Movie director, Baz Luhrmann, has just released his adaptation of the Great Gatsby novel. Sticking with what’s familiar, Baz has teamed up with Leonardo DiCaprio for the second time after first collaborating on their version of William Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet. The tragic, eternal, love story of two star-crossed lovers has inspired countless romantic books, movies, and even classic some classic songs. Dire Straits recorded a version in 1980 that features a simple introduction before an epic rock guitar workout.
“ROMEO HAD JULIETTE” LOU REED
Lou Reed’s fifteenth CD, New York, was a return to his city roots and his Velvet Underground sound. The first single was Dirty Boulevard but the album’s opening track, Romeo Had Juliette, described an inner city love affair between Romeo Rodriguez with his long black ponytail and his love, Juliette. The song vividly describes the grime and corruption of the streets with the beauty of a love affair to make everything feel right. It ends with these teenage heartbreak lines:
The perfume burned his eyes holding tightly to her thighs And something flickered for a minute and then it vanished and was gone
“LOVE STORY” TAYLOR SWIFT
Written from the perspective of Juliet, a teenage Taylor Swift flipped the theme of Shakepeare’s masterpiece and turned the tragedy into a pop song with a happy ending. Taylor wrote the song in twenty minutes and described being inspired by a boyfriend that her friends and family didn’t approve, but Taylor was optimistic that true love would over all obstacles. The romantic song has become one of Taylor’s most covered compositions and a wonderful twist on the Romeo and Juliet theme.
Starting today, every Friday will be dedicated to the greatest songs ever written (in my opinion). I’ll be focusing in on just two songs, brief commentary, and providing the full lyrics. Let’s kick it off with The Boss!
“BADLANDS” BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Every time I hear this song, I hear something different. Bruce’s incredible skill at painting vivid stories to express his emotions is captured at its best in his 1977 street anthem, Badlands. Every line of this song pushes our motivation to never settle, to never let life run us over, to seize the reins and make the most out of our life. Regardless of how difficult our current situation is “it ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive”.
Lights out tonight
Trouble in the heartland
Got a head-on collision
Smashin’ in my guts man
I’m caught in a crossfire
That I don’t understand
I don’t give a damn
For the same old played out scenes
I don’t give a damn
For just the in-betweens
Honey I want the heart, I want the soul
I want control right now
Talk about a dream
Try to make it real
You wake up in the night
With a fear so real
Spend your life waiting
For a moment that just don’t come
Well don’t waste your time waiting
[Chorus]
Badlands, you gotta live it every day
Let the broken hearts stand
As the price you’ve gotta pay
We’ll keep pushin’ till it’s understood
And these badlands start treating us good
Workin’ in the fields
Til you get your back burned
Workin’ ‘neath the wheel
Till you get your facts learned
Baby got my facts
Learned real good right now
Poor man want to be rich
Rich man want to be king
And a king ain’t satisfied
Till he rules everything
I want to go out tonight
I want to find out what I got
I believe in the love that you gave me
I believe in the hope that can save me
I believe in the faith
And I pray that some day it may raise me
Above these badlands
[Chorus]
For the ones who had a notion
A notion deep inside
That it ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive
I want to find one face that ain’t looking through me
I want to find one place
I want to spit in the face of these badlands
[Chorus]
“SWEET ILLUSIONS” RYAN ADAMS
The ultimate song of heartbreak, Ryan Adams (not Bryan!) is a lyrical genius. His ability to so deeply express those inner emotions and magically find the perfect words to describe such intense feelings. Read this lyrics, put yourself in this situation, it will take your breath away.
Let me go I’m only letting you down
I got nothing to say to you now
Lose the feelings that are weighing me down
When I’m sane
It’s turning morning all the birds sing I’m not complicating anything I’ll have another and then I’ll go to bed And dream of you
Cause it’s almost over Yeah it’s almost gone
I can feel the sweet illusion Sweet confusion Sweet illusion coming down And I ain’t got nothing but love for you now
You and I used to shine like a jewel But time’s been nothing to us but cruel So play it out and never play the fool Cause you’ll lose everytime
We were nothing,we were only the past Hard times like that don’t last I’ve been forgiven,I’ve been surpassed By my heart Have you?
Cause it’s almost over Yeah it’s almost gone
I can feel the sweet illusion Sweet confusion Sweet illusion coming down And I ain’t got nothing but love
Love for you that I can’t use Lonely nights multiplied by the blues I can’t resolve
You never knew me but you did you’re best I’m just lonely inside I guess You gave me everything you really tried Thanks
If we are nothing and we’re only the past Well I’m just living in a dream I guess A long black dream that takes me down the river to you
Where it’s almost over And it’s almost gone
And I can feel the sweet illusion Sweet confusion Sweet illusion coming down
Sweet illusion Sweet confusion Sweet illusion coming down And I ain’t got nothing but love for you now
Movie director, Baz Luhrmann, has just released his adaptation of the Great Gatsby novel. Sticking with what’s familiar, Baz has teamed up with Leonardo DiCaprio for the second time after first collaborating on their version of William Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet. The tragic, eternal, love story of two star-crossed lovers has inspired countless romantic books, movies, and even classic some classic songs. Dire Straits recorded a version in 1980 that features a simple introduction before an epic rock guitar workout.
Lou Reed’s fifteenth CD, New York, was a return to his city roots and his Velvet Underground sound. The first single was Dirty Boulevard but the album’s opening track, Romeo Had Juliette, described an inner city love affair between Romeo Rodriguez with his long black ponytail and his love, Juliette. The song vividly describes the grime and corruption of the streets with the beauty of a love affair to make everything feel right. It ends with these teenage heartbreak lines:
Written from the perspective of Juliet, a teenage Taylor Swift flipped the theme of Shakepeare’s masterpiece and turned the tragedy into a pop song with a happy ending. Taylor wrote the song in twenty minutes and described being inspired by a boyfriend that her friends and family didn’t approve, but Taylor was optimistic that true love would over all obstacles. The romantic song has become one of Taylor’s most covered compositions and a wonderful twist on the Romeo and Juliet theme.
