Posted by admin on 07 Mar 2008 | Tagged as: meanings, news
I can’t say that I was disappointed to hear that the song “Danny Boy” has been banned from an Irish pub in new York for the month of March in the run-up to St. Patrick’s Day. Despite having a reputation as one of the quintessential Irish ballads, it’s another pure product of Tin Pan Alley. [...]
Posted by admin on 02 Feb 2008 | Tagged as: meanings, news
I had to sympathise with Beck’s record label. While preparing the layout of a deluxe edition of his album “Odelay”, someone pasted in lyrics to the track “The New Pollution” that they found on a website. So the line “she’s alone in the new pollution” was actually printed as “she’s alone in the new delusion”. [...]
Posted by admin on 19 Dec 2007 | Tagged as: anthems, meanings, news, politics
I always thought that national anthems were ancient texts passed down from generation to generation and sung with pride. As the recent news in the UK has shown, they can still be works in progress. And now Spain is at it, struggling to find lyrics that fit the national psyche. There is a simple reason [...]
Posted by admin on 06 Dec 2007 | Tagged as: anthems, meanings, news
Maybe I should start a tag just for national anthems. They seem to be be regularly in the news. The BBC reports that there are moves to rewrite some of the lyrics to the UK’s “God Save the Queen”. I must admit that I don’t sing it much myself, so I never noticed that there [...]
Posted by admin on 25 Nov 2007 | Tagged as: meanings, news
Ever tried to guess what Bono’s lyrics mean and how he writes them? An interesting clip on their website gives a fascinating glimpse into the singer’s creative process. The group U2 has been re-visiting tracks from “The Joshua Tree”, and in particular an unfinished demo called “Wave of Sorrow”, a song “that was trying to [...]
Posted by admin on 19 Sep 2007 | Tagged as: meanings
I have been re-reading “Uncommon Sound” about some of the guitar players that changed the face of music. I came across a quote from Bobby Womack, whose song “When The Weekend Comes” was a favourite of mine for some time. One of his best-known compositions is “It’s All Over Now”, a hit for the Rolling [...]
Posted by admin on 13 Aug 2007 | Tagged as: meanings, news, protest
Irish band Republic of Loose have found themselves on the wrong side of the fence in South Africa, where their single “Break” was picking up good airplay. According to a report in the Irish Independent, a DJ came to the conclusion that the song was about unprotected anal sex. I don’t think I’d come to [...]
Posted by admin on 17 Jul 2007 | Tagged as: meanings, news
Have you ever thought back about songs that seemed perfectly innocent when you were young but take on a whole different colour when you grow up? The UK’s Charlie Brooker details that in a fun article in The Guardian. He also takes a look at two current tracks he likes, but doesn’t dare sing out [...]
Posted by admin on 14 Jun 2007 | Tagged as: meanings, protest
Remember all the fuss about the anti-gay songs coming from Jamaica? A step forward has been taken, with three of the best-known performers - Beenie Man, Sizzla and Capleton - actually signing a charter to renounce homophobia and condemn violence against gays. The “Reggae Compassion Act” now hopes to get the support of the other [...]
Posted by admin on 13 Jun 2007 | Tagged as: meanings
I had been hoping this one would eventually die out, but no. At least twice a week, someone still asks, “What’s the meaning of Mika’s ‘Grace Kelly’?” On the face of it, it’s simply another song about being whatever the other person wants you to be (an idea I find creepy in itself, but this [...]