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, love is gone

#175 High And Dry- Radiohead

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It’s the best thing that you ever had/
The best thing you have had is gone away.

Radiohead’s “High and Dry” asks what happens when you’re on top of the world and it comes to an end? Will your friends still be there? Will anyone remember you…or care for you? Will you change when things start to go good for you? Will you still remember who you are? These are some of the questions that Radiohead’s “High and Dry” asks.  Overall,  Radiohead does not seem that optimistic that people will fare well with fame and fortune.

High and Dry meaning
Radiohead

Radiohead’s “High and Dry” is told from the perspective of a commoner talking to his friend who has just achieved his 15 minutes of fame through motorcycling. The narrator sounds doubtful about his friend remaining level-headed. Yorke is in the exact opposite position in life. He is the one who struck gold and is super famous. Is he admitting he’s changed? Is it inevitable?

Thom Yorke’s voice goes in and out of falsetto effortlessly throughout the song and it sounds unique. It is funny that there was a time in the 90s when grunge was becoming big where people were wondering if rock was dead. Songs like this show that rock was strong then, you just had to know where to look.  Radiohead is probably the best rock band of the nineties—whether you are a fan or not.

For a nice acoustic cover of “High and Dry” give Jorge Drexler a shot:

For more great songs by Radiohead.

High and Dry Lyrics

Two jumps in a week,
I bet you think that’s pretty clever don’t you boy?
Flying on your motorcycle,
Watching all the ground beneath you drop
You’d kill yourself for recognition,
Kill yourself to never, ever stop
You broke another mirror,
You’re turning into something you are not.

Don’t leave me high, don’t leave me dry.
Don’t leave me high, don’t leave me dry.

Drying up in conversation,
You’ll be the one who cannot talk.
All your insides fall to pieces,
You just sit there wishing you could still make love.
They’re the ones who’ll hate you
When you think you’ve got the world all sussed out.
They’re the ones who’ll spit on you,
You’ll be the one screaming out.

Don’t leave me high, don’t leave me dry.
Don’t leave me high, don’t leave me dry.

It’s the best thing that you ever had,
The best thing that you ever, ever had.
It’s the best thing that you ever had,
The best thing that you ever had has gone away

Don’t leave me high, don’t leave me dry.
Don’t leave me high, don’t leave me dry.
Don’t leave me,
Don’t leave me.

written by Radiohead

1990s songs, couples songs

#172 She- Elvis Costello

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She maybe the reason I survive/
The why and wherefore I’m alive.

Elvis Costello’s “She” is a great song about the mysteries of women and the mysterious ways that a woman can make a man feel. The narrator is awed, grateful and feels blessed to have this woman in his life. It is truly a celebration of woman as “other”.  The narrator recognizes that this woman brings a unique set of characteristics that compliments him, which will suit him well for the rest of his life.

She Greatest Alltime Song meaning
elvis costello

Elvis Costello made his reputation as a singer/songwriter, but his best song by far is “She”, a song that you may not know is actually a cover. “She” is a song that was written for a TV show overseas. The original is underwhelming, if only because of the heavy accent of the original singer is a bit distracting. Costello delivers the song passionately, though it is slightly overproduced with the string arrangement.

She Lyrics

She may be the face I can’t forget,
The trace of pleasure or regret,
May be my treasure or the price I have to pay.
She may be the song that summer sings,
Maybe the chill that autumn brings,
Maybe a hundred different things,
Within the measure of a day.

She may be the beauty or the beast,
May be the famine or the feast,
May turn each day into a Heaven or a Hell.
She may be the mirror of my dreams,
A smile reflected in a stream,
She may not be what she may seem
Inside her shell.

She, who always seems so happy in a crowd,
Whose eyes can be so private and so proud.
No one’s allowed to see them when they cry.
She may be the love that cannot hope to last,
May come to me from shadows in the past,
That I remember ’till the day I die.

She maybe the reason I survive,
The why and wherefore I’m alive,
The one I’ll care for through the rough in many years.

Me, I’ll take her laughter her tears,
And make them all my souvenirs.
And where she goes I’ve got to be,
The meaning of my life is
She.
She!
Oh, she.

Songwriters: Charles Aznavour and Herbert Kretzmer

1990s songs, breakup songs

#164 Torn- Natalie Imbruglia

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Illusion never changed into something real/
Wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn.

In “Torn” Natalie Imbruglia is dating someone new. Her initial impression of him favorable. Is her impression accurate? Is this the good man that could change her life and be a great partner? All of her initial impressions give her hope. She falls for him. But it turns out it was a façade. He is not that guy after all. Her dreams and illusions are “Torn” apart and replaced with the reality that she was wrong.

Torn Greatest song alltime

She feels ashamed that she was deceived—or at the least that she misjudged his character so badly. Just as her dreams are torn apart, her body begins to be torn apart as well, as she subconsciously punishes herself mentally for her mistake.

“Torn” starts out so happy. Bright major chords in the intro transition quickly into a darker song. Imbruglia sings the song as if she is exasperated and confused…and tired of the games. She makes good choices in her vocal. The background vocals are strong but go mostly unnoticed. The strength of the song may be the guitar work. It is muted during the verse and chorus but rocks during the ending solo. It sounds like she is erupting into the solo.

Torn Lyrics

I thought I saw a man brought to life.
He was warm, he came around like he was dignified.
He showed me what it was to cry.

Well, you couldn’t be that man I adored.
You don’t seem to know,
Or seem to care what your heart is for.
But I don’t know him anymore.

There’s nothin’ where he used to lie,
The conversation has run dry.
That’s what’s goin’ on.
Nothing’s fine, I’m torn.

I’m all out of faith,
This is how I feel.
I’m cold and I am shamed
Lying naked on the floor.

Illusion never changed
Into something real.
I’m wide awake and I can see
The perfect sky is torn.

You’re a little late,
I’m already torn.

So I guess the fortune teller’s right.
Should’ve seen just what was there
And not some holy light.
But you crawled beneath my veins and now.

I don’t care, I had no luck,
I don’t miss it all that much.
There’s just so many things
That I can touch, I’m torn.

I’m all out of faith,
This is how I feel.
I’m cold and I am shamed
Lying naked on the floor.

Illusion never changed
Into something real.
I’m wide awake and I can see
The perfect sky is torn.

You’re a little late
I’m already torn.
Torn.

There’s nothing where he used to lie,
My inspiration has run dry.
And that’s what’s goin’ on.
Nothing’s right, I’m torn.

I’m all out of faith
This is how I feel.
I’m cold and I am shamed,
Lying naked on the floor.

Illusion never changed
Into something real.
I’m wide awake and I can see
The perfect sky is torn.

I’m all out of faith,
This is how I feel.
I’m cold and I’m ashamed
Bound and broken on the floor.

You’re a little late.
I’m already torn.
Torn.
Oh

written by Scott Cutler / Anne Preven / Phil Thornalley