16 replies · 711 views
Since lyric posts seem to be coming envogue recently, I've got one that has always had me scratching my head....so what is the deal with Times Change?
One minute he's talking about Jesus with yellow fever, than (I think) the earthquake that destroyed the Carribean pirate port Port Royale (referencing something similar to the fall of Babylon???), then discussing how he can't seem to find happiness???
Maybe this one's been done before, but someone smarter than me, please help explain?
EdelBrock wrote: Since lyric posts seem to be coming envogue recently, I've got one that has always had me scratching my head....so what is the deal with Times Change?
One minute he's talking about Jesus with yellow fever, than (I think) the earthquake that destroyed the Carribean pirate port Port Royale (referencing something similar to the fall of Babylon???), then discussing how he can't seem to find happiness???
Maybe this one's been done before, but someone smarter than me, please help explain?
He;s referencing a David Bowie song.
Since this is hitting the bottom of the page, can anyone enlighten me on the lyrics to this, or is everyone else confused like I am?
Its probably best not to over analysis Barney lyrics. They are usually just ramblings. Or are they.................
True, but usually his ramblings have some piont to them, and these references seemed to well thought out to be nonsense.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/pages/history/story001.html
Go to this link and get yourself a history lesson. It covers shaking of the ground (as in a supposed earthquaker) and stealing in the day (pirates and the like frequented the port).
Not sure about yellow fever, yellow hay bit though.
Yeah I already knew that about Port Royale (mentioned it on the first post)....but what does that have to do with everything else he's singing about? To put such an obscure history event as a analogy seems like he really thought this through...but I'm not getting it.
Maybe he just got some references off the net or from books and stuck them together.
Or maybe he's comparing the looting and devastation of Port Royal town to the devastation to ones soul whos trying to find the right path and has to die before they truely live.
....and it's songs like these, that make Republic one of the most underrated albums of all time.
Isamu wrote: ....and it's songs like these, that make Republic one of the most underrated albums of all time.
Ive got into this album of late. Its got a good chilled vibe and the music on it is pretty good. I prefere the smooth layered production to the primitive harsh demo-ish sound of Brotherhood and the vocals and lyrics are top notch.
Ive always liked Times Change. Its got a big keyboard sound (not too unlike Visit Me), a great bass solo and catchy chorus.
NO Regret wrote: Maybe he just got some references off the net or from books and stuck them together.
Or maybe he's comparing the looting and devastation of Port Royal town to the devastation to ones soul whos trying to find the right path and has to die before they truely live.
My first guess was that the town mimicks real life, and people are naturally currpt in the soul...and the earthquake cleansed the town, as either huge personal catastropies can straighten one out, or there is a reckoning soon coming?
I don't know, but this song seems to have the most thought put into it than any other song from NO (even 1963)....but its shooting right over my head.
I think it's typical Barney's lyrics. Either a vague love story or hidden feelings exposed through metaphors. It's just the metaphors that make you scratch the head. Technique has much more explicit lyrics in this respect.
Think of Behind Closed Doors also.
Maybe, but BCD seems just like a bad college poem. There aren't any really clever or well thought out analogies. Times Change has either some real thought to it, or you just might be right, it might be another badly written college poem.
I quite like "Behind Closed Doors"... Especially the "listen to the Coors" lyric... Cos lets face it you'd really have to be behind closed doors to get away with listening to that bunch of wailing harridans 
unless, of course, Sumner is telling us about a strange fetish 
Perhaps the lyrics were simply supposed to be left for the listener's interpretation? Great song though.
