Songs about personal (and unapologetic) imperfection
October 21, 2015 1:41 PM Subscribe
Please suggest songs where the songwriter/singer/protagonist is talking about his or her own imperfections, but in a somewhat accepting and non-fatalistic way.
Two examples in this vein that I'm thinking of are LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends" (I wouldn't change one stupid decision / for another five years of life) Also, the new Deerhunter song "Living my Life."
Ultimate tone I'm looking for is: "I screwed up, but this is part of life, I'll get through it."
Genre, era, style agnostic. Thanks!
Two examples in this vein that I'm thinking of are LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends" (I wouldn't change one stupid decision / for another five years of life) Also, the new Deerhunter song "Living my Life."
Ultimate tone I'm looking for is: "I screwed up, but this is part of life, I'll get through it."
Genre, era, style agnostic. Thanks!
"Not Perfect" by Tim Minchin springs to mind.
posted by northernish at 1:48 PM on October 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by northernish at 1:48 PM on October 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
Fat Drunk and Stupid by Section 8
The lyrics are subtly winsome in that inimitable SoCal early 80s punk fashion:
Fat, drunk and stupid Ain't no way to go through life
Fat, drunk and stupid Ain't no way to go through life
It's my right, It's my right
It's my right, It's my right
Fat, drunk and stupid Don't care, ain't going nowhere
Fat, drunk and stupid Don't care, ain't going nowhere
It's my life, It's my life
It's my life, It's my life
posted by crazylegs at 1:59 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
The lyrics are subtly winsome in that inimitable SoCal early 80s punk fashion:
Fat, drunk and stupid Ain't no way to go through life
Fat, drunk and stupid Ain't no way to go through life
It's my right, It's my right
It's my right, It's my right
Fat, drunk and stupid Don't care, ain't going nowhere
Fat, drunk and stupid Don't care, ain't going nowhere
It's my life, It's my life
It's my life, It's my life
posted by crazylegs at 1:59 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Rosa Dear by Ruth.
He basically says he "doesn't walk right or talk right, but there is nothing wrong with feeling strong & wanting to be there for someone you love anyway"
posted by wwax at 2:06 PM on October 21, 2015
He basically says he "doesn't walk right or talk right, but there is nothing wrong with feeling strong & wanting to be there for someone you love anyway"
posted by wwax at 2:06 PM on October 21, 2015
Poi Dog Pondering, Thanksgiving (for every wrong move):
I owe my soul to each fork in the road,
Each misleading sign.
posted by Jasper Fnorde at 2:07 PM on October 21, 2015
I owe my soul to each fork in the road,
Each misleading sign.
posted by Jasper Fnorde at 2:07 PM on October 21, 2015
Freedom '90 by George Michael
posted by singmespanishtechno at 2:13 PM on October 21, 2015
posted by singmespanishtechno at 2:13 PM on October 21, 2015
Alanis Morissette - Hand in my Pocket?
posted by monologish at 2:13 PM on October 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by monologish at 2:13 PM on October 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
Creep Radiohead
Accepting? Depends on how you interpret it.
posted by artdrectr at 2:26 PM on October 21, 2015
Accepting? Depends on how you interpret it.
posted by artdrectr at 2:26 PM on October 21, 2015
Gin Blossoms - 29
Time won't stand by forever if I know it's true
And I've learned not to say never
Or else I'll seem the fool
Twenty-nine you'd think I'd know better
Living like a kid
When my lies may seem less than clever
Is when I fall for it
Only time will tell if wishing wells
Can bring us anything
Or fade like scenes from childhood dreams
Forgotten memories
Some rides don't have much of a finish
That's the ride I took
posted by Ostara at 2:31 PM on October 21, 2015
Time won't stand by forever if I know it's true
And I've learned not to say never
Or else I'll seem the fool
Twenty-nine you'd think I'd know better
Living like a kid
When my lies may seem less than clever
Is when I fall for it
Only time will tell if wishing wells
Can bring us anything
Or fade like scenes from childhood dreams
Forgotten memories
Some rides don't have much of a finish
That's the ride I took
posted by Ostara at 2:31 PM on October 21, 2015
Howlin' Wolf - Built for Comfort
Various artists (Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis here) - Side by Side
Corb Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans - Truck Got Stuck
posted by clawsoon at 2:47 PM on October 21, 2015
Various artists (Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis here) - Side by Side
Corb Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans - Truck Got Stuck
posted by clawsoon at 2:47 PM on October 21, 2015
The entire Frank Turner catalog more or less, but "Demons" off of the newest album, Positive Songs for Negative People.
posted by Medieval Maven at 2:53 PM on October 21, 2015
posted by Medieval Maven at 2:53 PM on October 21, 2015
A Good Man by King Straggler
posted by entropyiswinning at 3:08 PM on October 21, 2015
posted by entropyiswinning at 3:08 PM on October 21, 2015
Secrets by Mary Lambert
posted by mzwz at 4:05 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mzwz at 4:05 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
One of my favorites in this genre is Ani DiFranco's Imperfectly.
posted by TwoStride at 5:59 PM on October 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by TwoStride at 5:59 PM on October 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
Seconding Secrets by Mary Lambert - here's a (cute, twee) video that helpfully has the lyrics.
posted by lunasol at 6:25 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by lunasol at 6:25 PM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
im not so good at breathing in -- Courtney Bartnett, "Avant Gardner"
posted by pjenks at 10:00 PM on October 21, 2015
posted by pjenks at 10:00 PM on October 21, 2015
The Beatles had a lot of these: Help!, With a Little Help from my Friends, Strawberry Fields Forever...
posted by John Cohen at 11:20 PM on October 21, 2015
posted by John Cohen at 11:20 PM on October 21, 2015
Billy Joel's You're Only Human (Second Wind). Lyrics from his site. Story behind the song and Joel's stutter in it.
posted by bryon at 1:16 AM on October 22, 2015
posted by bryon at 1:16 AM on October 22, 2015
My Way - Frank Sinatra (Elvis version) (Sid Vicious version)
posted by Room 641-A at 5:21 AM on October 22, 2015
posted by Room 641-A at 5:21 AM on October 22, 2015
The Ideal Husband by Father John Misty is about exactly this. The title is ironic, the singer spends most of the song listing his own faults but the song is about forgiving yourself for your sins, or at least not letting them keep you from stuff.
posted by pocketfullofrye at 1:12 PM on October 22, 2015
posted by pocketfullofrye at 1:12 PM on October 22, 2015
Tove Lo: Moments
I'm not the prettiest you've ever seen
But I have my moments, I have my moments
Not the flawless one, I've never been
But I have my moments, I have my moments
I can get a little drunk, I get into all the don'ts
But on good days I am charming as fuck
posted by acridrabbit at 1:16 PM on October 22, 2015
I'm not the prettiest you've ever seen
But I have my moments, I have my moments
Not the flawless one, I've never been
But I have my moments, I have my moments
I can get a little drunk, I get into all the don'ts
But on good days I am charming as fuck
posted by acridrabbit at 1:16 PM on October 22, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks everyone, look forward to going through these.
posted by the foreground at 2:20 PM on October 22, 2015
posted by the foreground at 2:20 PM on October 22, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
That's My Story and I'm Sticking to It
posted by Melismata at 1:48 PM on October 21, 2015