Category Archives: 1990s songs

The best 500 songs from the 1990s. Lyrics, meanings and interpretations from your favorite musicians. Radiohead, REM, Weezer, No Doubt, Alanis, Jewel, and Guns and Roses. See which of your favorite 90s bands and artists rank highest on the greatest songs of all-time lists.

1990s songs, infatuation

#291 Crash Into Me- Dave Mathews

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Hike up your skirt a little more/
And show the world to me.

“Crash Into Me” tells how the narrator is at the mercy of a girl due to his lust for her. Dave Mathews dispenses with coy language and innuendo and just flat out tells us what effect this girl is having on him and what he wants from her.

He wants her to crash into him. I suppose that is a euphemism for sex, but it sounds so much more interesting if we believe the term to mean “I want your world to collide with mine”, or something to that effect. Perhaps there is not that much difference. The song is about a young man’s desires.

Crash Into Me Meaning
Dave Mathews

The song has a unique structure: we only hear the chorus once towards the end of the song. One of the most interesting aspects of this song is the outro. It is the “melody” from ring-around-the-rosy. I am not sure why I always found that so intriguing. It don’t think I have ever heard something like that before or since. And it fits well into the song. Note how important the bass is to this song. Most of the time it mirrors the melody, which is good in an otherwise free flowing song.

Crash Into Me Lyrics

You’ve got your ball,
You’ve got your chain
Tied to me tight tie me up again.
Who’s got their claws
In you my friend?
Into your heart I’ll beat again.
Sweet like candy to my soul,
Sweet you rock,
And sweet you roll.
Lost for you I’m so lost for you.
You come crash into me,
And i come into you,
I come into you.
In a boys dream,
In a boys dream.

Touch your lips just so i know,
In your eyes, love, it glows so.
I’m bare-boned and crazy for you,
When you come crash
Into me, baby
And I come into you.
In a boys dream.
In a boys dream.

If I’ve gone overboard,
Then I’m begging you
To forgive me
In my haste.
When I’m holding you so girl,
Close to me.

Oh and you come crash
Into me, baby.
And I come into you.

Hack up your skirt a little more,
And show the world to me.
Hike up your skirt a little more,
And show your world to me.
In a boys dream… In a boys dream.

Oh i watch you there
Through the window
And i stare at you.
You wear nothing but you
Wear it so well.
Tied up and twisted,
The way I’d like to be.
For you, for me, come crash
Into me.
Crash into me,
Crash into me.
Crash into me,
Crash into me.

I’m the king of the castle,
You’re the dirty rascal.
Crash into me.
Oh see you crash into me baby.
‘Cause I am swimming in your seas,
And in your ocean.
And I feel your waves come and crash into me.
Oh yes I see the waves come and crash into me.
Oh yes I feel the waves come and crash into me.

I will be your dixie chicken,
If you’ll be my Tennessee lamb,
We can walk together.
Down in Dixieland.

Songwriters: David John Matthews

1990s songs, life is hard

#284 What’s Up- 4 Non-Blondes

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I realized quickly when I knew I should/
That the world was made up of this brotherhood of man/
Or whatever that means.

I always thought the title to the 4 Non-Blondes classic “What’s Up” was “What’s Going On?” Apparently, they changed it because it was the name of an already very famous song. Linda Perry was the lead singer and guitarist for 4 Non-blondes. They were a bit of a one hit wonder, but Perry became a super successful songwriter, mostly covered by other females. We will see her name on this list again.

What's UP? Meaning
4 Non-Blondes

“What’s Up” is a song about disillusionment. Part of the disillusion may be due to her age. She mentions she is 25 and trying to figure things out—as all young people are trying to do at that age. But she points out that there are institutions that seem to be keeping her away from the good life, and she hopes for a revolution.

She doesn’t name these institutions, but we can imagine what they might be, and it can be whatever we feel holds us back. This is what makes it such a relatable song. Perry is looking for her lot in life, it is not coming, and it is making her scream to the heavens “what’s going on?”

What’s Up Lyrics

25 years and my life is still
Tryin’ to get up that great big hill of hope…
For a destination.

I realized quickly when I knew I should,
That the world was made up of this brotherhood of man.
For whatever that means.

And so I cry sometimes when I’m lying in bed,
Just to get it all out what’s in my head.
And I, I am feeling a little peculiar.

And so I wake in the morning and I step outside,
And I take a deep breath and I get real high,
And I scream from the top of my lungs
“What’s going on?”

And I say, hey-ey-ey
Hey-ey-ey
I said “Hey, a-what’s going on?”
And I say, hey-ey-ey
Hey-ey-ey
I said “Hey, a-what’s going on?”

written by Linda Perry

1990s songs, breakup songs

#278 Don’t Cry- Guns N’ Roses

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Don’t you take it so hard now and please don’t take it so bad/
I’ll still be thinking of you and the times we had, baby.

Breakups are tough. Even though Axl is singing “Don’t Cry”, the narrative is supposed to be the words spoken by the woman who is breaking up with him. Some of the words are comforting, but most are absolutely not what you want to hear. No one wants to hear “things will be better tomorrow”. Get out of hear with your clichés and truths and let me be miserable and cry. Dammit! Her comments asking for him to remember how she never lied to him are especially brutal. Thanks!?

Don't Cry Meaning
Guns N’ Roses

The song is a standard 80s power ballad: it starts soft and by the end of the song we are rocking. It is a fun formula. We also have the famous guitar solo. How many truly unique guitar solos could you recognize outside the context of the lyrics? 50? 100? Well, this is one of the more recognizable ones. Like most Guns N’ Roses songs the song is heavily guitar driven. The banjo outro is unique.

Lyrics Don’t Cry

If we could see tomorrow, what of your plans?
No one can live in sorrow, ask all your friends
Times that you took in stride, they’re back in demand
I was the one who was washing blood off your hands

Don’t you cry tonight
I still love you, baby
Don’t you cry tonight
Don’t you cry tonight
There’s a heaven above you baby
And don’t you cry tonight

I know the things you wanted, they’re not what you have
With all the people talking, it’s driving you mad
If I was standing by you, how would you feel
Knowing your love’s decided, and all love is real?

Don’t you cry tonight
I still love you, baby
Don’t you cry tonight
Don’t you cry tonight
There’s a heaven above you baby
And don’t you cry tonight

I thought I could live in your world
As years all went by, with all the voices I’ve heard
Something has died
And when you’re in need of someone, my heart won’t deny you
So many seem so lonely with no one left to cry to, baby
Don’t you cry tonight

I still love you, baby
Don’t you cry tonight
Don’t you cry tonight
There’s a heaven above you baby
And don’t you cry tonight

Don’t you cry tonight
I still love you, baby
Don’t you cry tonight
Don’t you cry tonight
There’s a heaven above you baby
And don’t you cry tonight

Songwriters: Duff Rose McKagan / Izzy Stradlin / Matt Sorum / Saul Hudson / W. Axl Rose