…is "One life, with each other, sisters, brothers," from "One" by U2, according to a new survey.
When asked for comment, Britain said, "What can I say? I’m cheesy like that."
The runners-up:
- "So you go and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own, and you go home, and you cry, and you want to die," from the Smiths’ "How Soon Is Now."
- "I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now, entertain us" from Nirvana’s "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
A light exegesis reveals in these lines a complete history of Britannia. "One life, with each other" echoes the St. Crispin’s Day speech from Shakespeare’s Henry V, and with it, the dawn of the First Empire. Now skip down to "I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now, entertain us," and you’ve got colonialism in a nutshell. For the post-colonial malaise and End of Empire, what could make a more fitting epitaph than "So you go and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own, and you go home, and you cry, and you want to die"?
I’m certain America will get its turn soon. Will our list look quite so mopey? Or will it be heavy on the Toby Keith? Put a boot in my mouth, I’m done. Nominate yourselves some lyrics below.
Here’s a better one from U2: “In my dream I was drowning my sorrows but my sorrows they learned to swim”
Until The End Of The World from Achtung Baby
When you let me fall, Grew my own wings, Now I’m as tall as the sky.
When you let me drown, Grew gills and fins, Now I’m as deep as the sea.
By James (The Band)
My personal favourite: “Ignorance and prejudice and fear go hand in hand” – Witch Hunt by Rush
I’m gonna get get get you drunk. Get you love drunk of my Humps.
Works for me!
But goodbye’s too good a word, babe
so i’ll just say fare thee well
Bob Dylan
I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete
By KEANE
“I think this line is mostly filler”
sung by Willow in Walk Through The Fire from Once more with feeling! the best!
“If I was your one and only friend
would you run to me if somebody hurt you
even if that somebody was me?”
“If I Was Your Girlfriend” – Prince
You’re just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry
Creep by Radiohead
“How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We’re just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl”
By Pink Floyd
I am beautiful
No matter what they say
Words can’t bring me down
I am beautiful
In every single way
Yes words can’t bring me down
(And likewise in the other parts of the song when “I” is exchanged for “You.”)
Beautiful lyrics by Linda Perry, sung by Christina Aguilera.
“I see no changes all I see is racist faces
misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
We under I wonder what it takes to make this
one better place, let’s erase the wasted”
2Pac “Changes”
“Our love is like a ship on the ocean,
We’ve been sailing with a cargo full of love and devotion”
Interesting note on U2 lyrics from Achtung Baby–I’ve heard rumors that Bono tried writing from a variety of perspectives for songs on that album. Supposedly, “One” is a son coming out to his father. Also, “Until the End of the World” is Judas talking to Jesus at the last supper. Who knows if this is all true, but the lyrics actually do work in those contexts, if you care to look at them that way…
The Ghost of Electricity howls in the bones of her face.