Song Lyrics

[MertWindu]

OK, I'm sort of selfishly hoping that this will become a mega-thread, with lots of people bringing different lyrics for interpretation. I wanted to start off with the lyrics to "I Am the Highway" by Audioslave, because lately I can't not listen to it for more than a few hours. But I'm not terribly sure I understand it. So, here are the lyrics, anyone want to take a crack at them? And feel free to threadjack with a confusing song of your own. Yes, I am prepared for people (hi Dye) to post lyrics to "Happy Birthday" and "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

Anyway, here goes...

Pearls and swine bereft of me
Long and weary my road has been
I was lost in the cities
Alone in the hills
No sorrow or pity for leaving I feel

(chorus)
I am not your rolling wheels
I am the highway
I am not your carpet ride
I am the sky

Friends and liars don't wait for me
I'll get on all by myself
I put millions of miles
Under my heels
And still too close to you
I feel

(chorus)
I am not your rolling wheels
I am the highway
I am not your carpet ride
I am the sky
I am not your blowing wind
I am the lightning
I am not your autumn moon
I am the night

 

[joe king]

The Weight by The Band

I pulled into Nazareth, I was feeling about half past dead;
I just needed 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 put the load right on me.

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

(CHORUS)

Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothing you can say
It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waiting on the Judgement Day.
"Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?"
He said, "Do me a favor, son, won't you stay and 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 cannonball now, to take me down the line
My bag is sinking 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.

(CHORUS)

 

[Buck]

I do remember one thing.
It took hours and hours but..
by the time I was done with it,
I was so involved, I didn't know what to think.
I carried it around with me for days and days..
playing little games
like not looking at it for a whole day
and then.. looking at it.
to see if I still liked it.
I did.
I repeat myself when under stress.
I repeat myself when under stress.
I repeat myself when under stress.
I repeat myself when under stress.
I repeat..
The more I look at it,
the more I like it.
I do think it's good.
The fact is..
no matter how closely I study it,
no matter how I take it apart,
no matter how I break it down,
It remains consistant.
I wish you were here to see it.
I like it.

 

[CentralIllinoisan]

"Wrap Your Arms Around Me" by the Barenakes Ladies. I once wrote a screenplay for a short film, inspired by this song.

I concede that you were right about this place
I can make a perfect likeness of your body if I trace
I can hold you until you turn out the light
and I can't see

Do you believe that we are all innately good
Do you think that you would love me until tomorrow if you could
Would you please turn down the radio
so we can speak

I put my hands around your neck and you wrap your arms around me
Put my hands around your neck and you wrap your arms around me
I put my hands around your neck and you wrap your arms around me

I regret every time I raised my voice
And it wouldn't be that bright of me to say I had no choice.
I can kiss your eyes your hair your neck
until we forget

I concede that you were right about this place
I can make a perfect likeness of your body if I trace
I can hold you until we turn out the light
and I can't see
and I can't see.

 

[CradleRobber]

Project Pat and Three 6 Mafia:

"She got a bubble gum cap with a Gucci dats snappin'
With some rhino legs and a booty that's flappin'
With some fire-oh head cuz you know we love cappin'
Got her toes done up with her fingernails matchin'
Here dat big ol' butt that you're walkin cross the street with
Peep this, for a happy meal can I squeeze it
Till it go pop, make the juice start to runnin' out
Greasy lips, thick like a moose what I'm talkin 'bout
Them freaky freaks I heard on the loose, let ya pockets out
Got trick niggaz watchin' your caboose with they wallets out
You should stop, lil' somethin' somethin' bad to the bone
That ain't a monkey hangin' off ya back that's Donkey Kong

Good googly moogly, that thang is juicy
Good googly moogly, that thang is juicy
Good googly moogly, that thang is juicy
Good googly moogly, that thang is juicy
Good googly moogly, that thang is juicy
Good googly moogly, that thang is juicy
Good googly moogly, that thang is juicy
Good googly moogly, that thang is juicy"

I'm just kidding.

But seriously, a song I really like is "Landed" by Ben Folds, and I know the interpretation should be fairly obvious, but I always see several ways it could go. Can anybody help me out with a definitive opinion on this?

 

[EE94]

Grave Digger
Dave Matthews Band

Cyrus Jones 1810 to 1913
Made his great grandchildren believe
You can live to 103
And a hundred and three is forever when you're just a little kid
So, Cyrus Jones lived forever

Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
Gravedigger

Muriel Stonewall 1903 to 1954
She lost both of her babies in the second great war
Now, you should never have to watch your only children lowered in the ground
I mean - you should never have to bury your own babies

Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
Gravedigger

Ring around the rosey
Pocket full of posey
Ashes to ashes
{Musical intro}
We all fall down

Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
Gravedigger

Little Mikey Carson '67 to '75
He rode his bike like the devil until the day he died
When he grows up he wants to be Mr. Vertigo on the flying trapeze
Oh, 1940 to 1992--

Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
Grave digger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
I can feel the rain
I can feel the rain
Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
Gravedigger
Grave digger

 

[Oz]

I wanted to start off with the lyrics to "I Am the Highway" by Audioslave, because lately I can't not listen to it for more than a few hours. But I'm not terribly sure I understand it. So, here are the lyrics, anyone want to take a crack at them?

I am not here for you to use, but I will show you the way. And if you do use someone and belittle them, he is saying he won't be belittled by your abuse, basically because he's am bigger than you.

He's sick of people treating him without any worth. He's giving himself some worth.

 

[MertWindu]

I wanted to start off with the lyrics to "I Am the Highway" by Audioslave, because lately I can't not listen to it for more than a few hours. But I'm not terribly sure I understand it. So, here are the lyrics, anyone want to take a crack at them?

I am not here for you to use, but I will show you the way. And if you do use someone and belittle them, he is saying he won't be belittled by your abuse, basically because he's am bigger than you.

He's sick of people treating him without any worth. He's giving himself some worth.

See, that's how I took it at first. It definitely has that sort of feel. But then I read it a little deeper. "I am not your rolling wheels, I am the highway," like the saying about sometimes being the wheel, sometimes being the road (sometimes being the moth, sometimes being the windshield.) "I am not your carpet ride, I am the sky," seems almost to be saying, "I'm not someone who uses people, I'm here for you to use, I'm here for you to exist in." I can't tell if he's being passive-agressive or not.

 

[joe king]

The Weight by The Band

I pulled into Nazareth, I was feeling about half past dead;
I just needed 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 put the load right on me.

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

(CHORUS)

Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothing you can say
It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waiting on the Judgement Day.
"Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?"
He said, "Do me a favor, son, won't you stay and 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 cannonball now, to take me down the line
My bag is sinking 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.

(CHORUS)

The story behind posting this song: A few months ago, my kids were watching Little House on the Prairie, and the dog in the show is named Jack. So I started singing the verse about Crazy Chester and Jack, his dog. My kids were thoroughly mystified and asked me what it meant, to which my answer was a resounding, ``I have no idea.''

A little Google search turned up no fewer than four vastly differing interpretations of the song's overall theme/message and the symbolism/meaning of each verse. I figured I'd turn all the philospher-poets of SportsJournalists.com loose. So, please have at it.

 

[joe]

I wanted to start off with the lyrics to "I Am the Highway" by Audioslave, because lately I can't not listen to it for more than a few hours. But I'm not terribly sure I understand it. So, here are the lyrics, anyone want to take a crack at them?

I am not here for you to use, but I will show you the way. And if you do use someone and belittle them, he is saying he won't be belittled by your abuse, basically because he's am bigger than you.

He's sick of people treating him without any worth. He's giving himself some worth.

See, that's how I took it at first. It definitely has that sort of feel. But then I read it a little deeper. "I am not your rolling wheels, I am the highway," like the saying about sometimes being the wheel, sometimes being the road (sometimes being the moth, sometimes being the windshield.) "I am not your carpet ride, I am the sky," seems almost to be saying, "I'm not someone who uses people, I'm here for you to use, I'm here for you to exist in." I can't tell if he's being passive-agressive or not.

Same sort of wordplay Cornell used in Soundgarden, especially the last two albums. Juxtaposition of different thoughts or ideas. Interpret it as you will.

 

[John]

I always thought it was "Take a load off, Annie."

 

[HC]

The Weight by The Band

I pulled into Nazareth, I was feeling about half past dead;
I just needed 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 put the load right on me.

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

(CHORUS)

Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothing you can say
It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waiting on the Judgement Day.
"Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?"
He said, "Do me a favor, son, won't you stay and 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 cannonball now, to take me down the line
My bag is sinking 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.

(CHORUS)

The story behind posting this song: A few months ago, my kids were watching Little House on the Prairie, and the dog in the show is named Jack. So I started singing the verse about Crazy Chester and Jack, his dog. My kids were thoroughly mystified and asked me what it meant, to which my answer was a resounding, ``I have no idea.''

A little Google search turned up no fewer than four vastly differing interpretations of the song's overall theme/message and the symbolism/meaning of each verse. I figured I'd turn all the philospher-poets of SportsJournalists.com loose. So, please have at it.

It always seemed vaguely biblical to me what with the references to Nazareth, no room at the inn, spending time with the devil (Jesus and Satan in the desert?).  There's also the repeated chorus about taking on someone else's burden.  

I haven't done any serious analysis ... it's just an impression.