A thread for general music listening experiences in 2025.
One thought on “Music 2025”
I just started my music discussion class. For the past several classes, each weekly discussion have revolved around songs based on a specific theme. For the upcoming week, songs by groups with female leads is the theme, and I wanted to write about this because the lyrics of most of the songs really hit me.
“Hold On” (2012) by Alabama Shakes (Brittany Howard, lead singer)
The lyrics and music are about as simple as can be, especially the lyrics. “Hang in there” is the message, for someone going through a trying a time, and the impact of the simple lyrics and music surprised me.
“Middle of the Road” (1983) by The Pretenders (Chrissie Hynde, lead)
These days when I describe a song as “rockin,” I’m generally referring to a harder rock sound. But this song rocks in more rock n’ roll way, if that makes sense (i.e., not as hard), and I really like it. I like Chrissie Hynde’s singing, the originality and just the sound, which is somewhat unusual because she has a punk/new wave sound, which I don’t naturally gravitate towards. In any event, this song is the reason I love her voice.
In reading the lyrics, I just realize that “road” likely refers to playing live gigs across a large area. I think I always thought the song referred to an actual road–i.e., “If you stand in the middle of the road, you get squashed like grape.”
With this angle, the song seems autobiographical–essentially, Hynde’s musings of being in her early 30s while traveling with her band.
(On a side note, one of my favorite parts of the song is when Hynde “growls” before a harmonica solo. What I didn’t know was the lyrics that preceded that: “I’m going home, I’m tired as hell/I’m not the cat I used to be/I got a kid, I’m 33, baby.”)
“Midnight Train to Georgia” (1973) by Gladys Knight and the Pips
I liked this song, but didn’t love it. I vaguely knew it was about a guy who went somewhere, experienced hardship, and was now heading back home. I also vaguely knew that a woman loved him, as evinced by lyrics like, “I’d rather live in his world. Than live without him in mine.” And I knew this because the lyrics that expressed this were either easy to understand and/or part of a memorable melodic line.
But in this listening, while looking at all the lyrics, some of which I never knew, I had a richer understanding of the song. Primarily, the song is more about the woman and her love for the man, than the man himself. Additionally, the man went to LA to become some kind of star, whether in the movies or music, but he failed, and he now wants to eschew fame and maybe a faster life for a simpler life he knew back home.
What I didn’t quite get is that the woman who loves him is going back with him–in spite of his failure. The song isn’t so much about the man going back on the midnight train to Georgia so much as the woman who must be with him on that train, in spite of his failure. That’s a little nuance I completely missed, and it had a surprising emotional impact!
A big reason I never got this fully stems from lyrics sung by the Pips, which can’t really be heard very well. Look at the chorus:
He’s leaving (leaving)
On that midnight train to Georgia, yeah (leaving on the midnight train)
Said he’s going back (going back to find)
To a simpler place and time, oh yes, he is (whenever he takes that ride)
(Guess who’s gonna be right by his side?)
And I’ll be with him (I know you will)
On that midnight train to Georgia (leaving on a midnight train to Georgia, woo, woo)
I’d rather live in his world (live in his world)
Than live without him in mine (her world is his, his and hers alone)
“Guess who’s going to be by his side?” is the line that did it–turning the light switch on and emotionally hitting me at the same time. That, followed by “And I’ll be with him (I know you will).” The black choir call-and-response is corny, but it worked on me.
(Also another nuance–the Pips sing the “woo woo” as if they’re train whistle.” )
One last thing. Knight may not have a great voice, but she sings with feeling, and when I view the song about a woman’s love and devotion that really takes it to another level.
“Strong” (2020) by Amaranthe (Noora Lourimo, lead singer)
2
If you told me to listen to a song and described it as pop metal with earnest lyrics, that would all but extinguish my interest in listening to it. Surprisingly, I like this song–the music, vocals, and I think the lyrics work fairly well as a female empowerment song.
I just started my music discussion class. For the past several classes, each weekly discussion have revolved around songs based on a specific theme. For the upcoming week, songs by groups with female leads is the theme, and I wanted to write about this because the lyrics of most of the songs really hit me.
“Hold On” (2012) by Alabama Shakes (Brittany Howard, lead singer)
The lyrics and music are about as simple as can be, especially the lyrics. “Hang in there” is the message, for someone going through a trying a time, and the impact of the simple lyrics and music surprised me.
“Middle of the Road” (1983) by The Pretenders (Chrissie Hynde, lead)
These days when I describe a song as “rockin,” I’m generally referring to a harder rock sound. But this song rocks in more rock n’ roll way, if that makes sense (i.e., not as hard), and I really like it. I like Chrissie Hynde’s singing, the originality and just the sound, which is somewhat unusual because she has a punk/new wave sound, which I don’t naturally gravitate towards. In any event, this song is the reason I love her voice.
In reading the lyrics, I just realize that “road” likely refers to playing live gigs across a large area. I think I always thought the song referred to an actual road–i.e., “If you stand in the middle of the road, you get squashed like grape.”
With this angle, the song seems autobiographical–essentially, Hynde’s musings of being in her early 30s while traveling with her band.
(On a side note, one of my favorite parts of the song is when Hynde “growls” before a harmonica solo. What I didn’t know was the lyrics that preceded that: “I’m going home, I’m tired as hell/I’m not the cat I used to be/I got a kid, I’m 33, baby.”)
“Midnight Train to Georgia” (1973) by Gladys Knight and the Pips
I liked this song, but didn’t love it. I vaguely knew it was about a guy who went somewhere, experienced hardship, and was now heading back home. I also vaguely knew that a woman loved him, as evinced by lyrics like, “I’d rather live in his world. Than live without him in mine.” And I knew this because the lyrics that expressed this were either easy to understand and/or part of a memorable melodic line.
But in this listening, while looking at all the lyrics, some of which I never knew, I had a richer understanding of the song. Primarily, the song is more about the woman and her love for the man, than the man himself. Additionally, the man went to LA to become some kind of star, whether in the movies or music, but he failed, and he now wants to eschew fame and maybe a faster life for a simpler life he knew back home.
What I didn’t quite get is that the woman who loves him is going back with him–in spite of his failure. The song isn’t so much about the man going back on the midnight train to Georgia so much as the woman who must be with him on that train, in spite of his failure. That’s a little nuance I completely missed, and it had a surprising emotional impact!
A big reason I never got this fully stems from lyrics sung by the Pips, which can’t really be heard very well. Look at the chorus:
“Guess who’s going to be by his side?” is the line that did it–turning the light switch on and emotionally hitting me at the same time. That, followed by “And I’ll be with him (I know you will).” The black choir call-and-response is corny, but it worked on me.
(Also another nuance–the Pips sing the “woo woo” as if they’re train whistle.” )
One last thing. Knight may not have a great voice, but she sings with feeling, and when I view the song about a woman’s love and devotion that really takes it to another level.
“Strong” (2020) by Amaranthe (Noora Lourimo, lead singer)
2
If you told me to listen to a song and described it as pop metal with earnest lyrics, that would all but extinguish my interest in listening to it. Surprisingly, I like this song–the music, vocals, and I think the lyrics work fairly well as a female empowerment song.