The Postal Service - such great heights, 2003

“Such Great Heights” is a warm, tender love song wrapped inside cold, digital electronica; the meaning behind the lyrics evokes both tenderness and coldness. The narrator expresses his love onto an answering machine. From the outside, the relationship looks ideal. But the couple chooses to stay where they are—everything looks perfect from far away. Though distance may be an elixir for this relationship, with a partner on tour, the narrator is left feeling lonely. He misses her and hopes she hears the song on the radio—guiding her home."

Tracey Thorn - new opened eyes, 1982

"This record, musically understated as it is, provides a quiet and necessary counterpart to some of the choices of listening we’ve had. We’ve lived so long with melodrama that we’ve forgotten there are other ways of showing passion."

Coldplay - viva la vida live, 2017

"She went through a lot of pain, of course, and then she started a big painting in her house that said 'Viva la Vida', I just loved the boldness of it."

Belle And Sebastian - fiction, 2002

"It's a pleasant enough melody"

Sufjan Stevens - all of me wants all of you, 2015

"The love that throbs in Stevens’s soul as “All of Me Wants All of You” comes to a quiet finish can only come from one source: “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Love is only able to triumph through brokenness if we are first loved by God. In many ways, Manelich the simple shepherd is a picture of Jesus. He came down from the mountain to be heart-broken, and though his bride remained distant and unwilling to believe that unconditional love could actually exist, he slew the worldly wolf who ravaged her every night. In the shadow of his love, the Church’s hope is rekindled. In a world where each of us is a crestfallen Manelich or an ashamed Marta, Christ’s cross demonstrates what it means to say, “All of me wants all of you…”

Paul McCartney - junior’s farm, 1974

"It was such a relief to get out of those business meetings with people in suits, who were so serious all the time, and go off to Scotland and be able just to sit around in a T-shirt and corduroys. I was very much in that mindset when I wrote this song. The basic message is, let’s get out of here. You might say it's my post-Beatles getting-out-of-town song."

The Chameleons - in answer, 1986

"...I'd forgotten how much this album meant to me. It came out in '86. I was 19!! I've been listening to it every day since and I have to say it's blown my mind...again! It must have influenced my early years as a song writer because I can hear ME in it everywhere!!..."

The Decemberists - the sporting life, 2005

"I spoke with Petra briefly while she was on the road with The Decemberists."

Belle And Sebastian - the power of three, 2015

"The doctrine of the Trinity was first formulated among the early Christians and fathers of the Church as they attempted to understand the relationship between Jesus and God in their scriptural documents and prior traditions."

The Moody Blues - twilight time alternate vocal mix, 1967

“Twilight Time (Alternate Vocal Mix)” by The Moody Blues was written by Ray Thomas."

D4RKSTAR - lead me astray live, 2022

"Live recording of Lead Me Astray, filmed in my living room."

Semiwestern - velvet sea, 2022

"In November 2022, like a delicate shot across the bow, California’s redoubtable Spirit Goth Records released “Velvet Sea.” I naturally believed this was new music. It was, in fact, a remix of a song recorded by Semiwestern’s members ten years earlier as The Vliets. Before we go any further, listen to the updated “Velvet Sea” to understand how I swooned over this atmospheric, Luna-inflected recording. It was my #1 or #2 favorite song of the entire year. Since, then, I have listened to “Velvet Sea” approximately one billion times."

Tall Ships - day by day, 2017

"From time to time it can be good to take time out, to sit back and claim a little perspective. It's important, though, not to let this linger; it's important to get back on route, to keep moving forwards. It's something that Tall Ships have learned, and learned well."

The Beatles - i'll be back take three, 1964

"The Beatles spent the first three days of June 1964 at Abbey Road, rounding off the non-soundtrack side of the album A Hard Day's Night and adding the two remaining tracks on to the EP Long Tall Sally, speedily issued, a fortnight later. I'll Be Back was recorded from start to finish in a single session. Take 16 was released but the unissued takes Two and Three are presented here. The former illuminates how John conceived his song as a waltz (the Beatles' fondness for waltz arrangements dated back to Cavern Club performances of James Ray's If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody). Take 2 broke down, however, because, to use John's own words, it was "too hard to sing", and it is segued here into Take 3 in which the arrangement has been altered from 3/4, to the 4/4 tempo approaching the master version - proof of the speed with which the Beatles could switch their ideas."

The Mountain Goats - clemency for the wizard king, 2019

"It is a song about how if you are in the tribe that serves and worships the wizard king, and he gets taken prisoner by some evil-minded people who don't understand what he's all about, it's your job to go and demand that he be granted clemency."

Okkervil River - you can't hold the hand of a rock and roll man, 2007

“The Okkervil flows in a meandering course. The headwaters of the river are called Chernaya Rechka, whereas the name Okkervil originates from the 17th century after the name of Swedish colonel, who possessed a grange on the bank of the river. The water of the Okkervil is heavily polluted.”

Sufjan Stevens - john wayne gacy jr, 2005

"Gacy was close to his mother and two sisters, but had a difficult relationship with his father, an alcoholic who was verbally and physically abusive to his family. The elder Gacy frequently belittled his son, calling him "dumb and stupid" and comparing him unfavorably with his sisters. One of Gacy's earliest childhood memories was of his father beating him at age four for accidentally disarranging car engine components. His mother tried to shield her son from his father's abuse, which resulted in accusations that he was a "sissy" and a "mama's boy" who would "probably grow up queer". In 1949, Gacy's father whipped him after he and another boy were caught sexually fondling a young girl. The same year, a family friend began to occasionally molest Gacy.Gacy never told his father, afraid that his father would blame him. Despite their challenging relationship, Gacy loved his father, but felt he was "never good enough" in his father's eyes."

The Lightning Seeds - three lions football's coming home, 1996

"Three Lions", commonly referred to as "It's Coming Home" or "Football's Coming Home", is a song by the English comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner and the rock band the Lightning Seeds. It was released on 20 May 1996 to mark the England football team's participation in that year's UEFA European Championship, which England was hosting. The music was written by the Lightning Seeds singer Ian Broudie, while Baddiel and Skinner—presenters of the football comedy show Fantasy Football League—provided the lyrics. All three provided vocals. The title comes from the England team emblem."

Peter Bjorn And John - a long goodbye, 2016

"We broke down lots of producers during this album process. One mysteriously disappeared, another one ended up seeking mental care and a third one mostly talked about how much he missed smoking weed.We picked out people we thought could manage to over-ride the three of us in the band. No one could. But, we found some of the best, crafty producers for the specific songs that needed an extra layer of fresh paint. For the first time we wanted the music to sound expensive, it ended up with us turning bankrupt."

Mercury Rev - holes, 1998

"Holes" is the fourth single from Mercury Rev's fourth studio album, Deserter's Songs. The single was released in Australia only as a limited edition tour EP on July 7, 1999, although promotional CD singles were distributed to UK radio stations in 2006 (to coincide with the release of the Mercury Rev collection The Essential Mercury Rev: Stillness Breathes 1991-2006). The tour single included a live cover of "Caroline Says Pt. II" (Lou Reed) and featured Robert Creeley reading his poem "I Dreamt" over a Mercury Rev soundtrack."