The Brain Dead Grain Head's 10 Coolest Lyrics For Today

Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnny Ray
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio
Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, Television
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe
Rosenbergs, H Bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom
Brando, The King And I, and The Catcher In The Rye
Eisenhower, Vaccine, England's got a new queen
Marciano, Liberace, Santayana goodbye
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning

What better way to start a list than with the ultimate ‘list’ song?
In one burst Billy succeeded in trying to educate and entertain simultaneously.
Moral of the story: passion was there from the beginning and we can’t stop it.

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

What could be more applicable today, right now?? Nothing!
Countries were carved out by people; they really don’t exist.
Look from space, no countries. Here’s the kicker: no religion.
Joe Campbell said it best about religion (what we’ve killed for and are
killing for now): “it’s the celebration of the mystery of not knowing”. Anyone’s guess is as good as anyone else’s…so, drop it all and we’ll be better off? Sounds like a plan.

It’s just a jump to the left
And then a step to the right
With your hands on your hips
You bring your knees in tight
But it’s the pelvic thrust
That really drives you insane
Let’s do the time-warp again.

Let’s lighten up and dance, make love, enjoy life. How’s that for a motto?
Not too shabby. I’ll take it.

The screen door slams
Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch
As the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again
I just can't face myself alone again
Don't run back inside
darling you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking
That maybe we ain't that young anymore
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright
Oh and that's alright with me


Whenever I hear these words I can’t help but think of that human emotion captured by Bruce so poetically: loneliness. Being turned away (again) to face being alone (again) has to be one of the toughest things in life. But the Boss has great advice: overcome your fear, tell the truth, be yourself and everything will turn out okay.

There I go again
Pretending to be you
Make-believing
That I have a soul beneath the surface
Trying to convince you
It was accidentally on purpose

Amanda must have listened to Thunder Road because she’s talking here about the same thing: being you. I like the way her band, The Dresden Dolls, present her words too.
Edgy, cool, and full of energy. Check them out.

Help me
I think I’m falling
In love again
When I get that crazy feeling, I know
I’m in trouble again
I’m in trouble
cause you’re a rambler and a gambler
And a sweet-talking-ladies man
And you love your lovin
But not like you love your freedom

This always hit me hard, due to the fact that I consider myself a romantic but…freedom always seemed just as important as love if not more. Joni’s plea for help makes this a truly great lyric. To put all this in a few lines, wow, hard to do. To me she’s one of the best of all time.

Well, you look so pretty in it
Honey, can I jump on it sometime?
Yes, I just wanna see
If it's really that expensive kind
You know it balances on your head
Just like a mattress balances
On a bottle of wine
Your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat


Listening to the master at work brings a smile. Fave part: the mattress and wine image.
Dylan is indeed inimitable. As Hootie and the Blowfish sing: “Ain’t Bobby so cool”….

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul and faith
And I was 'round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game
I stuck around St. Petersburg
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the czar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain
I rode a tank
Held a general's rank
When the blitzkrieg raged
And the bodies stank
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
Ah, what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah
I watched with glee
While your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the gods they made
I shouted out,
"Who killed the Kennedys?"
When after all
It was you and me

That last line does it best, but what a buildup to it. Lotta history. Mick and Keith are sometimes underrated as songwriters. Two of the best.

I am he
As you are he
As you are me
And we are all together.
See how they run
Like pigs from a gun
See how they fly. I'm crying.
Sitting on a cornflake - waiting for the van to come.
Corporation teeshirt, stupid bloody
Tuesday man you been a naughty boy
You let your face grow long.
I am the eggman oh, they are the eggman -
Oh I am the walrus GOO GOO G'JOOB.
Mr. City policeman sitting pretty little policeman in a row,
See how they fly
Like Lucy in the sky
See how they run. I'm crying - I'm crying I'm crying.
Yellow matter custard dripping from a dead dog's eye.
Crabalocker fishwife pornographic
Priestess boy you been a naughty girl,
You let your knickers down.
You can hear George’s Eastern philosophy (I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together) and John’s zany humor but which of the Fab Four came up with this doozy: “yellow matter custard dripping from a dead dog’s eye”? Whenever I quote that line people look at me and say: “that’s disgusting”. Yep, but still a great lyric. And let’s not ignore the sexual innuendo. How subtle compared to today’s over-the-top sexuality in lyrics.

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
'Cause none of them can stop the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look? Ooh!
Some say it's just a part of it:
We've got to fulfil de book.

Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom? -
'Cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs.

This reggae hit always brings back memories of hangin out and havin a few and singin.
It’s what we all are seeking: spiritually speaking, redemption refers to forgiveness or absolution for past sins and protection from eternal damnation. And Marley puts forth the notion that we, ourselves, can achieve this by first freeing our minds. Deep, very deep Bob.