NationStates Jolt Archive

There have been a few threads based on song lyrics, but to my dismay, almost nobody actually reads them or comments on them. I think it we need a thread to analyze songs instead of just mindless posting, so someone post a song, I will offer up my comments on it.

I think the funniest analysation of song lyrics was on an episode of Penn & Teller's Bullshit. They were explaining how people take the writings of a sucky poet like Nostradamus and turn it into something of a religion.
It was the underrated Bus Song:

The Bus Song
(Wheels on the Bus)

Traditional
Written By: Unknown
Copyright Unknown

The wheels on the bus go round and round
Round and round, round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town.
(Roll hands over each other)

The wipers on the bus go "Swish, swish, swish,
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish"
The wipers on the bus go "Swish, swish, swish"
All through the town.
(Put arms together in front of you and
'swish' like windshield wipers)

The door on the bus goes open and shut
Open and shut, open and shut
The door on the bus goes open and shut
All through the town.
(Cover eyes with hands on 'shut' and
uncover them on 'open')

The horn on the bus goes "Beep, beep, beep
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep"
The horn on the bus goes "Beep, beep, beep"
All through the town.
(Pretend to honk horn)

The gas on the bus goes "Glug, glug, glug
Glug, glug, glug, glug, glug, glug"
The gas on the bus goes "Glug, glug, glug"
All through the town.
(Pretend to fill tank using pointer finger as gas nozzle)

The money on the bus goes "Clink, clink, clink,
Clink, clink, clink, clink, clink, clink"
The money on the bus goes "Clink, clink, clink"
All through the town.
(Pretend to put money in cash box on bus)

The baby on the bus says, "Wah, wah, wah!
Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah!"
The baby on the bus says, "Wah, wah, wah!"
All through the town.
(Fisted hands in front of eyes
and rub them like baby crying)

The people on the bus say, "Shh, shh, shh,
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh"
The people on the bus say, "Shh, shh, shh"
All through the town.
(Put pointer finger to mouth to 'shhh')

The mommy on the bus says, "I love you,
I love you, I love you"
The daddy on the bus says, "I love you, too"
All through the town.
(Point to self on 'I',
right hand over heart on 'love', and
point to other on 'you')

Let's see what you can do with it.

The Bus Song
(Wheels on the Bus)



A pop classic!!! There is no way you cannot sing along with this.

Underneath the shimmering glint of yummy pop goodness, however, lies a gritty view of the population boom and the clogging of our cities.

The song starts off by displaying the grim monotony of daily life in our cities, the tedious repetition of daily chores is represented by the constant repetition of routine sounds. It touches on innercity congestion and frustrations with the honking of the horn, before sliding into two verses on the gluttony of our lifestyle. The "glug, glug, glug" represents our dependance on foreign oil and the "clink, clink, clink" represents our mass consumerism.

The song reaches its peak with the 7th and 8th verses. The babies cries represent the way the innocent cannot understand our cynicism and need to force ourselves into such a meaningless conformity, but those on the bus refuse to hear the questions and quickly silence the voice before they are forced to question their own way of life.

The author of this song does not want to end on such a low point, however, and finishes with a quiet but beautiful gesture as to what can still drive us (no pun intended) through such a meddling existence. Love, the little things we share between family and friends.

Here is a song by Styx off of their album The Serpent is Rising, their second album.

Don't sit on the Plexiglas toilet
Said the momma to her son
Wipe the butt clean with the paper
Make it nice for everyone
But don't sit down on the Plexiglas toilet yeah

A boy of 5 stands close to the toilet
Holds the lid up with one hand
Won't let go the lid for fear that
On his banana it will land
Don't sit down on the Plexiglas toilet yeah

Boy goes up he eats the enchilada
With the sauce that burns the heart
Family comes to visit family
momma says don't belch and fart

Don't sit on the Plexiglas toilet
Said the momma to her son
Wipe the butt clean with the paper
Make it nice for everyone
But don't sit down on the Plexiglas toilet yeah

Everybody Sing!

Don't sit on the Plexiglas toilet
Said the momma to her son
Wipe the butt clean with the paper
Make it nice for everyone
But don't sit down on the Plexiglas toilet yeah

Don't sit on the Plexiglas toilet
Said the momma to her son
Wipe the butt clean with the paper
Make it nice for everyone
But don't sit down on the Plexiglas toilet yeah

Here is a song by Styx off of their album The Serpent is Rising, their second album.

Don't sit on the Plexiglas toilet

snip

I could bullshit the Bus Song, but I got nothing for this. I will leave that for someone else.

Here is a song by Styx off of their album The Serpent is Rising, their second album.

Don't sit on the Plexiglas toilet
Said the momma to her son
Wipe the butt clean with the paper
Make it nice for everyone
But don't sit down on the Plexiglas toilet yeah

A boy of 5 stands close to the toilet
Holds the lid up with one hand
Won't let go the lid for fear that
On his banana it will land
Don't sit down on the Plexiglas toilet yeah

Boy goes up he eats the enchilada
With the sauce that burns the heart
Family comes to visit family
momma says don't belch and fart

Don't sit on the Plexiglas toilet
Said the momma to her son
Wipe the butt clean with the paper
Make it nice for everyone
But don't sit down on the Plexiglas toilet yeah

Everybody Sing!

Don't sit on the Plexiglas toilet
Said the momma to her son
Wipe the butt clean with the paper
Make it nice for everyone
But don't sit down on the Plexiglas toilet yeah

Don't sit on the Plexiglas toilet
Said the momma to her son
Wipe the butt clean with the paper
Make it nice for everyone
But don't sit down on the Plexiglas toilet yeah

You're making that up. Styx would write that :mad: .
Why... why do you lie so? *goes and cries in the corner and quietly sings Come Sail Away between sobs* :(

It is on their website, and on that album. Of course that early in their career styx did not really sound much like styx.

*joins come sail away* (awsome song)


http://www.styxworld.com/listingsEntry.asp?ID=136905&PT=The+Serpent+is+Rising

Bumpity bump

Apparently, Branin has found one of the most off the wall, hidden tracks ever.

Okay, analyse this: :D

Sung to the children's tune "If You're Happy And You Know It, Clap Your Hands"

If we cannot find Osama, bomb Iraq.
If we're itchin' for some drama, bomb Iraq.
If we cannot find Osama,
And we're itchin' for some drama,
If we cannot find Osama,
Bomb Iraq.

If we're worried about oil, bomb Iraq.
Never mind it's foreign soil, bomb Iraq.
Mr. Nuke we cannot see ya,
What the Hell is North Korea?
If we're worried about oil,
Bomb Iraq.

The economy needs liftin', bomb Iraq.
Popularity polls are shiftin', bomb Iraq.
So the smokin' gun's not smokin',
We don't care and we're not jokin',
That Saddam will soon be croakin',
Bomb Iraq.

Even though we have no allies, bomb Iraq.
From the sand dunes to the valleys, bomb Iraq.
So to hell with the inspections,
Let's look tough for the elections,
Close your mind and take directions.
Bomb Iraq.

Okay, analyse this: :D

Sung to the children's tune "If You're Happy And You Know It, Clap Your Hands"



Yay, a not very funny political spoof.

For the sake of this thread, let us never mention that post again.

......that sounded like criticism, careful now or the free speech protectors might shut you down. Still think the "Wheels on the Bus" is the most sinister song ever. Especially since they removed the REALLY obvious verse that went "The Wheels on the Bus launch a military coup, reporting your parents is the right thing to do". I mean, man, people just saw clean through THAT one!

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bon Jovi - Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars

Dressed up for a big date
Like Halloween day but it was Fourth of July now
A car crash with a suitcase and a painted face
She was one of a kind
She wears a plastic crown like Cinderella
And roller skates in bed

Crash rides the greyhound from his hometown
When he comes around 'cause they don't let him drive now
Mixed up as a milkshake
But make no mistake
They're shooting for the stars

[Chorus:]
You and me
We're invincible together
We can be so tragical, whatever
Dressed up just like ziggy but he couldn't play guitar
Captain Crash and the beauty queen from mars

Share a toothpick, trading lipstick
Watching traffic for days at the diner
Holding hands, making big plans
Playing Superman, he was wearing eyeliner
Another local legend and his longtime lucky charm

[Chorus:]
You and me
We're invincible together
We can be so tragical, whatever
Dressed up just like ziggy but he couldn't play guitar
Captain Crash and the beauty queen from mars

They're drunk on love as you can get
Getting high on lust and cigarettes
Living life with no regrets
At least they're gonna try to fly

[Chorus:]
You and me
We're invincible together
We can be so tragical, whatever
We're Sid and Nancy
Fred and Ginger
Clyde and Bonnie
Liz and Richard
Kurt and Courtney
Bacall and Bogie
Joltin' Joe and Ms. Monroe
Here's captain crash and the beauty queen from mars
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Have fun :)

Perhaps I was not clear as to what I wanted the point of this thread to be.

I wanted this to be a thread where people would post and discuss good lyrics, not post the most insane lyrics you can find and listen to the laughter in your head.

I humored Eichen's post, but I think this may be a lost cause. :(

Sha la la la la la la
I was down at the New Amsterdam
Staring at this yellow-haired girl
Mr. Jones strikes up a conversation with this black-haired flamenco dancer
You know she dances while his father plays guitar
She's suddenly beautiful
We all want something beautiful
Man, I wish I was beautiful
So come dance this silence down through the morning
Sha la la la la la la la, yeah
Cut up, Maria!
Show me some of them Spanish dances and
Pass me a bottle, Mr. Jones
Believe in me
Help me believe in anything
Cause I want to be someone who believes
Mr. Jones and me tell each other fairy tales
And we stare at the beautiful women
She's looking at you
Ah, no, no, she's looking at me
Smiling in the bright lights
Coming through in stereo
When everybody loves you
You can never be lonely
Well, I wanna paint my picture
Paint myself in blue and red and black and gray
All of the beautiful colors are very, very meaningful
Yeah you know, gray is my favorite color
I felt so symbolic yesterday
If I knew Picasso
I would buy myself a gray guitar and play
Mr. Jones and me look into the future
Yeah and we stare at the beautiful women
She's looking at you. Uh, I don't think so. She's looking at me
Standing the spotlight
I bought myself a gray guitar
When everybody loves me, I will never be lonely
I want to be a lion
Everybody wants to pass as cats
We all want to be big, big stars
Yeah, but we got different reasons for that
Believe in me, because I don't believe in anything
And I want to be someone to believe, to believe, to believe
Mr. Jones and me stumbling through the barrio
Yeah and we stare at the beautiful women
She's perfect for you, Man, there's got to be somebody for me
I wanna be Bob Dylan
Mr. Jones wishes he was someone just a little more funky
When everybody loves you, Ah, son, that's just about as funky as you can be
Mr. Jones and me staring at the video
When I look at the television, I want to see me staring right back at me
We all want to be big stars, but we don't know why and we don't know how
But when everybody loves me, I'm going to be just about as happy as can be
Mr. Jones and me, we're gonna be big stars.

Peeing in Public
by Bagger United

Verse 1:
I feel the feeling coming up that I have to pee
The only problem is that I can't do it for free
If I go to the toilet I have to pay some dimes
So peeing is expensive if you need to go 10 times

Chorus 1:
That's why I'm peeing in public
I'm peeing on the street
If I have to go I'm doing the fucking deed
All I want is total anarchy
So you can pee for free

Verse 2:
I'm almost finished peeing against a wall
When someone sneeks up from behind who I didn't see at all
Now I have to pay 100 bucks
And take my word: It really sucks

Chorus 2:
That's why I can't pee in public
I can't pee on the street
If I have to go I can't do the fucking deed
All I want is total anarchy
So you can pee for free

Bridge:
When I'm peeing in public I feel really good
When I'm peeing in public I'm in a perfect mood
When I'm peeing in public no one can harm me
When I'm peeing in public – I'm free

Chorus 1

Perhaps I was not clear as to what I wanted the point of this thread to be.

I wanted this to be a thread where people would post and discuss good lyrics, not post the most insane lyrics you can find and listen to the laughter in your head.

I humored Eichen's post, but I think this may be a lost cause. :(


How about a classic and one of my all time faves:
Zager and Evans' "In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)"


In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive
They may find........

In the year 3535
Ain't gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lies
Everything you think, do, or say
Is in the pill you took today

In the year 4545
Ain't gonna need your teeth, won't need your eyes
You won't find a thing to chew
Nobody's gonna look at you

In the year 5555
Your arms are hanging limp at your sides
Your legs got nothing to do
Some machine, doing that for you

In the year 6565
Ain't gonna need no husband, won't need no wife
You'll pick your son, pick your daughter too
From the bottom of a long glass tube

In the year 7510
If God's a comin' he ought to make it by then
Maybe he'll look around himself and say
``Guess it's time for the Judgement day''

In the year 8510
God's gonna shake his mighty head
He'll either say ``I'm pleased where man has been''
Or tear it down and start again

In the year 9595
I'm kinda wondering if man's gonna be alive
He's taken everything this old earth can give
And he ain't put back nothing...

Now it's been 10,000 years
Man has cried a billion tears
For what he never knew
Now man's reign is through
But through the eternal night
The twinkling of starlight
So very far away
Maybe it's only yesterday...

In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive
They may find.......


Accurate prediction of the truth or mumbo-jumbo?

There have been a few threads based on song lyrics, but to my dismay, almost nobody actually reads them or comments on them. I think it we need a thread to analyze songs instead of just mindless posting, so someone post a song, I will offer up my comments on it.

Cool idea! OK, a serious one.

Spiderbait - Buy Me a Pony

Don't you wanna be
A personality
An ocean in the sea
But you'll never make it
If you can't shake it
So don't mistake it
Just try and fake it
And I want you to know
You don't have far to go
So we'll use all your dough*
To buy new clothes
And see what flows
And powder your nose
For those photos
You're almost on your way
To popularity
And we'll teach you to play
With icy stare
And punk rock hair
And beatnik flair
We'll take you there

'Cause there's nobody else like you
And we sure care just what you're doing
After we have gone our seperate ways

So don't you want to be
A big time entity
Your place in history
But don't be scared
Of what we said
'Cause there's no end
To being your friend
But wait out in the hall
We've just received a call
We'll have to dump you all
But don't you try
To pass us by
'Cause we own you
Until we're through

And there's so many round like you
And we don't care just what you're doing
After we have gone our seperate ways
Hey, Yeah

*Dough=Money. Not sure if that's universal or just Australian slang.

Or hows about this one:
(By an artist we all know, I hope)
A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they�d be happy for a while.

But february made me shiver
With every paper I�d deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn�t take one more step.

I can�t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died.

So bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin� whiskey and rye
Singin�, "this�ll be the day that I die.
"this�ll be the day that I die."

Did you write the book of love,
And do you have faith in God above,
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock �n roll,
Can music save your mortal soul,
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Well, I know that you�re in love with him
`cause I saw you dancin� in the gym.
You both kicked off your shoes.
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues.

I was a lonely teenage broncin� buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck,
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died.

I started singin�,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin� whiskey and rye
And singin�, "this�ll be the day that I die.
"this�ll be the day that I die."

Now for ten years we�ve been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin� stone,
But that�s not how it used to be.
When the jester sang for the king and queen,
In a coat he borrowed from james dean
And a voice that came from you and me,

Oh, and while the king was looking down,
The jester stole his thorny crown.
The courtroom was adjourned;
No verdict was returned.
And while lennon read a book of marx,
The quartet practiced in the park,
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died.

We were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin� whiskey and rye
And singin�, "this�ll be the day that I die.
"this�ll be the day that I die."

Helter skelter in a summer swelter.
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter,
Eight miles high and falling fast.
It landed foul on the grass.
The players tried for a forward pass,
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast.

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune.
We all got up to dance,
Oh, but we never got the chance!
`cause the players tried to take the field;
The marching band refused to yield.
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?

We started singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin� whiskey and rye
And singin�, "this�ll be the day that I die.
"this�ll be the day that I die."

Oh, and there we were all in one place,
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again.
So come on: jack be nimble, jack be quick!
Jack flash sat on a candlestick
Cause fire is the devil�s only friend.

Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage.
No angel born in hell
Could break that satan�s spell.
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite,
I saw satan laughing with delight
The day the music died

He was singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin� whiskey and rye
And singin�, "this�ll be the day that I die.
"this�ll be the day that I die."

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news,
But she just smiled and turned away.
I went down to the sacred store
Where I�d heard the music years before,
But the man there said the music wouldn�t play.

And in the streets: the children screamed,
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
But not a word was spoken;
The church bells all were broken.
And the three men I admire most:
The father, son, and the holy ghost,
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died.

And they were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin� whiskey and rye
Singin�, "this�ll be the day that I die.
"this�ll be the day that I die."

They were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin� whiskey and rye
Singin�, "this�ll be the day that I die."

How about a classic and one of my all time faves:
Zager and Evans' "In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)"





Accurate prediction of the truth or mumbo-jumbo?

I'd say both, what kind of music is that set to?

Cool idea! OK, a serious one.

Spiderbait - Buy Me a Pony



Thats a pretty cool song. I'm guessing they don't like radio execs. Not a great deal of wordplay, however, pretty straight forward.

The song everybody knows

We could have an entire thread dedicated to this song's references.

If I am right the Jester is Bob Dylan, care to add another reference?

A pop classic!!! There is no way you cannot sing along with this.

Underneath the shimmering glint of yummy pop goodness, however, lies a gritty view of the population boom and the clogging of our cities.

The song starts off by displaying the grim monotony of daily life in our cities, the tedious repetition of daily chores is represented by the constant repetition of routine sounds. It touches on innercity congestion and frustrations with the honking of the horn, before sliding into two verses on the gluttony of our lifestyle. The "glug, glug, glug" represents our dependance on foreign oil and the "clink, clink, clink" represents our mass consumerism.

The song reaches its peak with the 7th and 8th verses. The babies cries represent the way the innocent cannot understand our cynicism and need to force ourselves into such a meaningless conformity, but those on the bus refuse to hear the questions and quickly silence the voice before they are forced to question their own way of life.

The author of this song does not want to end on such a low point, however, and finishes with a quiet but beautiful gesture as to what can still drive us (no pun intended) through such a meddling existence. Love, the little things we share between family and friends.

*chuckling*
You have earned the esteemed BS degree in BS from an online diploma mill.
I envy your skills, my friend.

I'd say both, what kind of music is that set to?

:eek:

You haven't heard it before?

Starts off in a low minor key (A minor, I think, but don't trust me on it) wityba slow and steady tempo. Each verse goes up one key and increases tempo until the last verse which reverts to the original tempo and then speeds up.

If you really haven't heard it, I reccomend you go look it up.

*chuckling*
You have earned the esteemed BS degree in BS from an online diploma mill.
I envy your skills, my friend.

A day late and a dollar short, I already have my MBS.

Okay, everyone has some fucked up story about this, but do you know what The Eagle's Hotel California is about?

:eek:

You haven't heard it before?

Starts off in a low minor key (A minor, I think, but don't trust me on it) wityba slow and steady tempo. Each verse goes up one key and increases tempo until the last verse which reverts to the original tempo and then speeds up.

If you really haven't heard it, I reccomend you go look it up.

First time I have heard it, and it is cracking me up. This may be the most dramatic song I have ever heard.

When Sergio Leone remakes Star Trek II, this will be his theme song. :p

Okay, everyone has some fucked up story about this, but do you know what The Eagle's Hotel California is about?

I believe it is about excess and drugs in Los Angeles.

I think Hotel California is Los Angeles, but I could be wrong.

Yay, a not very funny political spoof.

For the sake of this thread, let us never mention that post again.

i liked it.

i liked it.

That's fine, I just don't want this thread to get anywhere near political.

Pretty much there. Relisten and think rehab center.
Now, while your smokin with friends, play the song and let them talk.
Feel smug in the fact that only you know the truth.
It seems important when you're very high.

Pretty much there. Relisten and think rehab center.
Now, while your smokin with friends, play the song and let them talk.
Feel smug in the fact that only you know the truth.
It seems important when you're very high.

Yes, I shall render them powerless with my smug, knowing glances.

They will begin to wonder if I know the meaning of life, but I will know oh, so much more.

I have posted this before, but maybe I could get some responses on it this time around:

The Shins
So Says I-

An address to the golden door
I was strumming on a stone again
pulling teeth from the pimps of gore when hatched
a tragic opera in my mind...
and it told of a new design
in which every soul is duty bound
to uphold all the statues of boredom therein lies
the fatal flaw of the red age

Because it was nothing like we'd ever dremt
our lust for life had gone away with the rent we hated
and because it made no money nobody saved no one's life.

So we burned all our uniforms
and let nature take its course again
and the big ones just eat all the little ones
that sent us back to the drawing board.

In our darkest hours
we have all asked for some
angel to come
sprinkle his dust all around
but all our crying voices they can't turn it around
and you've had some crazy conversations of your own.

We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs
but we still can't just behave ourselves
even if to save our own lives so, says I, WE ARE A BRUTAL KIND.

Cuz this is nothing like we'd ever dremt
tell Sir Thomas More we've got another failed attempt
cuz if it makes them money they might just give you life this time.

Thats a pretty cool song. I'm guessing they don't like radio execs. Not a great deal of wordplay, however, pretty straight forward.

Yeah, that's why I like the band. They do their own thing, and in a down-to-earth way. Popular over here, but almost unheard of overseas. They have some shit songs though.


The Shins
So Says I-

Not bad. Seems to me to be a dual attack on youth apathy "every soul is duty bound to uphold all the statues of boredom therein lies the fatal flaw of the red age" and war. Though I could have missed the point completely, i'm pretty tired :)

Perhaps I was not clear as to what I wanted the point of this thread to be.

I wanted this to be a thread where people would post and discuss good lyrics, not post the most insane lyrics you can find and listen to the laughter in your head.

I humored Eichen's post, but I think this may be a lost cause. :(
I wasn't trying to bring the most insane lyrics, I really wanted to know what that song talks about...

Hotel California:
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.lasso?id=1121

Here's a nice songtext. It's a dutch anti-war song about vietnam, but sadly the text is still very relevant.

Welterusten meneer de president (translation) - Lennaert Nijgh / Boudewijn de Groot

Mister president, good night.
Sleep well in your nice white house.
Don't think too much about those far coasts,
where your boys are, lonely, far from home
And don't think about those 46 deaths,
the error with the bombardment.
And forget the fourth of the ten commandments,
which you as good christian surely know.

Don't think about those young frontsoldiers,
dying alone in a far tropic night.
Let those lame pacifists talk,
mister president, sleep well.

Dream about your victory,
dream about your nice peace ideal,
which has never been gained by bloody killing,
dream you're gonna succeed this time.
And don't think about the people who are perishing,
or the woman and children who have been murdered.

Bloodstained bajonets
hold guard at your command
for the glory and honour of the Free West,
mister president, sleep well.

Don't get frightened
when you see all those innocent victims in your dreams,
those who perished in the fighting,
and ask you how long this must go on.
And you'll probably know by now
that there are people who get sick of the violence,
who can't forget the blood and the pain,
for who a human live still counts.

Don't dream of those dead people,
dream of victory and power
Forget the wish for peace.
Mister president, sleep well!

I wasn't trying to bring the most insane lyrics, I really wanted to know what that song talks about...

Hotel California:
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.lasso?id=1121

Then I wasn't directing at you.

Not bad. Seems to me to be a dual attack on youth apathy "every soul is duty bound to uphold all the statues of boredom therein lies the fatal flaw of the red age" and war. Though I could have missed the point completely, i'm pretty tired :)

Its a song about the rise and fall of communism in Russia.

and it told of a new design
in which every soul is duty bound
to uphold all the statues of boredom therein lies
the fatal flaw of the red age"

When you look at this and concentrate on the last line, it is pretty straight foreward.

our lust for life had gone away with the rent we hated
and because it made no money nobody saved no one's life.

This is my favorite part right here, sums up the downfall of socialism perfectly.

So we burned all our uniforms
and let nature take its course again
and the big ones just eat all the little ones
that sent us back to the drawing board.

This is the switch back to democracy and the subsequent failure of that as well.

In our darkest hours
we have all asked for some
angel to come
sprinkle his dust all around
but all our crying voices they can't turn it around
and you've had some crazy conversations of your own.

I think everyone can relate to this bridge, as Mercer is referring to our confusion and longing for a perfect world. The last line of it is perfect.

We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs
but we still can't just behave ourselves
even if to save our own lives so, says I, WE ARE A BRUTAL KIND.

Cuz this is nothing like we'd ever dremt
tell Sir Thomas More we've got another failed attempt
cuz if it makes them money they might just give you life this time.

This is Mercer's summation and it is bleak. He points out that no matter what government we impose on ourselves it won't work because of the people. Government can never be good nor bad, the fate of it lies on the people.

Chutes Too Narrow as a whole displays a sort of resigned agnosticism on the part of James Mercer. Most of the songs fall on to sort of a lack of confidence in his own and other's beliefs, and his wrestling with what everything truly means. Saint Simon is another song off the album, it is beautiful and has some amazing lyrics.

Its a song about the rise and fall of communism in Russia.

Oh, I see it! I'm usually good at picking out references like that....

I presumed "red age" as in blood, something that symbolises the 20th century all too well- thats how I got that image in my head.

Oh, I see it! I'm usually good at picking out references like that....

I presumed "red age" as in blood, something that symbolises the 20th century all too well- thats how I got that image in my head.

I can see where you got that idea.