It's eb vs Zeus!!!!


Here's Fiona Apple with 'Paper Bag'



Known to far too many people simply for the "Criminal" video and her speech at the MTV VMAs, here is one of the best lyricists of the last quarter century with her take on hope in relationships told through the metaphors of a dove and a paper bag. As a bonus, the song is great musically as well.

"Paper Bag"

I was staring at the sky, just looking for a star
To pray on, or wish on, or something like that
I was having a sweet fix of a daydream of a boy
Whose reality I knew, was a hopeless to be had
But then the dove of hope began its downward slope
And I believed for a moment that my chances
Were approaching to be grabbed
But as it came down near, so did a weary tear
I thought it was a bird, but it was just a paper bag

Hunger hurts, and I want him so bad, oh it kills
'Cause I know I'm a mess he don't wanna clean up
I got to fold 'cause these hands are too shaky to hold
Hunger hurts, but starving works, when it costs too much to love

And I went crazy again today, looking for a strand to climb
Looking for a little hope
Baby said he couldn't stay, wouldn't put his lips to mine,
And a fail to kiss is a fail to cope
I said, 'Honey, I don't feel so good, don't feel justified
Come on put a little love here in my void,' he said
'It's all in your head,' and I said, 'So's everything'
But he didn't get it I thought he was a man
But he was just a little boy

Hunger hurts, and I want him so bad, oh it kills
'Cause I know I'm a mess he don't wanna clean up
I got to fold 'cause these hands are too shaky to hold
Hunger hurts, but starving works, when it costs too much to love

Hunger hurts, but I want him so bad, oh it kills
'Cause I know I'm a mess he don't wanna clean up
I got to fold 'cause these hands are too shaky to hold
Hunger hurts, but starving works, when it costs too much to love

Hunger hurts, but I want him so bad, oh it kills
Because I know that I'm a mess that he don't wanna clean up
I got to fold because these hands are just too shaky to hold
Hunger hurts, but starving, it works, when it costs too much to love






Here's Pulp with 'Common People'



Common People is a beautifully sardonic attack on rich people who glamorise poverty.
Jarvis Cocker describes the nature of struggle perfectly, and, why we should all feel contempt to people who see poor people as a tourist attraction.

"Common People"

She came from Greece, she had a thirst for knowledge
She studied sculpture at Saint Martin's College,
That's where I
Caught her eye.

She told me that her dad was loaded
I said, "In that case I'll have a rum and coca-cola."
She said, "Fine,"
And in thirty seconds time
She said,

"I want to live like common people.
I want to do whatever common people do,
I want to sleep with common people
I want to sleep with common people like you."

Well, what else could I do?
I said, "I'll see what I can do."

I took her to a supermarket
I don't know why but I had to start it
Somewhere,
So it started there.

I said, "Pretend you've got no money,"
She just laughed and said, "Oh, you're so funny."
I said, "Yeah?
Well, I can't see anyone else smiling in here."

Are you sure you want to live like common people?
You want to see whatever common people see
You want to sleep with common people,
You want to sleep with common people like me.

But she didn't understand,
She just smiled and held my hand.

Rent a flat above a shop,
Cut your hair and get a job.
Smoke some **** and play some pool,
Pretend you never went to school.

But still you'll never get it right
'Cause when you're laid in bed at night
Watching 'roaches climb the wall
If you called your dad he could stop it all.

You'll never live like common people
You'll never do whatever common people do
You'll never fail like common people
You'll never watch your life slide out of view,
And dance and drink and screw
Because there's nothing else to do.

Sing along with the common people,
Sing along and it might just get you through
Laugh along with the common people
Laugh along even though they're laughing at you
And the stupid things that you do.
Because you think that poor is cool.

I want to live with common people like you,
I want to live with common people like you [etc..]

Didn't even have to listen to these. Common People is a banger and I'll fight anyone who tries to tell me Fiona bloody Apple is better.

Fiona Apple is better

Lol lol

Ah yes, finally my turn to eviscerate the submissions XD

Tbh neither of these strikes me as poetic lyrically. There is tons of music that is just poetry in motion, but these two fall short for me.

Fiona Apple song lyrics are shallow and rub me as cliche in terrible ways. Her voice is amazing, of course, but looking at the lyrics I’m not sure if there is anything particularly touching there.

Pulp song feels like a story, so I guess narrative poetry? But not so poetic. I never heard the original, somehow this awful version came into my life when I was binging Star Trek in highschool— it has tortured me since and so shall it torture you now should you choose to click below:

https://youtu.be/ugLc8sZlK0s

Honestly not sure what to vote here, I’m leaning toward common people because I like the premise a bit more but Apple has the better performance :shrug:

For me, I probably submit Conor Oberst here, something like this:

https://youtu.be/K7rPIOVr8wI

https://youtu.be/5KiVn3VhHP4

I agree that neither of these were mind blowing lyric-wise, but for me lyrics are usually a secondary consideration. I often don't pay attention. I only realized what Peter Gabriel was singing about in Sledgehammer like 8 months ago when someone mentioned it.

I kinda like the Shatner version lol

Outside. Now.

Tough one. Common People is better musically. Paper Bag is better lyrically. Comparing videos: Paper Bag is boring; Common People is silly bordering on stupid. I don't actually dislike either song; I don't feel much of anything for either song.

Shatner doing either of these would probably get my vote.

I would go with

.

Very poetic, imnsho, with an intricate structure producing an elegant song.

Both of these songs are awesome and I cannot decide between them

You think that now, just wait until you find yourself singing this to yourself in his voice at random times.

Paper Bag has been in my head all day so I'll give my vote to Fiona.

Regretting not noticing this game was going on in time to hype Blind Guardian.

Gotta go with Fiona Apple here. It didn't stand out to me in an exceptional way lyrically, but the other got old fast.

Both songs are decent listens. I went with the one with better lyrics.

Really liked both songs!

Tough choice but Fiona seemed a little more poetic to me

This was one of the best matches yet. It was close all the way, but eb pulled away at the end.

All hail King eb!

GG Zeus. I do like that song.

Gg eyebooger!

Great song, really enjoy it!