Songs of Compromise and Resignation

sure,

Rolling Stones - "You Can't Always Get What You Want"

but also,

Bobby Sheen - "I May Not Be What You Want"

and,

Blue Oyster Cult - "You're Not The One (I Was Looking For)"

Stephen Stills - "Love The One You're With"
The Cars - "You're All I've Got Tonight"
Glen Campbell - "Rhinestone Cowboy" ("There's been a load of compromsin'/On the road to my horizon")

Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer - There's That One Person You'll Never Get Over No Matter How Long It's Been - though this does end on a positive note of sorts
David Grahame - Maybe It's Just Not My Day
Chris Bell - Though I Know She Lies

lots of depressing power pop songs to sift through.

lots of depressing and wonderful Leonard Cohen songs to sift through

Pete Townshend - "A Little Is Enough"

A great one from this year...

Against Me - Ache With Me

Take Me For A Little While - Vanilla Fudge/Evie Sands

about 30% of Jesus & Mary Chain songs

magnetic fields - "100,000 fireflies" ("you won't be happy with me/but give me one more chance/you won't be happy anyway")

All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down -- Bocephus

Wreckless Eric: "Someone must have nailed us together"

I think Peggy Lee's "Is That All There Is?" qualifies for this, though that song is more a celebration than a resignation to me.

Brutal Knights - 'Teen Sex'

"have teen sex / have it everywhere / you won't enjoy it / but it will teach you"

consolation prizes - iggy

bob seger - "we've got tonite"
aimee mann - "this is how it goes"
gillian welch - "everything is free now"
lyle lovett - "she's already made up her mind"
survivor - "the search is over"

Tryng to think of Mark Eitzel songs that aren't about these subjects.

Joni Mitchell. Not so much specifically about settling for second best relationship-wise, but w/r/t having to accept the fact that life always falls short of yr expectations romantically and otherwise. You could almost say that resignation is her best theme:

"The Last Time I Saw Richard"
"The Boho Dance"
"Song For Sharon"
"Refuge of the Roads"
"Come In From The Cold"

Jagger seems to be all about celebrating the beauty of compromise. not much room for resignation of course

"America Drinks and Goes Home"

'Just like I said, there's no regrets!'

Possibly my favorite song of all time:

"If You Don't Want to (I Don't Mind)" by Pearls Before Swine

I Didn't Mean To Turn You On?

Good one, Tim F--well put

Cilla Black - I've Been Wrong Before

Maybe the king of them all:

The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again

Joni Mitchell. Not so much specifically about settling for second best relationship-wise, but w/r/t having to accept the fact that life always falls short of yr expectations romantically and otherwise. You could almost say that resignation is her best theme:

Not really the thread for this, but you're otm about that and it's very much why I find Mitchell so distasteful. To me, her constant resignations and disappointments with life come across whiny and very haughty.

Both Sides Now is kind of wonderful, I admit

haha that's exactly why I love Joni - guess I'm pretty whiny myself

"I Quit" - Bros.

Well, it's a form of Resignation.

Cunga the songs I listed are more eloquent than whiny. Mostly she lambasts herself for having been naive and demanding. "come in from the cold" is particularly good on this point.

Backstreets (and many others) - Bruce

The Who - "However Much I Booze"

This is my least favorite Depeche Mode album fwiw.

Cunga the songs I listed are more eloquent than whiny. Mostly she lambasts herself for having been naive and demanding. "come in from the cold" is particularly good on this point.

I'll give them a listen. It's been ages since I gave her my attention. With Joni I think it's like Morrissey, where either you can relate to it or you're sort of like "oh, lighten up"

I should note that I do get what you mean with her and I would never seek to defend, say, "Sex Kills" on the same basis.

Maybe not about compromise as such, but I reckon "Jack & Diane" is about the king of resignation songs ("life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone")...of course, one could read this as a protest song, inasmuch as Johnny Cougar notes that it is THEY who say the aforementioned lines, and what do THEY really know?

"Some Other Time" (maybe the Tony Bennett version w/ Bill Evans).

"Mama, You Been on My Mind" - Bob Dylan

The Featuring Birds album by Quasi is loaded with these.

This is my least favorite Depeche Mode album fwiw.

― macaroni rascal (polyphonic), Thursday, November 18, 2010 7:30 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

^ did laugh