Songs with Clever Lines

[DarcyFarrow]

So which lines jump out at you as especially clever or well written?

To start:  "We have to shout above the din of our Rice Crispies" ("Synchronicity II," the Police)

              "Is her power all in her club sandwich?" ("Waitress," Tori Amos)

[DarcyFarrow]

Little Sister (Concrete Blonde)

"All the times you couldn't tell her how you miss her.
But I'm only half a heart away."

[DarcyFarrow]

Jackie's Strength (Tori Amos)

"So I turn myself inside out
In hope someone will see"

[DarcyFarrow]

Everybody Knows (Leonard Cohen)

"Everybody knows you've been discreet
But there were so many people you just had to meet
Without your clothes"

[DarcyFarrow]

All You Need is Love (Beatles)

“There’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.”

[DarcyFarrow]

Across the Universe (Beatles)

"Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup"

[nahchoo]

Get Your Tongue Out Of My Mouth - John Denver

[DarcyFarrow]

Jericho (Johnny Clegg)

"we are the prisoners
of the prisoners we have taken"

[nahchoo]

Tattoo - The Who

My dad beat me 'cause mine said "Mother"
But my mother naturally liked it and beat my brother
'Cause his tattoo was of a lady in the nude
And my mother thought that was extremely rude

Welcome to my life, tattoo
We've a long time together, me and you
I expect I'll regret you
But the skin graft man won't get you
You'll be there when I die
Tattoo

[DarcyFarrow]

O Superman (Laurie Anderson)

"'Cause when love is gone, there's always justice.
And when justive is gone, there's always force.
And when force is gone, there's always Mom. Hi Mom!"

[DarcyFarrow]

“Are you really exclusive or just miserly?

You spend every sentence as if it was marked currency,”

--"Talk to Me," Joni Mitchell

[DarcyFarrow]

Woodsmoke in the Wind (M. M. Murphey)

"I'm gonna get so lost, I'll find myself again"

[Loulit]

I take my card and I stand in line
To make a buck I work overtime
Dear sir letters keep comin' in the mail

[MaVolta]

I Wanted to Cry (But the Tears Wouldn't Come)  -  Scorpions

Well here comes my baby
She's dressed oh so cute
She looks a little crazy
In her Hollywood shoes
Well baby loves driving
In my hot brand new car
She thinks less than flying
Is not fast enough
But when you turn upside down
Life ain't too much fun
I wanted to cry
But the tears wouldn't come

Here comes my baby
She's the one I adore
Well she's a lucky lady
Born in a Gucci store
With gold cards in motion
And the platinum too
She jets across the ocean
A little faster than you
But when it rains in St. Barth
Life ain't too much fun
I wanted to cry
But the tears wouldn't come

Well here comes my baby
With a Brad Pitt lookalike
Right through immigration
And straight out of my life
Well it seems the friendly skies
Are pretty good fun
I wanted to cry
But the tears wouldn't come

Lyrics by Klaus Meine.

[1968Hoya46]

Against The Wind: Bob Seger (Every line has a purpose, like in a poem; a life story told in a song).

[DarcyFarrow]

Gold Dust Woman (Stevie Nicks)

“Rulers make bad lovers/You’d better put your kingdom up for sale.”

[BeatleloverKT]

I’m on fire   Springsteen

Sometimes it’s like someone took a knife,

baby, edgy and dull

And cut a six inch valley through the

middle of my skull

At night, I wake up with the sheets 

soakin’ wet

And a freight train runnin’ through the

middle of my head

Only you can cool my desire

[BeatleloverKT]

Handle with care    Traveling Wilburys

I’ve been fobbed off and I’ve been fooled

I’ve been robbed and ridiculed

In daycare centers and night school

Handle me with care

[Loulit]

First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect
You live you life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line

You say you want to spend the winter in Firenza
You're so afraid to catch a dose of influenza
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line

Canary in a Coal Mine

The Police

[1968Hoya46]

If I listened long enough to you

I’d find a way to believe that it’s all true

Knowing that you lied straight-faced while I cried

Still I look to find a reason to believe.

”Reason To Believe”, Tim Hardin

[DarcyFarrow]

Winter (Tori Amos):

"But I only can see myself
Skating around the truth who I am
But I know, dad, the ice is getting thin"

[Loulit]

I am a moron and this is my wife

She's frosting a cake with a paper knife

All that we got here's American made

It's a little bit cheesy but it's nicely displayed

Zappa LOL

[nahchoo]

Dancin’ Fool - Frank Zappa

I don't know much about dancin'
That's why I got this song
One of my legs is shorter than the other
And both my feet's too long
'Course now right along with 'em
I got no natural rhythm
But I go dancin' every night
Hopin' one day I might get it right
I'm a Dancin' fool
I'm a Dancin' fool
I'm a Dancin' fool
I'm a Dancin' fool
I hear that beat
I jump outta my seat
But I can't compete
'Cause I'm a
Dancin' fool
I'm a Dancin' fool

The disco folks all dressed up
Like they's fit to kill
I walk on in 'n see 'em there
Gonna give them all a thrill
When they see me comin'
They all steps aside
They has a fit while I commit
My social suicide

I'm a Dancin' fool
I'm a Dancin' fool
I'm a Dancin' fool
I'm a Dancin' fool

The beat goes on
And I'm so wrong
(Ahhhhhh)
The beat goes on
And I'm so wrong
(Ahhhhhh)
The beat goes on
And I'm so wrong
(Ahhhhhh)

The beat goes on and I'm so wrong
The beat goes on and I'm so wrong
The beat goes on and I'm so wrong
The beat goes on and I'm so wrong
I may be totally wrong, but I'm a
Dancin' fool,
I may be totally wrong, but I'm a
Dancin' fool

Yowsa, yowsa, yowsa

I've got it all together now
With my very own disco clothes, hey!
My shirt's half open, to show you my chain
And the spoon for up my nose
I am-a really something
That's what you'd probably say
So smoke your little smoke
Drink your little drink
While I dance the night away

I'm a
Dancin' fool
I'm a
Dancin' fool
I'm a
Dancin' fool
I'm a
Dancin' fool
He's a
Dancin' fool

I may be totally wrong but I'm a
I may be totally wrong but I'm a
I may be totally wrong but I'm a
I May Be Totally wrong but I'm a FOOL, yeah! Uh!

Hey, darlin'... can I buy ya a couple 'a drinks, Hmm?
Lookin' for Mister Goodbar?
Here he is...
Wait a minute...
I've got it... you're an Italian!
Huh?
Yer Jewish?
Love your nails ...
You must be a Libra... Your place or mine?
Heh heh heh yeah...

[Loulit]

Johnny take a walk
With your sister the moon
Let her pale light in
To fill up your room
You've been living underground
Eating from a can
You've been running away
From what you don't understand
Love

Johnny take a dive
With your sister in the rain
Let her talk about the things
You can't explain
To touch is to heal
To hurt is to steal
If you want to kiss the sky
Better learn how to kneel (on your knees boy!)

She's the wave
She turns the tide
She sees the man inside the child, yeah

Mysterious Ways

U2

[Loulit]

Welcome back, my friends

To the show that never ends

We're so glad you could attend

Come inside, come inside

There behind the glass

stands a single blade of grass

Be careful as you pass

move along, move along

Soon the gypsy queen

In a glaze of Vaseline

Will perform on guillotine

What a scene, what a scene

Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Pt. 2

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer

[MaVolta]

Child in Time  -  Deep Purple (lyrics by Ian Gillan)

See the blind man
Shooting at the world
Bullets flying
Ohh taking toll

If you've been bad
Oh Lord I bet you have
And you've not been hit
Oh by flying lead

You'd better close your eyes
Ooohhhh bow your head
Wait for the ricochet

[DarcyFarrow]

Sentimental Lady (Bob Welch)

"Cause we live in a time

When meaning falls in splinters from our lives"

[DarcyFarrow]

Foxfire Suite (John Denver)

"A little less than nothin' is a heavy load"

[BeatleloverKT]

Missionary Man, 1986    Eurythmics 

Oh, the missionary man, he’s got God on his side

He’s got the saints and apostles backin’ up

from behind

Black eyed looks from those bible books

He’s a man with a mission, got a serious mind

[1968Hoya46]

Me And My Bobby McGee:

”I’d trade all of my tomorrows for one single yesterday”.

”Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose”.

[nahchoo]

Well, I sat there at the table and I acted real naive
For I knew that topless lady had something up her sleeve
Well, she danced around the bar room and she did the hoochy-coo
Yeah she sang her song all night long, tellin' me what to do

John Prine - Spanish Pipe Dream (Blow Up Your TV)