MetaChat - Lyric-specific music suggestions?

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07 December 2006

Lyric-specific music suggestions? Looking for separate songs that might speak to: →[More:]

* Accumulating wealth and status and other 20-something stereotypical concerns

* Having children or finding meaning in other creative pursuits

* Failing to find meaning in any creative pursuit, family, or in life in general

post by: occhiblu at: 12:35 | 24 comments

nothing for the first one, "peaches and cream" by the john butler trio for the second, and pretty much ANY elliott smith song for the last one.

posted by dno 07 December | 12:48

* Accumulating wealth and status and other 20-something stereotypical concerns

"Well-Respected Man" Kinks, "Nowhere Man," Beatles, "Levon" Elton John, "Big Time" Peter Gabriel.

* Having children or finding meaning in other creative pursuits

"Our House" CSNY. and oddly "Nobody But Me" by the Human Beinz ("I got a thing I do, ain't nobody do it but me.." good explication of the joys of creativity, and you can dance to it to).

* Failing to find meaning in any creative pursuit, family, or in life in general

John Hiatt's "Buffalo River Home" James McMurtry's "Where's Johnny"

posted by jonmc 07 December | 12:58

Ooh, I think I have a good one. mp3, lyrics.

posted by Wolfdog 07 December | 13:15

Are we doing your homework?

posted by Wolfdog 07 December | 13:21

* Failing to find meaning in any creative pursuit, family, or in life in general
Maybe "Death or Glory" by The Clash
and, ha, "I Can't Get Behind That" by William Shatner and Henry Rollins.

posted by Hellbient 07 December | 13:21

#1 - "Blue Collar Man" Styx, "Beverly Hills" Weezer
#2 - "Beginning of a Great Adventure" Lou Reed, "Danny's Song" Loggins & Messina
#3 - "Free Man In Paris" Joni Mitchell

posted by rocket88 07 December | 13:22

(If it helps, I'm trying to hit Erikson's life stages, so the ones I'm missing or unhappy with are Identity Formation, Generativity, and Stagnation.)

Heh, yes, you're doing my homework, in the sense of giving me "reading" to do. I still have to go through and pick the one song I want for each of these categories.

My music collection is just extremely deficient in much other than love or break-up songs (which means I've got the "isolation" and "intimacy" stages covered).

posted by occhiblu 07 December | 13:23

Stagnation.

Oooh, I got a great one for that. "On The Couch." Either the Fastbacks version or the Supersuckers' original.

Any song with the lyric "Remote control is in my hand again, I can change the channel but I can't change what I am.." captures stagnation perfectly, no?

posted by jonmc 07 December | 13:27

Stagnation
How about Rush's Middletown Dreams?

posted by Wolfdog 07 December | 13:30

#1 - "I Wanna Be Rich" - Calloway, "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)" - Pet Shop Boys

posted by sisterhavana 07 December | 13:35

Gamma Ray, Rich & Famous.

posted by Wolfdog 07 December | 13:40

Also, "Money Money Money" by Abba.

posted by sisterhavana 07 December | 13:42

For #3: Would the song "Nothing" from A Chorus Line work?

posted by sisterhavana 07 December | 13:54

Wolfdog, the last two lines of that one made me laugh.

posted by occhiblu 07 December | 13:54

sisterhavana, I'm looking more for midlife stagnation for that one, songs more about life passing you by and not finding any meaning in getting older. "Nowhere Man" was definitely the first one that jumped into my head; it seems like such a barren possibility for life that I can understand why little else might be written about it.

I had forgotten about the Pet Shop Boys, though. I actually had thought of "Opportunities" or "You Pay My Rent" for #1, and then they slipped my mind.

posted by occhiblu 07 December | 13:59

* Having children or finding meaning in other creative pursuits

"Show Me" by the Pretenders. I always thought it was obviously about having a kid, but others have disagreed with me.

posted by jrossi4r 07 December | 14:08

songs more about life passing you by and not finding any meaning in getting older.

Seeger's "Like A Rock" is about this...or selling trucks - I can't remember.

posted by rocket88 07 December | 14:30

(or Seger)

posted by rocket88 07 December | 14:32

(or Seger)

posted by rocket88 07 December | 14:32

"Show Me" by the Pretenders. I always thought it was obviously about having a kid, but others have disagreed with me.

"Kid" by the Pretenders is even more explicitly about this subject.

posted by jonmc 07 December | 14:42

I don't know "Show Me," but the lyrics are just about perfect. What a pretty song.

posted by occhiblu 07 December | 14:46

i was going to suggest paul anka's "(you're) having my baby" but i started to throw up in my mouth a little bit...

posted by syntax 07 December | 15:19

Last one: "Is That All There Is," maybe the version on the Polly Jean Harvey and John Parish album.

posted by box 07 December | 16:40

Ah hell, just dig out your copy of Learning to Crawl and yer all set:

* Accumulating wealth and status and other 20-something stereotypical concerns: Middle of the Road

* Having children or finding meaning in other creative pursuits: The aformentioned Show Me

* Failing to find meaning in any creative pursuit, family, or in life in general: Watching the Clothes Go Round

posted by hangashore 07 December | 18:55

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