Comments on: Pop Song Analogies

Question: Pop Song Analogies

ruwan — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 13:55:21 -0800

For a Friend: What are some songs about about people who used to see eye to eye, but now they hate each other and can't understand each other? Or about righteous people trying to smash down lower people?

(For an essay about the history of the middle east... She's using modern pop songs as an analog (ideally bad pop songs, but all are fine). So any songs that can be seen as analogies for the Shiite/Sunni split, the Crusades, colonialism, globalization, etc. would be fantastic.) Thanks!

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:00:02 -0800

Pink Floyd's Lost For Words sort of springs to mind.

By: vacapinta

vacapinta — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:02:53 -0800

After the Beatles split, John wrote a fairly nastygram of a song to Paul called How do You Sleep at Night:

So sgt. pepper took you by surprise
You better see right through that mother's eyes
Those freaks was right when they said you was dead
The one mistake you made was in your head
Ah, how do you sleep?
Ah, how do you sleep at night?

You live with straights who tell you you was king
Jump when your momma tell you anything
The only thing you done was yesterday
And since you're gone you're just another day
Ah, how do you sleep?
Ah, how do you sleep at night?

Ah, how do you sleep?
Ah, how do you sleep at night?

A pretty face may last a year or two
But pretty soon they'll see what you can do
The sound you make is muzak to my ears
You must have learned something in all those years
Ah, how do you sleep?
Ah, how do you sleep at night?

By: languagehat

languagehat — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:03:55 -0800

Because I used to love her, but it's all over now.

By: occhiblu

occhiblu — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:08:35 -0800

Not quite what you're asking for, but You Don't Bring Me Flowers by Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond is now stuck in my head, and could potentially work (especially for the globalization bit, with the general "You used to help us, now you're screwing us over" thought).

By: PinkStainlessTail

PinkStainlessTail — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:09:26 -0800

The album Kangaroo? by The Red Krayola and the political art collective Art & Language is a pro-marxist concept album about the Russian Revolution that has a few examples of this. It's just possible that the whole thing is an enormous piss take too, but I'm pretty sure it's all meant to be sincere.

By: PinkStainlessTail

PinkStainlessTail — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:10:21 -0800

Oh and that bloody awful song "People Are People" by Depeche Mode.

By: Neiltupper

Neiltupper — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:13:24 -0800

Bad Moon Rising. John Fogerty could have written that song about the Middle East.

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:15:31 -0800

Rush, Open Secrets.

By: Your Time Machine Sucks

Your Time Machine Sucks — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:19:40 -0800

Burning Sky by The Jam comes to mind.

By: grateful

grateful — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:20:45 -0800

Dave Mason's "We Just Disagree"

By: SwingingJohnson1968

SwingingJohnson1968 — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:21:11 -0800

"The Bitch is Back" Elton John

"I was The One" Elvis Presley

"Big Shot" Billy Joel

and several songs from Pink Floyd

By: zonkout

zonkout — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:22:09 -0800

Some of the songs suggested here might help.

By: Robot Johnny

Robot Johnny — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:25:13 -0800

Graham Coxon's "Song for the Sick":

Didn't take you long boy, to stop from being a friend
I hope you hear this song boy, 'cause I want your life to end
And as I lie awake now, crying and bereaving
I guess you're happy somehow, 'cause you made me stop believing

Die Taylor die
You ain't no friend of mine
You're a scum-sucking shitty guy
So die Taylor die

You stabbed me in the back, you're lower than a snake
Your brains are in your sack, you two-faced fucking fake
You haven't even tried to tell me how it feels
I guess that's just your style, to you it ain't no big deal

Die Taylor die
You ain't no friend of mine
You're a scum-sucking shitty guy
So die Taylor die

Did you ever think you'd get away with it?
Your attitude just stinks, you cowardly little shit
Consider this a spell and watch where you tread
And I'll see you in hell, I'll be laughing 'cause you're dead

Die Taylor die
You ain't no friend of mine
You're a scum-sucking shitty guy
So die Taylor die

By: fvox13

fvox13 — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:49:53 -0800

"Fly" by Moxy Fruvous is about "that feeling when you really care for someone, at the moment when you realize you're just not right for each other" (quoting the band at a live concert)

By: atom128

atom128 — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:53:24 -0800

it was not posed
it messed me up
it was her recording herself whisper
what's it worth to me
thinking one thought
the advice to be OK
break into children's hospital crying out
don't fuck with me

and i broke up
without a note
and i broke up
behind your house
and i broke up

it sss a mess
go go go go away from here
food color poured out over her shorts mixed with
i will make a gate you cannot pass
taped to their loin cloth
a sign that says WHY US!
flip yourself off but say erase it
when someone sees you
this is the worst vacation ever
i am going to cut open your forehead
with a roofing shingle

xiu xiu - i broke up

By: atom128

atom128 — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:56:36 -0800

Also Xiu Xiu - Clowne Town (which is a great song)

Up and down through what you thought would be your future
Became the dark reminder of
What a rash and inconsistent faith you had
In loving your true self and your true love
Clowne towne no shelter
Clowne towne no anything
Clowne towne single angel
Clowne towne no exit
Your true father smashed his hands through the glass
And failed out of the priviledged life of his dream
Your true love has drunk herself into not being able to pay her rent
Or keeping her own word to her own self
Your true brother has betrayed you over and over
And looked you in the eye
Your true self has become weak and alone and annoying
And a true ridiculous dumb-ass
Clowne towne revealing nothing
Clowne towne a flock of coots
Clowne towne a single beauty
Clowne towne a big dumb kid

By: greycap

greycap — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:04:58 -0800

We hate it when our friends become successful by Morrissey might fit the bill. Random verse:

We hate it when our friends become successful
And if they're Northern, that makes it even worse
And if we can destroy them
You bet your life we will
Destroy them
If we can hurt them
Well, we may as well...
It's really laughable
Ha, ha, ha...

Also, I second the Graham Coxon suggestion.

By: aeighty

aeighty — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:16:05 -0800

McMaster & James - I understand

I understand you really miss me
and you can't be by my side
you've always got the best excuses
you're such a creative girl
you always seem to keep me waiting
and now i really understand
that I'm the one who should be changing
and I will never, ever wait again wait again wait again

I used to think you really love me
but now I know you just don't care

By: dobbs

dobbs — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:21:45 -0800

Video for Baby Hates Me by Danko Jones. (mov)

By: booksandlibretti

booksandlibretti — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:27:03 -0800

Elton John, "I'm Still Standing"? Maybe the chorus.

"I Used to Love Her (But I Had to Kill Her)"? Bonus points accrue automatically, I think, if your friend does a laughably bad job of dubbing in "them" instead of "her."

By: pdb

pdb — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:44:44 -0800

Ben Folds - Not The Same. Not so much with the hate, more with the can't understand.

Second the Jam, as well, but Thick As Thieves as well as Burning Sky.

By: rorycberger

rorycberger — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 16:21:46 -0800

"Life's been good" by Joe Walsh (about his breakup with the Eagles - e.g. It's tough to handle this fortune and fame;
Everybody's so different, I haven't changed)

"She Has a Girlfriend Now" by Reel Big Fish (about an ex who's tastes have changed)

By: Robert Angelo

Robert Angelo — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 16:37:14 -0800

Here's a vote for the 1977 hit by Dave Mason, We Just Diagree:

So let's leave it alone 'cause we can't see eye-to-eye
There ain't no good guys, there ain't no bad guys
There's only you and me and we just disagree

By: keswick

keswick — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 16:38:47 -0800

"Killing An Arab" by the Cure?

By: lilnemo

lilnemo — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 17:13:11 -0800

Pink Floyd - "Poles Apart" (from The Division Bell)

Did you know...it was all going to go so wrong for you
And did you see it was all going to be so right for me
Why did we tell you then
You were always the golden boy then
And that you'd never lose that light in your eyes

Hey you...did you ever realise what you'd become
And did you see that it wasn't only me you were running from
Did you know all the time but it never bothered you anyway
Leading the blind while I stared out the steel in your eyes

The rain fell slow, down on all the roofs of uncertainty
I thought of you and the years and all the sadness fell away from me
And did you know...

I never thought that you'd lose that light in your eyes

By: gimonca

gimonca — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 17:24:12 -0800

"999 Arguments" by the O'Jays. And it's funky!

By: rxrfrx

rxrfrx — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 17:38:16 -0800

Or about righteous people trying to smash down lower people?

Roughly 60% of all reggae.

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 18:10:58 -0800

You would love "Soldiers of Christ" by Jill Sobule.

Lyrics here

By: scratch

scratch — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 18:17:32 -0800

What are some songs about about people who used to see eye to eye, but now they hate each other and can't understand each other

Just Google "emo" and you'll find something.

By: potch

potch — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 18:18:45 -0800

Another vote for Dave Mason's "We Just Disagree" here.

By: bim

bim — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 18:35:23 -0800

Here are a few possibilities. The lyrics should be all over the internets.

Outta Me Onto You -- Ani DiFranco

Nebraska -- Melissa Ferrick

Changed the Locks -- Lucinda Williams

Get Out of This House -- Shawn Colvin

Long Road -- Patty Griffin

Dinner at Eight -- Rufus Wainwright

By: Vervain

Vervain — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 19:27:18 -0800

"City of Refuge" by Nick Cave
"Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" by the Delfonics
"The Sheep Look Up" by Fad Gadget/Frank Tovey*
"Don't Flake Out On Me" by Hefner
"You Walk Your Way" by the Isley Brothers
"Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" and "Funky President" by James Brown

I'm sure I could think of more, but I'm only about a third of the way through ripping my music collection. Oh well.

*The album this originally appeared on deals loosely with the Falklands War.

By: martinX's bellbottoms

martinX's bellbottoms — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 19:29:21 -0800

Good Songs:
Can't Stand Me Now-The Libertines

They'll Need a Crane- TMBG

Silly (maybe not quite right but still good)
National Brotherhood Week- Tom Leher

By: TonyRobots

TonyRobots — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 19:54:45 -0800

Hate Your Friends, by the Lemonheads. (Before Evan Dando went all poofy.) (clip)

By: Alvy Ampersand

Alvy Ampersand — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 20:06:15 -0800

CCR - "Effigy" (And why that song isn't getting any play nowadays is a mystery to me)
Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
Pulp - "Common People"

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd see McMaster & James as an AskMe response.
Crazy, man.

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 20:57:10 -0800

Dire Straits, "Hand in Hand"

Now you and me go parallel
Together and apart
And you keep your perfect distance
And it's tearing at my heart
Did you ever feel the distance
You never tried to cross no line

Billy Bragg, "Must I Paint You a Picture"

And when i see you
You just turn around and walk away like we never met
Oh we used to be so brave

By: ludwig_van

ludwig_van — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 08:59:03 -0800

The Beatles - We Can Work it Out

By: Robert Angelo

Robert Angelo — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 13:26:53 -0800

I was driving around listening to the lite-rock/less-talk station, and I thought of this question -- especially the part about bad pop songs. I'm not sure what defines pop song, but for people in the US, it's probably a song that was on a Billboard pop or rock chart. Then it hit me: Bad. Pop. Song.

It's sad, so sad
It's a sad, sad situation
And it's getting more and more absurd
It's sad, so sad
Why can't we talk it over
Oh it seems to me
That sorry seems to be the hardest word

Apologies to Elton John fans, but that one drove me crazy with all the radio repitions when I was a teenager.

By: Robert Angelo

Robert Angelo — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 13:31:10 -0800

...and let's not forget Alanis Morissette. Not a "bad pop song," in fact it's one of my faves, but here you go. Think colonial/imperial legacies, and sing along:

And I'm here to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know