Lyrics that changed your world

[Quatschmacher]

I love the way one gets a picture of a situation and person in Joni Mitchell’s songs, like short stories. A carefully chosen and economic use of words which lead the listener to fill in the gaps:

 

[Dad3353]

And for those feeling a bit 'socially un-adapted', shy, retiring: you're far from alone. Others feel that way too. Here's 'People's Parties'...

 

Sublime, and so precisely exact..!

Edited December 10, 2017 by Dad3353

[Oopsdabassist]

On 12/8/2017 at 11:46, dmccombe7 said:

Haven't you got a gnome to go to ?

God Bless david Bowie!!!

[Oopsdabassist]

Not specifically these lyrics, but a heck of a lot of YES lyrics set me to thinking deep thoughts back in the 70's, in total contradiction to the punk 'keep it real' ethic which I scorned at the time.  OFC in hindsight I can see the merits for each camp, but at the time YES music was really pressing my buttons!!

[bassace]

Me, I’m just a lawnmower. You can tell by the way I walk.

[Barking Spiders]

No Sheep Till Buxton by The Macc Lads or in fact pretty much many of their fine tales of life in and around the  east Cheshire/west Derbyshire region. Then again I could've gone for Now He's A P**f, Uncle Nobby, Guess Me Weight,  Beer Sex Chips N Gravy. These tunes always put a smile on my phiz and get me singing in the car

[progben]

Most of London Calling, I'd say. Especially the title track. I think the imagery is superb.

 

[dyerseve]

Hope is a letter that never arrived, delivered by the postman of your fear

[cetera]

Glen Campbell singing Jimmy Webb's fantastic 'Wichita Lineman':

"And I need you more than want you........ And I want you for all time"

[PaulWarning]

Garden Party, "You can't please everyone so you gotta please yourself"

[Hobbayne]

When lost my father there were two George Harrison songs that made it bearable for me.

The Sunrise doesn't last all morning, The cloudburst doesn't last all day. All things must pass. All things must pass away.

Life goes on within you... And without you.

So true.

Edited December 11, 2017 by Hobbayne

[LeftyP]

As an acne ravaged 16 year old, my life had already been changed when I met a girl at school three years my junior.  I was well and truly hooked and used to walk her home every night (carrying her books of course).  Nothing happened between us but when I heard John Sebastian's lyrics in "Younger Girl" they said it all.  "Should I Hang Around Acting Like Her Brother, In A Few More Years They'll Call Us Right For Each Other.  But Why If I Wait I'll Just Die!"  Stupidly, I waited and she married someone else!  I liked the Hondells version that was played on Radio Caroline (North) back in 1966.  Here we are 50 years on and that song still strikes a chord with me.  To compound things, a few years ago Frankie Valli recorded "My Eyes Adored You" which told my sad story; "Carried Your Books From School, Playing Make Believe You're Married To Me".  Oh the pangs of first love!

I met her again earlier this year and she still caused a little flutter in my heart.  What a sad old fool I am!

[tredders]

I love the lyrics to Sympathy for the Devil by the Stones... pretty much a history lesson in a single song (and a typically wonky-but-works-perfectly bassline by Mr Wyman).

Probably my favourite song of all time is That's Entertainment by the Jam.  Perfect slice of English working class life, mundane and dreaming about better things.  I remember Weller writing about it, after someone had said it was his finest work to date, and he explained that he wrote it in about 10 minutes after coming back from the pub, full of beer!

Special mentions to Summertime Blues by Eddie Cochran and These Foolish Things, the Bryan Ferry version.  Both great lyrics, and Eddie Cochran was only 20 when he (co-)wrote it.  Oh, and Girl Afraid by the Smiths summed up me at 17, dying to ask out a girl I knew but never having the courage to do it.  Nothing ever happened, and years later she told me she'd felt exactly the same at the time...

 

Edited December 12, 2017 by tredders

[wombatboter]

On 11-12-2017 at 15:10, cetera said:

Glen Campbell singing Jimmy Webb's fantastic 'Wichita Lineman':

"And I need you more than want you........ And I want you for all time"

This......

[DorsetBlue]

When my wife was in the hospice, during the last month of her life, I picked up the new Slash album (at the time) Apocalyptic Love.  Great album and I was stunned by the vocalist Myles Kennedy.  Who was this guy and where did he come from?  I then discovered Alter Bridge, Myles' main band.

After my wife's death, I bought the Alter Bridge album ABIII.  On that album is a song called 'Wonderful Life' which could have been written about my experiences with my wife in those last few weeks.  I still struggle to listen to it sometimes now and my tattoo tribute to my wife, on my arm, has extracts from that song included.

[squire5]

'If looks could kill I'd need a licence for my face'. Del Amitri - When I want You.Suits me to a tee.

[steve-bbb]

And in your dreams
You can see yourself
As a prophet
Saving the world
The words from you lips
(I am not a crook)
I just can't believe you are such
A fool

I just can't believe
You are such a fool
I just can't believe
You are such a fool

[Marc S]

On 12/7/2017 at 18:55, Dad3353 said:

"Who knows where the time goes..?" (Sandy Denny, Fairport Convention...)

 

Gets more & more poignant as each year passes. What's more, Sandy Denny wrote this classic song when she was in her twenties!!!

[Marc S]

On 12/9/2017 at 00:55, Skol303 said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHWp6x24yRM

This and pretty much everything else by Half Man Half Biscuit around that time.

‘Life changing’ lyrics for me and my mates, in that they made us realise songs didn’t have to be deep and meaningful, and could instead just be about stupid, mundane stuff.

Totally transformed the music we were writing at the time - probably for the worse in hindsight! - and took our teenage garage band in a totally new direction, which led to loads fun.

“Would you mind, dear sir, if I asked you a question?
If music be the food of love, are you the indigestion?”

...and:

"Frank was going through a state of depression in his bedroom
When he reached out for the jar
He swallowed every last pill and he lay back on his duvet
A Haliborange overdose is perhaps not the right way"

...at a time when Bono et al were singing songs that we were supposed to take seriously. So it was the perfect tonic to all that '80s self importance.

I hear a lot of Half Man Half Biscuit in what the Sleaford Mods are doing now. Another band who I think have broken the mould at just the right time.

 

Really like this post, and couldn't agree more Skol

One of my own fave HMHB lines (and it still makes me laugh, many years later)

"The nauseating bashfulness of Lady Diana,
Makes me want to set fire to commemorative tea-towels"

I've started laughing again

[FinnDave]

I don't really listen to lyrics much, my ears focus on the engine room of bass and drums driving it all along, but some of Kevin Ayer's words to manage to slip through and lodge themselves in my brain. I particularly like this from his song 'Lady Rachel': 

"Now she's safe from the darkness, she's safe from its clutch

 Now nothing can harm her, at least not very much" 

In fact, a lot of Kevin Ayer's material is like that, how about the line: "This is a song from the bottom of a well, I didn't move here, I just fell"   and from the same song: "Things don't happen, they just occur".

 

Edited December 14, 2017 by FinnDave

[Bilbo]

On 10/12/2017 at 11:24, Oopsdabassist said:

Not specifically these lyrics, but a heck of a lot of YES lyrics set me to thinking deep thoughts back in the 70's, in total contradiction to the punk 'keep it real' ethic which I scorned at the time.  OFC in hindsight I can see the merits for each camp, but at the time YES music was really pressing my buttons!!

I find a lot of beauty in Anderson's lyrics. They work for me in the way that James Joyce's stuff did. Depth in implication rather than literal content. Life changing? Probably not. Life affirming?  Definitely. 

[Osiris]

Possibly not life changing as such but a lyric that resonates with me often enough, particularly on days like today where it's Christmas jumper day at work and I'm getting a barrage of comments for not joining in with other people's idea of 'fun' - there's only so much canned laughter that a man can take. Add to that pretty much any other vacuous passing fad, band wagon etc.

Taken from Nirvana's All apologies;

 I wish I was like you. Easily amused.

[leftyyorky]

"And the man that you once loved, is bald and fat, and seldom in, he's working late as usual,

You're interest has waned , you feel the strain, the bedsprings snap,

On the occasions he lies upon you, close your eyes and think of nothing but Private Hell"

[pst62]

This! Especially after starting work 6 months prior to it's release!

 

Edited December 21, 2017 by pst62

[pst62]

and also this!