# Incredibly beautiful song lyrics (But no love songs! We spit on love songs!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-beautiful-song-lyrics-but-no-love-songs-we-spit-on-love-songs/444182 "2008-04-06T14:22:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-beautiful-song-lyrics-but-no-love-songs-we-spit-on-love-songs/444182/101 "2008-04-15T19:45:42Z")
Paul Simon: “Graceland” _She comes back to tell me she’s gone, As if I didn’t know that As if I didn’t know my own bed, As if I’d never noticed, The way she brushed her hair from her forehead, And she said losing love Is like a window in your heart, Everybody sees you’re blown apart, Everybody sees the wind blow…_ and The whole of “[A Poem on the Underground Wall](http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/A-Poem-on-the-Underground-lyrics-Paul-Simon/EDF77F1E61EEF86848256FCE0029E5A8).” ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Mood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@Blue\_Mood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Mood)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-beautiful-song-lyrics-but-no-love-songs-we-spit-on-love-songs/444182/102 "2008-04-16T17:24:51Z")
**Joni Mitchell** : Judgment of the Moon and Stars (Ludwig’s Tune) - a tribute to Beethoven _Condemned to wires and hammers, strike every chord that you feel that broken trees and elephant ivories conceal._ ---
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-beautiful-song-lyrics-but-no-love-songs-we-spit-on-love-songs/444182/103 "2008-04-16T18:36:52Z")
> [@](#): > > Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand. > Just like that river twisting through a dusty land. > And when she shines she really shows you all she can > Oh Rio Rio dance across the Rio Grande. Well, someone had to. > [@](#): > > I’ll never know, I’ll never know > Why I was taken from the line and all the others > To board a special train and journey deep into the heart of holy Russia > And it’s cold and damp in the transit camp, and the air is still and sullen > And the pale sun of October whispers the snow will soon be coming > And I wonder when I’ll be home again and the morning answers > “Never” > And the evening sighs and the steely Russian skies go on forever > [@](#): > > There are places i’ll remember > All my life though some have changed > Some forever not for better > Some have gone and some remain > All these places have their moments > With lovers and friends i still can recall > Some are dead and some are living > In my life i’ve loved them all ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-beautiful-song-lyrics-but-no-love-songs-we-spit-on-love-songs/444182/104 "2008-04-16T19:36:57Z")
Since I have two little girls, Tori Amos’ Song “Winter” utterly destroys me: > [@](#): > > I hear a voice: “You must learn to stand up > For yourself cause I can’t always be around.” > He says, “When you gonna make up your mind? > When you gonna love you as much as I do? > When you gonna make up your mind? > Cause things are gonna change so fast…” “Keep Me In Your Heart,” From Warren Zevon’s final album (before he died of lung cancer): > [@](#): > > Shadows are fallin’ and I’m runnin’ out of breath. > Keep me in your heart for a while. > If I leave you it doesn’t mean I love you any less. > Keep me in your heart for a while. “30Kft” by Assemblage 23, written as an answering machine message left by a man about to die in a plane crash, ends thus: > [@](#): > > I’m sorry most of all I won’t be there when you grow old > To be there by your side and keep you warm when you are cold > Excuse me but I think my time is drawing to a close > So I’ve one last thing to tell you now before I have to go > > I- > _static_ “Marian” by The Sisters of Mercy is likewise dark and gorgeous: > [@](#): > > In a sea of faces, in a sea of doubt > In this cruel place your voice above the maelstrom > In the wake of this ship of fools I’m falling further down > If you can see me, Marian, reach out and take me home “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda” by Eric Bogle (fantastic cover by the Pogues) is about surviving the disastrous Battle of Suvla (Gallipoli) in WWI: > [@](#): > > And as our ship pulled into Circular Quay, I looked at the place where me legs used to be, > And thank Christ there was nobody waiting for me, > to grieve, to mourn, and to pity. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-beautiful-song-lyrics-but-no-love-songs-we-spit-on-love-songs/444182/105 "2008-04-16T21:25:46Z")
[QUOTE=rayh] Well, someone had to. [/QUOTE] The restriction against love songs prevents the obvious addition… ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-beautiful-song-lyrics-but-no-love-songs-we-spit-on-love-songs/444182/106 "2008-04-17T03:56:27Z")
[Terry’s Song](http://brucespringsteen.net/songs/TerrysSong.html) by Springsteen - an elegy for his long time friend and producer. [Mama Look Sharp](http://www.allmusicals.com/lyrics/1776/mommalooksharp.htm) from the musical [1776](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1776_%28musical%29) - a great unknown anti war song from the Viet Nam era. [True Colors](http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/cyndi_lauper/true_colors.html) reminds me that my kids have a hard time moving through the world, and how beautiful they are despite it all. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-beautiful-song-lyrics-but-no-love-songs-we-spit-on-love-songs/444182/107 "2008-04-18T00:49:09Z")
The movie, Mr. Holland’s Opus ends with a song with words written by Julian Lennon which seems to be about his father: [Cole’s Song](http://www.heyjules.com/lyrics/colessong.html). If you wanna hear it go to youtube [here](http://youtube.com/watch?v=ls94R4AoK5E&feature=related) \*I feel that the love around me has come from another world I have lost love I have found love From the moment you were born I could see a new beginning… …I have lost you and now I’ve found you Let me feel your heart let me hear your song \* ---
**Author:** ![Hokkaido\_Brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d26b3c/32.png) [@Hokkaido\_Brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hokkaido_Brit)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-beautiful-song-lyrics-but-no-love-songs-we-spit-on-love-songs/444182/108 "2008-04-18T03:11:01Z")
I love Teru no Uta - it’s in Japanese from the Tales of Earthsea movie (Gedo Senki), and is done acappella. I have linked to a version which shows the Japanese lyrics translated - obviously its not great poetry in English but it’s really lovely in Japanese. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDmSTMftweU) This next link goes to Aoi Teshima singing the song in concert and it’s lovely… [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUSjLyZpBPo) The full lyrics in Japanese are in the blurb bit. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-beautiful-song-lyrics-but-no-love-songs-we-spit-on-love-songs/444182/109 "2008-04-18T15:43:19Z")
White Stripes, “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” _and every breath that is in your lungs is a tiny little gift to me_ Always liked that line, it speaks of the fraility of life and his adoration at the same time. Ok, I’m gonna go break stuff or somethin’… ---
**Author:** ![fervour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@fervour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fervour)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-beautiful-song-lyrics-but-no-love-songs-we-spit-on-love-songs/444182/110 "2008-04-18T17:09:03Z")
Plenty by the Indigo Girls. From Least Complicated: _What makes me think I could start clean slated The hardest to learn was the least complicated_ From Virginia Woolf: \*they published your diary and that’s how i got to know you key to the room of your own and a mind without end here’s a young girl on a kind of a telephone line through time the voice at the other end comes like a long-lost friend \* I’d like to quote Andy too but the entire song is beautiful. I wouldn’t know what to choose. Their activist songs are pretty good to \*The center holds, so they say. It never held too well for me. I won’t stop short for common ground that vilifies the trodden down. The center held the bonded slave for the sake of industry. The center held the bloody hand of the executioner man. It took a long time to become the thing I am to you. And you won’t tear it apart without a fight, without a heart. It took a long time to become you, become you. - -From Become You ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-beautiful-song-lyrics-but-no-love-songs-we-spit-on-love-songs/444182/111 "2008-06-10T19:24:11Z")
Our recent Memorial Day had me retrieving XTC’s **Mummer** for [“In Loving Memory of a Name”](http://chalkhills.org/reelbyreal/s_Memory.html). Though it’s inspired by Britain’s war dead, the sentiment is universal. Here’s a snippet: England can never repay you You gave your life to be buried alongside The place you loved The sermons attended when you were young Still echo 'round these churchyard walls [QUOTE=muzzynyc] Guy Garvey of Elbow writes some amazing lyrics. This from their first album “Asleep at the Back” from the song “Scattered Black & Whites”: [SNIP] [/QUOTE] Seconded. FYI, they’ve got a new one out, **The Seldom Seen Kid** , and it’s brilliant – a filler-free hour of stately, gorgeous orchestral pop. I can’t compare it to their earlier efforts (since I don’t have any of their earlier work), but this one turned me into a fan. And they have their own distinctive sound, although “An Audience With the Pope” sounds like it could be the best song **Pulp** never recorded. If I had to find fault, it’d be with the predominance of slow- and mid-tempos, with a decided emphasis on the former. (It doesn’t really bother me now, but I’m not really young anymore.) If only to broaden their radio appeal, they should try to produce a few more numbers that really rock out on each album, without sacrificing lyricism, cleverness or beauty. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-beautiful-song-lyrics-but-no-love-songs-we-spit-on-love-songs/444182/112 "2008-06-10T23:50:43Z")
Pink Floyd (well, Roger Waters, anyways…) [The Gunner’s Dream](http://www.pink-floyd-lyrics.com/html/the-gunner-dream-final-lyrics.html): \*A place to stay “Oi! A real one …” Enough to eat Somewhere old heroes shuffle safely down the street Where you can speak out loud About your doubts and fears And what’s more no-one ever disappears You never hear their standard issue kicking in your door. You can relax on both sides of the tracks And maniacs don’t blow holes in bandsmen by remote control And everyone has recourse to the law And no-one kills the children anymore. And no one kills the children anymore. \* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-beautiful-song-lyrics-but-no-love-songs-we-spit-on-love-songs/444182.md?page=5)