Dave Matthews and Dave Grohl. Life and death themes. I dig it and can not get enough. And go. Discuss.
Bruce Springsteen: waking us up from the American dream one depressing (but amazing) song at a time. "Remember all the movies, Terry, we'd go see Trying to learn to walk like the heroes we thought we had to be Well after all this time to find we're just like all the rest Stranded in the park and forced to confess to Hiding on the backstreets" - Backstreets "Workin' in the fields till you get your back burned Workin' 'neath the wheel till you get your facts learned Baby, I got my facts learned real good right now You better get it straight, darling Poor man wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king And a king ain't satisfied till he rules everything I wanna go out tonight, I wanna find out what I got" - Badlands "Everybody's got a secret, Sonny Something that they just can't face Some folks spend their whole lives trying to keep it They carry it with them every step that they take Till some day they just cut it loose Cut it loose or let it drag 'em down Where no one asks any questions Or looks too long in your face In the darkness on the edge of town" - Darkness on the Edge of Town "Now all them things that seemed so important Well mister they vanished right into the air Now I just act like I don't remember Mary acts like she don't care" - The River "Congregation gathers down by the riverside Preacher stands with his bible, groom stands waitin' for his bride Congregation gone and the sun sets behind a weepin' willow tree Groom stands alone and watches the river rush on so effortlessly Wonderin' where can his baby be Still at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe" - Reason to Believe
Thanks for sharing those It is as if he took his notebook and hit the road, capturing all that he saw. Jeff Buckley: Grace There's the moon asking to stay Long enough for the clouds to fly me away Well it's my time coming, i'm not afraid to die My fading voice sings of love, But she cries to the clicking of time Of time Wait in the fire... And she weeps on my arm Walking to the bright lights in sorrow Oh drink a bit of wine we both might go tomorrow Oh my love And the rain is falling and i believe My time has come It reminds me of the pain I might leave Leave behind Wait in the fire... And I feel them drown my name So easy to know and forget with this kiss I'm not afraid to go but it goes so slow
I honestly think the best lyricist working today is Maynard James Keenan. One of my favourite songs is from his side project A Perfect Circle is 'Orestes', from the first album Mer de Noms. Mostly because I am very familiar with the story it's based on, but it's ... also genius: Metaphor for a missing moment Pull me into your perfect circle One womb One shape One resolve Liberate this will To release us all Gotta cut away, clear away Snip away and sever this Umbilical residue that's Keeping me from killing you And from pulling you down with me in here I can almost hear you scream Give me One more medicated peaceful moment One more medicated peaceful moment And I don't wanna feel this overwhelming Hostility Because I don't wanna feel this overwhelming Hostility Gotta cut away Clear away Snip away and sever this Umbilical residue Gotta cut away Clear away Snip away and sever this Umbilical residue that's Keeping me from killing you Keeping me from killing you 'Liberate this will/To release us all' is the best description of Ancient Greek drama Hamartia and Peripeteia that I've ever heard.
oh yes, i do love me some Tool and A perfect circle, and love this song! Maynard is a genius, no doubt. Going to listen to the album now tis good writing music.
Oh, Bedouin Soundclash always have very socially conscious lyrics about problems in the Caribbean and Africa. Weirdly, for a Canadian Reggie band, but I really like them.
Well this is funny, everything I was going to say has already been said. Tool, Florence Welch, Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, Springsteen.....
What about Pearl Jam and REM too? Ok, with Pearl Jam, not very much after Ten, but Ten was a masterpiece. Oh no, very recent. Their third album has just came out last year I think. I've not heard much of it though. Their first two CDs Sounding a Mosaic and Street Gospels are amazing.
Pearl Jam's 'Daughter' is a powerful piece of poetry, definitely. I forgot to add the king of lyrical stroytelling - Nick Cave. I found her on a night of fire and noise Wild bells rang in a wild sky I knew from that moment on I'd love her till the day that I died And I kissed away a thousand tears My lady of the Various Sorrows Some begged, some borrowed, some stolen Some kept safe for tomorrow On an endless night, silver star spangled The bells from the chapel went jingle-jangle She was given to me to put things right And I stacked all my accomplishments beside her Still I seemed so obselete and small I found God and all His devils insider her In my bed she cast the blizzard out A mock sun blazed upon her head So completely filled with light she was Her shadow fanged and hairy and mad Our love-lines grew hopelessly tangled And the bells from the chapel went jingle-jangle She had a heartful of love and devotion She had a mindful of tyranny and terror Well, I try, I do, I really try But I just err, baby, I do, I error So come and find me, my darling one I'm down to the grounds, the very dregs Ah, here she comes, blocking the sun Blood running down the inside of her legs The moon in the sky is battered and mangled And the bells from the chapel go jingle-jangle All things move toward their end I knew before I met her that I would lose her I swear I made every effort to be good to her I swear I made every effort not to abuse her Crazy bracelets on her wrists and her ankles And the bells from the chapel went jingle-jangle
Rishloo, Nine Inch Nails, At The Drive Inn, Fair to Midland and The Mars Volta. All of these bands have lyrics I can’t get enough of. I am also a fan of Maynard Keenan.
