Songs that really make you think

[spookymooky]

Im looking for some songs with lyrics that have some depth to them. It'd be nice if the song had a nice tune to it as well, but what do you think are the best songs that have a message?

 

[SimonomiS]

http://www.americawestandasone.com/home.html

 

[No-live 2]

Damien rice - I remember
Bon Jovi - you give love a bad name (good when youre pissed at a girl you love)

 

[DeusExMachina]

Modest Mouse has great songs about life, death, the universe, and even realtionships.
Cap'n Jazz only sings in metaphor and its fun trying to figure out what they mean.
Neutral Milk Hotel uses good metaphors and analogies too.
Pink Floyd of course.
Frog Eyes is a lot like Cap'n Jazz
Animal Collective too.

Yeah I named bands. Check 'em out and you'll see what I mean.

 

[thorvale the red]

Nine Inch Nails - Sunspots
Nine Inch Nails - Every Day Is Exactly The Same
Pearl Jam - Better Man
Mudvayne - Happy? (one of the heavier tunes for those of you that listen to "soft rock", but amazing lyrics)

 

[IonizeMyAtoms]

Modest Mouse has great songs about life, death, the universe, and even realtionships.
Cap'n Jazz only sings in metaphor and its fun trying to figure out what they mean.
Neutral Milk Hotel uses good metaphors and analogies too.
Pink Floyd of course.
Frog Eyes is a lot like Cap'n Jazz
Animal Collective too.

Yeah I named bands. Check 'em out and you'll see what I mean.

I second the Modest Mouse
NOFX's The Decline is pretty intense, there are sites that have it analyzed to death, some interesting analogies in it

 

[Cuddlez.ini]

Any old school punk like the Germs, Black Flag, Adolescents...

And anything from the late 60's and early 70's like the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Neil Young (anything drug induced!)

 

[Thread]

i do not know a lot of bands and my knowledge of them is not very big, though i like The Killers (alternative/indierock).

 

[MilkMan12]

Pink Floyd-Time
Pink Floud-Comfortably Numb (Although the whole Wall Album will make you think a lot about life...its insane)
The Doors-People Are Strange
Metallica-The Unforgiven

But above all...the song that will make you think the most and maybe even make you cry...GARY JULES-MAD WORLD

Not my favorite song by any means but its insane I almost had a mid life crisis cause of that song lol I thought about it too much. I had similar effects to Time. Not a long list, I suggest you listen to them all. It would be wise if you did-you learn alot through these songs. They change you.

 

[ACLeroK212]

I second the Modest Mouse
NOFX's The Decline is pretty intense, there are sites that have it analyzed to death, some interesting analogies in it

Yeah, I was gonna say The Decline. And at 18 min. long, there's plenty to analyze. Pretty impressive piece of work.

Also check out The Weakerthans. Kind of indie folk rock. They write some amazing lyrics that are really clever and really make you think sometimes. My favorite of theirs is called "Plea from a Cat Named Virtue", which is sung from the point of view of a cat singing about how his owner needs to get his life together. Sounds silly but give the lyrics here a read, http://www.plyrics.com/lyrics/theweakerthans/pleafromacatnamedvirtue.html
Actually, the whole Reconstruction Site album is worth checking out.

edit: Rise Against - Siren Song of the Counter Culture is another really good album to check out for a more politically driven theme.

 

[SenorDingDong]

Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime, whole album.

Its a concept album, all the songs are linked.

 

[PoeticRocker]

In the Year 2525...

 

[Polaris]

Yes, Pink Floyd - Time
Nightwish - Bless the Child
Eagles - Hotel California
and many songs from Mike Oldfield and others ....

 

[$kelet0r]

REM - Losing my religion
radiohead - Idioteque
Morrissey - Irish Blood, English Heart

lots of classical stuff - mozart, vivaldi, tschaichovsky

 

[DeusExMachina]

Pink Floyd-Time
Pink Floud-Comfortably Numb (Although the whole Wall Album will make you think a lot about life...its insane)
The Doors-People Are Strange
Metallica-The Unforgiven

But above all...the song that will make you think the most and maybe even make you cry...GARY JULES-MAD WORLD

Not my favorite song by any means but its insane I almost had a mid life crisis cause of that song lol I thought about it too much. I had similar effects to Time. Not a long list, I suggest you listen to them all. It would be wise if you did-you learn alot through these songs. They change you.

I like the original Tears for Fears verision of Mad World. Not to say Gary Jule's cover wasn't good either.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

For me personally i would say

Dire Straits - Romeo & Julliet
Dashboard Confessional - Vindicated
and an unknown song....Jimmy Eat World - 23
Pure bliss :imu:

 

[SupremePain]

Baby's Got Back....? :O

 

[ACLeroK212]

Baby's Got Back....? :O

lol, or how about that Chumbawumba song?

 

[PoeticRocker]

Dashboard Confessional... excuse me... (vomits)

 

[Ennui]

There are dozens I could rant about, but especially

Nine Inch Nails - Right Where It Belongs

 

[Zerimski]

Hallelujah. Any version you like, but specifically John Cale, Jeff Buckley or Rufus Wainwright (obviously the lyrics are exactly the same, but each persons individual vocal style has such an effect on it.) Not a big fan of the original Leonard Cohen version however.

Also, pretty much every song on Electro-Shock Blues by the eels. A fantastic album about life and death.

And there's an untitled bonus track on the promo version of Lost Dogs by Pearl Jam that is amazing. It's basically a poem being read over a very...warm guitar part.