When I am King

Moving back to far more serious matters from the previous post, today I wanted to talk about lyrics in a song, and how some people can put together that line or phrase that makes a song so much more than you expect it to be. It becomes the part of a song that you look forward to, it is not necessarily a shouty thing. I am not talking about a fist pumping anthem in any way. But when someone is able to actually write something that conveys the meaning succinctly and with either wit or something less wholesome.

Starting with the title of the post

When I am King

you will be first against the wall

 With your opinion

which is of no consequence

Which is from Radiohead's song Paranoid Android. There is something that combined with the music, which when I searched for a word to describe it, could only really come up with paranoid . The music sounds paranoid, and with that lyric there is an obsessive menace which is delicious in its intent. This goes through my head a lot in the office. . .The song is the second track on the OK Computer album.

I have already mentioned how much I love the lyrics to Good Night Elizabeth by the Counting Crows in my post on opening lines here so will not do so again. But listen to the song if you haven't had a chance yet.

There is deep prejudice in me

outshines all reason inside

Given dreams all ridden with pain

and projected unto the lost

I love that. The song is about staring at himself in a window pane and describing what he sees as a third person. The whole soul bearing nature of it, coupled with the amazing guitar musicianship. I have said before, but will say again, listen to the album it comes from, Damnation by Opeth. Do not be scared by the Progressive black metal nature of some of their other stuff. That is for those people that love that, this album is one of the most mellow and involving albums I have heard.It is just very worthwhile of multiple listens.

ISo let's go the the completely other way now. Rob Zombie. Rob Zombie is a creative genius. His music sits on the fringes of metal and industrial. it deals with the grotesque and the sleazy, listen to the drum beats through this track. 

(lyrics are a bit strong so if you have a weak disposition maybe not) 

I just love the lyric though

yeah I liked to get f*cked up

i like to get f*cked up too

yeah i bet you do

If you read the posts on you tube that go along with the clip you will see a number of people claiming to have stripped or likewise to this song. It has that feeling, and with the lyric above it seems to add the dimension of people just going a bit crazy, at least temporarily. Which is always appealing in a song. Any song that can transport your sense of mood to one where you might want to go just a little crazy is always a good song . .. isn't it.

You're so deluxe

You're so Divine

You're so 50 light years ahead of your time....

You're a human sacrifice to the goddess of vice

Your hairdo is full of diamonds and lice

That is so cool. it is a great song with a lot of great imagery, and that is a great sequence of lines. It reminds me so much of people I have lost touch with . .not such a bad thing it has to be said. There is only so much beautiful gargage you need in your life. It is by The Church off of the album Priest = Aura. I will be honest and say as far as things go it is definitely my favourite song off of the album, by a long way. That song though has so much going on in it.

 

I have tried to avoid the hopelessly sentimental, there are hundreds of songs which have great lyrics about love.. because how can you say it better than this?

Don't know if words can say
But darlin' I'll find a way
To let you know what you meant to me
Guess it was meant to be
I hold you in my heart
As life's most precious part

Darlin' by the Beach Boys - from the Wild Honey album

I know I have left out some simply brilliant turns of phrase and classic songs. I wanted to talk about the lesser known songs because when you are looking for gems you often find the best ones where you weren't necessarily looking for them I have always found.