So many amazing songs were penned in the 20th century, particularly in rock music. Let’s dive into just a handful of carefully curated (and perfectly written) rock lyrics from the former century that still hit so good.
“My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue)” by Neil Young (1979)
“It’s better to burn out than fade away.”
Videos by American Songwriter
Is there a more quoted rock song lyric than this one from Neil Young’s “My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue)”? Who knows? Regardless, no only is this such a good line from a songwriting perspective, but it also encapsulates the whole rock star ethos. So many big names in rock have died young, often from overdosing on drugs. The rock star lifestyle is wild, fast, and, depending on the musician, only lasts about 15 minutes. Whether you think it’s better to burn out fast than fade away slowly, there is some truth in this line from Rust Never Sleeps.
“Subterranean Homesick Blues” by Bob Dylan (1965)
“You don’t need a weather man to know which way the wind blows.”
This leans more folk than rock, but I’m including it here anyway. This line is so loaded, though some might think it’s just a cute lyric about the weather. When you dig deep, this lyric is about how you don’t need someone else to tell you the nature of the world. All you need to do is look around you. There may be some political themes in this line as well, as The Weathermen, an offshoot of Students for a Democratic Society, named their position paper after this lyric in 1969.
“Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who (1971)
“Meet the new boss / Same as the old boss.”
It’s so simple, yet so poignant. In a song about revolutionary takeover and change, The Who examine the reality of exchanges of power, however noble the intentions of the “new guard” might be. This line comes at the very end of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” from Who’s Next, pointing to the painful realization that when it comes to politics, the new people in power will likely become just as awful as those before them.
“Hotel California” by Eagles (1977)
“We are programmed to receive / You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”
A classic that’s been picked apart by fans and music historians for decades. “Hotel California” is loaded with quite a few themes. But the above-mentioned rock lyrics might be the most perfectly written of the whole song. You can leave the hotel whenever you want, but it will have a hold on you forever. The hotel, depending on how you interpret it, could be symbolic of the rock star lifestyle and addiction to drugs. It’s ambiguous and dark, and a fine way to end one of the most creative rock songs of the 1970s.
Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage