So this post won the poll on my Instagram, so here it is!! Like my favorite bands post, these will be in no particular order; it's just a list. I'll write a little blurb about why I chose the lyric, what it means to me, etc. Sorry for such a short post compared to last month's, I've been kinda stressed lately.
"I say the right thing but act the wrong way/ I like it right here but I cannot stay"
- "Hard to Explain", The Strokes (Julian Casablancas)
I'm gonna pull an English class card here and say that this lyric is an oxymoron. And that's why I love it. "Hard to Explain" and by extension "Is This It" are about relationships and New York. And I think this lyric encapsulates both of those themes perfectly.
"I'm a professional cynic but my heart's not in it/ I'm paying the price of living life at the limit"
- "Country House", Blur (Damon Albarn)
Main reason I love this lyric so much is the rhyming, but there's also a neat little story behind it too. During the Britpop scene, both Blur and Oasis were releasing debut singles on the same day. Of course, every news outlet in Britain were hyping it up to be the real "Battle of Britpop". "Country House" was the single from Blur and "Roll with It" from Oasis. "Country House" topped the charts in the end, labelling Blur as the kings of Britpop and signaling the end of the Britpop movement. Here's a cool video on it if you're interested, it's sweet and concise:
"But if your life is such a big joke, why should I care?"
- "Leif Erikson", Interpol (Paul Banks)
The best part about this lyric is that you don't have to explain it. Usually with Paul's lyrics, they're so cryptic so that the interpretation of them is always subjective. But this? Paul meant it. It means a lot to me as well, it's just a random lyric that get stuck in my head a lot.
"Bear with me man, I lost my train of thought"
- "One Point Perspective", Arctic Monkeys (Alex Turner)
You might be wondering, "Niyam, what do you mean????? This is so boring??? There is nothing to unpack here???" And yeah you'd be right. If it weren't for the delivery of the lyric. Right after Alex says this, there is an intentional pause in the song. It's almost like he really did lose his train of thought. It's such an awesome touch. Somebody on YouTube made a 13 MINUTE compilation of Alex doing it on stage:
"To be vulnerable/ Is needed most of all/ If you intend to truly fall apart"
- "The Vampyre of Time and Memory", Queens of The Stone Age (Josh Homme)
This is just a hard-hitting lyric, simple as that. QOTSA are known for being a pretty heavy band, but Josh opted for a piano ballad for "...Like Clockwork" and it fits surprisingly well. It's nice hearing him try out new stuff, especially if it shows off his vocal and songwriting skills.
"You are the last drink I never should've drunk/ You are the body hidden in the trunk/ You are the habit I can't seem to kick/ You are my secrets on the front page every week/ You are the car I never should've bought/ You are the train I never should've caught/ You are the cut that makes me hide my face/ You are the party that makes me feel my age"
- "Like a Friend", Pulp (Jarvis Cocker)
Wow a lot to unpack here huh? Actually not really. All the circumstances Jarvis describes here are relatable. And the best part? It's all to describe a girl. It's such a witty way of writing a character in your song, I adore it. Jarvis is in my top 3 lyricists, and this is just one of the lyrics that describes why.
"It's the right place, wrong time/ Through this two-way mirror/ No sign of life/ The point of no reply"
- "Point of No Reply", The Horrors (Faris Badwan)
This is a lyric that actually has a hidden meaning that I've been trying to figure out for about a year now. And I also think it's a lyric that doesn't need to have a meaning to hit you hard. Just the phrase "point of no reply" seems deep in itself. And that's why I love it. It also helps that it's a chorus that floats on dreamy synths and a synthetic drum beat.
"You'll go to hell for what your dirty mind is thinking"
- "Nude", Radiohead (Thom Yorke)
This is another example of loving a lyric for it's delivery. On my first listen, I thought Thom was saying "You'll go to the well for all your dirty mines/ Is this thinking?" Creative, I know. But I still get chills whenever Thom starts saying the word "thinking". And I don't think I'll ever stop getting chills, it's so good.
"I grieve in stereo/ The stereo sounds strange/ I know that if you hide / It doesn't go away"
- "Little Dark Age", MGMT (Andrew VanWyngarden)
This song blew my mind two years ago. I mean, it still kinda does, but it did two years ago because I've never heard anything like it. This chorus is just so cathartic, seemingly for no reason. You might be thinking, "What do you mean cathartic???? MGMT wrote "Kids"??? And other dance tracks???" Yeah you're right, but take a listen to this album. The dark undertones under the pop dance tracks are so subtle and creative.
"My moods, my beliefs/ My desires, me alone/ Nothing to regret/ This is no place, but here I am/ This is not quite yet"
- "No Plan", David Bowie
"Niyam what is wrong with you???? Isn't Bowie your favorite musician??? Why pick this crappy, basic lyric????" True, all true. But that's where it is. For someone as storied and inspiring as Bowie, there's a humbleness to taking solace in some of his most basic lyrics. I would put the whole song here if I could. Another defining factor is the context. This song is from an EP released after Bowie's death. Knowing his final album, "Blackstar" was released 3 days before his death, and knowing that that album already had undertones of mortality, hearing the No Plan EP is Bowie directly confronting death. While most people believe that "Blackstar" is Bowie's final work, it was actually the song "No Plan". In it, he laments about his lack of regrets and how he isn't worried about anything anymore. Yes, obviously I cry every time I hear just one song off this EP. I usually hate on Apple Music, but the person who wrote a little review of the EP wrote one word to describe it, and I think it would be fitting to put it here: "sublime".
Thanks for reading about my favorite lyrics. It means a lot that somebody is just reading my stupid reasoning for why I like a lyric. I strongly encourage other people to pick out some of their favorite lyrics as well, it's such a cozy activity. Also, before I go, I wanted to let you guys know that December's post will be a persuasive essay on why Last Christmas is the best Christmas song. I'm not joking, I started thinking about it as a joke, but now I think I have enough evidence to back up my claim.
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