Thursday, September 21, 2006

Favourite Song Line

I was asked recently what my favourite line of a song was and my brain immediatly went into a spasm. As a person who views some song lyrics like bible scripture, I found this difficult to answer. However, I was listening to one of my old CD's from the mid 90's and the first line of the first song entered my head like a long, lost lover through your bedroom window... "I wanna hold the hand inside you, I want to take the breath that's true..." Sublime.. favourite song line confirmed.

10 comments:

Lee Bemrose said...

Now THAT is a tough one. For me, I'm guessing it's going to be something Tom Waits wrote. Hmm... cue thinking music...

Lola Lopez said...

There are a million song lines that qualify.. have to say this whole song (Fade Into You- Mazzy Star) makes me melt like chocolate.

There's also:
In the Brothers Karamazov
Here's what Dostoeyovski said;
"Know your enemy well enough so you can pity him instead"
Pity soon will turn to love
Is what Jesus Christ once knew
They changed their minds the day when
They met the homeboy crew
(All Homeboys Are Dickheads-TISM).

Lee Bemrose said...

I still got nothin'. However I am listening to Tom Waits' Mule Variations for the first time in about three years. I know that in amongst his gruff blues/gospel/carnival ballads of drifters and the unloved, there are a couple of lyrical gems. Think I'm hinking of a track called Picture In a Frame. Coming up soon...

Lola Lopez said...

Tom Waits... I need to get into him. He seems like an amazing human being. Loved him in the "Born Into This' doco about Mr Charles Bukowski.

Lee Bemrose said...

I wrote something about that doco quite recently. And yes, Tom Waits is quite amazing. I was once laughed at for saying "Tom Waits is a genius" a few too many times.

I just listened to Picture In A Frame, and the lyrics alone are nothing special. However they are simple and sweet, and when sung in Waits' gruff, slightly out of tune rumble to such a delicate musical arrangement, it's a fucking gorgeous song.

I like his ballsy stuff too.

Mule Variations and Bone Machine are two of my favourite Waits albums. Not sure if he's done anything since then.

Lola Lopez said...

The only Tom Waits song I own is a cover he did on the Red,Hot and Blue album back in 1990.
Great swampy version of 'It's alright by me'
We actually played Tom Waits as our 'fuck off' music at tango last night..

Lee Bemrose said...

Yeah, he's not for everyone.

Yesterday the CD got stuck while I was playing one of his CDs. Not pleasant.

Lola Lopez said...

Have you had the CD a long time? Or is the machine? Perhaps it's time for a new one....

I do like Tom. Which one do you recommend? Should I start off with a 'greatest hits'? Or is that lame?

Lee Bemrose said...

Had those CDs for a long time. Since they were released. but the machine needs a service, i think. It's spitting the dummy about everything.

Those two albums I mentioned are good ones. His range is so broad that you may as well pick one and see what happens. Earlier ones are also good, I just got into hima late and like these ones. A greatest hits is probably not lame, unless you are a wanker purist.

Heard some exquisite song lines tonight. Finally saw Kolliope at The Vanguard in Newtown. Not quite what I expected, but still quite awesome.

Lola Lopez said...

I was at Dirt Cheap CD's yesterday and they have a few of his albums in stock. I'll pick one and start from there. You have inspired me.

I saw a show at the Vanguard on one of my last Sydney visits- cool little place. Made me think of John Coltrane and his gigs at the Village Vanguard in NYC... oh to have been alive then...