What band/artist's lyrics can you relate to the most?

Discussion in 'Music genres, Bands and Artists' started by Autechra, Mar 15, 2012.

  1. Lately I've been doing some serious reflection on the meaning of a lot of my music. Through my teens I listened to music just for the music, but these days I look much deeper into it- the meaning of the lyrics, and how they synchronise with the music to create a work of art that expresses some sort of social or philosophical insight.

    Smoking weed certainly aids in this kind of appreciation, and I've found since experimenting with psychedelics recently that I take in songs/albums as wholes rather than entirely focusing on individual rhythms, riffs, melodies as I used to. But taking it as these wholes enhances the details, too.

    For me it would have to be Black Sabbath. No other lyricist sums up many of the phases I've gone through in life, the experiences I've had, the insights I've had into the human condition, more simply, adequately and incredibly than the lyrics of Geezer Butler. Sure, there are better lyricists- in terms of technique and wordplay, Jeff Walker of Carcass is right up there, and Chuck Schuldiner of Death writes more insightful lyrics. But I feel the catalogue of Sabbath, at least 70's Sabbath when Butler wrote the lyrics, puts my life experiences into the simplest and most relatable terms.

    'Paranoid' so perfectly describes how I feel when I've been isolated for too long, it feels like Geezer knew me personally when writing the lyrics, so similar are they to the mindset I often find myself in. 'All day long I think of things but nothing seems to satisfy, think I'll lose my mind if I don't find something to pacify'. Fucking hell, nail on the head. I cannot relate to any song in the world moreso than 'Wheels of Confusion', it describes the process I've gone through since childhood to a T and combines this with music that fits those emotions and experiences so perfectly- it helps that it's some of the best music ever written.

    All the songs about bigger issues too- war, peace, drug use- are always in line with my beliefs regarding the topic (except the earlier Christian stuff like 'After Forever') Listening to a good Black Sabbath epic- be it 'War Pigs', 'Wheels of Confusion', 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath'- is an extremely powerful, almost spiritual experience for me, aided by the always relatable lyrics. And they were stoners/trippers, so it's great music to smoke to.

    I may appear biased towards metal in this post, but understand that less than half of my massive collection is metal. The highest quality of said collection just happens to be 90% metal- if there were a better quality genre out there, then I would prefer it, but there just isn't imo. Many albums which I consider masterpieces are very soft, such as The Beach Boy's 'Pet Sounds', what I consider to be the first masterpiece in modern music history.

    How about you, Music Hall?
     


  2. One of my very favourite bands. I can strongly relate to the naturalist themes, perfectly describe my own spiritual attachment to nature together with the incredibly emotional music. Songs like 'I Am the Wooden Doors' are also great motivational tracks for me. 'It is this grandeur that protects the spirit within, from the plight of this broken world'. So beautiful.

    Pale Folklore is one of the few albums I would rate 10/10, out of a collection of thousands. Especially incredible given it's their debut, most bands don't reach their peak for a few albums.
     
  3. At the risk of getting flamed by the OP and whatnot because they had more intricate relationships with their personal bands, I really have to say I find myself identifying strongly with KiD CuDi.
    not just because he's a stoner from another planet, but because he's got a lot of more personal songs, particularly off of Man On the Moon II Legend of My Rager.
    Songs like "Trapped in my Mind" and "GHOST!" resonate strongly with me because of his lyrics on a mental affliction.
    "Soundtrack 2 my Life" and "Pursuit of Happiness" off Man On the Moon The End of Day are superbly relatable as well.
    I'm sure many people feel this way but I enjoy having this feeling of a connection between myself and the artist.
     
  4. radiohead, without a doubt.
     
  5. eyedea and abilities
     
  6. pale folklore was a historical piece of music. but
    i gotta say personally ashes against the grain takes the cake for their best work.
    the mantle is their most mature album. also a VERY good album/
    the latest album is ok, but its alot heavier, more black metalesque type things
    especially inthe drums/guitar
     
  7. Don't worry man, I would never 'flame' someone for their taste in music, unless they listened to music at a really superficial level and didn't consider why they liked it in any way. You could feel a personal connection to Lady Gaga for all I care, I'd support you all the way, as long as that connection runs deeper than what's better to dance to. A personal connection to music is just that- personal- not for me or anyone else to judge, provided it is a true connection.

    I was really into Ashes through my teens, but I must say that was almost entirely based on the music. I still like it but kind of burned myself out on it haha, I listened to it so much. I didn't actually listen to Pale Folklore until after I had been listening to 'The Mantle' and 'Ashes' for a couple of years, but it blew me away. Every song is so perfect- 'Hallways of Enchanted Ebony' in particular is one of my top 10 favourite tracks of all time. (Important to note that 'In the Shadow of our Pale Companion' is as well... a testament to how much I love Agalloch) The emotion charged into it... ugh. Haughm is such a master of heart-wrenching melody.

    Also because its arrangements are quite simple compared to the multi-layered arrangements of 'The Mantle' and 'Ashes', it's very easy to learn and play on guitar. The simplicity of it just makes it more impressive to me, how they can convey such strong emotion with such few chords and notes and with a fairly consistent style of playing through the album, unlike the others which are quite experimental.

    The latest is alright, truth be told I've only given it a couple of listens. I love 'The Watcher's Monolith', esp. because the melodies remind me of Pale Folklore, but none of the other tracks have stood out to me as yet.
     
  8. agalloch just gives me that feeling of dropping on my knees, raising my arms to sky, and just screaming a shrewd harsh scream. or falling from a cliff on my back into a river and not minding any bit of it, just letting go.
    but i cant also help but appreciate the talent the have musically. i mean, theyr from fucking oregon america...
    not much metal from the united states sounds as good as them
     
  9. Eminems old stuff none of his new garbage......
     
  10. Zeppelin/Beatles ...takes me to another galaxy that I never, ever want to leave. It makes me wonder how humans can create such beautiful music.
     
  11. soundgarden, i love their music
    [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1vBPvektSE]Soundgarden - Fell On Black Days [Studio Version] - YouTube[/ame]
     
  12. this
    [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw8zP_Xb8KQ]Agalloch - She Painted Fire Across the Skyline Pt. 3 - YouTube[/ame]
     
  13. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agjf_QK4I9o]Dystopia-Stress Builds Character - YouTube[/ame]
    mostly
     
  14. Blink-182, because I grew up with their music
     
  15. For me I listen to music mostly just to relax, chill, and ease my mind I have to listen to music that is softer on my mind. There's really not much I can relate too, my life is learning, chill , getting into that next dimension, and comedy. So honestly the only music I can say I truly relate too is music about paper chasing lol because that's basically what the next 8 or so years of my life will be. But I like all kinds, although growing up around metal heads ruined any taste I may have had for the genre at least for now simply because the noise was all around me when I didn't want it to be for so long it was a huge cause of mental stress for me.

    As you can see in my sig though I love Owl City, simply for the complexity of some of the songs and the way the music can really have you putting yourself into it.

    I know it's a little off topic since I don't have that artist/song that 100% can relate to me, but I'm just trying to explain how I'm kind of odd from a lot of people, I don't party or do relationships so it throws out a lot of the typical emotions or things in life a lot of people go through & nothing at least for now is really rough for me so I can't relate to many songs, I'm always chilled out and happy lol. But I wasn't always in this stage of my life so I know how it is when a song relates 100% to you.
     
  16. I love the song, but I never fully understood the lyrics. From what I can gather, it's a nature appreciation song, 'she' representing nature, 'painting fire' his passion for 'her' and the 'skyline' his spirit. The metaphors etc. used in the lyrics seem to match up woth that analysis. Am I close to the mark there?
     

Share This Page