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.

#379 This Year’s Love- David Gray

This year’s love had better last/
Heaven knows it’s high time.

In “This Year’s Love” David Gray expresses his weariness about the constant failings in his relationships. He seems to be looking for a lifetime partner and it is high time that this year’s love turns out to be the real deal. Every time it doesn’t work out he seems to get more bitter and it is harder to let the next one in. But here he is…falling in love again.

This Year's Love Meaning
David Gray

This time he seems to be fighting it a little harder though—because of the history of broken hearts. He doesn’t want another one. Gray brings a lot of baggage…he admits it. After all his protestations he finally relents simply saying “this year’s love had better last.” He is hopeful but not certain that this girl is going to be the one to break the pattern. It’s too early to tell.

The quiet simple piano and light strings help set the mood. This is a melancholy piece. The simplified arrangement allows us to hear the weariness in his voice as he debates trying again at finding a loving relationship. The melody is great but the line: “this year’s love” really makes the song. Gray conveys the whole meaning of the song in a unique title. It is likely there will be a next year’s love too.

This Year’s Love Lyrics

This year’s love had better last.
Heaven knows it’s high time,
I’ve been waiting on my own too long.

And when ya hold me like you do,
It feels so right oh now.
I start to forget how my heart gets torn,
When that hurt gets thrown.
Feeling like you can’t go on.

Turning circles and time again,
Cut like a knife oh now.
If ya love me got to know for sure.
‘Cause it takes something more this time
Than sweet, sweet lies oh now.
Before I open up my arms and fall,
Losing all control.
Every dream inside my soul.
When ya kiss me on that midnight street,
Sweep me off my feet.
Singing, “ain’t this life so sweet?”

This year’s love had better last,
This year’s love had better last.

‘Cause who’s to worry if our hearts get torn,
When that hurt gets thrown.
Don’t ya know this life goes on?
Won’t ya kiss me on that midnight street?
Sweep me off my feet,
Singing, “ain’t this life so sweet?”

This year’s love had better last,
This year’s love had better last.
This year’s love had better last,
This year’s love had better last.
This year’s love had better last,
Woah woah woah I yeah.
This year’s love had better last.

Songwriters: David Gray

#372 Dreams- The Cranberries

Oh, my life/
Is changing every day/
In every possible way.

Dolores O’Riordian has the most distinct female voice in rock. In “Dreams” she–singing lead for The Cranberries–sounds amazing— frankly, like a dream. With most Cranberries songs, you don’t even care about the lyrics, you just want to hear something and anything come out of Dolores mouth- that is enough.

Dreams great alltime song Meaning
The Cranberries

“Dreams” is one of The Cranberries more upbeat and lighthearted songs. It is about finding the person of your dreams and the feeling of change you feel within, but also the hope and slight fear. Fear that you might get hurt.

The Cranberries musicianship should not be ignored. Dreams contains a strong rhythm section—especially the drums. Seriously, listen to them. It is a very atypical beat. The lead electric guitar also creates several memorable riffs that would make this song recognizable for those who covered this song.

Regarding production, a lot of the signature Cranberries sound is produced by the over-dubbing of Dolores’ voice with her own voice. (Who could be a better background singer than Dolores?) Notice the difference between her two singing voices. Amazing. However, you can also hear that the other members of the band add strong vocals—especially during the outro.

Dreams Lyrics

Oh, my life-
Is changing every day,
In every possible way.

And oh, my dreams-
It’s never quite as it seems.
Never quite as it seems.

I know I’ve felt like this before.
But now I’m feeling it even more.
Because it came from you.

Then I open up and see
The person falling here is me.
A different way to be.

I want more-
Impossible to ignore,
Impossible to ignore.

They’ll come true-
Impossible not to do,
Impossible not to do.

Now I tell you openly-
You have my heart so don’t hurt me.
You’re what I couldn’t find.

Totally amazing mind-
So understanding and so kind.
You’re everything to me.

Oh, my life-
Is changing every day,
In every possible way.

And oh, my dreams-
It’s never quite as it seems.
‘Cause you’re a dream to me.
Dream to me.

Songwriters: Noel Anthony Hogan / Dolores Mary O’Riordan

#370 Everlong (Acoustic)- Foo Fighters

Breathe out/
So I can breathe you in.

The Foo Fighter’s “Everlong” is a song about falling deeply in love.  This would be a typical song of love and lust (in terms of theme) except that Grohl gives the girl a warning about himself. He suggests that he will probably try to ruin the relationship by trying to end it early, but he asks her to ignore him when that time comes.

This appears to be a personal song, as it deals with the author’s tendency to fall deeply in love with a woman, fear the end, and sabotage a good thing. This time he doesn’t want to repeat that pattern.

Everlong Acoustic Greatest Songs Meaning
Dave Grohl live on Stern

The acoustic version is amazing. I believe the famous version is from The Howard Stern Show. Grohl usually performed the song with an electric guitar, but he had an acoustic guitar on him that day. Stern asked him to perform it anyways, and it turns out the song sounds amazingly better solo acoustic. That live performance lifts it into the top 500 songs of all-time.

Everlong Lyrics

Hello
I’ve waited here for you
Everlong

Tonight I throw myself in two
Out of the red
Out of her head she sang

Come down and waste away with me
Down with me
Slow, how you wanted it to be
I’m over my head
Out of her head she sang

And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I’ll ever ask of you
You’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang

Breathe out
So I can breathe you in
Hold you in
And now
I know you’ve always been
Out of your head
Out of my head I sang

And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I’ll ever ask of you
You’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang

And I wonder
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I’ll ever ask of you
You’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when

Songwriters: David Grohl