Song lyrics that either hit home or have personal meaning

[Nez477]

No judging based on the bands here, I'm just curious and thought it'd be interesting to hear of others experiences with song lyrics that really related or stirred up emotions

I was thinking that you could post either part of the song or all of the song and discuss them.... if this is a stupid thread idea, let me know, but I thought it'd be interesting

I'm an emotional fellow though, so I really get into good lyrics, and enjoy thinking out loud

On the latest Jimmy Eat World CD, there is a song called Dizzy... here are the lyrics:

(Verse 1)
You close your eyes and kiss your hand then you blow it
But it isn't meant for me… and I notice
If the choice was ours alone
Then why did we both choose letting go?
Does it end like this?

Time never had a chance to heal your heart
Just a number always counting down to a new start
If you always knew the truth
Then the world would spin around you
Are you dizzy yet?

(Chorus)
Respectfully, some honesty I'm calling out
Do you hear this conversation we talk about?
Back away to the safety of a quiet house
If there's a half a chance in this moment, when your eyes meet mine, we show it

(Verse 2)
All talk not a lot to think we were living dreams
Shame never crept close to our naked feet
If there's something left to lose
Then don't let me wear out my shoes
I'm still walking

I tried but it rang and rang I called all night
On a pay phone (remember those!) from another life

If everything I meant to you,
You can lick and seal then fold in two then I've been so blind

(Chorus)
Respectfully, some honesty I'm asking now
Do you hear the conversation we talk about?
Back away to safety of a quiet house
If there's half a chance in this moment
When your eyes meet mine, we show it (Ooh)

(Bridge)
take it all back take the first, your last, your only
take it all back take it all back everything you showed me
this must be how it feels when the feeling goes

I told you as I hovered I'd never felt this way
You said: I had the shot that stops my clock, baby it's ok
You said you'd never have regrets
Jesus! Is there someone yet who got that wish?
Did you get yours? Babe?

(Chorus)
Respectfully, some honesty I'm asking now
Do you hear the conversation we talk around?
Back away to the safety of a quiet house
If there's half a chance in this moment...
When your eyes meet mine we show it.

----------

I could've written this song

Late in high school, the first time I really started getting attached to a girl, she played me like a fool and left me for another guy.

The first time I ever saw her around this guy, she blew me a kiss as she was leaving... and at the time I thought it was sweet or whatever, but the other guy was there too, and to this day I have no idea if she seriously was blowing me this kiss or him

Whatever, not a biggie, but that was about a week before we broke up... she kind of made me think that it was mutual, that we had different desires, we were going different directions (in high school??), blah blah. I was pretty beat up about it, and really was emotional for a couple weeks after, felt like I was idiot for getting attached to her

But then I find out that she's dating this other guy like a week later. "If the choice was ours alone, then why'd we both choose letting go?" I didn't choose letting go, she did.

I'm not quite sure what "Time never had a chance to heal your heart" means, but "If you always knew the truth, then the world would spin around you, are you Dizzy yet?" just makes me think about how freaking selfish she was and how she knew the whole freaking time there was another guy... the whole thing sounds like something sarcastic I would say... Everything must revolve around you, are you dizzy yet? (I'm so emo, I know)

The chorus... I'm just asking for some honesty, did you not hear the conversation when you broke up with me where you just talk around the truth? I should've known when my eyes met yours that we didn't have a chance.

I was blindsided by her and then the next day after we broke up she calls me saying that she loves me and if I do x,y, and z then we could be together, but she's so unsure of herself... "if there's something left to lose, then don't let me wear out my shoes, I'm still walking"... I'm still hanging to you, don't drag me along and give me falso hope

The bridge is where it really gets to me... I told her how I'd never felt that way about anyone, she smiled and said the same, that she was ready to get in a serious relationship or whatever to, that I was the 'marrying' type, played with my head, told me her dreams (I assume " had the shot that stops my clock, baby it's ok" meant to him that he should feel secure feeling that way towards her)

She seriously told me when we broke up she had no regrets, well, awesome, thanks for that.

Well, did you get that wish with this other guy? Babe?

Anyway, as I'm writing this it maybe comes off as immature or weird, but this song really got to me, and even though I'm totally 100% happily married and glad that it didn't work out with that girl now, I still hold a little bit of anger for how she [censored] me over, and then I heard this song and it was like I was singing it

Anyway, flame on or maybe you can tell a story of how some song really got to you

Brad

[BigPoppa]

[ QUOTE ]
I wasn't there that morning
When my Father passed away
I didn't get to tell him
All the things I had to say



I think I caught his spirit
Later that same year
I'm sure I heard his echo
In my baby's new born tears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years


[/ QUOTE ]

- "The Living Years" (Mike and the Mechanics)


My son was born six months after my father died. We'd never communicated very well, so these lyrics jumped right out at me when the song hit the radio 3 years later.


edit: Also, the whole song "Tears in Heaven" tilts the hell out of me, as my son was born about the same time Clapton's was and looked very similar.

[Kimbell175113]

"The Opposite of Hallelujah" by Jens Lekman

http://www.scjag.com/mp3/sc/oppositeofhallelujah.mp3

(most relevant part of the lyrics bolded, but I'd recommend listening to the whole thing, at the link above)

I took my sister down to the ocean
But the ocean made me feel stupid
Those words of wisdom I had prepared
All seemed to vanish into thin air
Into the waves I stared

I picked up a seashell
To illustrate my homelessness
But a crab crawled out of it
Making it useless

And all my metaphors fell flat
Down on the rocks where we sat
She asked where are you at?

But sister, it's the opposite of hallelujah
It's the opposite of being you
You don't know 'cause it just passes right through you
You don't know what I'm going through

You don't know what I'm going through
You don't know what I'm going through
You don't know what I'm going through

We made our way home on the bikes we had borrowed
I still never told you about unstoppable sorrow
You still think I'm someone to look up to
I still don't know anything about you
Is it in you too?

You've got so much to live for, little sister
You've got so much to live for

But sister, it's the opposite of hallelujah
It's the opposite of being you
You don't know cause it just passes right through you
You don't know what I'm going through

You don't know what I'm going through
You don't know what I'm going through
You don't know what I'm going through
You don't know what I'm going through

-------------------------------------

I have a sister 12 years younger than me, and there are moments where she very much reminds me of myself. Sometimes this is a good thing: she excels in school, loves to read, etc. in the same way that I did. But most of the time I'm concerned. It feels like the family resemblance is much more of a curse, and I'm afraid that in the future she's going to face the awful depression and insecurity that has caused problems for my dad and me. The line "I still never told you about unstoppable sorrow" just preys on my worst fears in the world.

[Dan87]

Radiohead - How To Disappear Completely

"I'm not here, this is not happening"

One of the best live performances I've ever heard: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Eq9t2FFh6LA

[Machmood]

Fuel- Shimmer
" All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade away"

[Machmood]

kinda pessimistic, but true
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNEucwqME_4

An optimistic one would be Dave Mathews Band "two step"

Two Step

Say, my love, I came to you
With best intentions
You laid down and gave to me just what
Im seeking
Love, you drive me to distraction

Hey my love do you believe that we
Might last a thousand years
Or more if not for this?
Our flesh and blood it ties
You and me right up
Tie me down

Celebrate we will
Because life is short but sweet for certain
Were climbing two by two
To be sure these days continue,
These things we cannot change

Hey, my love, you came to me like
Wine comes to this mouth
Grown tired of water all the time
You quench my heart and you
Quench my mind

Celebrate we will
Because life is short but sweet for certain
Were climbing two by two
To be sure these days continue,
The things we cannot

Celebrate, you and me, climbing
Two by two, to be sure
These days continue, things we cannot change

Oh, my love, I came to you
With best intentions
You laid down and gave to me just what
Im seeking

Celebrate we will
Because life is short but sweet for certain
Were climbing two by two
To be sure these days continue,
Things we cannot change...
Things we cannot change

[Fishwhenican]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I wasn't there that morning
When my Father passed away
I didn't get to tell him
All the things I had to say



I think I caught his spirit
Later that same year
I'm sure I heard his echo
In my baby's new born tears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years


[/ QUOTE ]

- "The Living Years" (Mike and the Mechanics)


My son was born six months after my father died. We'd never communicated very well, so these lyrics jumped right out at me when the song hit the radio 3 years later.


edit: Also, the whole song "Tears in Heaven" tilts the hell out of me, as my son was born about the same time Clapton's was and looked very similar.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good post!

My wife and I lost our first child and I can't even play Tears in Heaven" around her. She loves the song, as do I but it is just too hard sometimes.

I had the same thoughts on the "The Living Years"! Reminded me way too much of my father and I.


A couple of other songs that pretty much do the same thing to me are:

Neil Young, Old Man. They have this song on the juke box in the tavern I hang out in and I have to play it when I am there.

Old man take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me
the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
and you can tell that's true.

My old man was a minister later in his life and I can remember one week he wrote a sermon based on this song. I wasn't around much after he became a minister but it was one of the times I happened to be in town and he told me he was pretty proud of this one and that I should make it to the service if I could. I went to church that Sunday and while I can't quote you anything from his sermon I can tell you that I was moved and think of my dad and I every time I hear this song.

Cat Stevens - Cats In The Cradle

A child arrived just the other day,
came to the world in the usual way,
But there were planes to catch
and bills to pay, he learned to walk while I was away
He was talking before I knew it and as he grew
he said I'm going to be like you Dad,
you know I'm going to be like you.

Chorus :
And the cat's in the cradle,
and the silver spoon, Little Boy Blue,
and the Man in the Moon,
When you coming home son, I don't know when
We'll get together then, you know we'll have a good time then.

My son turned 10 just the other day,
Said thanks for the ball now c'mon let's play
Will you teach me to throw, I said not today,
I've got a lot to do, he said that's ok
And he walked away and he smiled and he said
You know I'm going to be like you, Dad,
you know I'm going to be like you.

Chorus.

He came from college just the other day,
so much like a man I just had to say,
I'm proud of you, won't you sit for a while
He shook his head and said with a smile,
What I'm feeling like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later can I have them please.

Chorus.

I've long since retired and my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I'd like to see you, if you don't mind
He said I'd love to Dad, if I could find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and the kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking you Dad, it's been real nice talking to you.
And as I hung up the phone it occured to me
He'd grown up just like me, my boy was just like me.

[wdogg40]

FYI- Cats in the Cradle is a Harry Chapin song. I think people associate it with Cat Stevens cause of the Cat use.

Good song though.

[wdogg40]

Break Your Heart -Barenaked Ladies

The bravest thing I've ever done
Was to run away and hide
But not this time, not this time
And the weakest thing I've ever done
Was to stay right by your side
Just like this time, and every time
I couldn't tell you I was happy when you were gone
So I lied and said that I missed you when we were apart
I couldn't tell you, so I had to lead you on
But I didn't mean to break your heart

And if I always seem distracted
Like my minds somewhere else
That's because it's true, yes it's true
it's this stupid pride that makes me feel
Like I have to follow through
Even half-assedly, loving you
Why must I always speak in terms of cowardice?
When I guess I should have just come out and told you right from the start
Why must I always tell you all I want is this?
I guess 'cause I didn't want to break your heart

And you said
What'd you think that I was gonna do,
Curl up and die just because of you?
I'm not that weak, you know
What'd you think that I was gonna do,
Try to make you love me as much as I love you?
How could you be so low?
You arrogant man,
What do you think that I am?
My heart will be fine
Just stop wasting my time

And now I know that you will be okay, and that I got what I want
and that's rid of you
Good bye
And it's not cause I'll be missing you
That makes me fall apart
It's just that I didn't mean to break
No I didn't mean to break
No I didn't mean to break
Your heart


I had a girlfriend in college and we dated for awhile. She had always dated real [censored] before and fell instantly in love with me because I treated her with a little respect. Long story short, I figured out that we were great as friends but I didnt like the relationship. Instead of breaking it off I distanced myself from her emotionally until she got pissed and broke it off. She said that this was the worse because before, she knew she was dating [censored] and with me she thought she was getting a nice guy but I turned into a bigger [censored] cause I led her on. This song could have literally been written about how I felt about our relationship.

[Myrtle]

[ QUOTE ]
FYI- Cats in the Cradle is a Harry Chapin song. I think people associate it with Cat Stevens cause of the Cat use.

Good song though.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfjIsCCJOWQ

The music set to this particular video has much meaning to me in regards to both my father and my son.