What are you listening to right now?

I'm listening to REM - the album is UP. It never got very much airplay at all - but I think it's one of their best. Micheal Stipe is recognized much more for his voice than for his ability as a lyricist - but I think he's one of the best lyric writers at work today - or even in the past thirty years. He should have garnered more recognition as a writer, in my opinion.

Lotus (Michael Stipe)

Hey hey.
Hey hey.

I was hell.
Sarcastic silver swell
That day it rained
Tough spun. Hard worn. No
Ocean flower aquarium
Badlands. Give a hand.
Honey dipt. Flim flam
Hey hey. Hey hey.
That cat can walk like a big bad man.

So happy to show us
I ate the lotus.
Say haven't you noticed?
I ate the lotus

Storefront window, I reflect.
Just last week I was merely heck
Tip the scale. I was hell
Picked me up, then I fell.
Who's this stranger? Crowbar spine
dot, dot, dot.....and I feel fine.
Let it rain, rain, rain.
Bring my happy back again.

So happy to show us
I ate the lotus.
Say haven't you noticed?
I ate the lotus

Let it rain, rain, rain
Save me from my self again
Wash away my ugly sins
Opposing thumb, dorsal fin
That monkey died for my grin
Bring my happy back again
Let it rain, rain, rain
Bring my happy back again

So happy to show us
I ate the lotus
So haven't you noticed?
I ate the lotus
I ate the lotus
I ate the lotus

Give it a listen. Lots of really interesting themes on this record and the music's good too.

Stipe's lyrics are sometimes obfuscatingly obscure...that type of lyricist must have a real strong melody.

It works on Driver 8

I saw a treehouse on the outskirts of the farm.
The power lines have floaters so the airplanes wont get snagged.
Bells are ringing through the town again,
Children look up, all they hear is sky-blue, bells ringing

I know what you mean Panzade. I realized when I was listening to his songs that I am always so caught up in his melodies and voice that I rarely register the actual lyrics. And when I read them - I'm always surprised and impressed.

Listening to Joseph Arthur's 'Come to Where I'm From'. I love how his voice sounds half-asleep at times. Like the music is coming from a dream or something.

"Fan Mail", Blondie. From the Plastic Letters album. This is pre sell-out Blondie, much better than anything you'll hear on the radio, you know, just to be really pretentious.

Listening to/watching Stomping Tom Connors' Canada Day Special on t.v.

He just finished performing The Ketchup Song

There was a guy from PEI they used to call Podato
He met this young Leamington Ontario Tomato
But he had eyes for other girls & she was a little mushy
So they said well let's get wed there's no sense bein fussy
Chorus:
Baked sized french fries-how they love Tomatoes
So dress em up with Heinz Ketchup-(Ketchup luvs Potatoes)x2

Well he went down to Windsor town to buy a ring on Monday
Saturday they said OK we'll cut the cake on Sunday
But Sunday came and what a shame-They had no one to fetch it
Without a cake they just sat and ate-Potato chips and ketchup
Bake sized french fries how they love Tomatoes
So dress em up with Heinz Ketchup- (Ketchup luvs Potatoes)X2

And so this guy from Pei they used to call Podato
Got two boys and a little girl-Two spuds & one Tomato
They romp and run around Leamington and boy when they get hungry
The bottle drips all over the chips way down in the ketchup country.
Chorus


~~~~~~~~


I posted these lyrics earlier today - never expected to hear 'em tonight

Feeling ancient. Realized the last time I saw Stompin' Tom perform live was just under 30 years - the night before I left for university.

aidan

I love REM, but find UP incredibly depressing! I can barely stand to listen to it now (perhaps because I associate it with a really miserable time in my life). Personally, I liked Automatic for the People best. But it's been played to death (years ago!) & there are few surprises there now. Do you ever listen to Monster? I'd be curious to hear what your reaction is to that one.

Not aiden, but

Monster is FABulous!! My favorite. Crush with eyeliner!!

There are some sexy, sweet songs on that one.

Wonder what others think about it.

I love it, too, Lash!

We're watching and listening to Surviving Nugent on VH1.

If you like reality television, this one tops them all (while squeezing their nutsack).

i saw the last poster on the last post of the thread and thought "nugent."

bulls-eye.

my faves, the ones i listen to all the way through each and every time



Finest Worksong
Welcome To The Occupation
Exhuming McCarthy

You're beautiful more beautiful than me
You're honorable more honorable than me
Loyal to the Bank of America

(chorus 1)
It's a sign of the times
It's a sign of the times

(chorus 2)
You're sharpening stones, walking on coals
To improve your business acumen
Sharpening stones, walking on coals,
To improve your business acumen

Vested interest united ties, landed gentry rationalize
Look who bought the myth, by jingo, buy America

(repeat chorus 1)

(repeat chorus 2)

Enemy sighted, enemy met, I'm addressing the realpolitik
Look who bought the myth, by jingo, buy America

"Let us not assassinate this man further Senator,
You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir?
At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"

We're sharpening stones, walking on coals
To improve your business acumen
Sharpening stones, walking on coals,
To improve your business acumen

Enemy sighted, enemy met, I'm addressing the realpolitik
You've seen start and you've seen quit
(I'm addressing the table of content)
I always thought of you as quick
Exhuming McCarthy
(Meet me at the book burning)
Exhuming McCarthy
(Meet me at the book burning)
Exhuming McCarthy
(Meet me at the book burning)
Exhuming McCarthy
(Meet me at the book burning)

Disturbance At The Heron House
Strange
It's The End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
The One I Love
Fireplace
Lightin' Hopkins
King of Birds
Oddfellows Local 151-553

and



Pop Song '89
Get Up
You Are The Everything
Stand
World Leader Pretend
The Wrong Child
Orange Crush
Turn You Inside Out
Hairshirt
I Remember California
(Untitled)

This world is big and so-awake
I stayed up late to hear your voice
This light is here to keep you warm
This song is here to keep you strong

I made a list of things to say
But all I really want to say
All I really want to say is
Hold her and keep him strong
While I'm away from here
Hold her and keep her strong
While I'm away from here

I've seen the world and so-awake
And stay up late to hear me sing
Just hold her
I've seen the world and so-awake
And stay up late to hear me sing
Just hold him
Hold her and keep her strong
While I'm away from here
Hold him and keep him strong
While I'm away from here

i am listening to my dog breathe , my heart race, and my spoon slide around in my coffee cup everytime i lift it for a sip.

1. Radio Free Europe (original Hib-Tone single)
2. Gardening at Night (different vocal mix)
3. Talk About the Passion
4. So. Central Rain
5. (Don't Go Back To) Rockville
6. Can't Get There From Here
7. Driver 8
8. Romance
9. Fall On Me
10. The One I Love
11. Finest Worksong (mutual drum horn mix)
12. It's the End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine)



Now there's some good ****

djj and Panz-- I haven't heard more than a few of those--(or I was high and forgot--so THANKS--I plan to get them asap.

Meanwhile, I wanted to do my part with the Lyrics Fest--

Let Me In

Yeah, all those stars drip down like butter,
promises are sweet,
We hold out our pans, lift our hands to catch them.
We eat them up, drink them up, up, up, up

Heyyyyyy, let me in.
Heyyyyyy, let me in.
I only wish that I could hear you whisper down,
mister fisherman, to a less peculiar ground.
He gathered up his loved ones and he brought them all around
to say goodbye, nice try.

Heyyyyyy, let me in. yeah yeah yeah
Heyyyyyy, let me in. Let me in.

I had a mind to try to stop you. Let me in. Let me in.
I've got tar on my feet and I can't see.
All the birds look down and laugh at me.
Clumsy, crawling out of my skin.

Heyyyyyy, let me in. yeah yeah yeah
Heyyyyyy, let me in.
Heyyyyyy, let me in. yeah yeah yeah
Heyyyyyy, let me in.

Strange Currencies**really love it**looooaaarrrvvfff it

I don't know why you're mean to me
when I call on the telephone.
and I don't know what you mean to me
but I want to turn you on, turn you up, figure you out, I want to take you on

These words, "You will be mine."
These words, "You will be mine." all the time.

the fool might be my middle name
But I'd be foolish not to say
I'm going to make whatever it takes,
ring you up, call you down, sign your name, secret love,
make it rhyme, take you in, and make you mine.

These words, "You will be mine."
These words, "You will be mine." all the time. oh

I tripped and fell. did I fall.
What I want to feel, I want to feel it now

You know with love come strange currencies
and here is my appeal:

I need a chance, a second chance, a third chance, a fourth chance,
a word, a signal, a nod, a little breath
just to fool myself, to catch myself, to make it real, real

These words, "You will be mine"
These words, "You will be mine." all the time. oh

These words, "You will be mine."
These words, they haunt me, hunt me down, catch in my throat, make me pray,
say, love's confined, oh.


I Took Your Name

I wore the clothes you wanted
I took your name
If there is some confusion, who's to blame?

I signed your living will
I smiled your face
I'm ready to close the book on NASA in outer space

If there is some confusion
who's to blame?
who's to blame?

I sequenced your arrival
I sealed your fate
I pushed the button and erased your master tape

I wrote the sales pitch
I threw the brake switch
I dragged your big ass daddy roth car out of that ditch

If there is some confusion
who's to blame?
who's to blame?

I crossed your great divide
I stirred your ocean's tide
I called your bluff until I blew your circuits wide

I'll be your albatross,
devil, dog, Jesus, God,
I don't wanna be Iggy Pop but if that's what it takes, hey

If there is some confusion
If there is some confusion
If there is some confusion
who's to blame?
who's to blame?

__________________________________________

OK. I added my favorites, but it was hard to leave a couple out.

Stipe=brilliant

The Weight

I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead;
I just need some place where I can lay my head.
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
He just grinned and shook my hand, and "No!", was all he said.


(Chorus:)
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free;
Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me.

I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide;
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side.
I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on, let's go downtown."
She said, "I gotta go, but m'friend can stick around."

(Chorus)

Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waitin' on the Judgment Day.
"Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?"
He said, "Do me a favor, son, woncha stay an' keep Anna Lee company?"

(Chorus)

Crazy Chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog.
He said, "I will fix your rack, if you'll take Jack, my dog."
I said, "Wait a minute, Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man."
He said, "That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can."

(Chorus)

Catch a cannon ball now, t'take me down the line
My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time.
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one.
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone.

thanks Lash ...and beth...
what the hell was robbie writing about???

and beth...how could a Canuck write the perfect Civil War song???

by J.R.Robertson.
© 1970 Canaan Music, Inc.

Virgil Caine is the name, and I served on the Danville train,
'Til Stoneman's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again.
In the winter of '65, We were hungry, just barely alive.
By May the tenth, Richmond had fell, it's a time I remember, oh so well,


The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, and the bells were ringing,
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, and the people were singin'. They went
La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La,


Back with my wife in Tennessee, When one day she called to me,
Virgil, quick, come see, there goes Robert E. Lee!
Now I don't mind choppin' wood, and I don't care if the money's no good.
Ya take what ya need and ya leave the rest,
But they should never have taken the very best.


Like my father before me, I will work the land,
Like my brother above me, who took a rebel stand.
He was just eighteen, proud and brave, But a Yankee laid him in his grave,
I swear by the mud below my feet,
You can't raise a Caine back up when he's in defeat.

the radio program I was listening to discussed that very question

and wikipedia weighs in on the weight

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weight

Nice, Beth. I love that song, but I could never explain it, either.