I really admire how he kept trying new things, routinely switching up his stylistic approach to explore the same set of themes, always sticking to his guns.
Here are some of his lyrics that have been on my mind lately:
⼠From 'Pleasures of the Harbor'
For love was but a smile
Teasing all the while
Now dancing down the drain
⼠From 'The Party'
The wallflower is waiting, she hides behind composure
She'd love to dance and prays that no one asks her
Then she steals a glance at lovers while her fingers tease her hair
And she marvels at the confidence of those who hide their fears
Then her eyes are closed as she rides away with a foreign legionnaire
And my shoulders had to shrug
As I crawl beneath the rug
And re-tune my piano
⼠From 'When I'm Gone'
And I won't breathe the bracing air when I'm gone
And I can't even worry 'bout my cares when I'm gone
Won't be asked to do my share when I'm gone
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here
⼠From 'There But For Fortune'
Show me a prison, show me a jail
Show me a prisoner whose face has gone pale
And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why
And there but for fortune, may go you or I
Also 'Jim Dean of Indiana' is great example of how lyrics are animated by melody, phrasing and pacing. None of the lyrics of 'Jim Dean' particularly stand out when written down, but when heard the emotional build-up is so intense and heart-breaking. Every quiet blunt little line builds on the one that came before, culminating in the final gut-punch:
"That is where I placed a flower
For Jim Dean of Indiana"
It's the only time anything in the song is said in first person, let alone implies that the story has anything other than a distant omniscient point of view. It's just so sad!!
Anyways, give him a listen and lmk if you have any insight into the lyrical pit of despair that is 'When In Rome' lol
(Phil could get extremely pessimistic, would often write from the worst person in any scenario's perspective to really make you look at it straight in the face [eg: 'Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends'*] and really loved writing about sailors. It can be a lot sometimes!)
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* "Maybe we should raise our voices, ask somebody why
But demonstrations are a drag, besides, we're much too high"
is another great line lol, get organized or get WRECKED
Jan 31, 2025
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Ok first of all incredible thread
a Lot of brand new lyrics stuck with me maybe bc of formative years etc but:
If somehow I was new and everything was unsaid
I'd go and buy a hammer, never sing again
Fleetwood Mac silver springs:
I'll follow you down til' the sound of my voice will haunt you
Give me just a chance
You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you
Pink Floyd: Weâre just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year
Lala lala: You think I'm good so I'm almost done wanting
I'm suddenly full this is belonging
I've had too much fun when will it get taken
Feb 9, 2024
âď¸
âHappiness Is A Warm Gunâ
One of my favorite songs, and alot of Beatlesâ fans least favorite song. The lyrics are so beautifully written and the song sounds ghostly when high. Written supposedly about a girl and sex, though moreso known for the song being about heroin on the DL. Another song with the same meanings is âGolden Brownâ by The Stranglers, my absolute favorite song ever, written about a girl and heroin. Some of the most beautiful songs are written about heroin- or on heroin. im getting off track. I just want to ramble about this Beatles track. Im in love with this song, everything about it. The lyrics are so well written and the chorus breakdown fits so well, âI need a fix, im going downâ, the lower harmonies and grittier instrumental. Iâve been there before, feel it in my bones, explains needing âa fixâ perfectly musically.
âThe man in the crowd with his multicolored mirrors on his hobnail boots, lying with his eyes while his hands are busy working overtimeâ You can envision it, you can envision them writing this song, you can feel the song. I try not to recommend classic rock or the beatles as itâs been told and recommended thousands and thousands of times but i think this is a unique one- something different. Give it a listen if you havenât!
1d ago
Swear there ain't no heaven
And I pray there ain't no hell
But I'll never know by living
Only my dying will tell
actually,, idk what lyric to choose..:
All I ask of living is to have no chains on me
And all I ask of dying is to go naturally
does like.... anyone else feel so lame when ur tryna share lyrics... it always feels like im doing slam poetry...
May 31, 2024
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Feb 8, 2025
Lately I've been spending too much time scouring every corner of eBay I can for the cheapest and most delightful soviet era porcelain figurines available
I didn't even realize it until diving head first into this rabbit hole, but I have had soviet era porcelain figurines my whole life (a bunny and a bull for those curious), so I guess I was always destined to develop a fondness for the form, and eventually dig a little deeper into it.
There is something so incredibly charming and also incredibly interesting about these porcelain pieces! These little guys!
There's a lot of history to dig into that I've barely scratched the surface of AT ALL, but I'm fascinated by how porcelain reflected the common sentiments* of the times, the economic conditions, the artistic movements and ideas of the day, and also the ability (or lack thereof) of people to stay in one place and hold onto something so "useless" and easily broken.
I have very, very few things from any of my ancestors. Figurines like these make me think about the way history and art are passed down to us, forgotten, broken, left behind, sold in thrift stores and online, if they survive at all.
Figurine collections are kind of a barometer of safety and stability, or at least how dedicated to the illusion of it you might be.
They also make me think about how useful "useless" things can be. How even art that is purely decorative can be thought-provoking (by for example valorizing "folks"), or just make you happy (via being very cute! Or expert use of color and form!).
Grannies collect this shit for many good reasons and I'm starting to catch on.
__________________________
* Notably the $$$ collectors type ones are the ethnographic figurines, something I NEED to read an academic paper about.
Especially, because Ive noticed some of these figurines depicting "ethnic types" are inaccurate copies of earlier prints, which themselves should be placed under immense scrutiny! This is all extra interesting in the context of the porcelain industry transitioning from imperial rule to the soviet era. The ways of talking about ethnicity changed, (in addition obviously to y'know, everything!) but the products produced largely remained the same. Lots to think about!!!
Jan 31, 2025
2h ago