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individualistic rock songs

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The Wrath

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Whoever that was that recommended "Live Forever" by Oasis, thanks. Great song.

Here are some I like:

"Rose" - A Perfect Circle

"Stupid Girl" - Pink

"Battle for the Sun" - Placebo ("You are a cheap and nasty fake, and I am the bones you couldn't break")

"Slave to the Wage" - Placebo

"Sing Your Life" - Morrissey

"The Fight Song" - Marilyn Manson

"15" - Marilyn Manson ("This time I won't hesitate to kill to protect what I believe in.")

"Better of Two Evils" - Marilyn Manson

"Little Boxes" - Malvina Reynolds

"Here to Stay" - KoRn

"Alive" - KoRn ("Once I cried, now I wipe away the tears. Once I died, now I'm alive.")

I guess some of them technically aren't rock songs, but I like 'em anyway and I tried my best not to list tons of rap songs. :P

Speaking of Placebo, the lead singer Brian had some pretty pro-living, pro-happiness things to say about the new album:

“We’ve made a record about choosing life, about choosing to live, about stepping out of the darkness and into the light,” explains Brian. “Not necessarily turning your back on the darkness because it’s there, it’s essential; it’s a part of who you are, but more about the choice of standing in the sunlight instead.”

They're an awesome band.

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I should also say that Pink Floyd is my favorite band, and "Learning to Fly" is one of my favorites. I have everything from Meddle up to Division Bell! :rolleyes:

It's not one of their most popular songs, but part of that is because Roger Waters was gone when they did that album. The song isn't really "individualistic," per se, but it has a fantastic sense of life.

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I was wondering the same thing. In terms of actual artistic merit, there are few rock bands that rival Pink Floyd. In fact, I'm gonna go ahead and say that the only band that even comes close--in terms of real, musical, artistic quality--is Led Zeppelin

Funny... Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd are my favorite bands.

I am not sure Led Zeppelin fits into this thread as individualistic in the the lyrical sense. But Pink Floyd certainly does, at times. I like Welcome to the Machine and Animals the best. Although many think those albums were indictments of capitalism, I think they can be better viewed as a depiction of the strength of individual humans to fight the corruption of collectivism. Their lyrics are brutally honest.

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"The Show Must Go On" - Queen

IMO, very inspirational... definitely one of my favorite songs.

Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" to me is individualistic and inspiring.

I should also say that Pink Floyd is my favorite band, and "Learning to Fly" is one of my favorites. I have everything from Meddle up to Division Bell! :)

Deceptively simple, but it does have, as Wrath points out, a good sense of life. The pace is slow, the singing has an airy quality and I think the benevolence of the piece pulls you in. I think it's benevolent. It's hard to tell by the lyrics.

When I think of the song "Money" and the line "Keep your hands off of my stack", that seems egoistic, but I think they mean it to imply this is not the morally proper attitude.

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"Learning to Fly" reminded me of Kansas' "Icarus, Borne on Wings of Steel" ..

Early in the morning sunlight

Soaring on the wings of dawn

Here I'll live and die with my wings in the sky

And I won't come down no more

Higher than a bird I'm flying

Crimson skies of ice and fire

Borne on wings of steel I have so much to feel

And I won't come down no more

Sail on, sail on, I will rise each day to meet the dawn

So high, so high

I've climbed the mountains of the sky

Without my wings you know I'd surely die

I found my freedom flyin' high

I've climbed the mountains of the sky

Floating on a cloud of amber

Searching for the rainbow's end

Earth so far below me,

I'm here alone, free

I can't come down no more

I'm not a big fan of this musically, but the lyrics are pretty cool. Steve Walsh always had a great and strong voice, which I think was always one of the appeals of Kansas.

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Speaking of Placebo, the lead singer Brian had some pretty pro-living, pro-happiness things to say about the new album:

“We’ve made a record about choosing life, about choosing to live, about stepping out of the darkness and into the light,” explains Brian. “Not necessarily turning your back on the darkness because it’s there, it’s essential; it’s a part of who you are, but more about the choice of standing in the sunlight instead.”

They're an awesome band.

Nice! Hadn't heard that quote. I also haven't given the whole album a good listen yet, but I love Placebo, so I know it won't disappoint.

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Free by Concrete Blonde

"I can break your chains

Crack your cage apart

I can tear your walls down

With the beating of my heart

And if you said I have no choice

I would tell you you're a liar

I'm not afraid to chuck this frying pan into your fire

I'm a million miles high

I'm a piece of the sky

Well I'm the purple in the rainbow

My my my

I'm like wind in your hair

I'm like the rain on the sea

Cause I'm free I'm free I'm free

oh!

Oh you can't keep me down

Put me in your place

I will never wear your 20th century pacemaker face

You will never bleed

The spirit out of me

I'm flesh and blood, I'm real

I'm not your factory fantasy

No not me

I'm a million miles high

I'm a piece of the sky

Well I'm the purple in the rainbow

My my my

I'm like wind in your hair

I'm like the rain on the sea

I'm free I'm free I'm free

yea!"

Especially I dig the thing about "being the purple" if you've read the works of the Stoics you'll be familar with what she's saying.

Edited by QuoVadis
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"Amazing" by Aerosmith. Contains one of my all-time favorite lyrics: "Life's a journey, not a destination."

"Rock the Casbah" by The Clash. They were none-too-pleased when it became the anthem of the first Gulf War, but I always hope that one day I can watch the news highlights of the overthrow of the Saudi or Iranian regimes to the tune of the Arabic version of this song by Rashid Taha.

"Piano Man" by Billy Joel. I guess "individualistic" isn't quite the right word, but it has a certain sense of "everything is gonna be alright" to it.

"Judith" by A Perfect Circle. Anti-religion to the last chord.

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  • 2 months later...
I was wondering the same thing. In terms of actual artistic merit, there are few rock bands that rival Pink Floyd. In fact, I'm gonna go ahead and say that the only band that even comes close--in terms of real, musical, artistic quality--is Led Zeppelin

One word: RUSH.

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"The Show Must Go On" - Queen

IMO, very inspirational... definitely one of my favorite songs.

I should also say that Pink Floyd is my favorite band, and "Learning to Fly" is one of my favorites. I have everything from Meddle up to Division Bell! :)

In post #31 I mentioned that I like Learning To Fly, well I'm going to upgrade that to love, now. I understand that song more fully. I see it as about finding a goal, a passion, and then aspiring to achieve it. But it's not done blindly, because everything is thought out first, and then the moment comes and you have to take a risk. You're all alone, there is no turning back, and if you achieve your ends "bliss"!. Just a fantastic song. "Tongue tied and twisted, just and earth bound misfit, I." This means, hey, the boring, every day is not what my life is about, I've got to soar! And I take flying as a metaphor for the striving for any big goal that catches your fancy.

The video makes quite a bit of sense. The guy starts out in a wheat field doing a boring job ... and then an airplane flies over head, and inspiration strikes.

Some great guitar riffs, and brilliant and poetic lyrics.

Here is the video:

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