Greatest Lyrics of All Time

[TheMysticMan]

Hi all,

I know there have been threads like this in the past, so appologies if it stagnates straight away, but all the ones I found were actually quoting the lyrics themselves. I think it would be cool to build up a list of the songs with the best lyrics, decided by everyone. Could be a great way to discover new artists and have some interesting debates. I'm not quite sure how it would work, maybe atleast three people have to agree on a song before it is added? I Suppose we'll see how many people are interested. I'll post a few to start off with:

Time - Pink Floyd
One of us Cannot Be Wrong - Leonard Cohen
Mr. Tambourine Man - Bob Dylan
Snuff - Slipknot
Hurt - Johnny Cash (I appreciate this is originally by Nine Inch Nails, but I Johnny puts so much feeling into it, open to debate of course)
Jeff Buckley - Forget Her

There are many more obviously but lets see how it goes. (Oh and I'm awaiting a Kanye West joke from the title )

-TheMysticMan-

 

[pointless]

Here we are
Stuck by this river,
You and I
Underneath a sky that's ever falling down, down, down
Ever falling down.

Through the day
As if on an ocean
Waiting here,
Always failing to remember why we came, came, came:
I wonder why we came.

You talk to me
as if from a distance
And I reply
With impressions chosen from another time, time, time,
From another time.

 

[pointless]

also, because i love beautiful nonsense...

I can think of nowhere
I would rather be
Reading morning papers
Drinking morning tea.


She clutches the tray
And then we talk just like a kitchen sink play
Nothing ventured nothing gained
Living so close to danger
Even your friends are strangers
Don't count upon their company.


Places for the fingers
Places for the nails
Hidden in the kitchen
Right behind the scales.


What do I care
I'm wasting fingers like I have them to spare
Plugging holes in the Zuider Zee
Punishing Paul for Peter
Don't ever trust those meters
What you believe is what you see.


In my town, there is a raincoat under a tree
In the sky there is a cloud containing the sea
In the sea there is a whale without any eyes
In the whale there is a man without his raincoat.


In another country
With another name
Maybe things are different
Maybe they're the same.


Back on the train
The seven soldiers read the papers again
But the news it doesn't change
Swinging about through the creepers
Parachutes caught on steeples
Heroes are born
But heroes die.


Just a few days
A little practice and some holiday pay
We're all sure
You'll make the grade
Mother of God if you care
We're on a train to nowhere
Please put a cross upon our eyes
Take me I'm nearly ready you can take me
To the raincoat in the sky
Take me my little pastry mother take me
There's a pie shop in the sky.

 

[pointless]

All the Peasants in the Squares
At Their Tables and Their Chairs
Set to Salvage Certain Numbers
From the Wonder of the Tundra
And the Muses in the Gloom
Counting Needles in Their Rooms
On the Carpet in the Corner
In a Kind of Secret Slumber
While the in Formation Rain
Slashed the Dirty Window Pane to the Square.


Smoky Broads and Smoky Windows in the Square
Come Come Charmer Come On Over For the Day
Disappearing Cocoa Forests Flash and Die
Fortunes Crumble All Demolished in the Bay.


Over Forty Pointed People
In the Perfect Pointed Steeple
Looked to See the Lucky Number
Yes the Wonder of the Tundra
Had Come Up to Fame and Fortune
Singing His Tune, My Tune, Your Tune
Wooing Daughters of the Gifted
On the Carpets of the Courtrooms
While the Tickets Were Expensive
The Show Was Quite Relentless in the Square.


Smoky Broads and Smoky Windows in the Square
Come Come Charmer Come On Over For the Day
Disappearing Cocoa Forests Flash and Die
Fortunes Crumble All Demolished in the Bay


Dalai Llama Lama Puss Puss
Stella Marls Missa Nobis
Miss a Dinner Miss Shapiro
Shampoos Pot-pot Pinkies Pampered
Movement Hampered Like At Christmas
Ha-ha Isn't Life a Circus
Round in Circles Like the Archers
Always Stiff Or Always Starchy
Yes It's Happening and It's Fattening
And It's All That We Can Get Into the Show.


Smoky Broads and Smoky Windows in the Square
Come Come Charmer Come On Over For the Day
Disappearing Cocoa Forests Flash and Die
Fortunes Crumble All Demolished in the Bay

 

[J_Cool]

Hi all,

I know there have been threads like this in the past, so appologies if it stagnates straight away, but all the ones I found were actually quoting the lyrics themselves. I think it would be cool to build up a list of the songs with the best lyrics, decided by everyone. Could be a great way to discover new artists and have some interesting debates. I'm not quite sure how it would work, maybe atleast three people have to agree on a song before it is added? I Suppose we'll see how many people are interested. I'll post a few to start off with:

Time - Pink Floyd
One of us Cannot Be Wrong - Leonard Cohen
Mr. Tambourine Man - Bob Dylan
Snuff - Slipknot
Hurt - Johnny Cash (I appreciate this is originally by Nine Inch Nails, but I Johnny puts so much feeling into it, open to debate of course)
Jeff Buckley - Forget Her

There are many more obviously but lets see how it goes. (Oh and I'm awaiting a Kanye West joke from the title )

-TheMysticMan-

If your point is the lyrics then what difference does it make who sings it?

 

[TheMysticMan]

Would it not be better to post just the name of the song as a link, not all the lyrics? Discussions broken up by loads of lyrics would be a bit anoying, we can listen to the lyrics ourselves, or find them if they are hard to hear.

Cool songs, not sure on the lyrics, they are good, but maybe not thaat good. We'll see what others think.

J Cool, yeah I was thinking that, so I suppose it should be the original really, give them credit for the writing. Just think Cash's version is epic.

 

[Songcatcher]

It's hard to beat "Everybody Knows" by Leonard Cohen.

That's what I know.

 

[pointless]

Would it not be better to post just the name of the song as a link, not all the lyrics? Discussions broken up by loads of lyrics would be a bit anoying, we can listen to the lyrics ourselves, or find them if they are hard to hear.

Cool songs, not sure on the lyrics, they are good, but maybe not thaat good. We'll see what others think.

J Cool, yeah I was thinking that, so I suppose it should be the original really, give them credit for the writing. Just think Cash's version is epic.

good point.

Yeah, you got satin shoes
Yeah, you got plastic boots
Y'all got cocaine eyes
Yeah, you got speed-freak jive

Can't you hear me knockin' on your window
Can't you hear me knockin' on your door
Can't you hear me knockin' down your dirty street, yeah

Help me baby, ain't no stranger
Help me baby, ain't no stranger
Help me baby, ain't no stranger

Can't you hear me knockin', ahh, are you safe asleep?
Can't you hear me knockin', yeah, down the gas light street, now
Can't you hear me knockin', yeah, throw me down the keys
Alright now

Hear me ringing big bell tolls
Hear me singing soft and low
I've been begging on my knees
I've been kickin', help me please
Hear me prowlin'
I'm gonna take you down
Hear me growlin'
Yeah, I've got flatted feet now, now, now, now
Hear me howlin'
And all, all around your street now
Hear me knockin'
And all, all around your town

 

[TheMysticMan]

It's hard to beat "Everybody Knows" by Leonard Cohen.

That's what I know.

Ooh wow havn't got that, it's not in his greatest hits of first three albums. On it now... Very much looking forward to finding more great Leonard Cohen songs.

 

[pointless]

Ooh wow havn't got that, it's not in his greatest hits of first three albums. On it now... Very much looking forward to finding more great Leonard Cohen songs.

Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows that the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows
Everybody knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the captain lied
Everybody got this broken feeling
Like their father or their dog just died

Everybody talking to their pockets
Everybody wants a box of chocolates
And a long stem rose
Everybody knows

Everybody knows that you love me baby
Everybody knows that you really do
Everybody knows that you've been faithful
Ah give or take a night or two
Everybody knows you've been discreet
But there were so many people you just had to meet
Without your clothes
And everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

And everybody knows that it's now or never
Everybody knows that it's me or you
And everybody knows that you live forever
Ah when you've done a line or two
Everybody knows the deal is rotten
Old Black Joe's still pickin' cotton
For your ribbons and bows
And everybody knows

And everybody knows that the Plague is coming
Everybody knows that it's moving fast
Everybody knows that the naked man and woman
Are just a shining artifact of the past
Everybody knows the scene is dead
But there's gonna be a meter on your bed
That will disclose
What everybody knows

And everybody knows that you're in trouble
Everybody knows what you've been through
From the bloody cross on top of Calvary
To the beach of Malibu
Everybody knows it's coming apart
Take one last look at this Sacred Heart
Before it blows
And everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

Oh everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

Everybody knows

 

[pointless]

and i'm done fucking with you. i have porn to download.

 

[Songcatcher]

Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows that the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows
Everybody knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the captain lied
Everybody got this broken feeling
Like their father or their dog just died

Everybody talking to their pockets
Everybody wants a box of chocolates
And a long stem rose
Everybody knows

Everybody knows that you love me baby
Everybody knows that you really do
Everybody knows that you've been faithful
Ah give or take a night or two
Everybody knows you've been discreet
But there were so many people you just had to meet
Without your clothes
And everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

And everybody knows that it's now or never
Everybody knows that it's me or you
And everybody knows that you live forever
Ah when you've done a line or two
Everybody knows the deal is rotten
Old Black Joe's still pickin' cotton
For your ribbons and bows
And everybody knows

And everybody knows that the Plague is coming
Everybody knows that it's moving fast
Everybody knows that the naked man and woman
Are just a shining artifact of the past
Everybody knows the scene is dead
But there's gonna be a meter on your bed
That will disclose
What everybody knows

And everybody knows that you're in trouble
Everybody knows what you've been through
From the bloody cross on top of Calvary
To the beach of Malibu
Everybody knows it's coming apart
Take one last look at this Sacred Heart
Before it blows
And everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

Oh everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

Everybody knows

Music is beyond the words.

It's Cohen's voice, his original musical set up.

 

[pointless]

Music is beyond the words.

It's Cohen's voice, his original musical set up.

as a poet i'm guessing he'd probably disagree.

 

[pointless]

also, the future

 

[Songcatcher]

as a poet i'm guessing he'd probably disagree.

Poem; you have to understand the language.

Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG5e1oaen-M

 

[TheMysticMan]

Yeah, very cool song, although I do find songs that follow very set structures in each line a little bit dull. Still a beauty though.

So does anyone agree or a disagree with any of the suggestions? I'll make a list in bold of the songs we agree on.