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Sam_Maloney
Guest
Always kind of suspected that is was a song about riding through a desert.
On a horse.
With no name.
Could be wrong, though…
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On a horse.
With no name.
Could be wrong, though…
N
Ne_OrangeKnight
Guest
Most anything by Steve Miller, I propose. Espcially “The Joker” in which he goes so far as to make up the word ‘pompitous’. Half the time, it seems like he takes a good first lyric, and then just makes up words that seem to rhyme.
Sam, the Neon Orange Knight
Sam, the Neon Orange Knight
C
cthulhubryan
Guest
He’s not really making it up so much as quoting.
This comes from a movie (gigi I think) where Maurice Chevalier has a line that speaks of the Pompousness of Love but he mispronounces it as Pompetous of Love.
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survive
Guest
Roundabout is the song that came to mind when I saw the thread title.How many songs can we think of containing strange or abstract lyrics? There’s probably an infinite number of 60s phychodelic songs, but I’ll start with:
The Trees-Rush
Trees are discontent, rebel and form unions. I’ll leave it at that.
Roundabout-Yes
If anybody can tell me what this song is about, I’ll be grateful.
What else can we think of?
It’s apparently not about anything. The songwriter said he was driving to the studio when the words popped into his head. I had just looked it up recently, because I couldn’t get it out of my mind.
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LilyM
Guest
‘Windmills of Your Mind’ is an odd-ish song altogether, but the line
“And the world is like an apple
Whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find
in the windmill of your mind”
are probably the only REALLY strange ones.
“And the world is like an apple
Whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find
in the windmill of your mind”
are probably the only REALLY strange ones.
G
Ghoti
Guest
Richard Jeni made a joke about the song.
"You’re in the desert…you’ve got nothing better to do…name the %&$&# horse!"
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Sam_Maloney
Guest
IIRC, ‘Windmills of your Mind’ is a song about madness, so yeah, lyrical weirdness.
Cloud Cult is one of my favorite bands, and they do strangness on a grand scale. A lot of the songs from the last couple albums centered around the death of Craig Minwa’s 2 yr old son. Makes this excerpt from ‘Water Comes to Life’ more poignant, but maybe more disturbing:
And when the Angels come
They cut you down the middle
To see if you’re still there
To see if you’re still there.
And underneath your ribs
They find a heart shaped locket
An old photograph
Of you in Daddy’s arms.
The song starts with a lovely string section, the first of the lyrics are almost a lullabye, then evolves into something else-- really impressive.
Here’s a link to a youtube video, BUT the images are very disturbing, and weren’t chosen by the band. You may want to look away, but everyone really should hear these guys…
youtube.com/watch?v=VYyHAXZKaPQ
Cloud Cult is one of my favorite bands, and they do strangness on a grand scale. A lot of the songs from the last couple albums centered around the death of Craig Minwa’s 2 yr old son. Makes this excerpt from ‘Water Comes to Life’ more poignant, but maybe more disturbing:
And when the Angels come
They cut you down the middle
To see if you’re still there
To see if you’re still there.
And underneath your ribs
They find a heart shaped locket
An old photograph
Of you in Daddy’s arms.
The song starts with a lovely string section, the first of the lyrics are almost a lullabye, then evolves into something else-- really impressive.
Here’s a link to a youtube video, BUT the images are very disturbing, and weren’t chosen by the band. You may want to look away, but everyone really should hear these guys…
youtube.com/watch?v=VYyHAXZKaPQ
G
Galnextdoor
Guest
I don’t know about the first two, but my cousin sent me this information about The Twelve Days of Christmas. I don’t know how true it is, but it sounds plausible.
From 1558 to 1829 Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality, which the children remembered.
The partridge in the pear tree stood for Jesus Christ.
Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds were Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The five golden rings recalled the Torah, the first five books in the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
The seven swans a-swimming represented the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
The nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Ten lords a-leaping were for the Ten Commandments.
Eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful apostles.
Twelve drummers drumming symbolized the 12 point of the Apostle’s Creed.
As I said, I don’t know how true it is, but it gives a whole new perspective to the song.
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Galnextdoor
Guest
When I was a kid, I used to sing Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. It had absolutely no meaning to me, but my mom heard me singing it one day and forbade me from singing it again.
She thought it had some vulgar underlying meaning.
Has anybody ever heard what it is supposed to mean? I still don’t understand it to this day.
Another song my mother wouldn’t let us sing was Let it be. She said that mother mary in the song was marijuana. She about croaked one day when she heard it in church.:bigyikes:
She was so upset that I thought she was going to blow a gasket. I know it wasn’t appropriate to sing in church, but I really liked the song. When I was an adult, I heard that it was about McCartney’s mother.
Her name was Mary and died when he was in his teens. Whenever he struggled with something in life, he would dream that his mother would come to help him. My mother still refuses to believe that.
She thought it had some vulgar underlying meaning.
Has anybody ever heard what it is supposed to mean? I still don’t understand it to this day.
Another song my mother wouldn’t let us sing was Let it be. She said that mother mary in the song was marijuana. She about croaked one day when she heard it in church.:bigyikes:
She was so upset that I thought she was going to blow a gasket. I know it wasn’t appropriate to sing in church, but I really liked the song. When I was an adult, I heard that it was about McCartney’s mother.
Her name was Mary and died when he was in his teens. Whenever he struggled with something in life, he would dream that his mother would come to help him. My mother still refuses to believe that.
G
Galnextdoor
Guest
When I was a kid, I used to sing Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. It had absolutely no meaning to me, but my mom heard me singing it one day and forbade me from singing it again.
She thought it had some vulgar underlying meaning.
Has anybody ever heard what it is supposed to mean? I still don’t understand it to this day.
Another song my mother wouldn’t let us sing was Let it be. She said that mother mary in the song was marijuana. She about croaked one day when she heard it in church.:bigyikes:
She was so upset that I thought she was going to blow a gasket. I know it wasn’t appropriate to sing in church, but I really liked the song. When I was an adult, I heard that it was about McCartney’s mother. Her name was Mary and died when he was in his teens. Whenever he struggled with something in life, he would dream that his mother would come to help him. My mother still refuses to believe that.
She thought it had some vulgar underlying meaning.
Has anybody ever heard what it is supposed to mean? I still don’t understand it to this day.
Another song my mother wouldn’t let us sing was Let it be. She said that mother mary in the song was marijuana. She about croaked one day when she heard it in church.:bigyikes:
She was so upset that I thought she was going to blow a gasket. I know it wasn’t appropriate to sing in church, but I really liked the song. When I was an adult, I heard that it was about McCartney’s mother.
Her name was Mary and died when he was in his teens. Whenever he struggled with something in life, he would dream that his mother would come to help him. My mother still refuses to believe that.
B
bella_mama
Guest
"L"ucy in the "S"ky with "D"iamonds…LSD…think about the absurd lyrics and imagine somone on psychedelic drugs…
Let it Be was supposedly written by Paul for his mother, Mary. I like how you can use Our Blessed Mother in place of Mrs McCartney in the lyrics…
Let it Be was supposedly written by Paul for his mother, Mary. I like how you can use Our Blessed Mother in place of Mrs McCartney in the lyrics…
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Teakafrog
Guest
Hey now! “The Trees” has perfectly logical lyrics! The trees are symbols for people living in a socialist regime, and the OBVIOUS problems caused by socialism. Something we may all need a refresher on come Jan 20th, come to think of it…How many songs can we think of containing strange or abstract lyrics? There’s probably an infinite number of 60s phychodelic songs, but I’ll start with:
The Trees-Rush
Trees are discontent, rebel and form unions. I’ll leave it at that.
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Ne_OrangeKnight
Guest
I’ve heard the same thing from the bishop in two different Christmas homilies, so I’m willing to believe it.
Sam, the Neon Orange Knight
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puzzleannie
Guest
niece is named Lucy (for her great-aunt) but her parents, my generation, always told her she was named for this song. Her sister is named Judy (for another aunt) but of course we told her that her true middle name is InDisguise.
I long ago came to the conclusion that the music of my generation, not just the Doors but all of it, requires a significant amount of burning pot to be intelligible, and was written primarily as background music for that activity.
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Ghoti
Guest
Well, check out this one you hear a lot in Newfoundland around Christmas…recorded by Figgy Duff (I believe…Pamela Morgan at any rate) and Great Big Sea:
Come and I will sing you,
[What will you sing me?]
I will sing you one-o.
[What will the one be?]
One the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so.
Come and I will sing you,
[What will you sing me?]
I will sing you two-o.
[What will the two be?]
Two of them were lily white babes, clothed all in green-o,
One the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so.
…
And come and I will sing you,
[What will you sing me?]
I will sing you twelve-o.
[What will the twelve be?]
Twelve, twelve Apostles,
Eleven is the eleven that went straight to heaven,
Ten the Ten Commandments,
Nine the bright eyed shiners,
Eight Gabriel angels,
Seven, seven stars under the sky,
Six, the six pallbearers,
Five ferrymen under the bush,
Four Gospel preachers,
Three of them were drivers,
Two of them were lily white babes, clothed all in green-o,
One the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so!
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survive
Guest
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds started when John Lennon’s son Julian was in kindergarten and he showed his father a picture he’d drawn, describing it as “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Lennon presented the song to the other Beatles as a kids’ song, similar to Yellow Submarine, just for fun. They took LSD in those days, and the initials made it an obvious pun. The anti-Beatles crowd took the guided-imagery-like lyrics and the psychedelic theme together with the initials as evidence that Lennon was hypnotizing little kids to grow up to use acid. He was hurt.When I was a kid, I used to sing Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. It had absolutely no meaning to me, but my mom heard me singing it one day and forbade me from singing it again.
She thought it had some vulgar underlying meaning.
Has anybody ever heard what it is supposed to mean? I still don’t understand it to this day.
Another song my mother wouldn’t let us sing was Let it be. She said that mother mary in the song was marijuana. She about croaked one day when she heard it in church.:bigyikes:
She was so upset that I thought she was going to blow a gasket. I know it wasn’t appropriate to sing in church, but I really liked the song. When I was an adult, I heard that it was about McCartney’s mother.
Most or all the Beatles were close to their mothers (Lennon’s mother died when he was a child, and he wrote songs for her, including “Julia”, after whom Julian was named). “Let It Be” is about one of their mothers. Maybe it was Paul, I forgot, but it was a sweet tribute to her love. Some people thought it was about drugs of various kinds because of the theme of comfort and peace.
B
BradW
Guest
Now, listen to William Shatner sing it, and it gets even more absurd adn psychedlic.
Yes, seriously, on his album “The Transformed Man.” Why, I might just pop on my iPod and do that now…
W
wiggbuggie
Guest
don’t know if anyone posted this but surf’s up by the beach boys:
*A diamond necklace played the pawn
Hand in hand some drummed along, oh
To a handsome man and baton
A blind class aristocracy
Back through the op’ra glass you see
The pit and the pendulum drawn
Columnated ruins domino
Canvass the town and brush the backdrop
Are you sleeping?
Hung velvet overtaken me
Dim chandelier awaken me
To a song dissolved in the dawn
The music hall a costly bow
The music all is lost for now
To a muted trumperter swan
Columnated ruins domino
Canvass the town and brush the backdrop
Are you sleeping, Brother John?
Dove nested towers the hour was
Strike the street quicksilver moon
Carriage across the fog
Two-Step to lamplight cellar tune
The laughs come hard in Auld Lang Syne
The glass was raised, the fired rose
The fullness of the wine, the dim last toasting
While at port, adieu or die
A choke of grief HEART hardened I
Beyond belief a broken man too tough to cry
Surf’s Up
Aboard a tidal wave
Come about hard and join
The young and often spring you gave
I heard the word
Wonderful thing
A children’s song
Child, child, child, child, child
A child is the father of the man
Child, child, child, child, child
A child is the father of the man
A children’s song
Have you listened as they played
Their song is love
And the children know the way
That’s why the child is the father to the man
Child, child, child, child, child
Child, child, child, child, child
Na na na na na na na na
Child, child, child, child, child
That’s why the child is the father to the man
Child, child, child, child, child*
van **** parks is king when it comes to abstract lyrics especially on the smile album
*A diamond necklace played the pawn
Hand in hand some drummed along, oh
To a handsome man and baton
A blind class aristocracy
Back through the op’ra glass you see
The pit and the pendulum drawn
Columnated ruins domino
Canvass the town and brush the backdrop
Are you sleeping?
Hung velvet overtaken me
Dim chandelier awaken me
To a song dissolved in the dawn
The music hall a costly bow
The music all is lost for now
To a muted trumperter swan
Columnated ruins domino
Canvass the town and brush the backdrop
Are you sleeping, Brother John?
Dove nested towers the hour was
Strike the street quicksilver moon
Carriage across the fog
Two-Step to lamplight cellar tune
The laughs come hard in Auld Lang Syne
The glass was raised, the fired rose
The fullness of the wine, the dim last toasting
While at port, adieu or die
A choke of grief HEART hardened I
Beyond belief a broken man too tough to cry
Surf’s Up
Aboard a tidal wave
Come about hard and join
The young and often spring you gave
I heard the word
Wonderful thing
A children’s song
Child, child, child, child, child
A child is the father of the man
Child, child, child, child, child
A child is the father of the man
A children’s song
Have you listened as they played
Their song is love
And the children know the way
That’s why the child is the father to the man
Child, child, child, child, child
Child, child, child, child, child
Na na na na na na na na
Child, child, child, child, child
That’s why the child is the father to the man
Child, child, child, child, child*
van **** parks is king when it comes to abstract lyrics especially on the smile album
J
Joe_5859
Guest
Hey! I resent that! “The Trees” is my favorite Rush song!How many songs can we think of containing strange or abstract lyrics? There’s probably an infinite number of 60s phychodelic songs, but I’ll start with:
The Trees-Rush
Trees are discontent, rebel and form unions. I’ll leave it at that.
Roundabout-Yes
If anybody can tell me what this song is about, I’ll be grateful.
What else can we think of?
(Actually, it really is my favorite. I love that song!)It’s an allegory meant to get us thinking about how silly it is for us human beings to squabble with each other as though one race is better than another. What’s not to get?
As far as strange lyrics, I got a million of them!
Look at Saigon Kick sometime:
Or how about Rhapsody (of Fire):
It was the #1 song of 1986… every night when I left my last class at 8:20 p.m. it was #1 on B-94 FM’s “Hot 8 at 8” radio countdown… I danced to it throughout my last year of high school and first year of college… still have no idea what it’s about…
“Walk Like An Egyptian” :egyptian: :egyptian: :egyptian:
And you have to have majored in rock music history to understand “American Pie”… my son knows all the words (he’s 14) but is always asking me “what’s that mean?” Years ago a friend of mine forwarded me an interview or article that had a line-by-line interpretation (by the author or interviewee… not by Don McLean) of the song. Made sense, but if you didn’t live during that era… “what’s that mean?”
And the three men that I admire most
The Father, Son and Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died…
EDIT: don’t ask me for the link, this was 10 years ago and I have no idea where he got the article or interview!)
“Walk Like An Egyptian” :egyptian: :egyptian: :egyptian:
And you have to have majored in rock music history to understand “American Pie”… my son knows all the words (he’s 14) but is always asking me “what’s that mean?” Years ago a friend of mine forwarded me an interview or article that had a line-by-line interpretation (by the author or interviewee… not by Don McLean) of the song. Made sense, but if you didn’t live during that era… “what’s that mean?”
And the three men that I admire most
The Father, Son and Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died…
EDIT: don’t ask me for the link, this was 10 years ago and I have no idea where he got the article or interview!)
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