Most moving/significant lyrics

MartinLogan Audio Owners Forum

Help Support MartinLogan Audio Owners Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

lugano

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 18, 2005
Messages
1,054
Reaction score
0
Location
+46° 1' 26.41", +8° 57' 5.40" (Switzerland)
I've been alternating between Knopfler's "Don't crash the ambulance" and Anjani's "Thanks for the dance" tonight, both remarkable lyrics in their own domain, and I thought that it could be a nice thread in off-topic: lyrics that moved you, songs that are not really a chef d'oeuvre regarding music but stand out in poetry - what's your take ? Just a couple of would be welcomed.
 
lugano said:
I've been alternating between Knopfler's "Don't crash the ambulance" and Anjani's "Thanks for the dance" tonight, both remarkable lyrics in their own domain, and I thought that it could be a nice thread in off-topic: lyrics that moved you, songs that are not really a chef d'oeuvre regarding music but stand out in poetry - what's your take ? Just a couple of would be welcomed.

From a long time age: Elton John's "Your Song"
From Knopfler: Telegraph Road"
 
For some reason... James Blunt's Goodbye My Lover always hits me. And I havent experienced a heartbreak either! Maybe it's just the way I feel for the guy... poor heartbroken guy. :(

Joey
 
Last edited:
Chose two from the popular genre:

1. Dire Straits-- Brothers in Arms
2. Macy Gray-- Still

and many, many others in multiple genres.
 
Jeff Buckly -- Lilac Wine
Ani Difranco -- Superhero
Peter Gabriel -- Love To Be Loved
Bob Dylan -- Standing In The Doorway
Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden
Evanescence -- My Immortal
George Michael -- Waiting
Macy Gray -- I Try
The Moody Blues -- Driftwood
Sarah Mclachlan -- I Love You
Shawn Mullins -- Anchored In You
The The -- August & September
Van Morrison -- In The Garden
Whiskeytown -- 16 Days

and a couple of fun ones
Nerf Herder -- Sorry :D
Atmosphere -- Dirty Girl
 
Last edited:
Simon & Garfunkel -- For Emily,Whenever I May Find Her
Sinead O'Connor -- The Last Day Of Our Acquaintance
Cat Stevens -- How Can I Tell You
Baz Luhrmann -- Wear Sunscreen (lyrics by Tribune columnist Mary Schmich)

Bryan Adams -- I Wanna Be Your Underwear :D
Dead Eye Dick -- New Age Girl :D
 
Last edited:
theWB said:
Jeff Buckly -- Last Goodbye
Ani Difranco -- Superhero
Peter Gabriel -- Love To Be Loved
Bob Dylan -- Standing In The Doorway
Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden
Evanescence -- My Immortal
George Michael -- Waiting
Macy Gray -- I Try
The Moody Blues -- Driftwood
Sarah Mclachlan -- I Love You
Shawn Mullins -- Anchored In You
The The -- August & September
Van Morrison -- In The Garden
Whiskeytown -- 16 Days

and a couple of fun ones
Nerf Herder -- Sorry :D
Atmosphere -- Dirty Girl


I like that list, just needs a couple of George Harrison songs added to it.

1. Something

2. While my guitar gently weeps
 
kach22i said:
I like that list, just needs a couple of George Harrison songs added to it.

1. Something

2. While my guitar gently weeps

EDIT: At 3:00 in the morning (20 years ago) I once heard the Pogues do a version of Dancing Matilda, very moving.
 
Where Do I Start? Their Are So Many Songs With Moving Lyrics...

OK..., Here goes....

Neil Young - Far From Home; Here For You; It's A Dream; Harvest; The Needle And The Damage Done; Philadelphia.
Sarah Mclachlan - Angel
Don Mclean - American Pie; Till Tomorrow; Crossroads; Winterwood.
Buddy Holly - True Love Ways; What To Do.
The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn!
Bob Dylan - Just Like A Women; Mr. Tambourine Man; Just Like A Rolling Stone; Hurricane.
Byan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You.
Carly Simon - That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be.
Madeleine Peyroux - Half The Perfect World; Hey Sweet Man; This Is Heaven To Me; Careless Love; You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go; Don't Cry Baby; Don't Wait Too Long; Lovesick Blues; I'm Alright; Smile.
Eva Cassidy - What A Wonderful World; I Know You By Heart; Songbird; Imagine; It Doesn't Matter Any More; Early Morning Rain; Tall Trees In Georgia; Fields Of Gold; Over The Rainbow; Autumn Leaves; Time After Time; Anniversary Song; Way Beyond The Blue; Kathy's Song; You Take My Breath Away; You've Changed.
The Everly Brothers - All I have To Do Is Dream.
The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody.
The Platters - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.
The Doors - Light My Fire; The End.
The Commitments - In The Midnight Hour; Try A Little Tenderness.
Simon & Garfunkel - Old Friends; Duncan; Sound Of Silence; April Come She Will; Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Sting - Angel Eyes; My One And Only Love.
Tom Petty - American Girl.
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car.
Van Morrison - Someone Like You; Have I Told You Lately.
The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again; Behind Blue Eyes.
Wings - My Love.
Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed.
Woody Guthrie - This Land Is your Land.
Paul Simon - Something So Right.
Peter, Paul and Mary - 500 Miles; Where Have All The Flowers Gone; Wedding Song.
Joan Baez - Battle Hymn Of The Republic; Diamonds and Rust.
Billy Joel - Honesty; Goodnight Saigon; Allentown; An Innocent Man.
Gordon Lightfoot - Wrack Of The Edmond Fitzgerald; Canadian Railroad Trilogy; Beautiful; Softly; Early Morning Rain; Song For A Winters Night; If You Could Read My Mind.
Queen - The Year Of 39; One Year Of Love.
Ray Charles - America The Beautiful; Cry; I Can't Stop Loving You.
Roberta Flack - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.
Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You); (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Women; You Send Me; Chain Of Fools.
The Association - Never My Love.
Chicago - 25 Or 6 To 4.
Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight; Tears In Heaven; Bell-bottom Blues.

There are just soooo many moving / significant lyrics to songs... :D
 
Robin said:
OK..., Here goes....

Neil Young - Far From Home; Here For You; It's A Dream; Harvest; The Needle And The Damage Done; Philadelphia.
Sarah Mclachlan - Angel
Don Mclean - American Pie; Till Tomorrow; Crossroads; Winterwood.
Buddy Holly - True Love Ways; What To Do.
The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn!
Bob Dylan - Just Like A Women; Mr. Tambourine Man; Just Like A Rolling Stone; Hurricane.
Byan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You.
Carly Simon - That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be.
Madeleine Peyroux - Half The Perfect World; Hey Sweet Man; This Is Heaven To Me; Careless Love; You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go; Don't Cry Baby; Don't Wait Too Long; Lovesick Blues; I'm Alright; Smile.
Eva Cassidy - What A Wonderful World; I Know You By Heart; Songbird; Imagine; It Doesn't Matter Any More; Early Morning Rain; Tall Trees In Georgia; Fields Of Gold; Over The Rainbow; Autumn Leaves; Time After Time; Anniversary Song; Way Beyond The Blue; Kathy's Song; You Take My Breath Away; You've Changed.
The Everly Brothers - All I have To Do Is Dream.
The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody.
The Platters - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.
The Doors - Light My Fire; The End.
The Commitments - In The Midnight Hour; Try A Little Tenderness.
Simon & Garfunkel - Old Friends; Duncan; Sound Of Silence; April Come She Will; Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Sting - Angel Eyes; My One And Only Love.
Tom Petty - American Girl.
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car.
Van Morrison - Someone Like You; Have I Told You Lately.
The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again; Behind Blue Eyes.
Wings - My Love.
Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed.
Woody Guthrie - This Land Is your Land.
Paul Simon - Something So Right.
Peter, Paul and Mary - 500 Miles; Where Have All The Flowers Gone; Wedding Song.
Joan Baez - Battle Hymn Of The Republic; Diamonds and Rust.
Billy Joel - Honesty; Goodnight Saigon; Allentown; An Innocent Man.
Gordon Lightfoot - Wrack Of The Edmond Fitzgerald; Canadian Railroad Trilogy; Beautiful; Softly; Early Morning Rain; Song For A Winters Night; If You Could Read My Mind.
Queen - The Year Of 39; One Year Of Love.
Ray Charles - America The Beautiful; Cry; I Can't Stop Loving You.
Roberta Flack - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.
Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You); (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Women; You Send Me; Chain Of Fools.
The Association - Never My Love.
Chicago - 25 Or 6 To 4.
Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight; Tears In Heaven; Bell-bottom Blues.

There are just soooo many moving / significant lyrics to songs... :D
Robin =

Interesting list. Believe it or not, I have many of your selections on the original vinyl. Did you know that Roger McGuin was Judy Collins' guitarist on her early stuff? (He was known as Jim, then.) His original arrangements for much of the Byrds' stuff can be heard on her recordings. Also, Gordon Lightfoot's albums were always on the Absolute Sound's recommended recordings lists.
 
PS -

I just saw Paul Simon at Radio City Music Hall. His concert was a mix of old and new. I was glad that he kept some of the old arrangements for some of his material and came up with new arrangements for others. It was a real kick! BTW - Simon's brother and I were in some classes together ar Queens college in NYC. Paul went there also. We were in a folk music class together. One of the requirements of the class: you had to sing a folk song at the discretion of the teacher. My friends and I practiced "Sounds of Silence" for a week to be prepared. When the big moment came, we were awful. He was totally critical. What a bummer!
 
The greatest story teller of them All !!

I'm a little surprised he hasn't been mentioned yet.... Harry Chapin, he had so many great songs but if i were to name but two......

1) A Better place to Be - Harry's own farorite and mine too

2) Mail Order Annie

I can't believe it's been twenty five years this past June that he passed away.
 
twich54 said:
I'm a little surprised he hasn't been mentioned yet.... Harry Chapin, he had so many great songs but if i were to name but two......

1) A Better place to Be - Harry's own farorite and mine too

2) Mail Order Annie

I can't believe it's been twenty five years this past June that he passed away.
Harry Chapin one of the all time greats,my favorite - Flowers Are Red
 
theWB said:
Harry Chapin one of the all time greats,my favorite - Flowers Are Red


Wayne, great song as well, it too is my wife's favorite, figures she's a retired school teacher !
 
This list is getting better and better, but it's hard to seperate out "lyrics" from "voice" and "performance" - at least for me.

Shortly (a couple of days) after 9/11/2001 the U of M music department put on a free concert at Hill Auditorium. I don't know how the musicians made it though that night, the audience was in tears the whole time, trying to mend ourselves with music and coming together as a community.

The Star-Spangled Banner, God Bless America, America the Beautiful, were never so touching, so meaningful. I'm tearing up just typing this and thinking about it again.
 
Jessie Winchester: Nothing but a breeze
Van Morrison: Brown eyed girl
Leon Russel: This Masquerade, My Father's shoes
The Kinks: Celluroid Heros
Patsy Cline: Crazy
Billie Holiday: Strange Fruit
Ozark Mountain Dare Devils: Cobblestone Mountain, Within Without
 
Beth Neilson Chapman - 'Sand and Water' and 'All I Need'

Mary Chapin Carpenter - just about everything she ever wrote!

Dixie Chicks (yes really) - 'Travelling Soldier'

Cheers,

David
 
There are three for me:

1: Natalie Merchant - Beloved Wife
2: Amazing Grace - any version, especially "Idea of North" - [Sydney based jazz a cappella group]
3: Van Morrison - Someone like you

Amazing how the same artists are represented over and over!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top