Great song lyrics

[Jack D.]

This thread is all about song lyrics. I have certain songs that have a line or two, or more that stand out as really great. Maybe they remind you of another place or time. Maybe they remind you of a person. Maybe they are just great at expressing an idea. I was listening to a song today that has great lyrics. It's called "Black" by "Pearl Jam". It ends with these lines.
I know someday you'll have a beautiful life.
I know you'll be the Sun in somebody elses sky.
Why... why...why...can't it be mine.

And it is sung in a sorrowful pleading voice. What a great way to show the pain of a breakup.

Does anyone else have lyrics that stand out to them?

 

[cunundrumpw]

The lyrics to Bob Dylan's Knockin' on Heaven's Door are really great (in my opinion, his finest). They remind me that you never know when the end will come.

Mama, take this badge off of me
I can't use it anymore
It's gettin' dark, too dark to see
Feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door

Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door

Mama, put my guns in the ground
I can't shoot them anymore
That long black cloud is comin' down
I Feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door

Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door


Another song with great lyrics is Eric Clapton's Layla. It is clear that he is expressing his passionate love for Patti Harrison, George Harrison's wife at the time. They later got married, and he also wrote Wonderful Tonight about her (I'm pretty sure my facts are straight. Correct me if I'm wrong).

What'll you do when you get lonely
And nobody's waiting by your side
You've been running and hiding much too long
You know it's just your foolish pride

Layla, you've got me on my knees
Layla, I'm begging, darling please
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind

I tried to give you consolation
When your old man had let you down
Like a fool, I fell in love with you
Turned my whole world upside down

Layla, you've got me on my knees
Layla, I'm begging, darling please
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind

Let's make the best of the situation
Before I finally go insane
Please don't say we'll never find a way
And tell me all my love's in vain

Layla, you've got me on my knees
Layla, I'm begging, darling please
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind

Layla, you've got me on my knees
Layla, I'm begging, darling please
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind

 

[Guitarplayer1989]

Lets see... u have DREAMING by Loudon Wainwright III

I'd rather be dreaming than living
Living's just too hard to do
It's chances not choices
Noises not voices
A day's just a thing to get through
Living's just too hard to do

I'd rather be dreaming than talking
There's nothing to hear or to say
With ears covered mouth closed
The world is opposed
Nothing gets in or away
There's nothing to hear or to say

I'd rather be dreaming than thinking
Thoughts are small comfort to me
Dreams might be pretend
But at least dreams end
And I just can't stop thinking you see
Thoughts are small comfort to me

I'd rather be dreaming than sleeping
Just sleeping you're just as well dead
In dreams I can fly
In dreams I don't die
That's why I lie here in this bed
Just sleeping you're just as well dead

I'd rather be dreaming


And u haveIN MY LIFE by the Beatles

There are places I remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends
I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
there is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more

Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more

 

[TeleCat]

This is a lesser known Deep Purple song from 1987's The House of Blue Light. The lyrics are kind of poetic. Often times Ian Gillan sings nonsensical lyrics or even invents words as he sees his voice as another insturment in the band but he's also capable of coming through with some meaningful stuff.

THE SPANISH ARCHER

well there must have been a reason for the smile that you had upon your
face last night
are you the cat that got the cream did you lick your lips did you close
your eyes
can you imagine how it feels it's so hard to reveal
oh i can't get through and i'm falling
i'm getting out i'm losing ground
the spanish archer's gonna bring you down

is there someone somewhere waiting in the wings to take my place
let's not drag it out like a cagney death scene
in this season of change it's not hard to explain
like the leaves on the trees i'm falling
and as you turn don't look away
the spanish archer's gonna make you pay

do you remember when the sky was blue we used to talk for miles
and now we drive along in this thundering silence
it's such an obvious lie with that easy smile of yours
i'm letting go and i'm falling
i'm getting out losing ground
the spanish archer's gonna bring you down

well is there something i can say as we stumble to the edge have we gone
too far
why don't we call it a day before we call it a nightmare darlin'
if we made a mistake then all that it takes to be free
is the wave of a hand and you're falling and as you turn don't look away
the spanish archer's gonna make you pay

 

[willg54]

Anger, He Smiles, Towering,
In Shiny Metallic Purple Armor,
Queen Jealousy Envy Waits Behind Him,
Her Fiery Green Gown Sneers at The Grassy Ground . . .jimi . . .trippy stuff..wonder if it was hallucinally inspired?!?

 

[Jack D.]

Knockin' on heaven's door is a great song. Bob Dylan did the soundtrack for the movie "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" and that song was included in it. Bob even had a bit part in the movie. I have the soundtrack on vinyl somewhere.
Layla is a great song also. I heard the same story you did about who it was for. I also love several of the songs from the "Blind Faith" album. "Had to cry today" and "Can't find my way home" are my favorites.

 

[Foggy Hat]

I love the lyrics to Rockin' in the free world by Neil Young.
I don't really know why but they have great meaning, which is unusual for such a catchy song.
The red part I like most

There's colors on the street
Red, white and blue
People shufflin' their feet
People sleepin' in their shoes
But there's a warnin' sign
on the road ahead
There's a lot of people sayin'
we'd be better off dead
Don't feel like Satan,
but I am to them
So I try to forget it,
any way I can.

Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world.

I see a woman in the night
With a baby in her hand
Under an old street light
Near a garbage can
Now she puts the kid away,
and she's gone to get a hit
She hates her life,
and what she's done to it
There's one more kid
that will never go to school
Never get to fall in love,
never get to be cool.

Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world.

We got a thousand points of light
For the homeless man
We got a kinder, gentler,
Machine gun hand
We got department stores
and toilet paper
Got styrofoam boxes
for the ozone layer
Got a man of the people,
says keep hope alive
Got fuel to burn,
got roads to drive.

Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world.

 

[Guitarplayer1989]

that is probably the best part of that song, rockin' in the free world

 

[willg54]

If I Were a Carpenter,
And You Were a Lady,
Would You Marry Me Anyway,
Would You Have My Baby . . .

Done by several different artists over the years. I always liked that song.

 

[TeleCat]

Here's a couple exerpts from Joe Walsh penned lyrics I quite like.

TIME OUT
The maids are in the hallway
Bangin' on the door
Askin' what that funny smell was
Wake you up to tell you it's o.k. to sleep some more
By the way is there any you could sell us.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
THE BOMBER
It's to strong, somethings wrong and I guess I lost the feeling
I don't mind the games you play but I don't like the dealing
The cards are bad, the lucks been had and there's nothing left to smoke
We'll all be back tomorrow for the punchline of the joke