PF's Favorite Lyrics Vol. 1

         Lyrics are important to me for several reasons, but I especially love ones that stand out in an emotional sense. Being able to reach out and have an emotional connection through words is a real power. Lyrics that leave me thinking about them and what they really mean, lyrics that I can personally relate to, and lyrics that are moving, are the ones that linger with me. These are some lyrics that have affected me greatly on a personal level.

"Love in our lives is just to valuable oh, to feel for even a second without it"

The Flaming Lips - Feeling Yourself Disintegrate

 

            This is a deceivingly simple lyric. The meaning is pretty easy to understand, but internalizing this meaning is not so simple. Truly seeing the weight of love and the worth it has in everyday life, can definitely take some reflection. I often dwell upon how much life is based on emotions, specifically love. It motivates us and influences our decision-making daily. Love is painted as a necessity here, and I absolutely agree. Even a single second without feeling it is terrible. The sheer importance placed a fundamental human emotion, puts everything into scale. This lyric is a reminder of how the simple things can have major importance.

 

“If Man is five, then the Devil is six…then God is seven”

Pixies - Monkey’s Gone to Heaven

            The relationship between man, the devil, and God, is an important facet of Abrahamic religions. The way in which it’s described here has so many layers of depth and detail. I love the use of numbers to denote these figures and summarize their connection. An interpretation that makes me truly appreciate these lines is: “If Man is faith, then the Devil is sex…then God is heaven”. The increasing intensity as these lyrics are sung, draws attention to the weight of them. 

"Sometime, though it's a big surprise, I've made compromise, the thing I most desire" Spiritualized - Don’t Just Do Something 

 

            Something about contrast as a concept that’s shown in the song and especially in these lines, has really stuck with me. To me, this encapsulates the feeling of giving up. It feels almost haphazard, to be so apathetic towards your greatest desire. Putting two opposing values together and focusing on the relation between them is a great move. 

 

“Hey man, slow down, slow down. Idiot, slow down, slow down”

Radiohead - The Tourist 

 

            This lyric struck an instant cord with me from the moment I heard it, which is funny considering I completely misheard the lyric  the first time I listened to it. Hearing Thom Yorke sing about an “Alien slow dance” had such vivid imagery. Although the meaning of the lyrics are different, the level of emotional intensity is still there. We are being aggressively begged to stop everything and just experience life. In today’s society and culture, we are being taught to increase our consumption. We mindlessly consume as much data as possible, and don’t process even half of it. To get true value out of life, all of us idiots need to slow down, or it will pass us in the blink of an eye. 

 

“A desk to organize, a product to advertise. A market to monopolize, movie stars to idolize. Leaders to scandalize, enemies to neutralize. No time to apologize, fury to tranquilize. Weapons to synchronize, cities to vapori–“

The Strokes - Ize of the World

 

            Julian Casablancas best summarizes the “ize” of the world here in one of the most overtly political Strokes’ song. The lackluster state of today’s society is shown with consumerism, increased pressures, and expanding warfare. The quick nature of explaining this situation in a way that also perfectly sums Casablancas’ thoughts on the matter is executed wonderfully. The emphasis on these verbs show the constant state of movement and action the world is in. This is the bleak, dispassionate view of life as demonstrated through the eyes of the world. The song ends with the word “vaporize” getting cut, which is telling of the direction we are headed in. 

 

“Jesus Christ, I'm alone again, so what did you do those three days you were dead? 'Cause this problem is gonna last more than the weekend”

Brand New - Jesus Christ 

 

            Jesus Christ is a figure that represents the aspects of love, companionship, and suffering to the utmost degree. Jesse Lacey relating to Jesus through the aspect of suffering is something I can deeply empathize with. Depression is a battle that’s fought everyday, that drags you down to the darkest depths possible. It almost feels like Lacey is giving more credit to his struggles over Jesus’ own, which really reveals the scope of his problems. When faced with such large-scale issues, it can drown everything else out. They feel insurmountable and like everything else is merely secondary. The uncertainty that surrounds overcoming great difficulties is expressed incredibly poetically.

"Oh, here you are, and you're all you wished to be.

You're alive and you're not alone"

The Music Tapes - City of Lights 

 

            Life is a series of fleeting moments and the temporary present. It sounds scary, and often looking at life in a retrospective sense can be, but there is more to life than that. I cried when I heard this lyric. What’s being depicted here is the affirmation of self and personal goals: true success. Life can be looked at in a past tense for positive reasons. Every single action taken and not taken has led to the person in the present. Seeing the joy from internal fulfillment is a beautiful occasion. I want to look back at my life with satisfaction, and confidently tell the world that I am alive.

 

"To say that you are cute, would be like saying that a strawberry is sweet. Because a strawberry has secret flavors, that are sharp, and tart, and red, and deep"

Paul Baribeau - Strawberry

            Lyrics like these represent love in its purest form. I’m passionate by nature, and adore seeing love portrayed as a changing and multi-faceted emotion. To describe someone as just pretty leaves out so much detail. Baribeau views the object of his affections, as not just a full picture, but the little details that make up the picture. People are full of a limitless amount of nuance, and there’s so much about someone that can be uncovered. Like a strawberry, or someone you really care about, love is so much more than one thing, and should be explored.

 

“I am a knife man”

AJJ - Big Bird

 

            After an entire song describing doubts and insecurities, Big Bird ends on this line. This is such a poignant note to end on, and carries so much meaning. A knife is to the point and direct. But above all things, a knife is sharp, used as a tool, or as a weapon. Becoming a knife is almost like entering Buddhist nirvana. It means losing all worries and focusing your mind on what’s right ahead. There’s simply no room for stray thoughts to bounce around and cause anxiety to build up. Any problems are attacked head on. A Knife Man is the expression of ultimate freedom, which is freedom from oneself. Sometimes we drive ourselves crazy; we’re stuck with ourselves all the time and create internal conflicts. When we are able to distance ourselves from this, we can experience relief in the liberation.

“It’s so easy to laugh it’s so easy to hate, but it takes guts to be gentle and kind” 

The Smiths - I Know it’s Over

            This is what I consider to be the greatest quote/lyric/saying/whatever of all time. To me, this is the perfect summarization of the human spirit and our natural inclinations. Choosing to be bitter and negative isn’t difficult, but being loving and compassionate requires courage. Seeing the qualities of kindness and gentleness, and equating them with strength blew my mind. Many view these characteristics as unnecessary, and dismiss people who display them as soft. Morrissey proves them wrong in one simple statement, with the assurance that these traits matter. It takes guts to have them! My only wish is that Morrissey had these guts more often.