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I Went Crazy Again Today Looking For A Strand To Climb

Trying To Find A Song For Lit

April 25, 2004 7:04:07 PM from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
I am supposed to find a poetic (or not poetic) song for extra credit in my lit class.

This sounds like the easiest assignment in the world, if you are not a poetic genius/freak. I listen to songs for A) their musical quality and their lyrical quality. Of course, the songs I pick for lit are based solely on their lyrical content, and the music doesn't come into play at all.

That, of course, annoys me. I have many songs that I find awesomely amazing, because of both their poetry and the music (which, 9 times out of ten, is awesome piano chords for me). While these songs have great lyrics, they just aren't as special if you don't analyze both the words and the sound. So I've had to cross out pretty much all of my most favorite songs, and had to work my way down the list of songs I have.

It's been nearly impossible for me to pick a good enough song. I've had about two weeks now, and have probably gone through two dozen ideas, and none of them have been good enough.

For a while I was stuck on the Dixie Chicks' Travelling Soldier for the emotional value I give to it, and thought it would be a great song to represent me at the moment. Then I realized that these songs are not automatically going to represent us, and just because I've had two friends die as "Travelling Soldiers" doesn't mean anyone else will appreciate the song or find it as meaningful as I do. Especially since it's the Dixie Chicks, and it seems everyone loves to hate them. Christ, they hated Bush before it was COOL!! Shouldn't we give them a little credit, man? They were cool before cool was cool.

Anyway, I decided that song just wouldn't cut it. So I went through all the Eagles songs I have on my iTunes, then Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, etc etc and the only songs that seemed poetic enough happened to be 7 MINUTES LONG and that is just a bit much to sit in class silently reading along with the lyrics.

So I went through every song I have on iTunes, and came up with a list of six songs I feel are insanely and awesomely lyrical, and here they are:

~Spanish Harlem Incident written by Bob Dylan (but performed by Chris Whitley, HOLY SEXY SONG!!)
~Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters by Elton John (This song reminds me of Almost Famous, the best movie, and prompted me to switch my SN on MSN to *Almost Famous* for a good half hour)
~Anna Begins by Counting Crows
~Miller's Angels by Counting Crows
~Never Is A Promise by Fiona Apple
~Paper Bag by Fiona Apple (Which features my current SN and Title of Blog--I went crazy again today / looking for a strand to climb / looking for a little hope ")

For all of you that know these songs, which one would have picked? If you don't know them and want to, look up the lyrics!!!

I chose Paper Bag by Fiona because I like the lyrics, they're great. I also can relate to the song, (damn BOYS), and because it's fairly short and won't use up too much of my printer paper, since I have to print off 20 copies. It's a pretty sarcastic song, and I like it!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm really rethinking my decision, though.... I really really really would like to do Never Is A Promise. Fiona Apple's lyrics are so utterly amazing. I love a great many of them, and would really like to play all of them, but I just can't afford to waste that much paper Though if I did have to choose just one, not related to the length of the song and how much paper I would be wasting, I'd choose "Sleep to Dream." Angry songs = good.

So yeah, let me know what you think. Which songs would you choose??

~Anne
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Dan Kaschel
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Reply #1 April 25, 2004 7:18:06 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
May I suggest a song? Look up "the Great Disappointment" by AFI. The lyrics... gorgeous. Here they are:

I can remember, a place I used to go.
Chrysanthemums of white
They seemed so beautiful.
I can remember, I searched for the amaranth.
I'd shut my eyes, to see.

Oh how I smiled then, so near the cherished ones.
I knew they would appear, saw not a single one.
Oh how I smiled then, waiting so patiently.
I'd make a wish and bleed.

While I waited, I was wasting away
While I waited, I was wasting away

I can remember...dreamt them so vividly
Soft creatures draped in white, light kisses gracing me
I can remember when I first realized dreams were the only place to see them.

While I waited, I was wasting away
While I waited, I was wasting away
While I waited, I was wasting away

Hope was wasting away.
Faith was wasting away.
I was wasting away.

I never, never wanted this.
I always wanted to believe.
Never never wanted this.
I could not help because.
Never Never wanted this.
From the start I'd been deceived.
Never never wanted this.
I could not help because.

I never, never wanted this.
I always wanted to believe.
Never never wanted this.
Never Never wanted this.
From the start I'd been deceived.
Never never wanted this.

Inside a crumbling effigy
(But you promised)
So dies all innocence
(But you promised me)

While I waited, I was wasting away
While I waited, I was wasting away
While I waited, I was wasting away

Hope was wasting away.
Faith was wasting away.
I was wasting away.


What a gorgeous song... good luck, anyways.

~Buddha
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Reply #2 April 25, 2004 7:26:46 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
"Changed the Locks", originally by T. Petty, redone by Kasey Chambers and a few others, "Tear Stained Eye", by Son Volt, any Norah Jones stuff, "Walkin' Cane", redone by Robert Earl Keen, "The Logical Song" by Supertramp, "I'd Love To Change the World", by Ten Years After, Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy", Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" or "Tupelo Honey", "Lost Cause", by Beck, "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and more than my meek little mind can remember at this time.
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Reply #3 April 25, 2004 7:29:22 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Lol it's so much easier if I had every album in the world...

But mere little me only has a few, and we have to play these songs.

Sounds like a good song, Dan.

~Anne
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Reply #4 April 25, 2004 7:41:39 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
To be honest I am not familiar with any of the songs you posted, so I cannot comment on those.

But I have always found Neil Peart's lyrics to be very poetic. Here is an example.

"Different Strings"-Rush

Who's come to slay the dragon?
Come to watch him fall?
Making arrows out of pointed words
Giant killers at the call?
Too much fuss and bother
Too much contradiction and confusion
Peel away the mystery
Here's a clue to some real motivation

All there really is
The two of us
And we both know why we've come along
Nothing to explain
It's a part of us
To be found within a song

What happened to our innocence
Did it go out of style?
Along with our naivete
No longer a child
Different eyes see different things
Different hearts beat on different strings
But there are times
For you and me, when all such things agree

But if you really want poetic, angry lyrics look at some of the stuff by Opeth. Chilling, haunting lyrics. Very cool stuff.
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Reply #5 April 25, 2004 7:52:33 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
It's hard to go wrong with anything on the Counting Crows "August and Everything After" album. I have most of the songs I've mentioned Anne, if you would like them.
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Reply #6 April 25, 2004 7:57:14 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
I'm a particular fan of "Anna Begins"--especially the part that says:
It does not bother me to say this isn’t love
Because if you don’t want to talk about it then it isn’t love
And I guess I’m going to have to live with that
But, I’m sure there’s something in a shade of gray
Or something in between


I also like the image painted in these lines:
But it’s not all that easy so maybe I should just
Snap her up in a butterfly net
Pin her down on a photograph album
Good luck!
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Reply #7 April 25, 2004 8:09:03 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Walking down Main Street, getting to know the concrete,
Looking for a purpose from a neon sign.
I would meet you anywhere western sun meets the air,
Hittin' the road, never looking behind.

Can you deny there's nothing greater,
There's nothing more than the travelling hands of time?
St. Genevieve can hold back the water.
The saints don't bother with a tear stained eye.

Seeing traces of the stars that came before,
Hittin' the pavement still asking for more.
When the hours don't move along,
Worn out wood and familiar song.
To hear your voice is not enough,
It's more than a shame.

Can you deny there's nothing greater,
There's nothing more than the travelling hands of time.
St. Genevieve can hold back the water,
The saints don't bother with a tear stained eye.

Like a man said, "Rode hard and put away wet."
Throw away the badness and put it to rest.
Learning is living and the truth is a state of mind,
You'll find it's betterat the end of the line.

Chorus
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Reply #8 April 25, 2004 8:46:43 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Voodoo station... I agree with that Counting Crows comment. I have the CD. I actually have both August and Recovering the Satellites... I thought about doing Raining in Baltimore for quite a while, too, but it looks like I'm stuck on Fiona Apple, mainly because I printed the 22 copies already

Thanks so much for the advice, guys, now I've got to check out a bunch of new songs!!

~Anne
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Reply #9 April 25, 2004 9:32:18 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Dylan's for sure; it was SEXY!!

I like Jackson Brown, "After the Deluge" in this category, though it's a bit sentimental and self-important, I guess.
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Reply #10 April 25, 2004 9:32:57 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Dylan's for sure; it was SEXY!!

I like Jackson Brown, "After the Deluge" in this category, though it's a bit sentimental and self-important, I guess.
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Reply #11 April 25, 2004 10:59:28 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Jackson Browne's "Pretender" is a helluva song... while we're on the subject of Jackson Browne...


as for more lyrics, how about some Willie Nelson? "if you can touch her at all"

..."right or wrong
a woman can own any man
she can take him inside her
and hold his soul in her hand
leave him as weak
and weary as a newborn child
fighting to catch his first breath
and open his eyes..."

"one night of love, don't make up, for 6 nights alone
but I'd rather have one, than none, cause I'm flesh and bone
though sometimes it seems, she ain't worth the trouble at all
she can be worth the world if somehow, you can touch her at all"
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Reply #12 April 25, 2004 11:12:13 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Willie Nelson?? Lol you consider him POETIC?? .

Sorry, I was just being a bitch.

Anyhow, thanks more for more songs

~Anne
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Reply #13 April 25, 2004 11:16:31 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
dude's been making music for more than twice as long as you've been alive...

he must be doing something right
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Reply #14 April 26, 2004 12:20:33 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
You're right, I like Willie Nelson, I think he's funny.

I don't see him as poetic in the least, though. I think he has pretty simplistic, easily enjoyable music, but it doesn't mean it's poetic.

~Anne
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Reply #15 May 20, 2004 11:47:34 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Hmmm....
None of the above....
I would check out the music of a fella by the name of Stan Rogers if I were you.....
A neat one for you would be "Song of the Candle".....
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Reply #16 May 20, 2004 11:48:30 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Hmmm....
None of the above....
I would check out the music of a fella by the name of Stan Rogers if I were you.....
A neat one for you would be "Song of the Candle".....
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Reply #17 May 20, 2004 10:48:47 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
I haven't heard "Never is a promise" for a while, so I would go with Paper Bag. Fiona really emphasizes the loss she feels and the fact that her guy doesn't understand what she's about. I also like the other song from the 'When the Pawn.." where she sings, "No, not baby anymore" And then she waves to him instead of hugging him goodbye. It breaks my heart every time.
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