Category Archives: Lyric of the Week

Where we share song lyrics that we admire; lyrics that we find clever or move us

Lyric of the Week: Boy Meets Girl (Bleu)

Lyric of the WeekNow that the holidays are over, it’s time to settle back into the regular groove of things. This week’s lyric is by an artist many may not have heard, which is a shame. Bleu McAuley is just as brilliant at composing a great hook in his music as he is at creating a clever line in his songs. This is one of my favorites.

Enjoy Boy Meets Girl by Bleu (from 2009’s A Watched Pot).

I’ve got a tune for the bride and groom and how they
got to here
It starts out with a boy and a girl who met in senior
year
She hung in with the outside crowd while he disappeared
But the square and the rebel fit together like the
treble and the bass in their ears

It’s like Twisted Sister meets Mr. Mister
It’s like a Rolling Thunder meets a Careless Whisper
It’s like Jesus Jones and The Rolling Stones in a game
of Twister
It’s like boy meets girl

He went to Boston and got a little lost in a frozen
stare (Hallelujah)
She looked at him with an L.A. grin and wondered if he
cared (Hallelujah)
He said someday when the Polaroids fade and we cut our
hair (Hallelujah)
We’ll look back and we’ll laugh ’cause the queen and
the jack made a perfect pair

It’s like Twisted Sister meets Mr. Mister
It’s like a Shout At The Devil (Shout!) meets a Careless Whisper
It’s like Motorhead and the Grateful Dead in a game of
Twister
It’s like boy meets girl


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.

Lyric of the Week: This Will Be My Year (Semisonic)

Lyric of the WeekHappy New Year, lyrics lovers! We made it through 2016 and are hungover in 2017, proving that, yes! we are young and alive!

Enjoy This Will Be My Year by Semisonic (from 1998’s Feeling Strangely Fine) as your reward for another year older and another year wiser.

Thursday’s crush is a Friday night rush,
And a Monday morning cry,
It’s the tail that you keep chasing,
And it gets away every time.

New Years Eve and it’s hard to believe,
Another Zodiac’s gone around,
While you drank yourself high on hoping,
And watched the ceiling spin from the ground.

Counting down from ten it’s time,
To make your annual prayer,
Secret Santa in the sky,
When will I get my share.

Then you tell yourself,
What you want to hear,
Cause you have to believe,
This will be my year.
This will be my year.

Pound your fist and cross it off your list,
But you know you’re not that strong,
When the man at the stop light catches you,
Singing along to a brand new song.

Well maybe it’s,
Trash or the overnight smash,
That brings a ship crashing through your wall,
So you can make your grand departure,
From a world getting way too small.

One wheel in the ditch another,
Spinning in the air,
Put your pedal down to the floorboards,
But you’re not getting anywhere.

Then you tell yourself,
What you want to hear,
But you have to believe,
This will be my year,
This will be my year,
This will be my year,
This will be my year, ohh.


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.

Lyric of the Week: Wonderful Life (The Tories)

Lyric of the WeekFor the remainder of this year, I’m focusing on some of my all-time favorite lyrics. The Tories, as well as many other amazing bands, came to my attention through an online email distribution list of rabid power pop fans called Audities. Because it’s Christmas and you’re sick of seeing Jimmy Stewart in black and white on your HDTV, here’s a song about a movie.

Enjoy Wonderful Life by The Tories (from 1997’s Wonderful Life)

The Gower Drugstore
And Bedford Falls is watching
Stones breaking windows
Lasso the Moon for Mary

I wanna feel like George Bailey did
Kissing the staircase and holding the wife
Bells will be ringing when angels get their wings
It’s such a beautiful
Oh what a wonderful life

One wish be granted
A life without existence
Richer than Potter
A wealth of friends surrounding

I wanna feel like George Bailey did
Kissing the staircase and holding the wife
Bells will be ringing when angels get their wings
It’s such a beautiful
Oh what a wonderful life


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.

Lyric of the Week: Brink (Splitsville)

Lyric of the WeekFor the remainder of this year, I’m focusing on some of my all-time favorite lyrics. Splitsville is one of favorite bands that you probably have never heard of. Which is a shame because the band produced some amazing power pop songs while they were together.

Enjoy Brink by Splitsville (from 2003’s Incorporated).

I’ll get there late, don’t get me wrong
I like your band, but hate your songs
The parts that suck are obvious
Need I explain them to you

You’re always on the brink
Of something I can’t take
It’s everything you want

Straight from our van onto the stage
Where we will dance the night away
If you are not about to rock
Then we will not salute you

It almost makes you think
There’s something wrong with fate
If everything you want
Is stuck here on de… lay

It’s never a big deal
And that’s your big mistake
Don’t get me, don’t get me wrong
Don’t get me wrong

You’re always on the brink
Of something too half-baked
It’s everything you want
But nothing we can’t… fake

It’s never a big deal
It’s everything I hate
Don’t get me, don’t get me,
Don’t get me wrong.


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.

Lyric of the Week: Surrender (Cheap Trick)

Lyric of the WeekFor the remainder of this year, I’m focusing on some of my all-time favorite lyrics. Picking a favorite Cheap Trick song was tough, but the dartboard finally decided for me.

Enjoy Surrender by Cheap Trick (from 1978’s Heaven Tonight).

Mother told me, yes, she told me
That I’d meet girls like you

She also told me, “Stay away
You’ll never know what you’ll catch”

Just the other day I heard
Of a soldier’s falling off
Some Indonesian junk
That’s going ’round

Mommy’s alright, daddy’s alright
They just seem a little weird
Surrender, surrender
But don’t give yourself away
Hey, hey

Father says, “Your mother’s right
She’s really up on things
Before we married, Mommy served
In the WACS in the Philippines.”

Now, I had heard the WACS recruited
Old maids for the war
But mommy isn’t one of those
I’ve known her all these years

Mommy’s alright, daddy’s alright
They just seem a little weird
Surrender, surrender
But don’t give yourself away
Hey, hey

Whatever happened to all this season’s
Losers of the year?
Every time I got to thinking
Here’d they disappear?

But when I woke up, Mom and Dad
Are rolling on the couch
Rolling numbers, rock and rollin’
Got my Kiss records out

Mommy’s alright, daddy’s alright
They just seem a little weird
Surrender, surrender
But don’t give yourself away
Hey, hey

Away
Away

Surrender
Surrender
But don’t give yourself away


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.

Lyric of the Week: Birthday (The Beatles)

Lyric of the WeekSince I just celebrated my birthday last week, the lyric I’ve chosen this week is not the classic Happy Birthday To You by the Hill Sisters. What “birthday” song do you think should replace the standard tune?

Enjoy Birthday by The Beatles (from 1968’s The Beatles (White Album)).

They say it’s your birthday
Well, it’s my birthday too, yeah
They say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you

(One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!)

Yes, we’re going to a party, party
Yes, we’re going to a party, party
Yes, we’re going to a party, party

I would like you to dance (birthday)
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (birthday)
I would like you to dance (birthday)
Dance, yeah

Whoo
Come on

I would like you to dance (birthday)
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (birthday)
I would like you to dance (birthday)
Whoo, dance, dance

They say it’s your birthday
Well, it’s my birthday too, yeah
They say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.

Lyric of the Week: Thank You for Being a Friend (Andrew Gold)

Lyric of the WeekIt’s the end of the Thanksgiving holiday and I’m sure you’ve barely made a dent in the leftovers from Thursday. I started this blog almost six months ago. If you’ve been following along, thanks for reading. The lyric I’ve chosen this week is one of my favorites to play at Thanksgiving. What are your favorite “thank you” songs?

Enjoy Thank You for Being a Friend by Andrew Gold (from 1978’s All This and Heaven Too).

Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
Your heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidant

I’m not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won’t you stand up and take a bow

And if you threw a party
Invited everyone you knew
You would see, the biggest gift would be from me
and the card attached would say,
Thank you for being a friend

If it’s a car you lack
I’d surely buy you a Cadillac
Whatever you need, anytime of the day or night

I’m not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won’t you stand up and take a bow

And when we both get older
With walking canes and hair of gray
Have no fear, even though it’s hard to hear
I will stand real close and say,
Thank you for being a friend

(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend

And when we die and float away
Into the night, the Milky Way
You’ll hear me call, as we ascend
I’ll see you there, then once again
Thank you for being a friend

Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
Whoa, tell you about a friend
(Thank you right now, for being a friend)
Thank you for being a friend
(I wanna tell you right now, and tell you again)
Thank you for being a friend
(I wanna thank you, thank you, for being a friend)
Thank you for being a friend


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.

Lyric of the Week: Middle School Frown (Josh Rouse)

Lyric of the WeekYou’ve probably never heard Josh Rouse’s music. You should. Start with 2003’s 1972 and 2005’s Nashville. This week’s lyric is from the latter.

Enjoy Middle School Frown by Josh Rouse (from 2005’s Nashville).

No it ain’t the way that your hair hangs down
And you dance like a clown
We just don’t like you around

You were a new waver, it was 1983
I was new on the scene
I just wanted everyone to like me

So I told them that we’re not friends
And I thought you were weird
What a two-faced thing to do

And you held your head high
Yeah you held your head high
When you walked down my street
Oh no

My birthday party you just showed up
We were so stuck up
We just wanted to be mean

Yeah there goes that girl with the cheap guitar
She’s a punk rock star
She’s a dying art

And you held your head high
Yeah you held your head high
When you walked down my street

And you rolled your eyes to the sky
Yeah you rolled your eyes to the sky
And you don’t feel a thing

And you held your head high
Yeah you held your head high
When you walked down my street
Oh no

No it ain’t the way that your hair hangs down
And you dance like a clown
It’s the middle school frown


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.

Lyric of the Week: Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)

Lyric of the WeekWe lost an immensely influential songwriter this week. With so many amazing songs to choose from—Suzanne, Famous Blue Raincoat, and First We Take Manhattan, just to name a few—Leonard Cohen inspired many great musicians who followed him. It was tough choosing which one to honor him with in this week’s Lyric of the Week. Ultimately, I went down the well-worn path.

Remember Leonard Cohen with Hallelujah (from 1984’s Various Positions)

Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do you?
It goes like this the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don’t even know the name
But if I did, well really, what’s it to you?
There’s a blaze of light in every word
It doesn’t matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn’t much
I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch
I’ve told the truth, I didn’t come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I’ll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah…


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.

Lyric of the Week: Debbie Loves Joey (Helen Love)

Lyric of the WeekI believe I first heard this week’s Lyric of the Week on a CD Tree I participated in several years ago. Always a favorite track when it comes up randomly on my iPod.

Enjoy Debbie Loves Joey by Helen Love (from 2007’s It’s My Club And I’ll Play What I Want To)

They met in 1980 at the school disco
He kissed her for the first time on the last bus home
He said “You be Debbie Harry, I’ll be Joey Ramone.”

She saw shooting stars flash by
The moon exploded in the sky
Her heart flipped when they kissed
Star dust on her lips
Special pact in the dark
Getting pissed in the park
She’s in love, she’s in love

And when they walked downtown all the people would stare
They used to laugh at her clothes and the color of their hair
She was 17 and she didn’t care
‘Cause baby’s gonna take her everywhere

‘Cause he said they’d live in New York
And the stars would be their own
She was Debbie Harry and he was Joey Ramone
Yeah he said they’d live in New York
And the stars would be their own
She was Debbie Harry and he was Joey
He was Joey Ramone

When she met him she was standing in a pure white light
He said “You like the Sex Pistols, have you got a light?”
And all the stars were shining on a perfect Saturday night
Holding him tight

Kissing him in the dark in the back of daddy’s car
Have a drink, have a laugh
Do you want my autograph?
No school, summer’s out
Make me wanna twist and shout
Down on the beaches, lookin’ at the peaches.


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.