MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening bass riff of “Give It Away”)

February 16, 1992.

Alternative radio
could not get enough of this bassline.

Red Hot Chili Peppers.

“Give It Away.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

Anthony Kiedis wrote the lyrics
after a woman told him
that the more you give away,
the more comes back to you.

(Music Cut 3)

But the song isn’t just about generosity.

Kiedis also references Bob Marley as well as
longtime friend River Phoenix —
who was part of the same creative circle
in early ’90s L.A.

(Music Cut 4)

Tragically, River passed away just two years after the song’s release.

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Reeling with the feeling, don’t stop, continue.” — Red Hot Chili Peppers

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening riff of “Heart-Shaped Box”)

The day after Valentine’s Day, 1994
this song was moving up the charts.

Nirvana and their

“Heart-Shaped Box.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

Kurt Cobain was exhausted
by how the media portrayed him —
as a grumpy, ungrateful rock star.

So originally,
he titled this song
“New Complaint.”

(Music Cut 3 – “Hey, wait – I have a new complaint.)

And in a haunting bit of history —

this became the last song
Nirvana ever performed live,
just weeks before Kurt Cobain’s death in April 1994.

(Final Song clip)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Forever in debt to your priceless advice” — Nirvana

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — eerie opening of “#1 Crush”)

Valentine’s Day, 1997.

While people were buying roses and candy…

this song was climbing the charts.

Garbage.

“#1 Crush.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

Originally – this was not meant to be a hit.

It started as a B-side.

(Music Cut 3)

And then – it landed on the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack —
From there, Valentine’s Day got itself a stalker anthem.

(Music Cut 4)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“You will believe in me
And I can never be ignored.” — Garbage

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening of “Beautiful Girl”)

February 13, 1993.

INXS released
“Beautiful Girl.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

Michael Hutchence was known for his seductive delivery —
but this song wasn’t written about romance.

(Music Cut 3)

Keyboardist Andrew Farriss wrote it
right after the birth of his daughter, Grace.

He called it a love song to parenthood.

(Music Cut 4)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Anything could happen
right here tonight.” — INXS

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — iconic intro of “Don’t Speak”)

February 12, 1997.

One of the biggest songs in the world
wasn’t even available to buy.

No Doubt’s
“Don’t Speak.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

The band’s label chose not to release it
as a commercial single in the U.S.

And yet —
it was the most played song on American radio
for 16 weeks.

(Music Cut 3)

At the time,
Billboard required a physical retail single
for a song to chart on the Hot 100.

So “Don’t Speak” dominated radio —
but never officially hit No. 1.

(Music Cut 4 – Final Cut)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Don’t speak
I know just what you’re sayin'” — No Doubt

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening groove of “Creep”)

February 11, 1995.

For the third straight week,
the No. 1 song in America
was called…

“Creep.”

Not Radiohead.
Not Stone Temple Pilots.

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

TLC’s “Creep.”

Released right around the same time
as those other two songs with the exact same title.

But out of all three?

TLC’s was the biggest —
four weeks at No. 1.

(Music Cut 3)

And that groove heard –
They sampled Slick Rick’s
“Hey Young World.”

(Music Cut 4 – Slick Rick’s “Hey Young World”)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Don’t mess around with my affection.” — TLC

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening of “The Freshmen”)

This song was navigating the charts —
on February 10th, 1997

The Verve Pipe’s
“The Freshmen.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

There’s a line in the song —
“She was touching her face.”

That detail didn’t come from nowhere.

Lead singer Brian Vander Ark has said
it was inspired by a music video
from the Divinyls.

(Music Cut 3 – “I Touch Myself”)

He thought the way lead singer Chrissy Amphlett touched her face was incredibly seductive, so he wrote it straight into the song.

(Final – Music Cut 4 – “She was touching her face”)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“What made us think that we were wise
and we’d never compromise?” — The Verve Pipe

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening bassline of “Groove Is in the Heart”)

February 9, 1991.

This song was everywhere —
clubs, radio, MTV.

Deee-Lite’s
“Groove Is in the Heart.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

While recording this track,
Deee-Lite happened to be working
in the same studio complex as
A Tribe Called Quest.

(Music Cut 3 — A Tribe Song cut)

Q-Tip wandered in,
heard the beat,
loved it —
and wrote his verse on the spot.

He recorded it in one take.

(Music Clip #4 of My supper dish, my succotash wish (Sing it, baby))

That’s Q-Tip.

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Music makes motion, moves like a maze
All inside of me, heart especially.” — Deee-Lite

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening guitar riff of “When I Come Around”)

College and alternative stations were pushing this song up the charts
on February 8th, 1995.

Green Day
with “When I Come Around.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

For his 11th birthday, Billie Joe Armstrong received a
Fernandes Stratocaster copy known as “Blue.”

(Music Cut 3)

On this song —
that same guitar still comes out on tour
and gets played live.

Maybe even at Super Bowls.

(Music Cut 4)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“You can’t go forcing something
if it’s just not right.” — Green Day

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https://youtube.com/shorts/8tFApkHufbg?si=tCz_5j_MAyHXZpEs

MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut 1 — opening of “Black”)

In the early ’90s,
this song wasn’t released as a single.

And yet —
by February 7th, 1993
everyone knew Pearl Jam’s

“Black.”

(Music Cut 2 — verse settles in)

Before it had its name,
this song was known as “E-Ballad.”

Stone Gossard wrote the music in 1990
which was then included on a demo tape to Eddie Vedder

(Music Cut 3)

While in San Diego, Vedder wrote the lyrics between surfing
and working night shifts at a gas station.

(Music Cut 4 – Final Song clip)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“I know someday you’ll have a beautiful life,
I know you’ll be a star
in somebody else’s sky.” — Pearl Jam

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