What are the best-written songs of all-time lyrically?

[jenglisbe]

With the well-deserved focus on "Fast Car" as of late, I've certainly been praising it as one of the best-written songs of all-time. I mean that beyond the lyrics, but the lyrics are what really elevate it as it tells a story of the effects of generational poverty and addiction. It's a story you rarely get in popular music. There is also a subtle use of the changing of pronouns at the end that is terrific too. (Musically it's also profound with that repeated guitar line echoing the repeating of the family story.) It's truly one of the best-written songs of all-time. I'll post the full lyrics below.

With that being said, please post songs in this thread that you think are among the best-written ever lyrically. This discussion isn't intended to be about songs with 1-2 great lines, or songs that are catchy; it's about songs with really good lyrics from beginning to end.

"Fast Car"

You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere
Any place is better
Starting from zero, got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
Me, myself, I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
I got a plan to get us out of here
I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
Won't have to drive too far
Just 'cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

See, my old man's got a problem
He lives with the bottle, that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
His body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said, somebody's got to take care of him
So I quit school and that's what I did

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
We gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

So I remember we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I, had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
We go cruising to entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
And I work in a market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I, had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me would find it
I got no plans, I ain't going nowhere
So take your fast car and keep on driving

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I-I, had a feeling that I belonged
I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so you can fly away?
You gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

[colson]

The "classic" songs that immediately come to mind to me are John Lennon's "Imagine", Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come".

[jenglisbe]

The next song I will add to this thread is "The Roof" by Mariah Carey. It describes the apparently true situation of Mariah hooking up with Derek Jeter. The lyrics Mariah writes here are very poetic, insightful, and even clever (the rhyming of Moet and liberated). Even the ad-libs are stunning.

"The Roof"

It wasn't raining yet
But it was definitely
a little misty on that warm November night
And my heart was pounding
My inner voice resounding
Begging me to turn away
But I just had to see your face to feel alive
And then you casually walked in the room
And I was twisted in the web of my desire for you
My apprehension blew away
I only wanted you
To taste my sadness as you kissed me in the dark

Every time I feel the need
I envision you caressing me
And go back in time
To relive the splendor of you and I
On the rooftop that rainy night

And so we finished the Moët
and started feeling liberated
And I surrendered as you took me in your arms
I was so caught up in the moment
I couldn't bear to let you go yet
So I threw caution to the wind
And started listening to my longing heart
And then you softly pressed your lips to mine
And feelings surfaced I'd suppressed for such a long long time
(And I was lifted)
And for a while I forgot
The sorrow and the pain
And melted with you as we stood there in the rain

Every time I feel the need
I envision you caressing me
And go back in time
To relive the splendor of you and I
On the rooftop that rainy night


Every time I feel the need
I envision you caressing me
And go back in time
To relive the splendor of you and I
On the rooftop that rainy night

Last night I dreamed that I
Whispered the words I love you
And touched you so very subtly
as we were kissing goodbye
(Pretty baby - How I'm missing you)

(Every time I...
Every time I feel the need
I envision you caressing me
And go back in time
To relive the splendor of you and I
On the rooftop that rainy night


Every time I feel the need
(When I feel the need, I envision you)
I envision you caressing me
(Over and over and over again)
And go back in time
To relive the splendor of you and I
On the rooftop that rainy night

Every time I feel the need
(Last night I had the strangest dream...)
I envision you caressing me
(It was actually quite symbolic)
And go back in time
(As I whispered... That I loved you)
To relive the splendor of you and I
(...very subtly)
On the rooftop that rainy night

Every time I feel the need
I envision you caressing me
And go back in time
To relive the splendor of you and I
On the rooftop that rainy night

[dbhmr]

Other than Joni Mitchell's, "Both Sides Now" the ones that come to mind are all more contemporary and idk if people would think they're "all-timers" but...idc

Florence & The Machine, "Heavy In Your Arms"
Nickel Creek, "The Lighthouse's Tale"
Lana del Rey, "How to Disappear"
Jhene Aiko, "Spotless Mind"
Kelly Clarkson, "Tightrope"
Troye Sivan, "Good Side"

[Envoirment]

Billie Holiday - "Strange Fruit"

The weight of the song/lyrics is so immense.

[🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲]

My personal picks are these from Madonna:

"This Used To Be My Playground"
"Love Tried To Welcome Me"
"Live To Tell"
"Oh Father"
"Words"


Their lyrics just so resonate so well with me, especially when I was going thru rough times in my life. Pretty dark and cryptic.

[leonagwen]

Feb 8, 2024 16:11:19 GMT -5 🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲 said:

My personal picks are these from Madonna:

"This Used To Be My Playground"
"Love Tried To Welcome Me"
"Live To Tell"
"Oh Father"
"Words"


Their lyrics just so resonate so well with me, especially when I was going thru rough times in my life. Pretty dark and cryptic.

"Rain" is another good song lyrically.

[Luckie Starchild]

Bruce Springsteen - "Born to Run"


In the day we sweat it out on the streets
Of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through the mansions of glory
In suicide machines
Sprung from cages on Highway 9
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected, and steppin' out over the line
Oh, baby this town rips the bones from your back
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we're young
'Cause tramps like us, baby, we were born to run
Yes, girl, we were

Wendy, let me in, I wanna be your friend
I wanna guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims
And strap your hands 'cross my engines
Together we could break this trap
We'll run 'til we drop, baby, we'll never go back
Oh, will you walk with me out on the wire?
'Cause, baby, I'm just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta know how it feels
I want to know if love is wild
Babe, I want to know if love is real
Oh, can you show me

Beyond the Palace, hemi-powered drones
Scream down the boulevard
Girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors
And the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark
Kids are huddled on the beach in the mist
I wanna die with you, Wendy, on the street tonight
In an everlasting kiss

The highway's jammed with broken heroes
On a last chance power drive
Everybody's out on the run tonight
But there's no place left to hide
Together, Wendy, we can live with the sadness
I'll love you with all the madness in my soul
Oh, someday, girl, I don't know when
We're gonna get to that place
Where we really wanna go and we'll walk in the sun
But 'til then, tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run

Oh honey, tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run
Come on with me, tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run

[Luckie Starchild]

[countryfan43]

I love “Note To Self” by Randy Houser. Super great lyrics but unfortunately radio did not take it that far.

[The Brazilian Guy 🇧🇷]

Not really an all-timer, but a personal favorite "contemporary" song

Crashed on the floor when I moved in
This little bungalow alone with some strange new friends
Stay up too late, and I'm too thin
We promise each other it's til the end
Now we're spinning empty bottles
It's the five of us
With pretty eyed boys girls die to trust
I can't resist the day
No, I can't resist the day

Jenny screams out and it's no pose
Cause when she dances she goes and goes
And beer through the nose on an inside joke
And I'm so excited, I haven't spoken
And she's so pretty, and she's so sure
Maybe I'm more clever than a girl like her
The summer's all in bloom
The summer is ending soon

It's alright and it's nice not to be so alone
But I hold on to your secrets in white houses

Maybe I'm a little bit over my head
I come undone at the things he said
And he's so funny in his bright red shirt
We were all in love and we all got hurt
I sneak into his car's cracked leather seat
The smell of gasoline in the summer heat
Boy, we're going way too fast
It's all too sweet to last

It's alright
And I put myself in his hands
But I hold on to your secrets in white houses
Love, or something ignites in my veins
And I pray it never fades in white houses

My first time, hard to explain
Rush of blood, oh, and a little bit of pain
On a cloudy day, it's more common than you think
He's my first mistake

Maybe you were all faster than me
We gave each other up so easily
These silly little wounds will never mend
I feel so far from where I've been
So I go, and I will not be back here again
I'm gone as the day is fading on white houses
I lie, put my injuries all in the dust
In my heart is the five of us
In white houses

And you, maybe you'll remember me
What I gave is yours to keep
In white houses
In white houses
In white houses

[childeroland]

Bob Dylan "North Country Blues"

Come gather 'round friends and I'll tell you a tale
Of when the red iron pits ran a-plenty
But the cardboard-filled windows and old men on the benches

Tell you now that the whole town is empty

In the north end of town my own children are grown
But I was raised on the other
In the wee hours of youth my mother took sick

And I was brought up by my brother

The iron ore poured as the years passed the door
The drag lines an' the shovels they was a-humming
'Till one day my brother failed to come home

The same as my father before him

Well, a long winter's wait from the window I watched
My friends they couldn't have been kinder
And my schooling was cut as I quit in the spring

To marry John Thomas, a miner

Oh, the years passed again, and the giving was good
With the lunch bucket filled every season
What with three babies born, the work was cut down

To a half a day's shift with no reason

Then the shaft was soon shut, and more work was cut
And the fire in the air, it felt frozen
'Till a man come to speak, and he said in one week

That number eleven was closing

They complained in the East, they are paying too high
They say that your ore ain't worth digging
That it's much cheaper down in the South American towns

Where the miners work almost for nothing

So the mining gates locked, and the red iron rotted
And the room smelled heavy from drinking
Where the sad, silent song made the hour twice as long

As I waited for the sun to go sinking

I lived by the window as he talked to himself
This silence of tongues it was building
'Till one morning's wake, the bed it was bare

And I was left alone with three children

The summer is gone, the ground's turning cold
The stores one by one they're all folding
My children will go as soon as they grow
Well, there ain't nothing here now to hold them

[Glass Joe]

Feb 9, 2024 13:31:37 GMT -5 The Brazilian Guy 🇧🇷 said:

Not really an all-timer, but a personal favorite "contemporary" song

Crashed on the floor when I moved in
This little bungalow alone with some strange new friends
Stay up too late, and I'm too thin
We promise each other it's til the end
Now we're spinning empty bottles
It's the five of us
With pretty eyed boys girls die to trust
I can't resist the day
No, I can't resist the day

Jenny screams out and it's no pose
Cause when she dances she goes and goes
And beer through the nose on an inside joke
And I'm so excited, I haven't spoken
And she's so pretty, and she's so sure
Maybe I'm more clever than a girl like her
The summer's all in bloom
The summer is ending soon

It's alright and it's nice not to be so alone
But I hold on to your secrets in white houses

Maybe I'm a little bit over my head
I come undone at the things he said
And he's so funny in his bright red shirt
We were all in love and we all got hurt
I sneak into his car's cracked leather seat
The smell of gasoline in the summer heat
Boy, we're going way too fast
It's all too sweet to last

It's alright
And I put myself in his hands
But I hold on to your secrets in white houses
Love, or something ignites in my veins
And I pray it never fades in white houses

My first time, hard to explain
Rush of blood, oh, and a little bit of pain
On a cloudy day, it's more common than you think
He's my first mistake

Maybe you were all faster than me
We gave each other up so easily
These silly little wounds will never mend
I feel so far from where I've been
So I go, and I will not be back here again
I'm gone as the day is fading on white houses
I lie, put my injuries all in the dust
In my heart is the five of us
In white houses

And you, maybe you'll remember me
What I gave is yours to keep
In white houses
In white houses
In white houses

I’m really glad to see this song get brought up. I absolutely agree! This song is amazing on all aspects! Lyrically, musically, and emotionally, so great in all those ways when you look at it.

[irice22]

While "White Houses" flopped, it's quite astonishing to me how many people remember the song. If you loved it, you reallllly loved it.

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

I'd been thinking on if I could reply to this topic for the last few days. It's tough to think of something that comes close to "Fast Car" since its release. I'm sure there are plenty from the 60s and 70s but in the 90s or later? But here's a few songs from recent years that I've always thought were really well-written and capture parts of the human experience:

Brandi Carlile's "Sugartooth" is a song about opoid addiction who eventually ends his own life. It's an example of a song that isn't relatable exactly but the way its written and presented makes you able to feel it. It's something Brandi does well in her songs I think. A few others she has that I like the lyrics of are "That Year," "Fulton County Jane Doe" and "Wasted," which is the source of one of my tattoos.

He wasn't really known for breaking the rules
When he arrived in the second year of my high school
He wasn't so much of a twist of fate
As a short turn up from a Southern state
He was born with a sweet tooth he couldn't beat
Always trying to find himself something sweet
All that he found was the trouble and me
Or maybe trouble just found him

It was hard to hide that his heart had scars
He would stay up late talking to the stars
People tried to blame him for making bad choices
When he was only listening to the voices
And searching for some kind of deeper truth
Between the lines and the Bible and living proof
There's no point now to judge him in vain
If you haven't been there, you don't know the pain

He was a liar, but not a fraud
Living proof that there was no God
Just the Devil stiff as a rod
A slave to a sugartooth

His life became more than he could take
He found a bad habit he couldn't break
Nothing could tame him and nothing could hold him
He only took the pills when the doctor told him
Looking to hard for that something sweet
To make his life feel less incomplete
What in the hell are you gonna do
When the world has made its mind up about you?

He was a liar, but not a fraud
Living proof that there was no God
Just the Devil stiff as a rod
A slave to a sugartooth

He wanted to be a better man
Then life kicked him down like an old tin can
He would give you the shirt on his back
If not for the sugartooth

They found him lying on his bed
With a gun in his hand and a quiet head
His broken heart, now, is finally gone
But I know that he had to hurt for too long
To think he had fought it all on his own
Just to lose the battle and die alone
After so many years of feeling the loss
He finally made his way back home

And I heard they put what was left in a box
And took it to a place called Jesus Rock
And scattered him all over jagged mound
As a symbol to all that the peace had been found
But not for a son who is left behind
With a hand stuck reaching back in time
To a place in which you can never unwind
I hope he found something so sweet

He was a liar, but not a fraud
Living proof that there was no God
Just the Devil stiff as a rod
A slave to a sugartooth

He wanted to be a better man
But life kicked him down like an old tin can
He would give you the shirt on his back
If not for a sugartooth

"If We Were Vampires" by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit is another song with great lyrics in that it contextualizes time and relationships. To me, the key line is "maybe time running out is a gift." It's such a powerful line to me. You appreciate someone because you know it's not forever.

It's not the long, flowing dress that you're in
Or the light coming off of your skin
The fragile heart you protected for so long
Or the mercy in your sense of right and wrong
It's not your hands searching slow in the dark
Or your nails leaving love's watermark
It's not the way you talk me off the roof
Your questions like directions to the truth

It's knowing that this can't go on forever
Likely one of us will have to spend some days alone
Maybe we'll get forty years together
But one day I'll be gone
Or one day you'll be gone

If we were vampires and death was a joke
We'd go out on the sidewalk and smoke
Laugh at all the lovers and their plans
I wouldn't feel the need to hold your hand
Maybe time running out is a gift
I'll work hard 'til the end of my shift
And give you every second I can find
And hope it isn't me who's left behind

It's knowing that this can't go on forever
Likely one of us will have to spend some days alone
Maybe we'll get forty years together
But one day I'll be gone
Or one day you'll be gone

It's knowing that this can't go on forever
Likely one of us will have to spend some days alone
Maybe we'll get forty years together
But one day I'll be gone
Or one day you'll be gone

And Kathleen Edwards. Her song "House Full of Empty Rooms" so accurately depicted the gradual breakdown of my relationship shortly after that it became a go-to song for me in those last days before me and my ex broke up. It's like that point between realizing it hasn't been working out and having to actually end it.

You don't talk to me
Not the way that you used to
Maybe I don't listen
In a way that makes you think I do
I've been wondering
About what we're gonna do
A house full of empty rooms

You don't kiss me
Not the way that I wish you would
Maybe I don't look at you
In a way that makes you think you should
Still I've been thinking about how it's gonna be
Years of giving up your dreams

And I'm far from perfect
I'm far from anything
But I swear that when we started
I used to make you happy
But I don't know you
Not the way that I thought I did
Maybe you don't know me
And you don't want to be the first to say
I've been wondering about what we're gonna do
And I've been wondering about what we're gonna do
A house full of empty rooms
A house full of empty rooms

[Ling-Ling]

I immediately thought of "Down From Dover," "Coat Of Many Colors," "To Daddy" by Dolly Parton. All devastating songs. That woman was so much more than "Jolene" and "IWALY."

[• Господин Умљеновић •]

Jewel • Foolish games

You took your coat off, stood in the rain
You're always crazy like that
And I watched from my window
Always felt I was outside looking in on you
You're always the mysterious one with
Dark eyes and careless hair
You were fashionably sensitive
But too cool to care
You stood in my doorway, with nothing to say
Besides some comment on the weather

In case you failed to notice, in case you failed to see
This is my heart bleedin' before you, this is me down on my knees

These foolish games are tearing me apart
And your thoughtless words are breakin' my heart
You're breaking my heart

You're always brilliant in the morning
Smoking your cigarettes and talking over coffee
Your philosophies on art, Baroque moved you
You loved Mozart and you'd speak of your loved ones
As I clumsily strummed my guitar

You'd teach me of honest things
Things that were daring, things that were clean
Things that knew what an honest dollar did mean
I hid my soiled hands behind my back
Somewhere along the line, I must've gone off track with you

Excuse me, think I've mistaken you for somebody else
Somebody who gave a damn, somebody more like myself

These foolish games are tearing me
You're tearing me, you're tearing me apart
And your thoughtless words are breaking my heart
You're breaking my heart
You took your coat off, stood in the rain
You're always crazy like that

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And this lyrical/musical/mood masterpiece

Heroin by Lana Del Rey

Topanga is hot tonight, the city by the bay
Has movie stars and liquor stores and soft decay
The rumblin' from distant shores sends me to sleep
But the facts of life can sometimes make it hard to dream

Life rocked me like Mötley
Grabbed me by the ribbons in my hair
Life rocked me ultra softly
Like the heavy metal that you wear

I'm flyin' to the moon again, dreamin' about heroin
How it gave you everything and took your life away
I put you on an aeroplane, destined for a foreign land
I hoped that you'd come back again
And tell me everything's okay, hey, babe, yeah

Topanga's hot today, Manson's in the air
And all my friends have gone, 'cause they still feel him here
I wanna leave, I'll probably stay another year
It's hard to live when absolutely nothing's clear

Life rocked me like Mötley
Bad beginnin' to my new year
Life rocked me ultra softly
Like the heavy metal that you hear

I'm flyin' to the moon again, dreamin' about heroin
And how it gave you everything and took your life away
I put you on the aeroplane, destined for a foreign land
I thought that you'd come back again
To tell me everything's okay, hey, babe, yeah

winter in the city
Somethin' 'bout this weather made these kids go crazy
(It's hot) even for February
Somethin' 'bout this sun has made these kids get scary
Oh, writin' in blood on my walls and shit
Like, oh, oh my God
Jumpin' off from the walls into the docks and shit
Oh-ho-ho-ho, I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't sick of it
Baby (baby), come on (come on), come on (come on)

I'm flyin' to the moon again, dreamin' about marzipan
Taking all my medicine to take my thoughts away
I'm getting on that aeroplane, leavin' my old man again
I hope that I come back one day
To tell you that I really changed, baby

somethin' 'bout the city
Don't know what it is, it makes my head get crazy
Oh, makes me feel like I can change
Oh-ho-ho-ho, all of my evil ways and shit
Mmm-mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm-mmm
Oh, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sick of it

[Luckie Starchild]

And what Luckie says goes

[SPRΞΞ]

White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane
Time in a Bottle - Jim Croce

[daneeis]

Breakdown by Mariah Carey, especially the first verse.



"You called yesterday
to basically say
that you care for me but
that you're just not in love
immediately, I pretended to be
feeling similarly and lead you to believe......

[newpower]

This B-side from Pet Shop Boys has one of saddest lyrics…

Your Funny Uncle
A windy day
The cars in slow formation
Not far away
A final destination
One mother's son
His father's distant gaze, regretting
Where they went wrong
He always found it too upsetting
Me and my friend
We lived our lives completely
From start to end
You and your friend, so sweetly
With strength and pride
In spite of everything, and swimming
Against the tide
To obstinately hope of winning
And at the end
Your funny uncle staring
At all your friends
With military bearing
And stopped to stand
To smile and speak of you directly
Goodbye, shake hands
Like you did everything correctly
To wipe away the tears
No more pain, no fear
No sorrow or dying
No waiting or crying
These former things have passed away
Another life begins today

[🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲]

Another fave that deserves a mention. I love the message behind. It speaks on men who do not want to accept parental responsibilities. My mother and her siblings grew up with absentee fathers, so I am definitely feeling the lyrical content.

"Be A Father To Your Child" by Da Bulldogs

Be a father if not why bother son
A boy can make 'em but a man can raise one
If you did it admit it and stick with it
Don't say it ain't yours 'cause all women are not whores
Ninety percent represent a woman that is faithful
Ladies can I hear it? thank you.
When a girl gets pregnant her man is gonna run around
Dissin' her for nine months when it's born he wants to come around
Talking that I'm sorry for what I did
And all of a sudden he wants to see his kid
She had to bear it by herself and take care of it by herself
And givin' her money for milk won't really help
Half of the fathers with sons and daughters don't even wanna take 'em
But it's so easy for them to make 'em
It's true, if it weren't for you then the child wouldn't exist
After a skeeze, there's responsibilities so don't resist
Be a father to your child
You see, I hate when a brother makes a child and then denies it
Thinking that money is the answer so he buys it
A whole bunch of gifts and a lot of presents
It's not the presents, it's your presence and essence
Of being there and showing the baby that you care
Stop sittin' like a chair and having your baby wonder where you are
Or who you are----fool, you are his daddy
Don't act like you ain't cause that really makes me mad, g.
To see a mother and a baby suffer
I've had enough of brothers who don't love the
Fact that a baby brings joy into your life
You could still be called daddy if the mother's not your wife
Don't be scared, be prepared 'cause love is gonna getcha
It will always be your child even if she ain't witcha
So don't front on your child when it's your own
'Cause if you front now, then you'll regret it when it's grown
Be a father to your child
Put yourself in his position and see what you're done
But just keep in mind that you're somebody's son
How would you like it if your father was a stranger
And then tried to come into your life and tried to change
The way your mother raised ya----now, wouldn't that amaze ya?
To be or not to be, that is the question
When you're wrong, you're wrong, it's time to make a correction
Harassin' the mother for being with another man
But if the brother man can do it better than you can,
Let him. don't sweat him, duke
Let him do the job that you couldn't do.
You're claimin' you was there, but not when she needed you
And now you wanna come around for a day or two?
It's never too late to correct your mistake
So get yourself together for your child's sake
And be a father to your child

[🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲]

"Keep Ya Head Up" by 2Pac


Little somethin' for my godson Elijah and a little girl named Corin
Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
I say the darker the flesh then the deeper the roots
I give a holler to my sisters on welfare
Tupac cares, if don't nobody else care
And uh, I know they like to beat ya down a lot
When you come around the block, brothas clown a lot
But please don't cry, dry your eyes, never let up
Forgive but don't forget, girl, keep your head up
And when he tells you you ain't nuttin' don't believe him
And if he can't learn to love you, you should leave him
'Cause sista you don't need him
And I ain't tryin' to gas ya up, I just call 'em how I see 'em (you don't need him)
You know me makes me unhappy? (What's that?)
When brothas make babies
And leave a young mother to be a pappy (oh, yeah, yeah, yeah)
And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman (yeah, yeah)
I wonder why we take from our women
Why we rape our women, do we hate our women? (Why? Why?)
I think it's time to kill for our women (why? Why? Why? Why?)
Time to heal our women, be real to our women
And if we don't we'll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies, that make the babies (oh, yeah, baby)
And since a man can't make one
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one
So will the real men get up
I know you're fed up ladies, but keep your head up
Keep ya head up, ooh, child, things are gonna get easier
Keep-keep ya head up, ooh, child, things'll get brighter (ohh)
Keep ya head up, ooh, child, things are gonna get easier
Keep-keep ya head up, ooh, child, things'll get brighter
Ayo, I remember Marvin Gaye, used to sing to me
He had me feelin' like black was the thing to be
And suddenly the ghetto didn't seem so tough
And though we had it rough, we always had enough
I huffed and puffed about my curfew and broke the rules
Ran with the local crew, and had a smoke or two
And I realize momma really paid the price
She nearly gave her life, to raise me right (oh, yeah)
And all I had to give her was my pipe dream (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Of how I'd rock the mic, and make it to the bright screen
I'm tryin' to make a dollar out of fifteen cents
It's hard to be legit and still pay your rent
And in the end it seems I'm headin' for the pen
I try and find my friends, but they're blowin' in the wind
Last night my buddy lost his whole family
It's gonna take the man in me to conquer this insanity (no, no, no, no)
It seems the rain'll never let up
I try to keep my head up, and still keep from gettin' wet up
You know, it's funny when it rains it pours
They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor
Said it ain't no hope for the youth and the truth is
It ain't no hope for the future
And then they wonder why we crazy
I blame my mother for turning my brother into a crack baby
We ain't meant to survive, 'cause it's a setup
And even though you're fed up
Huh, ya got to keep your head up
Keep ya head up, ooh, child, things are gonna get easier
Keep-keep ya head up, ooh, child, things'll get brighter (ohh)
Keep ya head up, ooh, child, things are gonna get easier
Keep-keep ya head up, ooh, child, things'll get brighter
And uh
To all the ladies havin' babies on they own
I know it's kinda rough and you're feelin' all alone
Daddy's long gone and he left you by ya lonesome
Thank the Lord for my kids, even if nobody else want 'em (left you all by yourself)
'Cause I think we can make it, in fact, I'm sure
And if you fall, stand tall and comeback for more
'Cause ain't nothin' worse than when your son
Wants to know why his daddy don't love him no mo'
You can't complain you was dealt this
Hell of a hand without a man, feelin' helpless
Because there's too many things for you to deal with
Dying inside, but outside you're looking fearless
While the tears is rollin' down your cheeks
Ya steady hopin' things don't all down this week
'Cause if it did, you couldn't take it, and don't blame me
I was given this world I didn't make it
And now my son's gettin' older and older and cold
From havin' the world on his shoulders
While the rich kids is drivin' Benz
I'm still tryin' to hold on to my survivin' friends
And it's crazy, it seems it'll never let up, but
Please, you got to keep your head up

[🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲]

I can relate to this so much. I actually have been disrespected by men in the past. I've even been groped from behind once upon a time.



"U.N.I.T.Y." by Queen Latifah 

Uh, U.N.I.T.Y., U.N.I.T.Y. that's a unity
U.N.I.T.Y., love a black man from infinity to infinity
(Who you calling a bitch?)
U.N.I.T.Y., U.N.I.T.Y. that's a unity (You gotta let him know)
(You go, come on here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., Love a black woman from (You got to let him know)
infinity to infinity (You ain't a bitch or a ho)
U.N.I.T.Y., U.N.I.T.Y. that's a unity (You gotta let him know)
(You go, come on here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., Love a black man from (You got to let him know)
infinity to infinity (You ain't a bitch or a ho)

Instinct leads me to another flow
Everytime I hear a brother call a girl a bitch or a ho
Trying to make a sister feel low
You know all of that gots to go
Now everybody knows there's exceptions to this rule
Now don't be getting mad, when we playing, it's cool
But don't you be calling out my name
I bring wrath to those who disrespect me like a dame
That's why I'm talking, one day I was walking down the block
I had my cutoff shorts on right cause it was crazy hot
I walked past these dudes when they passed me
One of 'em felt my booty, he was nasty
I turned around red, somebody was catching the wrath
Then the little one said (Yeah me bitch) and laughed
Since he was with his boys he tried to break fly
Huh, I punched him dead in his eye and said "Who you calling a bitch?"

(Here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., U.N.I.T.Y. that's a unity (You gotta let him know)
(You go, come on here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., Love a black woman from (You got to let him know)
infinity to infinity (You ain't a bitch or a ho)
(Here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., U.N.I.T.Y. that's a unity (You gotta let him know)
(You go, come on here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., Love a black man from (You got to let him know)
infinity to infinity (You ain't a bitch or a ho)

I hit the bottom, there ain't nowhere else to go but up
Bad days at work, give you an attitude then you were rough
And take it out on me but that's about enough
You put your hands on me again I'll put your ass in handcuffs
I guess I fell so deep in love I grew dependency
I was too blind to see just how it was affecting me
All I knew was you, you was all the man I had
And I was scared to let you go, even though you treated me bad
But I don't want my kids to see me getting beat down
By daddy smacking mommy all around
You say I'm nothing without ya, but I'm nothing with ya
A man don't really love you if he hits ya
This is my notice to the door, I'm not taking it no more
I'm not your personal whore, that's not what I'm here for
And nothing good gonna come to ya til you do right by me
Brother you wait and see (Who you calling a bitch?)

(Here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., U.N.I.T.Y. that's a unity (You gotta let him know)
(You go, come on here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., Love a black woman from (You got to let him know)
infinity to infinity (You ain't a bitch or a ho)
(Here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., U.N.I.T.Y. that's a unity (You gotta let him know)
(You go, come on here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., Love a black man from (You got to let him know)
infinity to infinity (You ain't a bitch or a ho)

What's going on in your mind is what I ask ya
But like Yo-Yo, you don't hear me though
You wear a rag around your head and you call yourself
a "Gangsta Bitch" now that you saw Apache's video
I saw you wilding, acting like a fool
I peeped you out the window jumping girls after school
But where did all of this come from?
A minute ago, you was a nerd and nobody ever heard of ya
Now you a wannabe... hard
You barely know your ABC's, please
There's plenty of people out there with triggers ready to pull it
Why you trying to jump in front of the bullet (Young lady)
Uh, and real bad girls are the silent type
Ain't none of this work getting your face sliced
Cause that's what happened to your homegirl, right? Bucking with nobody
She got to wear that for life (Who you calling a bitch?)

(Here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., U.N.I.T.Y. that's a unity (You gotta let him know)
(You go, come on here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., Love a black woman from (You got to let him know)
infinity to infinity (You ain't a bitch or a ho)
(Here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., U.N.I.T.Y. that's a unity (You gotta let him know)
(You go, come on here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., Love a black man from (You must let him know)
infinity to infinity (You ain't a bitch or a ho)

[jenglisbe]

A lot of good one being mentioned. I was going to mention "Keep Ya Head Up" next but 🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲 beat me to it :)

I'll add Miranda Lambert's "Vice" to the conversation. I love that it's a woman singing about her sexual agency (among other things) and acknowledging her flaws. There are also a few lines that just really hit me hard.

"Vice"

Sting of the needle dropping on a vinyl
Neon singer with a jukebox title full of heartbreak
33, 45, 78
When it hurts this good you gotta play it twice
Another vice

All dressed up in a pretty black label
Sweet salvation on a dining room table
Waiting on me,
where the numb meets the lonely
It's gone before it ever melts the ice

Another vice, another call
Another bed I shouldn't crawl out of
At 7 AM with shoes in my hand
Said I wouldn't do it, but I did it again
And I know I'll be back tomorrow night

I wear a town like a leather jacket
When the new wears off, I don't even pack it
If you need me
I'll be where my reputation don't precede me
Maybe I'm addicted to goodbyes

Another vice, another town
Where my past can't run me down
Another life, another call
Another bed I shouldn't crawl out of
At 7 AM with shoes in my hand
Said I wouldn't do it, but I did it again
And I know I'll be gone tomorrow night
Another vice

Standing at the sink, not looking in the mirror
Don't know where I am or how I got here
Well, the only thing that I know how to find
is another vice

Mm, another vice
Yes, another vice
Ooh, another vice
Another vice
Another vice
Another vice

[myhouse911]

Some really great mentions already here - great thread Jenglisbe. Some of my all-time favourites are:

Bruce Springsteen "Secret Garden"
Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah"
Vanessa Carlton "White Houses"
Tracy Chapman "Fast Car"
Kacey Musgraves "Merry Go 'Round"
Garth Brooks “The Dance”
Fleetwood Mac “Storms” and “Beautiful Child”
John Denver "Leaving on a Jetplane" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
Joni Mitchell "River"
Miranda Lambert "The House That Built Me"
Tom Petty "Wildflowers"
Lori McKenna - so many, the whole 'Lorraine' album (i.e The Luxury of Knowing, That's How You Know, Still Down Here) and 'Massachusetts' album (i.e Susanna, Make Every Word Hurt, How Romantic is That) are just spectacular.

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

Lori Mckenna has many great songs that encompass small town life so well. And perspective of a mother. The entire bird and rifle album for sure!

[jenglisbe]

Speaking of Lori McKenna, I think the song "Stealing Kisses" she wrote (and was made famous by Faith Hill) is pretty stellar and looks at an issue we don't see tackled much in popular song:

"Stealing Kisses"

"It's late enough, all your kids should be home"
The policeman says as he takes your beer for his own
You remember wondering what his wife
Thought about his occupation

He knows that you were just chasing a dream
To the town line and then back and over again
So he winks at you girls
And tells you all, "I'll see you later"

I was stealing kisses from a boy
Now I'm begging affection from a man in my house dress
Don't know you who I am? Don't know you who I am?
Standing in your kitchen

It's late enough, your husband's dinner is cold
So you wrap it up and leave it for him on the stove
It's probably the traffic again
Another important meeting
You haven't talked to an adult all day
Except for your neighbor who drives you crazy
When he finally gets in
He's sure not in the mood for talking

I was stealing kisses from a boy
Now I'm begging affection from a man in my house dress
Don't know you who I am? Don't know you who I am?
I'm standing in the kitchen

And hours become days, days become years
And you could burn down this town if they made matches from fear
'Cause you're no worse off than anybody else
Hey, don't you even know, don't you even know yourself?

So you're standing outside your high school door
Ones you walked through twenty years before
And you whisper to all of the girls
Run, run, run

I was stealing kisses from a boy
Now I'm begging affection from a man in my house dress
Don't know you who I am? Don't know you who I am?
Take a look at who I am, take a look at who I am

I'm stealing kisses

[clsvltn]

Goo Goo Dolls - Iris is my pick.,

The chorus is incredible.

And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

[YourFaveIsAFlop]

Not Ready to Make Nice by the Chicks
Mama's Broken Heart by Miranda Lambert