Poets

Poets by the Tragically Hip

On one level, I feel bad for Canada. Some of their greatest products have someone not translated into American society or culture. Hockey is one of those things. Americans, frankly, could careless about hockey. TV ratings back this up. (Piss poor management of four teams (Chicago, Boston, New York, and since they once were moved from the Twin Cities, the Twin Cities) in what would be American hockey heartland plays a role in this).

Anyway, the Hip are another of those Canadian products that just haven't been all that well accepted by the American public. Maybe it is because Gord's lyrics are so deeply rooted in Canadian literature and culture. Maybe it's just because the Hip are, in away, just a pretty good rock band. And in a country filled with pretty good rock bands, the Hip are left on the North looking south. I guess only crappy Canadian bands make it big here in the States (Nickelback [throws up/])

But Gordie does have his way with words - funny, true, and probably deeper than I think.
Don't tell me what the poets are doing
Don't tell me that they're talkin' tough
Don't tell me that they're anti-social
Somehow not anti-social enough, all right

Mr. Jones

Mr. Jones by The Counting Crows

The first chords ring out and there's a tamborine and the lead singer is bursting out "la la las". So you know right away we're dealing with a pop song. And really, honestly, we're dealing with a song that we all know is just so-so. Sure it's catchy and all that... it's not bad it's just a song.

But you know what? This is the most honest song ever written. Crazy? Maybe, but I love this song. Just check out this selection of lyrics:
We all want something beautiful
I wish I was beautiful...
Stare at the beautiful women...
We all want to be big big stars, but we got different reasons for that...
We all want to be big stars, but we don't know why and we don't know how

No these are Earth shattering lyrics. They aren't mind blowing or even intellectual. But they're true and honest. Maybe we all don't want to be big stars, but at one point most of us DID. We wanted to be popular. We wanted to be Bob Dylan or some actor or athlete. We've probably all found ourselves in bars, drinking, wanting something beautiful and to be with that beautiful woman/man. And that's what I love about this song; the brutal honesty. That's what so beautiful about this song. That's why I love it.

As far as Mr. Jones... I guess there is this whole debate as to who it is and go here if you have an opinion. I like the Bob Dylan and the Ballad of a Thin Man line of thinking.

Watch it here:

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