Lost In Translation?

HeeHee... I've got to grass Viki up...

We were down at my brother's a visit last night, and satellite music channel Bliss was playing a selection of '90's pop "classics" (I would have picked something with '80's music, but Viki keeps pointing out that she's younger than some of those songs), and on came R Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly"...

I was doing a crossword puzzle, and Viki was colouring in a "Hello Kitty" picture (don't ask!), when she suddenly said, "I can hear him singing something, but I don't think it can really be what he's singing"... so I asked her what she thought he was singing.

She waited until the particular line came on again, and said "Here... he's singing, "I'm on a virgin king"".

I almost peed myself laughing and corrected her that what he was in fact singing was, "I'm on the verge of breaking down".

On the same theme, suddenly for me (for reasons I won't go into) Ronan Keating's song has become "You wear it best, when you wear nothing at all"...

The Musical Interlude... Extra...

A bid to balance out some of the cheese from today with a beautiful song - "Shorley Wall" by Ooberman...

Lyrics Here: The Magic Treehouse: Shorley Wall

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Damien Rice and "9 Crimes"...

Lyrics Here: A*Z Lyrics: 9 Crimes

And "The Blower's Daughter"...

Lyrics Here: A*Z Lyrics: The Blower's Daughter

It's not really the lyrics that makes me post these 2 songs... it's just the fact I get strange sensations up my neck every time I listen to them - especially "The Blower's Daughter"... They're just simply beautiful... and so is Lisa Hannigan's voice (the female vocalist in each case)...

Listen to them and tell me you don't get a hint of a shiver down your back! Go on, I dares ya!

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The usual lyrical loveliness post, and an unusual choice for me, coz I'm not really a huge fan of this band... I mean, I could name some of their earlier tracks, but I certainly couldn't sing them to you, or tell you how they go...

Biffy Clyro and "Machines"...

Lyrics Here: A*Z Lyrics: Machines

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And a (probably brief) return of "This? Or That?"...

This started out as a simple Great Lyrics post, because I love songs that tell a story, but then I noticed that this song's recently been covered by another rock act... so you can compare and contrast...

"Over The Hills And Far Away"...

The original by Gary Moore...

Lyrics Here: lyricsdir.com: Over The Hills And Far Away

and Nightwish...

Much as I love the song "Amaranth" that Nightwish did recently, I'm really not convinced by their version of this... but the video's okay...

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One that makes me laugh tonight - The Divine Comedy and "National Express"...

Lyrics Here: lyricsfreak: National Express (just in case you have the overwhelming compulsion to sing along like I did!)

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Another master of lyric writing - Billy Joel...

"Goodnight Saigon"...

Lyrics Here: lyricsdomain.com: Goodnight Saigon

And a bloody stupid fan video that's the only decent, whole version I could find of "An Innocent Man"... Why do folk do that? Stick effing stupid still photos or film clips (usually anime, but bloody Snape out of "Harry Potter" this time (okay, so it is Alan Rickman, and he is gorgeous, but still...)) over a song that's nothing to do with the film, and expect people to think they've just created something Oscar-winning!? (Sorry, rant over... I'll listen to the song now to calm me down again - with my eyes closed)...

Lyrics Here: lyricsdomain.com: An Innocent Man

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Still on great lyrics, and 2 for you tonight from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds... I know, I'm spoiling you...

First up, Nick at his snarling best - "Red Right Hand"... featuring one of my favourite lyrics..

"You're one microscopic cog in his catastrophic plan, designed and directed by his red right hand"...

Full Lyrics Here: allthelyrics.com: Red Right Hand

And I know, I know I've featured this song before, but:

a) It's beautiful
b) I've never featured it as part of the Great Lyrics series
c) It's my blog, I make the rules, so nyah, boo, sucks to you if you don't like it!

It is, of course, "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?"...

Full Lyrics Here: allthelyrics.com: (Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?

My favourite bit:

"O we will know, won't we? The stars will explode in the sky
O but they don't, do they? Stars have their moment and then they die"

Genius... Poetic, and beautiful...

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I could pick just about any song by Rufus Wainwright as a example of fantastic lyrics... and I will post more than just this one, so be warned / excited / whatever, depending on whether you like him or not. Me? I think he's the best!

"Go Or Go Ahead"...

Lyrics Here: A*Z Lyrics: Go Or Go Ahead

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Back I go to the songs that lyrically touch me in some way or another, and today's offering is simply beautiful...

Antony & The Johnsons and "For Today I Am A Boy"...

Lyrics Here: Leo's Lyrics: For Today I Am A Boy

A very simple song, and makes me want to cry every time I hear it...

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One I remember from our Religious Education short courses at school... when we moved on to studying things like Amnesty International, Human Rights, and moral issues like abortion, the death penalty, and so on... This song always seemed to feature in the videos we were shown, accompanying photos and newsclips of beatings, racial disturbances, etc.

"(Something Inside) So Strong" by Labi Siffre...

I guess this isn't a video as such, but at least you can concentrate on the words!

Lyrics Here: Leo's Lyrics: (Something Inside) So Strong

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Still on the topic of lyrics I love, and another one that I forgot about until it popped up on my iTunes (which I always have on shuffle) tonight - Sarah McLachlan and "Adia"...

Lyrics here: Leo's Lyrics: Adia

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Bob Marley & The Wailers - "Redemption Song"... Simply beautiful...

Lyrics Here: Leo's Lyrics: Redemption Song

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More lovely lyrics, from the pen of Jim Steinman this time. "Who?", I hear you cry - Well, he's the guy responsible for most of Meat Loaf's hits, as well as a couple by Bonnie Tyler amongst others.

Now, I love Meat Loaf's voice, and Jim Steinman is a lyrical genius, so expect more of their stuff to pop up here!

Today's is "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad"...

Lyrics Here: Leo's Lyrics: Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad

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One from John Lennon that you don't hear so often, but I love for its lyrics - "How?"...

Lyrics Here: Leo's Lyrics: How

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Mike Oldfield (Tubular Bells' guy) and "Moonlight Shadow" (performed by Maggie Rielly)...

Lyrics Here: Leo's Lyrics: Moonlight Shadow

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Yes, it's been posted before... but it's being posted again, thanks to its lyrical loveliness...

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - "Into My Arms"...

Full Lyrics Here: Leo's Lyrics: Into My Arms

Wouldn't you love a love song like that written for you?

I don't believe in an interventionist God
But I know darling that you do
But if I did I would kneel down and ask Him
Not to intervene when it came to you
Not to touch a hair on your head
To leave you as you are
And if He felt He had to direct you
Then direct you into my arms
Into my arms O Lord
Into my arms O Lord
Into my arms O Lord
Into my arms

The Musical Interlude...

Another lyrical lovely (and one I know Julie likes too, so this is for her as well) - "Never Went To Church" by The Streets.

Lyrics Here: Leo's Lyrics: Never Went To Church

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Today's choice is "Strange Glue" by Catatonia... sung here by Cerys Matthews as a solo artiste - and the first song of the clip is called "The Galway Shawl"...

Lyrics here: Leo's Lyrics: Strange Glue

My favourite bit of the song:

When faced with my demons, I clothe them and feed them
And I smile, yes I smile as they're taking me over...

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I try not to admit it, but if you promise not to tell anyone, I'm prepared to own up to the fact that my very eclectic music taste very occasionally strays into *whispers* country & western territory (oh, the shame)... and so I'll share this one with you, coz I love the words...

Bonnie Raitt & John Prine doing "Angel From Montgomery"...

Lyrics here: Leo's Lyrics: Angel From Montgomery