Songs you enjoy despite not having a clue...

Imperioratorex Caprae

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May 15, 2010
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What songs do you enjoy despite having not a damn clue what the singer/songwriter/band is trying to get across?


For the longest time for me, I enjoy a lot of music by Bjork, but trying to understand her sometimes is a headache. While talented as hell, she seems to be more than a little off her rocker.
But the one that took the cake for me was Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit. Having grown up during the grunge era, I was a moderate Nirvana fan, and I could NEVER understand WTF Kurt was talking about... Now that I'm older, I wonder how in the hell that song was so popular.

Over the years, various Tool songs have made me wonder what they really are about but since Maynard is usually tight-lipped about his work, its hard to get a straight idea so I just make my own interpretation. Yes I'm aware that art is subjective in interpretations but songwriters have something on their minds when writing music (whether its meaningful or just "I need a hit to make me loads of $$").
 

MurderousToaster

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Aug 9, 2008
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The pillows. I don't speak a word of Japanese, but they're still awesome. They could be saying "Fuck the foreigners, we want them all to die, I hate you individually for listening to this you stupid illiterate ****." and I'd still think that the song was great.

And sometimes it does seem like Metallica's lyrics are composed entirely by throwing words together and hoping that something comes out that's comprehensible. And some of Biffy Clyro's lyrics seem to make literally jack shit sense to anyone except them.
 

Shockolate

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Feb 27, 2010
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For a long time, I didn't know what Alive by Pearl Jam meant.

Sounds like some powerful, "You'll never break me" song.

It's really about parental incest.

Then again, for a long time I only listened to the solo...

One of my favorite songs ever, by the way.
 

somonels

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Oct 12, 2010
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Oh, now I remember.
A Sword - is it a tana, is it a ken?
Have, Tanaken!
I got some more serious interest but don't feel like sharing.
 

ChildofGallifrey

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May 26, 2008
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amaranth_dru said:
But the one that took the cake for me was Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit. Having grown up during the grunge era, I was a moderate Nirvana fan, and I could NEVER understand WTF Kurt was talking about... Now that I'm older, I wonder how in the hell that song was so popular.
I'm with you there friend. I was a 90's kid as well, and I never got the big deal with Nirvana. Competent music coupled with what sounds like a mildly inebriated man making up words on the fly. Have to admit though, Teen Spirit is a nice, hard-rockin' anthem, though the only Nirvana song I actually enjoy throughout is "All Apologies".
 

emeraldrafael

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Jul 17, 2010
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I always liked rooster even though I was only four when Alice In Chains broke up, and i didnt realize what the song was about. I actually always thought it was about an actual rooster, which always made me wonder my uncle got choked up about it despite eating chicken.

then he sat me down and told me what it was about when I was 6. Mind had equaled blown at that point.
 

Mafoobula

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Sep 30, 2009
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Dragonforce and Rhapsody of Fire. They're both power metal bands, and both quite often leave me merely imitating the sounds I hear because I just cannot tell what they're saying. There have been one or two cases where I try to look up the lyrics to one song or another, and two sites will have differing opinions what a couple particular words are.

Finntroll is a Finnish folk metal band. I haven't even the faintest clue what they're going on about.

Kaizers Orchestra is a Norwegian rock band that defies categorization. Out of the few dozen songs I've heard by them, I know the message of three. Probably only two, and I'm imagining the third.

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody. What in the great flying *&^% is that song about? I can understand the words perfectly, but for the love of bite me, I just can't get what the whole thing is supposed to mean. Okay, so there's this guy, and he shot some guy dead... now he's in trouble and wants to be let go, but at the same time, nothing really matters any way the wind blows. Oh, and the whole thing my be a hallucination/imagined event/dream. WUT.
 

sanomaton

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Oct 25, 2008
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...Yeah. I speak some Japanese but all I can understand is "go forward" or something according to those lines somewhere in between the lyrics. I like watching the video, although it feels a bit like someone was raping my brains. And eyes. o_o
 

Jazoni89

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Dec 24, 2008
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amaranth_dru said:
What songs do you enjoy despite having not a damn clue what the singer/songwriter/band is trying to get across?


For the longest time for me, I enjoy a lot of music by Bjork, but trying to understand her sometimes is a headache. While talented as hell, she seems to be more than a little off her rocker.
But the one that took the cake for me was Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit. Having grown up during the grunge era, I was a moderate Nirvana fan, and I could NEVER understand WTF Kurt was talking about... Now that I'm older, I wonder how in the hell that song was so popular.

Over the years, various Tool songs have made me wonder what they really are about but since Maynard is usually tight-lipped about his work, its hard to get a straight idea so I just make my own interpretation. Yes I'm aware that art is subjective in interpretations but songwriters have something on their minds when writing music (whether its meaningful or just "I need a hit to make me loads of $$").
Bjork's stuff isn't that hard to understand.

I know for a fact that Mutual Core on Biophillia is about the shifting of tectonic plates causing huge waves and counteracting with each other.


Most of Biophillia itself is about the earth, and of it's elements, it's quite possibly one of the best album this year.

(Apparently some of the samples on this song are taken from Doom 2 which is kinda bad ass)
 

MrLumber

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Jan 13, 2009
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I listen to a lot of world, so that stuff. I also don't usually care about lyrics by in large, just that the melody they carry out is of quality.

Some good examples would be Siberian Slengteng, by Asian Dub Foundation, or Asian Vibes, by Joi.
 

OmniscientOstrich

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Jan 6, 2011
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amaranth_dru said:
Over the years, various Tool songs have made me wonder what they really are about but since Maynard is usually tight-lipped about his work, its hard to get a straight idea so I just make my own interpretation.
Look at the info boxes in these videos, they give pretty good explanations (whether they are definitive is down to you, I like to keep things open to interpretation) in trying to decipher the songs meanings:



I usually tend to prefer lyrics that are telling some kind of story (sometimes the story can be allegorical, but if it works on it's own then there's no problem) over ones trying to relay some kind of message, as they generally end up pretty platitudinous with the exception of Tool and a few others, so I find the ones I usually want to look up slightly easier to disect, though I get where you're coming from lyrics can be a little cryptic sometimes.
 

PureChaos

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Aug 16, 2008
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i understand all the songs i listen to, don't like that heavy stuff that i wouldn't understand
 

dfphetteplace

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Nov 29, 2009
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I like a lot of music that is in other languages (I only know English). So I have no clue what have of the bands I listen to are saying. I really enjoy poetic lyrics, so it is quiet a shame at times.
 

babinro

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Sep 24, 2010
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All of them.

I couldn't tell you the meaning of any of the 1000 songs on my setlist. I've never understood poetry. Even when the artist describes what the songs meant I've yet to see it.

I listen to music for the beat and a tune I can sing along to. Understanding what I'm singing about has never been important to my enjoyment of the art.
 

putowtin

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Jul 7, 2010
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power, Kanye West, don't like the chap's music apart from this song, but it's good!
 

LadyTiamat

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Aug 13, 2011
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cthulhu dawn except for 2 lines the rest is gibberish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSJlqpL-kH4

one of the few cradle of filth songs i like