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Perfect Day - Why do people think its a good song |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Planet Michael
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Perfect Day - Why do people think its a good song
It made me laugh to read that Susan Boyle wanted to sing this song to the pope, and that she has recorded it for her latest album.
Doesn't anyone listen to the words and remember that it's about taking smack?
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#2 |
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Join Date: Jan 2010
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I remember hearing this as a kid (It was played all the time..although I was hearing it in the 90s...so this may have been the CIN version?!?) and hating it. Just thinking it was really dull. But it got a lot of airplay. Obviously, being a kid I didn't realise what it was about.
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#3 |
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 9,079
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Love it, anyone who's seen Trainspotting will get what it's about
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#4 |
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 9,086
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i also love it.
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#5 |
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
Posts: 14,765
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its one of my most hated songs of all time.... im not bothered what its about, not bothered who sings it, its just a horrible song.
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#6 |
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 5,653
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I think it's a good song, but I'm not sure what its subject matter has to do with whether or not its a good song.
It's not my favourite Lou Reed song though. That's probably "Heroin"...hmm guess what that ones about as well! ![]() (Would much rather see Susan Boyle do a cover of that. )
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#7 |
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: DTG Bunker
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I like the original. However, there have been several bad covers of it, and it is a little overplayed.
It's not Lou Reed's best song and not the best song on Transformer (Satellite of Love is my favourite). |
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#8 |
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: HEED ARMY!!!!!
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It was used greatly on Trainspotting. I did like the BBC advert version as well.
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#9 |
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,818
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I much prefer the Children in Need version.
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#10 |
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Stalking David and Neal
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Quote:
It made me laugh to read that Susan Boyle wanted to sing this song to the pope, and that she has recorded it for her latest album.
Doesn't anyone listen to the words and remember that it's about taking smack? ![]() |
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#11 |
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Join Date: May 2004
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Quote:
It has been amusing me that the actual meaning behind the song appears to have gone unnoticed by TPTB behind SuBo. Always made me grin at wedding when the bride and groom's first dance was The Las 'There she goes', completely oblivious that the song's about heroin.
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#12 |
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 9,858
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I hate it. Surely a song about a perfect day should not sound so dreary!
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#13 |
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
Posts: 14,765
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Quote:
I hate it. Surely a song about a perfect day should not sound so dreary!
couldnt agree more!
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#14 |
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: A Pirate At Sea
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love Lou Reed!! the velvet Underground and his transformer album are absolutely AMAZING!!!
sure perfect Day isn't my all time favourite by him, but i love the song! i don't get the criticism about it, it's a goodun!!!!
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#15 |
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Join Date: Apr 2010
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Quote:
I hate it. Surely a song about a perfect day should not sound so dreary!
Is the writer using the title to set expectations that the tone of the song then subverts? Some things in life are not literal, this is not a bad thing. |
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#16 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
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Quote:
It made me laugh to read that Susan Boyle wanted to sing this song to the pope, and that she has recorded it for her latest album.
Doesn't anyone listen to the words and remember that it's about taking smack? ![]() Perfect Day is one of those songs which people don't really like, but pretend they do when it comes on simply because they can sing along to the chorus. |
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#17 |
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Join Date: Apr 2009
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Quote:
I hate it when people take songs at face value. They listen to the chorus and use that as the song meaning. People use the wrong songs all the time. They'll play something at a funeral or a wedding because "it means a lot to them", when they really mean "the chorus is nice and might make people cry".
Even "I Will Always Love You" is about a break-up. |
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#18 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
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This gets me as well, and I get called a snob because of it.
Even "I Will Always Love You" is about a break-up. Many pop songs are meant to be taken on face value, especially the dross which is taking over the charts at the moment, but it's funny listening to songs at a wedding talking about love, but they're actually about breaking up or cheating
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#19 |
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,431
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This is one of my all time favourite songs. Personally my second favourite Lou Reed penned song behind the Velvet Underground's Rock'N'Roll.
And I agree with Lou that the best version of this song was Duran Duran's interpretation from their (deservedly) critically panned Thank You covers album. Only their covers of Lay Lady Lay & White Lines are also worth listening to IMHO. Still I look forward to SuBo's third album released in Nov 2011, if it carries on the same theme then maybe the tracklisting will look something like this: 1. Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd) 2. Mother's Little Helper (Rolling Stones) 3. There She Goes (The La's) 4. Fire & Rain (James Taylor) 5. Hurt (Nine Inch Nails) 6. Never Let Me Down Again (Depeche Mode) 7. Electric Feel (MGMT) 8. The Universal (Blur) 9. Golden Brown (The Stranglers) 10. Under The Bridge (Red Hot Chili Peppers) 11. Got To Get You Into My Life (The Beatles) 12. White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane) 13. Ashes To Ashes (David Bowie) 14. Running To Stand Still (U2)
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#20 |
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Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 3,764
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Such a lot of music snobbery on here! It's rather narrow-minded to just think a song is about one subject, it's all a matter of interpretation.
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#21 |
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Join Date: Jun 2007
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Quote:
Such a lot of music snobbery on here! It's rather narrow-minded to just think a song is about one subject, it's all a matter of interpretation.
When the songwriter himself has gone on record to say the song's lyrical subtext was displaying his own romanticized attitude towards a period of his own addiction to heroin; then how can the song be about any other subject matter as he wrote the song. Based on your views then I guess you fully support this Danish far right party ahead of the original songwriters in this scenario: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11403230 |
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#22 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
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How is it snobbery?!?! Even thinking that a song is about one subject has nothing to do with snobbery
Snobbery would be to dismiss a song for various reasons. Simply, most songs are written with a subject in mind. If they're not they're probably lyrically weak. I mean, everyone thinks "Shiny Happy People" is a nice, friendly kind of song, when it's actually written to be the opposite. (Upon typing thing thread, for some reason I can't help but type the word written as "writeen"! Argh) |
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#23 |
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Join Date: May 2008
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No it is not. You're attitude is typical of X-Factor fans who think Run is a Leona Lewis song; and not a Snow Patrol song; etc.
When the songwriter himself has gone on record to say the song's lyrical subtext was displaying his own romanticized attitude towards a period of his own addiction to heroin; then how can the song be about any other subject matter as he wrote the song. Based on your views then I guess you fully support this Danish far right party ahead of the original songwriters in this scenario: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11403230 Lou Reed has also gone on record to describe 'Perfect Day.' Tim de Lisle once wrote in The Independent (Yes, I know, an XF reading that?!) the following: Reed firmly denies that "Perfect Day" is a drug song. He would, wouldn't he - but he always did. When Transformer came out, in 1973 (on RCA), he gave an interview to Nick Kent of the NME, which contained several references to narcotics. Kent mentioned a recent poll in another magazine, which had asked its readers to name the person most likely to be the next rock'n'roll casualty. Reed had come second, behind Keith Richards. "Perfect Day" was touched on, but not in connection with drugs. Unpromted, Reed said: "That's a lovely song. A description of a very straightforward affair." Ultimately, I have my own idea what the song is about. That is one of the beauties of art in all its forms. It creates debate and stirs up different feelings in different people. For cold hard facts I prefer science.
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#24 |
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Join Date: Jun 2007
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Quote:
Thank-you so much for leaping to this conclusion!
Lou Reed has also gone on record to describe 'Perfect Day.' Tim de Lisle once wrote in The Independent (Yes, I know, an XF reading that?!) the following: Reed firmly denies that "Perfect Day" is a drug song. He would, wouldn't he - but he always did. When Transformer came out, in 1973 (on RCA), he gave an interview to Nick Kent of the NME, which contained several references to narcotics. Kent mentioned a recent poll in another magazine, which had asked its readers to name the person most likely to be the next rock'n'roll casualty. Reed had come second, behind Keith Richards. "Perfect Day" was touched on, but not in connection with drugs. Unpromted, Reed said: "That's a lovely song. A description of a very straightforward affair." Ultimately, I have my own idea what the song is about. That is one of the beauties of art in all its forms. It creates debate and stirs up different feelings in different people. For cold hard facts I prefer science. ![]()
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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
Posts: 14,765
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someone will be claiming that the shamens 'ebeneezer goode' is not about that colourful character the video displays (and the songs lyrics would alude to) ... but is about 'e's ! lol.
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