From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V13 #509 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Friday, June 6 2008 Volume 13 : Number 509 To unsubscribe: e-mail ecto-digest-request@smoe.org and put the word unsubscribe in the message body. Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Tori Amos is now independent [andrew fries ] requesting suggestions for songs with good lyrics ["Jill Hughes" ] Re: requesting suggestions for songs with good lyrics [Gregory Bossert Subject: Re: Tori Amos is now independent morayati@email.unc.edu wrote: > http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/arts/04arts-TORIAMOSDROP_BRF.html?ref=arts > > > Who *didn't* see this coming years ago? Years ago I *was* indeed hoping she'd do it. But now it's a little too late - I don't think I care all that much any more. I mean, obviously it's a positive move and more power to her! It's just that her music doesn't mean to me what it once did... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 13:09:14 -0400 From: "Jill Hughes" Subject: requesting suggestions for songs with good lyrics Although I prefer listening to the music and instrumentation of a song rather than the lyrics, my new beau prefers lyrics. I want to make a mix CD of such songs for him but don't really know where to start, so I'm asking my fellow ecto-philes for assistance. He has fairly broad taste in music and among his favorite songs are Kirsty MacColl's "In These Shoes" and anything by Leonard Cohen. I guess he likes amusing lyrics, maybe some sensitive-type lyrics, and I don't know what else. I know this isn't particularly helpful, but can anyone tell me some of your favorite lyrical tunes? Thanks! Jill :D ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:28:10 -0700 From: Bowen Simmons Subject: Re: requesting suggestions for songs with good lyrics Hard to pick individual songs. For great sensitive / funny lyrics, I'd just go with more big heaping scoopfuls of Kirsty MacColl, like say "From Croydon To Cuba: An Anthology". For still funny, but quite a bit darker and less sensitive, I'd go with "The Beautiful South". Oh, and if he likes Leonard Cohen, Jennifer Warnes' LC cover album, "Famous Blue Raincoat" is a must, assuming you don't have it yet. Dar Williams can sometimes by a little hippy/dippy, but I've come to really like her lyrics as well. For a more broadly comic turn, try Domestic Science Club; "Kayaking", can still bring a big grin to my face after dozens of hearings. Bowen On Jun 5, 2008, at 10:09 AM, Jill Hughes wrote: > Although I prefer listening to the music and instrumentation of a song > rather than the lyrics, my new beau prefers lyrics. I want to make a > mix CD > of such songs for him but don't really know where to start, so I'm > asking my > fellow ecto-philes for assistance. He has fairly broad taste in > music and > among his favorite songs are Kirsty MacColl's "In These Shoes" and > anything > by Leonard Cohen. I guess he likes amusing lyrics, maybe some > sensitive-type > lyrics, and I don't know what else. > > I know this isn't particularly helpful, but can anyone tell me some > of your > favorite lyrical tunes? > > Thanks! > > Jill :D ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 14:37:11 -0400 From: "Jill Hughes" Subject: Re: requesting suggestions for songs with good lyrics That's a good start, Jeff -- thanks! I'd forgotten that my beau had sent me the lyrics to "When I Was a Boy" when we first started dating, so Dar Williams is another artist whose lyrics he enjoys. And I was sure some of Jane Siberry's songs should be included -- I just needed a little direction. More suggestions welcome! Jill :D On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 2:33 PM, wrote: > Interesting topic--not sure I've ever thought much about what songs > have my favorite lyrics but, now that I have--some of the things that > first come to mind... > > Kirsty MacColl's "Can't Stop Killing You" > Dar WIlliams - "When I Was a Boy" & "Mortal City" > Jane SIberry - "Love is Everything" > many of Tom McRae's songs > Happy Rhodes - Warpaint > Veda Hille - "Precious Heart" > Holly COle's version of Tom Wait's "The Briar and the Rose" > WIll have to think of this some more > > > -------------- Original message from "Jill Hughes" : > -------------- > > > > Although I prefer listening to the music and instrumentation of a song > > rather than the lyrics, my new beau prefers lyrics. I want to make a mix > CD > > of such songs for him but don't really know where to start, so I'm asking > my > > fellow ecto-philes for assistance. He has fairly broad taste in music and > > > among his favorite songs are Kirsty MacColl's "In These Shoes" and > anything > > by Leonard Cohen. I guess he likes amusing lyrics, maybe some > sensitive-type > > lyrics, and I don't know what else. > > > > I know this isn't particularly helpful, but can anyone tell me some of > your > > favorite lyrical tunes? > > > > Thanks! > > > > Jill :D ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:33:28 +0000 From: jjhanson@att.net Subject: Re: requesting suggestions for songs with good lyrics Interesting topic--not sure I've ever thought much about what songs have my favorite lyrics but, now that I have--some of the things that first come to mind... Kirsty MacColl's "Can't Stop Killing You" Dar WIlliams - "When I Was a Boy" & "Mortal City" Jane SIberry - "Love is Everything" many of Tom McRae's songs Happy Rhodes - Warpaint Veda Hille - "Precious Heart" Holly COle's version of Tom Wait's "The Briar and the Rose" WIll have to think of this some more - -------------- Original message from "Jill Hughes" : -------------- > Although I prefer listening to the music and instrumentation of a song > rather than the lyrics, my new beau prefers lyrics. I want to make a mix CD > of such songs for him but don't really know where to start, so I'm asking my > fellow ecto-philes for assistance. He has fairly broad taste in music and > among his favorite songs are Kirsty MacColl's "In These Shoes" and anything > by Leonard Cohen. I guess he likes amusing lyrics, maybe some sensitive-type > lyrics, and I don't know what else. > > I know this isn't particularly helpful, but can anyone tell me some of your > favorite lyrical tunes? > > Thanks! > > Jill :D ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:40:44 +0000 From: jjhanson@att.net Subject: Re: requesting suggestions for songs with good lyrics Also, for humorous yet sensitive lyrics, many of New Orleans inspired, piano pounding, Randy Newman sound-alike Bob Malone has some great lyrics-- things like "I Know that He's Your Husband but Does He Know That I'm Your Man?" His album, Bob Malone, ALone, is a good introduction--a live concert recording with good humorous banter in between songs. Another good songwriter, who can be hilarious between songs (but doesn't write as funny songs) is Candian singer-songwriter Jann Arden--the stories on her Live with the Vancouver Symphony album are hilarious. So are many of her blog posts (www.jannarden.com) Jeff - -------------- Original message from "Jill Hughes" : -------------- > Although I prefer listening to the music and instrumentation of a song > rather than the lyrics, my new beau prefers lyrics. I want to make a mix CD > of such songs for him but don't really know where to start, so I'm asking my > fellow ecto-philes for assistance. He has fairly broad taste in music and > among his favorite songs are Kirsty MacColl's "In These Shoes" and anything > by Leonard Cohen. I guess he likes amusing lyrics, maybe some sensitive-type > lyrics, and I don't know what else. > > I know this isn't particularly helpful, but can anyone tell me some of your > favorite lyrical tunes? > > Thanks! > > Jill :D ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:46:51 -0500 From: Timothy Jones-Yelvington Subject: Re: Tori Amos is now independent No more billion dollar photo shoots? What ever shall I pin to my bulletin board when I grow tired of my American Doll Posse postcards? :-P Sorry, can't resist the snark here. Although I still appreciate her music and (some of) her politics, there is something a bit disingenuous about her as well. Ultimately, it's probably a good move. On 6/4/08 7:20 PM, "morayati@email.unc.edu" wrote: > http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/arts/04arts-TORIAMOSDROP_BRF.html?ref=arts > > Who *didn't* see this coming years ago? I'm really curious to > whether/how this will affect her music. > > -Sarah > > np: Kristeen Young, "Before" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 14:56:54 -0400 From: "Jill Hughes" Subject: Re: requesting suggestions for songs with good lyrics Thanks for your suggestions, Tim ;-) So far I have most of the songs suggested by you and Jeff on CD and will check them out. Jill :D On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 2:53 PM, Timothy Jones-Yelvington < timjy@sbcglobal.net> wrote: > I've been kind of like you for the past several years... More attracted to > composition than text. But... Off the top of my head, I would say- > > Every Little Bit - Patty Griffin > School Night - Ani DiFranco > Oedipus - Regina Spektor > Because the Night - Patti Smith > Rear View Mirror - Patty Larkin > Cloudbusting - Kate Bush (once you explain what it's about) > > I must have a thing for lyrics by people named patti. > > tim ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:53:36 -0500 From: Timothy Jones-Yelvington Subject: Re: requesting suggestions for songs with good lyrics I've been kind of like you for the past several years... More attracted to composition than text. But... Off the top of my head, I would say- Every Little Bit - Patty Griffin School Night - Ani DiFranco Oedipus - Regina Spektor Because the Night - Patti Smith Rear View Mirror - Patty Larkin Cloudbusting - Kate Bush (once you explain what it's about) I must have a thing for lyrics by people named patti. tim On 6/5/08 1:33 PM, "jjhanson@att.net" wrote: > Interesting topic--not sure I've ever thought much about what songs > have my favorite lyrics but, now that I have--some of the things that > first come to mind... > > Kirsty MacColl's "Can't Stop Killing You" > Dar WIlliams - "When I Was a Boy" & "Mortal City" > Jane SIberry - "Love is Everything" > many of Tom McRae's songs > Happy Rhodes - Warpaint > Veda Hille - "Precious Heart" > Holly COle's version of Tom Wait's "The Briar and the Rose" > WIll have to think of this some more > > -------------- Original message from "Jill Hughes" : > -------------- > > >> Although I prefer listening to the music and instrumentation of a song >> rather than the lyrics, my new beau prefers lyrics. I want to make a mix CD >> of such songs for him but don't really know where to start, so I'm asking my >> fellow ecto-philes for assistance. He has fairly broad taste in music and >> among his favorite songs are Kirsty MacColl's "In These Shoes" and anything >> by Leonard Cohen. I guess he likes amusing lyrics, maybe some sensitive-type >> lyrics, and I don't know what else. >> >> I know this isn't particularly helpful, but can anyone tell me some of your >> favorite lyrical tunes? >> >> Thanks! >> >> Jill :D ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 14:29:01 -0500 From: "Jon Wesley Huff" Subject: Re: Tori Amos is now independent Oh, I'm sure she has enough money to fuel another 100 photo sessions for her various other personas. On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 1:46 PM, Timothy Jones-Yelvington < timjy@sbcglobal.net> wrote: > No more billion dollar photo shoots? What ever shall I pin to my bulletin > board when I grow tired of my American Doll Posse postcards? :-P > > Sorry, can't resist the snark here. Although I still appreciate her music > and (some of) her politics, there is something a bit disingenuous about her > as well. > > Ultimately, it's probably a good move. > > > On 6/4/08 7:20 PM, "morayati@email.unc.edu" > wrote: > > > > http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/arts/04arts-TORIAMOSDROP_BRF.html?ref=arts > > > > Who *didn't* see this coming years ago? I'm really curious to > > whether/how this will affect her music. > > > > -Sarah > > > > np: Kristeen Young, "Before" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 17:34:56 -0500 From: "Paul Jensen" Subject: Re: requesting suggestions for songs with good lyrics Sufjan Stevens writes some amazing songs.. "Come On Feel the Illinoise", "Seven Swans" and "The Avalanche" all offer up some incredible lyrics. Paul - -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "This is the time. And this is the record of the time." - -Laurie Anderson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 16:04:13 -0700 From: "Bill Mazur" Subject: RE: requesting suggestions for songs with good lyrics I am attracted first to the mood the music conveys and then later the lyrics start to sink in. That is especially the case when the lyrics are well crafted and convey a strong emotional message. My suggestions reflect songs where the music and the lyrics really have equally touched me in some way. Most of these suggestions are more on the sensitive or poignant side lyrically. Happy Rhodes - Temporary and Eternal Happy Rhodes - Save Our Souls Happy Rhodes - Just Like Tivoli Happy Rhodes - The Chariot Kate Bush - The Man with the Child in His Eyes Kate Bush - Suspended in Gaffa Kate Bush - Little Earth Kate Bush - This Women's Work Sandy Denny - Banks of the Nile Sandy Denny - Late November Tori Amos - Winter Tori Amos - God Joni Mitchell - Amelia Joni Mitchell - Woodstock Sarah McLachlan - Hold On Sarah McLachlan - Possession Sarah McLachlan - Fear Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling Towards Ecstasy Noe Venable - Ice Dragons Land of the Blind - Mother Peter Gabriel - Here Comes the Flood Peter Gabriel - Mercy Street Peter Gabriel - Sky Blue Peter Gabriel - Red Rain Tim Buckley - Morning Glory Tim Buckley - Song To The Siren Jeff Buckley - Grace Jeff Buckley - Eternal Life Jeff Buckley - New Year's Prayer Nick Drake - Northern Lights Nick Drake - Way to Blue Yes - Onward Yes - Turn of the Century Queen - The Show Must Go On Moody Blues - My Song Moody Blues - You Can Never Go Home King Crimson - Epitaph King Crimson - I Talk to the Wind The Who - Love Reign O'er Me The Beatles - A Day in the Life The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever The Beatles - The Fool on the Hill John Lennon - Imagine I could go on for awhile. I will stop for now. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-ecto@smoe.org [mailto:owner-ecto@smoe.org] On Behalf Of Jill Hughes Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 10:09 AM To: ecto@smoe.org Subject: requesting suggestions for songs with good lyrics Although I prefer listening to the music and instrumentation of a song rather than the lyrics, my new beau prefers lyrics. I want to make a mix CD of such songs for him but don't really know where to start, so I'm asking my fellow ecto-philes for assistance. He has fairly broad taste in music and among his favorite songs are Kirsty MacColl's "In These Shoes" and anything by Leonard Cohen. I guess he likes amusing lyrics, maybe some sensitive-type lyrics, and I don't know what else. I know this isn't particularly helpful, but can anyone tell me some of your favorite lyrical tunes? Thanks! Jill :D ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:45:33 -0400 From: gaseous clay Subject: Re: Tori Amos is now independent one time at band camp, morayati@email.unc.edu said: > I'm really curious to whether/how this will affect her music. i doubt it will much, if at all. tori already was pretty independant artistically and, "sleeps with butterflies" nonwithstanding, i doubt epic pressured her much to produce a hit single or whatever since it probably would not make much of a difference in commercial terms. better for them to let the artist do what she does and sell a couple/few hundred thousand units to the existing fanbase who buy everything she does (i guess i'm still in that camp so i can throw stones!). woj ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 18:00:11 -0700 From: Gregory Bossert Subject: Re: requesting suggestions for songs with good lyrics i've enjoyed all of the suggestions -- Bill, that was a great list. i'd add more Happy: Waking Up ("I have never been afraid to change the circumstances of the world"), Warpaint, Word's Weren't made for Cowards, um, Wretches Gone Awry, Temporary and Eternal, erm, this is off the top of my head, but that's a start. and in a rather different way, one of my favorite lyricists, ecto or not, is Aimee Mann. i think she is misinterpreted by a lot of folks, who take her lyrics as confessional and morose. i find her sly, clever, and insightful, self-aware but not as self-absorbed as the "average" soul-baring singer-songwriter. and i think almost all of her songs have a created persona behind them, which makes them little puzzles. this was explicit, of course, on "The Forgotten Arm" but has been there since her 'Til Tuesday days. she also has a knack for meter, rhyme, and word choice that reminds me of the best of, say, Elvis Costello or even Cole Porter. I'm not sure where to start recommending particular songs, lessee, "Fifty years After the Fair", "Stupid Thing", "Long Shot" (for the devastating twist at the end), "Frankenstein", "Fall of the World's Own Optimist", um, "Jacob Marley's Chain". etc. eh, the old brain ain't what it was, but you get the idea... 'tah - -g - -- www.suddensound.com -- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 22:45:17 -0400 From: "Paul Blair" Subject: Re: requesting suggestions for songs with good lyrics For lyrics, I'm particularly attached to Cowboy Junkies. Say Bea's Song Anniversary Song Cause Cheap Is How I Feel Ring on the Sill Summer of Discontent to name a few. On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 1:09 PM, Jill Hughes wrote: > Although I prefer listening to the music and instrumentation of a song > rather than the lyrics, my new beau prefers lyrics. I want to make a mix CD > of such songs for him but don't really know where to start, so I'm asking my > fellow ecto-philes for assistance. He has fairly broad taste in music and > among his favorite songs are Kirsty MacColl's "In These Shoes" and anything > by Leonard Cohen. I guess he likes amusing lyrics, maybe some sensitive-type > lyrics, and I don't know what else. > > I know this isn't particularly helpful, but can anyone tell me some of your > favorite lyrical tunes? > > Thanks! > > Jill :D ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V13 #509 ***************************