# Lines in a song that anchor it or cause it to turn a corner for you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [November 15, 2023, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lines-in-a-song-that-anchor-it-or-cause-it-to-turn-a-corner-for-you/993205 "2023-11-15T19:50:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lines-in-a-song-that-anchor-it-or-cause-it-to-turn-a-corner-for-you/993205/21 "2023-11-17T17:42:30Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Parchman Farm by Mose Allison. I first heard of Mose Allison on the cool Greg Brown song, [Mose Allison Played Here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A7eSdofBJ0) Parchman Farm is sort of unique in blues song among that it modulates. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lines-in-a-song-that-anchor-it-or-cause-it-to-turn-a-corner-for-you/993205/22 "2023-11-17T18:01:29Z")
Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”: _Well, maybe there’s a God above_ _As for me all I’ve ever learned from love_ _Is how to shoot somebody who outdrew you_ _But it’s not a crime that you’re hear tonight_ _It’s not some pilgrim who claims to have seen the Light_ _No, it’s a cold and it’s a very broken Hallelujah_ Also, Pink Floyd’s “Time”: _And then one day you find_ _Ten years have got behind you_ _No one told you when to run_ _You missed the starting gun_ ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lines-in-a-song-that-anchor-it-or-cause-it-to-turn-a-corner-for-you/993205/23 "2023-11-17T19:14:01Z")
Dar Williams’s _The Babysitter’s Here_ tells the story of the title character through the eyes of the girl she’s sitting for. Naturally, the narrator is not quite as perceptive as the audience. The first verse is about how cool the babysitter is, and the second verse starts to talk about her wonderful love life: > Her boyfriend is Tom but we call him the king of romance, > He wears an American flag on the butt of his ripped up pants, > Will they get married, with kids of their own? > He says “not if she’s going to college she won’t” _WHAT?_ and for the refrain and the bridge the audience sees things very differently from the narrator, who does grow up a little herself in the final verse, and manages to deal with her loss: > And I’ll make you a picture for college next year’ ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lines-in-a-song-that-anchor-it-or-cause-it-to-turn-a-corner-for-you/993205/24 "2023-11-17T22:47:12Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > _And then one day you find_ > _Ten years have got behind you_ > _No one told you when to run_ > _You missed the starting gun_ Good one. Poignant song. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lines-in-a-song-that-anchor-it-or-cause-it-to-turn-a-corner-for-you/993205/25 "2023-11-17T22:57:05Z")
I almost posted this in the great lyrics thread, but then I realized it fit here. Cake, Comfort Eagle A dystopian song about corporatization. Lots of fun, right? _We are building a religion_ _We are building it bigger_ _We are widening the corridors_ _And adding more lanes_ _We are building a religion_ _A limited edition_ _We are now accepting callers_ _For these pendant key chains_ It’s funny! But vaguely sinister. And then the final verse just twists the blade: _There’s no need to ask directions_ _If you ever lose your mind_ _We’re behind you_ _We’re behind you_ _And let us please remind you_ _We can send a car to find you_ _If you ever lose your way_ This was before the attention economy and the commodification of user data really kicked in. Actually kind of prophetic if you think about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lines-in-a-song-that-anchor-it-or-cause-it-to-turn-a-corner-for-you/993205.md?page=1)