A
Abernant 1984/85
By The Mekons. A tribute to miners
and the British
Miners' Strike of 1984. "The wind and the rain beat on his fair head
As he stood in the darkness wishing he was dead Only seventeen when he went
down the mine And it's a year that he's been out on the line..."
Abortion Kills Children
By Mark Stenson/Julie Blesser. A Right to
Life or anti-choice song. "...Little baby. Inconvenience, interrupting
other plans. The schedule had no room for you. Abortion kills children..."
Abortion Song
By New Haven
Women's Liberation Rock Band. A Pro-Choice
or abortion rights song.
"...They tell us to get married and have three or four kids Change the
diapers, be a good wife But we will decide how many children to bear We've got
to control our own life Free our sisters, abortion is our right Free our
sisters, abortion is our right..."
Abraham, Martin And John
By Dion. Song pays tribute to
fallen leaders; Abraham Lincoln,
Martin Luther King Jr., John
F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy. "...Has anybody here seen my old friend John?
Can you tell me where he's
gone?...Didn't you love the things they stood for? Didn't they try to find
some good in you and me?..."
Absent Friends
By Saxon. Written in remembrance of a loved one who had passed away.
"You went in the morning, we didn't say goodbye...I wish I could see you
for just a day. Tell you we miss you and ask you to stay. To absent friends
this one's for you..."
Aces High
By Iron Maiden. Song (Live
version), begins with audio excerpt of Winston Churchill. About the air
campaign over Britain during WWII,
told from an RAF pilots point of view. "...Bandits at 8 O'clock move in
behind us, ten ME-109's
out of the sun. Ascending and turning our spitfires to face them, heading
straight for them I press down my guns.."
Acid Head
By Tourniquet. About the dangers of
substance abuse and the hallucinogenic
drug LSD. "...Water
cleans the system. Acid eats the flesh. Squirm yourself much deeper into the
pit of selfishness. The burn of death is what you crave..."
Across The Lines
By Tracy Chapman. About intolerance, racial violence, and the social and
economic conditions/attitudes that serve to seperate
the races in America. "...Choose sides or run for your life. Tonight
the riots begin. On the back streets of America they kill the dream of America.
Little black girl gets assaulted . Ain't no reason why..."
Adam's Song
By blink-182-. Song deals with a teenager who is depressed
and starts to have suicidal thoughts. "I never thought I'd die alone. I
laughed the loudest who'd have known?...I'm too depressed to go on. You'll be
sorry when I'm gone...16 just held such better days. Days when I still felt
alive...Give all my things to all my friends...Please tell mom this is not her
fault..."
Addicted To Chaos
By Megadeth. About lead singer Dave Mustaine's drug counselor who finally helped him get sober after
numerous attempts at rehabilitation. Sadly the counselor lost his life to a
cocaine overdose. "...Only yesterday they told me you were gone...Lights
shined on my path. Turned bad days into good...Where's the helping
hand?..."
Adventures In Success
By Will Powers.
From the 1983 concept album "Dancing For Mental Health" performed and
produced by portrait photographer Lynn Goldsmith in
collaboration with Sting, Steve Winwood, Todd Rundgren and other recording
artists. Songs on the album promote a positive mental health message and deal
with the importance of goal setting, self-confidence, self-esteem, self-image,
and not being afraid to strive for your dreams and desires. "...You are an
important person. A rare individual. A Unique creature...You have talents and
abilities no one else has...The power to do anything you can imagine is within
you when you discover your
real self by practicing a few simple
laws of success...It's you make it habit. Make it happen only you..."
Afghan Lullaby
By Peter Hicks
and Geoff Francis. A human rights song
about the plight of women in Islamic nations. "...Your place of birth has
many names. A woman here is born to live in misery and shame...Dreams you'll
surely need child to help you through your life..."
African
By Peter Tosh. Song is about self determination,
preserving cultural identity, promoting Black Nationalism, and
building a sense of community, pride, and unity
among people of African descent. Relates to the the topic Pan-Africanism
and the group OAU . "Don't care where you come from, as long as you're a
black man, you're an African. Don't mind your nationality, you have got the
identity of an African. Don't mind your complexion, there is no rejection,
you're an African..."
After All
By Dar Williams. A person coping
with depression.
"...And it felt like a winter machine That you go through and then You
catch your breath and winter starts again And everyone else is spring bound And
when I chose to live
There was no joy, it's just a line I crossed It wasn't worth the pain my
death would cost So I was not lost or found..."
After Forever
By Black Sabbath. Song deals with issues related to religious beliefs and
questions about the after life. Useful for a class on theology and
religious studies. "...Have you ever thought about your soul, can it be
saved? Or perhaps you think that when you're dead you just stay in your grave.
Is God just a thought within your head or is he part of you? Is Christ just a
name that you read in a book when you were in school?...Well I've seen the
truth, yes I've seen the light and I've changed my ways. And I'll be prepared
when you're lonely and scared at the end of our days..."
The Aftermath
By Iron Maiden. An anti-war song. "...In the mud and rain. What
are we fighting for? Is it worth the pain? Is it worth dying for? Who will
take the blame? Why did they make a war?...Mix in the dirt of
brother's blood..."
After The Dolphin
By Crosby, Stills & Nash. Song is about the first bombing of a civilian
target by an enemy aircraft. 1915 German aircraft dropped a bomb on a pub in
London called the Dolphin. "At the Dolphin the beer flowed like wine...In
the air there's plane headed for the heart of the Dolphin...and in the blink of
an eye they were gone, gone, gone."
After The Goldrush
By Neil Young. Human activity damaging the environment, "Look at
mother nature on the run in the nineteen seventies..." and dreams of
starting over, "...flying mother nature's silver seed to a new home in the
sun."
After The Reign
By Blackfoot. About the displacement and relocation of Native American
peoples in North America. "..to take a man's home, there's no pity, one
man's land for another man's city..."
After The Sinking Of The
Titanic
By Jimmy Tarlton. Song is about the aftermath of the sinking of the luxury
liner the Titanic on April 14-15,
1912. "...It told a sad new story, sixteen hundred had gone to rest.
Captain Smith surely must have been a-drinking. Not knowing that he was doing
wrong. He tried to raise a record and let the Titanic down..."
After The War
By Gary Moore. An anti-war song. "A letter from the draftboard put pain
in all your dreams. You're just another number in military schemes. They
marched you in a uniform, you wore against your will. With lies of hope and
glory, they taught you how to kill..."
After The War
By Warlock. Song is about the environment on a battlefield after a major
battle or war has taken place. "...An endless battlefield. Overcrowded
with death...No singing of a bird, rustle of a tree...War has ended..."
Against All Odds
By Phil Collins. A person has
difficulty "letting go" and moving on from a relationship. "How
can I just let you walk away, just let you leave without a trace...But to wait
for you, is all I can do and that's what I've got to face. Take a good look at
me now, cos I'll still be standing here. And you coming back to me is against
all odds. It's the chance I've gotta take..."
Agent Orange
By Sodom. About agent orange, a
herbicide that was used by the United States government during the Vietnam War.
Many Vietnam vets have developed health complications or have died because of
their exposure to this herbicide. "...Spray down the death. Agent
Orange...Cancer creeps into their innocent souls. Memorials of flesh and
blood...Poisoned 'til the end of their lives. Physical deformity..."
Agent Orange Song
By Country Joe and the Fish. About the health hazards of agent orange, a herbicide used in the
Vietnam War. "...This agent orange from Vietnam, we carry it with us
still. It stays inside for years and years before it starts to kill. You might
get cancer of the liver, you might get cancer of the skin. You can file for
disability but you might not live to win..."
AIDS
By Ani DiFranco. A complex song about many health issues. References made to
risk taking, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, unprotected sex, low self
esteem, and lack of respect for self and body. "...She is looking for the
kisses that she never got at home...And if she ends up with some dirty hot
disease. It's a small price she pays for the need to be pleased...Our heroine
like many others is now dead..."
AIDS is Gold, HIV is
Platinum
By Canibus. About the growing dangers and health threats from AIDS and the HIV Virus."...Yo,
yo, now that millions is dead I'm considered widespread Number one on the top
ten and considered a world wide threat...H-I-V will progress to A-I-D-S And transform your warm blooded bones
to dry flesh By stressing the immune system Promiscuous men and women trying to
avoid getting the micro-organism in them from running up in it raw Ready and
willing, a couple of minutes of a good feeling is what'll kill them Break ya
body down in steps, breath for breath In the hospital wit less then a dozen
T-cells left..."
Ain't No Mountain High
Enough
By Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell. About devotion and the power of love over
time, and across the miles. "...No matter where you are, no matter how
far. Just call my name, I'll be there in a hurry...Although we are miles apart,
if you ever need a helping hand, I'll be there on the double as fast as I
can..." Song could also be adapted for a lesson/activity about various
notable geographic features of the earth.
"...There ain't no mountain
high enough, Ain't no valley
low enough, Ain't no river
wide enough. To keep me from getting to you..."
Ain't No Safe Way
By Michael Sweet. Song promotes abstinence, respecting yourself and your
body and waiting to become sexually active. "...Ain't no safe way anymore.
You got people with one, two, three, or four. Abstinence rules, playing is for
fools. The one who abstains is the one who's cool..."
Ain't No Stopping Us Now
By McFadden and Whitehead. About having a positive outlook on life, striving
for your goals and not letting negative people influence your way of thinking.
"...I know you know someone that has a negative vow...Ask them where they
are going, they don't know. But we won't let nothin' hold us back...We're gonna
polish up our act!..."
Alainis Morissette
By Wesley Willis. A tongue-in-cheek song about Canadian musician Alainis
Morissette. "You are a rock star. You are a rock legend to the
max...Alainis Morissette...You are a rocking maniac. You are a singing hyena.
Alainis Morissette..."
The Alamo
By Danny Joe Brown Band. About the Battle of the Alamo which began on
February 23, 1836 in the state of Texas. "One hundred eighty Texans fought
four thousand comin' strong. Fought to save the Alamo, the battle twelve days
long...The last brave man fought to the end, the battle it was lost. Fought to
save the Alamo, their lives was what it cost...Remember the Alamo..."
The Alamo
By Johnny Cash. Song is about The Alamo,
where in April of 1836 a small band of Texans held out against the Mexican army
of General Lopez de Santa Anna. “A hundred and eighty were challenged by Travis
to die by the line that he drew with his sword when the battle was nigh…Hey,
Santa Anna we’re killing your soldiers below…”
Alcohol
By Barenaked Ladies. The song deals with alcohol
abuse and denial, also about people who use alcohol as a crutch and how people drink to escape
the realities of life. "Alcohol, my permanent accessory. Alcohol, a party
time necessity. Alcohol, alternative
to feeling like yourself. O alcohol, I still drink to your health...To walk
the fine line between self control and self abuse...O alcohol,
would you please forgive me? For while I cannot love myself I'll use something
else..."
Alcohol
By The Kinks. A well respected and
successful individual turns to alcohol to deal with life's stresses and ends up
ruining his marriage and life. "Here is a story about a sinner, he used to
be a winner who enjoyed a life of prominence and position. But the pressures at
the office and his socialite engagements...it turned him to the booze...He'll
drink anything as long as all his troubles disappear. But he messed up his life
and he beat up his wife...Oh, demon alcohol, sad memories I cannot
recall..."
Alcohol
By Y&T. About the negative effects associated with abusing alcohol.
References made to hangovers, violence, intoxication and driving while intoxicated. "...Bottles
were breakin' and the windows too. All because someone drank too much
brew...Fight and shout and cause a brawl, when you're out drinkin' that
alcohol...Tomorrow mornin' I'll be sick as a dog...The meanest trip is
alcohol..."
Alcohol And Jake Blues
By Tommy "Snake" Johnson. A man laments over his drinking problem
and realizes that death is imminent if he doesn't overcome his addiction.
"Alcohol...Sure, Lord's killing me...If I don't quit drinking it every
morning, sure gonna kill me dead..."
Alcohol And Pills
By Fred Eaglesmith. About various people in the music industry who made it
big but died before their time
due to substance abuse. Singers mentioned include Hank Williams Sr.,
Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Gram Parsons. "...They
pulled poor old Hank Williams Sr. out of a Cadillac Coupe Deville. He ended up
on alcohol and pills...Elvis Presley, he came up from Jackson. He ended up on
alcohol and pills...Janis Joplin, she was wild and reckless...The story just
goes on and on..."
Alcohol In The Bloodstream
By Ian Tyson. About "unhealthy escapism", using substances in
order to forget your problems. "...Some dead flowers and a bottle of vodka
on the kitchen table. Flowers for the good times and booze for the
bad...Alcohol in the bloodstream, 'bout the best I can do 'til I forget about
you..."
Alcohol Is The Root
By Bif Naked. An anti-alcohol song. "...Alcohol is the root of all
evil...Every bad thing that happened to me would not have occured if alcohol
wasn't involved..."
The Alcohol Talking
By Matthew Sweet. A relationship is threatened as a person tries to deal
with their partner's addiction to alcohol. "Do you realize you're laughing
as you're reaching for the gin. Even though I threaten that I'm never coming
back again...'cause once the alcohol is talking, you're not even here..."
The Alcoholik
By Superjoint Ritual. About substance abuse. "...Blow through the
prime of life. Numb all the senses down...Pitfalls of grief...smashed..."
Alexander The Great
By Iron Maiden. Tribute to legendary ruler, Alexander The Great. "Near
the East in a part of ancient Greece, In an ancient land called Macedonia. Was
born a son to Philip of Macedon, the legend his name was Alexander..."
Alex Chilton
By The Repacements. Song is a tribute to musician Alex Chilton who
played with underground pop band Big Star and 1960's pop band The Box Tops.
"...Children by the million sing for Alex Chilton
when he comes 'rond...I never travel far without a little Big Star..."
Alice's Restaurant
By Arlo Guthrie. Inspired by actual events
taking place in Stockbridge,
Massachusetts. Related topics include; the military draft, Vietnam War,
protest movements, crime and punishment, pollution, Thanksgiving traditions.
"Now it all started two Thanksgivings ago... two years ago, on
Thanksgiving, when my friend and I went up to visit Alice at the restaurant..."
Alimony
By "Weird Al" Yankovic.
Song is a
parody of "Mony Mony" by Tommy James & the Shondells. About
one of the many unpleasurable results of a divorce. "Here she comes now
wants her alimony. Bleedin' me dry...Work at three jobs just to stay in debt
now. Well first she took my nest egg and then she took my nest. I'm in
debt..."
Alive
By P.O.D.. A song of acceptance, hope, and
optimism. "Everyday is a new day. I'm thankful for every breath I take. I
won't take it all for granted. So I learn from my mistakes. It's beyond my
control...Whatever happens in this lifetime..."
Alive
By Van Zant. Song is about making the most of your time here on Earth and
being thankful for what you have. "If I don't see tomorrow, what would be
left to say?...I can feel it rushing through me. It's the miracle of life.
Ain't it good to be alive..."
All Dressed Up (With Nowhere
To Go)
By Reba McEntire. Song is about growing
old alone and being
forgotten by your immediate family. "The sign says "families
welcome" at the Oaks Retirement Home. But mostly, no one comes 'cept on
the weekends. Ruby Wilson lives in 303 where she spends most of her
time...she's all dressed up watching and waiting but no one comes. Some days
sure are lonely days and time can move too slow. When you're all dressed up
with no where to go..."
Allentown
By Billy Joel. Song is about economic decline and downsizing of American
industry. Focuses on closing of steel mills in Allentown, PA., and it's impact on
workers/community, and an end of a way of life. " Well we're living here
in Allentown, and they're closing all
the factories down. Out in Bethlehem they're killing time filling out forms,
standing in line..."
All I Can Do Is Write About
It
By Lynyrd Skynyrd. Song is about environmental awareness and the serenity
and beauty of nature. "...Did you ever see the beauty of the hills of
Carolina? Or the sweetness of the grass of Tennesee? Did you ever stop to think
about the air you're breathin'? I can see the concrete slowly creepin'. Lord
take me before they're gone..."
All In And Down And Out
Blues
By Uncle Dave Macon. Song was written in the 1930's after Wall Street
crashed sending people to the poor house and sparking the Great Depression.
"...Now this is the truth and it certainly exposes that Wall Street's
proposition is not all roses. I put up my money to win some more. I lost it all
and it left me sore..."
All My Friends
By Monty Harper. This song is about living a
healthy lifestyle, striving for goals, the importance of friendship and remaining
drug and alcohol free. "...And I feel proud of all my friends when I see
them working for their dreams...We intend to always stay drug free. It's the only
way to be..."
All Night Train
By Allman Bothers Band. Song is about unhealthy risk taking, living life in
the fast lane and suffering the consequences. “Last night sorta got so insane
as I went ridin’ on the all night train…Puttin’ money in sin. When the morning
comes not a nickel to my name…I woke up late yesterday afternoon, my eyeballs
feeling like two balloons. Things ain’t ever gonna change till you stop riding
that all night train…”
All The Things We've Never
Done
By Martina McBride.
According to the artist, "...This song just says that so many people
put such a stock in all the worldly and material things in a relationship, and
what really matters is the honesty and commitment to each other"(quote
taken from artist's web site) "...You never walked away When I
needed you to stay Or made me feel I'm not the one There've been no broken vows
And there reason we're here now Is all the things we've never done We've never
grown apart You never broke my heart With secrets that you've kept me from
We've never been untrue And I'm still here with you Through all the things
we've never done."
All Those Years Ago
By George Harrison. Tribute
song to John Lennon. "...I’m talking all about how to give They don’t act
with much honesty But you point the way to the truth when you say All you need
is love. Living with good and bad I always look up to you Now we’re left cold
and sad...All those years ago You were the one who imagined it all All those
years ago. Deep in the darkest night I send out a prayer to you Now in the
world of light..."
All Thru History
By Will Powers.
From the 1983 concept album "Dancing For Mental Health" performed and
produced by portrait photographer Lynn Goldsmith in
collaboration with Sting, Steve Winwood, Todd Rundgren and other recording
artists. Songs on the album promote a positive mental health message
and deal with the importance of goal setting, self-confidence, self-esteem,
self-image, and not being afraid to strive for your dreams and desires.
"Since the dawn of recorded time...Certain individuals have emerged from
the crowd. Socrates, King Arthur, Joan of Arc, the Beatles... Reminding us of
how far a human being can go...No one is holding you back but you. There is no
excuse for not getting what you want..."
All You Need Is Love
By The Beatles. A positive song about the
power and importance of love. "There's nothing you can do that can't be
done. Nothing you can sing that can't be sung. Nothing you can say but you can
learn how to play the game...All you need is love. Love is all you
need..."
Almost Cut My Hair
By Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. A protest song recorded in the late
1960's during the hippie movement when long haired people were viewed as
rebels. "Almost cut my hair. It happened just the other day...but I didn't
and I wonder why. I feel like letting my freak flag fly..."
Alone
By Blues Traveler. This song is about the hurt of
unrequited love and the pain of rejection. This theme of unrequited love is also examined in
the short story "A Sense of Shelter", by John Updike. "I said I
love you. She began to cry. She said she needed a friend. I said I'll try...I'd
loved her always. She didn't know. I tried patience. Let a friendship grow. I
tried to keep her, that's what made her go..A love like hers ain't meant for guys
like me..."
Along Came You(Song For
Emily)
By Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine. Song was written in honor of
artist's daughter, Emily. "...You were sent to me by angels up above, I'm
certain...Along came you to teach me about love...You're here to show me what
love can be..."
Along The Nile
By Sara Jordan. Tribute to the Nile river. "...Along the Nile The
pyramids, Reminded us of ancestors And what they did. Along the Nile My people
live Because of all The life it gives ..."
Already One
By Neil Young. About shared parenting.
A relationship or marriage has ended but the couple are still joined or bound
by a
common interest, their child. "...I can't forget how love let me
down...Your laughing eyes. Your crazy smile. Every time I look in his face I
can't believe how love lasts a while...But we're already one. Already one. Now
only time can come between us. "Cause we're already one, our little son
won't let us forget..."
Always
By Bon Jovi.
A person has a difficult time accepting or coming to terms with the end of a
relationship. He feels that his love for the other person will last forever.
"...It's been raining since you left me, now I'm drowning in the flood.
You see I've always been a fighter but without you I give up...I'll be there
till the stars don't shine. Till the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme. I
know when I die you'll be on my mind. And I love you, always..."
Always Look On The Bright
Side
By Bruce Cockburn. This
song is
about optimism and the power
of positive thinking. From the Monty
Python film "Life
of Brian" this song stands out in stark contrast to the "heavy,
political stuff" normally associated with the artist. "...If life
seems jolly rotten, there's something you've forgotten And that's to laugh and
smile and dance and sing When you're feeling in the dumps, don't be silly
chumps Just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing, and...Always look on
the bright side of life Always look on the bright side of life..."
Always On My Mind
By Willie Nelson. About regret,
taking someone's love for granted, and trying to redeem yourself."...And
maybe I didn't treat you quite as good as I should have...And I guess I never
told you I'm so happy that you're mine. Little things I should of said and
done. I just never took the time..."
Always the Cause
By Al Stewart. Song is about the Spanish Civil War and the
people who fought for the "Cause" of democracy.
"Bad news over the great divide comes in from every side. Still hope
won't be denied. There was always the Cause. There was always the
Cause...Setbacks come at every turn. New ways are hard to learn. Tonight I
saw Guernica burn..."
Always Tomorrow
By Gloria Estefan. Song is about optimism, having a positive outlook on life
and believing in yourself and others. "Try to make a difference, try to
love, try to understand. Instead of just giving up, I use the power at my command
...I'll face whatever comes my way, savor each moment of the day. Love as many
people as I can along the way... That's why there's always tomorrow
to start all over again..."
A Man For
All Seasons
By Al Stewart. This song is a tribute to Sir Thomas More
(1478-1535), song deals with the
rule of law, the legitimacy of authority, and staying true to your conscience or principles.
"...Henry Plantagenet still looks for someone to bring good news in his
hour of doubt. While Thomas
More waits in the Tower of
London watching the sands running out. And measures the hours out from here
to oblivion in actions that can't be undone...So what if you reached the age of
reason only to find there was no reprieve? Would you still be a man for all seasons
or would you just disbelieve?..."
Amadou! (Look What They've
Done to You...)
By Courtney. Inspired by actual events. On February 4, 1999 four NYC police
officers fired 41 shots
at unarmed Guinean immigrant Amadou Diallo striking
him 19 times and killing him in the entrance way of his apartment.
"...John Wayne shooters rockin' hard dressed in blue. "Protect &
Serve", but are they serving you? Abner Louima and now Amadou countless
others paid the price for you..."
A.M.A. Song
By Phil Ochs. This 1962 song could
serve as a 21st century anthem for people and organizations that are working to
create Universal Health Care in
the United States . "...We will fight against disease when the money comes
with ease. And when we get together we say hooray for A.M.A....If you can't
afford my bill, don't tell me you're ill...Every day we specialize more and
more. But we really love to stitch the diseases of the rich. We are sure there
is a clinic for the poor...'Cause that's the free enterprise way..."
Amazing
By Aerosmith. Song is about the cycle of drug addiction, hitting "rock
bottom", and then working towards recovery. "...When I lost my grip
and I hit the floor. Yeah, I thought I could leave but couldn't get out the
door. I was so sick and tired of livin' a lie. I was wishing that I would die.
It's amazing. With the blink of an eye you finally see the light...When the
moment arrives you know you'll be alright..."
Amelia Earhart's Last Flight
By The Greenbriar Boys. About Amelia
Earhart, an American aviatrix who was one of the world's most celebrated
and the first to fly alone over the Atlantic Ocean..."A ship out of the
ocean, just a speck against the sky. Amelia Earhart flying that sad day. With
her partner Capt. Noonan on the second of July. Her plane fell in the ocean,
far away..."
Amen
By Jewel. According to the artist...I wrote this indirectly for Kurt
Cobain, but more precisely for the angst he represented. But even more exactly
for the hopelessness so many felt after his death. "...Where's my
golden one? Where's my hope now that my heroes have gone?...Pieces of us die
everyday...Amen..."
America
By The KBC Band. Song is about how the hopes, dreams and ideals of many
American people have not been realized. "...New world, new people. New
dreams for all of the children. Young country...Back in the summer of '85. I
met a young girl, her heart was in flames...War had changed her whole world.
Her daddy died in Vietnam. She lost her husband in Lebanon...And she saw hungry
people in the streets. Young mothers who could not eat...And it all goes on.
Yeah, the dreams go on..."
America
By Neil Diamond. Song is about immigration and how our country is seen as a
melting pot. "...On the boats and on the planes. They're coming to
America...Freedom's light burning warm...Everytime that flag's unfurled.
They're coming to America..."
America, America
By L.D. Steelman. About the displacement of Native Americans as the white
man slowly took everything they had. "America, America...You conquered
what you called a savage people. Drove them to their knees beneath pointed
steeples. You stripped them of their great and noble spirit..."
American Dream
By Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. A politician or public figure, caught in
the act. "...Then they caught you with the girl next door, people's money
piled on the floor, accusations that you try to deny, revelations and rumours
begin to fly..." Also deals with the role of the press in a free society
and issues of privacy. "...Reporters crowd around your house. Going
through your garbage like a pack of hounds..."
The American Dream
By Billy Ray Cyrus. Song was written as an inspiration for our American
people to never stop striving for peace and prosperity. "...Dream on
children, dream on. Don't let anybody tell you the dream is gone. As long as
there's a God Above. Keep praying we never wake up. Keep on dreaming the
American dream..."
American Heroes
By Adam Wyle. A response song to the September 11th tragedy in New York
City. "...What a mistake they have made. Take for granted American people
today. Within the scene you look around. All the love with both hands
out...American heroes..."
American Pi
By Lawrence
Mark Lesser. This parody tours the human history of determining the value of pi. Song is a tribute to the people and
cultures who contributed to our understanding
of pi. “Find, find
the value of pi, starts 3 point 1 4 1 5 9...In the Hebrew Bible we do see
the circle ratio appears as three...The Chinese got it really keen:
three-five-five over one thirteen! More joined the action with arctan series
and continued fractions...”
American Pie
By Don McLean. A tribute to
musician Buddy Holly who died in
a plane crash along with Richie Valens and the Big Bopper, February 3, 1959.
"...I can't remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride But
something touched me deep inside, The day the music
died." Analysis of this
song reveals numerous historic, political, musical and cultural references
to the changing music scene in the late '60's.
American Skin (41 Shots)
By Bruce Springsteen. Inspired by actual
events, this controversial song includes important political and social
commentary dealing with race and the criminal
justice system in America. "...Lena gets her son ready for school. She
says now on these streets Charles you got to understand the rules. Promise me
if an officer stops you'll always be polite. Never ever run away and promise
mama you'll keep your hands in sight...The secret my friend. You can get killed
just for living in your American
skin..."
American Triangle
By Elton John. Song was written as a tribute to Matthew Shepard the
victim of a brutal and vicious hate crime. "...Don't make no sense. I've
seen a scarecrow wrapped in wire. Left to die on a high ridge fence...It's a
cold wind blowing. Wyoming..."
America's National Game
By Moxy Fruvous. This song is about excessive
corporate sponsorships and the commercialization of baseball. "...There's
the NBC Peacock right fielder He threw the Exxon's runner out in the dirt And
you really can't tell Who's playing for Shell 'Cause they've all got different
logos on their shirts...It's the sport that built this country A great pitch by
any other name and it won't take long to sell you on America's national game
Bank America's national game"
America's Unsung Heroes
By L.D. Steelman. Song is a tribute to Native Americans. References made to
many Native American tribes. "...America's unsung heroes. The Cheyenne,
Apache, Cherokee and Navaho...Wanted to only live in peace. For starvation and
deprivation of their lands to cease..."
America Will Always Stand
By Randy Travis. A song of patriotism. Proceeds from the song will aid the Red Cross. "She stands in the face of
evil and will not lose hope or faith. America, the land of freedom. Still the
home of the brave..."
America Will Survive
By Hank Williams Jr.. A song of patriotism and hope. Written in response to
the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. "...Our flag is up, the stock markets
are down. But we're all united from the county to the town. America will
survive..."
Am I Losin'
By Lynyrd Skynyrd. About achieving success in life and losing jealous
friends because of it. "...And it's so strange when you get just a little
money. Your so called friends want to act just a little funny. They'll blame
you...He thinks you changed because of a dollar sign..."
Am I The Only Thing You've
Done Wrong
By Lee Ann Womack. A man neglects his wife as he climbs the ladder of
success. “…When I think of all the things you’ve done it always makes me proud.
But tonight I’m feeling empty, I’m always here alone…Am I the only one that
you’ve forgotten on the way? To gain the world and lose our love is too high a
price to pay. In your long line of successes tell me where do I belong…”
Amish Paradise
By "Weird Al" Yankovic.
A parody
song of Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise". A satire
of Amish culture, with numerous
references to specific beliefs and practices. "...But that's just perfect
for an Amish like me,
Ya know, I shun fancy things like electricity At 4:30 in the mornin' I'm
milkin' cows...If you come to visit, you'll be bored to tears We haven't even
paid the phone bill in 300 years...Hitchin' up the buggy, churnin' lots of
butter
Raise a barn on Monday, soon I'll raise anutter..."
Among The Living
By Anthrax. This song
is said to be inspired by the Stephen
King novel, The
Stand. "Disease! Disease! Spreading the disease. With some help
from Captain Trips, he'll bring the world down to his knees. Power, yes Power!
He'll show them all his power. It pulses through his ice cold blood, a whole
world to devour!..."
Amoreena
By Elton John. From the "Dog Day Afternoon" soundtrack this song
is about yearning and desire. "...Oh if only I could nestle in the cradle
of your cabinMy arms around your shoulders the windows wide and open While the
swallow and the sycamore are playing in the valley Oh I miss you amoreena like
a king bee misses honey Lately I’ve been thinking how much I miss my
ladyAmoreena’s in the cornfield brightening the daybreak..."
Amphetamine Annie
By Canned Heat. About the dangers associated with the use of the stimulant
drug amphetamines. References made to paranoia and the health consequences of
drug use. "...They call her amphetamine Annie...Your mind might think it's
flying baby on those little pills. But you oughta know it's dyin' 'cause speed
kills..."
AM Radio
By Everclear. Song is a flashback to the 1970's with references made to am
radio, eight track tapes and popular culture of that era. "...Just picture
yourself on a beautiful day. With the big bell bottoms and groovy long
hair...You could hear the music on the am radio..."
Amusement Parks U.S.A.
By The Beach Boys. Song is a tribute to many of the fun packed amusement
parks across the United States. "...You'll crash and burn in the bumper
cars at Jersey's steel pier. You'll crack'em up when you stand in front of all
the crazy mirrors...Disneyland and P.O.P. is worth a trip to L.A...Let's take
your car and mess around at the park all day..."
Anagram (for Mongo)
By Rush. A fun tribute to the anagram. The letters of one
word in each line of the song are rearranged to form other words. "There's
a snake coming out of the darkness. Parade from paradise. End the need for
Eden. Chase the dreams of merchandise. There is tic and toc in atomic. Leaders
make a deal...Miracles will have their claimers. More will bow to Rome..."
Ana's Song
By Silverchair. Lead singer Daniel Johns wrote this song
after being diagnosed with anorexia. Only a
small percentage of anorexics are males. "...In my head the flesh seems thicker...And
you're my obsession I love you to the bones...Like an anorexic life..."
...And Justice For All
By Metallica. Song is about corruption of
government and the justice system. "...Halls of Justice painted green,
money talking..." Relates to ethics in government and abuse of power.
Related topics: campaign
financing, watergate.
Angel Dust
By Sodom. About the dangerous drug angel dust or as it is also called PCP.
References to drug addiction. "...Searching, hoping for the right
connection coz I need it...Angel dust. Need a shot to get me through the
day..."
Angel Flying Too Close to
The Ground
By Willie Nelson. About
sacrifice, and the temporary, sometimes circumstantial nature of love.
"...If you would not have fallen then I would not have found you...And I
patched up your broken wings...And I knew someday that you would fly away...So
leave me if you need to. I'd rather see you up than see you down..."
Angel Of Death
By Slayer. About
Joseph Mengele notorious Nazi physician who
sent thousands to their deaths in the Auschwitz concentration camp during World
War II. Known to have performed pseudo-medical and scientific experiments on many of
the victims. "Auschwitz, the meaning of pain...Slow death, immense decay.
Showers that cleanse you of your life...Human mice, for the Angel of
Death...Sadistic surgeon of demise...Destroying without mercy to benefit the
Aryan race..."
Angel Of Death
By Thin Lizzy. Song is about the sixteenth century prophet Nostradamus who was believed to have
predicted many of the great catastrophies (fires, earthquakes, weather
disturbances) that occured in the twentieth century. "Oh, my god, there's
millions of them!...In the sixteenth century there was a French philosopher by
the name of Nostradamus. He prophesized that in the late twentieth century an
angel of death shall waste this land..."
Angel Of Harlem
By U2. This song is a tribute to singer Billie Holiday. "Lady Day got diamond eyes, she sees the
truth behind the lies...So long Angel of Harlem...Blue light on the avenue God
knows they got to you An empty glass, the lady sings
Eyes swollen like a bee sting Blinded you lost your way..."
Angels And Fuselage
By Drive-by Truckers. Artist wrote this song from the point of view of
Lynyrd Skynyrd members and what they may have been thinking right before their
plane crashed. "...These angels I see in the trees are waiting for me. The
engines have stopped now. We all know we are going down...Angels and
fuselage..."
Angels In Waiting
By Tammy
Cochran. Artist wrote this song
for her two brothers, Alan and Shawn, who died from cystic fibrosis. "...They were angels in
waiting. Waiting for wings to fly from this world. Away from their
pain...Sometimes the body is weaker than the soul..."
Annie Jump Cannon
By Lynda Williams.
This song is a tribute
to Annie Jump Cannon
the woman who developed the system for classifying stellar spectra.
"...She was a human computer at the Harvard College Observatory
classifying stellar spectra she was the world's leading expert. She created the
spectral class system we all love and use today!..."
Annie's Anorexia
By The Huntington's. About a "perfect" girl who seems to have
everything going for her in life. In reality she is suffering from the eating disorder anorexia.
"...The star of every young boy's dream. I surely would not have guessed
she starved herself to fit that dress...She never skipped class in her life but
she skipped dinner everytime...Annie's anorexic..."
Annie's Song
By John Denver. Song was written by the artist as a tribute to his wife
Annie. "You fill up my senses like night in a forest...Come let me love
you. Let me give my life to you...Let me always be with with you..."
The Anonymous Alcoholic
By 10CC. A man with a drinking problem tries to remain sober but gives in to
his cravings for alcohol. "...Everybody's having fun, so why be the one
left out in the cold? You said you'd never take another drop. Your craving's
big, your liver's shot...You've got to dry out...But it's martini time..."
Anorexic Beauty
By Pulp. Song is about society's unhealthy obsession with weight and how
many models have developed eating disorders. "...pastel white features,
high cheekbones...brittle fingers...anorexia
beauty, feather weight perfection..."
Another Brick in the Wall,
part 2
By Pink Floyd.
From the critically acclaimed concept album/CD called "The Wall" this song
is about the
importance of autonomy, individuality, and freedom of thought. "We don't
need no education. We don't need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the
classroom. teachers leave them kids alone...All in all it's just another brick
in the wall..."
Another Day In Paradise
By Phil Collins. Song reveals a
person's disregard for another
who is less fortunate. About the importance of community and social responsibility and
compassion for the homeless. "She calls out to the man on the street,
"Sir, can you
help me?"...He walks on doesn't look back, he pretends he can't hear
her. Starts to whistle as he crosses the street seems embarassed to be
there..."
Another Drinkin' Song
By Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Reference to using alcohol as a remedy for
solving problems. A person in denial. "...Countin on a remedy I've counted
on before. Goin' with a cure that's never failed me. What you call the disease, I call the remedy. What you're
callin' the cause, I call the cure..."
Another Man's Done Gone
By Billy Bragg & Wilco (Woody Guthrie). Looking back and
reflecting on the significance or importance of one's life and work. "...I
don't know, I may go down or up or anywhere. But I feel like this scribbling
might stay...So when you think of me, if and when you do. Just say, well
another man's done gone..."
Another Spill
By Human Greed. About the carelessness of human beings as the number of oil
tanker accidents resulting in spills into our environmental waters
increases. "...Another spill battered environment...Sinking tanker,
encrusted beaches, dying seabirds coated in oil. Another ecosystem you've just
destroyed..."
Antarctica
By Al Stewart. Song is about the
human desire and urge to explore uncharted lands and regions, in particular, Antarctica. "...I felt
the chill of mystery with one foot on your shore, and then and there resolved
to go where no man had before..." Song includes references to actual
explorers, "...Seduced by this ambition I easily forget, the hopeless
quest of Shackleton, the
dreamlike death of Scott..."
The Anthem
By Good Charlotte. An
anti-establishment or teen angst song about about identity, individuality, and
rebellion. "...At my high school It felt more to me Like a jail cell, a
penitentiary My time spent there, it only made me see
That I don't ever wanna be like you I don't wanna do the things you do I'm
never gonna hear the words you say
And I don't ever wanna, I don't ever wanna be...I'm gonna get by And just do
my time Out of step while They all get in line I'm just a minor threat so pay
no mind..."
Anti Establishment Man
By REO Speedwagon. A protest song about the Vietnam War and government
proceedings of that time period. "...I'm the fool, I'm waiting. Twenty
five years of anticipating. I'm tired of your treating all of my children the
same. Everywhere! Spending all that money on a stupid war in Vietnam. When we
need it at home. I'm an anti-establishment man..."
Anti-Homophobe
By Brutal Truth. Song speaks out against homophobia and homophobics in general.
"Ignorant in thought...You don't have the right to force your own
opinion...We believe in freedom. Whatever turns you on..."
Anti-Pollution Rap
By Sonja Dunn. An environmental awareness song. Main theme of the song is
about recycling and taking care of
our planet. "Don't throw your garbage out in the streets. Keep your planet
clean and neat. Put your wrappers in the round bin. Recycle cans that are made
of tin..."
Apache
By Nuclear Valdez. About the longing for youth and the safety and security
associated with childhood. "When I was younger than today. Life was
different in so many ways...And the wind always blew away my fears...Now I'm
always looking back. Why happiness got a little off track. Why simple things
just disappear. And the wind stopped blowing away my fears...Even though I'm
lost inside. Then I'll find my road. I'll find the wind. Find the missing boy
within..."
Apache Tears
By Johnny Cash. About the mistreatment and painful legacy of Native
Americans. "No head stones but these bones bring Mascalero death moans See
the smooth black nuggets by the thousands laying here Petrified but justified
are these Apache tears Dead grass dry roots hunger crying in the night Ghost of
broken hearts and laws are here..."
Apple Of Your Daddy's Eye
By Peter Cetera. Song is about the love and special bond between a father
and his infant daughter. "...And when you turned into two, I was happy
when you said I love you. Held you in my arms so tight. I'd never forget the
best years of my life..."
April 29,1992
By Sublime. About the 1992
Los Angeles Riot that erupted after the announcement of the verdict in the
trial of the officers accused of beating Rodney King. "...I was
participating in some anarchy. First spot we hit was my liquor store, finally
got all that alcohol I can't afford..."
Arachnophobiac
By Michael Schenker
Group. About arachnophobia,
the fear
of spiders. "One lonely spider Creepy crawlin up my wall Two more
inside of my shoe I found his friends in my bed In the night they're crawlin on
my head What am I supposed to do? This is an infestation Changin the sheets
won't do! It needs a fumigation And I don't wanna be there when they come
out!..."
Argon Mill
By Si Kahn. Song is about the closing
of a mill and the effect on people's lives. "...And the only tune I hear
Is the sound of the wind As it blows through the town Weave and spin,
weave and spin..."
Army Dreamers
By Kate Bush. An anti-war song about a grieving mother and her son's loss of
innocence. "...Mourning in the aerodome... Four men in uniform carry home
my little soldier...Never made it into his twenties. What a waste...Army
dreamers..."
Arthur's Theme (Best That
You Could Do)
By Christopher Cross. This was the theme song from the movie
"Arthur" starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli. "...Arthur, he
does as he pleases. All his life he's mastered choices. Deep in his heart, he's
just, he's just a boy. Living his life one day at a time..."
Artificial World
By J.P. Taylor. According to the artist...A song about how we create
images of the natural things we love, but don't seem to realize that we are
destroying them at a terrifying pace. "...It used to be a special
place to walk among the trees and listen to the falling of the leaves. But
that's no more, its all gone now..."
As Cool As I Am
By Dar Williams. About self
esteem and breaking free of unhealthy relationships. "...You tried to make
me doubt, to make me guess, tried to make me feel like a little less, Oh, I
liked you when your soul was bared, I thought you knew how to be scared, And
now it's amazing what you did to make me stay, But truth is just like time, it
catches up and it just keeps going. And so I'm leaving..."
At My Job
By The Dead Kennedys. About job dissatisfaction and feeling or receiving
little recognition for your efforts from your superiors. "...I'm working
at my job...More boring by the day. But they pay me. All that time spent at
school...Glad you gave us your best years..."
At The Hop
By Danny and the Juniors. About "sock
hops", popular high school dances held during the 1950's.
"...Well you can rock it, you can roll it. You can stop it and you can
stroll it at the hop. When the record starts spinnin'...At the hop..."
Atlantic City
By Bruce Springsteen. About
people struggling to get by and hoping for redemption and a second chance in
life. Song also deals with the rejuvenation of Atlantic City , N.J. and the
individual or the personal
impact as well as the socioeconomic effects of gambling which was legalized
in 1976 in Atlantic City.
"...Now I been lookin' for a job but it's hard to find. Down here it's
just winners and losers and don't get caught on the wrong side of that
line...Well I guess everything dies baby that's a fact. But maybe everything
that dies someday comes back..."
Atomic Power
By Uncle Tupelo. Song is about the potential destruction caused by the use
of nuclear weapons. “Do you fear this man’s invention that they call atomic
power?…When a terrible explosion may rain down upon our land leaving horrid
destruction…”
Atticus
By Doug Hoekstra.
Based on a true story. A social
responsibility song about the importance of compassion, empathy,
love, and kindness. "...It didn't take much
for her to show this man some dignity. I had to ask myself if I'd danced so
gracefully. On the clouds around a corner somewhere in the night. Where angels
fly and grown men cry, it's such a pretty sight. A piece of human kindness, unrequited love.
A beautiful white pigeon, a charcoal-colored dove. On the corner..."
Attila
By Iced Earth. From the album The Glorious Burden this
song pays tribute to Attila the Hun.
"He’s ruled them for 20 years And ravaged as their king Conquest burns in
his eyes And ice shoots through his veins Their leader’s new ambition lies
Farther to the west The empire that he seeks...Path of fire and plunder Cities
burn and crumble Attila’s fate beckons He will come to conquer..."
Attitude Dancing
By Carly Simon. About rediscovering oneself, reclaiming a positive attitude
and improving your self-esteem and self. "There's a new kind of dancing
that's gonna be the rage. You just leave yourself behind...Cop a different
pose...SHine a different attitude from underneath your skin..."
At War With Science
By Brutal Truth. Song raises concerns about the scientific practice of
"test tube" babies. "...Before...We had natural child
births...From test tube to womb, a new life beginning. Sterile injected but
doomed to be freak. Experiment with life, genetic confusion..."
At Your Side
By The Corrs. Song relates to social health. About the importance of good
friendships and forming bonds with other people. "When the daylight's gone
and you're on your own. And you need a friend just to be around. I will comfort
you, I will take your hand. And I'll pull you through, I will
understand..."
The Auction
By Tanya Tucker. Song is about a farmer who loses his livelihood due to high
operation costs and poor crop prices. "Dear Mr. Johnson, we're sorry to
inform you. You're request for a second loan has been refused. And the board of
directors in the city have instructed us to take the farm from you...The
fallin' price of wheat's not our concern..."
Authority Song
By John Mellencamp. About nonconformists, rebellion, and the
age old adolescent struggle for
autonomy, freedom and independence. "...They think they're so cute when
they got you in that condition...I
fight authority, authority always wins. I fight authority, authority always
wins..."
Awakened Tears
By Mandy Brakel. Inspired by actual events, song is
dedicated to a friend who died from Cystic
Fibrosis in 1997. The artist is also living with this disease. "Last
night I had a dream that you were here with me. We were singing and laughing as
if life was fine. Suddenly I felt a tear streaming down my face. I turned
around to say goodbye but it was just too late..."
A-Whalin'
By Roy Zimmerman. A protest song
raising awareness about whaling.
"...We'll wipe out the whales in a couple short years. And then we'll
start killing Greenpeace volunteers...When the whales have been wiped out from
both hemispheres then we can spend our retirement years harpooning and skinning
Greenpeace volunteers..."
B (top)
Baba O' Riley
By The Who. Song was originally
conceived as part of the Lifehouse
Project. A teenage angst song, lyrics address a variety of adolescent
issues including; acceptance, freedom, identity, independence, and rebellion.
"...I don't need to fight to prove I'm right. I don't need to be
forgiven...The exodus is here. The happy ones are near. Let's get together
before we get much older...It's only teenage wasteland..."
Babies In The Mill
By Dorsey Dixon. Song is about child labor an all too common practice of
factories in the early 1900's during the early stages of the Industrial Revolution.
"...To their jobs those little one's was strictly forced to go. Those
babies had to be on time through rain, sleet and snow...Many times those little
ones was kicked and shoved around...They never learned to read and write, they
learned to spin and spool..."
Baby Elian
By Manic Street
Preachers. This song is
about the Cuban boy Elian Gonzalaz who was at the center of an
international custody dispute between Cuba and the United States.
"Kidnapped to the promised land. The Bay of Pigs or baby Elian. Operation
Peter Pan. America the devil's playground. Baby Elian Baby Elian...
Back Before Wal-Mart
By James Gordon. About the extinction of small businesses as corporations
slowly kill off specialty stores. "...Well, the hardware store was the
first to go. Those prices just got way too low. Soon the other stores were
closed. And the lights went out on main street. Whatever happened to our little
town? Wal-Mart has run it into the ground..."
Back In The Bottle
By J. Daniel Ahlborn. About using alcohol to deal with your problems.
"...Hey bartender. I'm heading for the lost and found. If I have just one
more round. So sad to see me this way. "Cause I'm back in the
bottle..."
Back Off!
By Monty Harper. This song was written by the
artist for "Project Reach", a program designed to help kids think
about cigarette advertising which was aimed at them. References made to Joe
Camel, a marketing tool used by RJ Reynolds in order to get young kids hooked
on cigarettes. "The other day I'm walking through the grocery. I run into
a camel next to register four. He's wearing a tuxedo and a sneaky pair of
shades...Buy two packs, I'll give you the lighter free. I said back off
camel..."
Back On The Chain Gang
By The Pretenders. Song is a tribute to former band mate James Honeymoon-Scott
who tragically died from a heroin overdose. “…Brings me to my knees when I see
what they’ve done to you. But I’ll die as I stand here today knowing that deep
in my heart. They’ll fail to ruin one day for making us part…I found a picture
of you. Those were the happiest days of my life…”
Back Water Blues
By Bessie Smith. Written in response to the massive floods of 1927 in the
state of Mississippi that killed many and left 700,000 homeless. "It
rained five days Lord and the clouds turned as dark as night...I got up one
morning, poor me I couldn't even get out the door...Thousands of poor people at
that time didn't have no place to go..."
Bad Boy Bill
By Loudon Wainwright III.
The song is a a not so flattering tribute to President Bill Clinton. "At
first Bill was too cool to be true. Like JFK but like Elvis too. Wearing those
shades playing saxophone. With secrets to hide, sins to atone for..."
A Bad Cliche
By Cosy Sheridan. About the brutality of incest, molestation and sexual
abuse. "i have an uncle, he's a dirty old man. i grew up with a bad cliche
i have learned to find other things to do on family holidays i have tried to
love the sinner and only hate the sin but whoever wrote that never got caught
in a dark corner with him..."
Bad Connection
By Cheryl Wheeler. A married couple stays together even though they are both
unhappy. "She sits and stares into space. He's wearing the same old face.
She hates him half the time and swears he doesn't mind. No kind word, no fond
embrace..."
Bad Day
By REM. According to lead singer Michael Stipe this song is an indictment
of 24 hour news media. "A Public service announcement followed me home
the other day I paid it nevermind. Go away. Shits so thick you could stir it
with a stick- free Teflon whitewashed presidency We're sick of being jerked
around Wear that on your sleeve..."
Bad Habit
By Offspring. About "Road
Rage" and the problem of aggressive driving.
"...But when I'm in my car don't give me no crap. Cause the slightest thing
and I just might snap. When I go driving I stay in my lane, but getting cut off
makes me insane... Well they say the roads a dangerous place. If you flip me
off I'm the danger
you'll face..."
Badlands
By Bruce Springsteen. Song is
about feeling trapped or stuck in a situation, waiting for something better to
come along, and wanting more out of life. "...Talk about a dream, try to
make it real. You wake up in the night, with a fear so real. Spend your life
waiting, for a moment that just don't come. Well, don't waste your time
waiting..."
Badlands
By Metal Church. About a person wandering aimlessly in the Badlands region
range of the United States. Badlands is also the title of a 1973 movie that was
inspired by actual
events. "I ride alone, the wasteland I cross will take another
life...I feel a dry wind, dust in my eyes, the arctic cold at night...God in
heaven my only friend, will I live to see my journey's end...the vultures that
circle, cloud the empty sky. Patiently waiting, they wait for me to
die..."
Bad Liquor Blues
By Scrapper Blackwell. About the dangers
of alcohol. "...Make you lose your money. Make you lose your best
friend...Wake up in the morning feeling bad...Better stop that drinking before
it goes to your head. Wake up some morning, find yourself dead..."
Bad Liver And A Broken Heart
By Tom Waits. About using alcohol to help solve your problems. The liver is
the primary organ in the body that breaks down alcohol. "Well, I got a bad
liver and a broken heart. Yes, I drunk me a river since you tore me apart.
And I have a drinking problem 'cept when I can't drink..."
Bad Luck
By Harold Melvin & The
Bluenotes. About despair and struggling through disappointment and
difficult times. "Look down-hearted and confused Because lately you've
been startin' to lose Losin'out on everything you might try to do Bad luck's
there, it's got a hold on you...Don’t seem to give a whiz about it and all your
trapped in time The more I think about it, I think you're 'bout to lose your
mind Some people call it jinxed, some say it ain't my day, huh But if you wanna
know the truth about it and tell you what's pullin'you way down Bad luck That's
what you got, that's what you got..."
Bad Magick
By Godsmack. About addiction and the dangers
of drug use. "Does it feel so bad when you're taking a drag and when
you're looking at the world with dying eyes? ...When you get so high that
you're wanting to die but everything around you is turning green…"
Bad Whiskey Blues
By Merline Johnson. About alcoholism.
"...I drink so much whiskey I stagger home in my sleep...The way I keep on
worryin', I stay drunk all the time...If I can't get no whiskey give me some
gin or good wine..."
Bagheera
By Blues Traveler. Inspired by Rudyard
Kipling's Jungle Book, song is about loss of innocence, maturing, and
gaining new insights or understandings. "...The time has come now for your
awareness to change forever and there's a choice for you to make...The only
thing you must do is what you feel in your heart is true..."
Bag Lady
By Erykah Badu. About the struggles of homeless people who carry all of
their worldly possessions around with them. "Bag lady you gon' hurt your
back. Draggin' all them bags like that...When they see you comin', they gon'
take off runnin'..."
Bag Lady
By Todd Rundgren. Song is about the problem of homeless people and individuals who
live on the streets. "...Fifty cents rent goes pretty far when you live in
a subway car...Crawling up the basement drain. Misfits and black sheep...No one
cares about sad old ladies with bags full of tatters..."
Baker Street
By Gerry Rafferty. A person searches for happiness and fails to realize that
true contentment must come from within and not from external sources. As the
saying goes "the grass is always greener..." "...It has taken
you so long to find out you were wrong when you thought it held everything...Another
year and then you'd be happy. Just one more year and then you'd be happy. But
your cryin', you're cryin' now..."
The Ballad Of Alfred Packer
By Phil Ochs. Song is about guide Alfred Packer who in 1874 was lost
with some companions in a blizzard. He later was convicted of killing and
eating his companions in order to survive. "In the state of Colorado in
the year of sevety four...Their guide was Alfred
Packer and they trusted him too long. For his character was weak and his
appetite was strong. They called him a murderer, a cannibal, a thief..."
The Ballad Of American Steel
By Tom Johnson. A tribute to the American steel worker. Song also looks at
the economic futility of the American steel industry as foreign companies have
taken over a large bulk of steel manufacturing. "...American steel
companies are the best in the land. Making this world a better place, doing the
best we can...Stand up president and give us back the dignity we once had. You
see the imports now taking us for a ride to our graves..."
The Ballad Of Belle Starr
By Bobby Barnett. This song is about one of the most notorious female
outlaws in the Southwest United States, Belle Starr.
"...Her name was well respected until she turned outlaw...She picked up men's bad
habits and was handy with a gun. She
robbed and she plundered and thought it was great fun...Belle Starr..."
The Ballad Of Billy The Kid
By Billy Joel. A tribute to the legendary outlaw Billy
the Kid. "...Well he robbed his way from Utah to Oklahoma and the law
just could not seem to track him down. And it served his legend well for the
folks they'd love to tell 'bout when Billy the Kid came to town..."
Ballad Of the Buttheads
By Anthony Clark.
An anti-smoking and
anti-littering song.
“…Every night I see them when I'm driving down the road Little tobacco
fireflies-flickering orange glow But I know they're not a product of Mother
Nature's grace Just those inconsiderate smokers trashing up the place…Pick your
butt up off the road, Mr. Butthead Start carrying your load, Mrs. Butthead Stop
treating the highway like it's one great big ashtray…”
The Ballad Of Charles Whitman
By Kinky Friedman. This
song was
inspired by an actual event which took place at the University of Texas, August
1, 1966. “He was
sitting up there for more than an hour, Way up there on the Texas Tower
Shooting from the twenty-seventh floor…Got up that morning calm and cool, He
picked up his guns and walked to school…”
The Ballad Of the Cuban
Invasion
By Phil Ochs. A protest song about the Cuban
Missile Crisis, a major confrontation that happened in 1960 between the United
States and the Soviet Union. Song mentions the infamous "Bay of Pigs"
invasion. "A thousand went to take the island...And a thousand who stayed
there at the island met their fate at the Bay of Pigs...The headlines were
lying. Why wasn't I told..."
The Ballad Of Danny Bailey
(1909-34)
By Elton John. A tribute to fallen gangsters, with specific reference to John
Dillinger and Danny Bailey. "...Now it's all over Danny Bailey and the
harvest is in. Dillinger's dead, I guess the cops won again...And he found
faith in danger, a lifestyle he lived by, a running gun youngster in a sad
restless age."
The Ballad Of the Green
Berets
By Sgt. Barry Sadler. A tribute to the U.S. Army special forces of the same
name. "Fighting soldiers from the sky. Fearless men who jump and
die...Trained to live off nature's land. Trained in combat, hand and
hand...Courage peaks from the Green
Berets..."
The Ballad Of Harry Bridges
By Pete Seeger. A friend to organized labor, Harry Bridges was
the first president of the ILWU. "...Harry Bridges is his
name. An honest union
leader who bosses tried to frame...And all around the waterfront they threw
their picketline. They called it "Bloody Thursday"...Four hundred
wounded and two were left to die..."
The Ballad Of Ira Hayes
By Johnny Cash. Song
is about Ira
Hayes who was one of the five men who raised “Old Glory” on Iwo Jima, Mount
Suribachi on Feb. 23, 1945. “…And when the fight was over and when old glory
raised. Among the men who held it high was Indian Ira Hayes…Ira returned a hero
celebrated through the land. He was wined and speeched and honored, everybody
shook his hand…”
The Ballad Of Jed Clampett
By Flatt and Scruggs. This was the theme song from the 1960's television
sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies". Jed Clampett was the name of one of
the main characters. "Come and listen to my story 'bout a man named Jed.
Poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed. Then one day he was shootin' at
some food. And up from the ground came a bubbling crude. Oil that is..."
The Ballad Of Joe Homeless
By Ray Korona. This song is about a man who
becomes too sick to work, "cut loose" by his employer he ends up homeless and living on the streets.
The "system" failed to care for him.
"Joe always worked hard...But he got sick for awhile, lost his pay. So
they dumped him on the street...He keeps searching for a time and
place..."
The Ballad Of John And Yoko
By The Beatles. A sarcastic look at the press and tabloid journalism.
References to John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "sit-in" for peace.
"...Drove from Paris to the Amsterdam Hilton, talking in our beds for a
week. The newspapers said "Say what you doing in bed?" I said
"We're only trying to get us some peace." Christ you know it ain't
easy, you know how hard it can be. The way things are going, they're going to
crucify me..."
The Ballad Of John Henry
Faulk
By Phil Ochs. About humorist and author John
Henry Faulk whose radio career ended in 1957 because he was labeled a
communist for his union involvement and as a result blacklisted. "...On
the TV and the radio John Henry Faulk was known. He talked to many thousands
with a mind that was his own. But he could not close his eyes when the lists
were passed around. So he tried to move the union to tear the blacklist
down..."
The Ballad Of Johnny Gammage
By Robert E. Frederking. About the questionable death of black man Johnny
Gammage who was killed by five white policemen in a routine traffic stop near
Brentwood, PA on October 12th, 1995. "Oh, the police down in Brentwood
killed a black man the other day...They choked him to death down in
Brentwood...Then they checked him for drugs and for alcohol, looking for
something else to blame..."
The Ballad Of Lenny And
George
By The Incredible Simon Stokes and the Black Whip Thrill Band. Song is about
the main characters of John Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice And Men”. “…Can
we get some rabbits, cuz I’ll feed’em George. Why, I’ll watch over those
rabbits day and night…Oh, take off your hat Lennie and just look across the way
and soon it’ll be alright…”
The Ballad Of Oxford (Jimmy
Meredith)
By Phil Ochs. Song
is about author James Meredith who was the first African-American student at
the University of Mississippi, a pivotal moment in the civil rights
movement which sparked riots on the Oxford campus and left two people dead.
"I'll sing you a
song about a southern man where the devil had his rule. When marshalls
faced an angry mob to send one man to school. His name was Jimmy Meredith. The tide he helped to turn..."
The Ballad Of Penny Evans
By Steve Goodman. About the pain and suffering a young married mother
experiences as a result of losing her husband in the Vietnam War. "Oh, my
name is Penny Evans and my age is 21. A young widow in the war that's being
fought in Vietnam. And I have two infant daughters and I thank God I have no
sons. Now they say the war is over, but I think it's just begun..."
The Ballad Of Spring Hill
(Springhill Mining Disaster)
By Peggy Seeger. Inspired by actual
events. About the 1958 Springhill
Mine Disaster in Springhill, Nova Scotia. "...Rumble of the rock and
the walls closed round The living and the dead men two miles down Twelve men
lay two miles from the pitshaft Twelve men lay in the dark and sang Long hot
days in the miners tomb...Eight days passed and some were rescued leaving the
dead to die alone..."
The Ballad Of Standing Deer
By L.D. Steelman. Song was written as atribute to Robert H. Wilson a.k.a.
"Standing Deer", a native American activist who has been in maximum
security prison for over twenty years. "...Standing Deer and Leonard
Peltier. Prisoners in the iron house of greed. Vowed to fast, if it meant death
at last to honor their ancestor's creed...You know "Uncle Sam" had a
plan to silence a brave warrior's yell..."
The Ballad Of Steven (No
Nukes) Willard
ByClan Dyken. According to
the artist, this is a true story song based on a friend and activist who
went back country to stop a nuclear weapons test and gave his life for the
cause. "...he said his name was steven willard
and he’d come to take a stand to seek the truth and look it in the eyes fast
and pray for the land...no nukes, trying to do what is right no nukes, come to dedicate his life no nukes,
saw him praying on the line..."
Ballad of a Thin Man
By Bob Dylan. Subject to a variety of
interpretations, the meaning of this song has been extensively discussed.
By one account, this song was based on an actual incident involving Bob Dylan
and a reporter. "You walk into the room with your pencil in your hand. You
see somebody naked and you say, who is that man? You try so hard but you don't
understand. Just what you'll say when you get home..."
The Ballad Of the Thresher
By The Kingston Trio. Song is about the sinking of the USS Thresher SSN-593
submarine in 1963 where 127 people tragically died. "Oh, the Thresher, the
finest atomic ship that ever dived for the sea. Each man on board was a
volunteer...The wives and their sweethearts came down to port. Their last fond
good-byes to say...That was the last we ever heard of her..."
The Ballad Of William Worthy
By Phil Ochs. This song
is about journalist and civil rights activist William Worthy. In
1961 he made four trips to Cuba to make a documentary about the United States
invasion of Cuba and was arrested for his actions by the United States
government. "...Willim Worthy isn't worthy to enter our door. Went down to
Cuba, he's not American anymore. But somehow it is strange to hear the State
Department say. You are living in the free world, in the free world you must
stay..."
The Ballad Of Yarmouth Castle
By Gordon Lightfoot. About actual events
that occured on November 13, 1965 when the S.S. Yarmouth Castle passenger
vessel caught fire and killed over 180 passengers. "...Now the men are
served and the cards are dealt. And the drinks are passed around. Deep within
the fire starts a-burnin'...It leaps into the hallways and climbs and twists
and grows..."
Ball Of Confusion(That's What
The World Is Today)
By The Temptations. A social commentary about many of the world's problems.
"...Evolution, revolution, gun control...Fear in the air, tension
everywhere, unemployment rising fast...Kids growing up too soon, politicians
say more taxes will solve everything...So round and round we go. Where the
world is headed, nobody knows..."
The Band Played Waltzing
Matilda
By Eric Bogle. Song is about the Gallipoli Campaign
in 1915. Anzac Day is
celebrated in Australia to remember all
soldiers lost in wars. "...And the band played "Waltzing
Matilda"as the ship pulled away from the quay. And amidst all the cheers,
the flag waving and tears. We sailed off for Gallipoli..."
Bangla Desh
By George Harrison. Song was written to bring attention to the refugee
children of Bangla Desh in the early 1970's. Artist also staged two benefit
concerts to support the cause. "...Bangla Desh, Bangla Desh. Where so many
people are dying. And it sure looks like a mess. I've never seen such distress.
Now won't you lend your hand, try to understand. Relieve the people of Bagla
Desh..."
Bank Of Bad Habits
By Jimmy Buffett. Song is about how
overindulgence and unhealthy vices will eventually catch up with you and
negatively affect you. "...Bank of bad habits. The price of vice foretold.
One by one they'll do you in. They're bound to take their toll. The wrong thing
seems to be the right thing until you lose control..."
Barely Breathing
By Duncan Sheik. A man realizes that he is in an unhealthy relationship and
must break free. His decision is further complicated though by his partner who
is giving him mixed signals. "...You really had me going, wishing on a
star...I believed in your confusion, you were so completely torn. Well it must
have been that yesterday was the day that I was born...There's not much to
examine, there's nothing left to hide. I say good-bye. 'Cause I am barely
breathing, and I can't find the air. I don't know who I'm kidding imagining you
care. And I could stand here waiting, a fool for another day. But I don't
suppose it's worth the price, worth the price that I would pay...but I'm
thinking it over anyway...I rise above or sink below. With everytime you come
and go..."
The Barry Williams Show
By Peter Gabriel. According to the artist, It's a little fable about reality TV, where that's going
and what it does to people. I know for myself you want to watch it, but it's a
little like junk food — you have an appetite for it, but it doesn't make you
feel very good at the end of it. “…what
a show, dysfunctional excess is all it took for my success the
greater pain that they endure the more you know the show will score. It's show time…The best tv you've ever seen
where people say the things that they really mean…”
Bartender's Blues
By James Taylor. A snapshot or view of life from the other side of the bar.
"I'm just a bartender. I don't like my work. I don't mind the money at
all. I see lots of sad faces and lots of bad cases of folks with their backs to
the wall...I'm thinking about where I'd rather be, yeah. But I sunk all my
bridges. I burned all my boats. I'm stranded at the edge of the sea..."
Bastille Day
By Rush. Song is about the French Revolution,
storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. "There's no bread, let them eat
cake. There's no end to what they'll take...But they're marching to Bastille
Day, la guillotine will claim her bloody prize. Free the dungeons of the
innocent. The king will kneel, and let his kingdom rise..."
The Baseball Song
By Tim Flannery. About the sad state of America's pastime as we enter
the new millenium. Artist is an ex-major league baseball player.
"...History's being pushed aside by corporate entities. Loyalty walked out
the door with integrity...See I grew up believing the game was played for
free..."
Bat Out Of Hell
By Jim Steinman / Meat Loaf. About love, rage,
obsession, and evil intentions. Said to be inspired by or about Alfred Hitchcock's
classic film "Psycho".
"The sirens are screaming and the fires are howling way down in the valley
tonight. There's a man in the shadows with a gun in his eye and a blade shining
oh so bright. There's evil in the air and there's thunder in the sky and a
killer's on the bloodshot streets..."
Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley
Traditional. Song is about Lieutenant
William Calley who faced court-martialand
was charged with murder for his role in the notorious My Lai Massacre
during the Vietnam War. "My name is William Calley, I'm a soldier of this
land. I've tried to do my duty and to gain the upper hand. But they've made me
out a villian. They have stamped me with a brand. As we go marching on..."
The Battle Of Evermore
By Led Zepellin. One theory says this song is based upon the events
surrounding the Battle of Pelennor Fields from J.R. Tolkien's book Return of
the King. "Queen of light took her bow and then she turned to go. The
prince of peace embraced the gloom and walked the night alone..."
The Battle Of New Orleans
By Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Song is about the Battle of New Orleans
(January, 1815) a decisive victory for the Americans in the War of 1812. "In 1814
we took a trip along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip. We took a
little bacon and we took a little beans. And we fought the bloody British in
the town of New Orleans..."
The Battle Of The Blue And
Gray
By The Bee Gees. Song is about the American Civil War which took
place between the years of 1861 and 1865. References made to General Stonewall
Jackson. "...Well the cannons roared around us and the field was black with
lead. I picked out six more soldiers there a-sittin' on a mound. I fixed my
bayonet to my gun and really mowed them down..."
The
By Running Wild. Song is about the
Napoleonic Wars and the
historic defeat of
Beach Buddy
By Bill Oliver. Song is about conservation and environmental awareness.
"A little bit of litter makes a lot of bad beach. It's bad on the
eyesight, it can cut your feet. It wastes our taxes, treats wildlife mean. So
be a beach buddy and keep the beaches
clean..."
Bears
By Zebra. Song is about animal rights activism and questions the humanity of
hunting for sport. "...The trees are bare and the bears are
hibernating...They really can't do us any harm. It is only us who can do harm
them..."
Beautiful Life
By Ace of Base. Song is about appreciating all the positive things in life
and having lofty goals. "...Take a walk in the park when you feel down.
There's so many things there that's gonna lift you up. See the nature in bloom,
a laughing child...You can do what you want just seize the day..."
Beautiful Prize
By Rick Springfield. Artist wrote this song about a girl in group therapy
that had endured incest. "The father giveth and the father taketh...He
turns his eye on his prize...In a house full of secrets the truth doesn't
matter. Johanna buries her shame and dreams of redemption. They just scatter as
she grows numb to the pain..."
Beautiful Sunday
By Daniel Boone. Song is about the blissful feeling of being in love and
spending the day with your significant other. "...Birds are singing, you
by my side. Let's take the car and go for a ride. Hey, hey, hey it's a
beautiful day. We'll drive on and follow the sun...This is my beautiful day.
When you said, said, said, said that you loved me..."
Beauty Is Only Skin Deep
By The Temptations. About the importance of judging a person on their inner
qualities and strengths rather than their physical appearance. "...A
pretty face you may not possess but what I like about you is tenderness...My
friends ask what do I see in you? But it goes deeper than the eye can
view. You have a pleasin' personality and that's an ever lovin' rare
quality...Beauty's only skin deep..."
The Beauty Of Gray
By Live. Song is about the importance
of tolerance and diversity, promotes peace and harmony
between the races. "...This is not a
black and white world. To be alive, I say the colors must swirl.
And I believe, that maybe today, we will all get to appreciate the beauty of gray..."
Be Careful Of Stones That You
Throw
By Dion. About how people should
be careful about what they say about others because it may come back to haunt
you. "...Oh, a tongue can accuse and carry bad news. Gossip is cheap and
it's low. So unless you've made no mistakes in your life. Just be careful of stones
that you throw..."
Because I Got High
By Afroman. A person realizes that the root of all their problems is using
drugs and getting high. "...I was gonna clean my room until I got high...I
was gonna go to class before I got high...I messed up my entire life because I
got high. I lost my kids and wife because I got high..."
Because We Want To
By Billie. This is the
official song for the 1999 FIFA Women's World
Cup. "...We can do what we want to do. We can do anything. We can be
who we want to be. Just tell yourself you can do it. I throw a party for the
world and my friends..."
Bedrock Anthem
By "Weird Al" Yankovic.
Song is a parody
of "Under the Bridge" & "Give It Away" by Red Hot Chili
Peppers. This parody is a take-off on the cartoon and television show The Flintstones.
"...Well I got a woman named Wilma. Well I got a baby named Pebbles. Well
I got a doggy named Dino...Me and Barney, Loyal Order Buffalo...Yabba dabba
do..."
Beds Are Burning
By Midnight Oil. Songs address many
important topics dealing with political, social and environmental issues
in
Been Smoking Too Long
By Nick Drake. About drug use and losing your perspective on life because of
it. References made to the drugs opium, hashish and marijuana. "...Tell
me, tell me. What have I done wrong? Ain't nothin' go right with me. Must be
I've been smoking too long...Don't go around smokin' unless you want to get
burned..."
Beer Goggles
By Smash mouth. About partaking in
risk behaviors, in particular, casual sex. Relates to issues of identity,
responsibilty, promiscuity, self esteem, and searching
for love. "...You spend your nights at home crying. I spend mine death
defying. I call it testing morality. So pull the goggles down over your eyes.
Say goodnight to the rest of the barflies. I'm forever yours temporarily...I want someone anyone..."
Beggar Man
By Danny Joe Brown Band. About homeless people and how they're ignored by
society. "...Yeah, people pass him on the street. They hide their face in
shame. He's treated poorly with disgrace...Well it's a case of livin' hard reality..."
Beginning Of A Great
Adventure
By Lou Reed. About the remarkable and
exciting experience of becoming a parent. "...It might be fun to have a kid
I could pass something on to. Something better than rage, pain, anger, and
hurt. I hope it's true what my wife said to me. She says, Lou It's the
beginning of a great adventure..."
Beginnings
By Chicago. A person is feeling the initial rush of falling in love and
looks forward to building a lasting relationship. "When I'm with you, it
doesn't matter where we are or what we're doing. I'm with you, that's all that
matters. Time passes much too quickly when we're together...Only the beginning
of what I want to feel forever..."
Be Good To Yourself
By Journey. About enduring through life's many challenges and taking time
out of the day for yourself. "Runnin' out of self control, gettin' close
to an overload. Up against a no win situation...Be good to yourself when nobody
else will. Oh, be good to yourself..."
Behind the Crooked Cross
By Slayer. About the evils of the Nazi Party
in
Behind the Shuttered Blinds
By Doug Hoekstra.
A tribute to the elderly. About the importance of listening and taking time to
acknowledge their lives and stories. "She's got a shawl around her
shoulders, the air is growing colder. She was a dancer many years ago. Sailed
around the world, gave birth to a little girl. To look at her, you'd never even
know. There's something there inside. Behind the shuttered blinds Behind the
shuttered blinds. A story deep inside..."
Being Human
By Michael Peterson. Song is about trying to fit in and the changes and
stages that people go through in their lives. About finding yourself and your
identity. "Jenny's got a nose ring and tattoo on her skin. All her friends
are doin' it...She just has a need to feel like she belongs...Harry's turning
49, his hair is turning grey. Now he's acting like he's longing for his glory
days...Humans being humans..."
Bein' Green
By Jim Henson (Kermit The Frog). About individuality, self-esteem and
learning to accept one's identity. "It''s not that easy bein'' green
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves When I think it could be nicer
being red or yellow or gold Or something much more colorful like that..."
Belfast
By Elton John. Song is about "the
troubles" in
Believe In Yourself
By Diana Ross. A health-related song. Deals with issues such as self esteem,
believing in yourself and having a positive outlook on life. "If you
believe within your heart. You'll know that no onme can change the path you
must go...Believe in yourself right from the start..."
Believe In Yourself
By War and Peace. About self-esteem and believing in your own abilities.
"Close your eyes, what do you see. Visualize what you can be. Believe in
yourself...You can have anything you want..."
Believer
By Blue Cheer. Song is celebrating the empowerment of youth. Recorded in the
late 1960's when revolution and change among young people was preveelant
throughout America. "You're a young man now and you toss the hair from
your shoulders...While back in D.C., man the White House is shakin' us some.
'Cause the senators fear that the young vote is gonna take over..."
By Garth Brooks. About the Christmas truce during World
War I,
The Bells
By Phil Ochs . A musical adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's poem "The
Bells" written in 1849. "Hear the sledges with the bells. Siver
bells. What a world of merriment their melody foretells..."
Belt Girl Line
By The Almanac Singers. Song pays tribute to "Rosie the Riveter",
females working on the American Home Front
during World War II. "...Joe had gone to the fighting front and he left
his job behind. Now I must step into his place on the assembly line...A
thousand hard working girls step in and take a hand..."
Ben McCullouch
By Steve Earle. Song is about Benjamin McCullouch (1811-1862) who
participated in and influenced most of the major events that shaped the western
frontier. Lyrics paint a dark picture of McCullouch. "...We signed up in
San Antone, my brother Paul and me. To fight with Ben McCullouch and the Texas
infantry...He took the lives of many and the souls of many more...Damn you Ben
McCullouch..."
Bermuda Triangle Blues
(Flight 45)
By Blondie. About the mysterious
area of water called the "Bermuda Triangle"
where numerous boats and planes have disappeared. "Flight 45 was last seen
alive on the runway...Several hours out twenty minutes south of Bermuda. The
communication's gone. Something has to be wrong..."
Beside Myself
By Jethro Tull. A personal song
inspired by an actual experience. Song is about human
suffering and the tragedy of hunger
and poverty in
The Best Day
By George Strait. Song is about a strong bond between a father and his son
that continues throughout their lives. "...Just me and you. Doin' what I've
always wanted to. I'm the luckiest boy alive. This is the best day of my
life..."
Best I Can
By Queensryche. Song is about overcoming obstacles, striving to achieve
personal goals, and working to reach your full potential. "I won't let
it go, gonna make the grade,...to be the best man, the best man that I can.
Bethlehem
By Paula Cole. Song is about childhood, and deals with the impact of
poverty. Other issues; identity, self esteem, self image, trying to fit in,
feeling unloved, unwanted, and inadequate. "...I want to be a dog or I
want to be a rock, I don't want to be me, I don't want to be here in
Bethlehem..."
Betrayed
By Metal Church. Song is about beating alcohol addiction and the everyday
struggle to stay clean and sober. "I've been waking up shaking and the
bottles are gone...The craving grows stronger the longer I'm away...Temptation
is the hardest thing...Lose faith in yourself, off the wagon you fall..."
Better Days
By Bruce Springsteen. About
despair, disillusionment, and self pity. Also about the healing or redemptive
power of love and the importance of hope and
optimism. "Well my soul checked out missing as I sat listening to the
hours and minutes tickin' away. Yeah just sittin' around waitin' for my life to
begin. While it was all just slippin' away... Your heart like a diamond shone.
Tonight I'm layin' in your arms carvin' lucky charms out of these hard luck
bones.. But it's a sad man my friend who's livin' in his own skin and can't
stand the company. Every fool's got a reason for feelin' sorry for himself..."
Better Man
By Pearl Jam. About a woman who feels
trapped in an abusive relationship,
unwilling and/or unable to move away. "...It's got to stop. Tell him, take no more, she practices her
speech...Talkin' to herself, there's no one else who need s to know...She lies
lies and says she's in love with him, can't find a better man..."
A Better Place To Live
By Dolly Parton. Song is about the importance of unity, brotherhood and
living in harmony with our fellow men and women. "...If we love one
another instead of finding faults. We could afford the price of peace, love is
all it costs. Oh, wouldn't it be great to live and sing in harmony. Everybody
take your brother's hand..."
Be True To Your School
By The Beach Boys. Song is about school spirit and having pride in your high
school. "...So be true to your school now just like you would to your girl
or guy. Be true to your school and let your colors fly..."
Between You And Me
By Yvonne Perea. A man's alcohol use threatens his relationship with his
significant other. "You stumbled in at three in the morning...Then you
started a fight for no apparant reason. But it ended real quick cuz you
couldn't even stand...When did the bottle get between you and me..."
Beyond The Realms of Death
By Judas Priest. Song deals with the issue of euthanasia and the right to
die. “…No matter how they tried, they couldn’t understand. They washed and
dressed him, fed him by hand…This is my life, I’ll decide not you…”
Big Bang
By Lynda Williams.
This song is about the Big Bang Theory.
"In the beginning there was nothing and then...Big Bang! The cosmic soup
expanded and cooled. The particle soup was born in the goo. Photons, bosons,
gluons, gravitons. Energy radition-Watch out! Inflation!...Gravity attracts and
galaxies form. Stars burn up and the
elements are born..."
Big Brother
By Urban Guerillas. This song is about invasion of privacy and the
proliferation of urban surveillance systems. “Walkin’ down the street Big
brother watches over me Watches while I eat He wants to know what’s inside of
me…Big brothers
watching your every move It’s
all here on tape Whatever you do…Hidden camera Hidden enemy Total invasion of your
privacy…”
Big Brother
By Stevie Wonder. A political commentary about the rhetoric and empty
promises of politicians. "...Your name is big brother You say that you got
me all in your notebook, Writing it down everyday,Your name is I'll see ya,
I'll change if you vote me in as the pres, The President of your soul I live in
the ghetto, You just come to visit me 'round election time..."
Big Foot
By Johnny Cash. Song is about Lakota Sioux
leader, Big Foot who was among the first killed at the "
Big Italian Rose
By Fred Small. About body image, self-esteem, and advertisers fixation on
appearance. "...I'm a big Italian woman and I want the world to see All
the big Italian women who look just like me You can take your slender models
and their Fifth Avenue clothes But you'll never find a flower like the big Italian
rose!...Just an ordinary woman and it sure would make me glad Just for once to
see someone like me in your ad..."
Big League
By Red Rider. About a dream cut short by a tragic accident. "When he
was a kid he'd be up at five. Take shots till eight, make the thing
drive...That was his life, he was gonna play in the big league...All the right
moves when he turned eighteen. Scholarship and school on a big U.S. team. Out
with his girl near Lake McClean. Hit a truck doing seventy in the wrong
lane...never can tell what might come down. Never can tell when you might check
out..."
The Big Money
By Rush. Song is about how organizations with money and power control much
of what goes on in the world. "Big money goes around the world. Big money
underground. Big money got a mighty voice. Big money make no sound. Big money
pull a million strings. Big money hold the prize. Big money weave a mighty web.
Big money draw the flies..."
The Big Trees Are Down
By Douglas Wood. According to the John Muir Exhibit webpage....This
song celebrates the lives of great naturalists-conservationists, including John
Muir, Henry David Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson and Sigurd Olson.
"Now who will love the land, who will help us understand. Now the big
trees are down. Joh Muir saw California and he saw the Range of Light. He had
to fight for the redwoods and streams..."
Big Yellow Taxi
By Joni Mitchell. Lack of
care/concern for the environment. Taking nature for granted, "...don't it
always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone...".
Specific reference to the pesticide, D.D.T.
Biko
By Peter Gabriel. This is a human rights tribute song about South
African anti-apartheid activist Steven Biko. He died
while in police custody, September 1977. "September '77 Port Elizabeth
weather fine It was business as usual in police room 619...when I try to sleep
at night I can only
dream in red. The
outside world is black and white
with only one
color dead..."
Biko Drum
By Christy Moore. A tribute to anti-apatheid activist Steven Biko who gave
his life to the cause of freedom and equality. References made to Nelson
Mandela. "...Steve, he's living in a prison cell. All his friends that
know, hope he's doing well. Down here they listen to the Biko Drum...Nelson,
listen to the people sing...27 years in a white man's jail..."
Bills, Bills, Bills
By Destiny's Child. A person takes advantage of their partner by using them
for their own financial gain. "...You're slowly making me pay for things
your money should be handling. And now you ask to use my car, drive it all day
and don't fill up the tank...Now you've been maxing out my credit card, giving
me bad credit. Buying gifts with my own name. Haven't paid up a bill..."
Billy and Sue
By BJ Thomas. About the tragedy of war and love. “…and then like a miracle
the letter appeared Billy tore the letter open and he read dear John a look
came over Billy that would scare a ghost familiar look seen on soldiers coast
to coast and even though the air was filled with lead Billy jumped up they shot
him dead. Billy was buried in a far away grave it read for his country his life
he gave but that epitaph was only a part he didn’t die from a bullet but he
died from a broken heart…”
Billy Austin
By Steve Earle. The story of a man who robs a store, kills a man in
the process and is sentenced to death for his crimes. "My name is Billy
Austin...I held up a filling station...I killed a man...They sentenced me to
die..."
Billy The Kid
By Bobbie Gentry. About notorious cowboy and outlaw Billy the Kid. "...Billy the
Kid, you should have been a good guy if you had the proper guidance...Now
you're swingin' from the top of a tree. You'll be punished with a capital
P..."
Billy The Kid
By Marty Robbins. About infamous cowboy outlaw Billy the Kid.
References made to sheriff Pat Garrett who gunned down Billy the Kid.
"I'll sing you a true song of Billy
the Kid...at the age of twelve years he did kill his first man...There's
twenty-one men I have put bullets through. Sheriff Pat Garrett makes twenty-two..."
Billy The Kid
By Running Wild. Song is
about legendary outlaw, robber, and gunslinging cowboy Billy the Kid.
"...Wanted for the men he killed in vain. A thousand dollars cash on his
Billy's head. Hunted by a star for the lives he'd left in vain...Billy the Kid,
a youngster and his deadly gun..."
Billy The Kid
By Ry Cooder. Another song about Billy the Kid whose exploits were
mythical and legendary. "...When Billy the Kid was a very young lad in old
Silver City. He went to the bad. Way out west with a knife in his hand at the
age of twelve years old he killed his first man..."
Binge
By Papa Roach. The lyrics are a classic example of somebody using alcohol to
make their problems go away. This is known as "unhealthy escapism"
and is a classic symptom of alcoholism. Song title is a reference to binge
drinking, five or more drinks at one time. "...All I need is a bottle and
I don't need no friends. Wallow in my pain. I swallow as I pretend to act like
I'm happy...When I'm sober life bores me so I get drunk again. I'm losing all
my friends..."
Biotech Is Godzilla
By Sepultura. About societal dangers or
risks resulting from new technologies,
advances in scientific procedures, and the growth of new industries. Song
includes specific references to the "1992
Earth Summit" and the levels of pollution in Cubatao, a city in Brazil. Song also
raises questions about the sincerity of world leaders, and the legitimacy of
their efforts, to preserve and defend the environment. "Rio
Summit, '92 street people kidnapped hid from view. To save the earth our rulers
met. Some had other secret plans...Strip-mine the Amazon of cells of life
itself. Gold rush for genes is on. Natives get nothing... Biotechnology ain't what's so bad,
like all technology it's in the wrong hands..."
The Birds Return
By Anonymous. About the anticipation of spring and the return of birds who
had hibernated for the winter. Song relates to science education. "All the
birds have come again with their happy voices. Noisy sparrows, wren so bright.
Chirp and sing from morn' 'til night. Telling us of spring's delight..."
Birmingham
By Amanda Marshall. The song is about domestic violence. A woman is abused
by her husband and decides to leave him. "...His wife remembers well the
man she knew, seems the dreams she had have all turned black and blue...As the
rain falls down upon the interstate any doubts she had are all but washed
away..."
Birmingham Sunday
By Joan Baez. Tribute to the four girls (Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair,
Cynthia Wesley, Carol Robertson) who died in the bombing of the Sixteenth
Street Baptist Church, Birmingham Alabama, September 15, 1963. This story is
also told in the Spike Lee documentary, 4
Little Girls.
Birth Of Rock and Roll
By Roy Orbison. A tribute to the beginning of the rock and roll music scene
in Memphis, Tennessee. References made to Elvis Presley, the Beatles and the
Rolling Stones. "Well, Nashville had country music but Memphis had the
soul. Lord, the white boy had the rhythm and that started rock and roll...I
watched Memphis give birth to rock and roll..."
Black 47
By Black 47. Song is about the Irish Famine of
1847. "Everything is still Not a chicken not a body Just an awful
sickenin' silence roarin' in my ears And the fog of death deepens and lies upon
the land An ould wan rolls over on her back The grass stains all green upon her
chin I can still hear her keenin' and screamin' in the wind God's curse upon
you Lord John
Russell May your blackhearted soul rot in hell There's no love left on
earth And god is dead in heaven In the dark and deadly days of Black 47...Can't
you hear their screams of hunger on the wind..."
Black And Blue Elaine
By Donna Cotton. An abused woman is tormented over the decision of waiting
for her husband to change or move on and save herself from further abuse.
"...There were times she thought about leavin' but it was hard to do.
Besides the children need their father. There's only so much she can
do..."
Black And White
By Three Dog Night. About racial harmony. "The ink is black, the page
is white. Together we learn to read and write. The child is black, the child is
white. The whole world looks upon the sight. What a beautiful sight..."
Black And White And Red All
Over
By Biohazard. Song deals with many social issues including bigotry, racism,
violence and crime. "...People go hating for the color of skin. Won't they
learn, they'll never win...We must learn to unite our cultures. Violence
constantly tears us apart...Blood is spilled on black and white..."
Black And White Army
(Bringing The Pride Back Home)
By Sting. Song was written by the artist for the New Castle soccer club of
England when they participated in the FA Cup in 1998. Soccer is the most
popular sport in the world. "...You'll never understand us if you thought
that we'd give it up. 'Cos we're marching the length of England and I wwouldn't
tell you no lie. I'll wear the black and white jersey till the day I
die..."
Black And White World
By Suicide Machines. Song is about racial harmony,
tolerance, justice and equality.
"Some persecute their brothers because of the color of their skin. Well
thats wrong. Well, colors are
deceiving but if you open your
mind to see what's right. Wipe the anger from your eyes and take a look...It's a black and white world..."
Blackbird
By The Beatles. Inspired by the courageous struggle for justice and equality
during the civil rights
movement in
Black Blade
By Blue Oyster Cult. Song is
based on the writing of Michael Moorcock.
"...It’s death from the beginning to the end of time And I’m the cosmic
champion and I hold a mystic sign And the whole world’s dying and the burden’s
mine And the black sword keeps on killing ’til the end of time
Black Boys On Mopeds
By Sinead O'Connor. About racism and police brutality. "...England's
not the mythical land of Madame George and roses It's the home of police who
kill blacks boys on mopeds And I love my boy and that's why I'm
leaving..."
Black, Brown And White
By Big Bill Bronzy. An old blues song about racial discrimination.
"...If you was white, should be alright. If you was brown, stick around.
But you is black, hmm brother. Get back...Me and a man was workin' side by
side...They was paying him a dollar an hour and they was paying me fifty
cents..."
Black Cat
By Janet Jackson. About a person who engages in risk behavior and lives
dangerously. "...Black cat nine lives. Short days long nights. Livin' on
the edge not afraid to die. Heart beat real strong but not for long. Better
watch your step or you're gonna die..."
Black Curtains
By Megadeth. About the threat of nuclear war. "...Run for cover, run.
Bang, it happened. Time's up, armageddon. Fire, meltdown. The sky is crumbling
in..."
Black Dahlia
By Anthrax. Song is said to be
inspired by actual
events. "...Take on a man who's harder than a coffin nail
Priceless, the look on his face If you look real close you can see the
expiration date Break him Take him down
Squeeze him, watch him drown Black Dahlia's in my head Ice veined..."
Black Eye
By Fluffy. About domestic violence. Victims of domestic violence often
cannot leave the abusive relationship. "...You will never see me cry. I'm
gonna leave you when I get the strength to. Black eye..."
Black Eyes, Blue Tears
By Shania Twain. Tells the story of a woman coping in an emotionally and
verbally abusive relationship.
Deals with issues of low self esteem, domestic
violence, and personal choices. "...Black eyes - I don't need 'em,
Blue tears - Gimme freedom. It's all behind me he'll never find me now. Find
your self esteem and be forever free to dream..."
Black Lung
By Rancid. About the coal mining industry, unions, and black lung disease which is
often associated with coal miners. "...No prettiness for the mighty black
lung. Reconfirm workers, reconfirm us. Take off the gloves and sock it to
'em...Lookin' for something to give your family a better life for every single
day..."
Black Man
By Stevie Wonder. About the importance of the African-American heritage and
history. Many references in the song to African-Americans and their
accomplishments throughout history including Crispus Attacks, Pedro Alonzo
Nino, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams and Caeser Chaves. "...First man to die for
the flag we hold high (Crispus Attacks) was a black man...Guide of a ship on
the first Columbus trip (Pedro Alonzo Nino) was a brown man..."
Black Or White
By Michael Jackson. The song is about the evils
of racism. Presents a
positive message, encouraging people to accept and love one another
regardless of race or nationality. "...See it's not about races , just
places faces...I'm not going to spend my life being a color..."
Blackout
By The Scorpions. About experiencing "blackouts",
where a person who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol does not remember what
they did when they were high or drunk. "I realized I missed a day but I'm
too wrecked to care anyway...My head explodes, my ears ring. I can't remember just
where I've been...Blackout..."
Black Panther
By Mason Jennings. About the Black Panther Party who rose to power in
the 1960's. Bobby Seale was ths founder of this organization. "Black
Panthers defy the power. Fight the violence with non-violence...Think of the
dead in Vietnam. Think of the dead in Birmingham...Responsibility to
understand..."
Black Panther
By Isaac Haile
Selassie. Song is about intolerance, prejudice, and racially
motivated violence. "...How come people kill each other for color? It
is better to love and live together. Why do they treat blacks like animals? We
want to know what the reason is..."
Black Plague
By The Animals. Song is about the Bubonic Plague or "Black
Death" which killed hundreds of thousands between 1348-1350. "The
bell tolls, the black plague has struck. Diseased eyes roll upwards as if
knowing which direction their souls will travel. Bring out your dead..."
Black Sheep
By Triumph. The song is about a boy who is drawn to the dangers and
excitement associated with life on the streets. References made to drinking,
drugs, and guns. Main character in the song ends up in jail, and then turns his
life around. "...Black sheep, black sheep bad boy of the family, two
strikes against him from the start. Black sheep, black sheep livin' life out on
the street, paid the price that left a scar..."
Black Sunday
By Cold. Song deals
with the tragedy of losing a child to SIDS, sudden infant
death syndrome. “…I will trade it all for another day just to feel you and your
warmth but even pictures fade Black Sunday still burns you in my thoughts I
can't see at all did you fly away Did the stars shine bright for you Guess I
could blame it all on God's game it was fate that carried you…”
Black Superman(Muhammed Ali)
By Johnny Wakelin and the Kinasha Band. The song is a tribute to legendary
boxer and humanitarian Muhammed Ali. "Muhammed, Muhammed Ali. Floats like
a butterfly, stings like a bee. Muhammed, the black superman. Who says to the
other guy catch me if you can...My face is so pretty, you don't see a scar.
Which proves I'm the king of the ring by far..."
Black Wall
By Dennis DeYoung. The Black Wall is another name for the Vietnam Veteran's
Memorial in Washington, D.C. which displays the names of all the Americans who
died in the Vietnam War. "...They won every battle they fought but the one
that raged at home. And now the only words that count are the names
carved out in stone...Black Wall..."
Blake's
By Billy Bragg. Musical
interpretation of William
Blakes Jerusalem. "And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green? And was the Holy Lamb of God On
England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine Shine forth upon our clouded hills? And was Jerusalem
builded here Amongst these dark satanic mills?..."
Bleed To Love Her
By Fleetwood Mac. The song is about
the fragile and tentative or fleeting nature of love. Also about the importance
of communication, compromise, and sacrifice in a relationship. "...And
once again she calls to me then she vanishes in thin air. And how she takes my
breath away pretending that she's not there...Somebody's got to sacrifice if
this whole thing's going to turn out right..."
The Blinding of Isaac
Woodward
By Woody Guthrie. Song was
written about Isaac
Woodward, a famous Negro soldier who received his honorable discharge from
the service in 1946. On his way home he was beaten so hard about the face and
head by two policemen over a disagreement that he was blinded for life.
"My name is Isaac Woodward...They sent me to Atlanta, I got my discharge
pin...Listen Mr. Policeman, I started to explain. I did not cause no
trouble...They beat me about the head and face and left a bloody trail...When I
woke up the next morning I found my eyes were blind..."
Blind Willie McTell
By The Band. Song is a tribute to prolific blues musician Blind Willie
McTell who recorded for many labels from 1927 to 1956. "...Nobody can sing
them blues like Blind Willie McTell...All the way from New Orleans to
Jerusalem. I traveled through East Texas where many martyrs fell..."
Blood and Thunder
By Mastodon. Inspired by Herman Melville's classic novel Moby Dick. "...This
ivory leg is what propels me. Harpoons thrust in the sky. Aim directly fro his
crooked brow and look him staright in the eye...White whale..."
Bloodbath In Paradise
By Ozzy Osbourne. Song is about convicted murderer Charles Manson and the
members of his communal family. "...Can you hear them in the darkness.
Helter skelter...There's no way you can break out...Charlie and the family
might get you..."
Blood Is On The Square
By Phillip and Teresa Morgan. Song was written to commemorate the 1989 massacre
at Tiananmen Square
when Chinese army troops killed thousands of innocent protesters who had
peacefully occupied
Blood On The Land
By Kingdom Come. An environmental awareness song that focuses on acid rain,
the greenhouse effect and resource depletion. "Looking up to the sky. Hard
to breathe. It burns my eyes. Desert land, poison rain. Can't sit back when I
know who's to blame...Still they rape our holy land..."
Blood On The World's Hands
By Iron Maiden. A social commentary about many of our world's problems.
References made to wars, homocides, and starvation. "...You can see it
happening. The madness that's all around you...It's out of control. Blood on
the world's hands...One day, another killing. Somewhere there's someone
starving..."
Bloodsuckers
By Judas Priest. The group wrote this song in response to their landmark
1990 court case where they were found not guilty of prompting suicide with
subliminal music tracks. They had been sued by the families of two boys who
committed suicide who claimed they placed a subliminal message-"do
it"- that the plantiffs believed pushed their sons to suicide. "...A
circus heading into town. Complete with cameras and the clowns. The first
amendment shot to bits...Subliminal, it's absurd. It's criminal but can't be
heard..."
Bloody Mary ( A Note On
Apathy )
By Five For Fighting.
According to the artist, 'Bloody Mary' symbolizes apathy in today's culture...You've
got to live, you've
got to care to live. "…On and on she takes me from you, my
love On and on she rakes me from you All of my dreams for you…to follow All of
my dreams for you…to swallow All of my dreams for you…”
Bloody Red Rose
ByRunning Wild. The song is about
the Wars of
the Roses which was a series of dynastic conflicts that took place in 15th
century
Bloody Well Right
By Supertramp. About the importance and influence of powerful friends or, as
they say...... It's not what you know, but who you know. "So you think
your schooling's phoney, I guess it's hard not to agree. You say it all depends
on money and who is in your family tree. Right, you're bloody well
right..."
Blowin' Me Away
By Barbara Brown. The artist states This was written as a result of the
shooting at Columbine High School. Instead of a quiet memorial to the victims
it poses tough questions to the shooters. It takes a basic down to earth look
at the shooters and really tries to get into their heads.
"...Blowin' me away. What's that sound in your head? Is it all you can
hear? Is it something I said? Blowin' me away..."
Blue
By UFO. A man is in denial over the break up of his relationship starts to
have obsessive thoughts and continues to live in the past instead of moving on
with his life. "It's another night stuck in here with the TV on. As John
Wayne holds the Alamo, I'm wonderin' where you've gone...The things you left
I'll keep that way 'til we're together again...Panic sets in, I'm an irrational
man. If I can't have you nobody can...Blue..."
Blue Collar Man
By Styx. A man struggles to find a job and yet he refuses to lose his self
pride and confidence even though his unemployment benefits have ended. Despite
the desperate times, the man continues to maintain a positive outlook.
"...Give me a job give me security. Give me a chance to survive. I'm just
a poor soul in the unemployment line. My God, I'm hardly alive...But I've got
the power and I've got the will. I'm not a charity case..."
Blue Denim
By Stevie Nicks. About
the ending of a relationship. Song deals with identity, regret, and wondering
what might have been. "...I knew him another way. I knew him another day.
In some ways he'd forgotten me. In many ways he got to me...I never thought he
could walk away, but I lost him again yesterday..."
Blue Flashing Light
By Travis. About an abusive
father and the broader topics of domestic
violence and substance abuse. Also
deals with the issue of teenage identity and loneliness. "Oh we see him
arrive at the door. Pushed you aside as he staggered inside. Spitting alcohol
over the floor. A storm is abrew and it's sure to fall soon...Talk to your
daddy in that tone of voice. There's a belt hanging over the door. So you run
to your room and you hide in your room. Thinking how you can settle the
score..."
Blue Monday Hangover
By Albert Collins. A hangover song. "...I can hear blue Monday callin'
but this old hangover just won't let me go...I feel like I'm just goin' down
slow..."
Blue Ridge Mountain Home
By The Country Gentlemen. Song is a tribute to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
"...Oh, I love those hills of old Virginia. In those Blue Ridge hills I
did roam. When I die won't you bury me on the mountain. Far away in my Blue
Ridge Mountain home..."
Blue Ridge Mountain Sky
By Marshall Tucker Band. A tribute to the beauty and serenity of the Blue Ridge Mountains located in the
Blue Sky Mine
By Midnight Oil. About the
struggles and hardships of mine workers. Song also addresses policies and practices of the mining
industry, conservation of resources,
and related environmental
issues. "...My gut is wrenched out it is crunched up and broken. My
life that is lived is no more than a token...The sweat of my brow keeps on
feeding the engine. Hope the crumbs in my pocket can keep me for another
night...But if I work all day on the blue sky mine there'll be food on the
table tonight...And the company takes what the company wants. And nothing's as
precious as a hole in the ground..."
Blues For Allah
By Grateful Dead. Robert Hunter's note in the lyric book Box of Rainsays,
This lyric is a requiem for King
Faisal of Saudi Arabia, a progressive and democratically inclined ruler [
and, incidentally, a fan of the Grateful Dead ] whose assassination in 1975
shocked us personally. This song has taken on new meaningand significance
since the tragic events of September 11th.
"...What good is spilling blood? It will not grow a thing...They lie where
they fall There's nothing more to say...Bird of Paradise - Fly In white
sky...Let's see with our heart these things our eyes have seen and know the
truth will still lie somewhere in between..."
Blue Valley Songbird
By Dolly Parton. About a girl who is abused by her father and tries to break
away from the situation to follow her dream of becoming an entertainer.
"...There was no peace in the valley. Her daddy a cruel, ruthless man used
and abused her mind and body. So her mama said run while you can...She buried
herself in her music...She hopes someday she will make it..."
Bob Wills Is Still King
By Waylon Jennings. A tribute to deceased country and western musical artist
Bob Wills and also to
the artist's home state of
Bomb
By Raging
Grannies Without Borders. An anti war
parody song.
sung to the tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands.
"If we cannot find Osama, bomb Iraq.If the markets hurt your Mama, bomb
Iraq. If the terrorists are Saudi And the bank takes back your Audi And the TV
shows are bawdy, bomb Iraq...."
Bomb Song
By Lynda Williams. Artist wonders where all the nuclear weapons created
during the Cold War are now. "...Since the Wall came down nobody talks
about the bomb. Where have all the bombs gone? Where were they put
away?...Buried in the desert or shuffled on train cars...Do you feel safe
today?..."
Bomb Them With Butter
By James Gordon. About having compassion and sympathy for the people of
Afghanistan instead of feelings of hatred as a result of the 9/11 terrorist
attacks. "Hate and resentment is all they know. Kept in darkness and fear.
A drought where nothing can grow...We should bomb them with butter, with rice
and with bread. Bomb them with medicine and clothing instead..."
Bonnie And Clyde
By Georgie Fame. About the notorious bank robbers and criminals that
terrorized the United States. "...Bonnie and Clyde got to be public enemy
# 1. Running and hiding from every American lawman's gun...They were the
devil's children..."
Boom Boom Mancini
By Warren Zevon. A tribute to the sport of boxing and the
legendary boxer Ray
"Boom Boom" Mancini. Song includes references to other boxers
including Du Koo Kim who was accidently killed in the ring by Mancini.
"...When they asked him who was responsible for the death of Du
Koo Kim, he said someone should have stopped the fight and told me it was
him. They made hypocrite judgements after the fact, but the name of the game is
be hit and hit back..."
Boom, Like That
By Mark Knopfler. Tribute to
McDonald's founder, Ray Kroc.
"...These boys have got this down ought to be one of these in every town
These boys have got the touch It's clean as a whistle and it don't cost much
Wham bam don't wait long, shake fries plenty of gum How about that friendly
name, heck, every little thing gotta stay the same Or my name is not Kroc,
that's Kroc with a K...I smell a lotta
meat .....da smell..."
Boomtown Bill
By The Almanac Singers. Song was written as a tribute to the Oil Workers
Union in the 1950's. "...Yes, I'm an oil field worker and a soldier in my
field. I'll fight to save our oil fields. My name is Boomtown Bill. I got my
C.I.O. card which I'm mighty proud..."
Borderline
By Chris Deburgh. A man shows his patriotic spirit by joining his country's
military ranks leaving his loved ones behind . "...And it's breaking my
heart, I know what I must do. I hear my country call me but I want to be with
you. I'm taking my side, one of us will lose..."
Borderline
By Thin Lizzy. A substance abuse song. "Midnight in the big city At the
bar drinking all on my own Just thinking about that girl and me...Seven beers
and still sober It's time to change to something stronger...Just pass that
bottle one more time And slowly drink it down..."
Born A Woman
By Sandy Posey. A scathing commentary on males and how females are
treated as minorities and traditional roles have limited their progress in our
society. "...A woman's place in this world is under some man's thumb. And
if you're born a woman...You're born to be stepped on, lied to, cheated on and
treated like dirt..."
Born In America
By Riot. Song is about our great country the United States of America and
how much it has to offer. "...Vegas got the casinos and Texas oil wells.
Got your Boston beans, got your 'Frisco queens...Chili dogs and baseball. Blue
jeans and coca-cola. Rock-n-roll, all born in America..."
Born In The
By Bruce Springsteen. The
song is social commentary about the Vietnam
War and problems faced by veterans returning home. Also relates to the
literary use of irony, and ironic
point of view. "...Down in the shadow of the penitentiary, out by the
gas fires of the refinery. I'm ten years burning down the road, nowhere to run
ain't got nowhere to go."
Born Stubborn
By Sepultura. The song is about the rights of indigenous or native peoples.
"I got my tribe it's my own right", "Our life it's our right,
why don't you go away."
Born To Fight
By Tracy Chapman. About standing up for yourself and your beliefs. Also,
about pride and having high self esteem. "There ain't no man or woman, no
beast alive that can beat me. 'Cause I'm born to fight...I won't let down my
guard and I was born to fight..."
Born To Give My Love To You
By Martina McBride.
According to the artist, "...When I was singing this in the studio, I was
thinking about the final minutes in the delivery room before we had the baby,
and then when she was being born and it was just us three there as a family for
the first time. It was magic, and that's the emotion I feel when I sing this
song. I get emotional when I listen to it...maybe that's just hormones! For me,
this song says a part of what I feel for her. I know that I was born to love
her." (quote taken from artist's web site) "...As sure as stars light
the midnight sky As sure as children wonder why As sure as newborn babies cry I
was born to give my love to you Born to give my love to you..."
Born To Run
By Bruce Springsteen. Song is
about teenage/young adult angst, and the search for love. Also about young
people seeking independence or freedom, wanting to break away, and searching
for something better in life. Song includes references to places and locations
in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
"...Baby this town rips the bones from your back. It's a death trap, it's
a suicide rap. We gotta get out while we're young...Beyond the Palace hemi-powered
drones scream down the boulevard...The amusement park
rises bold and stark kids are huddled on the beach in a mist... Someday girl I
don't know when we're gonna get to that place where we really want to go and
we'll walk in the sun..."
Born To Run
By Lynyrd Skynyrd. Song is about hard work, learning to sacrifice things in
order to support your family and being thankful for what you have. These are
lessons that can be passed on from generation to generation. "...I hit the
road to find a job. Had to feed my family...Drove a tractor and a trailer all
my life. Six kids and a hell of a wife...Always dreamed, never gave up. Even
when times got tough..."
Born Under A Bad Sign
By Albert King. About an individual who doesn't seem to get any breaks in
their life. References made to illiteracy, alcohol use, womanizing and broken
homes. "Born under a bad sign...I been on my own ever since I was ten...I
can't read, haven't learned how to write.My whole life has been one big
fight...Wine and women is all I crave...Gonna carry me to an early
grave..."
Bosnia
By Cranberries. The song is about the carnage and violence in the former Yugoslavia.
"We live in our secure surroundings and people die out there...and we all
sing songs in our room, Sarajevo erects another tomb." Relates to study of
ethnic cleansing, war crimes, nationalism, fall of Communism, United Nations.
Boston Tea Party
By Sensational Alex Harvey Band. The song is about the Boston Tea Party that
occured in the
Bothered
By Subterra. The song is about apathy in society and a lack of concern or empathy
for others. "I am not bothered by a war in Pakistan.
And I do not care if they're starving in Sudan...I am
not bothered because I don't feel anything. A glacier doesn't cry. Frozen lips
don't sing...".
Both Sides Now
By Sammy Hagar. The song is about empathy, seeing
things from someone else's point of view, being open minded and accepting
of others. "There's another side to everything, connected like the ring
around your finger...We're crystallized, we stand alone. Conviction holds us
like a stone...We got to learn how to listen, before we learn to talk...We got
to walk through the darkness before we stand in the light. But I know it won't
be long, I see both sides now..."
Both Sides of the Story
By Phil Collins. About the
importance of being open-minded and remembering there is usually more than one
side or perspective to an issue, topic, or problem. "...Sleeping with an
empty bottle, he's a sad and empty hearted man. All he needs is a job, and a
little respect, so he can get out while he can. We always need to hear both
sides of the story...People looking for truth, we must not fail them now. Be
sure, before we close our eyes. Don't walk away from here 'til you hear both
sides..."
The Bottle
By Gil Scott Heron. About the dangers associated with alcohol use and abuse.
"...He done quit his 9 to 5 to drink full time so now he's livin' in the
bottle...Pawned off damn near everything, his ol woman's wedding ring for a
bottle..."
The Bottle
By Rancid. About alcohol addiction, blackouts, and using alcohol as a way to
deal with life's problems. "Climb in, climb in, climb inside of me-pain.
Another night of drinkin'. Another night of being out of my head and I don't
know where I was last night...things I can't remember come back to haunt me. A
lot of people out there who want me. Climb in the bottle and never come
out..."
The Bottle Let Me Down
By Emmylou Harris. Song is about alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction and
developing a tolerance to alcohol. "...I've always had a bottle I could
turn to. And lately I've been turning everyday. But the wind don't take effect
the way it used to...Tonight the bottle let me down..."
Bottle Of Wine
By The Fireballs. Song makes references to homelessness, alcohol addiction
and begging. "...My pants are so worn they shine. Out on the street I ask
the people I meet. "Won't you buy me a bottle of wine"?...Times getting
tough and I ain't got enough to buy me a bottle of wine. When you gonna let me
get sober?..."
Bottoming Out
By Lou Reed. An individual
experiencing emotional turmoil turns to alcohol. Song relates to issues of identity,
self esteem, self-destructive behaviors, substance
abuse and suicide. "...My
doctor says she hopes I know how lucky I can be...But this violent rage,
turned inward can not be helped by drink, and we must really examine
this, and I say I need another drink..."
Bottom Of The Bottle
By Smile Empty Soul. A substance abuse song. "Something makes me carry
on It's difficult to understand What I always wanna find I do it for the drugs
I do it just to feel alive I do it for the love That I get from the bottom Of a
bottle..."
Bottom Of The Glass
By Whiskeytown. Singer reminds us that drinking does not solve your problems
or make them go away. "...Well the bottom of the glass is just as empty as
your life. You know it holds no secret way to help in your strife...You'll
never find the answer in the bottom of a glass..."
Bound For Glory
By Phil Ochs. Song
is a tribute to legendary folk singer Woody
Guthrie. References made to many of Woody's songs throughout. "...He
sang in our streets and he sang in our halls. And he was always there when the
union gave a call. He did all the jobs that needed to be done. He always stood
his ground when a smaller man would run..."
Bounty Hunter
By Molly Hatchet. Bounty hunters are people who "hunt" outlaws or
criminals in order to collect reward money. Brings back memories of the old
west and the wanted: dead or alive posters. "Blue steel flashing, hot lead
flying. I wonder what it feels like when they're dying. Someday soon it might
be my turn. Is it worth the money I earn?... Outlaws on the loose...I'm a
bounty hunter, I'll hunt you down..."
Bourbon
By Rory Gallagher. Song is about a musician who leaves his wife and kids for
the road and starts drinking to deal with his problems. "...Well, he
left a life behind him in some old trailer park. They tried to make it work but
it was ruined from the start...Now he's drinkin' down the bourbon like it's
soda pop. Trying to quell a feeling he knows ain't gonna stop...Another
destination, some place else to play..."
Boys Cry Tough
By Bad Company. A young man with a bright future is tragically killed after
finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. His girlfriend is now
left to wonder "what if". "...Bobby and the boys walk in...They
don't like no strangers in this place..Someone pulls a knife in Bobby's
face...Bobby's never going home...Mary's world is turning upside down, she's
been left here on her own..."
The Boxer
By Simon and Garfunkel. References to running away, trying to make it on
your own, and surviving on the streets. About standing up for yourself despite
feeling tired and discouraged. You may be down, but are not beaten. Inspired by
personal experiences. "...In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by
his trade. And he carries the reminders of ev'ry glove that laid him down or
cut him till he cried out in his anger and his shame, I am leaving, I am
leaving. But the fighter still remains."
Box Of Rain
By Grateful Dead. Written by, and for, a person who's
father was terminally ill. Deals with issues of death and dying, coping with
personal loss, and providing
comfort to someone who is in pain and suffering. "...What do you want
me to do to do for you to see you through, A box of rain will ease the pain and love
will see you through..."
Boys and Girls
By Good Charlotte.
About materialism, greed, and the shallow
or superficial nature of relationships. "...girls don’t like boys girls
like cars and money boys will laugh at girls when they’re not funny...all of
these boys and all of these girls, losing their souls in a material
world."
The Boys Of Summer
By Don Henley. A person reminisces about a summer love and wonders how
things ended so quickly. "Nobody on the road, nobody on the beach. I feel
it in the air, the summer's out of reach. Empty lake,empty streets the sun goes
down alone. I'm drivin' by your house though I know you're not home. But I can
see you, your brown skin shinin' in the sun...Now I don't understand what
happened to our love...I thought I knew what love was. What did I know. I know
those days are gone forever. I should just let them go but..."
Brain Dead
By Judas Priest. Song deals with patients rights, the right to die issue and
also shows the importance of having a living will. "I can't blink my eye
or cry or even speak. They crowd around my bed, condescending words are said.
Thinking I don't hear or know what is going on...Hello! Can't you suckers hear
my cries? From inside I'm still alive. It's my decision to abort, turn off the
god damn life support...I'm not brain dead…"
Brain Drain
By Jackyl. About alcohol addiction. "I feel no pain. The bottle
is my ball and chain. Am I insane? My breath smells like kerosene. Don't look
at me, I'm a sight for sore eyes..."
The Brain Of A Dinosaur
By Peter Hicks
and Geoff Francis. A satirical song about anti-immigrant and Nativist attitudes
or beliefs. Song helps to raise
awareness about the societal problems of ethnocentrism, intolerance, and
prejudice. "...No gays, no blacks, no Asians, no Catholics, no Jews. No
difference, no diversity. A bigot's dream come true...Add a
pint of poison and a prejudice or two, Then you'll have your own Pauline Hanson, and she'll stand up for
you..."
Branded Man
By Merle Haggard. An autobiographical
song that was written about the artist's time spent in San Quentin prison
and the discrimination he had to face when he got out. "...When they let
me out of prison I held my head up high. Determined I would rise above the
shame. But no matter where I'm living the black mark follows me. I'm branded
with a number on my name...I guess I'll never clear my name 'cause everybody
knows I've been in jail..."
Brand New Whisky
By Brooks and Dunn. Song is about substance abuse and using alcohol to deal
with one's problems. "...Leaving's the reason I'm drinking. Oh, I've never
felt so alone. Night and day I stay stoned. Hoping to forget she's gone...A man
needs something to hold onto when a goodbye hits him like a hurricane..."
Breadline
By Megadeth. About a man who has lost his job, is down on his luck and must
turn to public assistance for help to survive. "Ain't got a job. Ain't got
a smoke. Ain't got a car. His life's a joke. Living on the skids...Dancing on
the breadline..."
Breaking Silence
By Janis Ian. Song is about the topic of incest. "...Fathers who are
lovers to daughters that they own. Mothers who don't leave a child a single
safety zone...We were speaking of values and violence. Breaking
silence..."
Breathing
By Kate Bush. Sung from the point of view of a baby who is still in her
mother's womb at the time of a nuclear attack. "...Last night in the sky.
Such a bright light. My radar sent me danger but my instincts tell me to keep
breathing..."
Brenda's Got A Baby
By Tupac. Song warns
young people about the consequences of teen pregnancy. "Now Brenda never
really knew her mom and her dad was a junky...Just cause your in the ghetto
doesn't mean ya can't grow...Do whatever it takes to resist tha temptation...
Brenda got herself a boyfriend...And yet she thinks that he'll be with her
forever and dreams of a world with tha two of them together, whatever. He left
her and she had the baby solo...Now Brenda's gotta make her own way. Can't go
to her family, they won't let her stay. No money no babysitter, she couldn't
keep a job..."
The Brethren of The Long
House
By Riot. This native american tribute
song is from the 1996 concept Album of the same name. "...The Long
House Many stand proud, Five
Nations and one Blinded eyes they cry to the sun Fallen and weak Many will
die Hold my hand and pray to the sky..."
Brian Wilson
By Barenaked Ladies. This song is a
tribute to former Beach Boy, Brian Wilson. In another sense song is about the
impact of depression, mental illness, and substance
abuse "I'm lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did. Well I'm lying in
bed just like Brian Wilson did...And if you want to find me I'll be out in the
sandbox... Playing my guitar and building castles in the sun and singing Fun,
Fun, Fun..."
Brick
By Ben Folds Five. The story of a young couple who decide to have an
abortion and the emotional
"weight" and impact
of that decision. "...She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly...Can't you
see it's not me your dying for. Now she's feeling more alone than she ever has
before..."
Brickyard Road
By Johnny Van Zant. Brother's tribute song dedicated to Ronnie Van Zant, ex
lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd who was killed in a plane crash October 20,
1977. Johnny Van Zant is now lead singer for the band. "...Brother do
you realize what you've done, touched the hearts of everyone. You might've died
too young, but your songs live on...I know I can't bring back yesterday, but
we'll be all together, again some day...down to brickyard road".
Bridge Over Troubled Water
By Simon & Garfunkel. Deals with emotional health/well being and having
a friend to turn to in a time of need. "If you need a friend I'm sailing
right behind, Like a bridge over troubled water, I will ease your mind..."
Bright Light Fright
By Aerosmith. About drug and alcohol abuse. "...It's the dawn of the
day and I'm crashed and I'm smashed As it is I'm feelin' like my chips are
cashed All of my clothes strewn all over the room The crisis at hand is I'm all
out of zoom...I got the sunlight blues...The tricks of the night Keepin' me in
a daze Open a bottle and I'll pull down the shades..."
Brimful Of Asha
By Cornershop. This is a tribute song to the popular Indian singer Asha Bhosle. "She's the one that
keeps the dream alive from the morning past the evening..."
Bring The Boys Home
By Freda Payne. Song was a plea to stop the Vietnam War and return the
troops to their homeland of America. Song was banned from US Armed Forces Radio
because of its lyrics. "Fathers are pleading, lovers are all alone.
Mothers are praying, send our sons back home. You marched them away, yes you
did, on ships and planes. To the senseless war...Bring the boys home..."
Broke-down Palace
By Grateful Dead. Borrowing from themes of the Romantic period this song deals with the
healing or restorative powers of nature and the spiritual benefits of communing with nature. Song also
deals with timeless issues of love and homecoming. Related topics;
environmental conservation and
preservation. "...In a bed, in a bed by the waterside I will lay my head.
Listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock my soul...Goin home goin home by
the waterside I will rest my bones..."
Broken Bones
By House of Freaks. Song is about domestic violence. "...A thousand
miles away from home with no where in the world to go. Can you still love me
with broken bones?..."
Broken Heroes
By Saxon. Song is a protest against war and the senseless killing of human
beings. References made to the Vietnam War, and the war torn country of
Ireland. “…Young men with their dreams. They died before the guns for their
country. A book of faded pictures, broken dreams. Where are they now?…”
Broken Home
By Papa Roach. This song
is about a child who is dealing with a dysfunctional homelife,
impending divorce, and a strained
relationship with his parents. "...I'm stuck in
between my parents...I know my mother loves me but does my father even
care...I feel like a weak link...Broken
home..."
A Broken Wing
By Martina McBride. This
song is about breaking away from an emotionally and physically abusive
relationship. "She loved him like he was The last man on Earth Gave hime
everything she ever had He'd break her spirit down Then come lovin' up to her
Give a little, then take it back...One Sunday morning She didn't go to church
He wondered why she didn't leave He went up to the bedroom Found a note by the
window With the curtains blowin' in the breeze...With a broken wing She carries
her dreams Man you ought to see her fly"
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime
By Bing Crosby. Song was written during the "Great Depression" of
the 1930's. "They used to tell me I was building a dream and so I followed
the mob. When there was earth to plow or guns to bear I was always right on the
job. They used to tell me I was building a dream...Why should I be standing in
line just waiting for bread?..."
Brother John
By Blues Traveler. About a
person struggling with addiction and the importance of loyalty, friendship, and
support to help people through difficult times. "...And it's hard to be
believed what can be achieved with an outstretched hand...The things that hurt
just won't go away but neither will we. Doesn't really matter either way cause
you're all you need to set yourself free...And you ain't Peter Pan you're
just a man. You'll get there again..."
Brother Louie
By Stories. About an interracial relationship and all the problems that are
created because of prejudice. "She was black as the night. Louie was
whiter than white...He took her home to meet his mama and papa, man he had a
terrible fright. Louie nearly caused a scene...Ain't no difference between black
and white. Brothers, you know what I mean?..."
Brother To Brother
By Van Zant. About the bond of love and friendship between two
brothers."...Why must we make it so hard? There'll always be more to bring
us together than to ever keep us apart. As long as we stand, brother to
brother..."
Buffalo River Home
By John Hiatt. About identity and self-knowledge. A person struggles to find
his "place" in the world and seeks a higher meaning or spiritual
purpose to his life. "I've been taking off and landing but this airport's
closed. And how much thicker the fog is gonna get, God only knows...With no
place to call your own. Mixing up drinks with mixed feelings...Trying to fill
up this hole in my soul, but nothing fits there..."
Buffalo Springfield Again
By Neil Young. Artist fondly remembers one of his first groups which was
formed in the 1960's, Buffalo Springfield. "...I heard an old song playing
on the radio. Buffalo Springfield again. I'd like to see those guys again and
give it another shot...But I'd just like to play for the fun we had...Buffalo
Springfield again..."
Buffalo Soldier
By Bob Marley. A tribute
to the "Buffalo
Soldiers", a Native American term for the highly regarded Black
Cavalry units that fought against them in the
Burn
By Bruce Cockburn. This
song is
expressing criticism of American foreign and military policies. "Look
away across the bay Yankee gunboat come this way Uncle Sam gonna save the day
Come tomorrow we all gonna pay... Phillipines was yesterday Santiago and Greece
today How would they ever make the late news pay If they didn't have the
CIA?..."
Burned By The Fire We Make
By Adrian Belew. This song
is about the importance of conservation and the environmental consequences of
careless human activity "And when Man gained dominion over land and the
oceans he began to harm the planet with his asphalt and his toxins and to lay
the forest bare and to poison even the air and he killed every beast and taught
the seas how to bleed Burned by the fire we make, what a shame..."
Burn
By Public Enemy. Song criticizes
the film and television industry in
Burning Heart
By Survivor. Theme song to the movie "Rocky IV" starring Sylvester
Stallone. Lyrics also seem to use the Cold War as a metaphor. "...Two
worlds collide, rival nations. It's a primitive clash, venting years of
frustrations...Seems our freedom's up against the ropes...Is it East versus
West or man against man..."
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
By Buffy Sainte-Marie. About the abuse, betrayal, exploitation, and murder
of Native Americans in the United States. "...We got these energy companies
who want to take the land...And turn our mother earth over to pollution, war,
and greed...We got the federal marshals. We got the covert spies...They lie in
court and get nailed and still Leonard Peltier goes
off to jail...Bury
my heart at Wounded Knee. Bury my heart at Wounded Knee. I said deep
in the earth...Bury my heart at Wounded Knee..."
Bush Leaguer
By Pearl Jam. Political commentary about president George Bush.
"...How does he do it? How do they do it? Uncanny and immutable...like
sugar, the guests are so refined A confidence man but why so beleaguered? He's
not a leader he's a Texas leaguer. Swinging for the fence. Got lucky with a
strike. Drilling for fear makes the job simple born on third, thinks he got a
triple..."
Busted
By Ray Charles. About the hardships and difficulties faced by sharecroppers or migrant farmworkers. "My bills are
all due and the baby needs new shoes and I'm busted. Cotton is down to a
quarter a pound but I'm busted...The fields are all bare and the cotton won't
grow. Me and my family got to
pack up and go...I'm busted..."
Busy Man
By Billy Ray Cyrus. Song addresses fathers everywhere who sacrifice family
time in pursuit of financial success. "...You got responsibilities. A
crazy schedule that you keep. And when you say that times a-wasting. You don't
know how right you are. Busy man..."
(Life Is A Rock)But The Radio
Rolled Me
By Reunion. A musical history lesson with references made to many different
groups and artists. "...David Bowie, Steely Dan...Edgar Winter, Joanie
Summers, Ides Of March and Johnny Thunder. Eric Clapton..."
But Wait There is More
By Two Headed Puppy.
This song
is a humorous spoof about infomercials.
"After years of research it’s finally here what you've been waiting for
sit back and relax while we tell you about this wonderful new product comes out
perfect every time guaranteed for life easy painless setup anyone can afford it
now rock bottom price risk free..."
Bye Bye Boozoo
By Beausoliel. (Instrumental) Tribute to Zydeco accordionist Boozoo Chairs.
By The Time I Get To
By Public Enemy. Song criticizes
the government of
C (top)
Cable T.V.
By Weird Al Yankovic. This song
takes a humorous look at the life of a "couch potato". "...I'm
talkin' 'bout real quality programs. The kind you just can't get for free. Now
I never wanna leave my apartment. 'Cause there's just too much for me to see.
On my cable tv..."
Caleb Meyer
By Gillian Welch. A woman defends herself from a sexual assault.
"...Caleb threw the bottle down and grabbed me by the hair...he threw me
in the needle bed, across my dress he lay...then feeling with my fingertips, a
bottleneck I found. An' tore that glass across his neck..."
Calico Jack
By Running Wild. Song is about Captain John
Rackham, a well known pirate captain who ruled the waterways between
1718-1720. His ship was the only one known in history to have women on it's
crew. "...Calico Jack, listen and hear my command. Calico Jack, I lead you
to victory. Calico Jack, we shall win in the end. Calico Jack, you may believe
what I forsee..."
California
By Chuck Berry. Song is a tribute to the "Golden State",
California. "California, California. Much has been told to me about your
beautiful sunshine. Mountains and snowtops, valleys and rich crops...Someday I
will be in California. And go to places movie stars have been. Hollywood and
trolley cars and oranges...movies and show plays, beaches and freeways..."
Callin' In Sick
By "Weird Al" Yankovic.
This song
is about faking an
illness and lying to your boss in order to take a day off. "Hit
my snooze alarm for the 27th time. Just don't feel like goin' to work. I think
I'll call my boss then I'm gonna hack and cough and wheeze. Swear I got some
strange disease...I'm callin' in sick today..."
Calling Elvis
By Dire Straits. Song is a tribute to legendary, deceased musician and
actor Elvis Presley. "...Well, tell him I was calling to wish him well.
Let me leave my number, heartbreak hotel. Oh, love me tender, baby don't be
cruel. Return to sender, treat me like a fool..."
Calling Occupants Of
Interplanetary Craft
By Klaatu. Anthem of World Contact Day. “…Calling occupants of
interplanetary, most extraordinary craft You've been observing our earth And
we'd like to make a contact with you We are your friends..”
Calling The Law
By Ray Korona. This song is about sexual harrasment in the workplace.
"...You can compliment me on my job skills. Not on how much you enjoy the
view. There's alot of things I've learned to put up with but I'll tell you one
of them sure isn't you...If there's sexual
harrasment I'm callin the law..."
Calypso
By John Denver. Song is dedicated to Jacques-Yves Cousteau
who opened up the mysterious world beneath the sea to millions. "...Like
the dolphin who guides you. You bring us beside you. To light up the darkness
and show us the way...To live on the land, we must learn from the sea..."
Canadian Railroad Trilogy
By Gordon Lightfoot. A tribute to railroad workers or "navvies".
"...We are the navvies
who work upon the railway. Swingin' our hammers in the bright blazing sun.
Laying down track and building bridges. Bending our backs 'til the railroad is
done..."
Cancer
By Joe Jackson. A satirical look at disease and how an increasing number of
things supposedly cause cancer.
"...no caffeine, no protein, no booze, or nicotine. Remember, everything
gives you cancer..."
Candle In The Wind
By Elton John. Dedicated to Marilyn Monroe. Reference to problems with
"celebrity" status and the press, and her original name, Norma Jean.
Song was subsequently re-released and the lyrics were changed to commemorate
the life/achievements of Princess
Diana.
Candyman
By Siouxsie and the Banshees. Song is a warning to resist the evil wares of
drug dealers. "Sickly sweet, his poison seeks. For the young one's who don't
understand the danger in his hands...Come walk with me..."
Can't Blame The Youth
By Peter Tosh. Song presents an alternative point of view, challenging
traditional views of the accomplishments of certain historic figures and
questions what "lessons" they have taught others. "You teach the
youth about Christopher Columbus and you said he was a very great man. You
teach the youth about Marco Polo, and you said he was a very great man...So you
can't blame the youth of today. You can't fool the youth...All the great men
were doin', robbin', rapin', kidnappin' and killing..."
Can't Kick The Habit
By Champion Jack Dupree. Song is about the dangers of drug use and drug
addiction. "Well I can't kick this habit and this junk is killing
me...Wished I would have listened to what my mother said. She told me that dope
was no good...It don't pay nobody...To live their life so fast..."
Can't Stand It
By Bobby Robinson. Song speaks out against discrimination, hatred, and
apathy in our society. "I don't condone discrimination and every color is
my friend. Erase the boundaries of the nations and let the lines of hatred
end...I can't stand it..."
Can't Stand Losing You
By The Police. About a man who contemplates suicide after the breakup of his
relationship with his girlfriend. "...I guess it's true what your
girlfriends say. That you don't ever want to see me again...You'll be sorry
when I'm dead. And all this guilt will be on your head...I guess you'd call it
suicide..."
Can You Hear Me
By Missy Elliot. Song pays tribute to
singer/actress Aaliyah who died in
a plane crash on
You'll be singing them same old songs Aaliyah can you hear me?..."
Captain
By Jimmy Buffett. Song is a tribute
to comic book character, cartoon character, and crime fighter Captain America.
"He's a lightnin' flash who made a dash from one coast to the other. To
stop a crime or lend a dime or help his aging mother. Captain America, we love you...He
likes to beat the bass drum for justice and salvation...Captain
Captured By The Moment
By Steve Perry. A tribute to leaders and public figures who have passed
away. Singer reminds listeners that their spirit and causes still live on
today. "Where did he go? The man who said, I have a dream. Where have they
gone? The four who sang, to let it be. Jackie's alone. She lost him one
November day..."
Carbon Is A Girl's Best
Friend
By Lynda Williams.
This song is a tribute
to the element Carbon.
"...Life on Earth is carbon based. It came here on rocks from outer space
and formed organic compounds till the carbon-cycle went round and round! Carbon
is a girl's best friend!..."
Careless Ethiopians
By Isaac Haile
Selassie. About the Eritrea-Ethiopia
conflict. "...Let's create peace, even though there is war...For our country, for
the people. Let's create peace, we have to stop being greedy..."
Career Opportunities
By The Clash. About troubled employment and poor job satisfaction. "The
offered me the office, offered me the shop They said I'd better take anything
they'd got...Career opportunities are the ones that never knock Every job they
offer you is to keep you out the dock Career opportunity, the ones that never
knock..."
Carnival World
ByJimmy Buffett. Song is about
money and the old phrase "you can't take it with you" so you may as
well spend it while you're here on Earth. "...Spend it while you can.
Money's contraband. You can't take it with you when you go. Spend it while you
can. 'Fore its taken from your hand...My cash was always meant to flow..."
Carry The Blame
By River City People. About the guilt and shame associated with having an
abortion. "...Each day I carry the blame...What would he look like, who
would he talk like. Would he have your eyes?...Escape and wash my hands but I'm
not clean..."
Case Number
By J Church. Song is about the stigma, humiliation and embarrassment
associated with unemployment. "I can fill out a million forms, I can stand
in lines...I can tell you're looking at me...Maintain my poverty...With unemployment
lines..."
Casey Jones
By Grateful Dead. Song is inspired by the story of
the legendary engineer, John
Luther "Casey" Jones. Song also contains direct and indirect
references to several drugs including cocaine. "This old engine makes it
on time leaves Central Station at a quarter to nine Hits River Junction at
seventeen to, at a quarter to ten you know it's trav'lin again..."
The Cask of Amontillado
By Alan Parson's
Project. From the album "The
Tales of Mystery and Imagination" which is based on the poems of Edgar Allan Poe. "...You who are rich and
whose troubles are few May come around to see my point of view What price the
crown of a King on his throne When you're chained in the dark all
alone..."
Cassie's Brother
By Drive-by Truckers. Song is a tribute to former Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist
Steve Gaines who was killed in the infamous plane crash of 1977. Cassie Gaines
was a back-up singer for Lynyrd Skynyrd and she was also killed in the crash.
"...Cassie's brother was an Okie boy. Played guitar just like a god. Write
you a song and sing it too. Music so fine it makes you feel brand new..."
Cat's In The Cradle
By Harry Chapin. Father and
son relationship, family dynamics and values, modeled behaviors, missed
opportunities, importance of spending time with your children and developing effective parenting skills, being a
positive role model.
Caught By The Fuzz
By Super Grass. A teenager makes poor decisions and is arrested for cocaine
possession thus disgracing himself and his family name. "Caught by the
fuzz, I was still on a buzz...Locked in a cell feeling unwell...Here comes my
mum...You've blackened our name. Well, you should be ashamed..."
CCKMP(Cocaine Cannot Kill My
Pain)
By Steve Earle. An autobiographical song written by the artist during his
struggle with substance abuse. Earle is now clean and sober. "Cocaine
cannot kill my pain. Like a freight train thru my vein...Whiskey got no hold on
me...Heroin is the only thing. The only gift the darkness brings..."
Celebration
By Phil Lesh and Friends. About hope, optimism and perseverance."...Let
a fresh wind tear through your soul Swallow your sorrow and deliver you whole
Give you reason to believe again Finish that prayer before you say Amen...Begin
again, don't you ever give up..."
Celluloid Heroes
By The Kinks. A tribute to
Hollywood and various legends of film. Also about the price celebrities pay
in their quest for fame and fortune. "...You can see all the stars as you
walk down
Censorsh**
By The Ramones. Song was written as a protest against Tipper Gore and the
Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC). In 1986 this group lobbied the government
to make the record industry use warning labels on music products with violent
or explicit lyrics. "Tipper, what's that sticker sticking on my CD? Is
that some kind of warning to protect me? Freedom of choice needs a stronger
voice...You can't stamp out creative thoughts..."
Centerfield
By John Fogerty. A tribute to our national pastime, baseball. References to baseball
greats Joe Dimaggio, Casey Stengel, Ty Cobb, and Willie Mays. "...Put me
in coach I'm ready to play today, look at me, I can be, centerfield..."
Central Park 'n' West
By Ian Hunter. A tribute to New York City,
specifically the sights, sounds, and smells of life on Central Park West.
"...I think it's the best, when I'm locked in the middle of New York City on
Central Park 'n' West...you've got to be crazy to live in the city, and New York City's the best..."
Related topic: Central Park,
or the American Museum of Natural History
which is located at Central Park West at 79th Street.
Chain Gang
By Sam Cooke. Song is about prisoners and their lives on the prison chain
gangs. "All day long they work so hard 'til the sun is goin' down. Workin'
on the highways and byways and wearing, wearing a frown. You hear them moan
their lives away...That's the sound of the men working on the chain
gang..."
Change
By Patty Griffin. About emotional and physical abuse. "...You make him
ashamed for you, he buys you a new dress...So you change...And the day bites
down a little harder..."
The Change
By Garth Brooks. Song is dedicated to the victims and survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing, April
19,1995. "...They say what good have you done by saving just this one...This
heart still believes that love and mercy still exist. While all the hatreds
rage and so many say that love is all but pointless in madness such as this.
It's like trying to stop a fire with the moisture from a kiss..."
Change Is Gonna Come
By Sam Cooke. A civil rights song. "...There's been times that I
thought I wouldn't last for long But now I think I'm able to carry on It's been
a long, long time coming But I know a change is gonna come Oh, yes it
will"
Change Is Good
By The Band. About accepting new challenges and realizing that it's not
healthy to repeat history. It's more important to make your own mark in life.
Change is a necesssary part of human growth. "...You can change your life.
Find a new way to go. You can change the world. You don't even know. Life's a
long road. Lighten up your load. Change is good..."
Change My Way Of Living
By Allman Brothers Band. A
personal song about accepting responsibility for your own actions and
behaviors, and being honest with yourself. "Turning it around", striving to be the
best person you can, be and taking control of your life. Song also deals with
issues of self-esteem , identity, and substance
abuse. "I've got to change my way of living, cause trouble's all that
I can see. I gotta
change my way of living, Lord trouble's all that I can see. My life is in
such a mess, there ain't no one to blame but me..."
Changes
By Tupac. About the many social and economic
problems confronting people in urban neighborhoods including crime, drugs,
poverty, racism, and police
brutality. Song also includes a reference to Huey P. Newton. Singer is
encouraging people to end the cycle of abuse, hatred, and violence and to begin rebuilding their communities
based on love, trust, unity and equality.
"...I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere unlesss we share
with eachother. We gotta start makin' changes..Misplaced
hate makes disgrace to races...I wonder what it takes
to make this one better place...And let's change
the way we treat eachother..."
Change The World
By Rupert Hine. About people coming
together to create a
community based on peace, love and unity. "The difference is the way
we are as people. The difference is the sum of what we are. So look at things
that join us together. And take away things that pull us apart...We can change the world..."
Change Your Mind
By Neil Young. Song was written in response to the suicide of grunge
musician Kurt Cobain who played with the group Nirvana. "...When you're
confused and the world has got you down. When you feel used and you just can't
play the clown. Protecting you from this must be the one you love...Don't let
another day go by without the magic touch..."
The Chanukah Song
By Adam Sandler. A humorous tribute to the Jewish holiday and
famous people who celebrate it. Song includes references to numerous practices
and traditions of Judaism.
"Put on your yarmulke
here comes Chanukah...Chanukah
is the festival of lights...
David Lee Roth lights the menorah...You
can spin a dreidel with Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock..."
Chapel Of Love
By The Dixie Cups. About one of the biggest commitments in a person's life,
the day they get married. "...Today's the day we'll say "I do".
And we'll never be lonely anymore. Because we're going to the chapel and we're gonna
get married..."
Cheap Whiskey
By Martina McBride. This
song is about a man who must choose between alcohol and his wife. In the end
the bottle wins out and the wife leaves him. "...And the darkness still
echoes her warning You can't have two loves in your life Now the things that
will haunt him until the day he dies Is the smell of cheap whiskey and
the sound of goodbye..."
Cheatin' In School
By Corey Hart. About a boy who must suffer the consequences for taking short
cuts and not applying himself in school. "...And don't you know school
breeds success. And I keep thinking that I couldn't care less...Lookin' at
Harold's paper, cheatin' in school. Playin' around, cheatin' in school. Now
you're in detention..."
Cheers
By Gary Portney. Song is about friendship and the human desire to be loved
and accepted by others. This was the theme song of the popular television show "Cheers" which
ran from 1982-1993. "...Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows
your name. And they're always glad you came. You wanna go where people know our
troubles are all the same..."
Chemical Addiction
By Alice in Chains. About the dangers and destructive effects of drug abuse and how getting high becomes the
focal point of an addict's life. "...I don't care what you say or what you
do. Chemical addiction is getting rid of you. So high, colors turn around.
Goodbye, let us in and we'll lay you in the ground..."
Chemical Dependency
By Atrophy. About the destructive nature of drug and alcohol addiction with
the end result often being death at an early age. "Destruction is my goal.
Care for no one at all. Death calls. I've killed before and you won't be my
last...Broken families, shattered dreams. All because of me...I've got you
hooked..."
Chemical Euphoria
By Armored Saint. Deals with many health
related issues including chemical abuse/misuse, addiction and a person's
deteriorating health due to drug use. "...Found another way to ruin and
waste my health. Chemical euphoria, I'm about to crack...Won't get off my
back...Addicted, won't you help me please..."
Chemical Noose
By Flotsam and Jetsam. About the dangers and consequences of using the
stimulant drug methamphetamine.
" You've been up for a week or two You've done everything with nothing
to do Eyes so big how do you see You've lost all your personality Spun
Vacation, Chemical Noose…"
Chemo
By Consolidated. A five year old girl and her family has to deal with her
diagnosis of inoperable cancer. "If there's anything that I could say to
make your pain go away...Now I know that there's no god when children have to
suffer so hard. You're only five years old with a heart of gold..."
Cherokee
By Europe. About how the Native American was oppressed by the white man.
"...The white man's greed in search of gold, made the nation bleed. They
lost their faith and now they had to learn. There was no place to return,
nowhere they could turn..."
Cherokee
By White Lion. About the mistreatment of the Native American. "You were
wild and you were free. You would search your destiny. But the white man came
and took your land away..."
Cheyenne
By Kansas. A member of the Cheyenne Indian tribe feels they must do
everything possible in order to protect their land, tribal rights and heritage
from the white man. "...You have come to move me. Take me from my ancient
home. Land of my fathers, I can't leave now...It's my destiny to fight and
die..."
Chicago
By Graham Nash. About the 1968
Democratic National Convention and the "Chicago 8", with a
specific reference to the court ordered restraining of Bobby Seale during their
trial. "So your brother's bound and gagged and they've chained him to a
chair... We can change the world, rearrange the world..."
Child
By Amy Grant. About the lasting impact and effects of child abuse. "I
see her as a little girl hiding in her room. She takes another bath and she
sprays her momma's perfume, to try to wipe away the scent he left behind, but
it haunts her mind...Now she's looking in the mirror at a lovely woman face. No
more frightened little girl, like she's gone without a trace. Still she leaves
the light burning in the hall. It's hard to sleep at all..."
Childhood Memories
By Iris Dement. An adult recalls
fondly the innocence and simplicity of their childhood days. "Fireflies
inside a mason jar. Acting big behind the wheel of Daddy's car...And now when
life begins to get the best of me. I reminisce these childhood
memories..."
Child Of Divorce
By Peter Cross and Tim McDonald. About the harsh reality children must face
when their parents go through the divorce process. "I'm a child of
divorce, another victim of the courts. Security was an illusion tha got
shattered by force. Only the children know..."
Children Need A Helping Hand
By Hand In Hand For Children. Various groups banded together and recorded
this song to raise money for a German charity for blind children.
"Children need a helping hand. Children need a promised land. Let the
children feel again that love is alive..."
Children Of The Night
By Richard Marx. About the struggles of teenage runaways and the street
children in Los Angeles. "...All that I know in my life, I have learned on
the street. No magic carpet, no genie, no shoes on my feet. Will I wake up from
this nightmare?... We are the children
of the night..."
Children R The Future
By Big Daddy Cane. Song is a plea to young people to make responsible
decisions and to make the most of their lives so they can reach their
potential. "...Young brothers and sisters considered the cream. That must
rise to the top and fulfill the dream...Remember, respect is the most greatest
to receive...Find your true self..."
Children's Crusade
By Sting. The song is about bravery,
courage, duty
and honor during World
War I. This song compares/contrasts human suffering and the needless
death of young men during the Great War with the
deadly consequence of drug use in the 1980's. Song contains repeated reference
to poppies.
"Young men soldiers, nineteen fourteen. Marching through countries they'd
never seen...The children of England
would never be slaves, they're trapped on the wire and dying in waves. The
flower of England face down in the mud, and stained in the blood of a whole
generation..."
The Children's Song
By Trick Daddy. Social commentary about the racial divide in America.
"... White America's on high alert. Black America's still starvin' and
livin' in public housing. You still eatin' off your food stamps. That's
why one out of every three black boys ends up in bootcamp..."
Children's Story
By Everlast. A teenager gets caught up in criminal activity and ends up
getting killed in a shootout with police. "...Me and you Guy, gonna make
some cash, robbin' old folks and makin' the dash...I saw the cops shoot the
kid. I still hear him scream...Just another case 'bout the wrong path..."
Chimes Of Freedom
By Bruce
Springsteen. A person observing lightning during a thunderstorm
begins to think about and reflect upon societies outcasts, the disadvantaged,
and those who are stuggling to survive. "...We ducked inside the doorway,
thunder crashing...The bells of the lightning tolling for the rebel...tolling
for the luckless, the abandoned and forsaked...Tolling for the aching ones
whose wounds cannot be nursed. For the countless confused, abused, misused,
strung-out ones an' worse...And we gazed upon the chimes of freedom
flashing."
China
By Paul Kantner. Song was written as a tribute to artist's daughter China
Kantner. "...She sleeps through almost any sound. Even when it's screaming
loud and clear. But she wakes up and smiles at a friendly voice. If it whispers
softly in her ear..."
China Basin Digs
By Joel Rafael and John Trudell. Inspired by actual events
about the problem of homelessness
in San Francisco. "The homeless got the old heave-ho from the
China Basin Digs...They tell us to get out of here but they say not where to
go...Told us that we had to leave Pack your things and go Tonight we'll be some
other place Where we do not know ..."
Chinese Rock
By Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers. About cocaine addiction and its
negative effects on a person's health. "...I'm living on Chinese rock. All
my best things are in hock...Everything is in the pawn shop...I'm just diggin'
a Chinese ditch..."
Chinook Blues
By Alice DiMicele. About the trials and tribulations of a Chinook salmon. "...I might
swim a thousand miles just to reach the sea...I
can battle strong currents, I can jump up the falls...But all your locks
and these barges make no sense to me at all..."
Choices
By George Jones. An
autobiographical song that tells about the singer's battle with alcohol and
drug addiction.
"I've had choices since the day I was born. There were voices that told
me right from wrong. If I had listened, no I wouldn't be here today living and
dying with the choices I made. I was tempted by an early age. I have found I
like drinking. Oh, I have never turned it down…"
Christine Keeler
By Phil Ochs. About the woman who had an affair with John Profumo British
Secretary of State for war under Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.
This 1963 affair created a political scandal
in England. "Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies, you're the gals for
me...When Lord Profumo takes off his mascara you know he can't go wrong... Cristine
Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies, will you be mine, all mine?..."
Christopher Columbus
By Todd Rundgren. A satirical look at Christopher Columbus who supposedly
“discovered” America. “Once upon a time I had this idea that the world was
round like me…Luckily, I found that in the New World somebody was already
there…I wasn’t sure what to call them…So I called them Indians…”
Chug-A-Lug
By Roger Miller. A teenager starts experimenting with alcohol and begins to
change into a problem drinker. "...Heck! I'm just goin' on fifteen...My
first taste of sin...Grape wine in a mason jar. Homemade and brought to school
by a friend of mine..."
CIA
By Riot. Song is about a person that works for the Central Intelligence
Agency. "...If they should hold me for ransom honey, destroy my tapes as
you leave. I've got a license to murder...You see me on the T.V., the
politicians I protect...We're fighting in the streets so you can feel at
ease...I'm in the CIA..."
Cindy's On Methodone
By Screeching Weasel. About the use of methodone to help heroin addicts.
Song questions whether the use of methodone by heroin users is just replacing
one addiction for another. "Cindy's on methodone. She's through with the
syringe...She's off heroin...Sounds so much better but it's just another
high..."
City of New Orleans
By Arlo Guthrie. About the varying
sights, sounds, feel, and history of traveling on Amtrak's train or route called the City of New Orleans.
Unfortunately, recent tragic
events might lend or give this song a more somber tone but also an
added significance and importance . "Ridin' on the City of
New Orleans. Illinois Central, monday
mornin' rail...The train pulls out of Kankakee
and rolls past houses, farms and field...Thru the Mississippi darkness rollin'
down to the sea...I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans. I'll be gone
five-hundred miles when the day is done..."
Civil War
By Guns n Roses. Song begins with an audio excerpt from the movie Cool Hand Luke. Song
is about war and the cycle of violence in society. Specific references to JFK
and Peruvian guerillas."...Look at the shoes you're filling. Look at the
blood we're spilling. Look at the world we're killing. The way we've always
done before..."
Clap For The Wolfman
By The Guess Who. A tribute to radio personality Wolfman Jack. "Clap for the
Wolfman, he's gonna rate your record high. Clap for the Wolfman, you're gonna
dig him til the day you die..."
Clara Barton
By Country Joe and the Fish. According to the artist, Clara Barton is one
of my women's songs. I despair over the lack of real women as role models...A
person like Clara Barton did real things...It involves war and the American Red
Cross..."Everytime in the world someone receives first aid. You can
thank Clara Barton for the life that is
saved...Thank the Lord for Clara Barton and long live her name. The American Red Cross is her claim to
fame..."
Clash City Rockers
By The Clash. An autobiographical song. "An' I wanna move the town to the
clash city rockers You need a little jump of electrical shockers You better
leave town if you only wanna knock us Nothing stands the pressure of the clash
city rockers Rock rock Clash city rockers..."
Clean
By Depeche Mode. This song is
about a person experiencing sobriety after years of substance abuse.
"Clean
The cleanest I've been An end to the tears And the in-between years And the
troubles I've seen Now that I'm clean
You know what I mean I've broken my fall Put an end to it all I've changed
my routine Now I'm clean..."
Cliffs of Doonen
By Christy Moore. Song is a tribute to "The Cliffs of Dooneen"
which overlook the River Shannon in Ireland and are known for their scenic
beauty and charm. "...There's none to compare with the Cliffs of Dooneen.
Take a view o'er the mountains, fine sights you'll see there..."
Climber
By David Crosby. About the joy and
excitement of mountaineeringor
rock climbing. In a broader
sense this is a song of appreciation
and respect for the healing or restorative
powers of nature and the spiritual or emotional rewards of communing with
the environment. "the heat of the stone against your face the incredible
presence of mass the clink of the metal the hiss of the rope the sky like a
piece of blue glass...I listen now to this spirit of mine floating in clean air
and then I face to the west I speak to the sun and I say thank you quite softly
again."
Closer To Fine
By Indigo Girls. About the process of self-discovery or self-knowledge, and
the search for a higher purpose or meaning to life. "...I went to the doctor, I went to the
mountains. I looked to the children, I drank from the fountains. There's more
than one answer to these questions pointing me in a crooked line and the less I
seek my source for some definitive. The closer I am to fine..."
Closer To The Heart
By Rush. Song is about compassion, hope, love, peace and unity.
Song is asking political leadersthroughout
the world to change their violent ways and to adopt more benevolent policies
and practicies. "And the men who hold high places must be the ones to
start. To mould a new reality
closer to the heart..."
Closer To The Light
By Bruce Cockburn. A personal song
that pays tribute to the late Mark Heard. "There you go Swimming
deeper into mystery Here I remain Only seeing where you used to be Stared at
the ceiling 'Til my ears filled up with tears Never got to know you
Suddenly you're out of here..."
Closet Man
By Dusty Springfield. About homophobia and the fear that gay people face
because of their sexual preferences. "Your secret's safe inside me closet
man. Safe under lock and key...You're not the only one..."
Cloud Nine
By The Temptations. About social and economic conditions that can contribute
to drug abuse. "...I was raised in the slums of the city...My father
didn't know the meaning of work. He disrespected mama and treated us like
dirt...Depressed and down-hearted, I took to cloud 9..."
Coalminers
By Uncle Tupelo. Song is about the hazards
associated with coal mining and how capitalist forces in society took
advantage of workers in the industry."...I was born in old Kentucky. In a
coal camp born and bred...I know how the coal miners work and slave in the coal
mines everyday...Mining is the most dangerous work in our land today... Dear
miners, they will slave you until you can't work no more. And what will you get
for your labor but a dollar in the company store...They take our lifeblood.
They take our children's lives...Coal
miners, won't you organize wherever you may be. And make this land of
freedom for workers like you and
me..."
Coal Miner's Daughter
By Loretta
Lynn. An autobiographical song about the artist's upbringing as a child and
her journey out of poverty. "Well I was born a coal miner's daughter in a
cabin in Butcher Holler...My daddy worked all night in the Van Lear coal mines,
all day long in the field hoeing corn. Mommy rocked the babies at night...Daddy
loved and raised eight kids on miner's pay, mommy scrubbed our clothes on a
washboard everyday...We were poor but we had love... Yeah, I'm proud to be a coal miner's daughter..."
Coat of Many Colors
By Dolly Parton. About overcoming poverty and the true meaning of wealth.
"...My coat of many colors That my momma made for me Made only from rags
But I wore it so proudly Although we had no money I was rich as I could be In
my coat of many colors My momma made for me..."
Cocaine
By Jackson Browne.
About the negative and harmful effects of
the stimulant cocaine. "I was talking to my doctor down at the hospital.
He said "Son, it says here your twenty seven, but that's impossible.
Cocaine, you look like you could be forty five..."
Cocaine Bill And Morphine
Sue
By (Traditional). Many health related references are in the song including
drug use, tolerance, denial, gateway drugs and the destructive effect of drug
abuse. "...It'll do no harm if we both just have a little shot in the arm.
I can't refuse 'cause there's no more kick in this darned 'ol booze. Now in the
graveyard on the hill lies the body of Cocaine Bill. And in the grave night by
his side lies the body of his cocaine bride. All you cokie's is a gonna be
dead. If you don't stop a sniffin' that stuff in your head..."
Cocaine Decisions
By Frank Zappa. This song
is about the powerful stimulant cocaine and it's health hazards. "Cocaine
decisions. The cocaine decisions that you make today will mean nothing later on
when you get nose decay...You are wasted..."
Cocaine Eyes
By Neil Young. Yet another song about the dangers of using
the stimulant cocaine."... Cocaine eyes, can't hide your face. It's no
surprise you lose that race again...It's a long hard road when your friends
start to leave you behind..."
Cocaine Done Killed My Baby
By Mance Lipscomb. A man leaves his woman because he can no longer tolerate
her cocaine addiction. "Cocaine done killed my baby. Cocaine try to run me
crazy. Cocaine gonna kill you after awhile...I'm goin' away to leave
you..."
Cocaine 'Lil
By Chris Darrow. Song is about a cocaine addict who dies from an overdose.
"Here's a story about Cocaine 'Lil. She lives in a house up on cocaine
hill...Well along in the mornin' 'bout half past three. They were all lit up
like a Christmas tree...Took another sniff and knocked her dead...And they
wrote on her tombstone this refrain, she died as she lived, sniffin'
cocaine..."
Cocaine (Rock)
By Country Joe and the Fish. About the dangers of using
cocaine which is very addictive and damaging to the body. "...A bad
habit starts casually with cocaine. Rock cocaine. Every little bit adds
up in time. Before you know it you've lost your mind...Cocaine..."
The Code Of Handsome Lake
By Robbie Robertson. Song is a
tribute to the Seneca religious prophet, Handsome Lake. According to the
Columbia Encyclopedia; After a long illness he had a vision (c.1800) and
began to preach new religious beliefs. His moral teachings showed a similarity
to Christian ethics and had a profound effect among the Iroquois. The song
also refers to his
battle with alcohol. "...He drank your poison, swallowed your fire.
And lay with fever four long years...The code was
shared for the very first time by a Seneca chief they call Handsome Lake. With
a wounded heart and a sober mind..."
Cold Day In Daytona
By Michael Tracey. A tribute to NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Sr. who died
February 18, 2000 at Daytona Raceway. "...It's a cold day in Daytona
though the sun is shining bright. The Intimidator left us but he ran with all
his might...You are not forgotten #3..."
Cold Feet
By Shemekia Copeland. About standing up your significant other at the alter.
"...He was gonna be my husband and I was gonna be his wife. I couldn't
wait to say "I do" to show him that I care. But when I look around
that no good wasn't there. He got cold feet..."
Cold Harbor
By The Outlaws. Song is about The Battle of Cold Harbor
which took place during the Civil War, May 21 - June 3, 1864. "It wasn't
far from Richmond, 2nd day of June. The year was 1864, the end was closing
soon. A long, bitter struggle for the boys in blue and grey. The Battle of Cold
Harbor was only hours away..."
Cold Sweat
By Thin Lizzy. Song talks about the addictive nature of placing bets
and gambling in general. "I put my money in a suitcase and headed for the
big race. I felt a chill on my backbone. As I hung up the telephone. Stone cold
sober and stone cold sweat. Runnin' down the back of my neck. To lose means
trouble, to win means double. And I got me a heavy bet. Cold, cold
sweat...think I'll move to Vegas..."
Cold Turkey
By John Lennon. Song is about a person
who has stopped using a drug and is experiencing withdrawal and the
negative effects that are part of it... "Temperatures rising, fever is
high. Can't see no future, can't see the sky. My feet are so heavy, so is my
head. I wish I was a baby, I wish I was dead. Cold turkey has got me on the
run..."
Cold War
By Barclay James Harvest. An
anti-war song dedicated to songwriter Les Holroyd’s cousin who was living in
the former Yugoslavia
at a time when the country was racked with civil war. "Born in a cold war.
Opened my eyes. See the bombers riding dark against the sky...See our hearts
are broken. So many lives are gone..."
Colored People
By dctalk. About racial justice
and harmony, song is promoting
tolerance and cultural diversity. "Pardon me, your epidermis is
showing. I couldn't help but notice your shade of melanin. I tip my hat to the
colorful arrangement, cause I see the beauty in the tones of our skin..."
Colored Town
By Phil Ochs. Song is about ghetto life and segregation. "Just across
the railroad tracks on the far side of town. All the people there are black and
they live in colored town...A prison with no prison guards where no padlocks
can be found. A jail without cells and bars but you'll never escape from
colored town..."
Colors Of The Wind
By Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. From the soundtrack to Disney's
animated adaptation of the legendary tale of John Smith and
Pocahontas. About the arrival of settlers in the Americas. The ethnocentric
beliefs and attitudes of European settlers are contrasted with Native American
views towards people and the environment. "...You think you own whatever
land you land on. The earth is just a dead thing you can claim...You think the
only people who are people are the people who look and think like you. But if
you walk the footsteps of a stranger you'll learn things you never knew you
never knew..."
Combat Rock
By Sleater-Kinney. Song raises questions about U.S. foriegn policy and post
September 11 attitudes regarding the expression of dissenting views and freedom
of speech. "They tell us there are only two sides to be on If you are on
our side you're right if not you're wrong...Our country's marching to the beat
now And we must learn to step in time Where is the questioning where is the
protest song? Since when is skepticism un-American? Dissent's not treason but
they talk like it's the same..."
Comedown
By Bush. Possible reference to drug use. "I don't want to come back
down from this cloud..." To escape from pain and disappointment in a
relationship,. "love and hate get it wrong she cut me right back down to
size sleep the day let it fade..."
Come Out And Play (Keep'em
Seperated)
By Offspring. About the growing
incidence of youth violence, and the
accessibility of guns. "Like a spreading disease the kids are strappin' on
their way to the classroom getting weapons with the greatest of ease...Your
never ending spree of death and violence
and hate Is gonna tie your own rope"
Comes A Time
By Neil Young. About the time in most people's lives where they "grow
up" and begin to accept responsibilities. "Comes a time when your
driftin', comes a time when you settle down. Comes a light, feelin's
liftin'..there comes a time..."
Coming Clean
By Green Day. A teenager starts to find their identity and begins to figure
out who they are and where they fit in this world. "Seventeen and strung
out on confusion. Trapped inside a roll of disillusion. I found out what it
takes to be a man. Mom and Dad will never understand. I finally figured out for
myself for the first time..."
Commitment
By Leann Rimes. Song deals with many health related issues including trust,
love, and mutual monogomy. "...Commitment and everything that goes with
it. I need honor and love in my life from somebody who's playin' for
keeps...Commitment, someone who'll go the distance..."
Common Mortal Man
By Free. About drug dealers and drug abuse. "I was on my way to a
needle factory. Up and coming prospects was awaiting there for me. I was
selling my wares, three bucks a share..."
Como Estais Amigos
By Iron Maiden. This song is a tribute to the Argentinian people and also to
the soldiers who were killed in the Falkland Islands Conflict
1982. "Como estais amigos...For the death of those that we don't know.
Shall we kneel and say a prayer...No more tears, no more tears..."
Companion Animal
By Mohan Embar. About animal rights and the joy and responsibility
associated with owning pets. "...Companion animal, they make our lives so
full. But we must be ready. They will soon become your closest friend...They're
counting on you..."
Coney Island Steeplechase
By Lou Reed. A tribute to Coney Island and it's famous
amusement ride the Steeplechase.
"Would you like to go on the Coney Island Steeple, go
and have a good time. We'll take the subway
right down to King's Highway gonna have a good time..."
Convoy
By C.W. McCall. A tribute to truckers,
the trucking industry and especially to
the CB radio. "...'Cause
we got a mighty convoy, rockin' through the night. Yea, we got a mighty convoy,
ain't she a beautiful sight? Come on and join our convoy, ain't nothin' gonna
get in our way. We gonna roll this truckin' convoy cross the USA..."
Copii Romania
By Barclay James Harvest. Song is
about the plight of Romania
following the break up of the Soviet block. All proceeds from the song were
donated to the orphan children of Romania by the artist. “…Hold the light, keep
it burning bright for the children…The fight for life still goes on but no one
listens anymore..."”
Cortez The Killer
By Neil Young. About the conquistador Hernando Cortez and the subjugation/conquest
of the Aztec people.
"He came dancing across the water with his galleons and guns. Looking for
the new world in that palace in the sun..."
Cottonwood Tree
By Doug Hoekstra.
A ballad of a Native American paratrooper trying to balance the duty of his
work with the ways of his heritage. Song was inspired by the New Mexico
landscape paintings of Maynard Dixon and the
writings of Tony Hillerman.
"...He remembers home as an open sky. Fiery red at harvest time. Flowers
brushed against his skin. Bending low in the wind. Cut his face like
mountain sage. Drawing lines that betray his age. The sun set slowly in the
west until there was no brightness left...Been everywhere there was to go on
these reservation roads..."
Countdown
By Rush. Song is a tribute to the space shuttle. Describes the
sights, sounds, and emotions of experiencing a shuttle launch. " Lit up
with anticipation we arrive at the launching site. The sky is still dark,
nearing dawn on the Florida coastline..."
Countdown To Extinction
By Megadeth. About the growing number
of endangered
species. References to "canned" hunts and poaching. "Endangered species caged in fright, shot in
cold blood, no chance to fight...All are gone, all but one. No contest, nowhere
to run. No more left, only one. This is it, this is the countdown to
extinction..."
Counterfeit
By Limp Bizkit. About the effects
of peer pressure
and people who change their behavior, image, and identity in order to fit in.
About alienation, self esteem, and the importance of being true to yourself.
"Ya know we figured you out...You wear a mask called counterfeit...Could
be identity crisis, but I can't buy this...Artificial minds seekin' out tha'
new trends. Get in where ya' fit in. Quit thinkin' like a has-been..."
Count To Ten
By Timbuk 3. About thinking before you speak and choosing your words
carefully so you don't regret what you say. Some excellent advice for all
people young and old. "Poisonous words delivered in haste. Leave a taste
of toxic waste. Before we make the same mistake again. Count to ten..."
County Fair
By The Beach Boys. About one of the great American summer pastimes, when the
local county fair comes to town.
"This time each year in our hometown. The county fair comes our way. Where
the folks gather round to be happy and spend their day...Hurry, hurry, step
right up and win your girl a stuffed koala bear...Break the ballon with a
dart..."
Cover of the Rolling Stone
By Dr. Hook and The Medicine
Show. About the influence of media and the desire or search for acceptance
and popular acclaim. Lyrics also deal
with commercialization of music and the corrupting influence of fame and
fortune. "Well, we're big rock singers, we got golden fingers and we're
loved everywhere we go. We sing about beauty and we sing about truth at ten
thousand dollars a show...We got all the friends that money can buy, so we'll
never have to be alone. And we keep gettin' richer but we can't get get our
picture on the cover of the Rolling
Stone..."
Coward of the County
By Kenny Rogers. A tale of violence and retribution. "Ev'ryone
considered him the coward of the county.
He'd never stood one single time to prove the county wrong. His mama called
him Tommy, the folks just called him yellow...Walk away from trouble if you
can. Now it don't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek. And I hope
you're old enough to understand: Son, you don't have to fight to be a
man...Now, please don't think I'm weak, I couldn't turn the other cheek, Papa,
I sure hope you understand: Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man."
Cowboy Song
By Thin Lizzy. A tribute to the cowboy
life. "I am just a cowboy lonesome on the trail, a starry night, a
campfire light. The coyote call, the howling winds wail, so I ride out to the
old sundown..."
Crackhead
By Suede. About cocaine addiction. Crack is a very addictive, smokable form
of cocaine. "...You burn your money, burn your mind...Your last hit
suddenly burnt your brain...You ain't got nothin', got no friends...You can't
quite give it up..."
Crack In The Mirror
By Joan Baez. About the horror of child abuse. "...For ten long years
he watched her grow...And nobody would ever know the places he touched her. No
one in her daddy's house heard her make a sound...You say you don't remember
this thing she can't forget..."
Crack Smokin' Woman
By Robert Plunkett. About a man's relationship being ruined by his woman's
addiction to crack cocaine. "The woman I love, she's slowly drivin' me
insane. 'Cause she smokes that crack cocaine...And
when I need my baby, that little girl she can't be found..."
Crappy Father's Day
By Displaced Dads. Song brings up issues including child custody and men's
rights as sole custody recipients of their child or children. Displaced
Dads are an Australian rock group that promote non-custodial rights for men and
women. "...Happy Father's Day Daddy. We love you. That's what they said.
Well, I'm woken by the alarm. There's no noise anywhere. I realized I was
dreaming 'cause the children do not live here..."
Crashing Down
By Del Amitri. About how the excitement and newness of getting high quickly wears
off and is replaced with depression and addiction. "Well it might not be
so important to you now...But you'll be crying like a baby when it comes...'Cos
it ain't no fun in party town. When loneliness comes crashing down..."
Crazy Eyes
By Poco. Song was written about country, rock and folk musician Gram Parsons
who died of a drug overdose when he was twenty-five years old. "...You
sing songs about brass buttons and shiny silver shoes. Crazy eyes what did you
do to lose. Down among the South Carolina pines you spent most of your time in
deep thought..."
Crazy Lady On Market Street
By J Church. A sad tale about a teenage runaway who gets involved with
prostitution and drug use. "...She had turned 15. She ran away from home
to seek the dream...Works the streets at night. Hooked on heroin. She quits
every week but then makes the same mistake again..."
Crazy Train
By Ozzy Osbourne. About the Cold War, Brinksmanship, and the increasing danger of nuclear conflict between nations,
and wondering why it has to be that way. "Crazy, but that's how it goes.
Millions of people living as foes. Maybe it's not too late to learn how to
love...Heirs of a Cold War, that's what we've become, inheriting troubles, I'm
mentally numb..."
Creeping Death
By Metallica. Song is about the Hebrews
struggle with the Pharoah and the 10th plague that afflicted the Egyptians.
References to the Burning Bush and Passover.
"Slaves, Hebrews born to serve, to the pharoah heed...So let it be
written. So let it be done. To kill the first born pharoah son, I'm creeping
death..."
Creeque Alley
By The Mamas and the Papas. An autobiographical song about the members of
the group and the 1960's scene in Los Angeles. References also made to aspiring
musicians Roger McGuinn, John Sebastian and Barry McGuire. "...Zol, Denny
and Sebastian sat at the Night Owl. And after every number they'd pass the hat.
McGuinn and McGuire still a-gettin' higher. In L.A., you know where that's
at..."
Crime In The City
By Neil Young. A social commentary about societal ills and the problems that
are prevalant in our world today. "...There's still crime in the city said
the cop on the beat...Now I came from a family that has a broken home...That's
the way all my friends are except maybe one or two..."
Crimes Against Humanity
By Sacred Reich. An environmental awareness song. "Toxins, pollutants
and poisonous gasses without notice take their toll on the masses air becomes
thicker than the water we drink people unaware of the spread of disease smoke
fills the sky and the sun disappears..."
Crime To Be Broke In America
By Spearhead. A
political and social justice song
about inequality, race and the criminal justice system. "...Six percent in
college from livin on the block twenty five percent in prison the school of
hard knocks fifty percent in poverty is livin on the rocks five hundred brothas
on a death row box The punishment is capital for those who lack in capital
because a public defender can't remember the last time that a brother wasn't
treated like an animal... They say they blame it on a song when someone kills a
cop what music did they listen to when they bombed Iraq? ...cause music's not
the problem it didn't cause the bombin' but maybe they should listen to the songs
of people starving..."
Crossfire
By The Scorpions. An anti-war song. "...Why can't people that we made
the leaders of the world understand that we don't wanna fight. Understand that
we are much too young to die. Understand no one will survive..."
Cruella DeVille
By The Replacements. Character is from the Walt Disney movie "101
Dalmations". Song is also on the "Stay Awake" compilation CD.
"Cruella DeVille, Cruella DeVille. If she doesn't scare you no evil thing
will...The glare in her look, the ice in her stare. You innocent children you
better beware..."
Cruel War
By Peter, Paul and Mary. A wife agonizes as her husband prepares to go off
to war. "The cruel war is raging. Johnny has to fight...I want to be with
him, it grieves my heart so...You're captain will call you. It grieves my heart
so..."
Cruise
By David Gilmour. A satirical tribute to the cruise missile. About the risks
and dangers of nuclear proliferation.
"Cruise you are making me sing, now you have taken me under your wing.
Cruise, we both know you're the best, how can they say you're like all the
rest...Will you save our children, will you save our land and protect us from
all the things we can't understand? Power and glory and justice for all. Who
will we turn to when your hard rain falls?"
Crusader
By Chris de Burgh. About the Crusades, a series of
Christian military expeditions during the Middle Ages to free the Holy Land
from Muslim control. "...For the noblemen and sinners, and knights of
ready hand, who will be the Lord's crusader, send word through
all the land...High on a hill in the town of Jerusalem, there stood Saladin, the
king of the Saracens...Closer they came the army of Richard the
Lionheart. Marching by day and night, with soldiers from every part.."
Crushed
By Eighteen Visions. A
personal song about the emotional impact of
abandonment and parental neglect. "...why did you give up on me when I
was young? why
did you give up on me from the moment I was born? and I should put you in
the grave. you can't save me from yourself. and I'm bleeding from you leaving.
you don't mean anything to me yes I say."
Cry Freedom
By Dave Matthews Band. A call for unity and an end to Apartheid in South Africa. "...Cry freedom cry From a crowd
10,000 wide Hope laid upon hope...Hands and feet are all alike But gold between
divide us Hands and feet are all alike But fear between divide us All slip
away..."
A Cry In The Forest
By Dan Fogelberg. About environmental
awareness, the ruthless killing of wildlife and the depletion of natural
resources. "There's a cry in the forest, it's feathered and brown. And it
echoes off of nothing as the trees come down. It's the sound of a sparrow
hittin' the ground..."
Cry On the Shoulder Of the
Road
By Martina McBride.
According to the artist, "I love what this song says, and I love the image
that it evokes. I can see this woman driving through the night, knowing that
she's done a great thing. She has no idea what lies ahead, but she knows it has
to be better than what she left behind" (quote taken from artist's web
site) "...And there ain't no telling what I'll find But I might as well
move down the line There's no comfort here in your zip code I'd rather break
down on the highwayWith no one to share my load And cry on the shoulder of the
road..."
Crystal
By Fleetwood Mac. About
intuition and trusting your inner voice. Also about the powerful feelings and
emotions experienced by someone in love. "Do you always trust your first
intitial feeling? Special knowledge holds true, bears believing. I turned
around and the water was closing all around like the love that finally found
me..."
Crystal Blue Persuasion
By Tommy James and the Shondells. A positive song about peace, brotherhood
and hope for a better tomorrow. "...The sun is a-risin', most definitely.
A new day is comin', people are changin'...All his children, every nation.
There'll be peace and good brotherhood...Ain't it beautiful..."
Crystal Flame
By Blues Traveler. About the power
and importance of inspiration and
it's intangible nature or qualities. "...Sometimes it's brilliance all
around me. Sometimes it's a light I barely see. And though I utilize it's
grandeur, it does not belong to me...They say that solid, wet or vapor. The
only forms that are portrayed. To them I ask one burning question. Of what
stuff are ideas made..."
Cure My Tragedy
By Cold. A personal
song that pays tribute to Scooter Ward’s sister and her battle with cancer.
“…Won't you cure my tragedy Don't take her smile away from me She's broken and
I'm far away…If I could be strong like you were for me You are my faith…”
Custer
By Peter LaFarge. About General George Armstrong Custer who was partly
responsible for the massacre that occured at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
"...Twelve thousand warriors waited. They were unanticipated. And the
general he didn't ride well anymore. Thus the Little Big Horn massacre was
born..."
Cuyahoga
By R.E.M. A tribute to the
Cuyahoga river which is also known as the Crooked
River. Related topics also include water pollution and environmental protection.
"...This is where we walked, this is where we swam. take a picture here,
take a souvenir...This land is the land of ours, this river runs red over
it...Cuyahoga Cuyahoga, gone..."
Cycle
ByBlue Ceiling. About
stereotypes and breaking the "cycle" of hate, prejudice, and racism.
"...Don't judge me by
the way I dance or play basketball I don't want to be a mad consumer in this
crazy herded society Or judged by the car I drive but instead, how I drive it I
don't want to feed the cycle I don't want to feed the pain I
don't want to feed this old habitual refrain..."
D (top)
Daddy and Home
By Tanya Tucker. A sentimental tribute to dad. "...Your hair has turned
silver and I know you' re failing too. Daddy, dear old daddy I'm coming back to
you. You made my childhood happy...I long for you and home..."
Daddy, Don't You Walk So Fast
By Wayne Newton. A man tries to save his crumbling marriage for the sake of
his daughter. "...If only for the sake of my sweet daughter. I just had to
turn back home right there and then. And try to start a new life with the
mother of my child. I couldn't bear to hear those words again...Daddy, don't
you walk so fast..."
Daddy's Girl
By The Scorpions. Song deals with many issues including child abuse, neglect and incest. "Sweet little
child you know nothing but a cold world outside...In the darkness of the night,
what he is doing is a crime. Your mother denies there's a problem. She is
looking away..."
Daddy's Hands
By Holly Dunn. Artist is fondly remembering the goodness of her father and
the love and support she received from him. "...Daddy's hands were soft
and kind when I was cryin'. Daddy's hands were hard as steel when I'd done
wrong...I've come to understand there was always love in Daddy's hands..."
Daddy Won't Be Home Anymore
By Dolly Parton. A soldier is killed while at war and his grieving widow
must carry on raising their children on her own. "...As for me there'll
never be another man. And I'll bring up the children the best way that I can.
You died for what you thought was right...But the children can't understand why
Daddy won't be home anymore..."
Daddy Won't Sell The Farm
By Montgomery/Gentry. About a farmer who won't give in to the
"pressures" of urbanization and continues to run his farm as a family
business. "His cows get loose and run right through the fast food parking
lot. And Daddy gets calls from the mini malls...When his tractor backs up
traffic, the reception ain't too warm. The city's growing around him but Daddy
won't sell the farm..."
Daley's Gone
By Steve Goodman. A tribute to former Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley.
"Richard
J. Daley was the mayor of our town. 'Til the cold day in December when they
laid him in the ground...He was always known as the working man's pal..."
Dallas, 1 PM
By Saxon. About the assassination
of former United States president John F. Kennedy. "...The world was
shocked that fateful day. A young man's life was blown away. In Dallas, 1
pm...Screaming confusion, shots rip through the air...They couldn't believe the
president was hit..."
Damned
By Bon Jovi. About two people who are having an affair and the feelings of
guilt and shame that go along with the territory. "I'm lying here beside
you in someone else's bed. Knowing what we're doing's wrong...His ring is on
your finger but my heart is in your hands. Damned if you love me, damned if you
don't...God, I wish it wasn't me standin' in these shoes..."
Dance Band On The Titanic
By Harry Chapin. About a musician on the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic.
"I'm in the dance band on the Titanic sing nearer my God to thee. The
iceberg's on the starboard bow, won't you dance with me?...Well they soon used
up all the lifeboats, but there was a lot of us left on board. I heard the
drummer saying, "Boys just keep playing, now we're doing this date for the
lord..."
Dance With My Father
By Luther Vandross. A tribute to the artist’s father. Vandross suffered a
massive stroke and slipped into a coma on April 16,2003. At the writing of this
entry he was recovering slowly. “Back when I was a chil. Before life removed
him My father would lift me high…I would love to dance with my father again…”
Dancing With Mr. D
By Rolling Stones. This
song is about a person who engages in risk behavior and flirts with death.
"...Will it be poison put in my glass, will it be slow or will it be
fast?...Hiding in a corner in New York City, lookin' down a fourty four in West
Virginia...I was dancin', dancin', dancin' so free...Dancin' with Mister
D..."
Dancing With The Devil
By Big Daddy Cane. A social commentary song about many of the obstacles and
struggles that African Americans must cope with in urban areas. References made
to drugs, guns, and violence. "...One black brother sells another one
dope. And he can't cope so he dies without hope...Guns are bein' bought over
the counter like candy...There's no survival..."
Dangerous Veils
By Jethro Tull. This song is about xenophobia and
the "distance" between ethnic and religious groups. Song is about
the importance of communication and trust between cultures. "...Is this
some crazy woman here, dancing behind her thin veil? Am I misreading those
mysterious eyes? Duet impossible to harmonize...And I won't peek behind those
dangerous veils though you might hate me just the same...Words and tradition
bind her in their spell..."
Daniel
By Elton John. A disilussioned veteran faces personal difficulties after
returning home. Trying to fit in, struggling to find a safe place and identity.
"...Daniel my brother you are older than me. Do you still feel the pain of
the scars that won't heal? Your eyes have died, but you see more than I. Daniel
you're a star in the face of the sky..."
Danko/Manuel
By Drive By Truckers.
This song pays
tribute to deceased members of The Band.
"...Can you hear that singing? Sounds like gold. Maybe I can only
hear it in my head. Fifteen years ago they owned that road. Now it's rolling
over us instead. Richard Manuel is dead..."
Danny's Downs
By Peter, Paul & Mary.
This song is about the
mixed emotions and feelings experienced by a couple who learn they have
given birth to a Down Syndrome baby. Song
relates to emotional health including the issues of fear, acceptance, and love.
"On the day little Danny arrived, his father stared and his mother cried.
They knew his name but they didn't know why he looked the way he did...How in
the world are we gonna live with a boy like that?... They're more than a home, they're a
family. 'Cause blood and bones are still souls y'see..."
Darker Side Of Town
By John Waite. A man down on his luck turns to alcohol to deal with his
problems. "...But my lucks run out, my head is burned, I can't turn
around...I'm gettin' loaded on the darker side of town. I don't know who I am
on the darker side of town...I'm drownin' in some wine on the darker side of
town..."
Darkness of Greed
By Rage Against The Machine. About
ethnocentrism, the imperialistic
policies and practices
of western nations And how "contact" lead to the oppression
and death of indigenous
peoples throughout the world. "Greed! Causing innocent blood to flow. Entire culture lost in the
overthrow. They came to seize and take whatever they please. Then all they gave
back was death and disease...My people's culture was strong, it was pure. and
if not for that white greed it would've endured...Ya cram ya culture down my
throat. Say I'm inferior when I find that I choke.."
Dark End of the Street
By James Carr. About infidelity. "At the dark end of the street, that
is where we always meet. Hiding in shadows where we don't belong. Living in
darkness...It's a sin and we know it's wrong.
Date Rape
By Sublime. About risk behaviors and the dangers of date rape.
"...She heard a noise and she looked through the door and saw a man she'd
never seen before...One drink turned into 3 or 4 and they left and got into his
car and drove someplace real far...That's when things got out of control. She
didn't want to, he had his way...The next day she went to her drawer, look up
her local attorney at law, went to the phone and filed the police report...The
moral of the date rape story, it does not pay drunk and horny. But that's the
way it had to be. They locked him up and threw away the key... DATE RAPE she
didn't want to TAKE IT!"
Date With Poverty
By Metal Chuch. Song is about living on a shoestring budget and never
seeming to be able to make ends meet. "...Borrow is my middle name, the
banks give graciously...I hope to make a living someday...I'll get ahead of
things and life will be so grand...Until I win the lottery I must
survive..."
Daughter
By Pearl Jam. Song is about the horror of child abuse and incest. "...The
shades go down, it's in her head. Painted room...Can't deny there's something
wrong. Don't call me daughter, not fit to...She holds the hand that holds her
down..."
Dawn Patrol
By Megadeth. About the devastating effect pollution is having on our
environment. "...Awakened in the morning to more air pollution warnings.
Still we sleepwalk off to work. While our nervous systems jerk. Pretending not
to notice...With the greenhouse in effect..."
The Day America Died
By Jim Peterik. Song is about the horrific terrorist bombings that occured
in the United States at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September
11. 2001. "...In the torch lit light of the land of the free. Lies the burning
wreckage of our father's dream. And the souls who've paid with their lives. A
nation saw evil in September skies...The day America cried..."
A Day In The Life Of A Tree
By The Beach Boys. Song relates to the environment and science education.
Talks about the effects of pollution on a tree as it ages. References made to pollution and
it's negative effect on our environment. "...One day I was full of
life. My sap was rich and I was strong...Feel the wind blow through my skin.
The pain, the air is killing me...Now my branches suffer...Pollution and slow
death..."
The Day Seattle Died
By Cold. Tribute to
grunge and the tragic deaths of Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley. “…Drowning in
misery The nightmare begins when you close the door You sat in your angry chair
and stryed to be you The needle became your queen The drug had become your
enemy And music was just a way for you to bleed Blown away by fame We could all
feel the shotgun hit the floor…”
The Day the Nazi Died
By Chumbawamba. About prejudice, hate and the dangers of the Nazi party past
and present. "We're taught that after the war the nazis vanished without a
trace but batallions of fascists still dream of a master race...tell them that
the nazis never really went away they're out there burning houses down and
they're peddling racist lies and we'll never rest again until every nazi
dies.."
The Days Of A Champion
By Rupert Hine. About the tentative
or temporary nature of "celebrity status" and the unpredictable
nature of fame and fortune. "The days of
a champion are numbered it seems...He'll be out of the picture but stuck in
the frame. No more prizes, no more accolades...The days of a champion. They
will dissect
his whole career. The days of a champion and watch him disappear..."
D. Boon
By Uncle Tupelo. Tribute to deceased musician D. Boon member of
the band, Minutemen.
"do you remember, remember D.
Boon part of what he was is a part of me now and if you think back, where
would he be where would I be if time had allowed..."
Dead
By Sprung Monkey. About the
dangers of substance abuse. In the
song a person is warning a friend about the destructive power of
drugs and the risks he or she is taking. Song also deals with the issue of
denial. "Open up your eyes and try to see now because it's a long dark
road you turned to go down...But you just wanted to try to taste a small piece
of the high...Like a bullet in your head it's bound to kill you and like a
modern day Judas it will betray you...Now I'm tired of hearing you say that
it's under control and that it's really not much..."
Dead And Gone
By Molly Hatchet. About heroin addiction and its negative effects on the
body. "...Put the needle in the spoon...I know you'll need a fix real
soon...You know your headed for your doom...You look a little older but you
sure ain't no wiser...You're running for a stone cold tomb..."
Dead And Gone
By Unseen. About physical violence and substance abuse. "You were a
violent drunk but now your dead and gone you were ruining my life the damage
had been caused on the day of your funeral my life was reborn...You hit my
younger brothers and then you'd taunt me and when I would confront you you'd
say it was a lie well I was at your funeral happy that you died..."
Dead Children
By Eric Lee Green. According to
the artist, I wrote the
song"Dead Children" for them, the children for whom the American
Dream is just a lie that eats them up inside. Too bad nobody ever listens. "...dead
children with dead eyes dead from bullets dead from lies dead from dreams that
done gone and died when you see'em comin' you better hide..."
Dead End Street
By The Kinks. About being poverty stricken, feeling helpless, and not being
able to better yourself because of a poor financial situation. "There's a
crack in the ceiling and the kitchen sink is leaking. Out of work and got no
money...Two roomed apartment on the second floor. No chance to emigrate. I'm
deep in debt and now its much too late...gonna die on dead end street..."
The Dead Heart
By Midnight Oil. About the Aborigines and
the struggle to preserve their way of life. "...We don't serve your
country, don't serve your king. White man listen to the songs we sing. White
man came took everything. We carry in our hearts the true country, and that
cannot be stolen. We follow in the steps of our ancestry, and that cannot be
broken..."
Dead Investment
By Human Greed. An animal rights song
that raises awareness about the use of animal
fur in human garments. "They call it luxury to take the skins of
animals and make fur coats with it. I call it useless agony. Who do you think
needs the fur more?...Stop being so worried about your look in society..."
Dead Man Walking
By David Bowie. About the aging
process and reflections on growing old.
"And I'm gone gone gone. Now I'm older than the movies. Let me dance away.
Now I'm wiser than dreams. Let me fly away...And I'm gone, like I'm dancing on
angels. And I'm gone, through the crack in the past..."
Dead Man Walking
By Bruce Springsteen. The song is from and
inspired by the motion picture "Dead Man
Walking" which is based on a true story.
Song examines the brutal nature of crime
and punishment in our society. Also about the importance of accepting
responsiblity for ones's actions and the healing or redemptive power of love and forgiveness.
"...Between our dreams and actions lies this world... All I could feel was
the drugs and the shotgun and my fear up inside of me. Like a dead man
talkin'...Sister, I won't ask for
forgiveness, my sins are all I have...There is a new day comin' and my dreams
are full tonight."
Dealer
By Deep Purple. Song is about a person who supplies drugs to others and an
individual's eventual dependence on this person for drugs. ""If you
fool around with the dealer remember soon you'll have to pay. He'll creep behind
you like a hunter. Just to steal your soul away..."
Dealer
By Steve Winwood. Song is about
corruption and greed in the music industry. Song was supposedly written about
Chris Blackwell president of Island Records. "...Money is his only love.
Feeling nothing deep inside. His mind is governed by his pride. Like the mighty
oceans roar. He gets all his share and more...dealer, dealer..."
Dear Abby
By John Prine. A tribute to America's best known syndicated advise
columnist, Dear Abby. Song is a humorous look at a serious topic; individuals
who are experiencing personal problems and seeking
counsel or advice. "Dear Abby, Dear Abby; My feet are too long my
hair's falling out, and my rights are all wrong. My friends they all tell me
I've no friends at all. Won't you write me a letter, won't you give me a call?
Signed, Bewildered..."
Dear Bob
By Isaac Haile Selassie.
Song is a tribute to Bob Marley.
"...You try so hard to make us believe. Now I see the light I can see your
way...Dear Bob dear Bob we love you. Dear Bob Dear Bob we miss you..."
Dear John
By Styx. A tribute to John
Panozzo, former drummer for the group Styx who died from health
complications related to alcoholism.
"Dear John, I knew you about as well as anyone. We were the wild ones. So
sure those days would never end. Now they're only memories my friend. Dear
John, I'll see you someday again..."
Dear Mama
By Tupac. A first person
account of Tupac's childhood, and the various struggles he faced growing up.
"No love from my daddy cause the coward wasn't there....I hung around with
the thugs, and even though they sold drugs, they showed a young brother love."
Tupac also expresses gratitude to his mother, for doing her best to raise him
as a single parent, "But now the road got tough, you're alone. Tryin' to
raise two bad kids on your own. And there's no way I can pay you back, but my
plan is to show you I can understand. You are appreciated."
Dear Mr. Jesus
By Richard Klender. Song is about child abuse. Artist is associated with the
"Day of the Child "organization which raises money to help fight
child abuse. "...Something really scared me when I saw her on the news. A
story 'bout a little girl beaten black and blue...Please don't let them hurt
your children. We need love and shelter from the storm..."
Dear Uncle Sam
By Loretta
Lynn. A man is sent off to war to fight for his country and his wife is
left alone to grieve after he is killed in action. "...I know he's
fighting for our land. I really love my country but I also love my man. He
proudly wears the colors of the old red, white, and blue. While I wear a
heartache since he left me for you. Dear Uncle Sam, I just got your telegram.
Shaking like I am for it said, I'm sorry to inform you..."
The Death of Emmett Till
By Bob Dylan. Based on actual events,
song reminds listeners of the painful
memories and legacy of racism in America. Song tells the story of the brutal
and senseless killing of Emmett
Till and of justice denied. "...This boy's dreadful tragedy I can
still remember well. The color of his skin was black and his name was Emmett
Till...Some men they dragged him to a barn and there they beat him
up...Then they rolled his body down a gulf amidst a bloody red rain...Two
brothers they confessed that they had killed poor Emmett Till...This trial was
a mockery, but nobody seemed to mind...For the jury found them innocent and the
brothers they went free. While Emmett's body floats the foam of a Jim Crow
southern sea..."
The Death of Louis
By Champion Jack Dupree. Song is a tribute to musician Louis Armstrong.
"...He was a black man, but a great black man. He was the trumpet king...A
friend to the world and a friend to the people..."
The Death of Martin Luther King
By Champion Jack Dupree. Song is a tribute to black civil rights leader
Martin Luther King. "Well the world lost a good man when we lost Dr.
Martin Luther King. A man who tried to do everything. He tried to keep the
world in peace and now the poor man has gone to rest..."
Death of Mother Nature Suite
By Kansas. About the slow and tortured death of Earth due to pollution,
technological advances and resource depletion. "...We've strangled her
trees and starved her creatures. There's poison in the sea and in the air. But
worst of all we've learned to live without her...We've lost the very meaning of
our lives. And now she's gonna die..."
The Death of Queen Jane
By Joan Baez. Inspired by
actual events this ballad
is a tribute to Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII. "...Queen Jane, my
love. Queen Jane, my love. Such a thing was never known...There was fiddling,
there was dancing on the day the babe was born, while the royal Queen Jane
beloved lay cold as stone."
Death Or Glory
By Motorhead. Song is a history
lesson in itself with many references to famous people and events throughout
time. "...I held the Iron Cross, first class with the swords. I marched
with Hitler down the bloody road to war...I was with Bonaparte, I died at
Waterloo...I was a Spartan in the Trojan Wars..."
Declaration Day
By Iced Earth. From the album The Glorious Burden this
song pays tribute to
the American Revolution and the struggle for liberty. "...The
odds are stacked against us But with our resolve relentless And arrogance their
weakness Our cause is just, we won’t be beaten Upon this
declaration Will come a brand new nation Where men are seen as equal
Governed by and for the people...So we make our stand and pray On this Declaration Day
Give me
liberty or give me death I’ll fight ‘til my last breath"
Dedicated Follower Of Fashion
By The Kinks. Song is about an individual who feels he must wear the latest fashion trends in order to
fit in to society. Can also be interpreted as a person who feels that dress and
appearance are an important part of their identity. "...His clothes
are loud but never square. It will make or break him so he's got to buy the
best...'Cause he's a dedicated follower of fashion..."
Defend Our Earth
By Alice DiMicele. Song is about the eventual destruction of Earth due
to pollution, extinction of species and overpopulation. "I read in the
paper today, we'll sacrifice the birds for someone's job and pay...No one will
have a job if we destroy this land...Causing mass extinction while doctors use
machines on human lives to prolong..."
Delia
By Bob Dylan. Based on actual events,
song is about
the murder of Delia Green, Christmas Eve, 1900. "...Delia's daddy weeped,
Delia's momma moaned. Wouldn't have been so bad if the poor girl died at
home..."
Delirium Tremens
By Christy Moore. Title is a term used to describe the shakes that
alcoholics experience when they go through alcohol withdrawal.
"...Well, I swore upon the Bible I'd never touch a drop. My heart was
palpatatin', I was sure 'twas going to stop. Thinkin' I was dyin', I gave my
soul to God to keep...It dawned on me I was gettin' the d.t.'s..."
Della Brown
By Queensryche. A young woman goes to the city to make it big and ends up
homeless and living on the streets. "...Big city bound. Gonna make your
mark. Read your name in lights...Living on the streets ain't bad...Pardon me,
could you spare some change..."
Democracy
By Leonard Cohen. Song is about the opportunity
and promise of democracy and how that ideal has yet to be fulfilled or
realized by many people and segments of American society. "...It's coming
from the sorrow on the street the holy places where the races meet...To the
shores of need. Past the reefs of greed. Through the squalls of hate. Sail on,
sail on sail on...It's coming to America first the cradle of the best and the
worst...It's here the family's broken and it's here the lonely say that the
heart has got to open in a fundamental way: Democracy is coming to the USA..."
Demolition Alley
By Saxon. Song is about incarceration and having to work on a chain gang.
"I've been working all day on demolition alley. Looking down the barrel of
a twelve gauge gun. Digging up rocks in this god forsaken alley. Breaking my
back in the midday sun..."
Demon Alcohol
By Ozzy Osbourne. About substance
abuseand the power
of addictions. Anti-alcohol messages throughout the song. Song is unique
because it is sung from the point of view of the substance (alcohol).
"...Although that one is too much, you know ten is not enough. There'll be
no compromise today, I'll watch you lose control, consume your very soul. I'll
introduce myself today, I'm the demon alcohol..."
Denmark 1943
By Fred Small. About the heroic
people of Denmark who actively
resisted the Nazi’s and provided protection and safe passage for Jewish
citizens. “…Frozen with fright in the October night. Families huddle in
basements and barns. Mistaking each breath for the angel of death. The Gestapo
the shot the alarm…Seven thousands of Jews smuggled over to Sweden by
fishermen, nurses, and priests. Hitler sends Eichmann to hunt them down but his
quarry have vanished like mist. When the war's over the Jews return cheers and
flowers adorn their way home…”
Deportees (Plane Wreck at Los
Gatos)
By Woody Guthrie. Inspired by actual events,
this song
is about migrant workers who came to the United States from Mexico. Some of the
workers were killed when they were deported and the plane taking them home
crashed. “…Some of us are illegal, and others not wanted. Our work contract’s
out and we have to move on…My brothers and sisters come working the fruit trees
and they rode the truck ‘til they took down and died…A sky plane caught fire
over Los Gatos canyon…Who are all these friends, scattered like dry leaves?…”
Desert Angel
By Stevie Nicks. About the Persian Gulf War and
Operation Desert Storm. "But then something happened in the desert.
Something broke the stars into pieces...Where is my son? Where is my father, where
has he gone? What is it that happened here, is it real? This war, this can't be
happening..."
Desensitized
By Mighty Mighty Bosstones. About the negative influence of certain types of
media. Specifically, about hyped or sensationalized coverage of news
stories and how it has resulted in a growing number of callous or emotionally
insensitive viewers who no longer express feelings or reactions to tragic
events. "...I remember how the wind was knocked from me before it became
footage. A footnote in history...Recently I think I heard, it could have been
avoided. It shouldn't have occurred. Sadly we're desensitized to all the
scandals and the cover ups. The conspiracies and lies..."
Desperate People
By Living Colour. Many health related issues including self-esteem, drug
abuse, and peer pressure. "...You get your sunshine from a tab of paper
Then you're sitting in a spinning room The clock is tocking and it's laughing
at you your life's a mystery without a clue The crowd you're in thinks you're
so amusing They're oh so flattering and so sincere They stand and laugh as they
watch you crumble And when you cry for help they don't hear Desperate People
Desperate People..."
Desperation
By Steppenwolf. About finding hope and optimism in times of depression and
despair. "...So don't stop tryin' when you stumble. Don't give up should
you fall. Keep on searchin' for the passway...Or you will never find peace of
mind..."
The Destruction of a Person
By Superjoint Ritual. About
the downward spiral of drug abuse and
addiction. "...There we were on the floor. Slumped over and sliding
downward. With syringes hanging out of our arms...the destruction of a
person..."
Detox Mansion
By Warren Zevon. About substance abuse. Song takes a satirical look at the Betty Ford Center, a drug and
alcohol rehabilitation center. "Well I'm gone to detox mansion, way down
on last breath farm. I've been rakin' leaves with Liza. Me and Liz clean up the
yard. What goes on in detox mansion outside the rubber room? We get therapy and
lectures, we play golf in the afternoon..."
Detroit Rock City
By Kiss. A person uses drugs and alcohol, ends up driving too fast while
under the influence and is killed in a head on collision on the way to a rock
show. This song is a perfect example of what can happen when a person takes
unhealthy risks and makes poor decisions. "...First I drink then I
smoke...Start up the car and I try to make the midnight show...Movin' too fast,
doin' 95. Hit top speed but I'm still movin' much too slow...There's a truck
ahead, lights starin' at my eyes...'Oh my God no time to turn...I know I'm
gonna die..."
Devil In The Bottle
By Lynyrd Skynyrd. About alcohol abuse. "I'm walkin' down this dead end
road, all alone and by myself. Wish I could blame the whiskey, but I can only
blame myself...I only hurt the one's I love. There's a devil in the
bottle..."
Devil's Island
By Megadeth. About a group of islands in Guiana, France that was home to one
of France’s most notorious and dangerous prisons. “The light that fills my
lonely cell is blocked out by the key that locks the door to this hell, the
place they wanted me…Here on Devil’s Island, the final stop for me…”
The Devil's Right Hand
By Steve Earle. About the
dangers of hand guns and gun violence. Related topics; gun control and the culture of
violence. "...I saw my first pistol in the general store. In the general
store, when I was thirteen. Thought it was the finest thing I ever had seen. So
I asked if I could have one someday when I grew up. Mama dropped a dozen eggs
she really blew up...Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand...It can
get you into trouble but it can't get you out..."
The Devil Went Down To Georgia
By Charlie Daniels Band. Song is based on or inspired by a 1927 Stephen
Vincent Benet poem regarding a fiddle contest titled "The Mountain
Whippoorwill." "The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin'
for a soul to steal...Johnny rosined up his bow and played his fiddle hard...If
you lose the devil gets your soul..."
Diamond Smiles
By Bob Geldof. Song is
inspired by an actual event. About vanity and people who are overly concerned
with image, appearance, and material wealth. Song takes a look at people
who are suffering inside and the trappings of an excessive lifestyle that
is spiritually and emotionally bankrupt. Reminds listeners that looks can be
decieving. "...Diamond smiles her cocktail smile. Tonight she's in
heavy disguise...She wonders will her glamour survive... Everybody tries, it's Dale Carnegie
gone wild...Everybody drinks Martini dry, and talks about clothes and the
latest styles...Nobody saw her go...She went up the stairs, stood up on the
vanity chair. Tied her lame belt around the chandelier, and went out kicking at
the perfumed air."
Diary Of A Working Man
By Blackfoot. A hardworking man who doesn't get any breaks in life feels
that suicide is the answer to his problems. "...Been a poor man all of his
life. Just when things were going right. Some stranger takes his woman away.
Doesn't know if he'll see another day...With a tear in his eye and a gun in his
hand. So ends the diary of a working man..."
Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit
That Ball?
By Count Basie. Song
is a tribute to the first African-American to play major league baseball . Jackie Robinson signed with the
Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. "Did you see Jackie Robinson hit that
ball?...When Jackie
comes to bat the other team is through...and that ain't all. He stole home.
Yes, yes, Jackie's
real gone."
Die High
By Clawfinger. About the dangers of drug addiction and how it becomes a slow
death for users. "Going down slow, how low can you get. Before you break
yourself...Is your addiction worth more than life itself...Get high. Rush your
luck to the limit. You're gonna die high..."
Different People
By No Doubt. About the beauty of differences among people and respect for
individuality, and the opportunity to learn from someone else's point of view.
"...So many different people, so many different kinds. Look at me, I'm a
person, look at me I'm my own person...'Cause one can teach the other one what
she doesn't know. While still the other fills a place inside, he never knew had
room to grow..."
Dim Lights
By New Riders of the Purple Sage. A substance abuse song. "Dim lights,
thick smoke and loud, loud music is the only life you'll ever understand...A
home and little children mean nothing to you. A house filled with love and a
husband so true. You'd rather have a drink..."
Dinosaur
By King Crimson. A tongue-in-cheek look at the dinosaur and it's inability
to survive. "...Ignorance has always been something I excel in, followed
by naivete and pride. Doesn't take a scientist to see how any clever predator
could have a piece of me. Standing in the sun, idiot savant. Something like a
monument. I'm a dinosaur, somebody is digging my bones..."
Dire Wolf
By Grateful Dead. A tribute to the dire wolf,
song was inspired by a viewing
of the Hound
of Baskervilles. Song includes a variety of references and allusions.
"...In the backwash of Fennario The black and bloody mire. The Dire Wolf
collects his due while the boys sing round the fire. Don't murder me. I beg of
you don't murder me. Please don't murder me."
Dirty Blvd.
By Lou Reed. About the poor and
disenfranchised people who are sometimes forgotten in our society. "Pedro
lives out of the Wilshire Hotel. He looks out a window without glass...His
father beats him 'cause he's too tired to beg... No one here dreams of being a doctor or a lawyer or
anything, they dream of dealing on the dirty boulevard... Outside it's a bright
night, there's an opera a Lincoln
Center. Movie stars arrive by limousine...But the lights are out on the
mean streets. A small kid stands by the Lincoln Tunnel, he's selling
plastic roses for a buck..."
Dirty Business
By New Riders of the Purple Sage. Inspired by actual events.
"...Well I make two bucks a day and that ain't a healthy pay...Dirty
business down in Coal Creek...There's been talk goin' round how they're gonna
shut it down if the man don't come and fix things pretty quick...Just then they
heard the sound that rumbled from the ground...The mine was not at issue
anymore..."
Dirty Laundry
By Don Henley. About tabloid
journalism and how the media sensationalizes events in our society.
"...We got the bubble-headed beach blond, comes on at five. She can tell
about the plane crash, with a gleam in her eye. It's interesting when people
die, give us dirty laundry..."
(America's) Dirty Little Secret
By Schleprock. About how people in general ignore or turn their backs on
racism and other cultural problems in our society. "...'Cause racism is
breaking us up. Stop sweeping it under the rug...Created equal is what they
said. Discrimination is what we get...Oppression, destruction, bigotry burning
in our nation. Pathetic, anti-semetic, it's your dirty little secret..."
Dirty Magic
By Offspring. About a person struggling with mixed feelings and emotions
about a relationship. He is finding it difficult to communicate with his
partner, and understand her behavior and actions. "...I hate you so but
love you more. I'm so elastic. The things you say. Games you play...I should
know better than to think I'd reach inside her. It's all a cloudy kind of
daze..."
Disarm
By Smashing Pumpkins. Song
has multiple layers or meanings by design. Some
have interpreted the song to be about abortion. It might also have
autobiographical meaning or personal significance and be about the pain of
childhood, experiencing betrayal, retribution, and a loss of innocence. In a
broader sense the song could be about the responsibility
we all share for our "culture of
violence" and the random or unpredictable
nature of violence. "Disarm you with a
smile and cut you like you want me to cut that little child. Inside of me
and such a part of you...I used to be a little boy. So old in my shoes...Disarm
you with a smile. And leave you like they left me here... The killer in me is
the killer in you. Send this smile over to you..."
Disaster at the Mannington Mine
By Hazel Dickens. This song is based
on actual events. We
read in the paper and the radio tells Us to to raise our children to be miners
as well. Oh tell them how safe the mines are today And to be like your daddy,
bring home a big pay. Now don't you believe them, my boy, That story's a lie. Remember the disaster
at the Mannington mine
Where seventy-eight miners were buried alive, Because of unsafe conditions
your daddy died..."
Disgraceland
By Alice Cooper. A not so flattering look at Elvis Presley and his untimely
death due to addiction and obesity. "...He ate his weight in country ham.
Killed on pills and woke in disgraceland...He finished his short life sweaty
and bloated and stoned...Disgraceland..."
Distant Skies
By The Stratovarious Network. Song is about aviophobia. "Went into the
plane, scared as hell. Tried to relax for awhile. But when we took off I feared
we would fall...How I hate this plane..."
Divine Object Of Hatred
By Rollins Band. About resisting hatred and violence in society.
"...You hate me- I can see that it's real you do things to me that you
never thought ya would! You hurt me- you'll never know what I feel what ya
bring me, I never thought you could Give me more, make me stronger, high on
your poison I am divine! ..."
D.I.V.O.R.C.E.
By Tammy Wynette. A mother comes to grips with her impending divorce and
wonders what effects it will have on her young son. "Our little boy is
four years old and quite a little man. So we don't spell out the words we don't
want him to understand. But the words we're hiding from him now tear the heart
right out of me. Our d.i.v.o.r.c.e. becomes final today..."
Dixieland
By Steve Earle. Song was
inspired by Michael Sharra's
Civil War novel "The Killer
Angels". "...I am a Kilrain of the 20th Maine and we fight for
Chamberlain. 'Cause he stood right with us when the Johnnies came like a
Banshee on the wind. When the smoke cleared out of Gettysburg, many a mother
wept. For many a good boy died there..."
D.O.A.
By Bloodrock. About two people who are killed in a high speed car crash.
Relates to issues of personal safety and unhealthy risk taking. "...I try
to move my arms and there's no feeling. And when I look I see there's nothing
there. The face beside me stopped it, totally bleeding. The girl I knew has
such a distant stare...Life is flowing out of my body..."
Doctor Roberts
By The Beatles. About a drug dealer. "...If your down he'll pick you
up, Doctor Roberts. Take a drink from his special cup...He's a man you must
believe. Helping everyone in need..."
Dogs
By Pink Floyd. About the brutal, competitive, and ruthless nature of people
in this "dog eat dog" world and how they must face the consequences
of their actions. "...You gotta strike when the moment is right without
thinking... You have to be trusted by the people that you lie to, so that when
they turn their backs on you, you'll get the chance to put the knife
in...You'll reap the harvest you have sown...So have a good drown as you go
down alone. Dragged down by the stone..."
A Dog's Life
By Elvis Presley. About "man's best friend" and his life of
luxury. "...Curled up in an easy chair. Man, that won't be too hard to
take. I'll always be faithful, that's what I'll be. Never bite a hand that
feeds me, no siree. Just lead a dog's life, what a life..." Teachers might
use this song to introduce meaningful topics such as proper pet care, the role
of local animal shelters, and
the important work of the Humane Society.
Dogs Of War
By Saxon. An anti-war song. "...Lay the wreath across the flag. Fill
another body bag. Guard of honor standing proud. Put your son into the ground.
Did they die for you and me..."
Doing It All For My Baby
By Huey Lewis and the News. Song is about love, commitment, giving of self,
and having respect for your significant other. These are areas of emotional
health. "...She lays her head upon my weary shoulder. Listen to her
laughing, snuggle up and say. Now I'm with you baby, the lonliness is over. I
do my best to give her love that lasts forever..."
Doing Time
By Rory Gallagher. A prison song. "...I drove the car, I took the fall.
I walk the cell at night. I cry 'til dawn. The days are long but time will
pass..."
(Sister's Are) Doin' It For
Themselves
By Eurythmics w/ Aretha Franklin. Song advocates the Women's Liberation
movement. "We're comin' out of the kitchen. "Cause there's somethin'
that we got to say to you. Sister's are doin' it for themselves. Standin' on
their own two feet and ringing their own bells..."
Doll Parts
By Hole. Song is a reaction to the objectification of women and distorted images of women in media. Also
about the superficial nature of beauty. "I am doll eyes. Doll mouth, doll legs.
I am doll arms...I fake it so real I am beyond fake. And someday you will ache
like I ache..."
The Dolphins Are Leaving This
Place
By James Gordon. An environmental awareness song. About the carelessness of
human beings when it comes to our planet Earth. "Maybe it was turning the
oceans into sewers. Maybe it was Disney World...Maybe those tuna nets and
tourist boats were the last straw for us. Or those oil spills that made us
throw our flippers up in disgust...We've had it with the human race. You're too
stupid to share our planet..."
Done With Bonaparte
By Mark Knopfler. About the Napoleonic
Wars. Sung from the point of view of of a weary French soldier who has lost
faith in his commander. "...We've paid in hell since Moscow burned as
Cossacks tear us piece by piece...What dreams he made for us to dream. Spanish
skies, Egyptian sands. The world was ours, we marched upon our little
corporal's command...Save my soul from evil, Lord. and heal this soldier's
heart. I'll trust in thee to keep me, Lord. I'm done with Bonaparte..."
Do Nothing
By The Specials. Song is about a person who is emotionally "lost"
and searching for some meaning or greater purpose to his or her life.
"...I'm just living in a life without meaning. I walk and walk - do
nothing. I'm just living in a life without feeling. I talk and talk - say
nothing. I walk along this same lonely street. Still trying to find, find a
reason..."
Don Quixote
By Gordon Lightfoot. Inspired by Cervante's
classic tale of the deluded, windmill-battling self appointed knight, and
his trusty squire Sancho Panza. "Through the woodland, through the valley,
comes a horseman wild and free. Tilting at the windmills
passing, who can the brave young horseman be?..."
Don't Call Us, We'll Call You
By Sugarloaf featuring Jerry Corbetta. Song is about the struggles of a rock
band to secure a recording deal and the indifference of record companies. The
band ends up having success on their own and now the same record companies want
to sign them. "...Say hey A & R this is mister rhythm and blues. He
said hello and put me on hold. To say the least the cat was cold. He said
"don't call us, we'll call you"...Anyway, we cut a hit and we toured
a bit with a song he said he couldn't use. And now he calls and begs and
crawls. It's telephone deja vu..."
Don't Come Home A Drinkin'
ByLoretta
Lynn. A woman deals with her husband's neglect and absence from the home
due to his alcohol addiction. "Well you thought I'd be waiting up when you
came home last night. You'd been out with the boys and you ended up half tight.
But liquor and love, they just don't mix...You never take me anywhere because
you're always gone. And many a night I've laid awake and cried all
alone...Leave the bottle or me behind..."
Don't Cut Me Down
By Oliva Newton John. About how humans continue to rape and plunder the land
by cutting down trees for various uses. "I'm tall, I need to grow. I need
the sun in my eyes. My home is the Earth below. Don't cut me down for I am
innocent. Don't cut me down. I am your friend..."
Don't Drink The Water
By Dave Matthews. Lyrics express ethnocentric/imperialistic beliefs and
attitudes. Song relates to the conquest and removal of indigenous peoples
throughout the world. "....There's no place here, what were you expecting?
No room for both, just for me...For I have no time to justify you. Fool, you're
blind, so move aside for me. All I can say to you, men, you neighbors. You must
move on, or I will bury you..."
Don't Drive Drunk
By Stevie Wonder. About the dangers of drinking and driving. References made
to "Mothers Against Drunk Driving". "...Boy out with a girl on
their first date. Gets pulled over by the law...Results from the breathalizer
proves he's charged with D.U.I...Mothers Against Drunk Driving are mad..."
Don't Drive Drunk
By Wesley Willis. A song about the dangers associated with drinking and
driving. "Drunk driving is no joke. It is no accident. Drunk driving can
get you into a collision. It can also get you killed...Don't drink and
drive..."
Don't Drop That Bomb On Me
By Bryan Adams. An environmental awareness song. References also made to
some of society's woes and problems. "...Trashed the forests and the trees
'til there's nothin' left to cut. We raped the rivers and the seas and turned
the land to dust. It goes on and on..."
Don't Fear The Reaper
By Blue Oyster Cult. Often
misinterpreted as promoting suicide, song is about the inevitability of death and dying and how
people might learn to
accept death without fear. Lyrics also express a belief or faith in the
eternal or everlasting power of love and
how it can serve as a link or bridge between the "living" world and
the hereafter. "All our times here have come. Here but now they're gone.
Seasons don't
fear the reaper. Nor do the wind, the sun, or the rain...We can be like
they are. Come on baby...don't fear the reaper. Baby take my hand...don't fear
the reaper..."
Don't Get Drunk, Don't Get
Dumb, Don't Get Dead
By KC Wilkerson. Song talks about the dangers of drinking and driving.
"...Don't get drunk...It's the most important rhyme a momma ever said. She
said leave your car at home, use your head instead..."
Don't Give Up
By Peter Gabriel. Artist has stated
that this song was inspired by a Dorothea Lange
Dust Bowl era picture,
song is about coping
with the emotional and personal impact of poverty and unemployment. "...In
this proud land we grew up strong, we were wanted all along. I was taught to
fight, taught to win. I never thought I could fail..." Song encourages
listener to carry on, to persevere.
"...Don't give up, 'cos you have friends. Don't
give up, you're not beaten yet. Don't
give up, I know you can make it good..."
Don't Go And Put A Bullet In
Your Head
By Lenny Kravitz. A man is stuck in a low paying job and can't support his
family. He becomes depressed and contemplates suicide. "...Can't feed my
wife and kids...Ain't got no credit, can't even pay my rent...Can't feed the
pain in my heart...Don't go and put a bullet in your head..."
Don't Kill The Whale
By Yes. A tribute to the whale and a call to end it's slaughter.
"...Rejoice they sing, they worship their own space. In a moment of love,
they will die for their grace. Don't kill the whale..."
Don't Laugh At Me
By Mark Wills. About making fun of people who "don't fit in", and
how teasing/cruelty can hurt others. "I'm a little boy with glasses, the
one they call a geek. A little girl who never smiles, cuz I got braces on my
teeth...Don't laugh at me, don't call me names. Don't get your pleasure from my
pain..."
Don't Leave Me
By blink-182-. About denial and a
person coping with the end of a relationship. "...I'll be fine, it's not
the first...She said I'm not the one she thinks about and she said it stopped
being fun...One more chance, I'll try this time...I'll listen up, pretend to
care..."
Don't Let Daddy Kiss Me
By Motorhead. Deals with the horrors of incest. "Little girl sleeping in
dreams of peace. Mommy's been gone a long time. Daddy comes home and she still
sleeps, waiting for the world's worst crime. And he comes up the stairs like he
always does..."
Don't Let Me Get Me
By Pink. A mental health song about a person struggling with a poor self
image and low self esteem. "...Everyday I fight a war against the mirror
Can't take the person starin' back at me I'm a hazard to myself Don't let me
get me I'm my own worst enemy Its bad when you annoy yourself So irritating
Don't wanna be my friend no more I wanna be somebody else...So doctor, doctor
won't you please prescribe something A day in the life of someone
else?..."
Don't Let The Joneses Get You
Down
By The Temptations. About the importance of not competing with your
neighbors to see who has the most material possessions. Relates to the phrase,
"keepin' up with the Joneses"..."...Stop worrying about your
neighbors and the fancy things they got...Remember the old saying, all that
glitters is not gold...Keeping up with the Joneses, you know it makes your life
a mess. Bill collectors, tranquilizers and getting deeper in debt..."
Don't Look Back
By Boston. About self acceptence, turning over a new leaf and moving forward
to reach your goals and dreams. "Don't look back, a new day is breakin'.
It's been so long since I felt this way...I'm much too strong not to
compromise. Now I see what is holding me down. I'll turn it around...It's a new
horizon and I'm awakin' now. I see myself in a brand new way..."
Don't Look Back
By Michael Rychlik. Song pays tribute to baseball player Satchel Paige. "...I could
throw my fastball through a brick wall...I became the number one attraction in
the Negro Leagues...In '46 a kid named Jackie broke the color line...I was 42
when I finally got my chance. Had to prove that old Satch had his
stuff..."
(You Gotta Walk And) Don't Look
Back
By Peter Tosh w/ Mick Jagger. Song is about taking or accepting
responsibility for your problems. Also about looking to the future with
optimism and not dwelling on past mistakes. "If it's love that you're
running from, there is no hiding place. Just your problems no one else's
problems you just have to face. We're gonna leave all our troubles behind. We
gonna walk And don't look back..."
Don't Rush (Take Love Slowly)
By K-Ci and JoJo. Song is about resisting the temptation of being sexually
active and continuing to practice abstinence. "...We don't have to rush the
night away. There's always going to be another day. A time to make love and a
time to play. What I'm trying to say is take love slowly..."
Don't Stop
By Fleetwood Mac. An optimistic song about
looking to the future as a time of hope and promise. Used as a theme song for
president Clinton's 1992 campaign. "...Why not think about the times to
come, and not about the things that you've done. If your life was bad to you,
just think what tomorrow will do..."
Don't Take Your Gun To Town
By Johnny Cash. A coming
of age song about decision making, maturity, overconfidence, and the desire
for independence. "A young cowboy named Billy Joe grew restless on the
farm...He laughed and kissed his mom and said your Billy Joe's a man I can
shoot as quick and as straight as anybody can...But she cried again as he rode
away, don't take your guns to town son..."
Don't Tread On Me
By Metallica. The phrase "Don't
tread on me" is most commonly associated with the American Revolution and early American flags. In a
general sense the song
is about standing up for
freedom and your rights, refusing to give in or back down, and being willing to
fight for what you believe in. "Liberty or death, what we so proudly hail.
Once you provoke her, rattling of her tail...Don't tread on me so be it,
threaten no more. To secure peace is to prepare for war. So be it. Settle the
score. Touch me again for the words that you'll hear evermore..."
Don't Wait For Heroes
By Dennis DeYoung. About believing in yourself, striving to reach goals,
resisting negative peer pressure and working hard to get what you want out of
life. "...Don't wait for heroes. Think for yourself. Make your own
choices. You know it's easy to follow the crowd...Believe in yourself. You've
got the power..."
Don't Worry, Be Happy
By Bobby McFerrin. Relates to emotional health, well being, and remaining
optimistic. As the song says, "...In every life we have some trouble, but
when you worry you make it double...cause when you worry your face will frown,
and that will bring everybody down. Don't worry, be happy..."
Door Number Three
By Jimmy Buffett. Song is about
being a contestant on the legendary game show "Let's Make A Deal".
"...I held a big sign that said "kiss me I'm a baker and Monty I sure need the
dough"...And I don't know what Jay's got on his table or the box Carol Merrill
points to the floor...'Cause my whole world lies waiting behind door number
three..."
Door To Door
By Creedence Clearwater Revival. Song is about the life of a traveling
salesman. "Find me out a walkin', time the whistle starts a callin'. Maybe
stoppin' early, knockin' at your door. Take so long to answer, Lord knows it
ain't the milkman. Could be stoppin' early, sellin' door to door..."
Dopeman
By Less Than Jake. Song is about a person who sells drugs for a living and
doesn't think about all of the negative consequences that could happen to them.
"Dopeman's got another big plan to sell it to anyone he can...A quick
money fix from a deal or two...A quick drug fix to get you
through...Dopeman..."
Dope Smoking Moron
By The Replacements. An anti-drug song. "...Look at where you're goin'
before you go insane. Your pills and your booze and you're not the same. Dope
smokin' moron...Keep doin' it, you're gonna die..."
Doppler Shifting
By The Chromatics. This song is about the Doppler Shift and how
astronomers use it. "...That's the Doppler shift -- you can see it, it's
true. The Doppler shift -- to the red or the blue. When a star is approaching
and coming our way it's spectrum seems bluer, hear what I say. But when a
star's retreating back out of range when the scientist measures its frequency
change..."
Do The Evolution
By Pearl Jam. About the senseless
destruction of our environment and natural resources as man and technology have
come to dominate the planet. Song also deals with the often debated topic of Darwinism. "...I'm ahead ,
I'm a man. I'm the first mammal to wear pants, yeah. I'm at peace, with my
lust...This land is mine, this land is free. I'll do what I want but
irresponsibly. It's evolution baby...I
crawled the earth, but now I'm higher..."
Do They Know It's Christmas?
By Bob Geldof. About social responsibility and remembering those
who are less fortunate through both thought and action. Providing aid to people
and nations around the world that are struggling with famine and hunger. "...But say
a prayer, pray for the other ones. At Christmas time it's hard but when you're
having fun. There's a world outside your window and it's a world of dread and
fear. Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears...And there
won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time. The greatest gift they'll get this
year is life..."
Down And Out In Paradise
By John Cougar Mellencamp. About difficulties facing less fortunate people
in our society and their struggles to overcome these obstacles. Song also
relates to public policy and how the government deals with social problems.
"Dear Mr. President I live in the suburbs. It's a long way from Washington
D.C. Had me a job working for wages. Till the company moved out and they forgot
about me...I'm down and out here in paradise, looks like the milk and honey
done run out on me..."
The Downeaster
"Alexa"
By Billy Joel. About the life and struggles of a commercial fisherman in the
waters off the Northeastern United States. "I have chartered a course to
the Vineyard, but tonight I am Nantucket bound. We
took on diesel back in Montauk
yesterday...I've got bills to pay and children who need clothes...Now I drive my Downeaster Alexa more and
more miles from shore every year...Can't make a living as a bayman anymore.
There ain't much future for a man who works the sea..."
Down In A Hole
By Alice in Chains. Deals with a person who is emotionally distressed
and depressed and who is crying out for help. "...Down in a hole and I
don't know if I can be saved. See my heart I decorate it like a grave. You
don't understand who they thought I was supposed to be. Look at me now a man
who won't let himself be. Down in a hole, losin, my soul...I'd like to fly but
my wings have been so denied..."
Down In The Mall
By Warren Zevon. About the popularity of the shopping mall and how it has
become such a large part of our society. "There's a brand new shopping
center seven stories high. There's bound to be a sale or two, something we can
buy. There's four floors of parking, and we're sure to find a space. We'll
spend all the money that the government doesn't take..."
Down On The Corner
By Creedence Clearwater Revival. Song is about a band of musicians who play
music on the street in order to make some money. Street performers are a
common site in urban areas. "...Four kids on the corner, trying to bring
it up. Willy picks a tune out and he blows it on the harp. Down on the corner,
out in the street. Willy and the Poor Boys are playin', bring a nickel, tap
your feet..."
Downsized
By Ray Korona. This song is about
corporate greed and the human
impact of corporate
layoffs. "...It's not people that they see, only cold, hard
cash...Keep on smiling though you're downsized. Your sacrifice will shine in
our bottom line..."
Downtown L.A.
By J.J. Cale. A sobering look at the realities of urban life in Los Angeles.
References made to crime, drugs, homelessness and violence. "...Men down
there trying to walk the line. Trading their souls for a bottle of wine. In the
inner city it ain't no good. It's a long, long way from Hollywood. Bad people
got a hold of the street...Downtown L.A. is a depressing place..."
Draft Dodger Rag
By Phil Ochs. Anti-war
song. "...I hate Chou En Lai, and I hope he dies, but one thing you gotta
see, that someone's gotta go over there but that someone isn't me...And if you
ever get a war without blood and gore, well I'll be the first to go."
Related topics: Red Scare, pacificism, and peace organizations.
Draft Morning
By The Byrds. One of many Vietnam War protest songs. It's amazing the number
of groups who focused on this subject and reacted through songs. "...No hurry
to learn to kill and take the will...Today was the day for action. Leave my bed
to kill instead. Why should it happen..."
Draft Resister
By Steppenwolf. A protest song against the United States government and our
involvement in the Vietnam War. Song also shows support for draft
dodgers."...Heed the threat and awesome power of the mighty Pentagon.
Which is wasting precious millions on the toys of Washington. Don't forget the
draft resisters and their silent, lonely plea. When they march them off to prison,
they will go for you and me..."
Drank Like A River
By Whiskeytown. About self-destruction behavior and a man gradually drinking
himself to death. "...So he drank like a river when their wedding bells rang.
Watched from the steeplechase as the choir girls sang. Died in the gutter on
his feet and hands..."
Draw The Line
By P.O.D. About making a difference in our world today and using our
energies to help reduce some of the world's problems. "...Gangs, crack,
racism and many people don't have hope...Man can make a difference...We all
have have the ability to release a positive capability. Where the youth is our
responsibility..."
Dreamer
By Ozzy Osbourne. About humanity, mankind, unity, spirituality and
protecting our environment. "...I'm hoping that the dawn will bring a
sign. A better place for those who will come after us...Without each others
help there ain't no hope for us...When will all this anger, hate and bigotry be
gone..."
Dream For Him
By David Crosby. Singer is disturbed
by the troubled world we are passing on to our children yet this could also be
interpreted as a song of hope about
the opportunity of youth and power of people to make this world a better place.
"...how do you explain this world we face to all of the innocents we have
brought to this place these and other questions stand in a row and I'm not
satisfied with the answers I know...I look at all the faces all
haggard and gaunt and I wonder which thing made them lose their dream cause
mine is alive very much it would seem and I would just love to be able to hand
it to him without the light in those eyes ever getting dim I want a dream for him......"
Dreamin'
By Lou Reed. From the "Magic and
Loss" CD which is "Dedicated to Doc and especially to Rita...Between
two Aprils I lost two friends..." A personal song about death, grief, and
love. "If I close my eyes I see your face and I'm not without you. If I
try hard and concentrate I can still hear you speak...if I close my eyes I
can't believe that I'm here without you..."
Dream On
By Aerosmith. A person realizes that their life is passing them by and
wonders how it has passed so quickly. "Everytime that I look in the mirror.
All these lines on my face gettin' clearer. The past is gone. It went by like
dust to dawn. Half my life's in books written pages. Lived and learned from
fools and from sages. You know its true, all these things come back to
you...dream on..."
Dreams
By Fleetwood Mac. About
struggling with hurt and anger in a relationship, desiring independence,
fearing loneliness, and being able or willing to let go. "Now here you go again
you say you want your freedom. Well who am I to keep you down...But listen
carefully to the sound of your loneliness like a heartbeat...drives you mad. In
the stillness of remembering what you had and what you lost..."
Dreams Go By
By Harry Chapin. About getting caught up with the responsibilities of life
and not being able to realize all of your dreams. Also deals with issues of
making personal sacrifices in order to make life's relationships work.
"...You know I want to be a ballplayer, a regular slugging fool. But our
dreams must wait awhile until we finish school... There you stand in your
wedding dress. You're so beautiful I must confess. I'm so proud that you have
chosen me, when a doctor is
what you want to be...and so you and I, we'll watch the years go by. We'll
watch our sweet dreams fly far away, but maybe someday...I don't know when, but
we'll dream again..."
Dreams Of Life
By Molly Hatchet. Song is a tribute to the artist's deceased parents and the
love and guidance they provided. "...I cherish the days when they were
alive...They gave me all the freedom to be who I am. Took me from boy to
man..."
Dreams Of The Everyday
Housewife
By Glen Campbell. A woman feels bored and trapped in her dead end marriage
and fantasizes about what could have been. "She looks in the mirror and
stares at the wrinkles that weren't there yesterday. And thinks of the young
man that she almost married. What would he think...Oh' such are the dreams of
the everyday housewife..."
Drinking Again ( aka I've Been
Drinking)
By Rod Stewart. A person turns
to alcohol to ease his broken heart. Related topics; coping skills, dependency,
and substance abuse. "I'm
drinkin' again thinkin' of when you left me. That happened once so long ago
hmm...Well I'm makin' the rounds and settin' them up. A total stranger to
myself, I'm just makin' a fool of myself..."
Drinking And Driving
By Black Flag. About alcohol addiction, denial, and the dangers associated
with drinking and driving. "...Party down, party down. Drinkin' 'til you
can't see. In your car with your buddies and wrap it around a tree. Make sure
to tell yourself that you can quit anytime..."
Drinking Blues
By Lucille Bogan. An old blues song about using alcohol for the wrong
reasons. "Blues has got me drinkin', trouble's got me thinkin'. And it's
gonna carry me to my grave..."
Drinking Problem
By Dream Syndicate. About addiction, substance
abuse and the crippling effect it has on a person's life and the people
around them. "Well he lost a lot of friends in San Francisco. Made a fool
of himself on the Letterman
show. In Dallas, Texas he was thrown for a loss. When he passed out face
first in the barbeque sauce. Oh, he's got a drinking problem...It's late at
night and the bars are closed. He's callin' up people he barely knows. He says
"can you give me a ride across the state line? There's just gotta be
something open at this time." Oh, he's got a drinking problem..."
Drinking Too Much
By Fred Eaglesmith. A woman's excessive drinking takes a toll on her
personal relationships. "...Darling, lately I see you've been buying your
cocktails two at a time...Even your friends say your out of touch. Darling, are
you drinking too much?..."
Drinking With The Devil
By Rainbow. About alcohol addiction, and "burning both ends of the
candle". "...Out all night 'til the sun comes up. You know I'm never
gonna learn. Raise my glass and fill my cup. I'm playing with fire and I'm
gonna get burned...Drinking with the devil..."
Drive-In
By Beach Boys. A tribute to one of America's lasting symbols, the drive-in theatre. "Every time I
have a date there's only one place to go, that's to the drive-in...A big
buttered popcorn and an extra large coke. A few chili dogs and man I'm
broke...Don't sneak your buddies in the trunk 'cause they might get
caught..."
Drive On
By Johnny Cash. A Vietnam veteran recalls his war time experiences.
"...Well I came home but Tex did not and I can't talk about the hit he
got. But I got a little limp now when I walk and I got a little tremble when I
talk. But I finally found out who I am. I'm a walkin' talkin' miracle from
Vietnam..."
Drivin' Nails In My Coffin
By Hank Thompson. About a person who is slowly drinking himself to death.
"My sweetheart is gone and I'm so lonely. She said that she and I were
thru. So I started drinkin' for my pastime. Drivin' nails in my coffin..."
Driving The Last Spike
By Genesis. About laborers in the
early 1800's and the history or heritage of railways in England. "...I
gave everything that they wanted, but still they wanted more. We sweat and we
toiled, good men lost their lives...We worked in gangs for all we were worth.
The young boys pulling the wagons. We were digging the tunnel, shifting the
earth..."
Driving to Georgia
By Doug Hoekstra.
This song deals
with the elusive nature of knowledge, insight, and understanding with respect
to the meaning or greater purpose of life. "...What it is ain't what it
ain't. I don't think any one was born that great. You can go down to the
shoppin' mall. Watch the escalators rise and fall. Show me canyons filled with
tears. Rain that's fallen for a million years..."
Dr. King
By Mason Jennings. Song is a tribute to freedom fighter and activist Martin
Luther King Jr. "Dr. King. I think often of you and the love that you
learned...Up ahead we've a mighty task to love the face behind hatred's
mask..."
Dr. Livingstone, I Presume
By Moody Blues. References made to some of history's great explorersincluding Dr. Stanley
Livingstone, Christopher Columbus, and Robert Falcon Scott.
"Dr. Livingstone, I presume. Stepping out of the jungle gloom...What did
you find there?...Captain Scott, you were so bold. Now you're looking rather
cold...out there in the snow I've seen polar bears and seals...Columbus, where
are you bound? So you think the world is round? Sail off into the blue..."
Dr. My Eyes
By Jackson Browne. Song is about the many changes
taking place in the world. Seeing too much, as a metaphor for loss of
innocence. "...Doctor, my eyes have seen the years And the slow parade of
fears without crying Now I want to understand I have done all that I could To
see the evil and the good without hiding You must help me if you can Doctor, my
eyes Tell me what is wrong Was I unwise to leave them open for so
long...?"
Drowning
By Hootie and The Blowfish. Song deals
with the brutality
of racism and the evils of prejudice. "...Why is there a rebel flag
hanging from the statehouse walls?... Drowning in a sea of tears. Hatred
trying to hide your fears. Living only for yourself. Hating everybody else,
cause they don't look like you..."
Drowning All My Sorrows
By Bo Davis. About substance abuse and using alcohol to deal with your
problems. "...I'm drowning all my sorrows, I wanna be left alone. For the
one I love has left me..."
Drug Addicted In The Jailhouse
By Fury in the Slaugherhouse. A person must suffer the consequences for
their poor decision making as they sit in jail and go through withdrawal from
drug abuse. "...You got a monkey on your back and that's for real...Hey
little Billy I know what you feel...'Cause he's drug addicted in the
jailhouse..."
Drug Me
By Dead Kennedys. About substance
abuse and how people rely on drugs to achieve an altered state of mind, to
temporarily avoid problems, and to compensate for insecurity and feelings of
inadequacy. "I don't want to think. Don't make me care...My
brain needs some stimulation. Drug me, Drug me...I want the max. I relate
better loaded...Leave me alone. So I can't see myself."
Drug Train
By Social Distortion. Song warns about the dangers of experimenting with
illegal substances. "Drug train, drug train. The train passes through the
graveyard. May the loved ones rest in peace. For the last step is a violent
crash..."
Drunk
By Buckettooth. About the negative health effects from using and abusing
alcohol. "...Gotta stop boozin' before I start losin' my
imagination...Alcohol's done the same 'ol thing to me...Try to stay
clean...Drinkin' 'til my mind is confused. Try to stay away from that kind of
abuse..."
Drunk
By Tweet. Song touches on many health related topic areas including risk
taking, drug and alcohol use, addiction and drinking and driving.
"...Broke and alone, nowhere to go. And loneliness is hurting me so...Did
I drink too much 'cause the road is all lopsided...Why I had to go. Killing me
slow. I wish I could have listened to my conscience and not drunk a drop. I
wouldn't be here in so many pieces..."
Drunk Again
By Everclear. A person who is trying to stay clean and sober is tested by
his/her drunken friend who keeps coming around and exerting negative peer
pressure. “Hey Kathy please give me a break. I told you not to come here when
you’re drunk again. I’m sober now just 30 days. All alone and working to stay
that way…You get high, you’d just throw it away…”
Drunk Daddy
By Cherry Poppin' Daddies. Song is about a child who has a dysfunctional
homelife and is a victim of physical and emotional abuse from his alcoholic
parent. "...Drunk daddy broke my fingers. Drunk daddy done kicked my head.
Drunk daddy smashed my sister. Turned my whole world red, blood red...No daddy,
don't, leave me alone..."
Drunken Hearted Man
By Robert
Johnson. A misogynistic
song about
the corrupting or evil influence of women. Sung from the point of view of a man
who regards females as the source or cause of all his troubles. "I'm a drunken hearted man
my life seem so misery...Every man likes that game you call love but it don't
mean no man good...And that day that you get weak for no-good women that's the
day that you bound to fall."
Duck And Run
By 3 Doors Down. About persistence, meeting challenges head on and not
letting life's challenges get the best of you. "...This world can turn me
down but I won't turn away. And I won't duck and run 'cause I'm not built that
way...I am not running away..."
The Duelists
By Iron Maiden. About the code
and practice of dueling.
“…Ready to start the duel begins, the best man wins in the end. A lunge and a
faint, a parry too late. A cut to the chest and your down. Seeing the stain
then feeling the pain…Fight for
the honor…”
DUI
By The Offspring. Song talks about many negative risk behaviors including
alcohol abuse, driving under the influence of alcohol and letting a friend
drive drunk. "Three in the morning I gotta be someplace...Friends try to
make me stay. I grab my keys and a beer. I drink and drive...But I can't drive
a straight line..."
Dumb
By Nirvana. Deals
with different
perspectives on intellect and societal notions
about intelligence. "...I'm not like them but I can pretend. The sun
is gone but I have a light. The day is done and I'm having fun. I think I'm
dumb. Or maybe just happy. Think I'm just happy..." This song might also
be used in conjuction with "Of Mice And
Men" by John
Steinbeck
Dust Bowl
By 10,000 Maniacs. Draws upon images of the Dust Bowl to
create a portrait of a parent trying to provide a good life for his/her family
and struggling to overcome poverty
and economic
hardships. "...I try and try but I can't save. Pennies, nickels,
dollars slip away. I've tried and tried but I can't save. The hole in my pocket
is growing..."
Dust In The Wind
By Kansas. About the tentative or transitory nature of life and the relative
insignificance of material possessions. "...Same old song; just a drop of
water in an endless sea...Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky...And all your money won't
another minute buy...Everything is dust
in the wind."
Dusty
By Baker Maultsby. Song is about life on a farm. "Tend the horse, milk
the cow. Do your chores. boy, you know how. Get in on the stable and run that
plow. Mend the picket fence..."
Dusty Springfield
By Blossom Desire. Song is a tribute to deceased English rhythm and blues
singer Dusty Springfield. "...Dusty Springfield. Silver starshine over
crystal waters. Petals fall from her glance...The song's the thing...What a
pretty girl..."
The Dying Firefighter
By David Rovics. About the events that occured on September 11, 2001 when
the World Trade Center was the victim of terrorist attacks. A tribute to
firefighters. "...I carried the wounded to safety. If that's what you
might call the street. With bodies and boulders and metal. All crashing down by
your feet...Everything was falling around me..."
The Dying Soldier
By Christy Moore. About loss of innocence and the
senseless
brutality and violence of war.
"...My hands got colder, my thoughts are growing weaker. This must be the
way it is. Stop the shooting, don't you see I'm dying, someone come and say a
prayer. I don't want to die here, don't let me die here alone..."
E (top)
Each Small Candle
By Roger Waters. The following explanation for this song
appears at Mr. Waters' web site..."The first verse of "Each Small
Candle" was written by a South American who'd been a victim of torture. An
Italian journalist, active in the initiative against torture in Northern Italy,
had given Waters the short poem years ago. The poem lay in a drawer in Waters'
studio until, during the crisis in Kosovo, he read a piece in The London Times
describing a Serbian soldier who saw an Albanian woman lying in a burned-out
building. The soldier left his platoon to give aid to the woman, then rejoined
his men and marched off. The image
inspired Waters to set the short poem, "Each Small Candle," to music
and pen additional lyrics." The song begins, "Not the torturer will
scare me Nor the body's final fall Nor the barrels of death's rifles Nor the
shadows on the wall Nor the night when to the ground The last dim star of pain,
is held But the blind
indifference Of a merciless unfeeling world..."
The Eagle
By Waylon Jennings. A tribute to the American symbol of freedom and our
national bird, the bald eagle.
"...So lay all your doubts aside when you go to bed tonight. My feathers
have been ruffled and I'm ready for a fight...When yoou feel the shadow
crossing, the
eagle's in the air..."
The Eagle Has Landed
By Saxon. Song is about the Apollo
11 which was the first space craft to land on the moon in July 1969.
"...Traveled across the universe and placed the lonely flag. Out there in
isolation at the final, the final frontier...You took a giant leap for
mankind..."
Early Warning
By Rory Gallagher. Anti-nuclear weapons and war song.
"...Helter-skelter in the shelter. Can't believe it can get no worse. See
no tomorrow, time to borrow. Now I'm waiting for the nuclear nurse..."
Earth Chant
By Chris Rawlings. An environmental awareness song. "...Here's a land
full of beauty and hope. Will it survive? To be shared by our sons and our
daughters...Good intentions are easily thought not easily sold. Profit and
greed are the permits most people hold..."
Earthcrusher
By Mr. Lif. Protest song dealing with the conseqences of nuclear
conflict. "At last, the day of the blast disaster, welcome to the
hereafter Government powers in conflict In a world gone sick And they're
heavily equipped With arms to melt down cities and farms The final stage
witness the force of pure rage...This is what we always feared could happen But
never dreamed it would Nuclear holocaust..."
Earth Day Everyday (Celebrate)
By John Denver. About celebrating the beauty of life, our time on this
Earth, and nature in general. "...Celebrate Earth day everyday. Celebrate
land and sea. Celebrate you and me..."
The Earth Dies Screaming
By UB40. A haunting post-apocalypse song from the early days of the Reagan
era. "A warm, dry wind is all that breaks the silence. The highways quiet
scars across the land. People lie, eyes closed...The earth dies
screaming..."
Earth Song
By Michael Jackson. A moving tale that tells about the destruction of earth
and the environment caused
by people/technology. "...What about crying whales, we're ravaging the
seas. What about forest trails, burnt despite our pleas..."
Earth And Sun And Moon
By Midnight Oil. About the beauty
of our planet and how pollution is destroying this precious gift. "There's
the contours of the mountains, the deserts, and plains. And a hurricane is
blowing, and it turns once again. Now there's oil spills in the water where
Columbus once sailed. And there's history and mystery and it's rolling
away..."
The Earthworm Dance
By Nancy Schimmel. A great elementary or science education song. A tribute
to the earthworm and its importance
to our environment. "...The earthworms
dance with a slip, slide, slide. They tunnel throught the soil and let the air
inside. And that's good for the roots, good for the shoots. And good for the
people who eat fruits...If it weren't for the worms every farm would
fail..."
Easy's Gettin' Harder Everday
By Iris Dement. Song deals with
identity, self esteem, and the search for meaning or purpose in one's life.
"...I'll drop the baby off at school at nine and bust the lights to get to
work on time. Where I'll be staring at the clock just waiting to knock off
another day...I had a graden but my flowers died. There ain't much living here
inside. Lately I don't know what I'm holding on to...Easy's gettin' harder
everyday..."
Easy Tonight
By Five For Fighting.
According to the artist, It's about a guy whose love ends up taking her
life. The one thing crucial to 'Easy Tonight' is the line, 'I don't know where
I'm going yet/But I'm getting there.' This song is the complete anti-suicide
song because I want the kids who listen to the song to get there.
"…She’s In. Over my head…and it’s
not easy it’s not
easy tonight Shotgun fire… anybody home I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright… It’s not easy tonight You were free…Now your not…You were free”
Eat For Two
By 10,000 Maniacs. Emotional and physical changes experienced by a woman
during pregnancy. "...Five months, how it grows. Five months now, I begin
to show..." An
awareness of this new responsibility, "I eat for two, walk for two,
breathe for two now..."
Eat Some More
By Alice Cooper. About over-indulgence, food waste, world hunger and the
poor physical shape of many American people who eat way too much and don't get
enough exercise. Almost 40% of Americans are obese or overweight. "Sixty
million tons of meat. Spoiling in the stinking heat. Train full of loads of
moldy bread. Millions will still go unfed...We're not happy 'til we're choking.
So we eat some more. Throw up on the floor...We're so hungry, so
pathetic..."
Ebony And Ivory
By Paul McCartney. Song deals with racial harmony and respecting and
tolerating different cultures. "...We all know that people are the same
wherever we go...we learn to live, we learn to give each other what we need to
survive together alive...Ebony and ivory, live together in perfect
harmony..."
Ecological Blues
By Blue Cheer. About the destruction of our environment. "Oh baby,
bring my gas mask here...I cannot drink the water, I can hardly breathe the
air...I caoght myself one dead fish full of mercury...Ecological blues..."
Ecocide
By Earth Crisis. Song warns about the extinction of planet Earth.
"Silenced in the roaring flames. After the screams and the dying, nothing
remains...In the frenzy of greed, cries of protest are drowned. The earth dies,
ecocide!..."
Ed
By Ice-T. About substance abuse,
specifically the dangers of drinking and driving.
"Let me tell ya a little story bout my homeboy Ed...One night he got
drunk, and started drivin real fast----------------------------------Ed's
dead."
Eddie
By Styx. A tribute to Senator
Edward Kennedy and the Kennedy
family, song specifically refers to the risks or dangers associated with
campaigning for the presidency of the United States. "I woke up today, the
papers spoke of a man we know. He's made of the stuff they say that first made
our country grow...Eddie, now don't you run. It's the end of all your fun. And
you saw just what they've done to your brothers. Can we ignore the basic
facts of history? Or deny what people say is destiny? First in the eighties but
last of the sons..."
The Edge Of Darkness
By Iron Maiden. Based on the 1979
movie "Apocalypse Now" starring Martin Sheen and Tom Berringer.
"I've looked into the heart of darkness where the blood red journey ends.
When you've faced the heart of darkness even your soul begins to bend. For a
week I have been waiting. Still I am only in Saigon. The walls move in a bit
closer..."
Edie(Ciao Baby)
By The Cult. A tribute to deceased 60's socialite Edie Sedgewick
who was one of Andy Warhol's first superstars. "...An angel with a broken
wing...Oh, caught up in an endless whirl Edie. Yea, paradise a shattered dream.
Oh, relied on the pills you took Edie...Ciao baby..."
Edison
By The Bee Gees. About inventor and scientist Thomas Edison. "He made
electric lights to read. He gave us light today. He gave us cylinders to
please. When Edison came to stay..."
Egg Cream
By Lou Reed. A tribute to Brooklyn's
own, the Egg
Cream. "When I was a young man, no bigger than this a chocolate egg
cream was not to be missed. Some U Bet's Chocolate Syrup, seltzer water mixed
with milk, stir it up into a heady fro, tasted just like silk. You scream, I
steam, we all want Egg
Cream..."
Egg On Drugs
By Brenda Kahn. About the war on drugs draining resources that might be used
for other purposes. "...Isn't there something else this country could
discuss? Like, what do you think of the NRA? Or the price of medical care in
this country today? Where is our cure for cancer and AIDS?..."
18 And Life
By Skid Row. About risk taking, poor decision making, and having to live
with mistakes for the rest of your life. References to alcohol abuse, violence,
hand guns, and prison..."Tequila in his heartbeat, his veins burned gasoline.
It kept his motor runnin' but it never kept him clean. They say he loved
adventure, Ricky's the wild one. He married trouble, and had a courtship with a
gun. Bang bang shoot'em up, the party never ends. You can't think of dying when
the bottle's your best friend...Accidents will happen they all heard Ricky say.
He fired his six shot to the wind that blew a child away...eighteen and life
you got it..."
1849
By Lighthouse. Song is about the Westward Expansion and the San Francisco
Goldrush. "Wagons rolled out under darkened skies. The sun refused to
shine. Four hundred and eighty, forty nine. They waved goodbye, women dried
their tears. Young men hid their fears...They headed west full of
confidence..."
Eisler On The Go
By Billy Bragg & Wilco ( Woody Guthrie ). About music composer Hanns
Eisler who was called before HUAC ,
House Committee on Un-American Activities. Related topics include the Red
Scare, Cold War, and Blacklisting. "...Eisler him write music, Eisler him
teach school. Truman him don't play
so good and I don't know what I'll do..."
Elderly Woman Behind The
Counter In A Small Town
By Pearl Jam. A person returning to a small town and realizing that he may
have given up, as much as he has gained, by moving away. "I seem to
recognize your face, haunting, familiar, yet I can't seem to place
it...Lifetimes are catching up with me. All these changes taking place, I wish
I'd seen the place, but no one's ever taken me...It's hard when you're stuck upon
the shelf. I changed by not changing at all, small town predicts my fate.
Perhaps that's what no one wants to see..."
Electric Funeral
By Black Sabbath. About the dangers of nuclear
proliferation and nuclear warfare, with
references and imagery of destruction, armageddon. "...Storm coming you
better hide from the atomic tide flashed in the sky..."
Electric Youth
By Debbie Gibson. An optimistic and hopeful song about opportunity and the
future. "...The pressure's everywhere goin' right through ya...Don't
underestimate the power of a lifetime ahead..."
The Elements
By Tom Lehrer. A science education song. About the chemical elements.
"There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum and selenium. And hydrogen and
oxygen...Isn't that interesting?...I hope you're all taking notes because
there's gonna be a quiz next period..."
The Elephants Graveyard
By Bob Geldof. Song was
inspired by actual events, and written as a response to 1979 race riots in
Miami. Song questions the fairness and
objectivity of the criminal justice system with respect to the treatment of
minorities and poor people in America. "...You're guilty 'till proven
guilty. Isn't that the law. Guilty 'till proven guilty that's what we
saw...Justice isn't blind, it just looks the other way. Not from want of trying.
I have nothing left to say..."
Elephant Talk
By King Crimson. About human air pollution, that is, people who constantly talk and really have
nothing important to say. "Talk, it's only talk. Arguments, agreements, advice, answers, articulate announcements.
It's only talk...Cheap talk..."
The Eleventh Commandment
By Collin Raye. About the fear, horror and shame experienced by a victim of
child abuse. "She hears his heavy breathing in the dark. His footstep's
coming closer down the hall. She's so ashamed, she's daddy's secret
love..."
Ellis Island
By Marc Cohn. A tribute to Ellis
Island, the point of entry to the United States for many immigrants.
"I was driving down Ninth Avenue, as the sky was getting dark. Didn't have
nothin' else to do so I kept on riding to Battery Park ... I could almost hear
the sounds of thousands pushing through the lines. Mothers and bewildered wives
that sailed across the raging sea. Others runnin' for their lives, to the land
of opportunity. Down on Ellis Island..."
Ellis Unit One
By Steve Earle. The song is from and
inspired by the motion picture "Dead Man
Walking" which is based on a true story.
Song is a repudiation of the death penalty and an "eye for an eye"
approach to crime and punishment.
Sung from the point
of view of a guard assigned to the Ellis
Unit for death row inmates in Huntsville Prison. Singer bares witness to the cruel and inhuman
nature of capital
punishment. "...And I worked on every cell block. Now, things're goin'
good. But then they transferred me to Ellis Unit One....Well, folks just got
too civilized. Sparky's gatherin' dust 'cause no one wants to touch a smokin'
gun. And since they got the injection they don't mind as much, I guess. They
just put 'em down at Ellis Unit One...Well, I've seen 'em fight like lions,
boys. I've seen 'em go like lambs. And I've helped to drag 'em when they could
not stand. And I've heard their mamas cryin' when they heard the big door slam.
And I've seen the victim's family holdin' hands...Swing low Swing low and carry me home..."
El Salvador
By Peter, Paul & Mary.
This song is about the violence
in El Salavador
during the civil
war of the 1980's. Song specifically criticizes U.S. involvement and
support for the ruling military government. "...Last night a thousand more
passed away in El Salvador. There's a television crew here from ABC. Filming
Rio Lempe and the refugees. Calling murdered children the tragedy of El
Salvador...Just like Poland is 'protected' by her Russian friends
The junta is 'assisted' by Americans...They'll continue training troops in
the USA And watch the
nuns that got away
And teach the military bands to play South of the Border And kill the people
to set them free Who put this price on their liberty? Don't you think it's time
to leave El Salvador?"
El Salvador
By White Lion. An anti-war song written during the early 1980's when civil
war raged in El Salvador.
"...Can you hear a distant shout from the people in El Salvador. For the
people in El Salvador, still they kill not knowing why...Can you see them
die..."
Elusive Dreams
By Doug Hoekstra.
A loss of innocence song
about dreams, hopes, and
opportunities of childhood. "...Her smile reminded me of you and how you
must have been. A little girl with a great big world at your fingertips. These
elusive dreams...Eyes that see a speckled prize through the innocence of youth.
Eyes that see everyday as a chance to know the truth..."
Elvis Imitators
By Jimmy Buffett. Song is a tribute
to all the Elvis Presley impersonators all over the world. "Well I walk up
to the mike and then I shake my hips. I take a deep breath and put a snare on
my lips. See me on the street you wouldn't know my name. But imitating Elvis is
my claim to fame...'Cuz I'm an Elvis imitator and I just can't stop..."
Elysian Fields
By Megadeth. Deals with issues of death and the
afterlife. Specific references to the burial grounds of the Gods as described
in Greek mythology. "...I hope the end is less painful than my life, I
stand on trial before the Gods. On judgement day, a blink of an eye between the
cradle and the grave...We ascend to our destiny, to the Elysian Fields."
Empire
By Queensryche. About the effects of teenage drug use, drug dealing, and gang
related activities. "...Too bad, people say, what's wrong with kids today?
Tell you right now they've got nothing to lose. They're building EMPIRE! Johnny
used to work after school at the cinema show...Now he's out on the street all
day. Selling crack to the people who pay...Brother killing brother for the
profit of another. Game point, nobody wins..."
Empty Garden (Hey, Hey Johnny)
By Elton John. Song is a
tribute to John Lennon. "What happened here as the New York sunset
disappeared...We hear, we hear your name. Johnny can't you come out to play in
your empty garden..."
Endless Commercial
By John Kay. Song is about media manipulation and the pressure it puts on
consumers to engage in mindless material consumption. "...We are the
global merchants. We have beads for all of your needs. To sell our way of life
to the entire universe is our agenda. Those who try to resist will be on our
list. We'll bombard'em with consumer goods until they finally
surrender..."
Endless Cycle
By Lou Reed. About the cycle of hate,
violence, and substance abuse that
is often passed
down within families. "The bias of the father runs through the son and
leaves him bothered and bewildered...The
sickness of the mother runs on through the girl leaving her small and helpless.
Liquor flies through her brain..."
End Of The Innocence
By Don Henley. A strong rebuke of America's political and military
programs/policies during the Reagan Era. "...O' beautiful, for
spacious skies But now those skies are threatening They're beating plowshares
into swords For this tired old man that we elected king Armchair warriors often
fail And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales The lawyers clean up all
detailsSince daddy had to lie..."
The End Of The Line
By Offspring. A person struggles with the death of a close friend and tries
to cope with their feelings of loss and emptiness. "...Now that you are
dead and gone and I'm left to carry on. I could never smile 'cause you won't
stay alive for me...your final resting place is without me..."
The End Of The World
By Gary Moore. Song is about
nuclear arms and the possibility of nuclear war
ending the world as we know it. "...The storm clouds are forming, take
heed of the warning to come. The Kremlin has told every nation there's no place
to run. The leaders are waiting with blood on their hands. Playing with weapons
they don't understand. Could it be this time we'll see the end of the
world..."
Ends
By Everlast. Song is about
poor decision making and partaking in risk behaviors with specific references
made to drug use, prostitution, and violence. Song also deals with ills of
society and how people often have trouble handling life's challenges in healthy
ways. "I knew this cat named Dale who didn't have a dollar. He was Harvard
material, Ivy League scholar. But he's waiting tables 'cause there's rent to
pay...so he falls off the track, starts smokin' crack. And once it hits his
brain, it starts a chain react...So he ends up on his back in a bloody pool.
For the ends..."
Enola Gay
By Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark. Song is about Enola Gay, the
plane that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima on August
6, 1945. The bomb was nicknamed "Little Boy". "Enola Gay...These
games you play, they're gonna end it all in tears someday. Oho, Enola Gay. It
shouldn't have to end this way. It's 8:15..."
Equal Rights
By Peter Tosh. About the timeless struggle for
justice and equality by people throughout the world who have been denied
political, social, and economic
rights or opportunities. "....I don't want no peace, I need equal rights and justice. You gotta get equal rights and
justice..."
Erase Racism
By Kool G Rap. Call for unity and racial harmony. "...The ink is black,
the page is white Together we learn how to read and writePeople are black, got
people that's white Let's stop racism, and, let's unite..."
Erica Kane
By Urge Overkill. Song is about soap opera character Erica Kane from the
soap opera "All
My Children" played by superstar Susan
Lucci. "Erica Kane, another Emmy has passed you by. Erica Kane, when
joy was pain you had to cry...Erica Kane, you find yourself in such a
mess...Erica Kane...
Ethiopia
By Joni Mitchell. About the
history of political turmoil and geographic conditions in Ethiopia contributing
to hunger and widespread famine. "Hot winds and hunger cries, Ethiopia. Flies in
your babies eyes, Ethiopia. Walking sticks on burning plains, betrayed by
politics, abandoned by the rains. On and on the human need..."
Even Flow
By Pearl Jam. About homeless people and their struggle
to survive. "Freezin', rests his head on a pillow made of concrete,
again...Oh, someday yet, he’ll begin his life again...Oh, feelin' understands
the weather of winter's on its way. Oh, ceilings few and far between all the
legal halls of shame..."
Eve Of Destruction
By P. F. Sloan. This
song was intended to be a "love song to and for humanity" according to P.F.
Sloan. Song exposes hypocrisy in society and warns listeners of an
approaching apocalypse and nuclear
conflagration. Includes references to political and social problems
around the world including "Red China" and "Selma, Alabama".
"...Don't you understand what I'm tryin' to say, An' can't you feel the
fears I'm feelin' today? If the button is pushed there's no runnin' away. There'll
be no one to save with the world in a grave...Hate your next-door neighbor, but
don't forget to say grace..."
Everybody Doesn't
By Amanda. Song preaches abstinence and not giving in to the pressures of
becoming sexually active. Also deals with issues such as peer preesure, self
esteem and healthy decision making. "Everybody does it, that's what you
keep saying. Everybody doesn't, not everybody's playing. I wanna be your
girlfriend but you gotta turn the pressure off. Just stop..."
Everybody's Free (To Wear
Sunscreen)
By Baz Luhrmann. Song is full of little things to remember as a person grows
up. Song deals with manners, respect for others and various other health
related areas. "...Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth...Don't worry
about the future...Don't waste time on jealousy...Remember the compliments you
receive...Respect your elders..."
Everybody Gets The Blues
By Kenny Wayne Sheperd. Song talks about how occasionally you will have set
backs in life but a person must continue to rise above the challenges that life
throws their way. "...Simple things in life can make you mad to the core.
It doesn't matter if your young. Don't make no difference if your old. You got
to stand a little rain before you reach a pot of gold. Everybody gets the blues.
Everybody got to cry. Take the good and the bad. Take the lows and the
highs..."
Everybody Has The Blues
By James Taylor. Relates to emotional health, realizing that everybody will
occasionally have a bad day but there are always better days to come.
"...Maybe you lost your job, maybe you lost your girl. Maybe you feel like
you're losing your mind, that's not the end of the world...Everybody gets to
feel some pain. Everyone got to get caught out in the rain. Everybody got some
days that they can't explain..."
Everybody Hurts
By R.E.M. About struggling
through difficult times, not giving up, and
the ubiquitous or universal nature of pain and suffering. "...If you feel
like letting go, hold on. When you think you've had too much of this life, well
hang on. Everybody hurts. Take comfort in your friends..."
Everybody Needs A Friend
By Wishbone Ash. About reaching out emotionally and being there for someone
in time of need. "...When I see you're so unhappy it makes me want to
try and understand. Everybody needs a helping hand...Trust in me, I'll try to
do everything to help you that I can..."
Everybody's Got A Mountain To
Climb
By Allman Brothers Band. Song deals with many health related issues
including goal setting, self confidence, hard work, persistence and positive thinking.
"...Everybody's got a mountain to climb. Don't be discouraged when the sun
don't shine. Gotta keep on tryin', gotta keep on pullin'...You can't go around
with your lip stuck out. Life ain't all good but it sure ain't
bad...everybody's got a mountain to climb..."
Everybody's My Friend
By Kansas. About the notoriety of being famous and how everyone wants to
know you and be part of the action. "...They all want to know. Do you make
alot of money?...Have you met Mick Jagger, Ringo, George, or Paul? Will you be
my friend...Everybody wants to have a little piece of the action..."
Every Breath You Take
By Sting. Song is about the dark side of
human relationships and the obsessive or possesive nature of love. "Every
breath you take. And every move you make. Every bond you break, every step you
take. I'll be watching you. Oh can't you see, you belong to me?..."
Everyday Heroes
By Orrin G. Hatch. A social responsibility song
about the importance of community,
compassion, empathy
and random acts of kindness.
"...Some people have ears to hear the cries of those in need. They show us
how much they care through quiet simple deeds...Teach a child to
read, help a friend in need...Give a part of
you--That's how it starts!..."
Everyday People
By Sly and The Family Stone. About people loving one another and living
together in peace. Promotes tolerance, cultural diversity, and racial harmony.
"...We got to live together. I
am no better and neither are you. We are the same whatever we do...There is a
yellow one that won't accept the black one that won't accept the red one that
won't accept the white one And different strokes for different folks..."
Everytime I Think Of You
By The Babys. A positive song about love, commitment, and monogomy.
"Everytime I think of you. It always turns out good. Everytime I've held
you I thought you understood...Seasons come and seasons go but our love will
never die...We know a love like ours will never pass..."
Evil Ways
By Santana. About change, choice, communication, trust, and unfulfilled
expectations in a relationship. Song might also deal with the impact or
influence of substance abuse and risk behavior on a relationship. "You got
to change your evil ways ,baby. Before I start lovin' you...When I come home,
baby. My house is dark and my pots are cold...I'll find somebody that won't
make me feel like a clown. This can't go on..."
The Ex-Oil Carter
By Bob Kanefsky. This parody
song is about the 1989 Exxon
Valdez oil spill, the largest tanker oil spill in history.
"She ran aground one winter and unleashed a ton of goo. The skipper, he'd
been drinking and the mate he had no clue...So we bleached the sails, rinsed
the whales, sponged off a seal or two. Cleaned up a baby polar bear with
gallons of shampoo. Tonight we'll show it on the air so the public won't complain..."
Eye Of The Beholder
By Metallica. Song is about civil liberties
and freedom of expression. Influence of governments
or corporate powers and restrictions placed on individual rights. Also relates
to issue of censorship. "...Who decides what you express?... Independence
limited, freedom of choice is made for you..."
Eye Of The Tiger
By Survivor. Often recognized or associated with the soundtrack to Rocky III, the song
is about believing in yourself, not giving up in times of
adversity and facing challenges with confidence. "Risin' up, back on
the street. Did my time, took my chances. Went the distance now I'm back on my
feet. Just a man and his will
to survive. It's the eye of the tiger, it's the cream of the fight. Risin'
up to the challenge of our rival..."
(If I Could See The World
Through)The Eyes Of A Child
By Patsy Cline. About the innocence associated with being a child. "If
I could see the world throught the eyes of a child. What a wonderful world this
would be. There'd be no trouble and no strife. Just a big happy life..."
Eyes Of The Immigrant
By Eric Anderson. About the immigrant experience. "...They came in
floods and they came in waves. They came for glory and they came to escape.
Some held their breath in the morning light. As New York harbor came into
sight. They leaned on the rails and the decks just to see a statue of a lady known
as "Liberty"
Eyes Of The World
By Grateful Dead. About
belief that each of us is part of nature, or a child of the universe. Related
to studies of the 60's culture, paradigm shifts, systems science or modern
ecology. "...Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world...Wake
now, discover that you are the song that the morning brings..."
F (top)
Faces In The Forest
By J.P. Taylor. About the slow extinction of various animals due to the
greed of man. References made to resource depletion and tree cutting. Song was
inspired by Steve Irwin, "The Crocodile Hunter" and his episode about
orangutans. "...I see the faces, faces in the forest. Eyes among the
trees...They know humans need their houses...How much more forest can they
give?..."
Face The Fire
By Dan Fogelberg. About nuclear reactor accident at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania,
in 1979. "I hear the thunder three miles away, the
island's leaking into the bay..."
Face To Face
By Garth Brooks. About bullying and standing up for yourself. "There
was a bad boy in the school yard. Waited on you every day. Seemed like every
time you turned around well he was standin' in your way...Well now brother
wasn't it better dealin' with him face to face..."
Fact: The Closed Shop
By Barclay James Harvest. Song is
about the "closed shop" which was a controversial labor practice
whereby workers were barred from certain jobs unless they belonged to a
particular trade union. "Born a poor worker's son, taught to fight for all
his rights...Union might is the leading light...Strike for what is
right..."
Factory
By Bruce Springsteen. About the struggles of the
working class and the life of a factory worker. "Early in the morning
factory whistle blows man rises from bed and puts on his clothes...Factory
takes his hearing, factory gives him life. The working, the working, just the
working life..." Related topic: Industrial Revolution.
The Factory
By Warren Zevon. About the everyday monotony and routine of factory work,
and the workplace hazards or dangers
encountered on the job. "...Five days a week at the factory, up early in
the morning at the factory. I've been working in the factory...Saying yes sir,
no sir, yes sir, no sir, yes sir, no sir...My daddy worked for Pontiac 'til he
got hurt. Now he's on disability...I've been working in the factory. Kickin'
asbestos in the factory. Breathin'
that plastic in the factory..."
Fade To Black
ByMetallica. Song is about feeling
despondent, hopeless, losing the
will to live, committing suicide. "Life it seems will fade away,
drifting further every day. Getting lost within myself, nothing matters no one
else. I have lost the will to live, simply nothing more to give..."
Faith Can Move A Mountain
By No Angels. About reaching out to someone and having them there to support
you in times of need. "...And if a mountain's too high and if a valley's
too low. You're giving me power and strength. You are everything. Faith can
move a mountain..."
Faithfully
By Peter Cetera. Deals with emotional health including commitment, love, and
mutual monogomy. "...This fire for you is as constant as the morning star.
And you will forever be in my heart. As long as the river is searching for an
endless sea. I will always love you, faithfully..."
Fake Friends
By Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Talks about the importance of choosing
friends who you can count on in times of need and not relying on people who
turn their backs on you. "When you were down they were never there. When
you're all alone you really get to learn...ya got nothin' to lose, ya don't
lose when you lose fake friends..."
Fake Plastic Trees
By Radiohead. This song presents
social commentary on the ills of materialism, technology, and the world of mass
marketing and mass
consumption. "A green plastic watering can For a fake chinese rubber
plant In the fake plastic earth...She looks like the real thing She tastes like
the real thing My fake plastic love But I can't help the feeling I could blow
through the ceiling If I just turn and run And it wears me out, it wears me out
It wears me out, it wears me out..."
Fallen Angel (Eulogy For Tas)
By Vince Macey. A personal song about the death of
a friend."...Dyin' to get higher than the Lord. One more fallen angel on a
road headed for hell...Caught in Satan's spell...You live the life you choose.
You had so much to give, Had even more to lose..."
Fallen Angel
By Poison. A small town girl gets caught up in fortune and fame. "She
stepped off the bus into the city streets. Just a small town girl...Turned her
back on her best friends and let her family slip away...Trading her memories
for fortune and fame...Too much too soon..."
Fallen Horses
By Smash mouth. Song was written as
a tribute to
the late Linda McCartney.
"...I'm wishing that I had wings so that I could become one. Would you
help me if I wanted to die, I could ride off with horses tonight...Now that
I've arrived here I know I'm not alone...But could you tell me where to find
the one I'm looking for cause her wings have arrived"
Fall Of Siple Dome
By Testament. About the greenhouse effect and its destructive nature on the
ice caps in Antarctica, animal habitats and human beings. Siple
Dome, Antartica is where drillers have been pulling cores from the ice in
order to study changes in global climate conditions and ice sheet formations.
"Melting ice beneath the eaves, frozen ice sheets slowly start to break
away. Another cycle has begun. The ice flowing, the meltdown has begun. Fall of
Siple
Dome ...Man will find the climate change mandatory. Extinction of the human
race..."
Fall Of The Peacemakers
By Molly Hatchet. About leaders
or martyrs who have worked to change society for the better and bring about
justice and peace only to suffer a violent death. "...A voice from the
past cried give peace a chance. He paid our price, now he's free at last. And imagine we called him a dreamer...A hush
stilled the crowd as the horse rode by. A black-laced veil hid the tears from
our eyes...How many times must good men die..."
Fall To Pieces
By Velvet Revolver.
Lead singer Scott Weiland's autobiographical song about his battle with drug addiction.
"It's been a long year Since you've been gone I've been alone here I've
grown old I fall to pieces, I'm falling Fell to pieces and I'm still
falling..."
Families
By Lou Reed. About the difficulties of
coming home. Conflict and struggle within a family when a child does not meet
parental expectations. A person wanting to be accepted and loved for who they
are. "...I know how much you resent the life that I have, but one more
time - I don't want the family business...Really, daddy, shouldn't you give it
to my sister...She lives practically round the corner, that's really the kind
of child you could be proud of...I don't think I'll come home much again Mama,
Papa. We often make each other cry. No, I don't think I'll come home much
anymore."
Family
By Dolly Parton. About unconditional love and the importance of family.
"...You take the trouble as it comes and love them more than anyone. Good
or bad or indifferent, it's still family...They'll be with you 'til the end
'cause it's family..."
Family Bible
By Willie Nelson. A song about
the importance of family and religious education.
"There's a family bible on the table...At the end of the day when work was
over, when the evening meal was done. Dad would read to us from the family
bible and we'd count our many blessings one by one..."
Family Business
By Fish. Song touches on many health related issues including domestic
violence, incest and alcoholism. "...When I see you at the supermarket,
sunglasses in the shade. Averting your eyes from those staring questions. How
were those bruises made?...Daddy's sitting home, drunk again so they bite
they're lips and pray. 'Cos Daddy don't like people poking in his private
affairs...Nowhere to escape to, but she knows she's got to move. 'Cos when
Daddy tucks the kids in, its taking longer every night..."
Family Man
By James Taylor. A man gives up his old and rowdy ways and settles in to
life as a dedicated and commited man to his family. "...The life I used to
lead was a little too frantic...I been there before, I don't need to go back no
more. I'm a family man..."
Family Portrait
By Pink. About a young person trying to cope in a dysfunctional or troubled
family. Song deals with the issues of divorce and physical/emotional abuse.
"Mama please stop cryin' I can't stand the sound Your pain is painful and
its tearin' me down I hear glasses breaking as I sit up in my bed I told God
you didn't mean those nasty things you said You fight about money, about me
& my brother And this I come home to This is my shelter It ain't easy
growin up in WW3 Never knowin' what love could be You'll see, I don't want love
to destroy me like it has done my family...In our family portrait, we look
pretty happy Let's play pretend, let's act like it comes naturally..."
Family Snapshot
By Peter Gabriel. About the
attempted assassination of Alabama Governor George
Wallace in May, 1972. Sung from the point of view of the assassin,
his name was Arthur Bremer.
"...I've been waiting for this, I have been waiting for this...Holding my
breath. Release the catch, and let the bullet fly..."
Family Tree
By Megadeth. About an incestual relationship, the pain and suffering
associated with child abuse. "...Let me show you how I love you. It's our
secret, you and me. But keep it in the family tree. The secret of the family
tree..."
Famine
By Sinead O'Conner. About the "Great Famine" which took place in
Ireland between 1845 and 1849. This event was often called the "Great
Hunger". Song also talks about the emotional scars that have been suffered
by many generations of Irish people due to continued political violence and
unrest. In a sense many Irish people continue to starve or hunger for peace.
"...Irish people were only allowed to eat potatoes. All of the other food,
meat, fish, vegetables were shipped out of the country under armed guard...And
so I think we lost our history. And this is what I think is still hurting
me..."
Farm On The Freeway
ByJethro Tull. This song is about the
demise of the family farm, the spread of urban areas, and the personal or human
cost of economic growth and development. "...They say they gave me
compensation...That's not what I'm chasing. I was a rich man before yesterday.
Now all I have left is a broken-down pickup truck. Looks like my farm is a
freeway...This was no Southfork, it was no Ponderosa. But it was the place that
I called home..."
Fashion Is Your Death
By Chainsaw Little Kids. About conformity, media manipulation, peer pressure
and societal pressure to look and act a certain way. "What others think is
all you care. Spread all your money on the clothes you wear...Watch yourself
through other people's eyes. With the mask that your wearing to cover the
lies...Supermodel ads to get you in a trend. A media conspiracy to make you
spend..."
Fat
By "Weird Al" Yankovic.
This song
takes a humorous look at a serious health topic, obesity and overweight people.
"...I'm the king of cellulite...When you're only having seconds, I'm
having twenty-thirds...Because I'm fat..."
Fatal Strike
By Michael Schenker
Group. Tribute to the United
States Air Force and F-117 fighter
pilots. "Into the cold wind A solo flight Eyes on the heads up Radar
source in sight Crossin the border at Rafha He kills the
lights Straight into combat One lone hero flies..."
Fat Boy
By Jewel. Song is about the pain and suffering
an overweight youth has to endure. "Fat boy goes to the pool. Sees his
reflection, doesn't know what to do. He feels little inside...Fat boy goes
about his day, trying to think of funny things to say...Oh, fragile flame when
no one feels the same..."
The Fate Of Dewey Lee
By The Carter Family. A murder ballad
based on actual events when Dewey Lee was shot and killed on January 31, 1931.
"It was on a Saturday evening...In a little mining town...Everybody there
was drinking...Joe Jenkins pulled a pistol. He sent him to his grave. He took
the life of Dewey Lee..."
Father
By LL Cool J. Singer reveals memories of childhood and the pain and
suffering of growing up in a home with an emotionally and physically abusive
father. "...My head was spinning, I had never seen blood. Four years
old, this don't feel like love..."Cycle of violence continues when mother
remarries. "..They fell in love with one another, everything seemed
right...I started getting beatings everyday...A young child wishing the pain
would go away..."
Father And Son
By Cat Stevens. Father trying to give guidance to his son, son wants to
learn for himself and is not going to listen to the "voice of
experience". "...Your still young that's your fault, there's so much
you have to know...From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen. Now
there's a way and I know I have to go away..."
Father Of Mine
By Everclear. Son recalls the
good times he had with his dad before his father left home and abandoned him.
"...Take me back to the day when I was still your golden boy. Back before
you went away, I remember the blue skies and walking the block....Sometimes you
would send me a birthday card with a five dollar bill...Father of mine, tell me
where have you been?..."
Fear Of A Black Planet
By Public Enemy. About promoting social change by challenging racist beliefs, attitudes,
and stereotypes regarding black people and interracial relationships.
"...your daughter.
Nah, she ain't my type. But supposin' she said she loved me. Are you afraid of
the mix of Black and White?...Would
you still love her? Or would you
dismiss her?... I've been wonderin' why people livin' in fear of my
shade...All I want is peace
and love on this planet. Ain't that how God planned it?...You might not be
amused, but did you know White
comes from Black..."
Feed Me
By Julianna Hatfield. A girl suffering from anorexia
wants to cry out for help but feels helpless and doesn't know who to turn to.
"Oh, baby if you only knew, I'm down to 102...I had a hole in my heart so
I threw away my plate...I'm wasting away, it's true. I hate myself..."
Feelin'
By Van Halen. Deals with emotional health and the constant search for the
meaning of life. "I'm feelin' things that I don't know, I don't know what
I'm seeing... I'm seein' things that I don't know what I'm feelin' hey, I don't
understand..."
Feelin' Satisfied
By Boston. About the power of music and how it can be used as a healthy
outlet when a person feels down or depressed. "Well come on all you people
the time has come to get together. You gotta have a little rock 'n' roll music
to get you through the stormy weather...When you let go, nothin's gonna help
you more than rock 'n' roll...Don't let your troubles get to you. 'Cause win or
lose its alright...Nothin's gonna help you more than rock 'n' roll..."
Feelin' Stronger Everyday
By Chicago. A couple is involved in the break up of a relationship and
realizes that it was for the best. They now look to the future with unbridled
optimism. "...And now we realize, love's not all that it's supposed to
be...And knowing that you would have wanted it this way. I do believe I'm
feeling stronger everyday...After what you've meant to me, ooh baby now I can
make it easily..."
Feel Like A Number
By Bob Seger. Song is about getting caught up in the masses and only being
seen as another face in the crowd of human existence. "...To workers I'm
just another drone. To Ma Bell I'm just another phone. I'm just another
statistic on a sheet. To teachers I'm just another child. To IRS I'm just
another file...and I feel like a number. Feel like a stranger..."
Fe Fi Fo
By The Cranberries. Song is about child abuse
and incest. "...He has got so much to answer for. To ruin a child's
mind...How could you touch someone so innocent and pure...You're vile,
sick..."
Fell On Black Days
By Soundgarden. Song relates to emotional health as issues such as
depression and hopelessness are addressed. "...Just when everyday seemed
to greet me with a smile. Sunspots have faded and now I'm doing time. 'Cause I
fell on black days...How would I know that this could be my fate..."
Fenway
By Joe Pickering, Jr. This song pays tribute
to Fenway Park,
home of the Boston
Red Sox. “Someday they’ll tear down Fenway and build another it might be
better but it won’t be Fenway brother As long as memories last they’ll be Fenway
Park no wrecking ball will fall, her lights won’t grow dark they say time
marches on, let it march on by our memories of Fenway Park will never die…”
Field of Opportunity
By Neil Young. A metaphorical song about determination, faith, hope, and
optimism. "...In the field of opportunity it's plowin' time again. There
ain't no way of telling where these seeds will rise or when. I'll just wait
around 'til springtime and then I'll find a friend. In the field of opportunity
it's plowin' time again..."
Field Worker
By Crosby/Nash. Song is about the plight of migrant workers in the United
States. "Digging in your fields, pulling up your food. No matter how I
feel, don't do me no good. Treat me like a human is all I got to say. The man
that I am working for won't let me get away..."
Fifty-Mission Cap
By The Tragically Hip. Song was written
about Toronto Maple Leaf hockey player Bill Barilko who scored the
winning goal for his team in the 1951 Stanley Cup finals. After the season
ended Barilko's plane disappeared while returning from a fishing trip.
They found his body in 1962, the next year that the Maple Leafs won a Stanley
Cup. "Bill Barilko disappeared that summer. He was on a fishing trip. The
last goal he ever scored won the Leafs the cup. They didn't win another until
1962. The year he was discovered..."
Fifty Nifty United States
By Ray Charles. Song is a
tribute to the fifty American
states. A great song for social
studies teachers. "Fifty, nifty United States from thirteen original
colonies. Fifty, nifty stars in the flag that billows so beautifully in the
breeze. Each individual state contributes a quality that is great. Each
individual state deserves a bow..."
The 59th Street Bridge Song
(Feelin' Groovy)
By Simon and Garfunkel. Song relates to emotional health. Talks about
happiness, joy and enjoying the beauty of being alive! "Slow down, you
move too fast. You've got to make the morning last. Just kickin' down the
cobblestones. Lookin' for fun and feelin' groovy..."
57 Channels (And Nothing On)
By Bruce Springsteen. A tongue-in-cheek song about cable TV and how there
never seems to be anything interesting to watch. “…Man came by to hook up my
cable TV. We settled in for the night my baby and me. We switched ‘round and
‘round ‘til half past dawn. There were fifty seven channels and nothing on…”
50,000 Names
By Jamie O'Hara. About the Vietnam
Veteran's Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. "...They come from all
across this land...Searchin' for a boy from long ago. They scan the wall and
find his name. The teardrops fall like pourin' rain..."
Fifty Ways to Work a Problem
By Lawrence
Mark Lesser. This parody is about problem solving skills and strategies
students may utilize in any curriculum area. “Real-life problems are open-ended,
typic’ly, but we can solve them with some strategy… Sometimes the key is askin’
what something means; sometimes analogies or an inductive scheme-…”
Fight For Your Life
By Y&T. About the drug cocaine and its negative effect on the user.
"...The cocaine flows and the talk is cheap. Started out as a friendly
game. First the pleasure, then the pain...Endless lies and sleepless nights.
All the friends that said goodbye..."
Fight The Good Fight
By Triumph. About making the most of one's life, always trying your best,
and never giving up. "...Don't get discouraged, don't be afraid, we can make it through another
day. Make it worth the price we pay...Fight the good fight
every moment, every minute every day. Fight the good fight every moment,
it's your only way..."
Fight The Oppression
By Running Wild. Song takes a stand against nuclear war and countries that
are involved with nuclear arms. "Atomic warheads, weapons of all kind.
Invented to destroy, to find their victims to grind. Mendacious rulers,
ministers of defense. Leading you to war, can't you see where it all
ends..."
Fight The Power
By Public Enemy. About
oppression, racism and the struggle for
justice and equality. Song deals with issues of empowerment, black pride,
and black power. Song serves as a wake up call to both blacks
and whites. "...Cause I'm Black and I'm proud. I'm ready and hyped plus
I'm amped, most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps... What we got to say
power to the people, no delay. To make everybody see in order to fight the
powers that be." Song is included in soundtrack of Spike Lee's 1989 movie, "Do The Right
Thing".
Fight We Shall
By Mohan Embar. About animal rights activists and their quest to end
the unethical treatment of our animal species. "...From factory farms to
high school labs. They're screaming for their lives. The fur ranches, the
rodeos. The tuna nets, the hunter's bows. It's just got to stop...They're
screaming for their lives...How can we be so unjust?..."
Fine Again
By Seether. A teen angst song
that deals with despair, depression,
and substance abuse. "...It seems like everything is gray and there’s no
color to behold They say it’s over and I’m fine again, yeah Try to stay sober
feels like I’m dying here...I feel the dream in me expire and there’s no one
left to blame it on...I am aware now of how everything’s gonna be fine one day
Too late, I’m in hell..."
The Finer Things
By Steve Winwood. About the joy
of life and the importance of living one's life to the fullest and not taking
people and/or things for granted. "While there is time let's go out and
feel everything...We must live while we can and we'll drink our cup of
laughter...The finer things I feel in me. The golden dance life could
be..."
Fire And Rain
By James Taylor. A mournful song about loss and
recovery. This song has taken on new meaning since the tragic events of September 11th. James Taylor performed
this song during the "Concert for
New York City" as a tribute
to the victims and survivors of this horrible terrorist attack, and their
families. "...Won't you look down upon me, Jesus You've got to help me
make a stand You've just got to see me through another day My body's aching and
my time is at handAnd I won't make it any other way Oh, I've seen fire and I've
seen rain I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end I've seen lonely
times when I could not find a friend But I always thought that I'd see you
again...Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground..."
Fire In Manilla
By Peter Hicks
and Geoff Francis. The song is about the plight of workers in
developing nations. "The machines are old, the machines aren't safe. One
mistake you could lose your fingers...Eight bucks ain't much but it's better
than starving...One spark of fire and the buildings blazing...Thirteen workers,
thirteen die..."
Fire In The Sky
By Saxon. Song is about the threat of nuclear war and its effect on our
world, as we know it. “…When the fires in the sky, you’ll be running for your lives…Prepare
yourselves to die…If you’re near the point of impact there’s no where you can
run…It’s the end of our planet…”
Fire Of The Dragon
By Blackfoot. About the dangers and devastating effects the drug heroin has
on the user. China white is a slang term for the drug heroin."A young man
lies with a needle in his arm, china white in his hands. Say a little prayer
for his unlucky soul. It's so sad, so sad...'Cause it's the outlaw in your
city, voodoo in your town. Steal the life from those you pity. And leaves them
under the ground. Fire of the dragon..."
Fire On The Cross
By Bruce Hornsby and the Range. About racial discrimination, hatred of
African-Americans, and the presence of the Ku Klux Klan in our society.
"...And they've got their old white hoods and the same old orders. To keep
the dark sons away from their daughters...There's a fire on the cross
tonight..."
Fire On The Mountain
By Marshall Tucker Band. About the California Gold Rush and Westward Expansion.
References to prospectors and the Oregon Trail. "Took my family away from
my Carolina home. Had dreams about the west and started to roam. Six long
months on a dust covered trail. They say heaven's at the end but so far it's
been hell..."
The First Cut Is The Deepest
By Rod Stewart. About the pain
of a broken relationship and the loss of a first love. "I would have given
you all of my heart but there's someone who's torn it apart. And she's taken
just all that I had but if you want I'll try to love again. Baby I'll try to
love again but I know. The first cut is the deepest..."
First Night
By Monica. Song is about accepting responsibility for one's actions, not
giving in to sexual urges, and practicing abstinence. “…I knew it was wrong for
feeling this way. Especially the thought of giving in on the first date…Felt so
right but it felt so wrong…If you want me, you got to know me. And if you want
my love, you gotta wait my love…”
First Of The Last Calls
By Husker Du. Song is about alcohol abuse and unhealthy escapism.
"...You got a bottle now you're on your own...First of the last calls.
Hundred bottles on the wall. You wonder if you can drink them all..."
Fitter Happier
By Radiohead. About making lifestyle changes in order to live a healthier
and more productive life. "...Regular exercise at the gym. Getting on
better with your associate employee contemporaries . At ease. Eating well (no
more microwave dinners or saturated fat)...Sleeping well. No paranoia..."
Five Blocks To The Subway
By Biohazard. A sobering look at the dangers of living in an urban area.
"Walkin' five blocks everyday to earn my keep. It ain't easy when you're walkin'
on those streets...Standin' on the corner, I might get taken out...Watch out
for muggers and the pick pockets..."
5 Minutes (Waiting On Hilary)
By Kamary Phillips. A couple practice unprotected sex and fear the female
has become pregnant. They are now waiting for the results of a pregnancy test
to determine their fate. Song also focuses on the fact that both their lives
will change dramatically if the test comes back positive. "...Do you
remember when? What's that you say? You haven't had your days? Are you quite
sure it's me?...It's reality she said and lucky for you I brought with me a
test...5 minutes to save the world..."
5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years Of Love)
By The Presidents . A testament to the institution of marriage, commitment
and true love. "Lasting forever now. 5-10-15-20(25-30 years of love).
Aren't we happy. Look at the kids playing...Holding hands and talking. Walking
in the park...We have so much to be thankful for..."
The Fletcher Memorial Home
By Pink Floyd. A
biting commentary on world
leaders, their military policies and warrior mentality. Song includes
references to numerous leaders including Margaret Thatcher, Leonid Brezhnev, and
Menachem Begin."Take
all your overgrown infants away somewhere and build them a home a little place
of their own...The fletcher
memorial home for incurable tyrants and kings...They can polish their medals and
sharpen their smiles...Wasters of life and limb..."
Flight Of Icarus
By Iron Maiden. Inspired by Greek mythology, the story of Daedalus & Icarus.
" As the sun breaks, above the ground, an old man stands on the hill. As
the ground warms, to the first rays of light, a birdsong shatters the
still..."
Flight Of The Enola Gay
By Blue Cheer. Song is about the Enola Gay which was the plane used to bomb
Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. "...No place to run and no place to hide. The
victims lost and the winners died...With a mighty blast you know the world was
won...We'll not forget that time of day..."
Flo
BySmash mouth. About a person in a
relationship who is competing with the memory of a past boyfriend. "Your
friends keep telling me I bear a striking resemblance to someone you used to
know. But baby it's me...We've been going for a while but lately she's been
somewhere else...Florence if you hear this won't you come and pick your
girlfriend up. She's been talking in her sleep and I think that I've had
enough. She's been a wreck since you've been away..."
Flowers
By Billy Yates. A man kills his wife in a drunk driving accident. The
husband pays a visit to the grave sight and is remorseful as he realizes how
much he has lost and that he took his wife's love for granted. "...I went
by the junkyard, they still got our car. I still see the one we need, beggin'
me not to drive. But I took away the keys, and made you climb inside...Oh, I'd
take your place in this field of stone, if only I had the power. Look what it
took for me to finally bring you flowers..."
Flowers Are Red
By Harry Chapin. A child is punished by his teachers for being different and
not conforming to behaviors expected of him. Based on an actual experience
where Harry's son's teacher wrote... Your son marches to the beat of a
different drummer. But don't worry, we'll have him joining the parade by the
end of the term. "...There's a time for everything young man and a way
it should be done...There's no need to
see flowers any other way than the way people have always have seen
them..."
Flowers Of Evil
By Mountain. A protest song against the Vietnam War. "The Flowers of
Evil" is also a book of poetry written by Charles Baudelaire. "Oh,
how can you tell me. Oh, how the joy. Passed from his childhood. That's not my
boy. He left his country to go war...We never dreamed when he was leaving that
he would taste the flowers of evil..."
Flying Sorcery
By Al Stewart. This song is a tribute to
famed British aviatrix Amy Johnson.
"With your photographs of Kitty Hawk and the biplanes on your wall. You
were always Amy Johnson
from the time that you were small. no schoolroom kept you grounded while your
thoughts could get away..."
Follow The Drinking Gourd
By The Weavers. Travelers on the underground railroad shared this
inspirational song on their path to freedom. "...Follow the drinking gourd
for the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom. Follow the drinking
gourd..."
Follow Your Dreams
By Poco. About goal setting and realizing that you determine your own destiny
in life. Also deals with individuality and not giving in to negative peer
pressure. "...So give it your best, and don't worry about what some may
say. Follow your dreams, it's really all that you can do. Give it your best,
and remember that life is what you
choose. Follow your dreams and do what you love to do..."
Folsom Prison Blues
ByJohnny Cash. A prisoner in Folsom State Prison
reflects on his life, the poor choices he made, and the advice he failed to heed. "I hear the
train a comin' it's rollin' round the bend. And I ain't seen the sunshine since
I don't know when...I'm stuck in Folsom prison and time keeps draggin' on..When
I was just a baby my momma told me son always be a good boy don't ever play
with guns. But I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die. When I hear that
whistle blowin' I hang my head and cry..."
The Fonz
By Smash mouth. About the power or
influence of image and popularity, and wanting to be like someone else. "I
wanna try your shoes on and wear them for a day. Learn to talk like you
do...I'd talk like I knew something that everyone wanted to hear...Cause you're
the Fonz..."
Fooling Yourself (The Angry
Young Man)
By Styx. About a person who does not set lofty goals, fails to utilize
strengths, and does not realize his or her potential. "You see the world
through your cynical eyes. You're a troubled young man I can tell. You've got
it all in the palm of your hand...And you're fooling yourself if you don't
believe it..."
Fool's Gold
By Thin Lizzy. About the "Great Goldrush" of the early 1800's.
"...In search of a new life and a new hope. Oh, but there were some who
couldn't cope. And they spent their lives in search of fool's gold..."
Football Widow
By Zora Young. About a guy who spends too much time watching the game on
television instead of paying attention to his significant other. "...I'm a
football widow and you a couch potato......I wear pink rollers in my hair.
Fluffy house shoes with a dog on the toe too. Oh baby I got the football widow
blues..."
For a Son
By Bryan Gruley. This
song was written in
memory of journalist Daniel Pearl and
dedicated to his son Adam. "A song, my son, a sweet song Hand me up a
fiddle and I'll play along And sing these words so you will believe You should love
this life with every breath you breathe..."
Force Of Habit
By Quiet Riot. Song is about overindulgence, practicing unhealthy habits and
living life too fast. "Too much coffee's gonna shatter my nerves...Whole
lotta speed gonna take me too fast...Doctor says slow down if you wanna stay
alive..."
Foreclosure Of A Dream
By Megadeth. Song relates to the tragedy of the American farmer who has been
forced to sell his land because of an uncertain economy. "Rise so high yet
so far to fall...More borrowed money, more borrowed time...Foreclosure of a
dream, those visions never seen. Until all is lost, personal holocaust.
Foreclosure of a dream...Barren land that once filled a need, are worthless now
dead without a deed..."
Forest For The Trees
By Huey Lewis and the News. Song is about being optimistic and keeping your
head up in times of peril. "...And when you get angry and everything's
black or white. You should know that it isn't that simple. No one's always
right...Things are never as bad as they seem..."
Forgive Us, Anita Dewan
By Suman Chatterjee. Inspired by actual events, song
deals with the issue of women and violence. "...Foul and filthy,
Bantala is but another Calcutta neighborhood. Three women are assaulted with
three hundred men in pursuit...Does Anita Dewan's carcass make civilty feel
shame?..."
Forgotten Sons
By Marillion. About the conflict in Northern Ireland during the 1980's.
"...Boys baptized in wars. Morphine, chill scream, bad dream. Serving as
numbers on dogtags, flakrags, sand bags...I must fear evil for I am but mortal
and mortals can only die. Forgotten sons..."
Forgotten Years
By Midnight Oil. About remembering
and paying tribute to the sacrifices of previous generations and cherishing the
hard fought rights and freedoms we hold today. "...Our sons need never be
soldiers. Our daughters will never need guns...Seasons of war and grace. These
should not be forgotten years...The hardest years, the wildest years. The
desperate and divided years. We will remember..."
For Pete's Sake
By The Monkees. About love, understanding, brotherhood and making the world a better place to live.
"...We were born to love one another. This is something we all need...Love
is understanding, it's in everything we do..."
For The Love Of Money
By O'Jays. About greed and things people will do for the almighty dollar.
"Money...Some people got to have it...For the love of money people will
steal from their mother. For the love of money people will rob their own
brother...For the love of money people will lie, Lord they will cheat..."
For The People's Prince
By Larry Hoppen. A tribute to John F.
Kennedy Jr. who along with his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy was tragically
killed in a plane crash in July, 1999. "...With constant grace under
pressure you were truly a profile in courage. A hopeful presence among
millions, you never failed to encourage. Only God knows why such things strike
down such good people..."
Fortunate Son
By Creedence Clearwater Revival. Criticism of the special treatment received
by sons of the wealthy and powerful who did not serve during the Vietnam war.
"Some folks are born silver spoon in hand, lord don't they help
themselves..."
Fortunes Of War
By Iron Maiden. About the mental anguishes a soldier suffers after returning
home from war. "After the war and now they've sent us homeward. I can't
help but feel that I'm on my own...The vivid scenes and all the recurring
nightmares. I lay there and sweat...I hear voices in my head..."
4/20/02
By Pearl Jam. Song
pays tribute to Alice In
Chain's lead singer Layne
Staley and a warns about the dangers of drug abuse. "...Using, using,
using The using takes toll Isolation... Lonesome friend, we all knew Always
hoped you'd pull through No blame, no blame No blame, it could be you Using,
you can't grow old using..."
"40"
By U2. This song is based on
or inspired by the Bible's
Psalm 40. "I waited patiently for the Lord...He set my feet upon a
rock and made my footsteps firm...I will sing, sing a new song...How long to
sing this song?..."
48 Hours 'Til Monday
By Sawyer Brown. A tribute to the weekend warrior. In other words, thank God
it's Friday! "...It's Friday night and I been workin' all week long. After
the rent all I have left is this old song...I've got a hole in my pocket and
the world by the tail and everything is going my way. I've got forty eight
hours and twenty five dollars in change..."
Forty Hour Week (For A Livin')
By Alabama. A tribute to the hard working blue collar employees of America.
"There are people in this country who work hard everyday. Not for fame or
fortune do they strive. But the fruits of their labor are worth more than their
pay. And it's time a few of them were recognized...."
49er
By Riot. About the 1849 California Goldrush. 49er is a slang term to
describe the thousands of people who headed west in search of gold. "...Headed
west was a 49er to stake his new shrine...Headed west was a 49er, get rich
quick, live life finer...Some never made their dreams come to life. Many men
fell..."
41 Shots
By George Stass. Inspired by actual events. On February 4, 1999 four NYC police
officers fired 41
shots at unarmed Guinean immigrant Amadou Diallo striking
him 19 times and killing him in the entrance way of his apartment. "...41
shots I can't understand. 41 shots killed an innocent man. Outrage and
disbelief throughout the land. 41 shots explain if you can..."
40 Oz. To Freedom
By Sublime. Using alcohol as a crutch or an escape from life's everyday
problems and struggles. "...Life is one big question when your starin' at
the clock. And the answer's always waiting at the liquor store, 40oz. to
freedom..."
Forty Years Of Trouble
By Bob Paisley. A man misses out on many significant events in his life due
to his incarceration. "...Forty years now is gone...Shackled to a ball and
chain...I have a wife...I have a son I've never seen. Ain't nothin' left now it
seems but a broken heart and broken dreams..."
For What It's Worth
By Buffalo
Springfield. An anti-establishment protest song inspired by the 1967 Sunst
strip riots that captures the political and social upheaval which characterized
the turbulent 60's in the United States. "There's something happening
here. What it is ain't exactly clear...People speaking their minds. Getting so
much resistance from behind...What's that sound. Everybody look what's going
down..."
For What You Believe In
By Francine Allen. the
song
was written for David
Chain an Earth First! activist who died during a protest in 1998 when he
was crushed by a tree felled by a logger. "What does it mean to lay your
body down for what you believe in. What does it mean to give your life for a
cause that you believe in..."
For You
By Staind. A child must deal with a verbally abusive and unloving
relationship with his parents. "...All your insults and your curses make
me feel like I'm not a person. And I feel like I'm nothing...Need attention
that you couldn't give me..."
Fountain Of Youth
By Savatage. Song is about explorer Ponce de
Leon and his infamous search for the "fountain of youth".
Instead, he became the European "discoverer" of Florida.
"...Ponce de Leon in the search for the gold. Indian tales never growing
old. The fountain of youth, that's where we might find the truth..."
The Four Horsemen
By Metallica. Song is about
the allegorical figures in the Book of Revelation in the Bible. "...The
four horsemen are drawing nearer on the leather steads they ride. They have
come to take your life. On through the dead of night the four horsemen
ride..."
Four Strong Winds
By Neil Young. About the end of a relationship and realizing it's time to
move on. "...Still I wish you'd change your mind, if ask you one more
time. But we've been through this a hundred times or more...The good times are
all gone. then I'm bound for movin' on I'll look for you if I'm ever back this
way..."
1492
By Nancy Schimmel. About Christopher Columbus' "discovery" of
America even though it was already occupied by Native Americans. "In 1492
Columbus sailed the ocean blue. It was a courageous thing too. But someone was
already there...The Inut and Cherokee. The Aztec and Menominee. The Onondaga
and the Cree...So tell me, who discovered what?..."
Four Wal-Marts
By Baker Maultsby. Song is about the deterioration of main streets and the decline
of downtown business districts as "Miracle Miles" and strip malls
become more popular in our society. "...Maybe the downtown has seen its
better days...We've got four Walmarts in the tri-town area...An Exxon attached
to a Dairy Queen. 'Cause it's small town America...Strip malls on both sides of
the street..."
Fragile
By Sting. The liner notes from this 1987 song state...In the current
climate it’s becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish “Democratic Freedom
Fighters” from drug dealing apolitical gangsters or Peace Corp workers from
Marxist Revolutionaries. Ben Linder,
an American engineer was killed in 1987 by the “Contras” as a result of this
confusion. On September 11, 2001 Sting performed this song during a concert as a tribute to the victims of the
World Trade Center attacks and their families. "If blood will flow when
flesh and steel are one Drying in the colour of the evening sun, Tomorrow's
rain will wash the stains away But something in our minds will always stay
Perhaps this final act was meant To clinch a lifetime's argument That nothing
comes from violence and nothing ever could For all those born beneath an angry
star Lest we forget how fragile we are..."
Frances Farmer Will Have Her
Revenge On Seattle
By Nirvana. A
tribute to the movie actress Frances Farmer
(1913-1970) "...She'll come back as fire, to burn all the liars, and leave
a blanket of ash on the ground. I miss the comfort in being sad..."
Frank And Jesse James
By Warren Zevon. Song is about the cowboy, outlaw legends of the same name.
References to Robert Ford, the man responsible for gunning down Jesse
James."...They rode against the railroads, and they rode against the
banks. And they rode against the governor, never did they ask for a word of
thanks. Keep on riding, riding, riding Frank and Jesse James..."
Free At Last
By David Lippman. Song mention's many of today's social issues and problems
including segregation, poverty, environmental issues, educational woes and
employment downsizing. "...Can't walk here, it's too black. Can't walk
there, way too white...Merge and downsize companies. You send our jobs across
the seas...You build some jails and cut the schools...Free at last..."
Free Bird
By Lynyrd Skynyrd. Song is a tribute to deceased Allman
Brothers guitarist Duane Allman who died from injuries suffered in a
motorcycle accident. "If I leave here tomorrow would you still remember
me? 'Cause I must be traveling on now. 'Cause theres too many places I've got
to see...'Cause I'm as free as a bird now..."
Freedom
By Luther Allison. Song calls for racial harmony and an end to racial
discrimination. "...I'm tired of discrimination, this has to stop. We must
learn to live together before the bombs drop. So love your children. This is
what we should do. Teach them to love one another...Freedom..."
Freedom
By Rage Against The Machine. About American Indian activist Leonard Peltier, who
is currently incarcerated at the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas. He
was sentenced in 1975 on charges resulting from the deaths of two federal
agents during an incident on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota.
Freedom
By Richie Havens. This song was first
performed at the 1969 Woodstock festival and according to the artist's web
site, Called back for yet another encore, he improvised a
song based on the old spiritual
"Motherless Child" that became "Freedom", eventually
reaching an audience of millions. "...Sometimes I feel like a
motherless child A long way from home Freedom Freedom Freedom...I got a
telephone in my bosom And I can call him up from my heart When I need my
brother..."
Freedom Now
By Tracy Chapman. Song was dedicated to anti-apartheid leader Nelson
Mandela. Song was controversial in South Africa and eventually banned from
radio there. "They throwed him in jail and they kept him there. Hoping
soon he'd die. That his body and spirit would waste away...Give the man
release..."
Free Girl Now
By Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.
About domestic violence and a woman who is
able to break free from an abusive relationship. "Remember
when you were his dog. I remember you under his thumb...I remember when he was
your boss...No longer will you have to crawl. No longer will you suffer...Hey
baby, you're a free girl now..."
Free Man In Paris
By Joni Mitchell. Song was written about music mogul David Geffen.
"...Everybody's in it for their own gain. You can't please'em all. There's
always somebody calling you down. I do my best and I do good business...I deal
in dreamers and telephone screamers..."
Free Nelson Mandela
By Jerry Dammers. A human rights song
about Nelson Mandela, leader of the African
National Congress who was imprisoned for 27 years as punishment for his
opposition to Apartheid and the white minority government of South Africa . Nelson Mandelawas released in
February, 1990 and in 1994 was elected President of South Africa. "...his
body is used but his mind is still free. You're so blind that you cannot
see...Free Nelson Mandela"
Freewill
By Rush. About freedom of choice. Relates to "natural rights" and the thinkers of the Enlightenment.
"...You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill; I will
choose a path that's clear - I will choose Free Will..."
Free Yor Mind
By EnVogue. About prejudice and the negative power of stereotypes. "I
wear tight clothing and high heel shoes It doesn't make me a prostitute I like
rap music wear hip hop clothes That doesn't mean that I'm sellin' dope...Oh now
attitude why even bother I can't change your mind you can't change my color
Free your mind and rest will follow..."
Friday the 13th
By Wardance. Song is based on the popular Friday the 13th movies. “…Jason
comes and he is mad Showdown in the dawn And you defeated him alone But one day
he comes back again To take revenge on Friday the
13th…”
Friend
By Van Zant. About the importance of friendship, and knowing there is
someone who you can count on."...I think of all we've been through. You
and I are one and the same and I thank God for you... You taught me how to live
my life. You're the strength that pulls me through..."
From The Inside
By Alice
Cooper. According to the artist...This comes from my three month stay in
an institution for alcoholism where I met the wackos that inspired the
characters on this album. "...I'm stuck here on the inside looking
out. I'm just another case...I got lost on the road somewhere. Drinking
whiskey..."
Funny Vibe
By Living Colour. About prejudice and discrimination. "No, I'm not
gonna rob you No, I'm not gonna beat you
No, I'm not gonna rape you So why you want to give me that Funny Vibe?..."
Further And Further Away
By Cheryl Wheeler. About the effects of time on one's memory and how actual
events that happened in a person's past take on a different picture or memory
as they get older. "...I can see the place where I came from. I can hear
those sounds right now. I can find the paths I used to run. And believe I still
know how...I can see the place I came from slipping further and further
away..."
G (top)
Galileo
By Amy Grant. About following your dreams
despite what others may say. Also deals with listening to your heart or inner
voice and appreciating the wonder/mystery of love. "...Who needs a rhyme
or a reason, some dreams were made to find. So I know that I must follow, ask
me just how much I love you..." Song includes references to other well
known dreamers. "In the year of fourteen ninety-two when Columbus
sailed the ocean blue...Mr. Franklin
stood there holding his kite, he was crazy always pressing his luck...You are
starlight, I'm Galileo even
on the darkest night oh, I will find the shining light of our love...."
Galileo
By Indigo Girls. About self-awareness, the search
for knowledge, and striving for an an enlightened level of
emotional/spiritual existence and understandings. "Galileo's head was on
the block. The crime was looking up for truth...How long till my soul gets it
right? Can any
human being ever reach that kind of light? I call on the resting soul of
Galileo. King of night vision, king of insight..."
The Gallopin' Goose
By C.W. McCall. Song is about the "Gallopin' Goose" which were
more economical railroad cars built for use on the Rio Grande Southern Railroad
in Colorado after the Great Depression. "...With a Pierece-Arrow engine
runnin' hot on the loose. Came the Grande Rio Southern, the Gallopin'
Goose...'Twas a four door automobile on a dozen wheels of iron...The Gallopin'
Goose..."
Galveston Bay
By Bruce Springsteen. About
xenophobia in a small Texas town. Hostilities between local Texans and recently
settled Vietnamese refugees erupt into violence. Based on actual events. August 3rd,
1979 Texan Billy Joe Aplin was shot and killed, Sau Van Nguyen was charged with
the crime, but later acquitted. "...One humid Texas night there were three
shadows on the harbor. Come to burn the Vietnamese boats into the sea. In the
fire's light shots rang out. Two Texans lay dead on the ground. Le stood with a
pistol in his hand..."
Games Without Frontiers
By Peter Gabriel. The song title
comes from a well known European TV program during the 1970's, which was known
as "It's
a Knockout" in the UK. Song is making fun of the childish behavior of
contestants, but in a larger sense may apply to the conduct/behavior of
nations. "...It's a knockout, If looks could kill, they probably will. In
games without frontiers-war without tears..."
Gangland
By Iron Maiden. About the many dangers associated with gang life and
criminal activity. "...Dead men, tell no tales. In gangland murder's up
for sale. Dead men, tell no tales. In gangland where jailbirds die..."
Gangland
By Tribe of Gypsies. About gang life. "Growing up in a hard place at a
bad time. An assembly line of warriors bred to kill their own kind. You know
it's not right..."
Gangsta's Paradise
By Coolio. About many problems in society including gangs, drugs and violence.
Rejection of this way of life, "Tell me why are we so blind to see that
the one's we hurt are you and me."
Gangsters
By The Specials. Song expresses concern for the future regarding the growing
trend towards, or increase of, criminal activity on the part of young people.
"...The youths, they love to commit crime. Dread to think what the future
will bring, when we're living in gangster time. Don't call me scarface..."
Garbage
By Bill Steele. About resource depletion and the wasteful nature of human
beings. References also made to waste stations and landfills. "...Garbage.
We're filling up the sea with garbage. What will we do when there's no place
left to put all the garbage...Sending gases to the stars...Till it turns to
smog and settles down and ends up in our lungs..."
Garden of Eden
By New Riders of the Purple Sage. Environmental awareness song. "...Hey
look at the green, green tree. it ain't quite as green as it used to be. And hey,
look at the cool, clear water. It
quite as cool and clear...We live in the
Garden of Eden, yeah. Don't know why we want to tear the whole thing to the
ground..."
Garden Song
By Peter, Paul and Mary. About feeling satisfaction as people
"connect" and work with mother Earth. Many people feel tranquility
and peace when they work in their gardens. "...Plant your rows
straight and long. Temper them with prayer and song. Mother Earth will keep you
strong if you give her love and care...In my garden I'm as free as that
feathered thief up there..."
Gassed and Stoked
By Lou Reed. From the "Magic and
Loss" CD which is "Dedicated to Doc and especially to Rita...Between
two Aprils I lost two friends..." A personal song about loss, love and
coping with the death of a friend. "...Sometimes I dial your phone number
and this is what I hear. this is no longer a working number baby...Now I may
not remember everything that you said but I remember all the things you've
done..."
Gator Country
By Molly Hatchet. Song is a tribute to the state of Florida and to the genre
of music called "southern rock". References to many southern rock
bands in the lyrics. "I've been to Alabama, people ain't a whole lot to
see. Skynyrd says its a real sweet home but it ain't nothin' to me.Charlie
Daniels will tell you Lord he was born a ramblin' man...There's Marshall Tucker
riding a rainbow searching for a pot of gold...But I'm going back to Gator
country..."
Gay Free Boy Scouts
By Ray Korona. A protest song
raising awareness about the U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing the Boy Scouts
of America to discriminate against openly gay boy scout members and prohibit
membership of homosexuals. "The Boy Scouts of America said...On our honor
we will do our best. Choose right over wrong. Join us if you're morally
straight. But if your gay you can't belong..."
Geek Stink Breath
By Green Day. About the crippling effects of drugs destroying one's dreams
and goals. Specific reference to a powerful stimulant, methamphetamine.
"...I got no decision like a cripple, running the rat race. Wish in one
hand and drugs in the other. And see which one gets filled first..."
Gene Autry, My Hero
By Marty Robbins. Song is a tribute to legendary cowboy, musician, television
and movie star Gene Autry.
"The childhood memories I treasure the most I suppose are the Saturday
afternoons spent at the town picture show. I worked all day long in the
fields but at night I would dream of seeing Gene Autry go ridin' across the big
screen..."
Genghis Khan
By Running Wild. About the
Mongolian ruler and warrior of the 12th and 13th centuries. "...He loved
the glare of metal and the smell of blood...His era was his fate. He freed the
conquered land from the ban of death...Genghis Khan..."
Genocide (The Killing of The
Buffalo)
By Thin Lizzy. Recounts the mindless slaughter of the buffalo in North America,
and the exploitation and suffering of Native Americans. "..So listen to my
story of genocide, how they were hunted and slaughtered till there was no place
left to hide. Did you know the redman used to hold his head with pride? Till
every man, woman and child were destroyed..."
The Geologists Come-All-Ye
By Brenna
Lorenz. This song relates
to science education as it is a tribute to the field of geology and geologists in
general. "...Geologists
all bold and strong. We are the subject of this song. We get up with the rising
sun and map until the day is done. We walk two hundred miles a day. And study
rocks along the way..."
George Jackson
By Bob Dylan. Based on actual events when charismatic Black Panther Party
leader George Jackson died on August 21, 1971 from multiple bullet wounds while
serving time in San Quentin prison. Many radio stations banned this single over
concerns about the song's political theme. "George Jackson...Sent off to
prison for a seventy dollar robbery. Closed the door behind him and threw away
the key...Authorities they hated him because he was just so real...They cut
George Jackson down..."
George W. From Texas ( Ten
Gallon Smirk )
By Bill Oliver & The Lost Otters. A political commentary and parody song
about President Bush. "...I was raised in Midland, Texas in the family oil
fields. My daddy helped me git in every game. When Heston needed Texans to get
handguns concealed I proudly sat right down and signed my name..."
George White's Children
By David Gray. About the pain and horror of sexual abuse. "...His
children were singers, dancers, and such
but the life that was theirs melted under his touch and its other men now
that bear the hate Private George White used to create. Sing me a reason, sing
me a rhyme tell me why these things must be Maybe the people, perhaps the time
I only know I want kids to grow up to be free..."
Get Back Up
By Tom Cochrane. Deals with self-destructive behavior and suicide. Sung from
the point of view of a person who is trying to revive a loved
one who has fallen unconscious, presumably from a drug overdose. "...I put
you in the tub babe with five big pounds of ice. If you don't get up I don't
know what I'll do. I've walked you around the room here, nearly 37 times. Can
you hear me now and am I getting through?..."
Get It Right Next Time
By Gerry Rafferty. About human error and realizing that it impossible to
always make the right decision. At the same time "learn from your
mistakes". "...You gotta grow, you gotta learn by your
mistakes...When you believe there's no mountain you can climb. And if you get
it wrong you'll get it right next time..."
Gettin' Better
By Tesla. Song is about keeping a positive outlook on life and realizing that
hard work will eventually pay off. "...I'm a hard workin' man doin' all
that I can. Trying to make ends meet. Just a makin' my way through this jungle
each day, it's gettin' the best of me. But I know it's gettin' better and a
change is gonna come my way..."
Getting High On The Bad Times
By Orange Goblin. About using substances in order to deal with depression or
problems. "...Getting high on the bad times. Losing control of my
thinking. Can't feel the demons inside. Something is riding my train of thought.
And its eating away at my pride..."
Getting There
By Terri Clark. According to the
artist, "...It's about life, and how the living is in the journey, not the
destination. The real human experience is in growth, and learning, the
"NOW." We all have to embrace each moment of this ride we are on, the
ups, and the downs." (quoted from the artist's web site) "...Don't be
the first in every line
Now and then you can be at the end 'Cause there's only so much time And you
can't get back every minute you spend You're not even sure What you're running
for You want an answer as soon as you say a prayer You want to land the moment
you're in the air Baby the living is all in the getting there..."
Get Up Stand Up
By Peter Tosh. An anthem for the oppressed and disenfranchised people
throughout the world. "...Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right. Get
Up, Stand Up, don't give
up the fight. Get Up, Stand Up, life is your right. So we can't give up the
fight..."
Get Your Filthy Hands Off My
Desert
By Pink Floyd. Song is about greed, imperialism, militarism and the age old quest
for land and territory. "Brezhnev
took Afghanistan. Begin took
Beirut. Galtieri took the Union Jack..."
The Ghetto
By Sparkle. Song is about the struggles and challenges of growing up
in a poor urban neighborhood. "Can I talk about the ghetto? That's where
I'm from...What I see don't look so good. All my brothers hustlin'. All my
sisters strugglin'...Trying to make it seems so hard..."
Ghetto Prisoners
ByNas. Song carries a
message of faith and hope, expressing support
for impoverished people and communities. Singer encourages poor and
oppressed people to rise above their situation or circumstances. "...Yo we
gotta be God's children, habitats in tall buildings. Rats crawl in filthy
Hallways...Young ones ahead of they time. Trapped in slums... Headed for
nuttin' but the state pen...Life is every man's kingdom, a dyin' man's past and
a newborn's first time to be here at last. And shouldn't have to grow up fast
and suffer our pain...But never lose faith; through the years just get
smarter..."
The Ghost of Tom Joad
By Bruce Springsteen. About
those who are impoverished and disenfranchised. A portrait of life on the edge,
people facing despair and struggling to survive. Inspired by the Steinbeck
novel, and John
Ford film adaptation of, "Grapes of
Wrath". Song also relates to, or is example of, the musical
genre/style alt.country
"...Shelter line stretchin' 'round the corner. Welcome to the new world
order. Families sleepin' in their cars in the Southwest. No home no job no
peace no rest...Well the highway is alive tonight, but nobody's kiddin' nobody
about where it goes. I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light with the ghost
of old Tom Joad."
Ghost Dance
By Riot. This tribute song about the
Native American Ghost
Dance is from the 1996 concept Album, Brethren of the Long House.
"...Surely soon I will discover If I hear my fallen brother Things have
got to change Life it cannot end this way So I pray Turn me loose on rock or
stone From this battlefield I'm thrown Darkened visions start to grow One more
hour then I'll know Someone
see me Someone hear me Someone bring me, back from where I go Someone help
me Someone touch me Someone tell me has my death begun?..."
Ghost Town
By C.W. McCall. Ghost Town is a
term used to describe old Western towns that became deserted after miners moved
away and the towns "dried up". "The dance hall is silent and
empty. The banjos don't play anymore...Wild flowers cover the ground now...The
tombstones are weathered and broken..."
Ghosts of Cape Horn
By Gordon Lightfoot. About the courageous efforts of explorers trying to sail "Round the
Horn" of South America. Many sailors have not returned from voyages
through these most dangerous waters. "...See them all in sad repair,
demons dance everywhere. Southern gales, tattered sails and none to tell the
tales...all around old Cape Horn..."
Gift Of Faith
By Toto. A social responsibility song
about the power of
hope and the importance of faith. "All this pain surrounding me; hopelessness is all that I see
now Does it have to be this way?...Hope and believe in the things that we need
to survive We can make
it if we'd only take the gift of faith We can change it if we'd just accept
the gift of faith..."
The Gift Of Life
By Desmond Child. An important health song about teen pregnancy. A
teenage couple have unprotected sex and the girl becomes pregnant. They decide
to abort the child resulting in emotional scars for both teenagers. "...We
weren't ready for a child in our lives...We were children ourselves. But it
still hurts inside. I hope your still up in heaven 'cause I need you
now..."
Gimme Shelter
By Rolling Stones. This
song is about violence, death, destruction threatening society. "Oh a
storm is threatening my very life today...war, children, it's just a shot
away...rape, murder, it's just a shot away..." The final verse offers a
message of hope and opportunity,"Love, sister , it's just a kiss
away..."
Gimme Your Money Please
By BTO. About criminal activity and
other dangers of urban environments. "...Being born and raised in New York
There ain't nothing you won't see 'Cause the streets are filled with bad
goings-on And you know that's no place to be But my car broke down in the
evening You know it just stopped stone cold Stopped stone cold in the street
And a dirty mean man with sharp glass eyes He said, 'Gimme your money
please.'..."
Gin House Blues
By The Animals. About alcohol abuse.
References made to withdrawal symptoms, mood swings and violence caused by
alcohol use. "...You know I'm beggin' you, somebody give me my gin...When
I'm feelin' high, everything's alright...I'll fight the army and the royal navy
if I don't get me some gin tonight..."
Girl From The Gutter
By Kina. A lower class woman fights to achieve her dreams and aspirations
and succeeds through hard work and determination. "For all the things you
said I'd never do...Said I'd never make it on my own. Things are looking up for
me now...It's my turn now, won't be held down..."
Give It All You Got
By Marshall
Tucker Band. A positive song about the power of faith, hope and
perserverance. "...Even if the road is long, even if the river's wide.
Give it all you got all the time...Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you...Give it all you got..."
Give It Up(Smoking)
By A.C. Reed. Song is about the addictive nature of nicotine and the dangers of tobacco use . "Lord I
smoke, smoke, smoke. Smoke two packs a day. Only thing it's doin' to me is
fadin' my life away...I'm addicted to the nicotine...I'm gonna cut this smokin' or
lose..."
Give Me You
By Mary J. Blige. Song is about the importance of committment, devotion,
honesty, and love in a relationship. "...You don't have to promise me the
stars. Just promise me love inside your heart...I don't need things that money
buys. All I need is there in your eyes. I just need your heart next to mine all
my whole life through..."
Give The People What They Want
By The Kinks. A critique or
commentary on people's prurient interests and the publics' desire for blood and
gore throughout history. "...The Roman promoters really did things
right...The attendance was sparse so they put on a fight. Threw the Christians
to the lions, sold out every night...Give'em lots of sex, perversion and rape.
Give 'em lots of violence, and plenty to hate...When Oswald shot Kennedy, he
was insane. But still we watch the re-runs again and again...Give the people
what they want. You gotta give the people what they want..."
Giving In
By Adema. About substance abuse
and using alcohol to deal with life's pressures. "...I am drinking
again...Losing all my friends. Family has tried to heal all my
addictions...Life's harder everyday...I'm giving in...I'm killing all the
pain..."
Glass House
By Peter Tosh. Taken from a well known proverb,
the lyrics remind people to think twice before condemning or passing judgement
on the actions of others. "If you live in a glass house don't throw
stones. Harm no man, let no man harm you. Do unto others as they will do to
you..."
Glendale Train
By New Riders of the Purple Sage. Inspired by actual events.
"Somebody robbed the Glendale train this mornin' at half-past nine...They
made clean off with sixteen g's and left two men lying cold. Somebody robbed
the Glendale train and they made off with the gold..."
Global Warming Song
By David Rovics. An evironmental health and science song. Talks about the topic
of global warming.
"...Yes, the weather's getting crazy and its a good time to be alive. If
you really like tornados or watching hurricanes arrive...Stop all this whining,
don't we love to be where the sun is shining...Antarctica is melting and the
ozone hole is growing..."
Global Warning
By Sonny Rollins. Environmental awareness song. "...We got to stop
assumin' we can just go on consumin' Clean up the air Clean up the food forget
that arrogant attitude...Live light on the planet sister and brother..."
Glory Days
By Bruce
Springsteen. About aging, loss of innocence, and adjusting to life after
one's "glory days" are gone. "...And I hope when I get old I
don't sit around thinking about it but I probably will. Yeah, just sitting back
trying to recapture a little of the glory of, but time slips away
and leaves you with nothing mister but boring stories of glory days..."
God Bless The USA
By Lee Greenwood. Song deals with patriotism, honoring your country and the
people that have fought for our rights. "...I'd thank my lucky stars to be
livin' here today. "Cause the flag stands for freedom and they can't take
that away. And I'm proud to be an American...God bless the USA..."
Goddess of Love
By Bryan Ferry. Tribute to Marilyn Monroe. "Marilyn says I got nothing
to wear tonite Only a pair of diamond earrings that catch the light Platinum
blonde - is it true that you have more fun...Goddess of love Never a day goes
by Goddess of love When I don’t cry"
God Gave Rock And Roll To You
By Argent. About the positive effects music can have on an individual. Song also
talks about the hard work involved in becoming a rock star. "...I know
life sometimes can get tough. And I know that sometimes life can be a drag. But
people we have been given a gift...God gave rock and roll to you...You don't
have money or a fancy car and you're tired of wishin' on a fallen star. You
gotta put your faith in a loud guitar...God gave rock and roll to you..."
God Smack
By Alice in Chains. Song deals with heroin use, "smack" is slang
term for heroin.
References to death and dying as result of using this narcotic. "...Now
you know the reasons why, can't get high or you will die. So your sickness
weighs a ton, and God's name is smack for some..."
God's Will
By Martina McBride. About a handicapped child and his impact on people
around him. "I met God's Will on a Halloween night He was dressed as a bag
of leaves It hid the braces on his legs at first...As he struggled down the
driveway, it almost Made me hurt Will don't walk too good Will don't talk too
good He won't do the things that the other kids do...His mother said, they
didn't think he'd live And she said each day that I have him, well it's just
another gift And I never got to tell her, that the boy Showed me the truth In crayon
red, on notebook paper, he'd written Me and God love you..."
Gods of War
By Bruce Dickinson. An anti-war song. "...On the front line. You can
join in the fear. Share in the bloodshed. Investing your money in guns, the
infinite fun..."
Gods of War
By Def Leppard. About the death and violence caused by conflict between
nations. "...On a countdown to zero, take a ride on the nightmare machine.
There ain't gonna be heroes, there ain't gonna be anything...When we all fall
down. When we walk into silence. When we shadow the sun. When we surrender to
violence. Oh, then the damage is done. Put away that gun!..."
God of Wine
By Third Eye Blind. A couple deals with an
alcohol problem and risks losing their friendship as a result of the
addiction."...Where do we begin to get clean again, can we get clean
again? I walk home alone with you...She takes a drink and then she waits. The
alcohol it permeates. And soon the cells give way, and cancels out the day...I
can't keep it all together I know...
Godzilla
By Blue Oyster Cult. This inspirational song pays tribute to the television and B-movie leading creature, Godzilla. "...Helpless
people on a subway train, scream bug-eyed as he looks in on them. He picks up a
bus and he throws it back down as he wades through the buildings toward the
center of town..."
Go Home
By Joan Jett. From the Home Alive tribute CD which is dedicated to The Gits lead singer Mia
Zapata and raises awareness about the importance personal safety and
self-defense. "Walkin' on the streets tonight I am so aware of you Give me
a reason to fight When there's nowhere to run to Go home Wake up, wake up, wake
up right now
There's no one to protect you..."
Goin' Down Slow
By Gov't Mule. A man on his deathbed comes to grips with his failing health
and imminent death. "...All my health is failing. Lord, I'm going down
slow...Please write my mother and tell her the shape I'm in. Tell her to pray
for me. Forgive me for my sins, for all my sins...I'm goin' down slow..."
Going Away To College
By blink-182-. About feelings of
anxiety, apprehension, and doubt experienced by many young people when they first
leave home for college.
"...I'll write you once a week she said. Why does it feel the same to fall
in love or break it off. I haven't been this scared in a long time...Is my
picture still hanging in her locker?..."
Going Bass Fishing
By Anna Moo. About the relaxing and tranquil pastime of fishing. As the old
saying goes, A day of fishing sure beats a day of work even if you don't
catch anything. "I'm going bass fishing out on Lake Tuschuilla...No telling
what's biting today...No place is finer or sweeter...Might not catch me
anything but a beautiful day..."
Going Through The Motions
By Kansas. About getting caught in a rut in life and never experiencing
anything new. Also deals with people who "sleepwalk" through life and
aren't aware of things around them. "..And is your day just a reflection
of the day before? Don't you ever stop and wonder
if there's something more? Do you really mean to tell me that you are
satisfied? Are you for real or are you going through the motions?..."
Going To The Zoo
By Peter, Paul & Mary.
Song is about the excitement of being young and the feeling of anticipation
associated with a trip to the zoo.
"Daddy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow...See the elephant with the long
trunk swingin'...See all the monkeys...The seals in all the pool all honk,
honk, honkin'..."
Going Under
ByMarillion. A man hits rock bottom
and comes to terms with his drinking problem. "...It never worked out so I
just went crazy. I took to the drink...Its always the same getting caught up
again in a habit...Everything seems so easy this way but I'm going under
fast..."
The Golden Greek
By Joe Pickering, Jr. This song is a tribute
to athlete Harry
"The Golden Greek" Agganis. "...The seventh child of
immigrants born in Lynn Learned playing the game right was the way to win he
hit major league pitching at fourteen years of age Then went on to glory on the
sports page..."
Golden Ring
By George Jones. A
newly married couple start out with much hope and optimism but quickly end up
with marital problems and a divorce. 50 percent of marriages end in divorce.
"...In a little wedding chapel...He whispers low with this ring I wed...As
they fight their final round...One things for certain, I don't love you
anymore..."
Gone Away
By Offspring. Song deals with death
and dying, coping with loss, and the emotional effects on friends and family.
"...maybe in another life, I could find you there. Pulled away before your
time, I can't deal it's so unfair...the world has grown cold now that you've
gone away."
Gonna Get Close To You
By Queensryche. Song is about a stalker and his or her victim.
"...Outside your balcony I have a room with a view. And I'm watching
you...When your alone I know when you turn out the light. I'm gonna get close
to you..."
Goodbye Blue Sky
By Pink Floyd.
From the critically acclaimed concept album/CD called "The Wall" this
moving song is about or
deals with loss of
innocence and the senseless brutalityand
violence
of war. "...Did
you see the frightened ones? Did you hear the falling bombs? The flames are all
long gone, but the pain lingers on. Goodbye, blue sky..."
Goodbye Earl
By Dixie Chicks. Song is about an abused wife and how she and her best
friend decide to poison and kill the abusive husband. "...Well it wasn't
two weeks after she got married that Wanda started getting abused...Well she
finally got the nerve to file for divorce...but Earl walked right through the
restraining order and put her in intensive care...right away Mary flew in from
Atlanta...And it didn't take'em long to decide that Earl had to die...goodbye
Earl..."
Goodbye My Friend
By Yankee Grey. Song was written as a tribute to deceased "King of
NASCAR' Dale Earnhardt Sr. Group performed song at a public memorial service
for Earnhardt after his death. Lyrics currently unavailable.
Good Clean Fun
By Monty Harper. This song talks about many
healthy ways a person can have fun instead of using alcohol or other drugs.
"Boredom is a challenge that sometimes takes creativity and hard work to
overcome. Alcohol and drugs are never the solution...Good clean fun is the
happening way to celebrate a good time..."
Good Evening Mr. Waldheim
By Lou Reed. A commentary on former
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim's controversial audience with Pope John Paul II, June 25, 1987. In a
broader sense the song is about hypocrisy and people who associate with
individuals or causes, and behave in a manner that appears to contradict or go
against the beliefs, ideals, and values they publically espouse. "...Here
comes Jesse Jackson he talks of common ground.
Does that common ground include me or is it just a sound?... Does that include
the PLO?...If I
ran for president and once was a member of the KKK wouldn't you call me on
it. The way I call you on Farrakhan...Good evening Mr. Waldheim, Pontiff how
are you as you both stroll throught the woods at night, I'm thinking thoughts
of you...Is it true the common ground for me is without you. Oh is it true
there's no ground common enough for me and you."
Goodnight Saigon
By Billy Joel. A vietnam veterans memories of war and friendship.
"...And we held on to each other like brother to brother. We promised our
mothers we'd write. And we would all go down together..."
Good Riddance (Time Of Your
Life)
By Green Day. About making the most of your opportunities in life, not
taking things for granted, experiencing life to it's fullest.
"...time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go. So make the best
of this test, and don't ask why. It's not a question, but a lesson learned in
time...I hope you had the time of your life..."
Go 1:30!
By Baker Maultsby. Song is about a Spartansburg, South Carolina junior high
school where one class gets out at 1:30 instead of 3:00 because they are too
rough to ride the bus with other kids. "They put us in here 'cause we
can't get along. But we don't see how we've done nothing wrong...They all
scared of us 'cause we're not too stable. So they locked us in a room and they
give us a label...We take the short bus and go home early..."
Go The Distance
By Michael Bolton. About the hero
in all of us. Trying your best, facing adversity, never giving up, and
knowing in the end you will come out on top. "...And I won't look back, I
can go the distance. And I'll stay on track no, I won't accept defeat. It's an
uphill slope but I won't lose
hope , till I go the distance..."
Gotta Get Away
By Offspring. About anxiety and
mental illness. Song refers to paranoia, and possibly schizophrenia. "I'm
getting edgy all the time. Someone around me just a step behind. It's kinda
scary the shape I'm in. The walls are shakin' and closin' in... I think I'm
being followed, I look around. It's only my shadow creepin' on the ground.
Gotta get away from me..."
Gotta Go(Can't Wage A War)
By Kingdom Come. An anti-war song. "...Lands far away. Hope I'll return
the same...I've gotta go and fight someone I don't even know...How can we stop
the hurting..."
Got The Connection?
By Chainsaw Little Kids. About how corporate greed is responsible for
many of the world's problems. "There is a connection to this world's
infection...Don't care if you turn to ash as long as they get their cash...Big
businesses are all the same...Starving millions in decay...Everywhere they're
is famine and corporations is where it all begins..."
Got The Life
By Korn. An
autobiographical or personal song.
Despite fame and fortune a people must come to terms with the spiritual and
emotional vacuum that may accompany the acquisition of material wealth and
celebrity status. "...Something, inside I'll never ever follow. So give me
something that is for real...Each day I feel so hollow, inside I was beating
me. You will never see, so come dance with me..."
Got The Time
By Joe Jackson. Realizing that there is not enough hours in the day to
accomplish everything you want to. "Sit down got another letter to write.
Think I've got to get the letter just right. There's a ringing on the
telephone. Oh no, got to write a little later. No such day as tomorrow...Time,
got the time tick-tick-tickin' in my head..."
Got To Give It Up
By Thin Lizzy. About alcohol/drug addiction and dealing with both guilt and denial. Person
knows he /she should quit, but feels powerless. "Tell my mama tell my pa
that their fine young son didn't get far, he made it to the end of a bottle...
I've got to give it up, that stuff..." Song also contains references to
cocaine and heroin use.
Go Your Own Way
By Fleetwood Mac. A bittersweet love
song. A person is saddened, hurt, and confused by the ending of a
relationship. "Tell my why everything turned around...If I could, baby I'd
give you my world. Open up everything's waiting for you..."
Grade 9
By Barenaked Ladies. A coming of age
song about a young persons adjustment to freshman year
in high school. Related topics/issues include; anxiety, identity, conformity,
peer pressure, self-esteem. "I found my locker and I found my classes.
Lost my lunch and I broke my glasses. That guy is huge! That girl is
wailin'!...I went out for the football team to prove that I was a man...I went
to the high school dance. Dad said I have to be home by eleven - aw man I'm
gonna miss Stairway to Heaven..."
Graduation(Friends Forever)
By Vitamin C. Song is about the transition from high school to the next phase
of a person's life after graduation. Song also is about a person's fear of
change, having unanswered questions about the future, and wondering if
friendships will continue. "...I keep thinking times will never change.
Keep on thinking things will always be the same. But when we leave this year we
won't be coming back. No more hanging out 'cause we're on a different
track...Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now? Can we survive it
out there? Can we make it somehow?...And as our lives change, come whatever. We
will still be, friends forever..."
Gram's Song(He Had That Sweet
Country Sound)
By John Phillips. Song was written as a tribute to deceased musician Gram
Parsons. "...He had a sweet country sound but they never made the record
like they said. They treated him like he had died. That was long before he was
dead..."
The Grand Illusion
By Styx. About staying true to yourself, your goals, and your value system.
Not being swayed or influenced by images in the mass media that promote greed
and materialism. "...But don't be fooled by the radio, the T.V. or the
magazines. They'll show you photographs of how your life should be. But they're
just someone else's fantasy..."
Grand Ole Flag
By George Cohan. A tribute to our American flag, "Old Glory".
"You're a grand old flag. You're a high flying flag and forever in peace
may you wave. You're the emblem of the land that I love. The home of the free
and the brave..."
Grand Ole Opry Song
By Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Song is a tribute to the country music shrine "The Grand Ole Opry" and to
numerous country artists that have played there throughout the years.
"...There'll be guitars and fiddles. Earl Scruggs and his banjo too. Bill
Monroe singin' 'em the "Honky Tonk Blues." Ernest Tubb's number
"Two Wrongs Can't Make A Right". At the Grand Ole Opry every Saturday
night..."
The Grand Illusion
By Styx. About staying true to yourself, your goals, and your value system.
Not being swayed or influenced by images in the mass media that promote greed
and materialism. "...But don't be fooled by the radio, the T.V. or the
magazines. They'll show you photographs of how your life should be. But they're
just someone else's fantasy..."
Grandpa Told Me So
By Kenny Chesney. A tribute to granfathers. "...He said life is made
for you to live The best love is the love that you give There'll be times when
you wanna hold on but you gotta let go And I live by those words 'cause Grandpa
told me so..."
Grandpa Was A Carpenter
By Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. A person fondly looks back with love as they
remember their grandparents. "...Well he used to sing "Blood on the
Saddle" and rock me on his knee. And he'd let me listen to the radio
before we got tv...My grandma was a teacher, she went to school in Bowling
Green. Traded in a milking cow for a sewing machine..."
Graptolites
By Brenna
Lorenz. This song pays
tribute to a type of fossil known as graptolites. "Oh graptolites. Your
stipes, your stipes are calling. From every shale in every ancient land. Oh graptolites..."
The Great Defenders
By Lee Greenwood. A tribute to America's armed forces. "...Oh, Army,
Navy, Air Force, Marines. You're the greatest show of strength this world has
ever seen. Coast Guard, National Guard, along with the reserves..."
The Great Dust Storm (Dust
Storm Disaster)
By Woody Guthrie. Song is about
the "Great
Dust Bowl" which took place during the 1930's in the midwestern United
States. "On the 14th day of 1935. There struck the worst of dust storms that
ever filled the sky. You could see the dust storm 'comin, the cloud looked
deathlike black. And through our mighty nation, it left a deadly track..."
Greatest Love Of All
By George Benson. Song was later covered and popularized by Whitney Houston.
About love and caring for children and the importance of self-reliance. "I
believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the
way...learning to love yourself it is the greatest love of all..."
The Greatest Man I Never Knew
By Reba McEntire. About missed
opportunity, failure to
communicate, and regret. Tells the story of a child longing for love and
recognition from his/her father. " The greatest man I never knew lived
just down the hall. And every day we said hello, but never touched at
all..."
The Great Goodnight
By Magellan. About personal loss and grief.
This song pays tribute to
soldier Jack Elroy Gardner who was only 21 years old when he was killed in
battle during the Vietnam War. Gardner's brothers Trent and Wayne are members
of Magellan. "...You couldn't hear the medic yelling in your ear While you
dreamed of this kid back at home saying pick me up so we can play Brother let
me tell you - I remember And I think you made it in that Great Goodnight..."
The Great Joe Bob ( A Regional
Tragedy )
By Terry Allen. A successful and highly touted high school athlete with a
bright future ahead of him makes poor decisions and ends up in jail instead.
"He was the pride of the backfield. Yeah, the star of his day...And his
name made all the papers as the best they ever had. So nobody understood when
the great Joe Bob went bad..."
The Great Mandela ( The Wheel
Of Life )
By Peter, Paul & Mary. A
tribute to anti-apartheid activist and former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. He also
served as president of the African National
Congress. "...Take your place on the Great Mandela as it moves through
your brief moment of time...Tell the jailer not to bother with his meal of
bread and water today. He is fasting 'til the killing's over..."
The Great Nashville Railroad
Disaster ( A True Story )
By David Allan Coe. Based on actual events when on July
9, 1918, 101 men were killed in a two train collision near Nashville,
Tennessee. "One sultry summer morning in the year of 1918. Three hundred
men with ebony skin...Two trains, one track...The impact shook the ground. The
screaming wheels and the grinding steel could be heard for miles
around..."
The Great Song of Indifference
By Bob Geldof. Song is
about apathy, indifference, and selfishness. Song highlights the absence or
decline of empathy and social responsibility.
"...I don't care if you live or die. Couldn't care less if you laugh or
cry...Baby I can watch whole nations die, and I don't care at all..."
Great Spirit
By Robert Plant. Pollution threatening the environment. "Who hears the
Earth that cries beneath the burning rain?" reference to Native American
beliefs.
The Great Train Robbery
By Mountain. About actual events that occured on August 8, 1963 when the Great Train
Robbery gang followed through with the biggest robbery ever, netting
$100,000,000 after robbing a mail train in England. "Do you remember the great
train robbery? How it all happened back in sixty-three. When Johnny Rainbow
took his band of brave men. Went down to the crossing to meet that
train...Fourteen men to share seven million..."
The Great White Buffalo
By Saxon. Numerous references to Native beliefs, rituals and tribes. Song
title refers to a Native American legend. "...Give the land back to the
nations. Let their spirits roam the plains, with the great white buffalo."
Great White Hope
By Styx. About working very hard to achieve your goals and realizing just as
much effort is needed to maintain your level of success. "When I was a young
man I had to kick and scratch and claw. Now it's like top gun in the old west,
everybody wants me to draw...And I know that some of you out there might wanna
see the champ get beat..."
Greed
By Clay Yoksas. Song is about greed, an excessive desire for resources
especially material possessions or money. "Using people is the game, they
never seem to learn. Take everything I can from them, give nothing in
return...Obtaining wealth and power is the bottom line...Gain the world but
lose your soul to greed..."
Greenhouse Effect
By Testament. Song is about global warming.
The "Greenhouse
Effect" is caused when gases in the atmosphere behave as a blanket and
trap radiation which is then redirected to the Earth. "...Wasting precious
land. It's time to take a stand. Our only hope to breathe again, to stop the
madness closing in...Environmental holocaust..."
Greenville To Baton Rouge
By Drive By Truckers.
According to the band's web site this Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute song; Tells the
tale of the actual final flight. For the record, the plane was a 1947 Convair
Turbo Prop that had formerly been used as an airliner for Eastern before they
moved to an all jet fleet. It was leased from a company in Dallas TX. The band
Kiss had formerly leased it and Aerosmith had planned on taking it, but their
management was appalled at how shabbily it had been maintained and passed on
it. "...Once we hit Louisiana, baby, I don't care Got a brand new
airplane waiting for us there Give this piece of shit back to Aerosmith. Wake
me up when we get there. The right engine gave a little flash, the pilot panicked
and dumped the gas Everything is quiet, we're dropping fast..."
Gretzky Rocks
By The Pursuit Of Happiness. Song is a tribute to hockey legend Wayne Gretzky. "Walter
Gretzky had a son. He grew up to be the great one...If they just watched Wayne
Gretzky play. Then they'd watch hockey everyday..."
Grey Ghost
By Henry Paul Band. Dedicated to Ronnie
Van Zant, ex lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd who was killed in a plane crash
on October 20, 1977. "...As the Autumn wind whispers through the tall and
lonely pines, and the hour of fate is drawing close at hand. A free bird
falling from the sky brings a bitter end to another southern man ...".
Greyhound
By Harry Chapin. Song is about the experience of riding on a Greyhound bus. "It's midnight at the
depot and I drag my bags in line. Travelling late, I got to go but the bus
won't be on time...Come on driver, where's the heat? It's cold out in the
night. I keep telling myself that I don't care. Come tomorrow, I'll be there.
Take the greyhound. It's a dog of a way to get around..."
Greyhound Bus
By Mick Abrahams. Tribute to travelers and the Greyhound bus. "...Early
in the morning I can see the rising sun...Got to catch a Greyhound, drive
through the night and day..."
Grey Victim
By 10,000 Maniacs. Song is about the devastation and destruction of the
atomic explosion at Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. "There was light and
atomic fission...One thousand flames arising...Evil debris of human bodies...
Unknowing faces scorched of all familiar bearing..."
Grinnin' In Your Face
By Gov't Mule. Song is about people that are two faced and who supposedly
are your friends but talk about you behind your back. "...They don't care
how you're tryin' to live. They talk about you still. Bear this in mind, a true
friend is hard to find...Just as soon as your back is turned they'll be trying
to crush you down. Don't you mind people grinnin' in your face?..."
Grow Old With Me
By John Lennon. Song relates to emotional health. About commitment, mutual
monogomy, spirituality and love. "...Grow old with me. Two branches of one
tree. Face the setting sun when the day is done. God bless our love. Spending
our lives together. Man and wife together..."
Guantanamera
By Pete
Seeger. Adaptation of a poem by the well known revolutionary leader and
spanish language author/writer Jose Marti'. He was a leader of the Cuban independence
movement and spent most of his
life in exile resisting and writing against Spanish colonial rule in Cuba.
"...I am a truthful man from the land of the palm trees...My poems are
soft green. My poems are also flaming crimson...With the poor people of the
earth I want to share my fate..."
Guilty
By Randy Newman. A man must face the emotional consequences of his drinking
and drugging ways. “Ya’ know babe, I’ve been drinking…Got me some whisky from a
barman, got some cocaine from a friend…It takes a whole lot of medicine darlin’
for me to pretend like I’m somebody else. I’m feelin’ guilty…”
The Guitar Man
By Bread. Song talks about the power of music and it's emotional effect on
the listener. "...Night after night who treats you right, baby, it's the
guitar man. Who's on the radio, you go listen to the guitar man...Then you
listen to the music and you like to sing along. You want to get the meaning out
of each and every song. Then you find yourself a message and some words to call
your own and take back home..."
Gump
By "Weird Al" Yankovic.
A parody of "Lump" by The Presidents of the USA. This song is
a musical tribute to Forrest Gump, main
character in the movie of the same name. "Gump sat alone on a bench in the
park. "My name is Forrest" he'd casually remark. Waitin' for the bus
with his hands in his pockets. He just kept sayin' life is like a box of
chocolates. He's Gump..."
Gun Control
By Ian Hunter. About the regulation of guns, song uses satire to take a
stance against gun control.
Related topics: NRA, The Constitution (2nd
Amendment), public policy. "...Step up the lobby, boys, down in
Washington...Gun Control, we don't want no Gun Control, we don't want
no..."
The Gunners Dream
By Pink Floyd.
Song is about a soldier's
vision and desire to live in a fair and just world
free from suffering and warfare. "...A place to stay enough to eat...And
everyone has recourse to the law and no one kills children anymore...What's
done is done. We cannot just write off his final scene. Take head of his dream..."
Gunpowder
By Wyclef Jean. About
the proliferation of death and violence in our society. Singer is asking people
to break the cycle of hate and to reach out to one another
through love, kindness, respect, and tolerance. Song also relates to apathy and
disillusionment in society. "...But it's still the same way. I wanna know why. Ghetto
people pray for a new day... Don't you know that we can't stop the violence no
because the war is not over. Until you can feel love, peace, and hear the
silence. But I smell gunpowder..."
Guns-R-Us
By Accept. About the potential dangers of hand guns and how they get into
the wrong hands. Song also slams the gun industry who make it easy for minors
to purchase or get guns. "How about a megastore full of guns to start a
war. We're selling toys for fatal games. We'll take the credit, not the
blame...It's a billion dollar industry... Guns-R-Us. Big boys buy big toys at
Guns-R-Us..."
Guyana (Cult of the Damned)
By Manowar. Song is about Jim Jones and the 1977 Jonestown tragedy where hundreds
of members of the People’s
Temple committed mass suicide. “…Guyana, the cult of the damned. Give us
your word for the grand final stand…Thank you for the kool-aid Jim…Now all
together we lived as we die on your command by your side. Die by your side…”
Gypsy Trail
By Molly Hatchet. Song is a tribute to the genre of music called
"southern rock". References made to numerous southern rock bands.
"Jackson, Tennessee, the only place to start. Close to Charlie's home and
closer to his heart...Marshall Tucker Band singin' that Carolina rock. Yeah,
Hank was born to boogie, him and the Bama band..."
H (top)
Habit
By Pearl Jam. About the dangers associated with drug use. "Saw it
happen to a couple of friends. See it happen and the message it sends. Taking
off for what's an obvious fall. Just to see what all the fuss is
about...Another habit..."
Hair
By The Cowsills. Song is from the rock opera "Hair" which debuted
in 1967. "...Gimme a head with hair. Long beautiful hair. Shining,
gleaming, streaming, flaxen waxen...Hair..."
Hair Of The Dog
By The Ramones. A person experiences a hangover after drinking too much
alcohol the night before. "When I woke up this morning from the night
before. My brain was pulsating, I was battered and sore...I was feeling half
dead...Hair of the dog..."
Hair Of The Dog
By Wildside. Song is about alcohol addiction and using chemical substances
to deal with everyday reality. "...Livin' in a bottle like a crazy
dream...One more shot, one more drink...There ain't no cure for what I
got...One more drink to get me high..."
Half Breed
By Cher. The child of an interracial
marriage suffers prejudice and discrimination. "My father married a pure
Cherokee. My mother's people were ashamed of me. The Indians said I was white
by law. The white man always called me Indian squaw..."
Half Your Angels
By Graham Nash. Song was written in response to the tragic bombing of the
Oklahoma City Federal Building which took place in 1995. Timothy McViegh was
executed in 2001 for his role in this heinous act of terrorism. "Somewhere
in heaven, wings are taking flight. Flying over a worldly weight of hatred.
Hanging over a building in the rain...Crying out for the angels to help you. To
rise up out of the ashes and the flames..."
Halloween
By Helloween. About the traditional happenings that occur on the night of Halloween. "...Masquerade,
masquerade, grab your mask and don't be late. Get out, get out well disguised.
Heat and fever in the air tonight. Meet the others at the store, knock on other
people's door. Trick
or treat, they have the choice, little ghosts are makin' lots of noise. But
watch out, beware, listen, take care..."
Hamburgers
By Rupert Hine. For those who
appreciate the finer things in life, a tribute to the hamburger. "Everytime I ease myself
out of the sack I get this low rumble...Lip-a-lickin' need for munchin'. That
rolls my eyes. Scoot me down town. Sit me on down. Stop, go no further...I will have hamburgers..."
Hammer and Nail
By Indigo Girls. About the importance of actually acting upon your
convictions, ideals, and values. "...I gotta get out of bed. Get a hammer
and a nail. Learn how to use my hands, not just my head. I think myself in a
jail. Now I know a refuge never grows from a chin in a hand and a thoughtful pose.
Gotta tend the earth if you want a rose..."
Handing Out Bullets
By Rob Halford. About terrorism and the tragedy of violence in the name of religion.
"...Detonate the human bomb Hands are all awash in blood...Carnage from
the scriptures...Bow your head The prayer calls to violence That history
rejects... Another day of dying...Mushroom cloud is coming..."
Handouts In The Rain
By Richie Havens. This song is about the importance of love and brotherhood
and the futility of conquest and warfare. "...You can bomb your foreign
brother You can hurt him until he dies You can kill him until he never asks you
why You’re on his land…you’re on his land But we all know that’s old-fashioned
And it can only lead to pain Where we might end up on the corner Taking
handouts in the rain..."
Handguns and Second Chances
By Senses Fail. Song deals with
depression, fear, and suicide. "...To
take this handgun to my eyes And watch my cells start to rise The flesh now
starts to break as the Bullet enters like a snake...And I'm too scared to live
tonight
And I'm too bare to shed my plight..."
Hand Of Doom
By Black Sabbath. About the dangers of drug abuse, specifically the
destructive power of heroin. "...Holes are in your skin, caused by deadly
pins...Now it's killing you."
The Hand Of Man
By Country Joe and the Fish. About solidarity, unity and brotherhood.
"It's many an hour I've been thinking of our fate. Doomed it seemed to
live in a world of fear and hate...Hey, take my hand and come walk with me.
Brothers and sisters we can all be..."
Hands
By Jewel. About having compassion for your fellow man and taking care of
each other. "If I could tell the world just one thing it would be that
we're all okay...We'll fight, not out of spite. For someone must stand up for
what's right. 'Cause where there's a man who has no voice there ours shall go
singing...In the end only kindness matters..."
Handsome Johnny
By Richie Havens. A protest song
about America's bloody history of conflict and warfare. "...Hey, it's a
long hard road, it's a long hard road, It's a long hard road, before we'll be
free Hey, what's the use of singing this song, some of you are not even
listening. Tell me what it is we've got to do: wait for our fields to start
glistening, Wait for the bullets to start whistling. Here comes a hydrogen
bomb, here comes a guided missile, Here comes a hydrogen bomb: I can almost
hear its whistle."
Hang A Flag in The Window
By David Rovics.
According to the artist, U.S. foreign and domestic policy is a hotbed of
contradictions. Many of the lines in this song come directly from the mouth of
the President. "...We stand for freedom And prosperity So we'll bomb
your schools and hospitals And make sure you live in misery All you evildoers
And your children and your wives With our B-52's we'll show you How we value
civilian lives...We'll have homeland security Thomas Ridge all hail We may not
find the terrorists But we can throw the left in jail..."
Hangar 18
By Megadeth. Song is based on the 1947 government account of a supposed
alien spacecraft. Rumors sprouted that the government stored extraterrestrial
technology and aliens under secrecy in Hangar 18 at Wright Air Force Base in
Dayton, Ohio. “Welcome to our fortress tall. Take some time to show you around.
Impossible to break these walls…Foreign life forms inventory. Suspended state
of cryogenics. Selective amnesia’s the story…”
Hanging Out With Danzig
By Ded Bugs. A humorous song about meeting famous rock star Glen Danzig.
"...Hanging out with Danzig. It raised my social status and international
appeal. It's like hanging with a super hero. Only Danzig is real..."
Hang On To Your Resistance
By Tom Cochrane. About an emotionally unstable individual who experiences
suicidal thoughts. He comes to the conclusion that suicide is not the right
answer and that tomorrow will be a better day. "...Must be a fast way to
go. Hang on to your resistance. Don't let it slip away. Hang on to your
resistance because tomorrow's another day..."
Hangover
By America. About the negative after effects of consuming too much alcohol.
References also made to alcohol addiction and liver damage. "...I was out
till all hours, raisin' cain once again...Oh, I ain't nothin' but a drunken
loser. And my liver's overfed. "Cause I got a hangover. I won't make it
through the day..."
Hang Tough
By Tesla. About not
giving up when faced with adversity, and working hard to meet your goals in
life. "...And it's harder than it seems to survive, keep alive and make
your dreams. Make your dreams all come true. You gotta, you gotta give it your
best shot. Give it everything you got.
Oh, you gotta hang tough..."
Happy Birthday
By Stevie Wonder. Song was written as a plea to make Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr.'s birthday a national holiday. "...There ought to be a law against
anyone who takes offense at a day in your celebration...There ought to be a
time that we can set aside to show just how much we love you...Happy birthday
to you..."
Happy Birthday, Leonid Brezhnev
By Joan Baez. A satirical song
about the Soviet led effort during the 1980's to squash the Solidarity movement
in Poland. "...So with one hand waving free the other one crushed a
budding democracy...Congratulations Jaruzelski what a
wonderful job you have done...Your people are freezing, the workers are
bleeding. You've already arranged numerous deaths...Do you hear us Lech Walesa?
What a terrible price you have paid for being ahead of your time..."
Happy Blues For John Glenn
By Lighnin' Hopkins. Song is a tribute to astronaut John Glenn who was
the first American to orbit the Earth. "...There ain't no livin' man who
gone around the moon three times. But John Glenn did..."Yu may miss me for
a minute but I'll be back"..."
Happy Hour
By Everclear. A man loses his family and friends to his alcohol addiction.
“…Hey, makes me wonder why I just let them slip away. I’d trade my family and
friends for an endless happy hour…”
Happy Loving Couples
By Joe Jackson. About a person who feels like his friends want him to settle
down and find a girlfriend. The person resents the pressure being put on him by
his friends and is determined to wait it out until the right person comes
along. "..People say I'm too damn fussy when it comes to girls. Happy couples
say I must live in a lonely world...Be it in my own good time. Being kind to
myself till I become one of two of a kind...Those happy couples ain't no
friends of mine..."
Happy Old World
By Barclay James Harvest. Song is
about the importance of conservation and environmental awareness and how we are
carelessly destroying our planet.“…We’re tearing up the rivers and a thousand
streams. And highways, they’re in places where they’ve never been. We’re
building towers in the sky and racing for the sun. Oh Lord, any eye can see
what harm we’ve done…”
Hard Day on the Planet
By Loudon
Wainwright III. From the Fish Tree Water
Blues benefit CD for Earthjustice
Legal Defense Fund's campaign to save wild salmon, ancient forests, and freeflowing waterways. Refers to
problems of global warming and acid rain. Song reminds listeners of the
responsibility we all share to preserve and conserve the environment.
"...A man ain't an island, John Donne wasn't
lying..."
The Harder They Come
By Jimmy Cliff. Title track from the movie, The Harder They
Come. About political, social and economic
justice and perseverance.
Could be interpreted as an anthem of the oppressed. "...And I keep on fighting for the
things I want, though I know that when you're dead you can't. But I'd rather be
a free man in my grave, than living as a puppet or a slave..."
Hard Living Clean
By Handsome Devil. An addict struggles to stay clean and sober. "It's
so hard living clean cuz I start to feeling mean If you say the wrong thing I'm
gonna bite Everything is black and white where color used to be Sobriety is
misery..."
Hard Monkeys
By Ten Years After. Song is about drug addiction and relates to the slang
phrase of "having a monkey on your back"...It's a hard world with the
junkie blues..."
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
By Bob Dylan. Timeless social and
political commentary about injustice and inequalities that continue to permeate
American society. Song warns or prepares listeners for future unrest and serves
as an anthem or call to action for social
and political activists. "...Where the people are many and their hands are
all empty, Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters, Where the
home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison, Where the executioner's face is
always well hidden, Where hunger is ugly and souls are forgotten, Where black
is the color, where none is the number. And I'll tell it and think it and speak
it and breathe it...It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall..."
Hard Rock Cafe
By Carole King. Song is about the Hard Rock cafe chain of theme resturants.
"Downtown, anywhere in the USA. You can find yourself a Hard Rock
cafe...After a hard day's work I guarantee. There just isn't anywhere better to
be..."
Hard Time (In The Big House)
By RTZ. A man regrets his poor decision making after he is arrested for selling
drugs and sent to prison. "...I was holdin' what he wanted when they took
me to the van...I was taken to detention, I was feelin' scared as hell...Now
I'm sittin' and I'm thinkin'. There's a hole in my life...Doin' hard
time..."
Harrisburg
By Midnight Oil. Song is about the
accident at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania
that occurred in March of 1979. Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania.
"...It's stuff that you cannot taste or see...Harrisburg, oh Harrisburg.
The plant is melting down. The people out in Harrisburg are getting out of
town..."
Harry Truman
By Chicago. Song is a tribute to the late, great president Harry Truman. "America needs you Harry Truman. Harry would you please
come home. Things are looking bad. I know you would be mad to see what kind of
men prevail upon the land you love...We'd love to hear you speak your mind in
plain and simple ways..."
Harvester Of Sorrow
By Metallica. Song has many topic areas including
substance abuse, domestic violence and murder. "Drink up, shoot in. Let
the beatings begin. Distributor of pain...See into my eyes. You'll see where
murder lies..."
Have A Drink On Me
By AC-DC. Song deals with many health related issues including binge
drinking, using alcohol to avoid or forget your problems, and alcohol
abuse/misuse. "Whiskey, gin and brandy. With a glass I'm pretty handy. I'm
trying to walk a straight line. On sour mash and cheap wine...So don't worry
about tomorrow, take it today...Have a drink on me, get stoned..."
Have A Little Compassion
By Margie Adams. About accepting your strengths and weaknesses and realizing
that all human beings make mistakes. "...It isn't necessary to number all
your wrongs. Hard on yourself. Must you be so unforgiving...You've just got to
ease up. Let yourself give you a break..."
Have You Forgotten
By Darryl Worley. Written in 2003, this song expresses support for
America's impending war with Iraq. "I hear people saying we don't
need this war I say there's some things worth fighting for What about our
freedom and this piece of ground? We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in Before you start preaching
Let me ask you this my friend Have you forgotten how it felt that day To see
your homeland under fire And her people blown away? Have you forgotten when
those towers fell?...Some say this country's just out looking for a fight After
9/11 man I'd have to say that's right..."
Heal These Global Wounds
By Clan Dyken. According to
the artist, song is dedicated to justice, healing, and nuclear free planet earth. "Let the
food I eat Give Me Strength to do The
work of the one great spirit Who animates all the universe From the
smallest creature To the farthest star Heal, heal, heal these wounds Heal these
global wounds..."
Heal The World
By Michael Jackson. Song encourages people to help make the world better.
Many social and political problems are referenced; war, famine/hunger, poverty, disease.
"...Heal the world make it a better place. For you and for me and the
entire human race..." Some related topics are; community service, volunteerism, random acts of kindness.
Heart Attack
By Thin Lizzy. About self destructive behaviors caused by emotional crisis
and poor decision making. Song is ironic in that it was one of the last songs
written by Phil
Lynott (founder of Thin Lizzy) before he died of heart failure from
excessive drug and alcohol abuse."...Papa
I'm drinking for an overload, overload, overload. The gun in my pocket is all
ready to explode. Papa I'm dying of an overdose, overdose, overdose. I tried to
warn you don't come too close..."
Heartless Land
By Molly Hatchet. A commentary about many of today's societal issues and
concerns. "...Children killing children for insult or greed. Don't want
what they have, don't know what they need...Too many families living on the
street. Too many babies with nothing to eat..."
Heart Of Gold
By Neil Young. Song
is about a personal quest and journey of self-discover. According to the
artist, This song put me in the middle of the road. Traveling there soon
became a bore so I headed for the ditch. A rougher ride but I saw more
interesting people there. "...I've been to Hollywood I've been to
Redwood I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold I've been in my mind, it's such
a fine line That keeps me searching for a heart of gold And I'm getting old.
Keeps me searching for a heart of gold And I'm getting old..."
The Heart Of Rock And Roll
By Huey Lewis and the News.. Song is about the power of music and makes many
references to different cities in the United States. "...DC, San Antone
and the Libertytown, Boston, and Baton Rouge. Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Seattle,
San Francisco too. Everywhere there's music, real live music. Bands with a
million styles. The heart of rock and roll is still beating..."
The Heart Of The Appaloosa
By Fred Small. . About the forced relocation of Native Americans. "In
the shadow of the mission sprang up farms and squatter towns The plain was
lined with fences, the plow blade split the ground In the shallows of the
Clearwater gold glittered in the pan And the word would come from
Washington: remove the Indian…They were sent to Oklahoma, malaria ran
rife But more died of broken hearts far from the land that gave them life"
The Heart Of The Matter
By Don Henley . Song is about the ending of a relationship and learning how to let go
and forgive. "...I'm learning to live without you now. But I miss you
baby. The more I know, the less I understand. All the things I thought I'd
figured out I have to learn again...but I think it's about forgiveness, even if, even if you
don't love me anymore..."
Heart Of The U.S.A.
By Molly Hatchet . Song is about patriotism and remembering the sacrifice of
those who died in battle. "...Say a prayer for the ones who lost their
lives. And the men left in the field of battle...They fought for the truth and
the will to survive..."
Heartspark Dollarsign
By Everclear. About an interracial couple dealing with
condemnation, hatred,
prejudice, and ridicule. "Time stops when the whispers blare. The voices
drop hard, but the eyes still stare...Because I walk with pride with a black
girlfriend..." The couple is determined to stick together and see it
through. "...You are possessed with a power bigger than the pain..."
Heave-Ho
By Smash mouth. About having
trouble with your neighbors. Song deals with issues of empathy, community,
compromise, and cooperation. Song also relates to identity, stereotypes, and
feeling misunderstood. The situation described in the song occurs frequently in
many college
towns. "Neighbor called my landlord. She said that she was pissed. Up
all night making
noise and she can't get no rest. She said we was running a flop house full
of thieves and thugs. Musicians and hooligans and we were all on drugs...I've
got a whiny neighbor. She says that these punks must go. I think we're gonna
get the old heave-ho."
Heaven And Mud
By Loudon Wainwright III. A couple experience withdrawal symptoms as they
try to quit their addictions. Unfortunately, they eventually fall off the wagon
and go back to their bad habits. "...We were so superior but that was just
a phase. We were so high on life for fourteen days...I kept having nightmares
and you kept gaining weight. We gave in to our withdrawal pains and finally
took the bait. In no time we were hooked again..."
Heaven Is Falling
By Bad Religion. An anti-war song. References to nuclear war. "...You
promised me a new day dawning. I've seen a thousand points of light. Like so
many points of hatred, shame and horror...I don't want to die with a rifle in
my hand and as the planes blacken the sky. It sounds like heaven is
falling..."
He Calls Home
By Candlebox. About a homeless person,
living on the streets, trying to cope with a lack of food and shelter. "I
see him everday in that blanket he calls home..."
He Got Game
By Public Enemy w/Stephen Stills.
Song is from the soundtrack
for movie of the same name. A community and social responsibility song about political
injustice and inequalities that continue to plague our society. Singers are issuing
a wake up call, asking all people to work together and help build a
community based on tolerance, empathy,
equality, justice, and love. Song
sampling could indicate that the commentary is intended to pick up where Buffalo Springfield's
"For What It's Worth" left off. "If man is the father of the son...More
than your eyes can see and ears can hear. Year by year all the sense
disappears, nonsense perseveres...Pretend
you don't see. So you turn your head...Everythings approved. People used,
even murders excused. White men in suits don't have to jump...Last I checked
pyramids wasn't built like projects..."
He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)
By The Crystals. A girl sadly equates jealously and violence with
love. She feels that her boyfriend really cares about her when he hits her.
"He hit me and it felt like a kiss...He couldn't stand to hear me say that
I had been with someone new...He hit me and I knew he loved me 'cos if he
didn't care I could never have made him mad..."
Hell Is For Children
By Pat Benetar. Deals with the issue of child
abuse, "It's all so confusin', this brutal abusin', they'll blacken
your eyes and then apologize..."
Hello Birmingham
By Ani DiFranco. An abortion rights
song about Dr.
Barnett Slepian, who was shot and killed on October 23, 1998 in Amherst,
N.Y. "...It was just one shot through the window. Just one or two miles
from here...A bullet came to visit a doctor in his own safe place. A bullet
ensuring the right to life..."
Hello In There
By John Prine. About compassion and keeping in contact with elderly friends
and family. "...So if you're walking down the street sometime And spot
some hollow ancient eyes, Please don't just pass 'em by and stare As if you
didn't care, say, "Hello in there, hello."
Hello Mr. Daniels
By Flies on Fire. A man foolishly drinks his problems away after the woman
he left marries someone else. "...She'll be walkin' down that aisle soon.
Everything's been sent. So you close the door to your lonely room and confide
in your lone best friend. Hello Mr. Daniels, it's you and me again..."
Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A
Letter From Camp)
By . A humorous look at summer camps and the letters that kids send home to
their parents. "Hello Muddah, hello Fadduh. Here I am at Camp Granada.
Camp is very entertaining and they say we'll have some fun when it stops
raining..."
Hello Vietnam
By Johnny Wright . About a soldier who readies himself for the war in
Vietnam. "Kiss me goodbye and write me while I'm gone. Goodbye my
sweetheart, hello Vietnam. A ship is waiting for us at the dock. America has
trouble to be stopped..."
Hell Song
By Sum 41. About a person who contracted AIDS from a cheating lover.
"...I feel I've come to realize How fast life can be compromised Step back
to see what's going on I can't beleive this happened to you This happened to
you..."
Helmet In The Bush
By Korn. Song is about drug addiction and the emotional and physical pain
that accompany it. "Everyday confronted...Please God save me from my
painful situation. Want to give it up, no I can't escape..."
Helpless
By Neil Young. A powerful song about feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed by
situations and circumstances. This song has taken on a new and special meaning
or significance since the tragic events of September
11th. "...Blue, blue windows behind the stars, Yellow moon on the
rise, Big birds flying across the sky, Throwing shadows on our eyes. Leave us
Helpless, helpless, helpless Baby can you hear me now? The chains are locked
and tied across the door, Baby, sing with me somehow..."
He Never Got Enough Love
By Lucinda Williams. About a man who was abused as a child and grows up to
be abusive himself. "...The screams and the bruises and the broken
bottles. These were things he understood...When he was eighteen...Shot a kid
near a liquor store...He was all mixed up. He never understood why..."
Here Come the Americans
By Urban Guerillas. This protest song expresses
frustration and concern
regarding American intervention and imperialism in particular
President Bush's doctrine of preemptive
strikes "They look the same as you and me! They show us how to be a
winner! They own the land and they rule the seas!...Here
come the Americans!...You better conform and you better agree! You better
support the monarchy! They colour code their enemies! And black is the colour
of misery! Here
come the Americans!"
Here Comes The Judge
By Peter Tosh. About the judge of rightousness. Song is a critique and
strong condemnation of colonialism, imperialism, and the slave trade. Song
includes specific references to and criticism of Vasco De Gama, Sir Francis
Drake, and Christopher Columbus who is referred to in the song as "Christ-T'ief
Come-Rob-Us".
Here Comes The Sun
By The Beatles. Song is about optimism, hope, rebirth and the glory of
seeing and feeling the sun's rays after a long, cold winter (metaphorically
speaking). "...Little darling, it's been a long, cold lonely winter.
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here. Here comes the
sun..."
Here I Am Drunk Again
By Moe Bandy. About a person with a drinking problem who makes excuses in
order to get drunk again. "I said I'd never do it again. I swore my ways
that I would mend. But you cheated dear and that's a sin. Here I am drunk
again..."
Here I Am Fallin' Again
By David Allan Coe. A man deals with feelings of guilt and remorse after
cheating on his significant other. "Here I am fallin' again...Here I am
lyin' again making up places that I've never been...I had a beautiful wife, she
found it all out one night..."
Here In My Heart
By Tiffany. Song is dedicated to AIDS victim Ryan
White who was discriminated against in the early 1980's because of his
disease. He had a huge impact on the initiation of AIDS awareness and education
programs. "...Here in my heart. That's where you'll be. Sometimes there's
a time when you must say goodbye. Though it hurts, you must learn to try..."
Here's Johnny
By "Weird Al" Yankovic.
This song
is about former talk show host Johnny Carson's sidekick Ed McMahon.
"...When he says, here's Johnny! That's his job, it's so amazing. All he
says is here's Johnny!...And laughs in his special way...Second fiddle is his
game and Ed McMahon is his name..."
Here's To The State Of Richard
Nixon
By Phil Ochs. A scathing protest of former United States president Richard
Nixon. "...Oh, here's to the land you've torn the heart out of. Richard
Nixon, find yourself another country to be part of...And here's to the laws of
Richard Nixon. Where the wars are fought in secret...He punishes with income
tax he doesn't have to pay..."
Here's To You (La Marche De
Sacco Et Vanzetti)
By Joan Baez. Tribute to Nicola Sacco and
Bartolomeo Vanzetti who ,by many accounts, were wrongfully tried and
convicted for murder in 1921, and executed in 1927. "Here's to you
Nicholas and Bart rest forever here in our hearts. The last and final moment is
yours, that agony is your triumph..." Much controversy surrounds this case
as their Italian heritage and Anarchists beliefs became focal points in the
trial. Related topics: Palmer Raids and the ACLU.
Here Today
By Paul McCartney. A tribute
to John Lennon. "...But as for me I still remember how it was
before And I am holding back the tears no more I love you...But you were
always there with a smile. And if I say I really loved you
And was glad you came along, Then you were here today, For you were in my
song Here today."
Hero
By Mariah Carey. About self-reliance, inner strength, endurance,
determination, and knowing that you have the ability to overcome obstacles and succeed no
matter how difficult the task may be. "...And then a hero comes along with the strength to
carry on. And you cast your fears aside and you know you can survive. So when
you feel like hope is
gone look inside you and be strong, and you'll finally see the truth that a
hero lies in you..."
Heroes
By David Bowie. Cold War politics and the Berlin Wall serve as the setting or
backdrop for this modernized tale of star-crossed
lovers. "...Though nothing will keep us together. We could steal time
just for one day...And we kissed as though nothing could fall. And the shame
was on the other side...But we could be safer just for one day..."
(Everyday)Heroes
By Paul Overstreet. About everyday people who make a difference in our world
and are often not recognized for their accomplishments or efforts.
"...'Cause you know heroes come
in every shape and size. Making special sacrifices for others in their
lives. No one gives a medal, the world don't know their name. But in someone's
eyes they're heroes just the same..."
Heroin
By Lou Reed. About the deadly and
destructive power of heroin. Relates to broader topics of substance abuse and
suicide."...I have made the big decision I'm gonna try to nullify my life
"cause when the blood begins to flow, when it shoots up the dropper's
neck, when I'm closing in on death...Heroin be the death of me. Heroin, it's my
wife and it's my life..."
Heroin
By Messiah Dread. About the addictive nature and deadly side effects of the
drug heroin. Heroin is one of the most addictive drugs in the world.
"...Something bad going on down here. They keep using and using...Heroin
kills them. It slowly breaks down their lives. Don't they know by now..."
Heroin
By New Model Army. A woman loses her self respect, dignity and sense of
purpose in life due to heroin addiction.
"You remember very clearly the blood with which you signed...You
believed the lies that brought you here. So now you pass the same lies like
disease..."
Heroin Dreams
By Life of Agony. About the destruction caused by the narcotic, heroin.
References made to "heroin
chic", a phenomenon that took place in the 1990's. "...Cuffed in
the junk, who knows if I would survive. Once you start shooting, forget living
life. Lost in your shadows. No soul, no backbone..."
Heroin Face
By The Cure. A heroin user comes to the realization that they are a full
blown addict. "...You see a heroin face in the mirror. And someone is
clutching your breath. You believe in the needle of the night...You'll never
come back. You're just a heroin face..."
Heroin Girl
By Everclear. References in song to drug addiction, denial, codependency and
drug overdose. "Esther used to be the kind of lover you would never leave.
She'd do anything to give me what I need for my disease...They found her out in
the fields about a mile from home. Her face was warm from the sun but her body
was cold...Just another overdose..."
The Heroin Song
By Dink. Song is about the crippling effects of heroin addiction and how a
user's life is drastically changed by it. "As I sit in my room at night
with my curtains drawn closed and my door shut tight. I got my needles and I
got my spoon...I used to have a friend like you. Now all I have is my doom and
gloom..."
The Hero's Return
By Pink Floyd
. About a pilot who
struggles with the memories of bombing raids during WWII and finds it
difficult to express in words his pain and share it with others. "...And
even now part of me flies
over Dresden at angles one five.. And there is something that I've locked
away, a memory that
is too painful...the memory smoulders of the gunners dying words on the
intercom."
Hesitating Beauty
By Billy Bragg & Wilco (Woody Guthrie). A suitor wonders why
his love has rebuffed his proposal of marriage. Song deals with several issues
including choice, committment, devotion, and responsibility. "For your
sparkling cocky smile I have walked a million miles. Begging you to come wed me
in the Spring...We can bring our kids to play where the dry winds blow today.
If you'll quit your hesitating, Nora Lee."
He Wants To Get Married
By Reba McEntire. Song relates to
emotional health in that it has references to mutual monogomy, commitment,
devotion and the institution of marriage. "He believes in the family unit,
the union of man and wife...He believes that a ring on his finger is something
to be proud of...He'll build a house in the country where he'll watch his
children to grow...He's everything, everything that I believed a man should
be..."
He Was A Friend Of Mine
By The Byrds. About the assassination of former president John F. Kennedy.
"...His killing had no purpose, no reason or rhyme. From a sixth floor
window, a gunner shot him down. He was in Dallas town..."
Hey God
By Bon Jovi. Song is about a family that faces adversity, is barely making
ends meet and risks losing everything they own. "Hey God, I'm just a
little man, got a wife and a family. I almost lost the house...We're barely
holdin' on. I'm in way too deep. We're two paychecks away from livin' on the
streets..."
Hey Jack Kerouac
By 10,000 Maniacs. A tribute to Jack Kerouac and other
writers of the Beat Generation.
"...Of the San Francisco beat boys you were the favorite...You chose your words
from mouths of babes got lost in the wood...Allen baby why so jaded? Have the
boys all grown up and their beauty faded? Billy, what a saint they've made
you..."
Hey Jude
By The Beatles. Paul McCartney wrote this song for Julian Lennon. Julian's
parents (John and Cynthia) were in the process of divorcing and McCartney felt
the song would help Julian deal with the emotional stress of the divorce.
"Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better...And
anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude refrain. Don't carry the world on your
shoulders..."
Hey Sandy
By Christy Moore. Song is a tribute to Sandy Scheuer, one of the students
shot and killed at Kent State University on May
4th, 1970 by the National Guard. "...Hey Sandy, hey Sandy. Why are you
the one? All the years of growing up are wasted and gone...Did you feel the
burn of the bullets as they flew?..."
High Class High
By Nids. Song points out that drugs do not discriminate based on personal
income. Addiction can and does happen to both the poor and wealthy alike.
"...Druggies wear t-shirts and ripped up jeans. We never see their
pictures in GQ magazine...The rich is getting high too..."
The High Cost of Low Living
By Allman Brothers. About "burning bridges" and the consequences
of subsatnce abuse. "...The high cost of low living is bound to put you
six feet in the ground...You been chasing each dream with whiskey from here to
Tokyo...You think your a survivor, boy you betta think twice..."
High Energy Groove
By The Chromatics. This song is about X-ray and
gamma-ray astronomy. "...Going up the spectrum, repeat after me: Radio,
infrared, visible, U.V. Keep going all the way, what do you see? That's X-rays,
gamma rays, high energy. An X-ray photon has a high frequency which means a
shorter wavelength than you could ever see..."
Higher
By Creed. A man visualizes a planet where racial hatred is replaced with racial harmony and love.
"...If I could make the Earth and my dreams the same. The
only difference is to let love replace all our hate. So let's go there. Let's
make our escape...Can you take me higher? To the place where blind men
see..."
Higher Ground
By Missy Elliot. About striving for success, persistence, positive
self-image, and goal setting. "...Obstacles and situations, people places and
things I must overcome, cause there's a battle to be won With my mind set on
higher things These things have become my footstool I'm determined to reach my
goal I need peace for my soul..."
Higher Love
BySteve Winwood. A tribute to the
power of love and the human struggle to
achieve a higher state of "being" and experience a more meaningful
life. "Think about it, there must be higher love...We walk blind and we
try to see falling behind in what could be. Bring me a higher love...Let me
feel that love come over me. Let me feel how strong it could be.."
High School Football Hero
By AFI. Song takes a stereotypical look at high school athletes and portrays
them as "dumb jocks". "...'Wanna be a high school football hero
with an S.A.T. score less than zero...Coach tells me to drink milk and wash it
down with 'roids...Wanna score a touchdown...Don't care about my future 'cause
its just another day..."
High Speed Dirt
By Megadeth. About the thrill,
excitement and danger of sky diving.
"Do it if you dare. Leaping from the sky. Hurling from the air.
Exhilarating high...Energy of the gods, adrenalin surge. Won't stop still I hit
the ground. I'm on my way for sure...I'm on my way to impact...Faster as I go I
forgot my name. I'm a dirt torpedo..."
Highway Patrolman
By Bruce
Springsteen. About two brothers on either side of the law and how one must
choose between his duty to serve justice and loyalty to his family. "...I
always done an honest job as honest as I could. I got a brother named Franky
and Franky ain't no good...Well if it's any other man I'd put him straight
away. But when it's your brother sometimes you look the other way...I catch him
when he's strayin' like any brother would. Man turns his back on his family
well he just ain't no good..."
Hip To Be Square
By Huey Lewis and the News. Many health related topic areas are referred to
including peer pressure, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and self esteem.
"I used to be a renegade, I used to fool around. Now I'm playing it real
straight...I'm working out most everyday and watching what I eat...I can tell
you whats going on. It's hip to be square..."
Hiroshima
By Gary Moore. About the bombing of
Hiroshima,
August 6, 1945. "...There's several souls that died that August
morning...Hiroshima, the place where innocence was burned. Hiroshima, the
memory makes my stomach turn. Hiroshima, the world should truly feel the
shame..." (see also the song "Thousand Cranes" in our Song
Directory)
Hiroshima
By Todd Rundgren. About the devastation and tragic loss of life when the
Americans bombed Hiroshima
at the end of WWII. “…Harry, Harry give’em hell. Give’em hell one more time
again. We’ll show those axis powers how to make an oven (fry them). Hiroshima,
Nagasaki…Hiroshima, no one could imagine not the victors nor the victims…”
Hiroshima Mon Amour
By Alcatrazz. About the dropping of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima, August
6, 1945. "It was newborn and ten feet tall. But they called it
"Little Boy"...The fireball would dim the sun. Promising death in the
cruelist form. Hiroshima Mon Amour..."
Hiroshima Nagasaki Russian
Roulette
By Christy Moore. About the dangers and risks associated with nuclear
warfare and technology. related topics: The Arms Race, Brinksmanship, MADD, and
the Cold War. "They dropped the bomb in '45 to end the World War. No one
had ever seen such a terrible sight before. The world looked on with eyes awide
to see where it might lead. The politics of power passed around the seed. It
was a time to remember that we never can forget. They were playing Hiroshima
Nagasaki Russian Roulette..."
His Hands
By Janis Ian. About domestic violence and how it is a learned behavior.
"...His hands they never hit me sober. His hands they never marked my
face. I would rather be blind than see him treat me that way...He learned it
from his father...And if I'd had his children they might have learned from
me..."
His House, Her Home
By Squeeze. About marital
infidelity, sung from the point of view of a man who is involved with a
married woman. "I think to myself when we kiss, your husband is watching.
From his portrait his eyes are looking down...Your son is watching cartoons. In
the morning he's looking up at me when we're in the bathroom. Sees me kissing
mother. Doesn't blink an eye. Asks a lot of questions. Answers hard to
find..."
His Pleasure Is My Pain
By Jewel. Song deals with many health topic areas including domestic
violence, mental anguish, and the emotional pain a person experiences when
their marriage falls apart. "...Angry fists. She lies on her bed. Her head
buried in her pillow...At least I never meant to make him cry. At least I never
meant to make him hurt that way...She thinks, my god what am I doing
here?..."
History Of A Boring Town
By Less Than Jake. About the monotony of being trapped in a small town with
nothing exciting to do. "...Its so funny how life burns out so fast. It's
just another wasted day. A boring life in a boring town. With the same old
crowd and I used to say I'd never stay. But I'm rotting here today..."
A Hit By Varese
By Chicago. A tribute to
French composer Edgar
Varese. "Please won't you sing me A thing that will bring me right into
the sky If you would play it Just lay it down, say, it will help me get
by..."
Hi Tech Girl
By Lynda Williams.
This song is a tribute
to math, science and technology.
"..Science is my first true love. Cuz it excites my mind. we are living in
a high tech world and I am a high tech girl...I like physics and I like
mathematics. I think they are great. I can calculate cross sections and decay
rates. I like playing with computers. I like crunching code..."
Hit That
By Offspring. About societal and family changes impacting the lives of young
people. "...She had a kid now But much too young Their baby daddy's Out
having fun...What was a family Is now a shell We´re raising kids now Who raise
themselves..."
Hitler Day
By Public Enemy. An alternative
viewpoint or assessment of Christopher Columbus and the consequences of
European Imperialism and Colonialism. Singer challenges the legitimacy and
appropriateness of celebrating the voyage and conquests of Columbus, comparing
it to creating a holiday to honor Adolph Hitler. Related topics include human rights, ethnocentrism, genocide, and rights of
indigenous peoples. "500 years ago one man claimed to have discovered
a new world.. How can you call a takeover a discovery...I don't hate nobody. I
hate the day. It's as crazy as Hitler day. It's impossible to discover a land
when people are already living there...Now he got a day to celebrate. Ain't
that a trip. Cause the indians ain't got..."
Hittin' The Bottle Again
By Waylon Jennings. About alcohol abuse, denial and feeling guilty about
one's drinking. "Well I don't know who or where I am...It's a hell of a
mess that I've got me in. Hittin' the bottle again..."
Hobo's Lullaby
By The Kingston Trio. About a hobo's way of life and their tendency to ride
the rails. "...Tonight you've got a nice, warm boxcar. Free from the wind
and snow. I know the police cause you trouble..."
The Hockey Song
By Stompin' Tom Conners. Song is about Canada's national sport and pastime,
hockey. "...The whistle blows and the tension grows and the puck goes down
the ice. The goalie jumps and the players bump and the fans go insane. Someone
roars as Bobby scores at the good old hockey game..."
Hold Her Down
By Toad The Wet Sprocket. Song speaks out against date or acquaintance rape.
"Take her arms and hold her down until she stops moving. This crime. The
shame of what a man can do..."
Holding Out For A Hero
By Bonnie Tyler. A tribute to heroes. Song expresses a longing or desire for
more people that we can admire, someone that will help and inspire others.
"Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods? Where's
the street-wise Hercules
to fight the rising odds?...I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the
end of the night. He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast, and he's gotta
be fresh from the fight..."
Hold On
By Kansas. A person feels depressed and unsure of their path in life and a
friend offers support and words of assurance. "...Where do you run to when
its too much to bear. Who do you turn to in need when nobody's there. Hold
on...Your tomorrow's not the same as today..."
Hold On
By Lou Reed. Song is about intolerance and
prejudice. The song adresses racial
hostility/violence and the state of race relations in
the N.Y. metropolitan area. Song includes references to Eleanor Bumpers,
Michael Stewart, and Bernard Goetz. "There's blacks with knives and whites
with guns fighting in Howard
Beach. There's no such thing as human rights when you walk the N.Y.
streets...It'll take more than the Angels or Iron Mike Tyson to heal this
bloody breach... Whose home is the home of the brave by the Statue of
Bigotry...Oh you better hold on-something's happening here."
Hold On
By Good Charlotte. A
moving and personal plea for life. This important emotional health song is about
alienation, depression, despair and suicide.
"this world is cold but you don’t you don’t have to go your feeling sad
your feeling lonely and no one seems to care
your mothers gone and your father hits you this pain you cannot bear but we all
bleed the same way as you do and we all have the same things to go through hold on if you
feel like letting go hold on it
gets better than you know ...don’t stop looking your one step closer don’t
stop searching its not over hold on..."
Hold On
By Triumph. About the power and positive influence of music. "Music
holds the secret, to know it can make you whole. It's not just a game of notes,
it's the sound inside your soul...There's a celebration deep within a song.
Celebrate this feeling, you know it can't be wrong..."
Hold Your Head High
By Argent. About the importance of having high self esteem and not giving in
to peer pressure. Also deals with the importance of individuality and facing
your challenges head on. "...And if they stare, just let them burn their
eyes on you moving. And if they shout, don't let it change a thing that you're
doing...Hold your head high..."
Hole In The Bucket
By Spearhead.
With sampled lines from a traditional folk
song, this is about the impact of poverty and having
compassion for those who are less
fortunate. "...Man with dirty dreads, steps around the corner he asks
me for a dime, a nickel or a quarter...and I'm thinkin' about the man who's
holdin' up the cup I pay for all the stuff and get a pocketful of change should I give it to the man's
the question in my brain...He's starin' in my eyes just as I'm walkin' past I'm
tryin to avoid him cause I know he's gonna ask me about the coinage that is in
my pocket But I don't know if I should put it in his bucket walk right past him
to think about it more back at the crib I'm openin' up the door a pocketful of
change it don't mean alot to me my cup is half full but his is empty..."
Hole In The Sky
By Saxon. Song is about global warming and its negative effect on our
planet. "...Come the sun, come the wind. Ultraviolet radiation...There's a
hole in the sky. Are we blind...Bring the land to devastation..."
Holiday In Cambodia
By Dead
Kennedys. About the brutal reign of
terror and genocide carried out by Khmer Rouge forces that seized
power in Cambodia in 1975. "So you
been to school for a year or two. And you know you've seen it all...Right Guard
will not help you here. Brave yourself my dear...Well you'll work harder with a
gun in your back. For a bowl of rice a day. Slave for soldiers 'til you
starve...Pol
Pot, Pol Pot...And it's a holiday in Cambodia. Where you'll do what you're
told..."
Holiday Inn
By Elton John. Song is about the lonely life of a rock star who is out on
the road all the time. "...Boredom's a pastime that one soon
acquired...Oh, I don't even know if it's Cleveland or Maine. With the buildings
as big and rooms just the same...Holiday Inn..."
Hollywood
By P.O.D. About becoming famous and how superstardom changes some people's
pespective on life. "...Forfeit integrity, overnight celebrity. Settle for
selfish gain rather than dignity...You changed your name, you don't even look
the same...Money, power and fame..."
Holy#&%$
By The Golden Palominos. Song takes a look at anorexia
through the eyes of the anorexic. Also shows how psychological the disease
becomes to the sufferer. "...Food doesn't tempt me anymore because I am so
full of energy and sense...Most days I float through the house naked so I can
see myself in the mirrors...I have hundreds of them...They keep me true and
pure..."
Holy Smoke
By Iron Maiden. Song slams televangelists and their crooked ways. References
made to Jimmy Swaggert and Tammy Fay Baker. "...Jimmy reptile and all his
friends say they're gonna be with you at the end...Holy smoke, there's plenty
of bad preachers for the devil to stoke...Crocodile smiles, just wait awhile
'til the TV queen gets her make-up clean..."
Home
By Three Days Grace.
About dysfunctional families and substance
abuse. "...I can hardly wait to leave this place No matter how hard I
try You're never satisfied This is not a home I think I'm better off alone..By
the time you come home I'm already stoned"
Home Is Where The Hatred Is
By Esther
Phillips. A personal song about the pain of loneliness and addiction.
"...Home is where the hatred is. Home is filled with pain. And it might
not be such a bad if I never, never went home again..."
Homeless
By Pennywise. Song brings up a very controversial issue. Why the American
government sends financial aid to foreign countries when we have our own problems
to deal with. "...Too many broken homes. Too many cardboard boxes. Too
many people who just can't survive their losses...Let's learn to help ourselves
before we help the foreign wounded..."
Homeless Child
By Ben Harper. About the fear, anxiety and loneliness associated with being
a teenage runaway. "No where here to call my home. No one near to call my
own. All that's left is for me to roam. Somebody please help me hang
on..."
Homeless Hero
By War. A protest song against the Vietnam War. "Charlie Company, third
platoon. Dodging bullets in the afternoon. My brother's dying, what have I
done. Put him in a war that can't be won. Vietnam..."
Home Of The Brave
By Mr. Lif. Controversial lyrics
raise questions
about U.S. foreign policy in the wake of the September 11th tragedy.
"...It's easy to control the scared so they keep us in fear With their
favorite Middle Eastern demon named Bin Laden this year Bush disguises blood
lust as patriotism Convincing the living to love "Operation Let's Get
'Em" But when he realized we don't support their attacks They needed
something to distract, hmm, anthrax
This further demonizes Afghanis So Americans cheer while we kill their
innocent families And what better place to start a war To build a pipeline to
get the oil that they had wanted before. America supported the Taliban To get
Russia out of Afghanistan That's how they got the arms, man"
Home Of The Brave
By Toto. Song is about protecting individual rights and the importance
of freedom of speech. "...You gotta remember. You don't have to be afraid.
You still have the freedom to learn and say what you wanna say. You gotta
remember, don't let 'em take it away. The land we call the home of the
brave..."
The Home-Town Rule
By Doug Hoekstra.
About the price people pay for celebrity status and the "cost" of
fame and fortune. Song includes references to Frank Lloyd Wright and John Lennon. "...What we rave about today,
tomorrow we bereave. No one looks, no one sees. If it's cheap imitation or the
real live thing...Is this the price of fame? Well, what about the price John
Lennon paid? How many people really know where you've been and where you wanna
go?...Anyhow, all of us expect too much somehow..."
Homophobia
By Chumbawamba. About homophobia which is a fear of gay people and
homosexuality in general. "...Homophobia. The worst disease...In the pubs,
clubs and burgerbars. Pens for pigs...They find an easy victim and they punch
him to the ground...For every death the virus gets more deadly than
before..."
Honor The Time
By Margie Adams. About appreciating everything life has to offer and living
for the moment at hand. "...Just today, here and now...Honor the time.
Honor the moment... Honor the reasons we are alive...Here and now..."
Hook
By Blues Traveler. About the power
of pop music, the integrity of musicians ,and the authenticity of their
message. "It doesn't matter what I say so long as I sing with inflection.
That makes you feel that I'll convey some inner truth of vast reflection. But
I've said nothing so far. And I can keep it up for as long as it takes..Suck it
in suck it in suck it in If you're Rin Tin tin or Anne Boleyn...The hook brings
you back on that you can rely..."
Hooked On An 8 Second Ride
By Chris LeDoux. Song is a tribute to rodeo riders.
"...Hooked on a feelin', addicted to a natural high. Don't know why its
appealin'. All he knows is he's gotta ride...Gettin' up down in the back of the
chutes...He's got the spurs on the heel of his boots...The tension's risin' but
he can't wait until they turn that bull outside..."
Hoop Dreams (He Got Game)
By Snoop Doggy Dogg. A person fantasizes about playing in the National
Basketball Association. Unfortunately, only a very small percentage of basketball
players make it to the NBA. References made to many NBA players and
teams. "...I had a dream I was in the NBA...If I could play in the
NBA I would be that six-four all day shootin' the trey..."
Hope, Prayer And Time
By Julia Fordham. Relates to spiritual health. About optimism, positive
thinking and having a healthy outlook on life. "...Just as long as we have
hope, prayer and a little bit of time to get us there...By the lonely river
where the bridges burn we shall return...In the darkness of our ages, til the
better days return...Hope, prayer and time..."
Hotel California
By The Eagles. The meaning of this
classic song has been extensively discussed and
while there are numerous interpretations a definitive explanation
still eludes us though the continued debate has given rise to yet
another urban
legend. "On a dark desert highway Cool wind in my hair Warm smell of colitas Rising up
through the air Up ahead in the distance I saw a shimmering light My head grew
heavy, and my sight grew dim I had to stop for the night..."
Hot Frogs On The Loose
By Fred Small. A satirical song
about a very serious topic, amphibian
malformations. Interestingly, this matter has been the subject of some
debate and controversy as a collection
of reports and studies suggests these deformities may be attributed
to environmental pollution while other researchers
have found almost no evidence to support this idea, instead they have
identified parasites as the primary causative agent. “…They've multiplied since
'53. Slurping nuclear debris. Amphibious fabulous fancy free, hot frogs on the
loose…They got a chicken nugget body and a whopper leap. In your bedroom while
you sleep. They'll make your Geiger counter beep. Hot frogs on the loose…”
The House At Pooh Corner
By Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Song is based on AA Milne's novel, "Winnie
the Pooh". "Christopher Robin and I walked along...Posing our
questions to Owl and EEyore...Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do. Got a
honey jar stuck on his nose..."
The House Down In Carne (The
Ballad Of Nuke Power)
By Christy Moore. This song was written in protest to the
Irish government's proposal to build Ireland's first nuclear power plant in
1978. "My name is Nuke Power,a terror am I. I can cause such
destruction on land, sea or sky. Your minister tells me I'll do no harm...I can
cripple and maim. Cause death and decay..."
House Husband Blues
By Greg Keeler. Song loks at the switching of "traditional" roles
by men and women. "...She said she had a hard day at the office. So I brought
her the morning paper...and she didn't even say thank you but just asked me
"what's to eat"...House husband blues..."
House Of Orange
By Stan Rogers. About the conflict
in Northern Ireland. Specific references to UDL, IRA, "knee
cappers", and home rule. "...I took back my hand and I showed him the
door. No dollar of mine would I part with this day, for fueling the engine of a
bloody cruel war...Yet the damned UDL and the cruel IRA will tomorrow go murdering
again. But no penny of mine will I add to the fray..."
A Housewive's Revenge
By Jewel. A woman who feels trapped and unhappy in her marriage ends up
leaving her abusive husband. There are numerous references in the song to
stereotypes about the roles of men and women in our society. "...Now I
hear him coming up the driveway in his El Camino...He keeps the keys to
himself. He won't take me to the movies 'cause of football...I say listen man,
you better treat me with respect..."
Howard Beach
By Biohazard. Song is about race relations
specifically, the racially
motivated attack and subsequent death of a young black man named Michael
Griffith, in Howard Beach, NY, 1986. "Total uproar, media explodes.
Inter-racial violence totally unloads...Unfortunate happening of a young man's
death. Creating
racial tension with every breath..."
Howard Hughes
By Rasputina. Song is about deceased eccentric millionaire Howard Hughes. "...Howard
Hughes pops ten valium blue and he reclines naked in the chair and watches just
one more movie. Howard Hughes has got something on you when the fingers grow
long and the toenails they wrap around him. Howard Hughes..."
How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times
And Live?
By Ry Cooder. About being poverty stricken and the high cost of living in
general. "I remember when everything was cheap. Now prices nearly puts a
man to sleep. Well, when we get our grocery bill we feel like making our
will..."
However Much I Booze
By The Who. An autobiographical song written by Pete Townsend who felt
overwhelmed by the responsibilities of his success and used alcohol to deal
with his insecurities. "...Have to drench myself in brandy, in sleep I'll
hide. But however much I booze ain't no way out...I lose so many nights sleep
worrying about my responsibilities..."
How High Is High Enough
By Matt Minglewood. A great health song. Talks about risk-taking, living
life dangerously and getting caught up with the wrong crowd. "...Fast
cars, new friends and machismo...Running from the law, running from himself. An
outlaw who lived too fast...The good won't die young anymore..."
How Long?
By Jackson Browne.
About misguided priorities. Increased spending on defense programs and the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Focus resources on activities to support humans. A future at risk.
"...When you think about the money spent on defense by a government. And
the weapons of destruction we've built, we're so sure that we need. And you
think of the millions and millions that money could feed..."
How's It Going To Be
By Third Eye Blind. About an abusive and
possibly co-dependent relationship. Sung from the point of view of a person who
feels confused or trapped by ambivalent feelings regarding his partner.
"I'm only pretty sure that I can't take anymore. Before you take a swing,
I wonder what are we fighting for?. When I say out loud I want to get out of
this, I wonder, is there anything I'm going to miss?...Want to get back in
again, the soft dive of oblivion."
How You Gonna See Me Now
By Alice
Cooper. According to the artist...This song is based on an actual letter
that I wrote to my wife. She had never really known me as a sober person. Once
I had dried out she didn't know what kind of person I was going to be, and I didn't
know how she would react to me. "...How you gonna see me now. Please
don't see me ugly babe. 'Cause I know I let you down in oh so many
ways...And just like the first time we're strangers again..."
HST Bop!
By The Chromatics. This song is a tribute to the Hubble Space Telescope. "...Do you wanna
see the things that no one else has seen? Well then come and take
a look through a real time machine...Do you wanna touch the edges of both
space and time? Do you wanna know the origin of your world and mine?..."
Human Behaviour
By Bjork. About the idiosyncrasies and emotional differences of human
beings, and the satisfaction derived from human relationships. "...There's
definitely no logic to human behavior, but yet so irresistable. They're
terribly moody, then all of a sudden turn happy. But, oh to get involved in the
exchange of human emotions is ever so satisfying...Human behaviour..."
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
By Ark. Song is based on the 1831 Victor Hugo novel "The Hunchback of
Notre Dame". "Staring down at the marked place from high up
above. I ring the bells in my tower cells. I dream of something peaceful and
warm. A freak of nature I was born..."
A Hundred Men
By Limeliters. An anti-war song. "...Then a million men went off to
war...A million men...And many now said that it wasn't right. And many prayed
in their beds at night...Then all mankind went off to war...And the people
fought and the people cried. And the people prayed but the people died..."
The Hunting Song
By Tom Lehrer. A satirical look at inexperienced hunters. Written in
response to the many accidental hunting deaths reported every year. "I
will always remember. 'Twas a year ago November. I went out to hunt some deer
on a morning light and clear. I went out and shot the maximum the game laws
would allow: two game wardens, seven hunters and a cow..."
Hurricane
By Bob Dylan. About the apprehension,
trial and sentencing of Rubin
"Hurricane" Carter on charges of triple murder, 1966. He was the
#1 contender for the middleweight crown. "...That's the story of the Hurricane,
but it won't be over till they clear his name, and give him back the time he's
done. Put in a prison cell, but one time he coulda' been the champion of the
world.
Hurry Tomorrow
Song is improvised by a mental patient in "Hurry
Tomorrow", a 1975 documentary by Richard Cohen and Kevin Raffety.
Song is a protest against conditions, and a call for better treatment of the patients in psychiatric
hospitals. "...I don't like nobody to have the right to tell me when I
gotta eat...that medicated slop gonna make me nauseous in the head and drunk...thorazine, cause it hurts
my throat all down to the bottom and it really hurts me..."
Hyde
By Savatage. Song is about the evil character in the Robert Louis Stevenson
novel "Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". "...a good man to evil from the potion on
the table. Sampled by mistake but it's far too late. A cause for alarm. He can
do you harm...For some he's but a tale, for others just a legend...Hyde,
Hyde..."
Hypodermic
By Offspring. Another song about the
dangers of using the drug heroin. "...Once you get a ride, doesn't matter
where you lied. Once you shoot it in, doesn't matter who you've been...All your
dance and song won't matter when you're gone."
Hypodermic Midnight Snack
By Flotsam and Jetsam. About the dangers and consequences of drug use and
addiction. " Energy, reality, combined with creativity Engulfed in
popularity with everyone he knows Dripping in humanity, exactly what a friend
should be At least that's how it used to be before he hit the stone Shooting up
shooting down Stealing hurting just to pay for what he needs to live his day
Injecting all his cares away and nodding off the time Banging up what used to
be a life of high prosperity Complete enraged insanity for a nauseating
high…"
I (top)
I
By Taproot. About personal struggle, self renewal, recovery, learning from
your mistakes, and finding your path in life again. "...I cannot believe
how much I've changed since the days of old...I need forgiveness from the
people I truly care about...Now that I've found myself again it feels great. I
can't believe I'd lost control of my fate..."
I Ain't Ever Satisfied
By Steve Earle. About
human desire or yearning for change and something better in life and the
restless spirit that keeps people from settling down. "I was born by the
railroad tracks. Well the train whistle wailed and I wailed right back...Now I
had me a woman she was my world. But I ran off with my back street girl...I got
an empty feeling deep inside...I ain't ever satisfied..."
I Ain't Got No Home
By Woody Guthrie. Song is about the life of a homeless drifter. "I
ain’t got no home, I'm just a ramblin' around. A hard working ramblin' man, I
go from town to town. The police make it hard wherever I go...This wide, wicked
world is a funny place to be..."
I Ain't Marching Anymore
By Phil Ochs. Anti-war song.
"...It's always the old to lead us to the war. It's always the young to
fall. Now look at all we've won with the sabre and the gun, tell me is it worth
it all..." Specific references are made to numerous historical events:
Litte Big Horn, Battle of New Orleans, Civil War, WWI, WWII, Hiroshima, United Fruit.
I Ain't Movin'
By Des'ree. About being proud of your cultural heritage/identity and the
importance of loving oneself and letting the world know you have something to say. "...Time is
much too short to be livin' somebody else's life, I walk with dignity, I walk with pride.
Cause I ain't moving from my face, from my
race, from my history...Loving self can be so hard. Honesty can be
demanding. Learn to love yourself it's a great, great feeling..."
I Am Ahab
By Mastodon. Tribute to Captain
Ahab a character in Herman Melville's
classic novel, Moby Dick.
"There's magic in the water that attracts all men. Across hills and down
streams. The turning of the tide...Fascination with a mountain put to sea Built
to slay and conquer..."
I Am A Pilgrim
By The Byrds. Song is about pilgrimage
traditions and pays homage to peoples faith and their strong religious
beliefs. "I am a pilgrim and a stranger traveling through this wearisome
land. I've got a home in that yonder city, good lord and it's not, not made by
hand. I've got a mother, sister and a brother who have gone this way before. I
am determined to go and see them, good lord for they're on that other
shore..."
I Am Australian
By The Seekers. A celebration of diversity and multiculturalism in
Australia. "...We are one, but we are many And from all the lands on earth
we come. We'll share a dream and sing with one voice: I am, you are, we are
Australian..."
I Am My Dad
By Electric Bonsai Band. About the aging process and the physical and
emotional changes that accompany it. "...The belts get bigger as does the
waist. I never figured on being this vast. Look in the mirror, that's not my
face...The eyes get weaker, the cheeks get pink. The hair gets thinner, what
hair still remains..."
I Am The Slime
By Frank Zappa. About the "mind control" power and influence of
television. "...You will obey me while I lead you And eat the garbage that
I feed you Until the day that we don't need you...Your mind is totally controlled...That's
right, folks...Don't touch that dial Well, I am the slime from your video
Oozin' along on your livin' room floor..."
I Believe
By Blessid Union of Souls. About
social, political, and economic problems in society, and the belief in the
power of love to see us through. "...And one day he'll understand and
he'll see me as a person not just a black man. 'Cause I believe that love is
the answer, I believe that love will find the way..."
I Believe In You And Me
By Whitney Houston. About having faith and trust in another individual. Also
deals with the issues of love and commitment. "...I believe in you and me.
I believe that we will be, in love eternally. Well, as far as I can see, you
will always be the one for me..."
I Can't Cry Hard Enough
By Victoria Williams. A mournful song about grief and loss. This song has
taken on a new and special meaning since the tragic events of September 11th. It now serves as as a commemorative or tribute song to the victims and
survivors of this horrible terrorist attack, and their families. "...I'm
going to open my eyes And see for the first time I've let go of you like A
child letting go of his kite There it goes up in the sky There it goes beyond
the clouds
For no reason why I can't cry hard enough No I can't cry hard enough For you
to hear me now..."
I Can't Follow You There
By Monty Harper. This song is about not giving
in to negative peer pressure, not following the crowd, and making healthy
decisions for yourself. "You've been my best friend since I don't even
know when...And you know I'd follow you anywhere...But you're asking me to try
these drugs with you. And I can't follow you there friend..."
I Care
By Graham Earnshaw. An environmental
awareness song. "...Beaches dying, cities choke, forests bleed. Rivers
poisoned, mountains stripped, all indeed. In the name of plain, simple greed..."
Icarus
By Kansas. Song is based on the story of "Daedalus and Icarus" which
is part of Greek
mythology. "Early in the morning sunlight. Soaring on the wings of
dawn. Here I'll live and die with my wings in the sky. And I won't come down no
more..."
I Could Not Ask For More
By Edwin McCain (Dianne Warren). Relates
to emotional health. A relationship song about love, commitment and finding
your soulmate. "...Looking in your eyes. Seeing all I need. Everything you
are is everything to me...I have all I waited for and I could not ask for
more..."
I'd Do Anything For Love
(But I Won't Do That)
By Jim Steinman / Meat Loaf. About the extent,
"distance" or sacrifices
people make in the name of love. Deals with the issue of personal integrity
and the importance of clearly defined limits or boundaries in a relationship.
"...You better believe it. That I would do anything for love and I'll be
there 'til the final act. I would do anything
for love, and I'll take a vow and seal a pact...I would do anything for love,
but I won't do that..."
I'd Love To Change The World
By Ten Years After. Social commentary highlighting some of the world's
problems. "...Tax the rich, feed the poor. Till there are no rich no
more...Population, keeps on breeding. Nation bleeding, still more
feeding...World pollution, there's no solution...black or white, rich or poor.
Them or us, stop the war...I'd love to change the world, but I don't know what
to do..."
I Don't Like Mondays
By Bob Geldof. The song is about Brenda Spencer
who killed two people when she opened fire on children playing outside Cleveland Elementary School,
in San Diego, February 1979. When Brenda Spencer was
questioned by the police regarding this senseless act of violence she
responded, I Don't Like Mondays. "And school's out early and soon
we'll be learning And the lesson today is how to die. And then the bullhorn
crackles, And the captain tackles,
with the problems and the how's and why's. And he can see no reasons 'Cause
there are no reasons What reason do you need to die? Tell me why? I don't like
Mondays..."
I Don't Wanna Get Drafted
By Frank Zappa. According to the liner
notes...Drafted" arguably captures the state of mind of American
youth concerning the idea of military service in the late '70s.
"...Roller skates and disco is alot of fun. I'm too young 'n' stupid to
operate a gun...Wars are really ugly. They're dirty and they're cold...I don't
wanna get drafted. i don't wanna go...""
I Don't Wanna Go To Vietnam
By John Lee Hooker. A protest song against the Vietnam War. "Sittin'
down here thinkn'. I don't wanna go to Vietnam...I read the news everyday, I
read about Vietnam. I got so many friends in Vietnam. I might never see them no
more..."
I Don't Wanna Play House
By Tammy Wynette. A child acts out her feelings about her parents troubled
marriage. "I watched our little girl outside at play with the boy next
door...I don't wanna play house. I know it can't be fun. I've watched my mommy
and daddy. And if that's the way it's done. I don't wanna play house..."
I Don't Want It
By dc Talk. About remaining morally strong, not giving in to negative peer
pressure, respecting yourself and your body and waiting to have sex.
"...Safe is the way to play...Don't have sex 'til you tie the knot...Love
is simply more than fulfilling the need. Respect is what you need..."
I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs
Last Night
By Billy Bragg. Song is a tribute
to controversial folk singer Phil Ochs. "I dreamed I saw Phil Ochs last
night, alive as you or me...The music business killed you Phil. They ignored
the things you said and cast you out when fashions changed..."
I Drink
By L7. About alcohol abuse. References made to binge drinking, blackouts,
and taking part in risky behaviors. "I drink, I get drunk...I don't
remember what happened...All my friends tell me I'm a basket case..."
I Drink Alone
By George Thorogood. References made to "closet drinking" and
abuse of alcohol. "When I drink alone I prefer to be by myself..."
If A Tree Fell
By Bruce Cockburn. Song talks about issues such as corporate greed and environmental concerns including
the depletion of the rain forests, extinction of wildlife and the greenhouse
effect. "Rain forest...hacked by parasitic greedhead scum...cut and move
on. Take out trees, take out wildlife at a rate of a species every single day.
Take out people who've lived with this for 100,000 years...through thinning
ozone waves fall on wrinkled earth...if a tree fell in the forest, would you
hear it?..."
If Drinking Don't Kill Me
By George Jones.
About alcohol abuse and using alcohol
as a crutch to deal with problems. "...As I trip on the floor and lightly
touch down. Lord its been ten bottles since I tried to forget her. But the
memory still lingers. Lying here on the ground...And if drinking don't kill me
her memory will..."
I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die
Rag
By Country Joe McDonald. Anti-war
song protesting America's involvement in Vietnam. Extensive use of satire and
irony. "...come on fathers, don't hesitate, send your sons off before it's
too late. Be the first one on your block to have your boy come home in a
box..."
If I Had $1000000
By Barenaked Ladies. A wishful
thinking song about materialism, desire, "lotto fever", and a
preoccupation with material objects and wealth. Song also serves as a reminder
that money cannot but love and happiness. "If I had $1000000... I'd buy
you a house...I'd buy you furniture for your house...I'd buy you a fur coat (
but not a real fur coat that's cruel )...I'd buy you an exotic pet...I'd buy
you John Merrick's remains ( all
them crazy elephant bones ) If I had $1000000 I'd buy your love..."
If I Knew Then
By Nuclear Valdez. Like the saying goes, hindsight is always 20/20.
"...If I knew then what I know now. I would have done otherwise but how?
When there's no room for regrets now..."
If It Were Up To Me
By Cheryl Wheeler. Song was
inspired by, or in response to the school shooting
in Jonesboro, Arkansas. “Maybe it’s the movies, maybe it’s the books…Maybe it’s
the drugs, maybe it’s the parents…Maybe it’s the music, maybe it’s the
crack…Maybe it’s divorce, maybe it’s abuse…Maybe it’s the end, but I know one
thing. If it were up to me, I’d take away the
guns.”
I Fought The Law
By Bobby Fuller. About a criminal who is caught doing illegal activities and
is now serving time in prison for his crimes. "I'm breakin' rocks in the
hot sun. I fought the law and the law won...Robbin' people with a six-gun...I
miss my baby and the good fun. I fought the law and the law won..."
If That Were Me
By Melanie C. Song focuses on showing compassion for poverty-stricken or
homeless people. "...How did you fall? Did you fall at all? Are you happy
when you are sleepin underneath the stars...A spare bit of change is all that I
can give...Some turn away so they don't see..."
If You Love Somebody Set
Them Free
By Sting. Song talks about the importance of remaining independent and
"doing your own thing" rather than just relying on your partner for
support. This is part of a healthy relationship. "...You can't control an
independent heart. Can't tear the one you love apart. If you love somebody set
them free..."
If You Miss Me From The Back
Of The Bus
By Jerry Silverman. Tribute to people and events of the U.S. Civil Rights
Movement. "If you miss me from the back of the bus, And you can't find me
nowhere, Come up to the front of the bus, I'll be riding there...If you miss me
from Jackson State, And you can't find me nowhere, Come on over to Ole Miss,
I'll be studyin' over there..."
I Got Drunk
By Uncle Tupelo. Song deals with alcohol
abuse and using alcohol as an unhealthy escape from boredom.
“Another slow day in this damn town. Keep asking yourself why am I still
hangin’ around? You spend half of your time just staring into a beer…I got
drunk and fell down…”
I Had No Right
By Dar Williams. A tribute to peace
activists, the Berrigan
Brothers. "...We pulled the draft files out We burned them in the
parking lot Better the files than the bodies of children...And all my country
saw Were priests who broke the law...I had no right but for the love of you And
every trial I stood, I stood for you..."
I Hate Wal-Mart
By David Lippman. A protest song against corporate practices of
eliminating small business owners by underpricing them. "...If you didn't
hear the story here's how it is. Big company sells below cost. Drive mom and
pop out of biz. Pretty soon all over the land one big square store..."
I Hope You Dance
By Lee Ann Womack.
About making the most of one's life, taking chances, loving unconditionally,
and never giving up on a dream.
"I hope
you never lose your sense of
wonder. You get your fill to eat but always keep
that hunger...I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance. Never
settle for the path
of least resistance. Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth
takin'...And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance. I hope
you dance..."
The House At Pooh Corner
By Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Christopher Robin and I walked along...Posing our
questions to Owl and Eeyore...Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do. Got a
honey jar stuck on his nose..."
I Hung My Head
By Sting. Song is about the strange allure
or "power" of guns and the human pain/suffering resulting from random
acts of violence. Song
also deals with remorse, forgiveness, love, redemption, and the
eternal bond or connection that exists between a killer and his/her victim.
"...I saw a lone rider crossing the plain. I drew a read on him to
practice my aim. My brother's rifle went off in my hand...Then it came to me just
what I had done. And all for no reason, just one piece of lead. I hung my head,
I hung my head...I felt the power of death over life. I orphaned his children,
I widowed his wife. I beg their forgiveness.
I wish I was dead..."
I Just Shot John Lennon
By Cranberries. About the murder of ex-Beatle
John Lennon. "It was the fearful night of December 8th...With a Smith
& Wesson, 38, John Lennon's life was no longer a debate. He should have
stayed at home, he should have never cared. And the man who took his life
declared, he said, I Just Shot John Lennon!"
I Just Want To Celebrate
By Rare Earth. About appreciating life, being positive, and not letting personal
problems and worry get the best of you. "...Well, I can't be bothered with
sorrow and I can't be bothered with hate. I'm using up my time by feeling fine
everyday. That's why I'm telling you I just want to celebrate...Another day of
living..."
I Keep On Drinkin' (To Drive
My Blues Away)
By Amos Easton. Song is about using alcohol to solve your problems and alcohol addiction. "...I wouldn't
drink no whiskey but I cannot help myself...So I keep on drinkin'. Tryin' to
drive my blues away..."
I'll Be Missing You
By Puff Daddy and Faith Evans. Song is a tribute to deceased gangsta rapper
Notorious B.I.G. "...It's kinda hard with you not around. Know your in
heaven smiling down. Everyday we pray for you 'til the day we meet
again..."
I'll Be There For You
By The Rembrants. Relates to social health. About compatibility, friendship
and trust. Also, the theme song to the popular television sitcom
"Friends". "...It's like you're always stuck in second gear.
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month or even your year. I'll be
there for you..."
I'll Give You Something To
Drink About
By George Jones.
About the consequences and impact of alcohol
abuse on a relationship. "I stumbled in this morning completely out of
my mind Down to my last warning, down to my last line...You think that you got
problems just wait'll I get out of our house. I'm gonna leave you..."
I'll Stand By You
By The Pretenders. A person tries to help a friend through a difficult time
by letting them know that they will be there for them throughout the hard
times. "When your standing at the crossroads, don't know which path to
choose. Let me come along. 'Cause even if your wrong, I'll stand by you...Don't
be ashamed to cry. Let me see you through. 'Cause I've seen the dark side too.
When the night falls on you and you don't know what to do. Nothing you confess
could make me love you less. I'll stand by you..."
I Lost On Jeopardy
By Weird Al Yankovic. A parody song
about the popular game show Jeopardy.
"I was there to match my intellect on national TV. Against a plumber and
an architect, both with a Ph.d. I was tense. I was nervous. I guess it wasn't
my night. Art Fleming gave the answers. Oh, but I couldn't get the questions
right. I lost on Jeopardy..."
I Love America
By Alice Cooper. A humorous and satirical look at the United States of
America. "...I love Old Glory and homeade pie...I love General Patton in
World War II, my pocket fisherman and my crazy glue. I love the Beav and Wally
too. I love America..."
I Love L.A.
By Randy Newman. A tribute to the "City of Angels", Los Angeles. "...Roll down the windows,
put down the top. Crank up the Beach Boys baby...From the South Bay to the
Valley. From the West side to the East side. Everybody's very happy...Looks
like another perfect day. I love L.A...."
I Love You
By Climax Blues Band. A man meets and marries a woman who has a positive
effect on him and changes his life forever. "...Thanks again for being my
friend and straightening out my life. 'Cause ooh, I need you. Since then I
never looked back. It's almost like livin' a dream. Ooh, I got you. If ever a
man had it all it would have to be me. Ooh, I love you..."
I Love You Always Forever
By Donna Lewis. Expresses/describes the strong feelings and emotions of true
love, a love that will last forever. "...Feels like...I'm standing in a
Timeless Dream...of Light Mists...of pale amber rose. Feels like ...I'm lost in
a deep cloud of heavenly scent..." Relates to various relationship issues;
trust, commitment, marriage, devotion. "...I love you always forever near
and far closer together..."
I'm Afraid Of Americans
By David Bowie. Song expresses
contempt for the often arrogant and cavalier attitude of American companies
that export goods , with little regard for the impact on
indigenous people. "...I'm afraid of Americans,
I'm afraid of the world. I'm afraid I can't help it, I'm afraid I
Can't...Johnny wants a brain. Johnny wants to suck on coke.."
Imagine
By John Lennon. Lennon's vision or dream of a world where human rights are protected and all
people can live free from war, violence, racism, hatred, and intolerance.
"...Imagine all the people living life in peace...I hope someday you'll
join us. And the world will live as one."
I'm A One Woman Man
By Warren Zevon. Song deals with many health related issues including
monogomy, commitment and love. "...I'll always love you honey and never
let you down. I'll never love another even if I can. Oh, come to me, baby. I'm
a one woman man..."
I'm Drinking Again
By Ry Cooder. About binge drinking, unhealthy escapism and alcohol
addiction. "Yes, it's me and I'm drinking again. I'd like to dry out but I
doubt if I can. My baby said she'd quit me..."Cause I'm drinking
again..."
I'm Eighteen
By Alice Cooper. A coming of age song
about youth approaching adulthood and struggling to find an identity or
"place" in the world. "...I'm in the middle without any plans.
I'm a boy and I'm a man. I'm eighteen and I don't know what I want...Feels like
I'm
livin' in the middle of doubt..."
I'm Gonna Hire A Wino (To
Decorate Our Home)
By David Frizzel. About alcohol abuse. "I came crawling home last
night, like many nights before I finally made it to my feet as she opened up
the door. And she said, "You're not gonna do this anymore." She said:
"I'm gonna' hire a wino to decorate our home, So you'll feel more at ease
here, and you won't have to roam..."
I'm In A Hurry (And I Don't
Know Why)
By Alabama. About rushing through life and not taking time to enjoy life's
little pleasures. "I'm in a hurry to get things done, I rush and rush
until life's no fun. All I really gotta do is live and die, but I'm in a hurry
and I don't know why..."
I'm Leaving You For Me
By Aaron Tippin. A woman who is the victim of domestic violence finally gets
the courage and strength to leave her husband..."...I'm leaving you for
me. For the girl I used to be. Someone I haven't seen since you came in between.
I'd rather say good-bye then watch that person die..."
Immigrant
By Sade. Song deals with the topic areas of prejudice, racism, and
discrimination. "Coming from where he did he was turned away from every
door like Joseph. To even the toughest among us that would be too much. He
didn't know what it was like to be black...How hard it is to live..."
The Immigrant
By Neil Sedaka. About the process of immigration into America and the
changing policies and attitudes towards immigrants."...He remembers he
once heard a legend that spoke of a mystical and magical land called America.
There was a time when strangers were welcome here...There was so much room that
people could come from everywhere...Now come to find out they've closed
the door..."
Immigration Island
By Tim Sparling and Allen Werneken. A young immigrant girl feels happiness
and anticipation as they enter America. "...Immigration island. You know
it looks like heaven through these eyes fifteen year old eyes...I stand here
now forever a sister of your land. With New York in the distance. This gift of
cash in my hand..."
I'm Not Drunk (I'm Just
Drinkin')
By Albert Collins. Deals with addiction and how the body reacts to prolonged use of alcohol. Related issues
include tolerance and denial. "Everyday, baby when the sun go down. I get
with my friends and I begin to drown. I don't care what the people are
thinkin'. I ain't drunk, I'm just drinkin...Oh, man you know I ain't high. I
just take a little bit every now and then..."
I'm Not Your Mascot, I'm a
Man
By Joe Pickering, Jr. This song is about racial stereotypes,
prejudice and the idignities
suffered by Native Americans. "Some sports names across this nation are
well beyond an abomination My people's heritage is thrown to the winds when
teams sport names such as Redskins You who have taken away my land join with me
to take a stand I’m not your
mascot I'm a man!…"
I'm O.K.
By Styx. Deals with many health related issues including self esteem,
individuality, and peer pressure. "...I'm o.k. I finally found the person
I've been looking for. I'm alright. I'm feeling good about myself and that's
for sure...They tried to cast me in their mold but I just had to say. That I'm
o.k. I'm o.k. this way, yes I'm o.k..."
I'm Waiting For The Man
By Velvet Underground. A drug addiction song. "I'm waiting for my man.
Twenty-six dollars in my hand. Up to Lexington, 125 Feel sick and dirty,
More dead than alive…"
Impending Millenium Blues
By Peter Hicks
and Geoff Francis. The song is bout the greed of multinational corporrations
and the gap that continues to increase between the "haves" and
"have nots" throughout the world. "...There's a man on the tv
who's selling me, selling me dreams. Of a Calvin Klein future with designer
jeans...He calls me one night, I pretend I'm not home. He's trying to sell me a
digital phone...He won't go away...Our economy's booming, the newspapers say,
While outside the dole queues grow longer each day, The stock market's roaring
and share prices soar, There's more needing welfare than ever before...If only
we didn't set so much on greed It's not all that difficult, what we have to do
Is to plan for the many instead of the few. "
I'm So Happy I Can't Stop
Crying
By Sting. Song is about a man struggling with the anger, confusion,
disappointment, and pain of a separation or divorce.
The person embarks on a spiritual "journey" experiencing an emotional
transformation coming to terms with his situation and eventually achieving a
genuine state of forgiveness and acceptance.
"Seven weeks have passed now since she left me...She says the kids are
fine and that they miss me...She says, Are you O.K.? I was worried about you. Can you forgive me? I
hope that you'll be happy...I took a walk alone last night. I looked up at the
stars... Something seemed to ease the pain. Something about the universe and
how it's all connected... Everybody's got to leave the darkness sometime".
(*Go to the "Gallery"
section of this web site to read a student essay that is comparing/contrasting
the topic or theme of this song with the movie "Kramer vs. Kramer".)
I'm Stoned
By Alabama. A man drowns his
sorrows in alcohol, also includes a reference to the dangerous and illegal
practice of drinking and driving. "...Our love, a fadin mem'ry as I chase
another down. My eyes are gettin' heavy and my head's spinnin' 'round...Closing
time, I drive for home not feelin' any pain...I've had no sleep, sad songs. I'm
stoned..."
In America
By Charlie Daniels Band. A
celebration of America and the unwavering spirit or sense of purpose that
unites our democratic society. "...And we may have done a little bit of
fightin' amongst ourselves. But you outside people best leave us alone. 'Cause
we'll all stick together and you can take that to the bank...Yeah, we're walking
real proud and we're talkin' real loud again in America..."
In America
By Creed. A critique or questioning
of present-day beliefs, priorities, and values in American society. "Only
in America. We're slaves to be free. Only in America we kill the unborn. To
make ends meet. Only in America. Sexuality is democracy...What is right or
wrong? I don't know who to believe in. My soul sings a different song..."
In A World Gone Mad
By Beastie Boys. According to the
artists, We felt it was important to comment on where the US appears to be
heading now. A war in Iraq will not resolve our problems. It can only result in
the deaths of many innocent civilians and US troops. If we are truly striving
for safety, we need to build friendships, not try to bully the rest of the
world. This song is not an anti-American or pro-Saddam Hussein statement. This
is a statement against an unjustified war. "...But you build more
bombs as you get more bold As your mid-life crisis war unfolds All you want to
do is take control Now put that axis of evil bulls*** on hold..."
In Black And White
By Janis Ian. About prejudice, discrimination, and hatred between races.
"...And we marched for the children and the millions without hope. We
agreed to believe when black and white spoke. Now it's all gone to
pieces...Nothing's sadder than a man who thinks he's free when he is chained to
the prison of hatred..."
In The Air Tonight
By Phil Collins. A personal song
that conveys the feelings of anger, betrayal, pain, and sense of loss
experienced by someone when their spouse has been unfaithful. "...Well I
was there and saw what you did. I saw it with my own two eyes. So you can wipe
off the grin, I know where you've been. it's all been a pack of lies...The hurt
doesn't show; but the pain still grows. It's no stranger to you or me..."
In The City of Chicago
By Christy Moore. About irish
immigration to America during the years of the potato famine.
"...Eighteen forty seven was the year it all began. Deadly pains of hunger
drove a million from the land. They journeyed not for glory. Their motive
wasn't greed. A voyage of survival across the stormy sea..."
Independence Day
By Martina McBride. This
song is sbout domestic violence, it's impact on a child, and the cycle
of violence it sometimes perpetuates. "Well she seemed all right by dawn's
early light, though she looked a little worried and weak She tried to pretend
he wasn't drinking again but daddy left the proof on her cheek And I was only
eight years old that summer And I always seemed to be in the way...Some folks
whispered and some folks talked But everybody looked the other way...By the
time that the firemen come They just put out the flames, and took down some
names And sent me to the county home Now I ain't sayin' it's right or it's
wrong But maybe its the only way"
Independence Day
By Bruce Springsteen. A coming of age song
about generational conflict.
Tells the story of a turbulent parent and child relationship. The young person
is engaged in a struggle for
autonomy and freedom. "...Now I don't know what it always was with us.
We chose the words, and yeah, we drew the lines. There was just no way this
house could hold the two of us. I guess that we were just too much of the same
kind. Well say goodbye it's Independence Day..."
Indian Reservation
By Paul Revere and The Raiders. About the suffering of Native Americans,
specifically the forced
relocation of the Cherokee people.
"They took the whole Cherokee nation, put us on this reservation. Took
away our ways of life, the tomahawk and the bow and knife. Took away our native
tongue and taught their english to our young..."
Indians
By Anthrax. About the exploitation and
plight of Native Americans. "...Forced out, brave and mighty. Stolen land,
they can't fight it. Hold on to pride and tradition...Original American turned
into second class citizen..."
Indian World
By Blackfoot. Song deals with Native American heritage and the overtaking of
their homelands by the white settlers. "...Yes, look at the land and see
all the destruction. In a land that was once mine, well do you go forward? I
don't think so. We'll have it all back in due time. My heart belongs in an
Indian world. A place I can call my home. I've been livin' in a white man's
world. Taught nothing on my own..."
Inequality Street
By Syyclad. About the gap between the haves and have nots in society.
"Life's really a chocolate box -
some do without - others have plenty. It sticks in my throat - my stomach's
in knots, while your box is so full - mine's perpetually empty...Two average
men eat their average meals but destiny waits at their table. One is served
gruel while the other chews veal..."
I Never Cry
By Alice Cooper. According to the artist...I wrote this as an alcoholic
confession. I had managed to drink away most of my emotions. Sitting there I
realized I couldn't remember the last time I cried. "...Sometimes I
drink more than I need...I may be lonely...And the night might pass me by. But
I never cry..."
I Never Picked Cotton
By Johnny Cash. A boy growing up in the cotton fields of the south vows to
leave all this behind him when he gets older. "...When I was a baby, too
little for a cotton sack. I played in the dirt while the others worked 'til
they couldn't straighten up their backs. I made myself a promise. When I was
big enough to run that I'd never stay a single day in the Oklahoma sun..."
Inevitability Of Death
By The Tragically Hip. About Winnipeg,
Manitoba native Terry Fox who was
diagnosed with cancer in his right leg in 1977 at the age of eighteen. He then
decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He died on June 28, 1981
before his endeavor was completed. "...Terry's gift is forever green. It
got me back up and on the scene...I got a sense of connectedness...I thought
you beat the death of inevitibility to death..."
Ingrid Bergman
By Billy Bragg & Wilco (Woody Guthrie). An affectionate tribute
to the screen legend, Ingrid
Bergman. "...Ingrid Bergman you're so perty, you'd make any mountain
quiver. You'd make fire fly from the crater, Ingrid Bergman..."
In It For The Children
By Electric Bonsai Band. An unhappily married couple stay together to meet
the emotional needs of their children. "...We almost speak in friendly
terms...And our obligations lead us to the grave. We're only in it for the
children..."
In Memory Of The Martyrs
By Barclay James Harvest. Song is
a tribute to those who lost their lives attempting to cross the Berlin Wall.
“…The blood red rose of summer grows elegant and tall. In memory of the
green grass beyond the guardian wall…In memory of the martyrs…”
In My Life
By The Beatles. A person fondly looks back at their past relationships and
realizes the person they are currently with is more meaningful. "...Though
I know I'll never lose affection, for people and things that went before. I
know I'll often stop and think about them. In my life I love you more..."
Innocence
By Enuff Z'nuff. Song is about a young girl who feels she is ready to become
sexually active. Song title is a reference to what the girl is giving up by
losing her virginity. "Doll house in the corner where you used to sit and
play. Cutting paper playmates, having tera at noon each day...You're a big girl
now you say...Now some special boy has come along and wants to make love to
you. There goes your innocence...When you give it up it's gone..."
Innocent Man
By Keith Secola and Wild Band of Indians.
The song
is a tribute to American Indian activist Leonard Peltier.
"...He's an innocent man in the ancient rain. Hear him saying that the
price you pay ain't worth the taking. He's an innocent man..."
Insensitive
By Jane Arden. The song is about wearing your emotions on your sleeve,
moving too fast in a relationship and being rejected. "...Oh, you probably
won't remember me. It's probably ancient history. I'm one of the chosen few who
went ahead and fell for you...I fell too fast, I fell too
much...Insensitive..."
Insomnia
By Megadeth. About the medical condition and sleep disorder of the same
name. “Insomnia, my swollen bloodshot eyes. Insomnia, awake till morning
light…I can’t sleep, insomnia…”
Insomnia
By Mustard Plug. Song is about the sleeping disorder of the same name.
"...Tossin' and turnin', rollin' in the night...Sweat on my brow, my
adrenaline's flowing...Insomnia's got the best of me. I've got no choice but to
stare at the ceiling..."
Interiors (Song For William
De Kooning)
By Manic Street
Preachers. Song was inspired by
a program about Alzheimer's disease.
Also a tribute to deceased abstract expressionist American painter William De
Kooning. "Who sees the interiors like young William once did. Your
beautiful triangle of distortion...It really makes no difference to what you
see inside...Say you can remember. Say where is the tomorrow..."
Internationale
By Eugene Pottier. This stirring anthem of the oppressed and working class
was born out of the European labor movement of the late 1800’s. Since that time
it’s lyrics
have been translated into
many languages and adopted by a variety of revolutionary and protest
movements from the 1917
Bolshevik Revolution in Russia to the more recent 1989 democracy
movement in Tiananmen Square. “Arise ye workers [starvelings] from your
slumbers. Arise ye prisoners of want…So comrades, come rally and the last fight
let us face. The Internationale unites the human race. So comrades, come rally
and the last fight let us face. The Internationale unites the human race…”
In The Blink Of An Eye
By D'arcy Wickham. According to the artist "In The Blink of an
Eye" came about as a result of an encounter with a dear friend who came
very close to losing her life as a result of an illness. The real shock was the
incredible speed with which she went from relatively good health to near
death...It made me realize just how fragile our lives are." "...It's
been a pretty good year. Smooth sailin' on from here. But in the blink of an
eye our lives have changed. And little did we know that it would turn out so.
It's so fragile this life..."
In The Blood
By Robbie Robertson. About repecting and taking pride in your heritage.
"...I can't let go of the painted desert. I can't let go of the old way. I
can't let go of the homeland. It's in the blood..."
In The Navy
By Village People. This satirical
work is a strong endorsement to sign up and be part of the United States
Navy. Also involves the use of parody and double entendres "...Where can
you begin to make your dreams all come true on the land or the sea? ...In the
Navy, you can sail the seven seas. In the Navy, you can put your mind at
ease...If you like adventure don't wait to enter the recruiting office fast...They
want you as a new recruit..."
Invaders
By Iron Maiden. A tribute to the Viking
. "Longboats have been sighted the evidence of the war has begun. Many nordic
fighting men their swords and shields all gleam in the sun...They're coming in
from the sea. They've come the enemy, beneath the blazing sun the battle has to
be won..."
Invalid Litter Dept.
By At the Drive-In. Inspired by actual events, about the ongoing
tragedy of the hundred's of unsolved murders of young women inJuarez,
Mexico dating back to the early '90's. "...They made sure the
obituaries showed pictures of smokestacks. A vivid dissection that mocked the
strut of vivisection...A silencing that still walks the streets in the company
of wolves..."
Invisible
By Everclear. Song is about the AIDS virus, and the intolerance and
prejudice that many HIV infected people face. “…I will live maybe for a year or
two…I will die, I can rest secure in that…I can’t believe that AIDS is just
some act of God…No one will reach for me, no one will touch my skin…I don’t
deserve to die like this…”
In Your Eyes
By Peter Gabriel. Love as a universal force
for salvation. The power and beauty of love, a force to bond and unite people.
"... in your eyes, the light the heat in your eyes, I am complete in your
eyes, I see the doorway to a thousand churches in your eyes, the resolution of
all the fruitless searches..."
The Iraqi War Song
By Dr. Leonard Horowitz. This song is a parody
of Country Joe McDonald's anti-war song. "...Now prepare yourselves
generals for the big blast India and Pakistan are heating up fast Why you
should go out and kill Afghans is Cause the only good Taliban is one that's
dead. They say global peace can only be won When they blast us all to kingdom
come..."
Iraqnophobia
By Propain. Song was written in response to the Persian Gulf War.
"Miles and miles of soldiers deployed on foreign sand. Fighting for your
freedom, your oil and your land. Technology is efficient when bark turns to
bite. So wake up America, stand up for your rights...Iraqnophobia..."
The Irish Rover
By The Pogues w/ The Dubliners. About a sailing ship which left Ireland on
July 4th, 1806 bound for New York City which meets with disaster on its
journey. "On the 4th of July, 1806 we set sail from the sweet cove of
Cork...We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out. And the ship lost
its way in the fog. And that whale of a crew was reduced down to two...Then the
ship struck a rock...The last of the Irish
Rover..."
The Iron Lady
By Phil Ochs. Social
commentary and criticism of capital punishment, specifically the use of the
electric chair. "...Stop the murder,
deter the crimes away. Only killing shows that killing doesn't pay. Yes that's
the kind of law it takes, even though we make mistakes and sometimes send the
wrong man to the chair..."
I Saw It On TV
By John Fogerty. Reflecting on the impact/influenceof
television over the years. Song contains numerous historical and cultural
reference points. "A man named Ike
was in the White House...There were many shows to follow from Hooter to
Doodyville...The A-bomb fears, Annette had ears...A young man from Boston set
sail the New
Frontier..."
I Shall Return
By Gov't Mule. A person faced with adversity hits rock bottom and can no
longer cope with everyday life. The person now begins to search for a way back
to normalcy. "...Struggle just to hold on through an ordinary day. I do
believe I'm slipping away...And what good is my wisdom when there are no words
to say how I feel everyday. But I shall return though I'm losing myself, I
shall return..."
Is She Really Going Out With
Him?
By Joe Jackson. A person can't understand how other guys are able to date or
go out with attractive women. Song deals with dating, identity, jealousy, and
making assumptions about others based on appearances. "Pretty women out
walkin' with gorillas down my street...Here comes Jeannie with her new
boyfriend. They say that looks don't count for much and so there goes your
proof...Cause if my eyes don't deceive me there's something going wrong around
here...."
I Sing the Body Electric
By Dean Pitchford. From the soundtrack for the movie Fame. Song
deals with reaching for higher levels, aspiring to achieve your full potential,
believing in yourself, and learning to love yourself. Title may have been
borrowed or adapted from several literary works. It is also the name or title
of the 100th episode of a well known TV program. "I sing the body electric I
celebrate the me yet to come...Creating my own tomorrow when I shall embody the
earth...And in time, and in time, we will all be stars..."
Is It Okay If I Call You
Mine?
By Paul
McCrane. The song
lyrics express the feelings of joy and security people gain from intimate
relationships. "...If I ask you to hold me tight through a cold,
dark night. 'Cause there may be a cloudy day in sight. And I need to let you
know that I might be needing your love...It's just the things that happen to me
when I'm reminded of you...It sets off something in me I can't explain and I
can't wait to see you again..."
Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears
By Brendan Graham. A tribute to Ellis Island and the promise
of hope, freedom, and opportunity that carried immigrants to America. "On
the first day of January Eighteen Ninety two They opened Ellis Island and
they let the people through And the first to cross
the threshold Of the Isle of hope and tears Was Annie
Moore from Ireland Who was all of fifteen years...In her little bag she
carried All her past and history And her dreams for the future In the land of
liberty..."
I Smoke A Lot
By K's Choice. The song is about a person's addiction to tobacco and how
others warn them of the dangers of using tobacco. "...I smoke a lot. And
if you're a smoker too, you are to know sometimes it's tough to be in healthy
company. People will always say...Imagine the amount of money you could save if
you quit...By now you'd have a bike. Aren't you concerned about your kids. I
smoke a lot..."
Istanbul (Not
Constantinople)
By They Might Be Giants. Istanbul, Turkey strategically located along the
waterway between the Black Sea & the Mediterranean Sea. A historic
"crossroads", formerly known as Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire.
I Still Haven't Found What
I'm Looking For
By U2. This song is about
the personal search or struggle to find a spiritual
purpose and meaning to one’s life. "I have climbed highest mountain I
have run through the fields Only to be with you Only to be with you...But I
still haven't found what I'm looking for..."
Is There Life Out There
By Reba McEntire. Song is about a woman
who marries young and now is wondering if life's opportunities are passing her
by. "She married when she was twenty. She thought she was ready. Now she's
not so sure. She thought she'd done some living but now she's just wonderin'
what she's living for. Now she's feeling that there's something more..."
It Better End Soon
By Chicago. A protest song against war and the helpless killing of human
beings. References made to social and racial harmony, peace and unity.
"...They say we got to make war or the economy will fall. But if we don't
stop we won't be around no more. They're ruining this world for you and me...No
more dying! No more killing..."
It's A Great Day To Be Alive
By Travis Tritt. About the beauty of life, optimism, self acceptance and
peace of mind. "And it's a great day to be alive. I know the sun's still
shinin' when I close my eyes. There's some hard times in the neighborhood. But
why can't everyday be just this good?..."
It's A Hard Life Wherever
You Go
By Nanci Griffith. About the evils of prejudice and racism. "...And I'm
thinking this man wears a white hood in the night when his children should
sleep But, they slip to their window and they see him And they think that white
hood's all they need...If we poison our children with hatred then, the hard
life is all that they'll know..."
It's A Killer
By Lynyrd Skynyrd. Song is about the devastation o f drugs and its negative
effects on our neighborhoods and communities. References made to crack cocaine,
crack houses, violence and incarceration. "...For a fifty dollar
gram...Drugs had control of his life. Caught up on crack...There's a cold house
at the corner of the street. The kids come and go there at night...All he ever
wanted was a twenty dollar high. Now he's locked up for the rest of his
life..."
It's All Been Done
By Barenaked
Ladies. Song is about the monotony and routine of life, or as the saying
goes..."been there, done that". Song may also deal with
reincarnation. "I met you before the fall of Rome and I begged you to let
me take you home...I knew you before the west was won and I heard you say the
past was much more fun...It's all been done before..."
It's Been A While
By Staind. Song is about emotional, spiritual and physical recovery.
References made to poor self esteem and learning to accept yourself for who you
are. "It's been awhile since I could hold my head up high...Since I could
stand on my own two feet again...It's been awhile since I could look at myself
straight...
It's Money That Matters
By Randy Newman. About the power and importance of money in the lives of
many people. "...I got a great big house on the hill here. And a great
lookin' blonde wife inside it. And a great big pool in my backyard, and another
great big pool beside it. Sonny it's money that matters..."
It's My Life
By Bon Jovi. About making the most of your life and taking advantage of
opportunities to try and do different things. "...It's my life. It's now
or never. I ain't gonna live forever. I just want to live while I'm alive. My
heart is like an open highway..."
It's On
By Korn. A personal song that deals with
several issues related to risk behavior or "partying" including
identity, peer
pressure, personal responsibility, temptation, and self control. "...I
wanna play, you know it's time. Something is calling, I can't keep from
falling...Once I cave in, what can I fight? I can never win my self I don't
like..."
It Starts At Home
By Chainsaw Little Kids. References to domestic abuse, alcoholism and
the learned behavior theory. "Battered wives and children. No safety once
again. So many have to suffer. Hearing cries through their door...Rage is all
that's seen which causes a violent routine. It infects the youth's mind and
spreads throughout mankind..."
It's The End Of The World As
We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
By R.E.M. A satirical song commenting on societal apathy and indifference.
"...serve yourself. World serves it's own needs, listen to your heart
bleed dummy with the rapture and the revered and the right, right. You
vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright, light, feeling pretty psyched...It's
the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine..."
It's Too Late
By Carole King.
About change in a relationship, growing apart, and falling out of love.
"...There's something wrong here, there can be no denying. One of us is
changing, or maybe we just stopped trying...Something inside has died and I
can't hide. And I just can't fake it..."
I've Been Everywhere
By Johnny Cash. Ode to a world wide traveler.
"...I've been everywhere, man. 'Cross the deserts bare, man. I've breathed
the mountain air, man. Of travel I've had my share man. I've been everywhere.
Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota, Buffalo..."
I Wanna Go Back
By Eddie Money. A person reminisces about his past and wishes he could go
back in time to that period of his or her life. "I was listening to the
radio. I heard a song that reminded me of long ago. Back then I thought that
things would never change...I wanna go back. 'Cause I'm feeling so much older.
But I can't go back again..."
I Want Out
By Helloween. Song is about the pressure to conform to society's standards
instead of allowing for individuality and difference. "From our lives'
beginning on we are pushed in little forms. No one asks us how we like to be.
In school they teach you what to think...People tell me how I have to
see...There's a million ways to see things in life..."
I Want To Talk To You
By Nas. Song expresses
frustration regarding the poor performance
of government and public officials who fail to recognize and address a
myriad of social and economic
problems that plague communities
in the inner cities. "...Mr Mayor imagine if this was your backyard. Mr.
Governor imagine if it was your kids that starved...It's the ghetto life yea I
celebrate it I live it...Fake black leaders of puppets always talking 'bout the
city budget...People in power sit back and
watch them slaughter us. Mr. President I assume it was negligence. The street's
upside down, I'm here to represent this..."
It Wasn't His Child
By Trisha Yearwood. Song expresses admiration for a man who helps to love
and raise a stepchild. Song also addresses the mixed emotions and feelings some
stepparents have."...He knelt by her as she gave birth, but it wasn't his
child, it wasn't his child. Yet still he took him as his own. And as he watched
him grow it brought him joy. He loved that boy. But it wasn't his child, it
wasn't child...And I believe he did his best. It wasn't easy for him but he did
all he could..."
I Will Be Your Friend
By Sade. Song is about devotion and the true meaning of friendship. "I
know that lately things haven't been so good. I always said if I could ever
help you I would...I'm here to wipe away the tears. I will be your friend till
the end of time..."
I Will Be There For You
By Jessica Andrews. About friendship, companionship and compassion for
others. "...Whenever the road is too long. whenever the wind is too
strong. Wherever this journey may lead to. I will be there for you..."
I Will Never Forget
By Shades. Written in memory of the victims of Columbine High School.
"I will never forgrt what I heard that day. The way they all died. What a
price to pay. A careless act of war..."
I Will Remember You
By Sarah McLachlan. Song is about the ending of a relationship, coping with
the loss of a loved one and not living in the past. Also deals with the fear of
commitment and the pain and disappointment that often accompanies love. “…We
are screaming inside, but we can't be heard But I will remember you Will you
remember me? Don't let your life pass you by Weep not for the memories I'm so
afraid to love you, but more afraid to lose… Weep not for the memories I'm so
tired but I can't sleep Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose…”
I Will Survive
By Gloria Gaynor. Deals with issues of self esteem, personal strength, self
confidence, and a willingness to break away from a unhealthy relationship.
"...Go on now, go walk out the door. Just turn around now 'cause you're
not welcome anymore...I will survive..."
I Wish I Could Have Been
There(Woodstock)
By John Denver. Song is about the original Woodstock Music Festival which
took place in August of 1969 in Bethel, New York. "I wish I could have
been there on the highway when the people came from miles around to see the
children of the flowers come together...As the rhythm and the words come
floating by..."
I Wish You Peace
By The Eagles. About the gift of hope and the power of positive thinking.
"...I wish you hope when things are going bad, kind words when times are
sad. I wish you shelter from the raging wind, cooling waters at the fever's
end. I wish you peace when times are hard, the light to guide you through the
dark..."
I Wonder When I'll Get To Be
Called A Man
By Big Bill Broonzy. An old blues song about racial discrimination.
"When I was born into this world this is what happened to me. I was never
called a man...They just called me boy...Black man's a boy, don't care what he
can do..."
I Worked Down On The Chain
Gang
By Lightnin' Hopkins. About having to work on a prison chain gang.
"...When I was workin' on the
chain gang. Ball and chain around my leg. I said please don't drive me too
hard. I'm an old man. They say we don't pay no attention to the age..."
I Wouldn't Go That Far
By Reba McEntire. Song is about abstinence, resisting temptations, and
remaining true to your beliefs and values. "...He took me as far as I'd
ever been. He wanted me, and I wanted him. But I'd always been told I shouldn't
give in...Yes I knew he loved me but I wasn't ready and I wouldn't go that
far..."