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Max
 Sep 29, 08 - 12:23 AM |
Greatest lyrics
Please feel free to post here some of what you consider to be the greatest lyrics of all time. However obvious, or not if the case may be. |
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Paul
Sep 29th, 2008 - 2:55 AM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
"Now that your picture's in the paper being rhythmically admired, and you can have anyone that you have ever desired..." First words on first song or Elvis Costello's first album. |
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tim
Sep 29th, 2008 - 6:25 AM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
If Fashion is your thing, than when you're naked well I guess you must be unemployed... Pulp |
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Max
Sep 29th, 2008 - 11:39 AM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day You fritter and waste the hours in an off hand way Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown Waiting for someone or something to show you the way Tired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain You are young and life is long, and there is time to kill today And then one day you find ten years have got behind you No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking And racing around to come up behind you again The sun is the same in the relative way, but you're older Shorter of breath and one day closer to death Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time Plans that either come to nought, or half a page of scribbled lines Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say |
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Rune
Sep 29th, 2008 - 1:05 PM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
I tried to leave you, I don't deny I closed the book on us, at least a hundred times. I'd wake up every morning by your side. The years go by, you lose your pride. The baby's crying, so you do not go outside, and all your work it's right before your eyes. Goodnight, my darling, I hope you're satisfied, the bed is kind of narrow, but my arms are open wide. And here's a man still working for your smile. -Leonard Cohen, I Tried To Leave You |
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Harold Wexler
Sep 29th, 2008 - 3:47 PM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
From a recent purchase, Smog's WILD LOVE, comes this opening line from "The Candle", so bluntly succinct that it's a wonder no one ever thought of it before: I was on her body, he was on her mind Here's another set of lyrics from Elvis Costello, master of the brutally sardonic putdown. From the last verse of GET HAPPY!!'s "King Horse": Meanwhile, back in some secluded spot He says "will you please", and she says "stop" If I ever lose this good thing that I got I never want to hear the song you dedicated tonight 'Cause you see I knew that song so long before we met That it means much more than it might |
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Harold Wexler
Sep 29th, 2008 - 4:00 PM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
More from Elvis C. Pound for pound, GET HAPPY!! may have more great lyrics (or, at least, more clever ones) than any album ever made, culminating in one of my all-time favorite closing tracks, "Riot Act": Forever Doesn't mean forever anymore I said "forever" Now it doesn't look like I'm gonna be around much anymore When the heat gets sub-tropical And the talk gets so topical Riot act, you can read me the riot act You can make me a matter of fact or a villain in a million A slip of the tongue is gonna keep me civilian Why do you talk such stupid nonsense When my mind could rest much easier Instead of all this dumb, dumb insolence I would be happier with amnesia They said "forget her" Now it looks like you're either gonna be before me or against me I read your letter And I must say I don't care for the color that it paints me Trying to be so bad is bad enough Don't make me laugh by talkin' tough Don't wear your heart out on your sleeve When your remarks are off the cuff Riot act, you can read me the riot act You can make me a matter of fact or a villain in a million A slip of the tongue is gonna keep me civilian Riot act ... |
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EdAmes
Oct 4th, 2008 - 5:05 PM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
Boy wants a car from his dad/ Dad says "First you gotta' cut that hair"/ Boy says "Hey Dad, Jesus had long hair"/ Dad says "That's right son, but Jesus walked everywhere". |
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Sean Pak
Oct 5th, 2008 - 10:20 PM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
Yes, this one is obvious, but nothing I've heard has beaten it yet: Dylan's "Desolation Row" |
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Sean Pak
Oct 5th, 2008 - 10:23 PM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
Also, Harold, you're right about Costello's "Riot Act." Man what awesome lyrics, man what an awesome song. |
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schleuse
Oct 6th, 2008 - 2:36 AM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
I second "Desolation Row" (and Dylan generally), and I third (?) Costello. But my nominee for the greatest lyric of all time comes from The Originator, Mr. Bo Diddley: I walk 47 miles of barbed wire, I use a cobra-snake for a necktie, I got a brand new house on the roadside, Made from rattlesnake hide, I got a brand new chimney made on top, Made out of a human skull, Now come on take a walk with me, Arlene, And tell me, who do you love? Who do you love? Who do you love? Who do you love? Who do you love? Tombstone hand and a graveyard mind, Just 22 and I don't mind dying. Who do you love? (x4) I rode around the town, used a rattlesnake whip, Take it easy Arlene, don't give me no lip, Who do you love? (x4) The night was dark, but the sky was blue, Down the alley, the ice-wagon flew, Heard a bump, and somebody screamed, You should have heard just what I seen. Who do you love? (x4) Arlene took me by my hand, And she said ooowee Bo, you know I understand. Who do you love? (x4) |
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Amya000
Oct 9th, 2008 - 10:43 PM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
i love india arie |
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Kevin
Oct 10th, 2008 - 3:44 AM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
sad eyed lady of the lowlands by bob dyaln |
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nicolas
Oct 10th, 2008 - 7:00 AM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
There's an old couple on the bus Sitting next to us, my boy and I And pointing to the graveyard, my boy says to the old man "This is where you goto when you die, My papa told me so The old man says "Yes, we know" Ron Sexsmith "Pretty Little Cemetery" |
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Rune
Oct 11th, 2008 - 6:02 PM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS - NO CHILDREN I hope that our few remaining friends Give up on trying to save us I hope we come up with a failsafe plot To piss off the dumb few that forgave us I hope the fences we mended Fall down beneath their own weight And I hope we hang on past the last exit I hope it's already too late And I hope the junkyard a few blocks from here Someday burns down And I hope the rising black smoke carries me far away And I never come back to this town Again in my life I hope I lie And tell everyone you were a good wife And I hope you die I hope we both die I hope I cut myself shaving tomorrow I hope it bleeds all day long Our friends say it's darkest before the sun rises We're pretty sure they're all wrong I hope it stays dark forever I hope the worst isn't over And I hope you blink before I do Yeah I hope I never get sober And I hope when you think of me years down the line You can't find one good thing to say And I'd hope that if I found the strength to walk out You'd stay the hell out of my way I am drowning There is no sign of land You are coming down with me Hand in unlovable hand And I hope you die I hope we both die |
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Daniel
Oct 12th, 2008 - 5:36 AM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
Long distance in formation, give me Memphis Tennessee Help me find the party trying to get in touch with me She could not leave her number, but I know who placed the call 'Cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall Help me, information, get in touch with my Marie She's the only one who'd phone me here from Memphis Tennessee Her home is on the south side, high up on a ridge Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge Help me, information, more than that I cannot add Only that I miss her and all the fun we had But we were pulled apart because her mom did not agree And tore apart our happy home in Memphis Tennessee Last time I saw Marie she's waving me good-bye With hurry home drops on her cheek that trickled from her eye Marie is only six years old, information please Try to put me through to her in Memphis Tennessee -- "Memphis Tennessee," Chuck Berry |
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Daniel
Oct 12th, 2008 - 6:04 AM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
Is it getting better Or do you feel the same Will it make it easier on you now You got someone to blame You say... One love One life When it's one need In the night One love We get to share it Leaves you baby if you Don't care for it Did I disappoint you Or leave a bad taste in your mouth You act like you never had love And you want me to go without Well it's... Too late Tonight To drag the past out into the light We're one, but we're not the same We get to Carry each other Carry each other One... Have you come here for forgiveness Have you come to raise the dead Have you come here to play Jesus To the lepers in your head Did I ask too much More than a lot You gave me nothing Now it's all I got We're one But we're not the same Well we Hurt each other Then we do it again You say Love is a temple Love a higher law Love is a temple Love the higher law You ask me to enter But then you make me crawl And I can't be holding on To what you got When all you got is hurt One love One blood One life You got to do what you should One life With each other Sisters Brothers One life But we're not the same We get to Carry each other Carry each other One...life One -- "One," U2 |
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Daniel
Oct 12th, 2008 - 6:16 AM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
"She's sixty-eight, but she says she's fifty-four." -- "Maggie's Farm," Bob Dylan "Well, he puts his cigar Out in your face just for kicks." -- "Maggie's Farm," Bob Dylan "From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen." -- "Father and Son," Cat Stevens As the snow flies On a cold and gray Chicago mornin' A poor little baby child is born In the ghetto And his mama cries 'Cause if there's one thing that she don't need It's another hungry mouth to feed In the ghetto People, don't you understand The child needs a helping hand Or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day Take a look at you and me, Are we too blind to see, Do we simply turn our heads And look the other way Well the world turns And a hungry little boy with a runny nose Plays in the street as the cold wind blows In the ghetto And his hunger burns So he starts to roam the streets at night And he learns how to steal And he learns how to fight In the ghetto Then one night in desperation A young man breaks away He buys a gun, steals a car, Tries to run, but he don't get far And his mama cries As a crowd gathers 'round an angry young man Face down in the street with a gun in his hand In the ghetto As her young man dies, On a cold and grey Chicago mornin', Another little baby child is born In the ghetto And his mama cries In the ghetto In the ghetto -- "In the Ghetto," Elvis Presley |
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Schwah
Oct 14th, 2008 - 7:25 PM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
Just listened to a webcast of Liz Phair doing Exile in Guyvile... she's never been any good live, but goddamn if those aren't great songs. I often find imperfect rhymes grating, but don't mind them here: "Divorce Song" And when I asked for a separate room It was late at night And we'd been driving since noon But if I'd known How that would sound to you I would have stayed in your bed For the rest of my life Just to prove I was right That it's harder to be friends than lovers And you shouldn't try to mix the two Cause if you do it and you're still unhappy Then you know that the problem is you And it's true that I stole your lighter And it's also true that I lost the map But when you said that I wasn't worth talking to I had to take your word on that But if you'd known How that would sound to me You would have taken it back And boxed it up and buried it in the ground Boxed it up and buried it in the ground Boxed it up and buried it in the ground Burned it up and thrown it away |
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Greg
Oct 14th, 2008 - 8:48 PM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
Smog - "Dress Sexy at My Funeral" Dress sexy at my funeral my good wife Dress sexy at my funeral my good wife For the first time in your life Wear your blouse undone to here And your skirt split up to here Oh Dress sexy at my funeral my good wife For the first time in your life Oh Dress sexy at my funeral my good wife Wink at the minister Blow kisses to my grieving brothers Dress sexy at my funeral my good wife And when it comes your turn to speak before the crowd Tell them about the time we did it On the beach with fireworks above us On the railroad tracks with the gravel in your back In the back room of a crowded bar And in the graveyard where my body now rests Oh Dress sexy at my funeral my good wife Dress sexy at my funeral my good wife For the first time in your life Also tell them about how I gave to charity And tried to love my fellow man as best i could But most of all don't forget about the time on the beach With fireworks above us Oh, Oh, Oooooh ... |
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Daniel
Oct 15th, 2008 - 3:55 PM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99 If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing everyday that scares you Sing Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours. Floss Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself. Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.. Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen… --"Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)," Baz Luhrmann |
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Harold Wexler
Oct 15th, 2008 - 4:48 PM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
Randy Newman, "Old Man" (1972) Everyone has gone away Can you hear me, can you hear me No one cared enough to stay Can you hear me, can you hear me You must remember me, old man I know that you can if you try So just open up your eyes, old man Look who's come to say goodbye The sun has left the sky, old man The birds have flown away And no one came to cry, old man Goodbye, old man, goodbye You want to stay, I know you do But it's useless now to try 'Cause I'll be here, and I'm just like you Goodbye, old man, goodbye Won't be no God to comfort you You taught me not to believe that lie You don't need anybody, nobody needs you Don't cry, old man, don't cry Everybody dies |
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Moeboid
Oct 15th, 2008 - 7:45 PM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
gnarls barkley - crazy Come on now, who do you, who do you, who do you, who do you think you are, Ha ha ha bless your soul You really think you're in control Well, I think you're crazy I think you're crazy I think you're crazy Just like me simon & garfunkel - the boxer Asking only workmans wages, I come lookin for a job, but I get no offers Just a comeon from the whores on 7th avenue I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome I took some comfort there the smiths - i know it's over "If you're so funny Then why are you on your own tonight ? And if you're so clever Then why are you on your own tonight ? If you're so very entertaining Then why are you on your own tonight ? If you're so very good-looking Why do you sleep alone tonight ? I know ... 'Cause tonight is just like any other night That's why you're on your own tonight the beach boys - god only knows I may not always love you But long as there are stars above you You never need to doubt it Ill make you so sure about it God only knows what Id be without you If you should ever leave me Though life would still go on believe me The world could show nothing to me So what good would living do me what i like about all of these is how so little is said, but they paint such a clear picture. it has always amazed me. |
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Giuseppe
Oct 16th, 2008 - 8:09 AM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
"Cloudless everyday you fall upon my waking eyes inciting and inviting me to rise And through the window in the wall Come streaming in on sunlight wings A million bright ambassadors of morning And no-one sings me lullabies And no-one makes me close my eyes And so I throw the windows wide And call to you across the sky" (Pink Floyd - Echoes) "If a fiddler played you a song, my love And if I gave you a wheel Would you spin for my heart and loneliness Would you spin for my love If I gave up all of my pride for you And only loved you for now Would you hide my fears and never say "Tomorrow I must go" Everywhere there's rain my love Everywhere there's fear If you tell me a lie I'll cry for you Tell me of sin and I'll laugh If you tell me of all the pain you've had I'll never smile again Everywhere there's rain my love Everywhere there's fear I can plainly see that our parts have changed Our sands are shifting around Need I beg to you for one more day To find our lonely love Everywhere there's rain my love Everywhere there's fear" (Tim Buckley - Phantasmagoria in Two) |
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Kurt
Oct 20th, 2008 - 11:30 AM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
Not Dark Yet Shadows are falling and I've been here all day It's too hot to sleep time is running away Feel like my soul has turned into steel I've still got the scars that the sun didn't heal There's not even room enough to be anywhere It's not dark yet, but it's getting there Well my sense of humanity has gone down the drain Behind every beautiful thing there's been some kind of pain She wrote me a letter and she wrote it so kind She put down in writing what was in her mind I just don't see why I should even care It's not dark yet, but it's getting there Well, I've been to London and I've been to gay Paree I've followed the river and I got to the sea I've been down on the bottom of a world full of lies I ain't looking for nothing in anyone's eyes Sometimes my burden seems more than I can bear It's not dark yet, but it's getting there I was born here and I'll die here against my will I know it looks like I'm moving, but I'm standing still Every nerve in my body is so vacant and numb I can't even remember what it was I came here to get away from Don't even hear a murmur of a prayer It's not dark yet, but it's getting there. |
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nicolas
Nov 13th, 2008 - 1:08 PM |
Re: Greatest lyrics
And when October comes With his hair all greying It's then I'm overcome To hear those children playing Of recess and schoolyards I've memories so clear And when this old heart Just longs to disappear Their laughter's music to my ears Ron Sexsmith - Music To My Ears |
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