Variations On A Theme

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

One of the reasons I found doing the Morrissey review I did this week quite easy - aside from the fact that I've been listening to the old goat for 20 years and he barely changes - is that he's a pop star whose songs keep on returning to certain favourite themes. (This is one way in which "barely changes" isn't necessarily bad).

Who else does this? What are some of the ideas and themes your long-term favourite stars and songwriters keep coming back to? Do you think it's a good thing?

Comments

Bruuuuuce = shutting down steelworks

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

What about the Weddoes? The chap seems to bang on about not having a girlfriend an awful lot.

Bruuuuuce = also driving in cars with girls

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

well quite, he only reformed the weddoes because he'd split up with sally, bless him.

there are about a million answers to this i'm sure...

Re: Bruuuuuce = also driving in cars with girls

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I was going to stipulate that "love" doesn't really count, but there are people like Gedge who focus so obsessively on one element of it that it might count.

Even so I don't think the Wedding Present's one is exactly what I was thinking about, or at least I think you could get more specific with it - a lot of WP records are about the way little details snowball into a break-up, I guess.

Re: Bruuuuuce = also driving in cars with girls

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

but also the little details about why you fancy the socks off of someone as well.

i think not including death would narrow the feild down more than not including love ;)

Re: Bruuuuuce = shutting down steelworks

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Every single Converge song is about their singer dude's lack of success with the laydeez, as far as I can work out.

this is easy ;)

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

Tom Waits - bourbon, also death
Nick Cave - god, also death
Serge Gainsborg - sex, also death
Burt from Suede - nuclear skylines, also death

etcetcetc

Re: this is easy ;)

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

In Brett's case I don't think we should confuse "tiny songwriting vocabulary" with "themes"! Or maybe we should. See also the Brothers Reid.

Re: this is easy ;)

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

and also their former drummer...

but yes, i just like writing "nuclear skylines" rather than particularly thinking that burt belongs in the same category as the other three...

Re: this is easy ;)

[anatol-merklich.livejournal.com]

See also the Brothers Reid.

Let's keep The Proclaimers out of this. :p

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

Panic at the Disco = how Mr Panic At The Disco is a hot piece of ass!

[(Anonymous)]

DaVinciって、ルイスのPlayZoneみたいに、何年か前からあるart&scieneceのconceptなの？

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

Don't be ridiculous... none of Da Vinci's songs are about Playzone.

[jel-bugle.livejournal.com]

Iron Maiden - war and history stuff! It's always great!

From Warsaw to Rome, I'll wait out of time

[anatol-merklich.livejournal.com]

jel otm, e.g. the Maiden taught me about the siege and subsequent burning of the Cathars at Montségur!

The jetsetter's life of glamorous, dangerous and sometimes doomed romance*, as conceived by Dieter Meier of Yello = also always great!

*) includes regular boy-girl man-woman type obv, but also the romance of the Formula One ace, the pinball wizard or the piranha-endangered search for Excess in the jungle of the Amazonas.