The Rocky Mountain Collegian

April 18th, 2007

Lyrically Speaking

This week, instead of just picking random songs that I like for various reasons and providing background info on each band… I am going to recommend bands and artists that I think are exemplary primarily because of their creative and poetic lyrics. I will probably get a comment or two about how a lot of these bands are “not underground” but I liked them before they became popular and I still do like them so I’m including it. Here are my top 10 picks that I think speak for themselves:

10) Say Anything: Every Man Has a Molly (album: … Is a Real Boy)

“Here I am, laid bare, at the end of my rope. I’ve lost all hope. So Long!
Molly Connolly just broke up with me over the revealing nature of the songs.
You goddamn kids had best be gracious with the merch money you spend
’cause for you I won’t ever have rough sex with Molly Connolly again.

Here I am, laid down, at the end of my rope, wishing I had not been born.
Now I’ve spewed too much. I can never shut it up. I thought you should be warned
And I implied black sky took the needle to my eye and sucked out all its glow,
Woah! Molly Connolly ruined my life. I thought the world should know…”

9) Saves The Day: Rocks Tonic Juice Magic (album: Through Being Cool)

“Let me take this awkward saw, and run it against your thighs
Cut some flesh away, I’ll carry this piece of you with me

Because all I can say tonight, is that I hate you but it would be all right
If we could see each other sometime
If I could somehow make you mine

And if not I’ll take my spoons and dig out your blue eyes
I’ll swallow them down to my colon they’re gonna burn like hell tonight
Cause you’re beautiful, just not on the inside
Light comes from within, your beaming eyes don’t seem so bright

Heart is on the floor
Why don’t you step on it?
When I think of all the things you’ve done

Boardwalks and breaking waves made our Saturdays
I’d buy you lemonade right now, if you were here
Then I’d throw it in your face, and I’d listen to you cry
I’d remember how I miss our nights under ocean skies
You and I are like when fire and the ocean floor collide.”

8.) The Faint: Paranoiattack (album: Wet From Birth)

“The news has got me paranoid
Papers and the news reports
Casualties of every war
Anchor people keeping score
The weapons now are chemicals
In water and in edibles
Circulating envelopes
With powder through the postal route

The threat of a disease is here
We nipped it once without a cure
It took forever ’til it stopped
The mandatory needle shots
They gave us all a little dose
Teach our bodies how to cope
Finally when we had it licked
Some terrorists are back with it

The propaganda’s working now
I’m falling for it hook and reel
I’m stocking up on medicine
Buying tape to seal ourself in
Paranoia!”

7). MC Chris: My Name is… (album: Eatings Not Cheating)

I thought I would throw this in here for any readers like myself that know MC Chris aka “MC Pee Pants” from the cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force. (click this to watch the youtube video)

“Well my name is mc, I’m like no other
A short-sized, high-pitched, white-skinned brother
And when I say white yo I don’t mean pink
Cause my skin’s about as white as White Out ink
When I step into the sun, burst into flames
like the Human Torch, no lives to save
Said I, don’t go to clubs, and I, don’t go to raves
And I, don’t go to pubs, and I don’t go to parades
So where do I go, you might call a hooch parlour
If you don’t know the password don’t bother
It’s where all the ladies leave their lipstick on my collar
But I tell them to be gone cause all they ‘ant is my dollar
Mahler, uses to write symphonies
Name is mc and I claim to be
Star material like astrology
Punk rock, hip-hop, and R&B.”

6) Park: Gasoline Kisses For Everyone (album: It Won’t Snow Where You’re Going)”

“I think I’d be lying if I said I don’t enjoy this.
waking up soaked in sweat wondering who you’re laying with.
the sinking center in me dips to reach that perfect place
where we’ve all been trapped before,caught living in the life you missed…

you missed the reason, had to leave,
held your breath and couldn’t see.
missed the reason, had to leave,
held your breath and couldn’t see.

I hear songs of this cancer coming on.
I love the sound of your voice breaking off,
so I sing along until you’re gone
and out of this canvas we paint this song.

I think I’d be lying
if I said I didn’t miss this.
slipping off the edge of the bed,
I know I could kiss you better than that.
one more try, one more goodnight.
don’t pull away so fast.
10 more seconds is all I ask.
…
I hear songs of this cancer coming on.
I love the sound of your voice breaking off,
so I sing along until your gone
and out of the canvas we paint this song.

One more try, one more goodnight.
so bad, this feeling never catches up
and burnt red are the arms
of a sunburned boy you love.
I know what you’re all about now,
I know where the engine runs out.

so I sing along until your gone,
sing along until your gone.
(I think her away)
You’re busy fucking everyone…”

5) The Academy Is… : The Phrase that Pays (album: Almost Here)

“My eyes can’t believe what they have seen.
In the corner of your room you’ve stockpiled millions of my memories.
Oh Doctor, Doctor, I must have gotten this sick somehow.
I’m going to ask you a series of questions,
And I want them answered on the spot, right now.
Is it serious?
I’m afraid it is.
Am I gonna die?
Well son, death is gonna catch up to all one day,
But yours is coming quicker than ours, than ours.

Some things I may have taken for granted again and again,
well here’s what was said then

Hold your head high heavy heart.
So take a chance and make it big,
Cause it’s the last you’ll ever get.
If we don’t take it, when will we make it?
I make plans to break plans,
And I’ve been planning something big, planning something big, planning.

I’ve never tried to make the best of my time,
When I thought that I had plenty of it.
Is this serious?
I don’t know what to think.
Is it all a lie?
Well one thing is for sure
I’m taken back to the glory days
When we were kids without a brash or bitter thing to say.
Now my life is one big make it, or break it.”

4) The Streets: The Irony of It All (album: Original Pirate Material)

“Hello, Hello. My names Terry and I’m a law abider
There’s nothing I like more than getting fired up on beer
And when the weekends here I to exercise my right to get paralytic and fight
Good bloke fairly
But I get well leery when geezers look at me funny
Bounce ‘em round like bunnies
I’m likely to cause mischief
Good clean grief you must believe and I ain’t no thief.
Law abiding and all, all legal.
And who cares about my liver when it feels good
Wwhat you need is some real manhood.
Rasher Rasher Barney and Kasha putting peoples backs up.
Public disorder, I’ll give you public disorder.
I down eight pints and run all over the place
Spit in the face of an officer
See if that bothers you cause I never broke a law in my life
Someday I’m gonna settle down with a wife
Come on lads lets have another fight

Eh hello. My names Tim and I’m a criminal,
In the eyes of society I need to be in jail
For the choice of herbs I inhale.
This ain’t no wholesale operation
Just a few eighths and some Playstations my’s vocation
I pose a threat to the nation
And down the station the police hold no patience
Let’s talk space and time
I like to get deep sometimes and think about Einstein
And Carl Jung And old Kung Fu movies I like to see
Pass the hydrator please
Yeah I’m floating on thin air.
Going to Amsterdam in the New Year - top gear there
Cause I taker pride in my hobby
Home made bongs using my engineering degree
Dear Leaders, please legalize weed for these reasons…”

3) Fall Out Boy: The Pros and Cons of Breathing (album: Take This To Your Grave)

“Bury me standing under your window with the cinder block in hand
Yeah cause no one will ever feel like this again
And if I could move I’m sure it would only be to crawl back to you
I must have dragged my guts a block… they were gone by the time we {talked}…

Whoa, I want to hate you half as much as I hate myself
{But} you know that I could crush you with my voice

Stood on my roof and tried to see you forgetting about me
Hide the details I don’t want to know a thing

I hate the way you say my name like it’s something secret
My pen is the barrel of the gun.
Remind me which side you should be on

Stood on my roof and tried to see you forgetting about me
Hide the details I don’t want to know a thing

I wish that I was as invisible as you make me feel…”

2) Gym Class Heroes: Taxi Driver (album: The Papercut Chronicles)

“I took cutie for a ride in my deathcab
She tipped me with a kiss I dropped her off at the meth lab
Before she left she made a dashboard confessional
And spilled her guts in cursive but whats worse is
I could still see her bright eyes like sunny day real estate
Oh my and in a funny way the ceiling tastes
So high but no chance
My little chemical romance left a bad taste in my mouth
But I approached her like hey mercedes why the long face
Why you crying? there’s no need
Just put on this coheed and fallout
Boy meets girl jimmy eat world
But Schlep eats pills till hes all out
Not once not twice she was thrice times a lady
Mackin on brand new, but I had to
Bounce over to the postal service to
Pick up these pills that take care of my nervousness
And all the way I saw planes and mistook ‘em for stars
She played games but she took em too far
At the drive in
Watching soft porn and you can tell
By the trail of the dead, that there was something in the popcorn
I hop in my cab destination midtown
Just to get up with some kids that like to get down
I’d made my rounds and that was that
In between the frowns and scraps and heart attacks
And I remember I seen her ass in early November
On a Thursday taking back Sunday for a refund
She shot a wink like no hard feelings
Then she jetted to Brazil man them pills had me spun
This is the story of the year right here
This is hot water music
Put ya ramen into it.”

1). Saosin (with Anthony Green): Seven Years (album: Translating the Name EP)

“Taking on seven years
the holy ghost had left alone
Test my arms, kick like crazy
I’ve been trying way too long
only push the way off to fight you
Now I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m not sure
Getting off my chest
the story ends

I would find a way without…
Tell him his eyes see too clear
I would find a way without you
Tell him his eyes see too clear
That mistake was gold
I know that without you
is something that I could never do
That was why staple the eyes and
seven dates for me to sell machines
and tear on

Seven years you assured me
that I’d be fine if I complied
only push the way off to fight you
(only push the way off to fight you)
Now I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m not sure
Getting off my chest
the story ends
…
Don’t treat me, I’m to blame (sorry, I’m sorry, I’m not sure)
Don’t treat me like I ever accused you…”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 18th, 2007 at 5:32 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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