Here We Are Juggernaut by Coheed & Cambria. The whole song is great but the line this is not your playground it's my heart gives me chills every single time.
Here We Are Juggernaut by Coheed & Cambria. The whole song is great but the line this is not your playground it's my heart gives me chills every single time.
Claudio Sanchez writes surprisingly affecting lyrics for most of his work being about a space opera. In fact, I'd argue his least effective work is on The Color Before the Sun, which isn't a...
Claudio Sanchez writes surprisingly affecting lyrics for most of his work being about a space opera. In fact, I'd argue his least effective work is on The Color Before the Sun, which isn't a concept album about a space opera.
While there are many songs that I think are better lyrically, there is one lyric from “Semi-charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind that has always stuck with me: “The four right chords can make me cry”...
While there are many songs that I think are better lyrically, there is one lyric from “Semi-charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind that has always stuck with me:
“The four right chords can make me cry”
Something so powerful from such a simple line that speaks to the power of music (and particularly modern pop music) and the emotional connection that we have with it. Does the song compare with the poetry in songs by Led Zeppelin or the Doors? Not even close. But it’s always the first thing I think of when someone asks me my favorite lyrics.
When I was in 9th grade, we were asked to bring in a song with interesting lyrics as part of our unit on poetry. I chose Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash. I wouldn't necessarily say it has my favorite...
When I was in 9th grade, we were asked to bring in a song with interesting lyrics as part of our unit on poetry. I chose Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash. I wouldn't necessarily say it has my favorite lyrics of any song (that's a tough question to answer), but it's such a great example of storytelling through music.
Currently loving one of the recent Silent Planet singles, Northern Fires (Guernica). It's mostly in the delivery, but it goes simply: Throw myself headlong to the jaws beast the war machine the...
Currently loving one of the recent Silent Planet singles, Northern Fires (Guernica). It's mostly in the delivery, but it goes simply:
Throw myself headlong
to the jaws beast
the war machine
the feeds for eternity
Creature Comforts by Arcade Fire hit me really hard the first time I listened to it. It's not even very subtle about it's central theme, maybe that's what makes it so strong. BYOB by System of a...
Creature Comforts by Arcade Fire hit me really hard the first time I listened to it. It's not even very subtle about it's central theme, maybe that's what makes it so strong.
BYOB by System of a Down has also remained as one of my favorites.
I don't know about favorite ... always seems to change on mood... but one that sticks with me as far as impact is Cloud Cult The Show Starts Now: The physicist and the mystic say there's no such...
I don't know about favorite ... always seems to change on mood... but one that sticks with me as far as impact is Cloud Cult The Show Starts Now:
The physicist and the mystic say there's no such thing as time.
If God is now and everywhere, why's it so hard to find?
I wanna be the guy who lives in the moment, not so lost in my mind.
So I guess my show starts now. My show starts now
Grandma said it don't matter where we go to or come from.
She said, "Worry about what you're made to do not what you're made of."
They say we're made of chaos. I say we're made of love.
And that's why our show starts now. Our show starts now.
Hold your breath for a better day, and you'll never learn how to breathe.
You're afraid of the dark, but that's where you learn to see.
Your no good to the living if you're too afraid to bleed.
And that's why your show starts now Your show starts now.
I was trying to decide about getting a divorce or not and that song came on while out walking and thinking about if my life was in idle... it had an impact and it's the song I go to whenever I feel that I'm stuck and need some help getting over the inertia of inaction. The combination of the simple words, the short length, and the build up with a trailing "it's up to you now" ending notes... it's one of the few songs that actually means something to me.
I came across Owen Pallet's "Heartland" about a year ago and the whole album quickly became a favorite of mine. It kind of centers around the tension between a character and his writer, with a lot...
I came across Owen Pallet's "Heartland" about a year ago and the whole album quickly became a favorite of mine. It kind of centers around the tension between a character and his writer, with a lot of very lyrical and evocative imagery.
I'm not sure I can pick just one song or verse, but there's a lot of pieces that keep coming back to me.
From "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt"
"I am overrated," said the sculptor to the sea.
"I've been praised for all the ways the marble leaves the man, and I was wrong to try and free him."
And as for me, I am a vector, I am muscle, I am bone.
The sun upon my shoulders and the horse between my legs,
This is all I know.
From "Midnight Directives":
Thought I was a sad-boy.
Now I know, I know, I know I was wrong.
Since you came along, I can see how content I had been.
It'll drive a man crazy to age from the outside in.
But I have a plan, it's a trick with a prick of a pin.
Anything by Rush. Neil Peart is an absolute genius. But I'll single out the Cygnus X-1 duology: music and lyrics Part 1 is about a guy who flies into a black hole because he wants to know what's...
Anything by Rush. Neil Peart is an absolute genius. But I'll single out the Cygnus X-1 duology: music and lyrics
Part 1 is about a guy who flies into a black hole because he wants to know what's on the other side. This was released in 1977, when we knew black holes existed, but knew far less about them than we do today.
Part 2 is about the conflict between Apollo and Dionysus in Greek mythology, represented by villagers who are alternately swayed by Apollo and Dionysus about how they should live. They end up warring with each other over the disagreement.
Then the guy from part 1 comes in, who realizes he has the power to stop the fighting. He's become Cygnus, the god of balance between the opposing Apollonian and Dionysian ways of thinking.
And an honorable mention to Ghost Rider (music, lyrics). Neil Peart's wife and his only child both died within a year of each other. He took time off from the band and rode a motorcycle all around North America as part of his grieving process. He wrote a book about the journey, as well as that song. As someone who's also taken motorcycle trips to work through things in my personal life, it really speaks to me.
Such an amazing song! The whole show is full of just amazing writing but I agree that song is a standout.
The Genius page for that song (and all of the songs from Hamilton) is pretty good. Miranda commented on a few of them.
Linton Kwesi Johnson - Fite Dem Back
As relevant today as it was when released in 1979.
Here We Are Juggernaut by Coheed & Cambria. The whole song is great but the line this is not your playground it's my heart gives me chills every single time.
Claudio Sanchez writes surprisingly affecting lyrics for most of his work being about a space opera. In fact, I'd argue his least effective work is on The Color Before the Sun, which isn't a concept album about a space opera.
While there are many songs that I think are better lyrically, there is one lyric from “Semi-charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind that has always stuck with me:
“The four right chords can make me cry”
Something so powerful from such a simple line that speaks to the power of music (and particularly modern pop music) and the emotional connection that we have with it. Does the song compare with the poetry in songs by Led Zeppelin or the Doors? Not even close. But it’s always the first thing I think of when someone asks me my favorite lyrics.
When I was in 9th grade, we were asked to bring in a song with interesting lyrics as part of our unit on poetry. I chose Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash. I wouldn't necessarily say it has my favorite lyrics of any song (that's a tough question to answer), but it's such a great example of storytelling through music.
Currently loving one of the recent Silent Planet singles, Northern Fires (Guernica). It's mostly in the delivery, but it goes simply:
Throw myself headlong
to the jaws beast
the war machine
the feeds for eternity
Link timestamped to that point in the song, although the build up to it is part of what makes it powerful in my opinion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOPXQlXURpY#t=2m52s
According to Garret Russell, the singer and lyricist, this is a reference to Mario Savio's famous speech "Operation of the machine."
Creature Comforts by Arcade Fire hit me really hard the first time I listened to it. It's not even very subtle about it's central theme, maybe that's what makes it so strong.
BYOB by System of a Down has also remained as one of my favorites.
I don't know about favorite ... always seems to change on mood... but one that sticks with me as far as impact is Cloud Cult The Show Starts Now:
The physicist and the mystic say there's no such thing as time.
If God is now and everywhere, why's it so hard to find?
I wanna be the guy who lives in the moment, not so lost in my mind.
So I guess my show starts now. My show starts now
Grandma said it don't matter where we go to or come from.
She said, "Worry about what you're made to do not what you're made of."
They say we're made of chaos. I say we're made of love.
And that's why our show starts now. Our show starts now.
Hold your breath for a better day, and you'll never learn how to breathe.
You're afraid of the dark, but that's where you learn to see.
Your no good to the living if you're too afraid to bleed.
And that's why your show starts now Your show starts now.
I was trying to decide about getting a divorce or not and that song came on while out walking and thinking about if my life was in idle... it had an impact and it's the song I go to whenever I feel that I'm stuck and need some help getting over the inertia of inaction. The combination of the simple words, the short length, and the build up with a trailing "it's up to you now" ending notes... it's one of the few songs that actually means something to me.
I came across Owen Pallet's "Heartland" about a year ago and the whole album quickly became a favorite of mine. It kind of centers around the tension between a character and his writer, with a lot of very lyrical and evocative imagery.
I'm not sure I can pick just one song or verse, but there's a lot of pieces that keep coming back to me.
From "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt"
From "Midnight Directives":
Anything by Rush. Neil Peart is an absolute genius. But I'll single out the Cygnus X-1 duology: music and lyrics
Part 1 is about a guy who flies into a black hole because he wants to know what's on the other side. This was released in 1977, when we knew black holes existed, but knew far less about them than we do today.
Part 2 is about the conflict between Apollo and Dionysus in Greek mythology, represented by villagers who are alternately swayed by Apollo and Dionysus about how they should live. They end up warring with each other over the disagreement.
Then the guy from part 1 comes in, who realizes he has the power to stop the fighting. He's become Cygnus, the god of balance between the opposing Apollonian and Dionysian ways of thinking.
And an honorable mention to Ghost Rider (music, lyrics). Neil Peart's wife and his only child both died within a year of each other. He took time off from the band and rode a motorcycle all around North America as part of his grieving process. He wrote a book about the journey, as well as that song. As someone who's also taken motorcycle trips to work through things in my personal life, it really speaks to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLdUAvRfrug WHAT IF THE WORLD WAS MADE OF GLAZED DOUGHNUTS