I thought I would post a song by a band called the Silver Jews. The singer/songwriter is named David Berman and he has published some cool books of poems ...if you like what you hear.
I love the imagery that this song evokes, "rainbows from a garden hose, lit up like the blood of a centerfold" -AWESOME. I also love his observations of the wide range of the human condition, "people ask people to watch their scotch, people send people up to the moon". -A great song all around, with fantastic imagery and a great groove that makes you want to roll down the windows and drive up the strip, dragging your muffler behind you.
Here are just a few (of MANY) of my other favorite lyricists. Who am I missing? What should I be listening to? Do you pay attention to the lyrics? If not, do you think you may be missing out?
Jeff Tweedy -Wilco Paul Simon, James Mercer- The Shins/Broken Bells John Lennon- The Beatles Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Gareth Phillips- January Zero Ray Davies- The Kinks Stuart Murdoch- Belle & Sebastian Sufjan Stevens, Jamie Monger- The Great Lakes Myth Society Jeff Buckley, .... and many more.
Here are the lyrics to the song posted above "People" by the Silver Jews:
Moments can be monuments to you If your life is interesting and true. It's just the same for a man or a girl, The meaning of the world lies outside the world.
People love people and they understand if you want to renovate your background mind (a federal woman needs a municipal man) people gotta synchronize to animal time.
You can't change the feeling but you can change your feelings about the feeling in a second or two People always come around.
I'm studying the ceiling on a little afternoon and when I paint my dining room people gonna come around.
I love to see a rainbow from a garden hose lit up like the blood of a centerfold I love the city and the city rain, suburban kids with biblical names.
People ask people to watch their scotch. People send people up to the moon. When they return, well there isn't much. People be careful not to crest too soon.
The drums march along at the clip of an I.V. drip like sparks from a muffler dragged down the strip. I really hope you'll come around.
It's sunny and 75. It feels so good to be alive. Come on baby don't stay inside. Everybody's coming out tonight.
Still haven't found American Water on vinyl. Thought I'd report that to you, since it's been... 1101 days since I announced my quest for it. Great album!
Just so you know, there are 3 copies for sale on discogs: http://www.discogs.com/marketplace?release_id=1101854&ev=rb
I listened to this while not doing anything else, so I could pay attention to the lyrics. I suppose it comes down to a distinction between music that I use as background noise and music I actively listen to, and I only really started listening to music within the last two years. So I know the lyrics to a lot of Dire Straits, The Police and Cansei de Ser Sexy, but nothing I just put on to add atmosphere. This song was pretty good, and the lyrics were easy to make out.