007 Theme Song - Lyrics Analysis Thread

Absolutely_Cart

In this thread, we can grade each of the songs on their lyrics.

Absolutely_Cart

Here we go. And remember, I'm only reviewing on the lyrics themselves.

Goldfinger
Lyrics: http://www.elyrics.net/read/s/shirley-bassey-lyrics/goldfinger-lyrics.html
Review: For a first song of the franchise, the lyrics are very good. They pretty much provide context to the movie right away and explain how horrifying of a villain Goldfinger can be. Not a poetically written masterpiece but its good.
Rating: 3/5

Thunderball
Lyrics: http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/the_best_of_james_bond_soundtrack/tom_jones_thunderball-lyrics-63223.html
Review: The lyrics are quite vague on whether they're referring to Bond's insatiable hunger or the villains insatiable hunger. I guess we knew going into this that Thunderball was kind of a corny thing to sing about but the lyrics as good as they can realistically be here.
Rating: 3/5

You Only Live Twice
Lyrics: http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/the_best_of_james_bond_soundtrack/nancy_sinatra_you_only_live_twice-lyrics-63114.html
Review: It's short but it's poetic and pure. No filler. Each line has a pretty interesting premise to it. Dreams vs. reality, living twice, love, life being tame, paying the price to make your dreams come true. And there's perhaps lots of directions you could go with "Don't think of the danger, or the stranger is gone". Kind of like a "have faith" kind of thing, where if you have too much doubt in something, the opportunity will pass without you acting on it.
Rating: 4/5

Diamonds Are Forever
Lyrics: http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/the_best_of_james_bond_soundtrack/shirley_bassey_diamonds_are_forever-lyrics-63005.html
Review: The theme of this song is about how diamonds are better than men because they won't mistreat your or abandon you. They're clear, pure and very valuable. I definitely like the line "Men are mere mortals who are not worth going to your grave for" and "When the love's gone, they'll luster on". A pretty haunting, alluring, and somewhat bone-chilling song in it's very lyrics. It's very melodramatic, but the quality of writing is there no doubt.
Rating: 4/5

Live and Let Die
Lyrics: http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/the_best_of_james_bond_soundtrack/paul_mccartney_and_wings_live_and_let_die-lyrics-62895.html
Review: "Live and let die" is a cool phrase, but I'm not sure this song does a ton with it. It's hard to point out what exactly its alluding to. Perhaps the harsh reality of the world turning peace-lovers into killers (like perhaps how James Bond has been hardened after all of the years). Or it could simply mean how someone young and open-minded turns into a bigot. Who knows. It's a great song, but if we're judging by the lyrics alone (and not McCartney's fantastic musical talents), it's merely good.
Rating: 3/5

Thunderpussy

You might want to check out From Russia With Love, as a first song.

Absolutely_Cart

That one didn't have lyrics. Did it?

Thunderpussy

Oh yes, Matt Munro.
http://www.lyricsdepot.com/matt-monro/from-russia-with-love.html

Barbel

And don't forget http://jamesbond007.net/Partitions/mango.html either.

(Not to mention http://jamesbond007.net/Partitions/drno.html ) )

The Red Kind

Any of the Hal David penned songs. You get what you pay for with songwriters and lyricists.

How they could possibly go from the hired legends of the past to Jack White is beyond me.. X-(

Barbel

...me too. Don Black is still around!

Lady Ice

For me the Bond songs fall into categories; the dreamy enigmatic ones ( for example You Only Live Twice, Moonraker, Skyfall), the traditionally romantic (for example Nobody Does It Better, For Your Eyes Only, All Time High), character songs (Goldfinger, Thunderball, The Man With The Golden Gun), the ruthless killer songs (for example Live and Let Die, A View to A Kill, The Living Daylights, You Know My Name) and greed songs (for example Diamonds Are Forever, The World is Not Enough). So even if they sound musically different, they have a strong overlap.