"XANADU" RUSH (1977)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 11

Look, this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I myself have never been much of a prog rock fanatic. The early Rush catalog and a couple of select Pink Floyd albums is about as far as I’ll go. One of the best from A Farewell To Kings is Xanadu. For the first five minutes, there isn’t a single lyric. Just instrumental sounds that evoke both nature and another dimension. But when the Neil Peart’s words finally come in, he blows us away. I never read the poem Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge which inspired the song. But I think Peart’s lyrics bring a certain sense of poetry itself in painting a picture of the attainment of immortality.

“I had heard the whispered tales of immortality. The deepest mystery from an ancient book, I took a clue. I scaled the frozen mountain tops of eastern lands unknown. Time and man alone. Searching for the lost, Xanadu.”

"EARN ENOUGH FOR US" XTC (1986)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 10

XTC are considered by many to be one of the most underrated bands of the 80’s. Had they toured more regularly, their following would’ve been much larger. Their songwriting and musicianship are both impressive and unique. One of my go-to tracks from XTC is “Earn Enough For Us” from the acclaimed Skylarking album. The lyrics tell the very un-rock & roll story of providing for one’s family, which is the reason why this song resonates with me much more so than when I first heard it.

“I can take humiliation and hurtful comments from the boss. I'm just praying by the weekend I can earn enough for us.”

"CACTUS TREE" JONI MITCHELL (1968)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 9

“Cactus Tree” is like a book with five chapters. It paints the portraits of four characters with exceptional musicality. The sailor. The climber. The writer. The woman who’s being pursued by all three men. And then there’s the fifth chapter that introduces many more men still – from the jester to the dreamer. What made Mitchell a great storyteller is that she did far more than just introduce a few characters and a plot. She made us empathize with her characters even with just a single verse dedicated to each. That’s some powerful songwriting.

“She has brought them to her senses. They have laughed inside her laughter. Now she rallies her defenses. For she fears that one will ask her for eternity.”

"RABBIT HEART (RAISE IT UP)" FLORENCE + THE MACHINE (2009)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 8

The vocal performance, tempo shifts and slippery meanderings of the harp make “Rabbit Heart” one of my all-time favorite Florence anthems. Florence stormed onto the scene in a hurry with one of the best debut albums in years. “Rabbit Heart” was one of many tracks that made Lungs the amazing album it is, but it was the one song that gave us a peek into Florence’s mindset amidst the band’s newfound success. The words are equally imaginative and personal.

“This is a gift. It comes with a price. Who is the lamb and who is the knife? Midas is king and he holds me so tight. And turns me to gold in the sunlight.”

"AFTERNOONS & COFFEESPOONS" CRASH TEST DUMMIES (1993)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 7

There’s something pretty remarkable and admirable about bands that go against the cultural grain. By 1993, even non-grunge acts were putting on their best grunge. But Crash Test Dummies started to make a splash with a sound that was the polar opposite of the genre that had taken over the world. It was a brighter, cleaner melodic disposition with songs that sometimes sounded like children’s stories. “Afternoons & Coffeespoons” is a feel-good song that counters the aloof and mopey “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm”. As I listen to it for the first time in decades, I’m surprised at how quickly and decisively the words come right back to me.

“Times when the day is like a play by Sartre. When it seems a bookburning's in perfect order. I gave the doctor my description. I've tried to stick to my prescription.”

"UNDER THE MILKY WAY" THE CHURCH (1988)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 6

A simple acoustic guitar strum sets off one of the greatest mid-tempo tracks of the 80’s. The iconic intro is later joined one by one by vocals, drums. bass, electric guitar, keys and eventually the Synclavier masquerading as bag pipes. “Under the Milky Way” builds up and doesn’t let down. A majestic, multi-layered masterpiece, like the galaxy itself. And its brightest star are its lyrics. Words that reference Memphis and the Milky Way with a sense of mystery that no one can solve.

“Lower the curtain down on Memphis. Lower the curtain down all right. I got no time for private consultation under the Milky Way tonight.”

"ANYTHING" SHARON VAN ETTEN (2022)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 5

There are few voices today that are as raw and haunting as Sharon Van Etten’s. And, We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong has fast become my favorite album of 2022. It’s been a while since an entire album has grabbed me the way this one does. I get lost in these songs. I lose it with these songs. “Anything”, for me, brings with it a sense of catharsis. I didn’t expect this song – or the album, for that matter, to have that kind of an effect on me. There’s so much mediocrity in music these days and not enough originality. But I found something unexpected once again in the vocals and songwriting of Sharon Van Etten.

“Up the whole night, undefined. Can't stop thinking about peace and war. Up the whole night, right before the sun takes everything. It could've been anything. I didn't feel anything.”

"SUITE: JUDY BLUE EYES" CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (1969)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 4

The harmonies of Crosby, Stills & Nash are some of the most earthly exhilarations I’ve ever experienced as music fan. I discovered Deja Vu first – and then made my way to the debut album much later. The “doo doo doo doo doo” refrain toward the end of the song is one of the most iconic elements in classic rock. But it’s the sprawling verses that have always grabbed me the hardest. They seem almost too personal for me to hear, as if I just interrupted a lovers’ quarrel.

“Don't let the past remind us of what we are not now. I am not dreaming. I am yours, you are mine, you are what you are. You make it hard.”

"SIR DUKE" STEVIE WONDER (1976)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 3
Hands down, “Sir Duke” is one of the most memorable musical tributes. Basie. Glenn Miller. Louis Armstrong. Ella. And, of course, Duke Ellington. Few songs celebrate music so admirably and unpretentiously. It’s pure love for the music. Pure love for the sounds that have shaped us. In many ways, it’s the same thing that drove me to start Mental Jukebox. This “hobby” of mine represents the collision of two loves of mine: music and words. Seemed like Stevie was doing the same thing in this classic.

“Music knows it is and always will be one of the things that life just won't quit. But here are some of music's pioneers that time will not allow us to forget. For there's Basie, Miller, Satchmo and the king of all: Sir Duke. And with a voice like Ella's ringing out, there's no way the band can lose.”

"THE BODY IS A BLADE" JAPANESE BREAKFAST (2017)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 2

The songs of Soft Sounds From Another Planet are like a bridge from despair to joy. It’s the necessary mourning of death and loss that make joy and hope even possible one day. I love these songs. “Diving Woman”, “Till Death”, “Boyish”, “Road Head” and this one. As Japanese Breakfast suddenly became a hot band nearly overnight last year, I was lucky to catch them live at Brooklyn Steel where they played “The Body Is A Blade”. They say your pain is more meaningful if it becomes the experience that enables you to be there for someone who goes through something similarly painful. I think that’s what Michelle Zauner was doing when she wrote these lyrics.

“Try your best to slowly withdraw. Your body is a blade that moves while your brain is writhing. Knuckled under pain, you mourn but your blood is flowing.”

"ATLANTIC CITY" BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1982)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 1

The storytelling form of song lyrics doesn’t get much better than Springsteen’s Nebraska album. Music and production was stripped down to their minimalist form, putting the lyrics and vocal performance at the forefront. “Atlantic City” is one of the more memorable tracks from the record. On it, Springsteen. sang of love, escape, risk and organized crime. As we listen to the story of this couple driving to Atlantic City, I can’t help but root for them, hoping they find a better outcome than the Chicken Man.

“Everything dies baby, that's a fact. But maybe everything that dies someday comes back. Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty and meet me tonight in Atlantic City.”

"MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS" THE NATIONAL (2007)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 31

It is painfully hard for me to choose just one song from The National to highlight. One song that contains lyrics I revere. Because even among the songs from The National’s canon that I’m not as attached to musically, every single one seems to ring clearly with the everyday man poetry of Matt Berninger. “Mistaken For Strangers” features some of the finest string of words assembled together in the 21st century. “Showered and blue blazered.” “Fill yourself with quarters.” “Another un-innocent, elegant fall Into the un-magnificent lives of adults.” And this gem right here…

“Make up something to believe in your heart of hearts. So you have something to wear on your sleeve of sleeves. So you swear, you just saw a feathery woman carry a blindfolded man through the trees.”

"THE END" THE DOORS (1967)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 30

There are few lyricists that were as prolific in a short period of time as Jim Morrison. Riding on a wave of rock, psychedelia, blues and even Middle Eastern and Native American musical explorations, the music from The Doors never fit neatly into one category. The compositions often felt truly epic. The sound felt truly their own largely because of Manzarek’s keyboard presence and, of course, Morrison, one of the greatest frontman to ever take the stage. “The End” is a breakup song that has become far more than a breakup song. It’s pure poetry.

“This is the end, beautiful friend. This is the end, my only friend, the end. Of our elaborate plans, the end. Of everything that stands, the end. No safety or surprise, the end. I'll never look into your eyes, again.”

"RELEASE" PEARL JAM (1991)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 29

Epic grunge bands have come and gone with the era: Soundgarden, Nirvana, Screaming Trees, Alice in Chains. But only one has stood the test of time and even experienced a resurgence in recent years: Pearl Jam. If I can think of one characteristic for the band, it’s resilience. They’ve persevered and stayed relevant and active all these years. The album Ten was huge back in my college days. Just as played as Nevermind, Ten was full of bangers of different paces and sensibilities: “Even Flow”, “Alive” and “Jeremy”. “Black” is a personal favorite, but one of my less expected loves is the album closer “Release”, a fully cathartic experience and a nearly ten minute emotional drone that wraps up one of the great records of the grunge era.

“Oh dear dad. Can you see me now? I am myself. Like you somehow. I'll ride the wave where it takes me. I'll hold the pain. Release it.”

"ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN" ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS (1979)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 28

There are few lyricists who are as witty and talented at writing about unrequited love and failed relationships as Elvis Costello. Armed Forces was his third album, as part of a string of nine studio albums recorded in just eight years. “Accidents Will Happen” is a naive little song about infidelity written with a wry sense of humor. Every verse has an unforgettable turn of phrase, proving that Costello was often at his best when he was mired in self deprecation.

“There's so many fish in the sea that only rise up in the sweat and smoke like mercury. But they keep you hanging on. They say you're so young. Your mind is made up, but your mouth is undone.”

"BRIGHTER!" CASS MCCOMBS (2013)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 27

The clean guitar picking, McComb’s hush-hush falsetto and Americana roots swirling around on “Brighter!” remind me of late night star gazing. The simplest of songs are often the best ones we have. I just love the stark, ethereal quality to “Brighter!”. There’s a lightness and buoyancy to the music and lyrics that seem to transcend time and space. “Brighter!” The lyrics seem more like a stream of consciousness than a coherent narrative – and that’s the charm of it.

“I stopped in for a little while and threw in the evidence. I wandered off a little while resequencing events.”

"STAND OR FALL" THE FIXX (1982)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 26

Those singles – “Stand or Fall” and “Red Skies” – from The Fixx’s debut album are like a blast from the past. They weren’t close to charting in the Top 40, but I discovered them via MTV and later rediscovered them on my local alt rock station WDRE/WLIR, which had a heavy dose of new wave anthems. What was great about “Stand or Fall” besides its razor sharp guitar hooks and ominous synth riffs is that the lyrics had substance. It wasn’t another teenage romance song helplessly stuck inside some John Hughes universe. With its political rant, it ran on conviction, not hormones.

“Is this the value of our existence? Should we proclaim with such persistence? Our destiny relies on conscience. Red or blue, what's the difference? Stand or fall, state your peace tonight.”

"WHAT IS AND WHAT SHOULD NEVER BE" LED ZEPPELIN (1969)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 25

That magical blend of blues and hard rock, as if the two genres are slowly making love. That’s what I love most about Led Zeppelin. Plant’s presence is powerful in every song in their extensive catalog – from the ballads to the bangers. I also tend to lean toward the tracks where Page was ripping mind-blowing guitar riffs while Bonzo pounded away on the drums like lightning. But “What Is And What Should Never Be” roped me in with Jonesy’s melodic bass line, paired with such magnificent words.

“And if I say to you tomorrow, ‘Take my hand, child come with me. It's to a castle I will take you. Where what's to be, they say will be.’”

"HOLOCENE" BON IVER (2011)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 24

The lyrics and musicality are joined at the hip in “Holocene”. The union of these two elements is so strong that Justin Vernon’s falsetto murmur feels like another atmospheric instrumental element being played on the track, not sung. Like much of Bon Iver’s catalog, it’s the kind of song that contains a greater power and exudes a deeper resonance when you play it in the middle of the night. “Holocene” just seems to feel at home when there are no other sounds to distract it or us.

“Hulled far from the highway aisle. Jagged vacance, thick with ice. I could see for miles, miles, miles.”

"ORIGINAL SIN" INXS (1984)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 23

Man, I loved this era of INXS music. The guitar riffs are perfectly placed, making their presence known but never overpowering the rest of the music. Pengilly’s sax always finding a way to seamless enter every song without ever feeling forced. On “Original Sin”, Hutchence showed that he wasn’t afraid to go against the grain in his lyrics, deliberately talking about an interracial relationship when that sorta thing was frowned upon in those times. The Swing wasn’t the greatest INXS record by any stretch, but “Original Sin” as a single is one of their finest.

“Dream on black boy. Dream on white girl. And wake up to a brand new day. To find your dreams have washed away.”