What song has good lyrics because of the idea/lesson/experience it shares?
In my opinion, most Mountain Goats songs. John Darnielle is an amazing songwriter, and he tackles very difficult subjects, especially in his earlier stuff. The Sunset Tree album is all about growing up with an abusive step-father, Tallahassee about a couple who fall apart, Full Force Galesburg about a small town you can disappear in, etc. Some of my favorites include “The Mess Inside” about two people that can’t find the love they lost, “No Children” about a couple that hate each other, and “Jeff Davis County Blues” about a sort of meditative experience after a breakup. I’d give it all a listen. To go even deeper, the albums All Hail West Texas and In League With Dragons have sort of companion podcast seasons (I Only Listen To The Mountain Goats) where Darnielle and Joseph Fink of Welcome to Nightvale go through each song, the inspiration, the meaning, stuff like that.
Darnielle is also a pretty good author, I liked his book Devil House
Piano Man by Billy Joel
The whole scene it sets, the mood, it’s all just so human.
Yes, they’re sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it’s better than drinking alone
Billy Joel songs tend to have that character.
The entire Nurture album by Porter Robinson. Deals with loss, existence, joy, AI, etc.
Pumped up kicks.
Wait
Duality - Set It Off
I am good, I am evil, I am solace, I am chaos, I am human, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted to be.
This is the motto for the whole duality album. This tells the listener to not hide who you are. Be comfortable in your own skin be you, let the song show you how to accept yourself.
Vienna by Billy Joel.
A nice reminder that life is for living.
Hero of war by rise against. -this is about the regrets of a soldier
When I’m gone by Phil Ochs -like this one a lot.
The globalist by muse -this one is about how an oppressed minority becomes the leading majority and nukes the whole world or something
Landslide by Fleetwood mac (I listen to the smashing pumpkins version)
“Oh, mirror in the sky What is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changin’ ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life?”
CSNY - Teach Your Children
Pretty much any RVIVR song, imo. I was going to include the best set of lyrics, but I can’t decide.
I’m partial to “goodbyes”, “cut the cord”, and “shaggy” from a lyrics+music standpoint, but find it difficult to separate the best lyrics without the music.
Ah, well, as they say, “we’re all adults here, we can choose”
Wrong Way/One Way, and Big Lie, too. You’re right, it’s hard to choose just one.
Oh, yeah! I love those tracks too.
Those lines in wrong way/one way: I touch the ground/send my roots deep down/try to stick around.
And these from big lie: Everything’s changing / there’s beauty between the lies
I’m massively indebted to the friend who introduced me to RVIVR. I think I love all of their music.
I once was able to participate in a live stream thing Erica did on Instagram; she asked for requests, and then played mine! I was on cloud nine for months after and still get giddy thinking about it. To be fair, I think she played all the requests, but still…
Puscifer - Momma Sed
Wake up, son of mine Momma got something to tell you Changes come Life will have it’s way With your pride, son Take it like a man
Hang on, son of mine A storm is blowing up your horizon
Changes come Keep your dignity Take the high road Take it like a man
Listen up, son of mine Momma got something to tell you All about growing pains Life will pound away Where the light don’t shine, son Take it like a man
Suck it up, son of mine Thunder blowing up your horizon
Changes come (Changes come) Keep your dignity (Keep your dignity) Take the high road (Take the high road) Take it like a man (Take it like a man)
Momma said like the rain (This, too, shall pass) Like a kidney stone (This, too, shall pass) It’s just a broken heart, son This pain will pass away
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Don’t go boating in a storm, folks.
Wrong Ones by Julliette Reilly
Valley Forge by Iced Earth
Melt-Banana - A Shield for Your Eyes, a Beast in the Well on Your Hand
Liquid eye, sticky eye Tricky eye, flashy eye How to fake? How to make 50 times more eyes to get cracked? Your heart’s got plastic
Catch the mean beast in the well on your hand, on your left Wake up, you’ve got no fist! Look up, no peace will be seen! In your hand, in the shade of your mind Watch out, you’ve got no right! Your pure cell can’t spark
