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Post by pedrovaladas on Nov 1, 2003 5:00:40 GMT -5
Promised Land and Mrs Ex-President... Two tremendously politically too obvious and lyrically unimaginative songs, some of the words we can hear. With mrs ex president being a very very very very bad variation of promised land.... At least promised land has very neat music... If I try to forget the lyrics...
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Post by Blahblahblah on Dec 13, 2003 4:40:40 GMT -5
You think Promised Land has got crap lyrics? Eh? I reckon they are fine words. Maybe you're a Thatcher-ite, or are unfamilia with the political shennanigans in the UK when that song was written. Promised Land is an open attack on politicians in general, and on more specifically on Margaret Thatcher whose politics introduced a cut-throat environment in Britain that widened the gap between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots'. If you were one of the 'have-nots' (99% of the population!) you had cause to be disgruntled with barmy cow. As a rule, I dislike political songs but this one is an exception.
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Post by Poster Saint on Dec 13, 2003 12:41:32 GMT -5
Just because the phrase "promised land" appears in the lyrics of "Mr Ex-president" doesn't imply that Tim was being self-plagiaristic, though both songs are similar thematically. Unfortunately, whether it be applied to England or virtually every other nation on the planet, those lyrics seem to be gaining momentum in relevance, which suggests to me that Tim was bang-on in writing them, so they're certainly not crap. As to the style he used, sometimes being bluntly direct in writing is more effective than not. "Say Something", for example, is probably the simplest song he's written but that he sings it with such compassion really compensates for that fact in my opinion. I can't imagine writing off all political songs either, since rock and roll and protest make wonderful bedfellows. One final point, I think the comma should be omitted from the following lyrics in the Song Listings section: "dog a dog a bone", the former dog being the verb form, no repetition involved. It basically means stripping a dog of the bone you've given or promised it; now that's politics.
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Post by johntee on May 10, 2007 5:23:02 GMT -5
Political songs quickly become dated and usually don't sound as good as in the timespace they were first released ..ie Stand down Margeret by The Beat ..one that does still sound good is Old England by The Waterboy's...
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Post by paranormalhandy on May 28, 2007 2:15:32 GMT -5
"Over the Bridge to Skye" is so 1746 now ...  |
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Post by saulisgod on Jul 7, 2007 11:34:45 GMT -5
Mind you so it, "over the sea to skye"
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Post by Mac on Jul 17, 2007 9:10:55 GMT -5
Promised Land is one of those songs I'd forgotten about until recently. I love it, the lyrics are very cutting and the tune is very folky. I think it could be described as disarmingly cutting.
As for political songs, I think they have a place. Going back to Promised Land, it's one of those political songs that seems to be becoming worryingly relevant once more.
And if you don't like political songs, then what about all the anti-racist songs? Is that not political? Some of the greatest music has been inspired by struggle and strife, much of that in relation to politics.
I could go on and on about this topic but I'd end up rambling!
That said, I don't think I've heard Mrs Ex-President. Rings a bell (no pun intended) from somewhere, but can't recall it.
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