Songs with dark, but profound, lyrics

“Bag of Grins” -Red Hot Chili Peppers

Long Black Veil

The Ballad of Spider John

Delia

Toadies - Tyler

And she runs through her days with a smile on her face
And she runs, and she waits, and I wait
We can drive to anyplace,
day or night, across the state
And in the morning, into Mexico, we will wake up
I find a window in the kitchen, and I let myself in
Rummage through the refrigerator, find myself a beer
I can't believe I'm really here,
and she's lying in that bed
I can almost feel her touch, and her anxious breath!
I stumble in the hallway, against the bedroom door
I hear her call out to me, I hear the fear in her voice
She pulls the covers tighter, I press against the door
I will be with her tonight!

Secret of the Easy Yoke by Pedro the Lion

I could hear the church bells ringing
They pealed aloud your praise
The members faces were smiling
With their hands outstretched to shake
It's true they did not move me
My heart was hard and tired
Their perfect fire annoyed me
I could not find you anywhere

Could someone please tell me the story
Of sinners ransomed from the fall
I still have never seen you
And some days I don't love you at all

The devoted were wearing bracelets
To remind them why they came
Some concrete motivation
When the abstract could not do the same
But if all that's left is duty
I'm falling on my sword
At least then I would not serve
An unseen distant lord

Could someone please tell me the story
Of sinners ransomed from the fall
I still have never seen you
And some days I don't love you at all

If this is only a test
I hope that I'm passing
'Cause I'm losing steam
And I still want to trust you

Peace be still
Peace be still
Peace be still
Peace be still

Cast No Shadow - Oasis

Here's a thought for every man
Who tries to understand what is in his hands
He walks along the open road of love and life
Surviving if he can

Bound with all the weight of all the words he tried to say
Chained to all the places that he never wished to stay
Bound with all the weight of all the words he tried to say
As he faced the sun he cast no shadow

As they took his soul they stole his pride
As he faced the sun he cast no shadow...

Edit: Typo and I screwed up the link embed.

Dave Bazan is such a gifted songwriter. Really puts incredibly complicated and conflicted feelings into somewhat stomach-able lyrics.

dredg - Kalathat



He lived the life, never offended, he played by the rules
Struck the right chords, he never was out of tune
Sacrificed every second for his kids and wife
Thought to himself, "If I only had more time"

He said, "It's a problem that I'll solve
Well, it's a problem to resolve someday"

Commuted daily to his high-tech job
Waited in line patiently with the rest of the mob
Now a taste of success can forever jade
When the pink slip arrived he'd finally lost his way

He said, "It's a problem that I'll solve
Well, it's a problem to resolve someday"

He abandoned his family, he's by himself
There's nothing left now, no substance, no wealth

His whole life was work and business
He could hardly see
The story of a jaded man
Who'll never know what could have been
It's all too common these days
It's all too common these days
It's all too common these days

Well, it's a problem that he'll solve
Well, it's a problem he resolved

Based on: Gunman and wife had earlier dispute

Regina Spektor - Chemo Limo

Basically, written from the perspective of a young mother dying of cancer in her hospital bed.

quote:

---

I had a dream
Crispy crispy Benjamin Franklin came over
Babysat all four of my kids

Then in my dream
I told the doctor off
He said if you don't want to do it
Then you don't have to do it
He said the truth is
You'll be okay, anyway

Then in my dream
Crispy crispy Benjamin Franklin and the doctor
Went and had a talk with my boss
Something about insurance policies
They kept the door closed at all times
I couldn't hear or see

When they came out they said
You'll be okay, anyway
And I smiled cause I'd known it all along.

No thank you no thank you no thank you no thank you
I don't have to pay for this shite
I couldn't afford chemo like I couldn't afford a limo
And on any given day I'd rather ride a limousine
No thank you no thank you no thank you no thank you
I ain't about to to die like this
I couldn't afford chemo like I couldn't afford a limo
And besides this shite is making me tired
It's making me tired
It's making me tired
You know I plan to retire some day,
And mama gonna go out in style
Go out in style
This shite it's making me tired
It's making me tired
It's making me tired
Mama gonna go out in style go out in style

When I woke up
My kids were being quiet
I knew it was a dream right away
I called the limousine company

Then I got dressed
I dressed the kids as well
The limousine pulled in and we piled in

The doctor he asked which way we were headed
I said, Sir, let's just go west and he listened obediently,

Sophie only wants to listen to radio BBC
Michael sat on my knees and whispered to me all about the meanies
Jacqueline was being such a big girl with her cup of tea looking out of the window
And Barbara, she looks just like my mom
Oh my God, Barbara
She looks so much like my mom

No thank you no thank you no thank you no thank you
I ain't about to pay for this shite
I couldn't afford chemo like I couldn't afford a limo
And on any given day I'd rather ride a limousine
No thank you no thank you no thank you no thank you
I ain't about to die like this
I couldn't afford chemo like I couldn't afford a limo
And besides this shite is making me tired
It's making me tired
It's making me die
You know I plan to retire some day,
And I'm-a gonna go out in style
Go out in style
This shite it's making me tired
It's making me tired
It's making me tired
I'm-a gonna go out in style go out in style
Style. Style. Style. Style....

I had a dream
Crispy, crispy Benjamin Franklin came over and
Babysat all four of my kids

I had a dream
Crispy, crispy Benjamin Franklin came over and
Babysat all four of my kids

Sophie only want to tune us into radio BBC
Michael sat on my knees and whispered to me all about the meanies
Jacqueline was being such a big girl with her cup of tea looking out of the window
And Barbara, she looks just like my mom
Oh my god, Barbara
She looks so much like my mom
Oh my god, Barbara
She looks so much just like my mom

---

Wasted Time - Skid Row

You and I together in our lives
Sacred ties would never fray
Then why can I let myself tell lies
And watch you die every day?

I think back to the times
When dreams were what mattered
Tough-talking youth naïveté

You said you'd never let me down
But the horse stampedes and rages
In the name of desperation

Is it all just wasted time?
Can you look at yourself when you think of what you left behind?
Is it all just wasted time?
Can you live with yourself when you think of what you've left behind?

Paranoid delusions, they haunt you
Where's my friend I used to know?
He's all alone, he's buried deep within
A carcass searching for a soul
Can you feel me inside your heart as it's bleeding?
Why can't you believe you can be loved?

I hear you scream in agony
And the horse stampedes and rages
In the name of desperation

Is it all just wasted time?
Can you look at yourself when you think of what you left behind?
Is it all just wasted time?
Can you live with yourself when you think of what
You've left behind?

Whoa-oh, no, no, no, no

Oh, you said you'd never let me down
But the horse stampedes and rages
In the name of desperation

Is it all just wasted time?
Can you look at yourself when you think of what you left behind?
Is it all just wasted time?
Can you live with yourself when you think of what
You've left behind?

The sun will rise again
The earth will turn to sand
Creation's colors seem to fade to gray
And you'll see the sickly hands of time
Will write your final rhyme
And end our memory, yeah

I never thought you'd let it get this far, boy
Oh, I never thought, I never thought you'd let it get this far, boy, oh, no
I never thought, I never thought you'd let it get this far, boy, no
I never thought you'd let it get this far, boy

(no message)