I think that if a song has a meaning it definitley makes it better but I like songs without meaning too. Songs by Ratatat have no lyrics and thus no meaning but they're still great.
Music with a meaning
- Thread starter EMFCRACKSHOT
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I was in your position many years back. Then all those songs at the punk shows about hating the government became just songs. That little thing inside of me died out, and Ive since lost the radical in me.MaxTheReaper said:
Keep up the good fight, brother.
We try our best to ignore you. Anyway, It's not easy to find modern day punk. Sometimes you have to go back to the roots to find anything worth a damn. As long as pop-punk just keeps it's feet away from the emo cliff, I'll still listen to them.MaxTheReaper said:
Listen to these guys. Really listen to the lyrics. You can tell this guy actually spends time writing his lyrics. Also, what is great is his songs are not about politics. And, he is a rapperEMFCRACKSHOT said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoN6XfyQsr4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KnGNOiFll4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqnKbdqjh2I
That's because there is no such thing as modern 'true' punk. The punk movement is over, and now the problem for up-and-coming musicians such as myself is this; what is there left to do? We've already hit every corner of the musical world, and now it's just generally rehashing the same stuff. That's why you have so much shit saturating the market now. What I want to do is bring back a musical renaissance, if you will, in which the world will once again return to a day of punk, metal and classic rock, when guitar players were good, hair was big, and increasingly-anodyne pop bands were not churned out every five minutes. Basically, I'm screwed, but don't want to admit it.APPCRASH said:
The End by leonard cohen is the most blatantly political song ever written, and the lyrics must be admired even if you don't like the song. hell, its the only song ever with the line, "give me crack and anal sex"!EMFCRACKSHOT said:
I think that this thread was just telling people that you don't like the Killers. Which is a good band, mind you.
Tool is a good band if you want music with a meaning.
Tool is a good band if you want music with a meaning.
Yep, you're fucked. No matter what you do you will never reinvigorate true punk or even come close to mimicking it. Does that mean you should give up? Hell no, it might not be original or up to "standards," but as an artist it's your responsibility to do and create what you believe in.Lexodus said:
This. So much this.Mother Yeti said:
A song about "hookers, guns and killing people" may have no meaning to you, but to a murdering prostitute with a 9mm, it might have alot of meaning.
Well I indeed like music with meaningful lyrics, but in my opinion there are two types of lyrics: those that are open for interpretation and those with a clear message they want to say.
I like both types, but talking about actual artists, I haven't seen a band that puts more thoughts inside their lyrics than Nile. They even had released actual explanations about their lyrics, because most of them are quite hard to understand unless you have a lot of knowledge about the subject.
Here is an example: lyrics and their explanation
Unas Slayer Of The Gods
Poureth Down Water From the Heavens
Tremble the Stars
Quake the Bones of Aker
Those Beneath Take Flight When They See
Unas Rising
The Akh of Unas Is Behind Him
The Conquerer Are Beneath His Feet
His Gods Are In Him
His Uraei Are on His Brow
The Words of Unas Protect Him
Unas This Bull of The Heavens
That Trusteth With His Will
Living On Utterances of Fire From
The Lake Of Flame
Unas That Devoureth Men and Liveth on The Gods
Behold Amkebu Hath Snared Them for Unas
Behold Tecber Tep F Hath Known Them and
Driven Them Unto Unas
Behold Her Tbertu Hath Bound Them
Behold Khensu The Slaughterer of Lords
Hath Cut Their Throats for Unas
Behold Shesemu Hath Cut Them Up For Unas
Unas Hath Ingested Their Spirits
Hath Feasted On Their Immortality
He Hath Consumed their Shadows
Unas The Slayer of the Gods
Unas The Sekhem Great
The Sekhem of the Sekhemn
Unas The Ashem Great
The Ashem of the Ashemn
Behold OrionUnas Riseth
Unas Hath Taken Possessionof the Hearts of the Gods
Unas Feedeth on their Entrails
He Hath gorged on their Unuttered Sacred Words
He Hath Assimilated the Wisdom of the Gods
His Existence is Everlasting
Behold The Souls of the Gods are in Unas
Their Spirits are In Unas
The Flame of Unas in Their Bones
Their Shadows are With their Forms
Unas is Rising
Hidden Hidden
Explanation
Unas was the ninth and last Pharaoh of the 5th Dynasty. He is said to have lived from 2375 to 2345 B.C., but some Egyptologists date him as far back as 5330 B.C. The internal structure of his pyramid is known for incorporating several innovative features, but is most recognized for the inclusion of vertical lines of hieroglyphs on the walls of the vestibule and burial chamber.
When Maspero opened the Unas pyramid in 1881, he found texts covering these stone walls to be extremely difficult to decipher, because of their archais characters, forms, and spellings. These were magickal/religious texts, designed to ensure the safe passage of the Pharaoh into the next world. They are known today as the "Pyramid Texts." According to these texts, Unas became great by eating the flesh of his mortal enemies and then slaying and devouring the gods themselves. Those gods that were old and worn out (Egyptian gods aged and died) were used as fuel for Unas's fire. After devouring the gods and absorbing their spirits and powers, Unas journeys through the day and night sky to become the star Sabu, or Orion.
While this is certainly not the first reference to cannibalism in Old Kingdom texts, what is notable is the method by which the Pharaoh Unas achieves deification and immortality; by turning on the gods, slaying and then devouring them, and thus ascending to the heavens to become the star Orion. The concept was remarkable to Maspero, who found the idea to be of "absolute savagery." Maspero seemed to be reeling from a confrontation with a symbolic revival of pre-dynastic cannibalistic rites - which are suggested, according to Maspero, by the gnamed and disconnected bones found in certain early graves.
Professor Petrie suggests that at the original Sed festival, the tribal king appears to have been sacrificed and devoured, so that his people might derive from his flesh and blood the power and virtues which made him great. This practise was based on a belief in contagious magick. Bulls and boars were eaten to give men strength and courage, deer to give fleetness of foot, and serpents to give cunning. The blood of slain and wounded warriors was drunk so that their skill and bravery might be imparted t the drinkers. Similarly, Unas feasts after death on the spirits of the gods, and on the bodies of men and gods. He swallows their spirits, souls, and names, which are contained in their hearts, livers, and entrails, thus, Unas becomes allpowerful.
In attempting to bring this epic-length text to song from, it was necessary to make some minor concessions, firstly, that every version I have at home of the text is translated somewhat differently, and thus there is not any singularly definitive versions; and secondly, that it would just not be possible to include every last line from the original text. That would probably necessitate a song inconceivable in length. As it is, in concise song lyric form, "Unas Slayer of the Gods" weighs in at about 12 minutes plus - and that is using what would be considered only the bare minimum essential lines for the development and presentation of the main aspects of the text. For those interested in reading the entire work, there are several versions readily available online or by ordering from a local bookstore. I typed in "Unas Slayer of the Gods" in a couple of search engines and was astounded at the number of results that came back.
EDIT: Lenghty, I know, but once you realize how much depth and work these lyrics have, you really start to appreciate artist's work
I like both types, but talking about actual artists, I haven't seen a band that puts more thoughts inside their lyrics than Nile. They even had released actual explanations about their lyrics, because most of them are quite hard to understand unless you have a lot of knowledge about the subject.
Here is an example: lyrics and their explanation
Unas Slayer Of The Gods
Poureth Down Water From the Heavens
Tremble the Stars
Quake the Bones of Aker
Those Beneath Take Flight When They See
Unas Rising
The Akh of Unas Is Behind Him
The Conquerer Are Beneath His Feet
His Gods Are In Him
His Uraei Are on His Brow
The Words of Unas Protect Him
Unas This Bull of The Heavens
That Trusteth With His Will
Living On Utterances of Fire From
The Lake Of Flame
Unas That Devoureth Men and Liveth on The Gods
Behold Amkebu Hath Snared Them for Unas
Behold Tecber Tep F Hath Known Them and
Driven Them Unto Unas
Behold Her Tbertu Hath Bound Them
Behold Khensu The Slaughterer of Lords
Hath Cut Their Throats for Unas
Behold Shesemu Hath Cut Them Up For Unas
Unas Hath Ingested Their Spirits
Hath Feasted On Their Immortality
He Hath Consumed their Shadows
Unas The Slayer of the Gods
Unas The Sekhem Great
The Sekhem of the Sekhemn
Unas The Ashem Great
The Ashem of the Ashemn
Behold OrionUnas Riseth
Unas Hath Taken Possessionof the Hearts of the Gods
Unas Feedeth on their Entrails
He Hath gorged on their Unuttered Sacred Words
He Hath Assimilated the Wisdom of the Gods
His Existence is Everlasting
Behold The Souls of the Gods are in Unas
Their Spirits are In Unas
The Flame of Unas in Their Bones
Their Shadows are With their Forms
Unas is Rising
Hidden Hidden
Explanation
Unas was the ninth and last Pharaoh of the 5th Dynasty. He is said to have lived from 2375 to 2345 B.C., but some Egyptologists date him as far back as 5330 B.C. The internal structure of his pyramid is known for incorporating several innovative features, but is most recognized for the inclusion of vertical lines of hieroglyphs on the walls of the vestibule and burial chamber.
When Maspero opened the Unas pyramid in 1881, he found texts covering these stone walls to be extremely difficult to decipher, because of their archais characters, forms, and spellings. These were magickal/religious texts, designed to ensure the safe passage of the Pharaoh into the next world. They are known today as the "Pyramid Texts." According to these texts, Unas became great by eating the flesh of his mortal enemies and then slaying and devouring the gods themselves. Those gods that were old and worn out (Egyptian gods aged and died) were used as fuel for Unas's fire. After devouring the gods and absorbing their spirits and powers, Unas journeys through the day and night sky to become the star Sabu, or Orion.
While this is certainly not the first reference to cannibalism in Old Kingdom texts, what is notable is the method by which the Pharaoh Unas achieves deification and immortality; by turning on the gods, slaying and then devouring them, and thus ascending to the heavens to become the star Orion. The concept was remarkable to Maspero, who found the idea to be of "absolute savagery." Maspero seemed to be reeling from a confrontation with a symbolic revival of pre-dynastic cannibalistic rites - which are suggested, according to Maspero, by the gnamed and disconnected bones found in certain early graves.
Professor Petrie suggests that at the original Sed festival, the tribal king appears to have been sacrificed and devoured, so that his people might derive from his flesh and blood the power and virtues which made him great. This practise was based on a belief in contagious magick. Bulls and boars were eaten to give men strength and courage, deer to give fleetness of foot, and serpents to give cunning. The blood of slain and wounded warriors was drunk so that their skill and bravery might be imparted t the drinkers. Similarly, Unas feasts after death on the spirits of the gods, and on the bodies of men and gods. He swallows their spirits, souls, and names, which are contained in their hearts, livers, and entrails, thus, Unas becomes allpowerful.
In attempting to bring this epic-length text to song from, it was necessary to make some minor concessions, firstly, that every version I have at home of the text is translated somewhat differently, and thus there is not any singularly definitive versions; and secondly, that it would just not be possible to include every last line from the original text. That would probably necessitate a song inconceivable in length. As it is, in concise song lyric form, "Unas Slayer of the Gods" weighs in at about 12 minutes plus - and that is using what would be considered only the bare minimum essential lines for the development and presentation of the main aspects of the text. For those interested in reading the entire work, there are several versions readily available online or by ordering from a local bookstore. I typed in "Unas Slayer of the Gods" in a couple of search engines and was astounded at the number of results that came back.
EDIT: Lenghty, I know, but once you realize how much depth and work these lyrics have, you really start to appreciate artist's work