Hmm, a lot to talk about here.
First, I have to say I'm surprised about how many people are talking about the vast differences between the demo and the leaked version. Obviously you have the additions of Lindsey's trademark guitar, the extra background vocals, but the rest of the variations seem pretty slight to me. I was actually surprised that it wasn't changed more, but then again, maybe that's the problem - it doesn't seem very changed to me because I was expecting it to be MORE changed. lol But as just a regular old listener, I didn't really notice that big of a difference (besides what I said above).
Second:
Quote:
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To begin, there have been way too many songs written about failed relationships, and this song is rather bland lyrically. It is very hard anymore to say something fresh about this topic.
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What, so no one should do songs about failed relationships anymore? Come on! Relationships are a fundamental part of the human emotional experience, which is precisely why there are so many songs about them! But perhaps you're right. Let's make 2003 the cutoff year. "Want to hear a song about heartbreak? Let me refer you to some of our classics. We don't sing about such things anymore."
And while you're at it, cut off the love songs. Tons of songs about that. Cut off the songs about sex. Surely there's only so many ways to say "I want you." Cut off the songs about pain, hate, joy, sorrow, anger, jealousy, resentment, passion - people have written songs about all these emotions since the beginning of time! So passee!
Life experiences don't suddenly become irrelevant because others have lived them before, and neither do songs about them.
At any rate, about the lyrics:
There is nothing more subjective than lyric analysis. Everybody gets something different out of them. What sounds insipid to one person might touch another deeply. What one person can't make heads or tails out of, another sees a meaning as clear as crystal (no pun intended). It reminds me of when I took a postmodernism seminar. I'm being handed these postmodern texts, told they're oh so significant works of genius, half the time I'm like "What the...?! This is bizarre, rambling, pointess crap!"
So, in that vein, what makes a "good" lyric? I feel it's indefinable. Some people fault Lindsey for having lyrics that are too simplisitc, some fault Steive for having lyrics that are too vague....but what's "good" is what speaks to you, isn't it? And that's mighty hard to guage. In relation to that, as Rick Nelson would say, "You can't please everyone, so you gotta please yourself." ;-)