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Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 2:33 pm
by E.H. Ruddock
AhhhhhhahhhhhhhAHHHHHHHHHHH

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 2:49 pm
by Jorge
stip wrote:tidal waves dont beg forgiveness/crash then on their way
I do not like this. The second line omits key words to fit the meter. It's awkward.

So much of what I admire about lyrics is when songwriters find a poetic, evocative way to state an idea while flowing effortlessly into the melody line. Ed doesn't really excel at that, IMO. But he is good at matching big powerful statements with surging musical moments, like "If I knew where it was, I would take you there". That's not an opening line, though

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 2:51 pm
by Jorge
"The waiting drove me mad, you're finally here and I'm a mess" is a really good one

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 3:46 pm
by stip
Matters wrote:
knee tunes wrote:
stip wrote:while they are simple lyrics I’ve always loved ‘so she said/have I got a little story for you’. i love how it feels like it could go anywhere- that may be eddie’ delivery though
I always thought it was "son, she said...."
It’s “son, she said” at least according to the album notes.
it is - typo

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 5:24 pm
by epilogue
stip wrote:tidal waves dont beg forgiveness/crash then on their way
These lyrics themselves don't do much for me. It's all about the melody and the delivery

Like if Ed sang ”Donald Trump is grabbin pussy/Courtney Love is great" to that melody with the same vocal delivery I'd still think it was amazing and still get the song stuck in my head.

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 6:01 pm
by Ms Harmless
durdencommatyler wrote:
stip wrote:tidal waves dont beg forgiveness/crash then on their way
These lyrics themselves don't do much for me. It's all about the melody and the delivery

Like if Ed sang ”Donald Trump is grabbin pussy/Courtney Love is great" to that melody with the same vocal delivery I'd still think it was amazing and still get the song stuck in my head.
Post-Donald-Trump-Pussy-Grab

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 6:48 pm
by tragabigzanda
pearl jam sucks now

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 8:53 pm
by Matters
durdencommatyler wrote:
stip wrote:tidal waves dont beg forgiveness/crash then on their way
These lyrics themselves don't do much for me. It's all about the melody and the delivery

Like if Ed sang ”Donald Trump is grabbin pussy/Courtney Love is great" to that melody with the same vocal delivery I'd still think it was amazing and still get the song stuck in my head.
It’s tough to separate the melody and delivery from the lyrics themselves. I think even reading this one on paper alone, it’s really good.

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 9:04 pm
by epilogue
Matters wrote:It’s tough to separate the melody and delivery from the lyrics themselves. I think even reading this one on paper alone, it’s really good.
I get you. Stip obviously agrees, too. But that's my point. Looking at those words, reading them aside from the song, they don't do much for me.

However, I do love the next bit. I think those lyrics are great and part of what makes them impactful is the first bit. So they are good in that context.

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 9:29 pm
by Birds in Hell
theplatypus wrote:
stip wrote:tidal waves dont beg forgiveness/crash then on their way
I do not like this. The second line omits key words to fit the meter. It's awkward.
I like this one a lot. I don't find it awkward, instead quite deft and economical.

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 9:49 pm
by Jorge
It feels forced to me. And that is one of my favorite Pearl Jam songs.

Also I am pretty sure the actual line is "crashed and on their way" which is even worse

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 9:50 pm
by epilogue
theplatypus wrote:It feels forced to me. And that is one of my favorite Pearl Jam songs.

Also I am pretty sure the actual line is "crashed and on their way" which is even worse
I know it's probably not correct but I always sing "crashing on their way" because it's more grammatically correct and basically says the same thing.

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 9:55 pm
by Birds in Hell
durdencommatyler wrote:
theplatypus wrote:It feels forced to me. And that is one of my favorite Pearl Jam songs.

Also I am pretty sure the actual line is "crashed and on their way" which is even worse
I know it's probably not correct but I always sing "crashing on their way" because it's more grammatically correct and basically says the same thing.
I don't like that phrasing anywhere near as much.

Having quickly listened to the studio version, Ed's demo and one live version, I'm certain you were right the first time Jorge and it's: "crash then on their way".

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 9:58 pm
by Jorge
Is this like when you thought the seagulls in Finding Nemo were saying "mate" instead of "mine"

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 9:58 pm
by Birds in Hell
Probably.

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 10:20 pm
by LetMeSleep
theplatypus wrote:Is this like when you thought the seagulls in Finding Nemo were saying "mate" instead of "mine"
Aren't they though?

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 10:22 pm
by LoathedVermin72
LetMeSleep wrote:
theplatypus wrote:Is this like when you thought the seagulls in Finding Nemo were saying "mate" instead of "mine"
Aren't they though?
:?

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 10:30 pm
by Jorge
Australians are hilariously deluded on this topic

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 10:31 pm
by Ms Harmless
they're saying 'mite, as in Vegemite, it's big in Australia

Re: best opening lyrics

Posted: Sun February 09, 2020 10:31 pm
by LoathedVermin72
Ms Harmless wrote:they're saying 'mite, as in Vegemite, it's big in Australia
lol