the answer
To the simple question, "Why?"
I wish this taxi would go faster
Oh, I wish the driver would try
To leave this street
And leave this old building far behind.
I wish I could take these bitter thoughts
And just shake them from my mind.

But every time I see the Dakota, I still think of that night.
Shots ringing out, the angry shouts,
A man losing his life.
Well, it's something we shouldn't dwell upon,
But it's something we shouldn't ignore.
Too many good men have been cut down,
Let's pray there won't be any more.

[Small Town Jesus]

One of my my all time favourite lyrics:-

The weakest link in every chain I always want to find it
The strongest words in each belief, find out what's behind it
And politics is prior to the vagaries of science
She left because she understood the value of defiance.
-- 'The Sweetest Girl' by Scritti Politti

[ChadGuay]

Wow. I didn't think they'd recorded anything besides "Perfect Way." :bricks:

That's the only song of theirs that ever got any airplay here in the States.

[Tanja]

From one of my favourite songs, written by Paul Simon, and beautifully sung by Annie Lennox:

Something so right

Some people never say the words "I love you"
It's not their style to be so bold
Some people never say the words "I love you"
But like a child they're longing to be told

They've got a wall in China
It's a thousand miles long
To keep out the foreigners
They made it strong
And I've got a wall around me
That you can't even see

It took a little time
To get next to me

[epepke]

Frank Zappa's "Dumb All Over" seems appropriate here:

Whoever we are
Wherever we're from
We shoulda noticed by now
Our behavior is dumb
And if our chances
Expect to improve
It's gonna take a lot more
Than tryin' to remove
The other race
Or the other whatever
From the face
Of the planet altogether

They call it THE EARTH
Which is a dumb kinda name
But they named it right
'Cause we behave the same...
We are dumb all over
Dumb all over,
Yes we are
Dumb all over,
Near 'n far
Dumb all over,
Black 'n white
People, we is not wrapped tight

Nerds on the left
Nerds on the right
Religous fanatics
On the air every night
Sayin' the Bible
Tells the story
Makes the details
Sound real gory
'Bout what to do
If the geeks over there
Don't believe in the book
We got over here

You can't run a race
Without no feet
'N pretty soon
There won't be no street
For joggies to jog on
Or doggies to dog on
Religous fanatics
Can make it be all gone
(I mean it won't blow up
'N disappear
It'll just look ugly
For a thousand years...)

You can't run a country
By a book of religion
Not by a heap
Or a lump or a smidgeon
Of foolish rules
Of ancient date
Designed to make
You all feel great
While you fold, spindle
And mutilate
Those unbelievers
From a neighboring state

TO ARMS! TO ARMS!
Hooray! That's great
Two legs ain't bad
Unless there's a crate
They ship the parts
To mama in
For souvenirs: two ears (Get Down!)
Not his, not hers, (but what the hey?)
The Good Book says:
("It gotta be that way!")
But their book says:
"REVENGE THE CRUSADES...
With whips 'n chains
'N hand grenades..."
TWO ARMS? TWO ARMS?
Have another and another
Our God says:
"There ain't no other!"
Our God says
"It's all okay!"
Our God says
"This is the way!"

It says in the book:
"Burn 'n destroy...
'N repent, 'n redeem
'N revenge, 'n deploy
'N rumble thee forth
To the land of the unbelieving scum on the other side
'Cause they don't go for what's in the book
'N that makes 'em BAD
So verily we must choppeth them up
And stompeth them down
Or rent a nice French bomb
To poof them out of existance
While leaving their real estate just where we need it
To use again
For temples in which to praise OUR GOD
("Cause he can really take care of business!")

And when his humble TV servant
With humble white hair
And humble glasses
And a nice brown suit
And maybe a blond wife who takes phone calls
Tells us our God says
It's okay to do this stuff
Then we gotta do it,
'Cause if we don't do it,
We ain't gwine up to hebbin!
(Depending on which book you're using at the
time...Can't use theirs... it don't work
...it's all lies...Gotta use mine...)
Ain't that right?
That's what they say
Every night...
Every day...
Hey, we can't really be dumb
If we're just following God's Orders
Hey, let's get serious...
God knows what he's doin'
He wrote this book here
An' the book says:
He made us all to be just like Him,"
so...
If we're dumb...
Then God is dumb...
(An' maybe even a little ugly on the side)

[chapka]

I met a redneck on a Grecian isle,
He did the goat dance very well,
He gave me back my smile
But he kept my camera to sell.

Oh, the rogue, the red, red, rogue,
He made good omelettes and stews,
And I might have stayed with him there
But my heart cried out for you,

California,
California, I'm coning home,
Oh, make me feel good rock'n'roll band,
I'm your biggest fan,
California, coming home.

[TxRedneck]

Acid casualty with a reposessed car
Vietnam vet playin air guitar

Whiskey stained buck toothed back woods creep
Grizzly bear motherf**ker never goes to sleep

Its just the s**t kicking, speed takin, truck drivin ,
neighbors downstairs

Belly floppin naked in a pool of yellow sweat
Screamin jack ass with a wet cigarette

Psychotic break down double edged axe
Growin hair like a shag rug on a greasy back


Its just the s**t kicking, speed takin, truck drivin ,
neighbors downstairs

[Kullervo]

An all-time favoriteAs I lay sick and broken
Viva Mexico
My eyes just won't stay open
And I dream a dream of home
I dream a dream of home

Where there's coffee on the table
And kindness in your hand
Honey I'll help you when I'm able
But right now I'm feeling bad
Right now I'm feeling bad

Listen to your heart that beats
And follow it with both your feet
And as you walk and as you breathe
You ain't no friend to me
You ain't no friend to me

The road to Ensenada
Is plenty wide and fast
If you head South from Tijuana
Then I'll see you at last
I'll see you at last

But my eyes they open slowly
And they look around the room
The old man he seems worried
And there ain't no sign of you
There ain't no sign of you

Listen to your heart that beats
And follow it with both your feet
And as you walk and as you breathe
You ain't no friend to me
You ain't no friend to me

You can offer to the righteous
The good that you have won
But down here among the unclean
Your good just comes undone
Your good just comes undone

The sisters at the borderline
They're holding out their hands
They're begging me for something Lord
But I don't understand
I don't understand

So it's adios to Alvero
Tell him to stay between the lines
And if he sees that Gabriella girl
Tell her I'll look her up next time
Say I'll look her up next time

Because the road to Ensenada
Is plenty wide and fast
And this time through Tijuana
Well it won't be my last
It won't be my last

Listen to your heart that beats
And follow it with both your feet
And as you walk and as you breathe
You ain't no friend to me - Lyle Lovett (don't tell me Lyle don't know how to rock, either)

[ChadGuay]

Has it really been four months since anybody posted? Let's get with it, people!

I always liked the line about the Lhasa Apso.


Disorder in the House, by Warren Zevon
Disorder in the house
The tub runneth over
Plaster's falling down in pieces by the couch of pain

Disorder in the house
Time to duck and cover
Helicopters hover over rough terrain

Disorder in the house
Reptile wisdom
Zombies on the lawn staggering around

Disorder in the house
There's a flaw in the system
And the fly in the ointment's gonna bring the whole thing down

The floodgates are open
We've let the demons loose
The big guns have spoken
And we've fallen for the ruse

Disorder in the house
It's a fate worse than fame
Even the Lhasa Apso seems to be ashamed

Disorder in the house
The doors are coming off the hinges
The earth will open and swallow up the real estate

I just got my paycheck
I'm gonna paint the whole town grey
Whether it's a night in Paris or a Fresno matinee

It’s the home of the brave and the land of the free
Where the less you know the better off you'll be

Disorder in the house
All bets are off
I'm sprawled across the davenport of despair

Disorder in the house
I'll live with the losses
And watch the sundown through the portiere

[Jaan]

There are so many great lyrics, but here are some of my favorites ... without the music though, it just doesn't do them justice:

Radio, an insidious form
Helping shape thoughts - making you conform
Programming music - Easy listening
Helps you to achieve that moronic grin
Playing you regurgitated pap
Selling products that are mostly crap
Rarely hearing music you wanna hear ...
It has an effect over all these years

Why don't you think for yourself???
Live in this self made Hell ...

Television, the idiot tube
Helps to raise our children as fools
Watch the news they only want to see
Our awareness is limited by network VPs
Moronic sit-coms - one sided news
Alter your feeling - give you conformist views
Why can't you get that garbage out of your head
You're better off to read a good book instead...

Why can't you think for yourself?????
Live in this self made Hell ...

Newspapers - what do they say??
Not much I think when they want school kids to pray
Getting some facts from some daily news
You hate the system but adhere to its views
Blaming the dead 'cause they can't complain
Shielding officials holding them above blame
You better wake up and see what's plain to see
Or end up a willing part of the machine ...

Nuclear Assault Brainwashed

It's tempting to post every Carnivore lyric there is, same thing with Carcass ... but these stand out to me:

You worship a dead man hung with nails
only a fool would die for the sins of humanity
on your knees before electronics
lets replace this religious insanity
tear down the churches instead on the ground
build there the holy reactors
give us the children science and math
in place of bibles and pastors

Carnivore Technophobia

Are we not savages innately destined to maim and kill?
blame it on the environment heredity or evolution,
we're still responsible
our intelligence may progress, at geometric rates
yet socially we remain, belligerent neonates

Carnivore Ground Zero Brooklyn

Prognathous gears grind
So diligent and serrated they mesh
Toothed cogs churn
So trechant, against soft flesh
Worked to the bone
Up to the hilt, depredated
Raw materialism
To stoke the furnaces
Toiling, rotting
Life slowly slips away
Consumed, inhumed
In this mechanized corruption line
By mincing machinery industrialised - pulped and pulverised

Enslaved to the grind

Blood, sweat, toil, tears
Arbeit macht frei
Blood, sweat, toil, tears
Arbeit macht fleisch

Grave to the grind

Inimitable gears twist
To churn a living grave
Stainless cogs shredding
Scathing pistons bludgeon and flail
Stripping to the bone
Retund mandrels levigate
Just raw material
Your pound of flesh for the suzerain
Toiling, rotting
Life slowly dissipates
Consumed, inhumed
In a corruption line, mechanized
By mincing machinery, industrialized - crunched and brutalised

A grave to the blind

Carcass Arbeit Macht Fleisch

Promises of sanctuary
In eternal bliss
With starry eyes and cash in hand
Pledge to all the master plan

Napalm Death Suffer The Children

And probably the single best line ...

LET FREEDOM RING WITH A SHOTGUN BLAST!

Machine Head Davidian

[duckhook]

Randy Newman song (Political Science) from the early 70's. Remember, it's a Randy Newman song (definitely somewhat tongue-in-cheek) and remember the context of the time it was written. It's an amusing song, nothing more, nothing less.

No one likes us, I don't know why
We may not be perfect, but heaven knows we try
But all around, even our old friends put us down
Let's drop the big one and see what happens

We give them money, but are they grateful?
No, they're spiteful and they're hateful
They don't respect us, so let's surprise them
We'll drop the big one and pulverize them

Asia's crowded, Europe's too old
Africa is far too hot
And Canada's too cold
And South America stole our name
Let's drop the big one
There'll be no one left to blame us

We'll save Australia
Don't wanna hurt no kangaroo
We'll build an All American amusement park there
They got surfin', too

Boom goes London, boom Paree
More room for you and more room for me
And every city the whole world round
Will just be another American town
Oh, how peaceful it will be
We'll set everybody free
You'll wear a Japanese kimono, babe
There'll be Italian shoes for me

They all hate us anyhow
So let's drop the big one now
Let's drop the big one now

[ChadGuay]

I've never quite gotten it straight what Dave Mustaine did to get himself kicked out of Metallica, but he and James Hetfield write some of the best damn lyrics in metal.

Architecture of Aggression, by Megadeth
Great nations built from the bones of the dead
With mud and straw, blood and sweat.
You know your worth when your enemies
Praise your architecture of aggression.

Foreclosure of a Dream, by Megadeth
Barren lands that once filled a need
Are worthless now, dead without a deed.
Slipping away from an iron grip,
Nature’s scales are forced to tip.
The heartland cries, loss of all pride.
To leave ain't believing, so try and be tried.
Insufficient funds, insanity and suicide.

[Mark]

"All life we work but work is a bore,

If life's for livin' what's livin' for?"---Ray Davies, "Oklahoma, USA"

[ChadGuay]

Given my age, I knew this as a Great White song long before I realized that it was originally done by Ian Hunter. :(

Once Bitten Twice Shy
Well the times gettin' hard for you little girl,
I'm a hummin' and a strummin' all over God's world.
You don't remember when you got your last meal,
and you forgot just how a woman feels.
You didn't know what rock n' roll was
Until you met a drummer on a Greyhound bus.
I got there in the nick of time
Before he got his hands across your state line.

[frisian]

Originally posted by Questioninggeller
Warren Zevon has some good stuff and even David Letterman sings on a song with Paul Shaffer's group playing on it.

"King's X" is very underrated in their 20+ years http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/singerAllSongs/86988FB622AD7C8148256C5200186600

Those are good song writers as for speific songs, I can't choose which child to love better :)

Wow King's X, I forgot about them. :)

[Melissa Johnson]

(I couldn't cut any part of this. It's all good and it's a Tom Waits kind of day)

Well this gigolo's jumping salty, ain't no trade out on the streets,
Half past the unlucky, and the hawk's a front-row seat
Dressed in full orchestration, stage-door Johnny's got to pay,
And sent him home talking 'bout the one that got away
Could have been on Easy Street, could have been a wheel,
With irons in the fire and all them business deals
But the last of the big-time losers shouted before he drove away,
"I'll be right back, as soon as I crack the one that got away"
Well, the ambulance drivers, they don't give a s***,
They just want to get off work, and
The short stop and the victim are already gone berserk
And the shroud-tailor measures him for a deep-six holiday,
The stiff is froze, the case is closed on the one that got away
Now Jim Crow's directing traffic with them cemetery blues,
With them peculiar-looking trousers, them old Italian shoes
And a wooden kimono that was all ready to drop in San Francisco Bay
But he's mumbling something all about the one that got away
And Costello was the champion at the St. Moritz Hotel,