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Questions tagged [lyrics]

For questions regarding the words to a song, their interpretation and meaning.

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1 vote
1 answer
78 views

What changes did Oscar Hammerstein make to P.G. Wodehouse's lyrics for the Jerome Kern tune Bill?

What changes did Oscar Hammerstein II make to P.G. Wodehouse's lyrics for the Jerome Kern tune Bill? According to Wikipedia : "Bill" is a song heard in Act II of Kern and Hammerstein's ...
3 votes
1 answer
620 views

In 'Two Tribes' of Frankie goes to Hollywood, is it a 'point' or 'money' that you can score? Do they actually say 'let's go to war'?

The anti-war song 'Two Tribes' from Frankie goes to Hollywood, with their striking music-video (released in 1984), got my attention again. Although the video was banned by the BBC at the time, the ...
1 vote
4 answers
970 views

What is going on in the lyrics of Kate Rusby's song “The Lark”?

What is going on in the lyrics of Kate Rusby's song “The Lark”? This song is moving but cryptic—it's hard for me to tell what's going on. There may have been a breakup between the narrator and the ...
3 votes
1 answer
3k views

Lyrics of *True Faith* by New Order: What is the morning sun?

My morning sun is the drug that brings me near To the childhood I lost, replaced by fear I used to think that the day would never come That my life would depend on the morning sun This is the ...
3 votes
5 answers
1k views

Why was Ian Hunter ashamed in Oreole?

I'm referring to All the Way from Memphis (1973) by Mott the Hoople. The lyrics are here. I think we can all feel a bit unhappy about the unfortunate use of the word "Spade" but I don't see any ...
8 votes
1 answer
180 views

What is the background of "Der Fischer und der Boss" by Reinhard Mey?

The German singer-songwriter Reinhard Mey has a song called "Der Fischer und der Boss", which translates to "The Fisherman and the Boss". It tells the story of a fisherman who sometimes goes out for ...
0 votes
1 answer
31 views

What does this lyric in "I Don't Know" by MiSTah Kye mean?

At around 2:09 in the song "I Don't Know" by MiSTah Kye, there is this lyric: She murder like Bobby Which "Bobby" is this referencing? In his songs, MiSTah Kye usually references ...
8 votes
3 answers
1k views

Does the jazz standard "Lament" by J.J. Johnson have lyrics?

Does the jazz standard "Lament" by J.J. Johnson have lyrics? My Google searches have turned up empty.
1 vote
2 answers
3k views

Spoken lines in Annie Lennox' "No More I Love You's"

In Annie Lennox' 1995 song, No More I Love You's, a young sounding voice (maybe Annie herself voicing a childlike voice?) says They were being really crazy. We were all in the car, and you know ...
1 vote
0 answers
17 views

Does the video for Last In Line match the intent of the Lyrics?

Do the scenes depicted in the music video for The Last in Line (Dio, 1984) relate directly to the meaning of the lyrics as intended by the original artist? Both contain Biblical imagery, but while the ...
3 votes
3 answers
1k views

In the song "Straight On" by Heart, what does the line "What the winner don’t know, a gambler understands" mean?

The song "Straight On" by Heart contains the following lyric: what the winner don’t know, a gambler understands What does that mean?
0 votes
2 answers
93 views

Is "Ten commandments of man" sexist or ironic?

As per the title, is this song ironic? It seems way too extreme to be anything but ironic, and perhaps at the time it was clear because of how it was performed or who ...
1 vote
1 answer
60 views

Is there a name for this lyrical construct?

In Taylor Swift's song Anti-Hero, the last two lines of the chorus are: I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero But as it's sung,...
9 votes
5 answers
19k views

Why "un, dos, tres, catorce" instead of "un, dos, tres, cuatro" in U2's "Vertigo"?

U2's song Vertigo from their album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb begins like this: Un, dos, tres, catorce!! In Spanish that's "one, two, three, fourteen". Why "fourteen"? I've read a number of ...
3 votes
2 answers
62 views

What is the purpose of using pronoun "they" instead of "he" in "Ten Duel Commandments" (Hamilton: The Musical)

I have recently noticed that in "Ten Duel Commandments" from Hamilton the pronoun used to describe the opponent is "they" like in The challenge: demand satisfaction, If they ...
12 votes
2 answers
15k views

Are the lyrics of Yoko Kanno's "Moon" gibberish or intelligible?

Are the lyrics of Yoko Kanno’s song Moon meaningless (as in using pseudowords, gibberish, scat singing or similar), or are the lyrics in some kind of language? Maybe a fictional language constructed ...
2 votes
3 answers
2k views

What does the line "Could go fishing but the fish draw flies" mean in Blaze Foley's "Big Cheeseburgers And Good French Fries"

I am fascinated by the music of Blaze Foley, and he often paints an incredible picture of life in the country. Last year I was able to – after research – determine the meaning of the line "Feed the ...
12 votes
3 answers
36k views

Why does "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" by The Offspring start with a sample from "Rock of Ages" by Def Leppard?

As established in this question, "Rock of Ages" by Def Leppard starts with "Gunter, Glieben, Glauchen, Globen" because of an in-joke by the band and their producer, Mutt Lange. ...
8 votes
1 answer
943 views

Is there a service that tags songs based on the subject matter of the lyrics?

Today we are improving tagging a song/album/artist a lot with music streaming applications where music search is pivotal. I'm looking for a certain type of music which concerns the lyrics, so I'm ...
1 vote
0 answers
24 views

Is "I will defend it" in Barenaked Ladies' Navigate a reference?

In the Barenaked Ladies song "Navigate", there's a line: It's home and I will defend it To me the "I will defend it" seems slightly out of place with the tone of the rest of the ...
2 votes
1 answer
3k views

Meaning of "Red Flags" and "Bites the Dust" in Sia's song, Elastic Heart?

I've read the lyric Elastic Heart by Sia, and I don't really understand in this part: And I wanted it, I wanted it bad But there were so many red flags Now another one bites the dust Yeah let's be ...
0 votes
3 answers
2k views

What is the De La Soul song "Potholes in My Lawn" (1988) about?

I can't make any sense of these lyrics. My guess is that he is rapping about somebody having stolen his lyrics or something? Who was that? Somebody famous? I really have made significant efforts to ...
4 votes
1 answer
454 views

Why are some of the lyrics in Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera omitted or missing entirely?

Around 2016 or so, I did a Google search for lyrics of Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera, since I am hard-of-hearing, wanting to find full lyrics in written form. However, all of the ...
3 votes
1 answer
202 views

What does "mad fish" mean in Bring The Pain by Method Man?

In the song "Bring The Pain" by Method Man, he says: Check it, just how deep can shit get/ Deep as the abyss/ and brothers is mad fish accept it What does "mad fish" mean in this ...
12 votes
1 answer
2k views

The "right here, right now" sample in "Right Here, Right Now"

In Fatboy Slim’s Right Here, Right Now, the lyrics contain repetitions of "right here, right now", spoken by a woman. This sample seems to be taken from the movie Strange Days, where Angela Bassett ...
2 votes
1 answer
512 views

Where can I find the lyrics to the 1981 album "Caramba"?

I am especially interested in the song "Aitho", but it seems only "Habba Habba Zoot Zoot" is commonly available online. I know the lyrics are included on the rear cover, but I can ...
2 votes
1 answer
32 views

Why does Bayern & 1868 cause an argument in this Transglobal Underground song?

In the song 'Drinking in Gomorrah' (Impossible Broadcasting, 2004) by Transglobal Underground there is this lyric: And it's quiet except for this couple of German cotton buyers, who both turn out to ...
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

Does the Dead Can Dance song "Carnival of Light" mean anything?

I know Lisa Gerrard sings in an invented language that has no relation to any language in the real world, sometimes referred to as idioglossia or glossalalia, but she seems to suggest that the random ...
10 votes
1 answer
599 views

What is the significance behind so many uses of the word "murder" in old school reggae lyrics?

Why does the word murder get used so much in pre-digital dancehall and old reggae? For example, this Barrington Levy track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmdhqRgRsmE Is there any reason or ...
0 votes
1 answer
50 views

Help needed in transcription of music lyrics

Again I'm stuck with some lyrics. I have difficulties listening to song lyrics in English. Spiral End (Worship) Apparently there isn't a source with transcript lyrics yet. My poor tries to transcribe ...
16 votes
11 answers
11k views

Are the lyrics in "Teardrop" by Massive Attack "feathers" or "fearless"

OK, I'm changing this question a little bit since I've discovered a problem with the root of the question assuming the lyrics in the song are "feathers on my breath". Apparently this is a big debate ...
5 votes
2 answers
547 views

Where can I find a song's lyrics?

Usually, when we want to have the lyrics of a certain song, especially when we don't have the actual physical album of a musician in hand, we look for it on Google. As I have experienced several ...
2 votes
1 answer
319 views

Lyrics of Counting Stars

There are many versions of the lyrics of the Song Counting Stars by One Republic at this part Take that money Watch it burn Sing in the river / Sink in the river The lessons I ...
2 votes
0 answers
58 views

What does "Make the colours in the sky" mean in this context?

Ay, ay, ay I'm your little butterfly Green, black and blue Make the colours in the sky Source: https://genius.com/Smiledk-butterfly-lyrics Or as song: Does it mean ...
1 vote
0 answers
118 views

Why the excess of 3 children underneath the mango tree?

In the song Underneath the Mango Tree the refrain goes: Mango, banana and tangerine Sugar and ackee and cocoa bean When we get marry we make them grow And nine little chil' in a row https://www....
2 votes
1 answer
361 views

Identifying the hidden lyrics in the song "Born to be Wasted"

One of the most "nostalgic" songs in the late 2000s, which circulated around YouTube so that it came to be considered by many to be its national anthem, is the song "Born to be Wasted&...
6 votes
2 answers
128 views

Tie between Warning and American idiot?

Is there a tie between Green Day's albums Warning, Shenanigans and American Idiot? The album Warning points to a story of kids being kids (think: Fashion Victim) while the album American Idiot ...
7 votes
2 answers
6k views

What does "Fortune fame mirror vain" mean in Metallica's The Memory Remains?

I was wondering what does chrous of The Memory Remains mean? "Fortune Fame, Mirror Vain, Gone Insane, But The Memory Remains" I asked this because it doesn't mean what it looks.
10 votes
2 answers
8k views

Lyrics confusion in Queen's "I Want to Break Free"

Here's an extract of the lyrics to Queen's "I Want to Break Free": I've fallen in love I've fallen in love for the first time And this time I know it's for real "This time I know it's ...
2 votes
3 answers
168 views

Are there any modern musical "epics"?

Have any significant musical epics been created from the year 2000 forward? By "epic" I mean the literary term, as in a long narrative. I'm interested in a song, multiple songs, album or ...
1 vote
1 answer
436 views

Lyrics of "The friends of Mr. Cairo" by Vangelis and Jon Anderson

I was able to find the lyrics of "The friends of Mr. Cairo": ... From Chicago to Hong Kong Via Istanbul the Talking Tong ... I would very much appreciate if someone could tell me what's ...
0 votes
2 answers
1k views

Why does relatability to songs and their lyrics trigger so much emotion?

I could be alone on this. Whenever I listen to some songs of any genre whose lyrics tell a story so relatable to my own experiences, I would always picture the memories and reminisce the good old days....
27 votes
4 answers
12k views

Was the radio talk in "Right Here, Right Now" real or created for the song?

The version of Fatboy Slim’s Right Here, Right Now from the album You've Come a Long Way, Baby ends with this radio talk: [Host] WBCN, and who’s this? [Caller] Hey, this is Brad, this is Brad, this ...
2 votes
3 answers
415 views

What do the lyrics in "Master of Puppets" mean?

What do the lyrics in "Master of Puppets" mean? Is it talking about drugs like Google says? I don't really trust Google lol.
2 votes
0 answers
280 views

Is "Nachts weinen die Soldaten" a hommage to "Es ist an der Zeit" or to "Green Fields of France"?

Today I listened to "Nachts weinen die Soldaten" (At night the soldiers are crying) by Saltatio Mortis. And I was reminded of "Es ist an der Zeit" (It's about time) by Hannes Wader. So my question ...
1 vote
0 answers
284 views

I am looking for lyrics of the song: Thomas Bergersen - A Place in Heaven

It has two versions, one is sung by Jenifer Thigpen as voice over. I am looking for lyrics of the version with her voice. I found lyrics in this website but it is in English and it does not sound like ...
1 vote
0 answers
26 views

What does this line in the song Tyla Yaweh - Tommy Lee mean?

I treat my hoes like a option What does this mean?
0 votes
0 answers
67 views

What do the lyrics for Frisco Town from Memphis Minnie (1929) mean?

I haven't a perfect knowledge of English, and history and country/blues music from the 20's sometimes carries images that I can't figure clearly. In her song Frisco Town, in 1929, what does Memphis ...
2 votes
2 answers
3k views

Does anyone know what the real lyrics are for "Heaven or Las Vegas" by the Cocteau Twins?

There's a song named Heaven or Las Vegas by the Cocteau Twins but I'm not what the correct lyrics are. I've been trying to figure them out for years and could use some good feedback.
1 vote
1 answer
353 views

"Lose Yourself" chorus confusion

I checked the lyrics in many sources (e.g. spotify) and listened to the song on various platforms, and I still can't make out what he says in the beginning (or rather the second line) of the chorus. ...

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