Here's a few that came to mind for me..
Older - Originally titled: ""Mbube" (Zulu for "lion") was first recorded by its writer, Solomon Linda, and his group, The Evening Birds, in
1939" became popular after The Tokens' 1961 cover version which soon rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100.. I like this version:
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Lyrics: [translation of Zulu]
Lala kahle [Sleep well]
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
(Chorus)
Imbube
Ingonyama ifile [The lion's in peace]
Ingonyama ilele [The lion sleeps]
Thula [Hush]
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
(Chorus)
Ingonyama ilele [The lion sleeps]
Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling
The lion sleeps tonight
Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling
The lion sleeps tonight
He, ha helelemama
Ohi'mbube [lion]
(Chorus)
Ixesha lifikile [Time has come]
Lala [Sleep]
Lala kahle [Sleep well]
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
(Chorus)
My little darling
Don't fear, my little darling
My little darling
Don't fear, my little darling
Ingonyama ilele [The lion sleeps]
"Pete Seeger explains in one recording, "it refers to an old legend down there (South Africa), [about] their last king, who was known as Chaka The Lion. Legend says, Chaka The Lion didn't die when Europeans took over our country; he simply went to sleep, and he'll wake up some day.""
So it's kinda about an invading country taking over another using force.
Which is heavily related to war, and a more modern song with significant war-related themes is:
Newer - Written by James Hetfield, Cliff Burton & Lars Ulrich in
1984, this Metallica song is one of thier timeless & most popular songs from thie early days of the band..
(Not Safe For Work)
For Whom The Bell Tolls (Live)
This version does it justice and shows how awesome it was live when Metallica were in thier prime.
Make his fight on the hill in the early day
Constant chill deep inside
Shouting gun, on they run through the endless grey
On the fight, for they are right, yes, by whos to say?
For a hill men would kill, why? they do not know
Suffered wounds test there their pride
Men of five, still alive through the raging glow
Gone insane from the pain that they surely know
[chorus:]
For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls
Take a look to the sky just before you die
It is the last time you will
Blackened roar massive roar fills the crumbling sky
Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry
Stranger now, are his eyes, to this mystery
He hears the silence so loud
Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to be
Now they will see what will be, blinded eyes to see
[chorus]
Obviously based on the Ernest Hemmingway novel For Whom the Bell Tolls it is basically about 5 soldiers left to defend a hill and are killed in an airstrike, however it holds much deeper and more complex meaning for many fans, including the insanity of war itself in general.
---
Older - A single by punk rock band the Buzzcocks, this song first appeared on the album "Singles Going Steady" realeased in
1977 and is one of thier all time hits, playing a big part in the bands' popularity extending beyond thier home country:
(Not Safe For Work)
Orgasm Addict
Classic!
Lyrics:
well you tried it out for once,
found it alright for kicks.
but then you found out
it's a habit that sticks
you're an orgams addict
you're an orgams addict
sneakin' in the back door
with dirty magazines
and your mother wants to know
"what are those stains on your jeans?"
you're an orgams addict
you're an orgams addict
you get in a heat,
you get in a sulk
but you still keep beatin'
your meat to pulp
you're an orgams addict
you're an orgams addict
you're a kid cassanova
you're a no-joseph
it's a labor of love
****ing yourself to death
you're an orgams addict
you're an orgams addict
you're makin' out with school kids,
winos and heads of state
you've even made it with the lady
who puts the little plastic robbins
on the christmas cakes
butcher's assistants and belhops
you've had 'em all here and there
children of god and their joystrings
international women with no body hair
so you're asking in an alley
and you're voice ain't steady
the sex mechanic's rough
you're more than ready
you're an orgams addict
you're an orgams addict
johnnie want ****ie
all ways and always
he's got the energy
he will amaze
he's an orgasm addict,
he's an orgasm addict.
he's always at it
he's an orgasm addict
The theme is obvious.
Newer - From their second studio album "Life Is Peachy" Korn's single from March
1997 is named after an acronym for "All Day I Dream About Sports" (as well as one of the world's biggest makers of footwear) - altered to: "All Day I Dream About Sex", this song remains one of Korn's most recognizable of their whole career, probably because of the minor-key seven-string guitar riff that the band was making prominent in the genre at the time, and the simple lyrics:
(Not Safe For Work)
A.D.I.D.A.S.
Lyrics:
Honestly, somehow it always seems that I'm dreaming of
something I can never be
It dosen't bother me, 'cause I will always be that pimp I see
in all of my fantasies
I don't know your ****ing name.
So what? Let's. . .
Screwin' may be the only way that I can truly be free
from my ****ed up reality
so I dream and stroke it harder, 'cause its so fun to see my
face staring back at me
I don't know your ****ing name.
So what? Let's ****.
All Day I Dream About Sex
All Day I Dream About ****in'
[chorus]
Pretty close to 20 years of separation that one!
Two Fantastic songs.
---
Older - The last song on Clash's 2nd album "Give 'Em Enough Rope" from
1978 pays homage to David Bowie's "All The Young Dudes" (written in 1972) but earned big popularity in it's own right as they kinda made it thier own:
All The Young Punks (New Boots and Contracts)
Lyrics:
Hanging about
Down the market street
I spent a lot of time on my feet
When i saw some passing yabbos
We did chance to speak
I knew how to sing
Y' know an
They knew how to pose
An' one of them had a les paul
Heart attack machine
All the young punks
Laugh your life
Cos there ain't much to cry for
All the young ****s
Live it now
Cos there ain't much to die for
Everybody wants to bum
A ride on the rock 'n' roller coaster
And we went out
Got our name in small print on the poster
Of course we got a manager
Though he ain't the mafia
A contract is a contract
When they get 'em out on yer
You gotta drag yourself to work
Drug yourself to sleep
You're dead from the neck up
By the middle of the week
Face front you got the future shining
Like a piece of gold
But i swear as we get closer
It look more like a lump of coal
But it's better than some factory
Now that's no place to waste your youth
I worked there for a week once
I luckily got the boot
Refers in a big way to many youth of their country at the time.
A more modern good song also referring to youth, albeit with some much more direct and violent themes is:
Newer - A hit single from P.O.D. in
2002 from their album "Satellite", inspired in part by the school shootings at Santana High School and Columbine High School - stemming from a trip where they were held up in traffic en route to recording "Satellite" and discovered that the reason was a school shooting. The album was consequently delayed and they were inspired to write this song which follows three distinct characters in assorted problems they face common to American youth:
Youth Of The Nation
Lyrics:
Last day of the rest of my life
I wish I would have known cause I'd have kissed my momma goodbye.
I didn't tell her that I loved her or how much cared or thank my
Pops for all the talks and all the wisdom he shared.
Unaware I just did what I always do.
Everyday the same routine before I skate off to school
But who knew that this day wasn't like the rest,
Instead of takin the test I took two to the chest.
Call me blind but I didn't see it comin and
Everybody was runnin but I couldn't
Hear nothin, except gun blast, it happened so fast
I didn't really know this kid though I sat by him in class.
Maybe this kid was reachin' out for love or
Maybe for a moment he forgot who he was or
Maybe this kid just wanted to be hugged,
Whatever it was I know it's because
CHORUS
We are, We are(We are) the youth of the nation (repeat)x4
Little Suzie she was only twelve
She was given the world with every chance to excel
Hang with the boys and hear the stories they tell
She might act kinda proud but no respect for herself
She finds love in all the wrong places
The same situations but just different faces.
Changed up her pace since her daddy left her
Too bad he never told her she deserved much better.
Johnny boy always played the fool,
He broke all the rules so you would think he was cool.
He was never really one of the guys
No matter how hard he tried,
Often thought of suicide
It's kinda hard when you ain't got no friends,
He put his life to an end they might remember him then.
You cross a line and there is no turnin back
He told the world how he felt with the sound of a gat.
CHORUS x4
Who's to blame for the life that tragedies claim?
No matter what you say it won't take away the pain
That I feel inside, I'm tired of all the lies
Don't nobody know why
It's the blind leadin' the blind.
Guess that's the way that the story goes,
Will it ever make sense somebody's gotta know,
There's gotta be more to life than this,
There's got to be more to everything
I thought exists
We are, We are the youth of the nation(x2)
We are, We are, We are the youth of the nation(x6)
We are the youth of the nation(x3)
The youth of the nation(x3)
