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May I throw you a line?

April 17th, 2006 by Bill

I got it from jeopardygirl and she got it from Ben. And it all comes from across the water with the UK’s favourite song lyrics. Actually, it’s lines from songs that were voted on.

Anyway … the spirit moved me and I came up with five of my own favourites (though these could change or be added to if I put any actual thought into it). If you haven’t heard these songs - well, you’ve no idea what your missing. In no particular order:

Richard Thompson - Beeswing
“And they say her flower is faded now, hard weather and hard booze,
But maybe that’s just the price you pay for the chains that you refuse.”

Lucinda Williams - Those Three Days
“And I have been so fuckin’ alone since those three days.”*

Elvis Costello - Accidents Will Happen
“It’s the words that we don’t say that scare me so.”

The Kinks (Ray Davies) - Oklahoma U.S.A.
“All life we work but work is a bore;
If life’s for living what’s living for?”

Leonard Cohen - Anthem
“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

Feel free to add to this list.

* Alternatively, another line from the same Lucinda Williams song that could I could have used would be this:
“Did you love me forever just for those three days?”

10 Responses to “May I throw you a line?”

  1. on 17 Apr 2006 at 6:23 pm1 Bill

    I notice from my list of five that the UK is thumping those of use on the other side of the Atlantic. There’s only one American and one Canadian in my list. Three UK (Costello, Davies and Thompson - all Brits, I believe).

  2. on 18 Apr 2006 at 10:29 am2 Sizzle

    i love those! i am definitely gonna borrow this one.

    that leonard cohen one is one of my favs- i think you sent me the lyrics a while back. :)

  3. on 18 Apr 2006 at 12:52 pm3 Egan

    Great list Bill.

  4. on 18 Apr 2006 at 2:29 pm4 Flounder

    I’ve always liked this one…

    As a crowd gathers ’round an angry young man
    face down on the street with a gun in his hand

  5. on 18 Apr 2006 at 3:08 pm5 Bill

    I just remembered another one:

    Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City
    “I’ve got debts no honest man can pay.”

    Yeah. Tell me anout it.

  6. on 18 Apr 2006 at 3:46 pm6 Flounder

    Actually Bill, that’s Johnny 99.

    Both songs are on Nebraska, though.

  7. on 18 Apr 2006 at 4:03 pm7 Bill

    Never one to leave a good line alone, Bruce used it in both songs:

    Atlantic City:
    Well, I got a job and tried to put my money away
    But I got debts that no honest man can pay
    So I drew what I had from the central trust
    And I bought us two tickets on that coast city bus

    Johnny 99:
    Now judge I had debts no honest man could pay
    The bank was holdin’ my mortgage and they were gonna take my house away
    Now I ain’t sayin’ that makes me an innocent man
    But it was more `n all this that put that gun in my hand

    (I thought I was the only one who listened to the Nebraska album.)

  8. on 18 Apr 2006 at 4:37 pm8 Flounder

    Damn! I can’t believe that I missed that!

    AND I AM FROM ATLANTIC CITY!!!!

    Nebraska is one of the great underrated albums ever. I love Reason to Believe

    Seen a man standin’ over a dead dog lyin’ by the highway in a ditch
    He’s lookin’ down kinda puzzled pokin’ that dog with a stick
    Got his car door flung open he’s standin’ out on highway 31
    Like if he stood there long enough that dog’d get up and run

  9. on 20 Apr 2006 at 4:43 pm9 Brookelina

    Roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair….

  10. on 21 Apr 2006 at 2:33 am10 Bill

    Thanks Brooke for the reminder. Same song, different line:

    It’s a town full of losers, I’m pulling out of here to win!

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