Lyric Quotes

[Jonny Come Lately]

A few of my favourite lyrics, I think I'll start with a few particular lines which really strike me:

Goodbye Blue Sky, Pink Floyd
'The flames are all long gone but the pain still lingers on'

Shelter From The Storm, Bob Dylan
'And the one-eyed undertaker
He blows a futile horn'

Silver Springs, Fleetwood Mac
'I'll follow you down til the sound of my voice will haunt you
You will never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you'

Life's Been Good, Joe Walsh
'I have a mansion, forget the price
Ain't never been there, they tell me it's nice
I live in hotels, tear out the walls
I have accountants pay for it all'

The Boys Of Summer, Don Henley
'Out on the road today, I saw a deadhead sticker on a Cadillac'

Having brought up two songs by Eagles members I'm glad to that the The Sad Café has been mentioned - another lyrical favourite of mine (along with The Last Resort), and such a great way to bow out first around even if they didn't know it at the time.

An obvious choice next, but I think definitely worthy of inclusion in full:
Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd:
So, so you think you can tell,
Heaven from hell, blue skies from pain
Can you tell a green field, from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?
Did they get you trade
Your heroes for ghosts
Hot ashes for trees
Hot air for a cool breeze
Cold comfort for change
Did you exchange
A walk on part in the war,
For a lead role in a cage

How I wish,
How I wish you were here
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground
What have we found?
The same old fears
Wish you were here

Great lyrics, even before you consider the circumstances under which they were written.

I rate all the lyrics so far very highly, I either find them intentionally humorous or profound, so I think I'll end with some lyrics which I think are rubbish, but make me laugh every time:

The Doctor (Working title for Comfortably Numb), Pink Floyd
'Listen,
I am a physician
And I can handle your condition
Like a magician'



As much as these early lyrics amuse me, boy am I glad they were changed for the final version!

 

[Jake T]

The Dangling Conversation - Simon & Garfunkel

It's a still life water color
Of a now late afternoon
As the sun shines through the curtained lace
And shadows wash the room
And we sit and drink our coffee
Couched in our indifference
Like shells upon the shore
You can hear the ocean roar
In the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
The borders of our lives

 

[Jet]

I FEEL SUCH SORROW, I FEEL SUCH SHAME.
I KNOW I WON'T ARRIVE ON TIME
BEFORE WHATEVER OUT THERE IS GONE.
WHAT CAN I DO?
THAT DAY IS DONE.

IT'S JUST A PROMISE, THAT I MADE,
I SAID I'D WALK IN HER PARADE.
HOT SCALDING TEARS I THOUGHT WOULD FLOW,
STILL IN MY HEART, THEY'LL NEVER SHOW.

THAT DAY IS DONE, THAT DAY IS DONE,
YOU KNOW WHERE I'VE GONE,
I WON'T BE COMING BACK,
THAT DAY IS DONE.

WELL, I RECALL THE TIME AND PLACE
WHEN THEY ANNOUNCED HER PRECIOUS FACE.
I THOUGHT AT ONCE MY HEART WOULD BURST,
STILL, EV'RY TIME IS LIKE THE FIRST.

THERE WAS APPLAUSE WHEN SHE STEPPED UP,
I WISH THAT I COULD INTERRUPT.
I MADE NO SIGN, I MADE NO SOUND,
I KNOW I MUST STAY UNDERGROUND.

BUT THAT DAY IS DONE, THAT DAY IS DONE,
YOU KNOW WHERE I'VE GONE,
I WON'T BE COMING BACK,
THAT DAY IS DONE.

THAT'S WHY SHE WALKS, OR SO THEY SAY,
SHE ALWAYS KNEW JUST WHAT I NEEDED.
NOW IF SHE WOULD JUST LOOK MY WAY
ONE TIME BEFORE THEY PROCEED.

SHE SPRINKLES FLOWERS IN THE DIRT,
THAT'S WHEN A THRILL BECOMES A HURT.
I KNOW I'LL NEVER SEE HER FACE,
SHE WALKS AWAY FROM MY RESTING PLACE.

THAT DAY IS DONE, WELL, THAT DAY IS DONE,
YOU KNOW WHERE I'VE GONE,
I WON'T BE COMING BACK,
THAT DAY IS DONE.

WELL, YOU KNOW WHERE I'VE GONE,
I WON'T BE COMING BACK,
THAT DAY IS DONE.

 

[Jake T]

Flaming Telepaths - Blue Öyster Cult

Well I've opened up my veins too many times
And the poison's in my heart and in my mind
Poison's in my bloodstream, poison's in my pride
I'm after rebellion, I'll settle for lies

Is it any wonder that my mind's on fire
Imprisoned by the thought of what you do
Is it any wonder that my joke's an iron

And the joke's on you
And the joke's on you
And the joke's on you
And the joke's on you
And the joke's on you
And the joke's on you
And the joke's on you
And the joke's on you
And the joke's on you
And the joke's on you
And the joke's on you
And the joke.....

 

[Jet]

I'll fake it through the day
With some help from Johnny Walker red
Send the poison rain down the drain
To put bad thoughts in my head
Two tickets torn in half
And a lot of nothing to do
Do you miss me, miss misery
Like you say you do?

A man in the park
Read the lines in my hand
Told me I’m strong
Hardly ever wrong I said man you mean

You had plans for both of us
That involved a trip out of town
To a place I’ve seen in a magazine
That you left lying around
I don’t have you with me but
I keep a good attitude
Do you miss me, miss misery
Like you say you do?

I know you’d rather see me gone
Than to see me the way that I am
But I am in the life anyway

Next door the TVs flashing
Blue frames on the wall
It’s a comedy of errors, you see
It’s about taking a fall
To vanish into oblivion
Is easy to do
And I try to be but you know me
I come back when you want me to
Do you miss me miss misery
Like you say you do?

 

[Musikwala]

The Doctor (Working title for Comfortably Numb), Pink Floyd
'Listen,
I am a physician
And I can handle your condition
Like a magician'



As much as these early lyrics amuse me, boy am I glad they were changed for the final version!

Wow, I had no idea about this. Thanks for sharing. Those lyrics are indeed ridiculous!

 

[Jonny Come Lately]

That version of Comfortably Numb is from an early undeveloped version of The Wall, usually referred to as 'Under Construction'.

This should provide a bit more information:

: : : Spare Bricks : : : Pink Floyd Webzine

Totally agree with you on the lyrics - they are funny but I'd be somewhat alarmed if I was feeling awful and had to go to the doctor only to be told to 'get out and meet new people' or 'go out and see some shows'.

 

[Jake T]

My Love

My Love - Paul McCartney and Wings

"And when the cupboard's bare
I'll still find something there with my love"

"Only my love holds the other key, to me"

 

[PapaJacques]

Pink Floyd- 'Time' 'The sun is the same, in a relative way, but you're older,
Shorter of breath, and one day closer to death.'

 

[Jonny Come Lately]

Great choice of lyrics, I think I'll add another set from that album:

Brain Damage - Pink Floyd
'The lunatic is in the hall,
The lunatics are in my hall.
The paper holds the folded faces to the floor,
and everyday the paperboy brings more'

It took me a few listens to that song before I realised how well written those lines were, once I related to them to theme of things that can drive people to insanity throughout Dark Side Of The Moon.