Aaaargh ... I posted in mid-flight, the other oldie I had in mind is from "Montana" on Zappa's Overnite Sensation album:

"I'm pluckin' the ol' Dental Floss
That's growin' on the prairie
Pluckin' the floss!
I plucked all day an' all nite an' all afternoon...

I'm ridin' a small tiny hoss
(His name is MIGHTY LITTLE)
He's a good hoss
Even though he's a bit dinky to strap a big saddle or blanket on anyway
He's a bit dinky to strap a big saddle or blanket on anyway
Anyway

I'm pluckin' the ol' Dental Floss
Even if you think it is a little silly, folks
I don't care if you think it's silly, folks
I don't care if you think it's silly, folks"

---

I think that say's it all, don't you?

Not so much my favourite lyrics, but some pretty good ones:

"You can't make an omelet
without breaking an egg.
And I can't make a headache
If I don't aim at the head."
The Hives -'Dead Quote Olympics'

"A placard reads 'the end of days'
Jacaranda boughs are burning in the haze.
More a question than a curse,
How could hell be any worse?"
Bad Religion -'Los Angeles is Burning'

"Hear the sound of the falling rain.
Coming down like an armageddon flame
The shame
The ones who died without a name.
Hear the dogs howling out of key
To a hymn called 'Faith and Misery'
And bleed the company lost the war today.

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
ON HOLIDAY!"
Green Day - Holiday

"You're perfect yes it's true. But without me, you're only you."

Faith no More - midlife crisis

These are five of my favorites:

I write my lyrics on parking tickets
And summons to the court,
I scribbled this on an application
For county support.
-"Ghetto Manifesto", the Coup

Laugh hard, it's a long way to the bank.
-"Paper Thin Walls", Modest Mouse

If you punish a person for dreaming his dream
Don't expect them to thank or forgive you.
-"Best Ever Death Metal Band out of Denton", Mountain Goats

I know I've made mistakes,
I've had my ups and downs, my ins and outs, my share of bad breaks,
But when it's all been said and done,
I raise my beer, and I swear
'God it's been fun'.
-"Drunks and Children", the Mighty Mighty Bosstones

I'm not scared of dying,
I just don't want to.
-"Come Undone", Robbie Williams

Definitely a product of my age, but I enjoy this song lyric.


"When I used to go out, I would know everyone that I saw. Now I go out alone if I go out at all."
-The Rat by Walkmen

I've seen the band Rilo Kiley bandied about a bit around here, but haven't ever really paid attention to them. Yesterday morning, though, I was listening to Global Pop Conspiracy radio and the single "Portions for Foxes" came on. Not only the song as a whole get lodged in my head for the better part of the day, but I was particularly struck with the lyrics:

"And the talkin' leads to touchin'
and the touchin' leads to sex
and then there is no mystery left"

Nice writing. Nice writing, indeed. I think I'm going to have to spend some time with this band.

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another lyric...

"Now that you've made me want to die.
You tell me that your un-boyfriendable.
And I could make you pay and pay,
but I could never make you stay."

"All My Little Words" - Magnetic Fields

quote:

---

"and the earth becomes my throne
I adapt to the unknown
Under wandering stars I’ve grown
By myself but not alone"

---

Metallica "Wherever I may Roam

quote:

---

"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?

And did they get you trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change? And did you exchange
a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?"

---

Pink Floyd "Wish you were here"

quote:

---

"Bold mother**cker
Don't limit your mind
Can't you see that the pace
Has fallen behind
All the hate in your heart
Will be leaving you blind
So bold mother**cker
Don't you limit your mind"

---

Disturbed "Liberate"

A couple more:

quote:

---

So close no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don’t just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

---

"Metallica" Nothing Else Matters

quote:

---

Is this the real life-
Is this just fantasy-
Caught in a landslide-
No escape from reality-
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see-
I’m just a poor boy,i need no sympathy-
Because I’m easy come,easy go,
A little high,little low,
Anyway the wind blows,doesn’t really matter to me,
To me

---

I'm sure we are all familiar with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"

This message has been edited. Last edited by: St. Mike,

Definitely agree with the Metallica and Pink Floyd. Also, anything Bob Dylan. Boy's about as off key as they come, but love his lyrics.

"I read bad poetry into your machine
I save your messages just to hear your voice
You always listen carefully to awkward rhymes
You always say your name like I wouldn't know its you
At your most beautiful"

At your most beautiful by REM

Some great lines now:
"Johnnys in the basement mixing up the medicine
I'm on the pavement thinking about the government" Bob Dylan

"I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
And no alarms and no suprises" Radiohead

"All I want in life's a little bit of love to take the pain away."
- Spiritualized

There are so many great lyrics, I don't know where to start so I'll start chronologicaly.

The oldest song I now with lyrics that touch me deeply, is "Old man river", particulrly the bridge and last verse:

You and me we sweat and strain,
Body all achin' and racked with pain.
Tote that barge,
Lift that bale,
Ya gets a little drunk
And ya lands in jail.

I gits weary,
And sick o' tryin'.
I'm tired of livin'
And scared o' dying,
But ol' man river,
He just keeps rollin' along.

Oh, and don't fret Fill, I love ya.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Filmore Holmes:
"All I want in life's a little bit of love to take the pain away."
- Spiritualized

---

Great line. GREAT song!

"I was born like this, I had no choice.
I was born with the gift of a golden voice."
Leonard Cohen-Tower of Song
When I saw him sing this lyric live, the women in the audience went nuts and screamed so loud that Leonard actually cracked a smile and had to hold the song back for a beat until he regained his composure. Brilliant concert moment!

I won’t take all that they hand me down,
And make out a smile, though I wear a frown,
And I won’t take it all lying down,
’cause once I get started I go to town.

’cause I’m not like everybody else,
I’m not like everybody else,
I’m not like everybody else,
I’m not like everybody else.

by Mr. Dave Davies

That song really encapsulates my devil-may-care attitude and singular vision about the world. You could learn a lesson or two from Mr. Davies and quit worrying about what others think.

quote:

---

Originally posted by philosopherEric:
Nothing makes a great song like a nice turn of phrase. What are your favorite lyrics, from a phrase to a line to a whole verse or chorus?

A few of mine:

"All my daydreams, disasters,
She's the one I think I love,
Rivers burn and run backwards,
For her, that's enough..."

"... roll me under New Madrid,
Shake my baby and please bring her back,
Cuz death won't even be still, caroms over the landfill
Buries us all in its broken back..."


From "New Madrid" by Uncle Tupelo. I love the mixture of disaster metaphor and romance that goes through this song.
YEAH!"

---

eric i have that album it took me a while to get into it cause of the raw production but ive really started getting into it lately thanks for posting the lyrics to that it helps me understand the song YOU ROCK !

My love is bigger than your love
We take more drugs than a touring funk band SING IT!

My band is better than your band
We've got more songs than a song convention SING IT!

My dad is bigger than your dad
He's got eight cars and a house in Ireland SING IT!

- "To Hell With Good Intentions" Mclusky


Secret fuhrers got your tongue
And bitches got your car
And if it wasn't for the 86 World Cup
It wouldn't have got this far

She was un in re in de contrary
Pissed but almost right
If it wasn't for the snakes in cumberbunds
It would happen every night
Dethink to survive

Cartoon monkeys got you hard
It must have been the hair
Though jive bunny stole your collective fire
You really didn't care

She was un in re in de decided
Happy killing time
But there's an eight percent chance
That you know Charles' dance
And you're no damn friend of mine
Dethink to survive

DANNY BAKER!
DANNY BAKER!
DANNY BAKER!
DANNY BAKER!

- "Dethink to Survive" Mclusky

quote:

---

Originally posted by rockbotle:
I write my lyrics on parking tickets
And summons to the court,
I scribbled this on an application
For county support.
-"Ghetto Manifesto", the Coup

---

Yes! The Coup have tons of great lines. They make communist revolution sound fun and funny.

The second installment in the occasional series: "The chronology of sung words".

Strange fruit

Southern trees bear strange fruit.
There's blood on the leaves,
And blood on the roots.

Simply harrowing.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: burning man,

I was thinking of this just the other day, burnie. One of the albums pE has been recommending for months now is The Twilight Singers' She Loves You. I've not yet tracked down a copy, but did hear their cover of "Strange Fruit" the other day. It's not a song to be covered lightly and they don't.

It makes a good segue into Joni Mitchell's setting of "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"

"Now we are black and white/Embracing out in the lunatic New York night/It's very unlikely we'll be driven out of town/Or be hung in a tree/That's unlikely!"

Which brings it home nicely.

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