I'm interested in knowing if y'all know about any lyrics in songs that you don't really get or understand. Some of the lyrics in the song "Oliver's Army" by Elvis Costello puzzle me a bit.

I keep hearing the song on the radio as the radio station that is on in my workplace plays that song regularly. I always notice one particular line in the song:
"All it takes is one itchy trigger, One more widow, one less white nigger"

White nigger?
[Edited 6/20/07 13:13pm]

purplehippieonthe1 said:

Yeah, I kinda questioned that one myself. I mean, I love the guy but I wonder if I (as a Black person especially) should be offended by that.

But then again John Lennon had a song called "The Woman is the Nigger of the World". That probably means something else though.

I don't understand the lyrics to The Police song "King Of Pain". Did Sting or whoever wrote it, Get them from a book or something?

NWF said:

Well, it's not like Elvis hasn't said some racist stuff before...


It's apparent you haven't heard that song, I'm sure you can guess what his point was. Here are the lyrics:

Woman is the nigger of the world
Yes she is...think about it
Woman is the nigger of the world
Think about it...do something about it


We make her paint her face and dance
If she won't be a slave, we say that she don't love us
If she's real, we say she's trying to be a man
While putting her down, we pretend that she's above us


Woman is the nigger of the world...yes she is
If you don't believe me, take a look at the one you're with
Woman is the slave of the slaves
Ah, yeah...better scream about it


We make her bear and raise our children
And then we leave her flat for being a fat old mother hen
We tell her home is the only place she should be
Then we complain that she's too unworldly to be our friend


Woman is the nigger of the world...yes she is
If you don't believe me, take a look at the one you're with
Woman is the slave to the slaves
Yeah...alright...hit it!


We insult her every day on TV
And wonder why she has no guts or confidence
When she's young we kill her will to be free
While telling her not to be so smart we put her down for being so dumb


Woman is the nigger of the world
Yes she is...if you don't believe me, take a look at the one you're with
Woman is the slave to the slaves
Yes she is...if you believe me, you better scream about it


We make her paint her face and dance
We make her paint her face and dance
We make her paint her face and dance
We make her paint her face and dance
We make her paint her face and dance
We make her paint her face and dance





Anyway, my vote goes for most Duran Duran songs, but that's the point.

ThePunisher said:

*I have stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running round my brain
I guess Im always hoping that youll end this reign
But its my destiny to be the king of pain*

I used to run this song in the ground alot...the whole album actually (i like Tea in the Sahara) ..
sounds like he wanted someone to help him get rid of his madness.. the rest of the song .. makes no sense..

AlexdeParis said:[quote]

NWF said:

Wow...that song was really deep! I'm a black woman, and that song was really touching, I didnt feel offended @ all, I understand what he is saying, that song had a double meaning, really deep! Not that I'm justifying the use of the word nigger by anymeans....
[Edited 6/20/07 16:01pm]
[Edited 6/20/07 19:59pm]

purplehippieonthe1 said:

I wonder what a white nigger means myself...a white person who loves black people? lol
[Edited 6/20/07 16:05pm]

I dont understand this part in Prince-All the critics love you in N.Y:


Its time for a new direction, its time for jazz to die, fourth day of November, we need a purple high...?
Maybe what he's trying to say is that Jazz music is dead and that everyone should buy his 1999 CD on the 4th of November, 1982

lonelygurl8305 said:

From wikipedia.org:

Oliver's Army is a song written by Elvis Costello, originally performed by Elvis Costello and the Attractions and appearing on the album Armed Forces in 1979.

Written after the author visited Belfast in Northern Ireland, it criticises the British Army for targeting disadvantaged young men leaving secondary school (when the song was written in the late 1970s, England had a high unemployment rate). The title refers to Oliver Cromwell, who as Protector of the Commonwealth created the New Model Army, an earlier version of the modern British Army. The song also mentions specific "trouble spots" in the world, such as South Africa (at the time experiencing turmoil over Apartheid), Palestine, Cyprus, and most prominently Northern Ireland. In reference to the latter country, Costello included the controversial lyric "Only takes one itchy trigger/One more widow, one less white nigger", referring to the Irish, as they have historically been oppressed by the English, much as black people have been oppressed in many countries. Costello is himself of Irish descent.

The Oliver's Army single (with a b-side of Costello performing My Funny Valentine solo) peaked at #2 on the UK charts. It was recorded at Eden Studios in West London.

By the way, I never quite understood Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven".

"Bustle in your hedgerow"?

lonelygurl8305 said:

he's referring to Election Day.. usually Nov.4 (or the 1st Tuesday) is when u vote and ppl need to be high that day ..

Flowerz said:

Oooookay...But why does jazz needs to die?
[Edited 6/20/07 20:01pm]

NWF said:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=a0hyWWdpHtQ

Stairway to Heaven backwards....



They say if you play that song backwards its says to worship satan...but I think the forward version of the song, at least the beginning, is talking about a woman going (ascending) to heaven??
[Edited 6/20/07 20:03pm]
[Edited 6/20/07 20:13pm]


Theres a lady whos sure
All that glitters is gold
And shes buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and shes buying a stairway to heaven.

Theres a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook
Theres a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

Theres a feeling I get
When I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who standing looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And its whispered that soon
If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.

If theres a bustle in your hedgerow
Dont be alarmed now,
Its just a spring clean for the may queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
Theres still time to change the road youre on.
And it makes me wonder.

Your head is humming and it wont go
In case you dont know,
The pipers calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How evrything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.

And shes buying a stairway to heaven.
[Edited 6/20/07 20:47pm]

Another song thats hard to understand for me: Like a Tatoo by Sade:

He told me sweet lies of sweet love
Heavy with the burden of the truth
And he spoke of his dreams
Broken by the burden
Broken by the burden of his youth
Fourteen years he said
I couldn't look into the sun
She saw him laying at the end of my gun
Hungrey for life
And thirsty for the distant river
I remember his hands
And the way the mountains looked
The light shot diamonds from his eyes
Hungry for life
And thirsty for the distant river
Like the scar of age
Written all over my face
The war is still raging inside of me
I still feel the chill
As i reveal my shame to you
I wear it like a tattoo
I wear it like a tattoo
I wear it like a tattoo
[Edited 6/20/07 20:04pm]

The Beatles: Strawberry Fields Forever:


Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out.
It doesn't matter much to me.

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.

No one I think is in my tree, I mean it must be high or low.
That is you can't you know tune in but it's all right.
That is I think it's not too bad.

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.

Always no sometimes think it's me, but you know I know when it's a dream.
I think I know I mean "Yes," but it's all wrong.
That is I think I disagree.

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.
Strawberry Fields forever.
Strawberry Fields forever.

Stings When The Angels Fall has always gave me a huh...
i think its against the catholic church...

"When The Angels Fall"

So high above the world tonight
The angels watch us sleeping
And underneath a bridge of stars
We dream in safety's keeping
But perhaps the dream
Is dreaming us
Soaring with the seagulls
Perhaps the dream
Is dreaming us
Astride on the backs of eagles

When the angels fall
Shadows on the wall
In the thunder's call
Something haunts us all
When the angels fall
When the angels fall

Take your father's cross
Gently from the wall
A shadow still remaining
See the churches fall
In mighty arcs of sound
And all that they're containing
Yet all the rugged souls
Looking for their lost homes
Shuffle to the ruins
From the levelled plain
To search among the tombstones

When the angels fall
Shadows on the wall
In the thunder's call
Something haunts us all

When the angels fall
When the angels fall
When the angels fall

These are my feet
These are my hands
These are my children
And this is my demand
Bring down the angels
Cast them from my sight
I never want to see
A million suns at midnight

Your hands are empty
The streets are empty
You can't control us
You can't control us anymore

When the angels fall
When the angels fall
When the angels fall
When the angels fall
When the angels fall
When the angels fall