This is a thread where you can post any song lyrics you find especially outstanding or inspirational and would like to share with other folks in the orchard. Thanks to an enigmatic Cowboy Junkies fan known as MJM for this thread idea.

All of Karin and Linford's lyrics can be found here, but feel free to post their songs as well if you just can't contain your enthusiasm.

Here's an old favorite of mine from Leonard Cohen's wonderful debut album, c. 1968:

Sisters of Mercy

Oh the sisters of mercy, they are not departed or gone.
They were waiting for me when I thought that I just can't go on.
And they brought me their comfort and later they brought me this song.
Oh I hope you run into them, you who've been travelling so long.

Yes you who must leave everything that you cannot control.
It begins with your family, but soon it comes around to your soul.
Well I've been where you're hanging, I think I can see how you're pinned:
When you're not feeling holy, your loneliness says that you've sinned.

Well they lay down beside me, I made my confession to them.
They touched both my eyes and I touched the dew on their hem.
If your life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn,
They will bind you with love that is graceful and green as a stem.

When I left they were sleeping, I hope you run into them soon.
Don't turn on the lights, you can read their address by the moon.
And you won't make me jealous if I hear that they sweetened your night.
We weren't lovers like that, and besides it would still be all right,
We weren't lovers like that, and besides it would still be all right.

Jump, Little Children - "Cathedrals"

In the shadows of tall buildings
Of fallen angels on the ceilings
Oily feathers in bronze and concrete
Faded colors, pieces left incomplete
The line moves slowly past the electric fence
Across the borders between continents

In cathedrals of New York and Rome
There is a feeling that you should just go home
And spend a lifetime
Finding out just where that is

In the shadows of tall buildings
The architecture is slowly peeling
Marble statues and glass dividers
Someone is watching all of the outsiders
The line moves slowly through the numbered gate
Past the mosaic of the head of state

In cathedrals of New York and Rome
There is a feeling that you should just go home
And spend a lifetime
Finding out just where that is

In the shadows of tall buildings
Of open arches endlessly kneeling
Sonic landscapes echoing vistas
Someone is listening from a safe distance
The line moves slowly into a fading light
A final moment in the dead of night

In cathedrals of New York and Rome
There is a feeling that you should just go home
And spend a lifetime
Finding out just where that is

Keith: Nice pick with the Cohen lyrics. I've been a bit obscessed with his writing lately and have especially been listening to "Take This Waltz". Below are just my favorite parts. Have you ever listened to the cover album "Famous Blue Raincoat" ? I think Jennifer warren? or Warner? did it (the girl with the song from the original Dirty Dancing). Apparently it's some kind of production masterpiece. Also, any thoughts on "I'm Your Fan"?

There's an attic where children are playing
Where I've got to lie down with you soon
In a dream of Hungarian lanterns
In the mist of some sweet afternoon
And I'll see what you've chained to your sorrow
All your sheep and your lilies of snow
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
With its "I'll never forget you, you know!"

This waltz, this waltz, this waltz, this waltz ...

And I'll dance with you in Vienna
I'll be wearing a river's disguise
The hyacinth wild on my shoulder,
My mouth on the dew of your thighs
And I'll bury my soul in a scrapbook,
With the photographs there, and the moss
And I'll yield to the flood of your beauty
My cheap violin and my cross
And you'll carry me down on your dancing
To the pools that you lift on your wrist
Oh my love, Oh my love
Take this waltz, take this waltz
It's yours now. It's all that there is.

Nichole

Floridagirl: I'm digging your avatar. I have a similiar wallpaper on my desktop. vEry Cool.

Nichole

I was fortunate to see Jump Little Children or as they are now known, Jump in Cincy this February at the NACA convention. They were really great. I was first introduced to them on this sweet little CD I bought called, Handpicked, vol. 1. The track they did on this one is Dancing Virginia. Pick up this CD. It's great, 19 tracks for $5.99. Indie bands promoted by Hootie.

Cher

Beautiful Disaster - Miranda Stone

Taking off my clothes, I'm Eve in the light of a naked bulb and the
Rotted flooring sinks down before I step, gingerly, into the tub
Looking at the ceiling, thinking the galaxies of peeling paint and plaster
Are something I would photograph --
A beautiful disaster

Water runs down in rivers, it forms beads across my skin
And the steam courses down in droplets, the dirty plaster drinks it in
My own hands can never wash me clean
of every thought I've tried to master
You are something I would photograph
You beautiful disaster

And you pull on me just enough
To make me crack
You pull on me just enough
To make my resolve go slack

If I tackle every angle and I still can't turn 360 degrees
I'm not opposed to every Persian flaw between you and me
So I study what your poverty points to I
Look for a larger than life kind of voice
If revelation is a riddle then truth and beauty is
My educated choice
My educated choice

And you pull on me just enough
To make me crack
You pull on me just enough
To make my resolve go slack

Like a train wreck, or a famine
Like the thought of a morning after
You are something that I'll remember
Like a beautiful disaster

Oh ya, you don't care at all
You don't care at all
You don't care
At all.

I don't know that I would say this is my favorite set of lyrics, but they certainly are the saddest. I remember when I first heard this song. I was on the way to Nashville not a month after 9.11. I had just gotten my copy of Poet the cover CD of Townes songs. Hearing Willie Nelson singing this tune had me crying. It absolutely is the saddest song I know.

Marie
by Townes Van Zandt

I stood in line and left my name
took about six hours or so
Well, the man just grinned like it was all a game
said they'd let me know
I put in my time till the Pocono line
shut down two years ago
I was staying at the mission till I met Marie
now I can't stay there no more


Fella 'cross town said he's lookin' for a man
to move some old cars around
maybe me and Marie could find a burned-out
van and do a little settlin' down
Aw, but I'm just dreamin', I ain't got no ride
and the junkyard's a pretty good ways
that job's about a half week old besides
it'd be gone now anyway


Unemployment said I got no more checks
and they showed me to the hall
my brother died in Georgia some time ago
I got no one left to call
Summer wasn't bad below the bridge
a little short on food that's all
Now I gotta get Marie some kind of coat
we're headed down into fall


I used to play the mouth harp pretty good
hustled up a little dough
but I got drunk and I woke up rolled
a couple of months ago
they got my harp and they got my dollar
them low life so and so's
harps cost money and I ain't got it
it's my own fault I suppose


The Pocono's down but the Chesapeak's runnin'
two freights everyday
if it was just me I'd be headed south
but Marie can't catch no train
She's got some pain and she thinks it's a baby,
says we gotta wait and see
in my heart I know it's a little boy
hope he don't end up like me


Well, the man's still grinnin' says he lost my file
I gotta stand in line again
I want to kill him but I just say no
I had enough of that line my friend
I head back to the bridge, its getting kinda cold
I'm feelin' too low down to lie
I guess I'll just tell Marie the truth
hope she don't break down and cry


Marie she didn't wake up this morning
she didn't even try
she just rolled over and went to heaven
my little boy safe inside
I laid them in the sun where somebody'd find them
caught a Chesapeak on the fly
Marie will know I'm headed south
so's to meet me by and by


Marie will know I'm headed south
so to meet me by and by

I haven't heard any of the Cohen tribute CDs, Nichole. I only have four of his albums, including the latest one Ten New Songs. Here's my favorite from that one:

My Secret Life

I saw you this morning
You were moving so fast
Can't seem to loosen my grip
On the past
And I miss you so much
There's no one in sight
And we're still making love
In my secret life

I smile when I'm angry
I cheat and I lie
I'll do what I have to do
To get by
But I know what is wrong
And I know what is right
And I'd die for the truth
In my secret life

Hold on, hold on my brother
My sister, hold on tight
I finally got my orders
I'll be marching through the morning
Marching through the night
Moving 'cross the borders
Of my secret life

Look through the papers
Makes you want to cry
Nobody cares if the people
Live or die
And the dealer wants you thinking
That's it's either black or white
Thank God it's not that simple
In my secret life

I bite my lip
I buy what I'm told
From the latest hit
To the wisdom of old
But I'm always alone
And my heart is like ice
And it's crowded and cold
In my secret life

Here is one of my favorites. Ron Sexsmith has many many penned songs
If any one is interested in Ron's live gigs, I have over 20 live concerts.


APRIL AFTER ALL

It's really coming down
Raining cats and hounds
It's falling on parades
And on the plans we made

But there'll be other days
And things will turn our way
The rain has got to fall
It's April after all

Even the longest night
Will lead you to daylight
It's the way May leads to June
And it's how I've come to you

The world goes spinning round
Life goes up and down
And rain is bound to fall
It's April after all

They'll be other days
Darling come what may
The rain has got to fall
It's April after all

Tears are bound to fall
It's April after all

But it was Strawberry Blonde that really got me hooked on Ron Sexsmith.

RODNEY CROWELL
FATE’S RIGHT HAND - excellent album

Still Learning How To Fly
The hour is early
The whole world is quiet
A beautiful morning's about to ignite
I'm ready for danger
I'm ready for fire
I'm ready for something to lift me up higher

Life's been good, I guess
My ragged old heart's been blessed
With so much more than meets the eye
I've got a past I won't soon forget
You ain't seen nothing yet
I'm still learning how to fly

It's the dreams that die hard
With old habits to break
You can't let down your guard
When there's so much at stake
I'm halfway to heaven, halfway to hell
But I might roll a seven
You never can tell

Life's been good it's true
When I'm feeling just like new
The same old rules need not apply
I've got a past full of sticks and stones
And a good feeling in my bones
I'm still learning how to fly

I wanna go faster
I don't wanna slow down
I don't wanna get off of this merrygoround
I wanna be reckless
I wanna be vain
I wanna make love like a runaway train

Life's been good I said
I'm 10,000 miles ahead
The day I rest is the day I die
I've got a past like a broken wing
But you ain't seen anything
I'm still learning how to fly
I'm still learning how to fly


the players;
Rodney Crowell - vocals, guitar
Jerry Douglas - dobro
John Hobbs - organ
Pat Buchanan - electric guitar
Michael Rhodes - bass
Paul Leim - drums
John Cowan - harmony vocal

Keith,

I love this one too. The whole album is great. I have a book somewhere with some of Leonard's poetry. You make me want to look it up and do some more reading.

Cher

check out tower of song - some great covers there (and some not so great). i like tori amos' version of famous blue raincoat...it's certainly worth borrowing from you local library...

Thanks, skippingstones! I got it from an old Palmolive soap ad. Where did you find your wallpaper?

coldteablues, I will have to check out that CD as soon as I get a chance. Where did you find it? Online? In a local music store?

This has long been my favorite song. It was the first thing I insisted on learning to play on guitar, it's the song I'm most likely to start absent-mindedly singing at the bus stop, and it is the song that refuses to leave me, regardless of where I am in life. The mini-blurb I wrote on it for the liner notes of The Collection says nothing of its personal significance. The second verse has always seemed particularly poignant.


Martyrs and Thieves, by Jennifer Knapp

v1
There's a place in the darkness that I used to cling to
that presses harsh hope against time
in the absence of martyrs there's a presence of thieves
who only want to rob you blind
they steal away any sense of peace
though I'm a king, I'm a king on my knees
and I know they are wrong when they say I am strong
as the darkness covers me

chorus
So turn on the light and reveal all the glory
I am not afraid
to bare all my weakness knowing in meekness
I have a kingdom to gain
where there is peace and love in the light, in the Light
I am not afraid
to let your light shine bright in my life, in my life

v2
There are ghosts from my past
who've owned more of my soul
than I thought I had given away
they linger in closets and under my bed
and in pictures less proudly displayed
a great fool in my life I have been
I have squandered 'til pallid and thin
hung my head in shame and refused to take blame
for the darkness I know I've let win

chorus

Can you hear me? can you hear me?

v3
Well I've never been much for the baring of soul
in the presence of any man
I'd rather keep to myself all safe and secure
in the arms of a sinner I am
could it be that my worth should depend
by the crimson-stained grace on a hand?
and like a lamp on a hill, lord I pray in your will
to reveal all of you that I can

chorus

there's a place in the darkness that I used to cling to
it presses harsh hope against time

There's a gorgeous cover of this song (I've never heard the original) on For the Stars by Elvis Costello and Anne Sophie Von Otter. The whole album is fantastic, but that song is one of my favorites.

I'm pretty sure he (Elvis Costello), did this song the other night. Great song! And as long as we are on the subject, does anyone know the song that goes something like "This house is empty now?" It was just beautiful.

Artist: Sarah McLachlan
Album: Afterglow
Title: Answer

I will be the answer
At the end of the line
I will be there for you
Why take the time
In the burning of uncertainty
I will be your solid ground
I will hold the balance
If you can't look down

If it takes my whole life
I won't break, I won't bend
It will all be worth it
Worth it in the end
Because I can only tell you that I know
That I need you in my life
When the stars have all gone out
You'll still be burning so bright

Cast me gently
Into morning
For the night has been unkind
Take me to a
Place so holy
That I can wash this from my mind
And break choosing not to fight

If it takes my whole life
I won't break, I won't bend
It will all be worth it
Worth it in the end
Because I can only tell you that I know
That I need you in my life
When the stars have all gone out
You'll still be burning so bright

Cast me gently
Into morning
For the night has been unkind

Wow Trudes, I was listening to that same song this morning and just really getting into it.

from one of my favorite performers, a brilliant writer, singer and an amazing guitarist [sorry for the excess, i just listened to these]...

Waltzing's For Dreamers
Written by Richard Thompson
Appears on; Amnesia (1988)
Watching The Dark (1993)
Disc A, Watching the Dark (1993)
two letter words: live 1994 (1996)
Action Packed (2001)

Oh play me a blue song and fade down the light
I'm sad as a proud man can be sad tonight
Just let me dream on, oh just let me sway
While the sweet violins and the saxophones play
And Miss, you don't know me, but can't we pretend
That we care for each other, till the band reach the end

One step for aching, and two steps for breaking
Waltzing's for dreamers and losers in love
One step for sighing and two steps for crying
Waltzing's for dreamers and losers in love

Now they say love's for gamblers, oh the pendulum swings
I bet hard on love and I lost everything
So don't send me home now, put a shot in my arm
And we'll drink out old memories and we'll drink in the dawn
And Mr Bandleader won't you play one more time
For I've good folding money in this pocket of mine

Oh, one step for aching, two steps for breaking
Waltzing's for dreamers and losers in love
One step for sighing, and two steps for crying
Waltzing's for dreamers and losers in love

Oh Miss, you don't know me, but can't we pretend
That we care for each other, till the band reach the end

Oh, one step for aching, two steps for breaking
Waltzing's for dreamers and losers in love
One step for sighing, two steps for crying
Waltzing's for dreamers and losers in love
Waltzing's for dreamers and losers in love

Beeswing
Written by Richard Thompson
Appears on; Mirror Blue (1994)
two letter words: live 1994 (1996)
Action Packed (2001)

I was nineteen when I came to town, they called it the Summer of Love
They were burning babies, burning flags. The hawks against the doves
I took a job in the steamie down on Cauldrum Street
And I fell in love with a laundry girl who was working next to me

Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing
So fine a breath of wind might blow her away
She was a lost child, oh she was running wild
She said "As long as there's no price on love, I'll stay.
And you wouldn't want me any other way"

Brown hair zig-zag around her face and a look of half-surprise
Like a fox caught in the headlights, there was animal in her eyes
She said "Young man, oh can't you see I'm not the factory kind
If you don't take me out of here I'll surely lose my mind"

Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing
So fine that I might crush her where she lay
She was a lost child, she was running wild
She said "As long as there's no price on love, I'll stay.
And you wouldn't want me any other way"

We busked around the market towns and picked fruit down in Kent
And we could tinker lamps and pots and knives wherever we went
And I said that we might settle down, get a few acres dug
Fire burning in the hearth and babies on the rug
She said "Oh man, you foolish man, it surely sounds like hell.
You might be lord of half the world, you'll not own me as well"

Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing
So fine a breath of wind might blow her away
She was a lost child, oh she was running wild
She said "As long as there's no price on love, I'll stay.
And you wouldn't want me any other way"

We was camping down the Gower one time, the work was pretty good
She thought we shouldn't wait for the frost and I thought maybe we should
We was drinking more in those days and tempers reached a pitch
And like a fool I let her run with the rambling itch

Oh the last I heard she's sleeping rough back on the Derby beat
White Horse in her hip pocket and a wolfhound at her feet
And they say she even married once, a man named Romany Brown
But even a gypsy caravan was too much settling down
And they say her flower is faded now, hard weather and hard booze
But maybe that's just the price you pay for the chains you refuse

Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing
And I miss her more than ever words could say
If I could just taste all of her wildness now
If I could hold her in my arms today
Well I wouldn't want her any other way

1952 Vincent Black Lightning
Written by Richard Thompson
Appears on; Rumor and Sigh (1991)
two letter words: live 1994 (1996)
Action Packed (2001)

Oh says Red Molly to James "That's a fine motorbike.
A girl could feel special on any such like"
Says James to Red Molly "My hat's off to you
It's a Vincent Black Lightning, 1952.
And I've seen you at the corners and cafes it seems
Red hair and black leather, my favourite colour scheme"
And he pulled her on behind and down to Boxhill they did ride

Oh says James to Red Molly "Here's a ring for your right hand
But I'll tell you in earnest I'm a dangerous man.
For I've fought with the law since I was seventeen,
I robbed many a man to get my Vincent machine.
Now I'm 21 years, I might make 22
And I don't mind dying, but for the love of you.
And if fate should break my stride
Then I'll give you my Vincent to ride"

"Come down, come down, Red Molly" called Sergeant McRae
"For they've taken young James Adie for armed robbery.
Shotgun blast hit his chest, left nothing inside.
Oh come down, Red Molly to his dying bedside"
When she came to the hospital, there wasn't much left
He was running out of road, he was running out of breath
But he smiled to see her cry
He said "I'll give you my Vincent to ride"

Says James "In my opinion, there's nothing in this world
Beats a 52 Vincent and a red headed girl.
Now Nortons and Indians and Greeves won't do,
Ah, they don't have a soul like a Vincent 52"
Oh he reached for her hand and he slipped her the keys
Said "I've got no further use for these.
I see angels on Ariels in leather and chrome,
Swooping down from heaven to carry me home"
And he gave her one last kiss and died
And he gave her his Vincent to ride.

Those lyrics are beautiful! Does Richard Thompson have a website or anything where one might access sound bites of any of these?

Another of my favorite bands is a group called The Decemberists. They're sort of like Charles Dickens meets William Blake meets Wes Anderson meets T.S. Eliot. Brilliant.

The Decemberists - Los Angeles, I'm Yours
There is a city by the sea
A gentle company
I don’t suppose you want to
And as it tells its sorry tale
In harrowing detail
Its hollowness will haunt you
Its streets and boulevards
Orphans and oligarchs it hears
A plaintive melody
Truncated symphony
An ocean’s garbled vomit on the shore,
Los Angeles, I’m yours

Oh ladies, pleasant and demure
Sallow-cheeked and sure
I can see your undies
And all the boys you drag about
An empty fallow fount
From Saturdays to Mondays
You hill and valley crowd
Hanging your trousers down at heel
This is the realest thing
As ancient choirs sing
A dozen blushing cherubs wheel above
Los Angeles my love

Oh what a rush of ripe elan
Languor on divans
Dalliant and dainty
But oh, the smell of burnt cocaine
The dolor and decay
It only makes me cranky
Oh great calamity,
Ditch of iniquity and tears
How I abhor this place
Its sweet and bitter taste
Has left me wretched, retching on all fours
Los Angeles, I’m yours

Those lyrics are great. What's the sound like? I think I'll try to check them out now online if possible.

I got my picture from some vintage clothing site. It's a cute girl with a black bob. I have an infatuation with bobs. I miss mine. I'll try to e-mail you a copy of it.

Keith:

Glad to know that album is good. Sounds like coldteablues agrees. I've been eyeballing that one lately so it's good to get a scoop on it. Thanks for sharing you two.

I'm glad I went with my gut on that one. For some reason I figured I would only like the Tori Amos one and not much else. I'll see if my library has it though.

Thanks,

Jason Mraz may not be considered the most poetic of musicians by crowds like this, but he really is pretty amazing. This is by Jason and Arriel Quirolo. It's called "After an Afternoon." Oh, and I appreciate all the Richard Thompson stuff on here. Has anyone ever listened to his son, Teddy?


I bare my windowed self, untamed and untrained.
Dreams that hardly touch our complexions' truest faults
If room enough for both, my drowsy spirit shall fall.
Bold waves tumble to the season of my heart
Where you have offended my faith and my trust
Until all is lost into the beauty of the day.


But there's something in the way you laugh
That makes me feel like a child.
Aspects of life they confuse me,
You and your thesis amuse me.


After and afternoon with you.
And your rich brown eyes
Your lips and dark hair
Elbows and exposed knees tossing toward the ceiling
After an afternoon


Face to palm
Tear to tear
Mouth to tongue
Heart to ground
I am in love

Oops! ..I did it again
Britney Spears

yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
I think I did it again
I made you believe we're more than just friends
Oh baby
It might seem like a crush
But it doesn't mean that I'm serious
'Cause to lose all my senses
That is just so typically me
Oh baby, baby

CHORUS:
Oops!...I did it again
I played with your heart, got lost in the game
Oh baby, baby
Oops!...You think I'm in love
That I'm sent from above
I'm not that innocent

You see my problem is this
I'm dreaming away
Wishing that heroes, they truly exist
I cry, watching the days
Can't you see I'm a fool in so many ways
But to lose all my senses
That is just so typically me
Baby, oh

Repeat CHORUS

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

"All aboard"
"Britney, before you go, there's something I want you to have"
"Oh, it's beautiful, but wait a minute, isn't this...?"
"Yeah, yes it is"
"But I thought the old lady dropped it into the ocean in the end"
"Well baby, I went down and got it for you"
"Oh, you shouldn't have"

Oops!...I did it again to your heart
Got lost in this game, oh baby
Oops!...You think that I'm sent from above
I'm not that innocent

For Dude, from chat

I should have moved to New York City, but I never was that cool
I just languished in the Midwest like some old romantic fool
And the streetlights shine down on the bottles we have broken
'Till the road is paved with diamonds from a thousand lost love tokens
And my logic just seems more clear with every bottle of beer

My old drunk friend, it's good to see you again
Every time you walk in I should run the other way


From My Old Drunk Friend, by Freakwater, on Feels Like the Third Time

Maybe a liitle simplicity is nice every now and then.

What We Hope For 
words and music by Carolyn Arends and Connie Harrington

I remember waiting up till it got dark
Searching till I found the brightest star
Making my wish with all my heart
But we grow up and so do all our dreams
Somehow without us even noticing
We set our sights on lesser things
Oh, to go back when we still believed

That what we hope for
Is not too much to ask for
And what we pray for
Isn’t nearly big enough
‘Cause what we dream of
Cannot compare to God’s love
And what He wants for us is so much more
More than what we hope for

We start out so innocent and wise
Before we cut the world down to our size
We still have that wonder in our eyes
So maybe that’s why Jesus said to come
With the faith we had when we were young
Trusting in a world beyond this one
Letting our imaginations run

‘Cause what we hope for
Is not too much to ask for
And what we pray for
Isn’t nearly big enough
What we dream of
Cannot compare to God’s love
And what He wants for us is so much more
More than what we hope for
More than what we hope for

sometimes it's perfect.

thank you

They're ... well, hard to describe. Kind of acoustic indie-rock, but with a vintage sound. Occasionally electronic, and often full and/or anthemic. As far as I know, they link to two mp3s from their official website, "The Soldiering Life" and "Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect," which are fairly representative of their overall sound.

What happened to your bob, skippingstones? Did it grow out, or get shorter?

PHISH off "slip stich and pass" 1997

Jesus Just Left Chicago (Billy F. Gibbons/Joe Michael Hill/Frank Lee Beard)

Jesus left Chicago
And he headed down to New Orleans
Jesus left Chicago
And he headed down to New Orleans
Hey hey
Workin' from one end to the other
And all points in between

Took a drive through Mississippi
Muddy water turned to wine
Took a drive through Mississippi
Muddy water turned to wine
Hey hey
Went out to California
Through the points and through the pines

You might not see him in person
But he'll see you just the same
Might not see him in person
But he'll see you just the same
Hey hey
Don't have to worry about nothin'
'Cuz takin' care of business is His name

Jesus left Chicago
And he headed down to New Orleans
Jesus left Chicago
And he headed down to New Orleans
Hey hey
Workin' from one end to the other
And all points in between

Thanks everyone!
This is a very cool room, I don't know how many of you
Were here last time, but...it's good to be back
What's that?
Sounds good, Mike!! Sounds great, Mike!!!

Thank you man! Thank you.. OK.... Mike?
He likes the way it sounds!
I know!

Here are my two favorite Aimee Mann songs...

You do

You stay the night at his house
with no ride to work
and I'm the one who tells you
he's another jerk
but you're the one who can succeed
you've only got to prove your need--
and you do
you really do
The sex you're trading up for
what you hope is love
is just another thing that
he'll be careless of
but though there are caveats galore
you've only got to love him more--
and you do
you really do
even when it's all too clear
You write a little note that
you leave on the bed
and spend some time dissecting
every word he said
and if he seemed a little strange
well, baby--anyone can change
and you do
you do
you really do

How am I different

I can't do it
I can't conceive
you're everything you're trying to make me believe
cause this show is
too well designed
too well to be held with only me in mind
And how am I different?
How am I different?
How am I different?
I can't do it
so move along
do you really want to wait until I prove you wrong?
And don't tell me--
let me guess
I could change it all around if I would just say yes
But how am I different?
How am I different?
How am I different?
And just one question before I pack--
when you **** it up later,
do I get my money back?
I can't do it
and as for you--
can you in good conscience even ask me to
Cause what do you care
about the great divide
as long as you come down
on the winner's side
And how am I different?
How am I different?
How am I different?
Just one question before I buy
when you **** it up later,
do I get my money back?

Both. It got shorter and now I'm growing it out. Mine was like a cross between Audrey Tatou (spelling) in Amelie and CZJ's in Chicago. Very cute!

Mmmm...I love Aimme Mann. She rules.

This thread is already full of long posts of whole songs, so I'll just put a little part of something from probably my favorite lyricist on the planet:

Aceepting all I've done and said
I want to stand and stare again
'Till there's nothing left out
It remains there in your eyes
Whatever comes and goes
I will hear your silent call
And I will touch this tender wall
Till I know I'm home again... - Peter Gabriel

Is anyone here familiar with a young Canadian name Jill Paquette (jillpaquette.com)?
Not the Only One is a typical song:
Words and Music by Jill Paquette

Everyone keeps saying this is only a phase
I got so much on my mind I don't know what I should take to heart
Where's my heart
Had too much fun in high school and in college the same
Never living up to my potential trying to live life my way
What's my way

I can't pretend that life is fair everyday or that faith comes easy
I'm wondering what it is you're so afraid to say

'Cause I'm not the only one who thinks so
I'm not the only one who thinks so

It's never ending stop pretending you're not afraid
The human condition your ambition so quickly steals away, everyday
But God I know you're listening God I know you can see
All the things that war inside us all the things we're trying to believe
You got me on my knees

And I can't pretend that life is fair everyday or that faith comes easy
I'm wondering what it is you're so afraid to say

Looking in the eyes of the people passing me by
I know I'm not the only one who thinks so

But I'm caught between faith and a hard place
What's with the long face

This is a song whose pure lyricality blows me away. You really need to hear it though...

Ordinary Town Dave Carter & Tracy Grammar

Common cool, he was a proud young fool in a kickass Wal-Mart tie
Rippin down the main drag trippin on the headlights rollin by
In the early dawn when the cars were gone did he hear the master's call
In the five and dime did he wake and find he was only dreamin after all

This is an ordinary town
And the prophet stands apart
This is an ordinary town
And we brook no wayward heart
Every higway leads you prodigal back home
To the ordinary sidewalks you were born to roam

Rock of ages, love contagious, shine the serpent fire
So sang the sages sixteen summers in the upstairs choir
So sang the old dog down the street beside his wailin wall
Go home go home the mayor cried when Jesus came to city hall

This is an ordinary town
And the prophet stands alone
This is an ordinary town
And we crucify our own
Every highway leads you prodigal again
To the ordinary houses you were brought up in

Raised on hunches and junk food lunches and punch-drunk ballroom steps
You get to believin your even-steven with the kids in fast-track prep
So you dump your bucks on a velvet tux and you run to join the dance
But your holy shows and the Romans know you're just a child of circumstance

This is an ordinary town
And the prophet has no face
This is an ordinary town
And the seasons run in place
Every highway leads you prodigal and true
To the ordinary angels watching over you

This song has been in my AIM profile for a really long time. I love it.
[B]Cool Your Boots by Ride

Across 50 states of mind
I didn't feel inclined
You waited yesterday
I didn't come your way
Now time is moving on
I know it won't be long
Till I`m shuffling away
With nothing more to say

When I'm printed on your wall
My face won't change at all
The smile beneath my hair
Hangs lifeless in the air
Like a net in water
I'm running through it all
And I'm shuffling away
With nothing more to say

It's been preying on my mind
And now I'm just resigned
You smile for yesterday
I think I'm in the way
You seem concerned
And say I should slow down
But how can I see the stars
If my feet are on the ground?

Ride is cool. I just started listening to them a year or two ago, after I discovered Hurricane #1. Good stuff.

This is Kimpossible inspired via the Guilty Pleasure thread.


Jack and Diane - John Mellencamp

Little ditty, about Jack and Diane
2 American kids growin up in the heartland.
Jacky goin' be a football star
Diane's debutante--backseat of Jacky's car

Suckin' on chili dog outside the Tastee Freeze
Diane sittin' on Jacky's lap, got his hands between her knees
Jacky say, "Hey Diane, let's run off hind' shady tree"
Dribble off those Bobby Brooks slacks, now do what I please.

Say uh, oh yeah life goes on
Long after the thrill of livin is gone
Say uh, oh yeah life goes on
Long after the thrill of livin is gone. They walk on.

Jacky sits back, collects his thoughts for the moment
Scratches his head and does his best James Dean.
Well then there and Diane, gotta run off to the city
Diane says "Baby, you ain't missin' nothing"
Jacky say uh,

Oh yeah life goes on
Long after the thrill of livin is gone
Oh yeah they say life goes on
Long after the thrill of livin is gone

Gonna let it rock, let it roll
Let the bible belt, come and save my soul
Hold on to 16 as long as you can
Changes come around real soon, make us women and men.

Oh yeah, life goes on
Long after the thrill of livin is gone
Oh yeah, they say life goes on
Long after the thrill of livin is gone

Little ditty, about Jack and Diane
Two American kids doin' best they can

Alright...you crossed the line by bringing out the Mellencamp, so I have only one thing to say to you:

Lock the cellar door and baby, talk dirty to me.

Um... Excuse me, but, did you just justify a Poison song (which you knew was wrong cause you only typed 1 line of it!!) by insinuating that they are musically equal to Mellencamp?

Think carefully before you answer.

Or was that guilty pleasure flirting..?

Sorry...not a Mellencamp fan. If I hear "Jack & Diane" or "Pink Houses" one more time I think I'll explode.



Maaaaaayyyybeee.

Man. My first addition to the Lyrics thread and I induce internal combustion in another Orchard dweller.

Sorry.

I'm sure he's a nice guy, and probably has some good songs beyond the crap they play on the radio over and over and over and over...

But if I'm in the mood for something like that, give me some Springsteen.

You and Me of the 10,000 Wars by the Indigo Girls.

I've seen them live at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. They put on a rocking, awesome show! This song paints a sad but redemptive picture.

You and me of the 10,000 wars,
dividing life into factions of pleasure and chores -
a bed to be made and a bed to lie in,
a hand in the darker side and our sights set on zion.
The heart of a skeptic and the mind of a child,
put my life in a box and let my imagination run wild
pour the cement for my feet.
the heart and the mind on a parallel course
never the two shall meet.
and, oh, the dissatisfied with the satisfied
everybody loves a melodrama
and the scandal of a lie -
still you held your arms open for the prodigal daughter
I see my eyes in your eyes through my eyes -
still waters.
Try making one and one make one
twist the shapes until everything comes undone
watch the wizard behind the curtain
the larger than life and the power of seeming certain.
The evil ego and the vice of pride
is there ever anything else that makes us take our different sides?
I wanted everything to feed me.
About as full as I got was of myself
and the upper echelons of mediocrity
After the battle and we're still around
everything once up in the air has settled down
sweep the ashes let the silence find us
a moment of peace is worth every war behind us.
You and me of the 10,000 wars.

The Last Song
Elton John

Yesterday you came to lift me up
As light as straw and brittle as a bird
Today I weigh less than a shadow on the wall
Just one more whisper of a voice unheard
Tomorrow leave the windows open
As fear grows please hold me in your arms
Won't you help me if you can to shake this anger
I need your gentle hands to keep me calm
Cause I never thought I'd lose
I only thought I'd win
I never dreamed I'd feel
This fire beneath my skin
I can't believe you love me
I never thought you'd come
I guess I misjudged love
Between a father and his son
Things we never said come together
The hidden truth no longer haunting me
Tonight we touched on the things that were never spoken
That kind of understanding sets me free

"The Last Song" is awesome...i've always loved that song.

Once I Was Tim Buckley

Once I was a soldier
And I fought on foreign sands for you.
Once I was a hunter
And I brought home fresh meat for you.
Once I was a lover
And I searched behind your eyes for you,
And soon there'll be another
To tell you I was just a lie.

And sometimes I wonder,
Just for a while,
Will you ever remember me?

And though you have forgotten
All of our rubbish dreams,
I find myself searching
Through the ashes of our ruins
For the days when we smiled
And the hours that ran wild
With the magic of our eyes
And the silence of our words.

And sometimes I wonder,
Just for a while,
Will you ever remember me?

Will you ever remember me?

NP: Crazy Man, Freakwater, Feels Like the Third Time

Crazy Man (with chords!)

[G] I heard that your [C] daddy was a [D] crazy man
[G] He left your mama [C] standing with a [D] dishtowel in her hand
[G] Snuck out through the [C] back way and let the [D] screen door slam
[G] It's hard to find the [C] words to say you don't [D] give a damn

You said that you never saw your mama cry
Maybe she was sneakin' around with another fella on the sly
I have met your mama and she's crazy too
You got more from her than just your eyes of blue

[C] All the words have been [G] spoken
[G] All the bridges have been burned and the promises [D] broken
[C] It's not hard just to have a little [G] baby
[G] And I won't have far [D] to go when I go crazy [G]

All the words have been spoken
All the bridges have been burned and the promises broken
It's not hard just to have a little baby
And I won't have far to go when I go crazy

I look into your eyes and I think I see
A picture of my smiling with a baby on my knee
There in that old photograph you never change
Like the last time that I saw you when you looked so strange

All the words have been spoken
All the bridges have been burned and the promises broken
It's not hard just to have a little baby
And I won't have far to go when I go crazy