Show Me Your Soul – Red Hot Chili Peppers
The lyrics to this song are self-explanatory. Simply, wanting to get to know a person beyond the surface, which is something I crave in friendships and in any sort of close relationship I have. But I just like this song! I dig the heavy bass and the funkiness of the song. I’m a sucker for heavy bass.
Man-Size – PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey’s songs are complex and can be interpreted in several different ways. Which I love. I mean, as an artist, once I complete an artwork and put it out there in the world, it’s no longer just mine and other’s opinions and views have great significance.
For me Man-Size is about having power and owning it. This song makes many references to men, sexuality and power:
Handsome got my leather boots on
Got my girl and she’s a wow
Good Lord I’m big
There are times where I’ve felt this way and, dear God, it feels great.
Help Me Mary – Liz Phair
Help Me Mary is from Exile in Guyville. In Liz’s own words:
The Rolling Stones’ “Rip This Joint” was the corresponding song to this one. [Their song] was all about sort of the attitude of these rock guys that would just kind of roll into town, create trouble, sleep with other people’s girlfriends and leave a big mess behind. I was writing about my own experiences hosting [laughs] these spontaneous gatherings of rock dudes and how just hidden my real self was in that male scene. There weren’t that many women in the scene and, like, everybody either was like a girlfriend or a den mother.
Liz Phair – Rolling Stone, May 208
While I can’t say I’ve ever hosted “spontaneous gatherings of rock dudes” during my years earning my 2nd BA degree, I hung out with a group of friends that were mostly guys. My friends were great and for a time we were all pretty close, but there still was the element where I hid a lot of myself for fear of being mad fun of. It wasn’t anything malicious on their part, just in that they were treating me as one of the guys…and apparently it was pretty funny to get me all riled up.
They make rude remarks about me
They wonder just how wild I would be
As they egg me on and keep me mad
They play me like a pit bull in a basement,
For me Exile in Guyville is one of the greatest albums I’ve ever heard. At the time I was a young 20-something woman and what she sang about was so relatable to my life and my relationships. A defining album for a defining moment in my life.
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp – Led Zeppelin
This song was named after the cottage in which they retreated to write their songs for their upcoming album. The song however is about Robert Plant’s dog, Strider, and how much he loves his dog and how he will always take care of his faithful friend.
I just love the feel of this song. Its folksy, but delivered with this heavy edge you might find in a heavy metal song, and yet, it’s this sweet little song about man’s best friend. Its a little gem and quite a fun little surprise, and I like surprises.
Nothing, Not Nearly – Laura Marling
I confess, I’m quite new to Laura Marling’s music, but better late to the party than never they say. I feel that this song is about the enduring power of love. There are hints of nostalgia and being grateful for the memory, even if didn’t last. This is something I’ve been trying to come to terms with myself.
Even though this song was written and release well after one of my memories when I first heard it I thought of a distant night, sitting around the “midnight embers”. There was quite a strong connection I had with a guy I had just met and there was this moment as we were leaving where I looked behind me, into his eyes and I felt…all these possibilities. I know that I wasn’t alone in feeling this because of the things that happened next. Sadly though things just didn’t pan out for various reasons and he got “lost in a river stream” (Not literally folks). While its kind of sad, I’m glad that at least I had that moment.
Yesterday's Tomorrow Today 