Observation: songs are becoming maxims. Well, maybe not the whole song, but there appears to be a movement in the lyrics to maxims. You know “A usually pithy and familiar statement expressing an observation or principle generally accepted as wise or true.” Also know as adage, aphorism, byword, motto, proverb, saw, saying. This is a move away from the typical narrative form that lyrics typically take – you know, tell a story. Here with the maxim there is no story – well at least the story is not in the song – it’s more likely in the listener's head.

This is what I mean: here are a series of them off of T Bone Burnett’s True False Identity album.

“Machines always do what you tell them to, as long as you do what they say.”

“When you’re out for revenge dig two graves;
When you run from truth it comes in waves.”

“Honesty is the most subversive of all disguises.”

“What’s last is first what’s first is last”

Next from Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon’s 66 Steps:

“Under water from over the dam we stand”.

This one is particularly good in that it captures an old maxim “That’s water over the dam.” In other words: that’s all in the past; let it go; let bygones be bygone; don’t cry over split milk”. Except here you are standing in it completely underwater. In fact it has overwhelmed you. Yet, you stand firm there, under water. In other words: you’ve had it, but don’t fret about it. Kind of like life, not?

Finally a couple from Jeff Beck. He puts these into his songs almost as a musical riffs. Here are a couple from Who Else:

“What Mama said.”

“Space for the Papa.”

And while some might say these are not maxims; Big Frank knows that they are. “What Mama said” is the invocation of the law. What SHE said goes. And “Space for the Papa” a lament that every father knows well – almost a blues lick, but a maxim just the same with the simple meaning “Dad too needs his space”! The great thing about Jeff Beck is that these maxims are pretty much the only lyrics you will find on this entire album. Look at how he’s balanced that out! The symmetry and the ramifications are tremendous.

OK, Big Frank invites all of you out there in Bloggerland to send in via your comments more examples of these maxims that are permeating our musical scene today. I will tally and then post when they have all been submitted. Stay tuned for the following blog that will postulate a few possibilities for tunes from the great writers of maxims who predated rock and so never had a chance – until now.