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.

#430 My Little Corner- Yo La Tengo

I always knew that I’d find someone like you/
So welcome to my little corner of the world.

“My Corner of the World” was written in the sixties, but I didn’t become a classic until Yo La Tengo covered it in the 90s. They sing it with the tenderness that the song deserves. It lets the lyrics come to life. The song really has a great rhythm with a nice guitar solo. Almost dance-able—if one were so inclined.

My Little Corner of the World Meaning
Yo La Tengo

In the beginning of the song the author is inviting someone to his “little corner of the world”. He says if you’d like to stay we can make it “our little corner of the world”.  Interestingly the song ends with “we always knew that we’d find someone like you…” Here it is not clear who “we” is or who “we” could be. Is the author a single father? Is he using the “royal we”? I think he is. I think he is saying that now this girl is his girlfriend, and he is changing tense.

There are more fun possibilities to consider though: Is he inviting a third into the relationship? Is he young and sharing his apartment with a roommate? Is he buying a dog? Perhaps we’ll never know.

My Little Corner Lyrics

Come along with me,
To my little corner of the world,
And dream a little dream,
In my little corner of the world.

Tonight my love,
We’ll share a sweet embrace,
We’ll soon forget,
There’s any other place.

And if you care to stay,
In my little corner of the world,
Then we can hide away,
In my little corner of the world.

I always knew,
I’d find someone like you,
So welcome to,
My little corner of the world.

written by: Lee Pockriss / Bob Hilliard

#427 Kind and Generous- Natalie Merchant

I want to thank you for your generosity, the love/
And the honesty that you gave me.

Natalie Merchant has a beautiful, unique voice. She may be best known as the lead singer of the 10000 maniacs, but this is her at her finest. This is a solo performance. Her unique singing style involves under-enunciating words. Usually I dislike that, but Merchant’s voice is so unique it doesn’t bother me in the least. It adds to the mystery.

Kind And Generous Meaning
Natalie Merchant

“Kind and Generous” is lyrically simple: she is simply thanking someone for their generosity. We are not sure what type of relationship she has with this person; it could be any relationship. We come away from the song knowing that she is grateful for this kind and generous person who is extremely giving. She admires this person for who he/she is.

The song structure and instrumentation are relatively simple as well.  The highlight is the excellent bridge that takes the song to a new height (I want to thank you for your generosity, the love/ And the honesty that you gave me.) The guitar outro is a nice touch as well.

Kind and Generous Lyrics

La la la la
You’ve been so kind and generous
I don’t know how you keep on giving
For your kindness I’m in debt to you

For your selflessness my admiration
For everything you’ve done you know I’m bound
I’m bound to thank you for it
La la la la
Hey hey hey

You’ve been so kind and generous
I don’t know how you keep on giving
For your kindness I’m in debt to you
And I never could have come this far without you

For everything you’ve done, you know I’m bound
I’m bound to thank you for it
La la la la

Oh, I want to thank you for so many gifts you gave
The love, the tenderness, I want to thank you
I want to thank you for your generosity, the love
And the honesty that you gave me
I want to thank you show my gratitude
My love, and my respect for you, I want to thank you
Oh, I want to thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you
I want to thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you

Songwriters: Natalie Merchant

#426 Baby Now That I’ve Found You- Alison Kraus/ Foundations

Baby, now that I’ve found you/
I won’t let you go/

In “Baby Now That I’ve Found You” Alison Kraus describes how she will build her world around this new guy now that she’s found him…and she won’t let him go. She laments that he “(doesn’t) need me”, and “you want to leave me.” Perhaps the darkness of the vocal is that it is sort of stalkerish: she sounds like she might not actually let him go! Any song that can convey a strong emotion is on its way towards being a great song.

Baby Now That I've Found You Meaning
Alison Kraus

This song sounds slightly different than most country songs. Is it Kraus’ broody vocals? The song just sounds darker than most country songs, but not “my daddy died on the porch and my dog did too” level of darkness. A couple different choices and it might be classified as soft rock or folk.

The Foundations released the original version of the song in the sixties. Their version is good, but Kraus’ is better. The best part of the Foundations’ version is the thundering piano playing. The piano player doesn’t really play piano, he hammers the piano. And it works. The homage to ‘build me up buttercup’ in the beginning is kind of weird.

Now That I’ve Found You Lyrics

Baby, now that I’ve found you
I won’t let you go
I build my world around you
I need you so, baby even though
You don’t need me now

Baby, now that I’ve found you
I won’t let you go
I build my world around you
I need you so, baby even though
You don’t need me
You don’t need me no no (mm)

Baby, baby, when first we met
I knew in this heart of mine
That you were someone I couldn’t forget
I said right and abide my time

Spent my life looking for that somebody
To make me feel like you
Now you tell me that you want to leave me
But darling, I just can’t let you

Baby, baby, when first we met
I knew in this heart of mine
That you were someone I couldn’t forget
I said right and abide my time

Spent my life looking for that somebody
To make me feel like you
Now you tell me that you want to leave me
But darling, I just can’t let you

Now that I found you
I build my world around you
I need you so, baby even though
You don’t need me now

Baby, now that I’ve found you
I won’t let you go
I build my world around you
I need you so, baby even though
You don’t need me, you don’t need me no no
(mm mm mm)

Songwriters: John Macleod / Tony Macaulay