Good Lyrics Hall of Fame

Another great line written by Billy Joe Shaver and most-famously performed by Waylon, from "Honky Tonk Heroes":

There's one in every crowd,
For crying out loud,
Why was it always turning out to be me?

 

There's a red house over yonder, that's where my baby stays.
There's a red house over yonder, baby, that's where my baby stays.
Well, I ain't been home to see my baby in about ninety nine and one half days,
'bout time I see her.

Wait a minute, something's wrong.
The key wont unlock the door.
Wait a minute, something's wrong, baby.
The key wont unlock the door.
I got a bad, bad feeling that my baby don't live here no more.

I might as well go on back down,
Go back 'cross yonder over the hill.
I might as well go back over yonder
Way back yonder 'cross the hill, (That's where I come from)
'Cos if my baby don't love me no more.
I know her sister will!

 

Perfect in its' simplicity.

The moon has a face
And it smiles on the lake
And causes the ripples in time.
I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine

Don't let us get sick
Don't let us get old
Don't let us get stupid, all right?
Just make us be brave
And make us play nice
And let us be together tonight

 

Mostly, the racism.

Anyway ... This song basically encapsulates my ambivalence toward almost every woman I've dated by the end of the relationship:

When routine bites hard,
And ambitions are low.
And resentment rides high,
But emotions won't grow.
And we're changing our ways,
Taking different roads.

Love, love will tear us apart again.
Love, love will tear us apart again.

Why is the bedroom so cold?
Turned away on your side.
Is my timing that flawed?
Our respect run so dry?
Yet there's still this appeal,
That we've kept through our lives.

Love, love will tear us apart again.
Love, love will tear us apart again.

Do you cry out in your sleep?
All my failings exposed...
Gets a taste in my mouth
As desperation takes hold.
Why is it something so good
Just can't function no more?

Love, love will tear us apart again.
Love, love will tear us apart again.
Love, love will tear us apart again.
Love, love will tear up apart again.

 

I know this is supposed to be popular music but Gustav Mahler is not only my favourite composer, he set some of my absolute favourite texts. This is one of the greatest, first in the German, then followed by the English translation. I've also included a link to an amazing performance by Jose van Dam for anyone curious to actually hear it. It may be the greatest description of what it feels like to completely lose yourself in music.

You folks have introduced me to pop and rock artists I didn't know before. Thought I'd return the favour from my side of the street.


Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen,
Mit der ich sonst viele Zeit verdorben,
Sie hat so lange nichts von mir vernommen,
Sie mag wohl glauben, ich sei gestorben.

Es ist mir auch gar nichts daran gelegen,
Ob sie mich für gestorben hält,
Ich kann auch gar nichts sagen dagegen,
Denn wirklich bin ich gestorben der Welt.

Ich bin gestorben dem Weltgetummel,
Und ruh' in einem stillen Gebiet.
Ich leb' allein in meinem Himmel,
In meinem Lieben, in meinem Lied.

I am lost to the world
with which I used to waste so much time,
It has heard nothing from me for so long
that it may very well believe that I am dead!

It is of no consequence to me
Whether it thinks me dead;
I cannot deny it,
for I really am dead to the world.

I am dead to the world's tumult,
And I rest in a quiet realm!
I live alone in my heaven,
In my love and in my song!

 

This Mahler dude a German rapper?

 

Worse.

 

There's nothing worse than a German rapper.

 

Does he know this doesn't rhyme?

 

We could dig him up and let him know. Although I suspect he doesn't give a shit.

 

But there ain't much difference in the man I wanna be
And the man that I really am

 

Don't set your goals so low.