What Australia Day means to me ...

Australia Day means many things to many different people. But I'm not going to get into those today. 

I'm also going to try to refrain from mentioning the abundance of tackorama merchandise with the Australian flag that replaces the shoddy Christmas paraphernalia that is likewise vomited all over our shops each summer. (Try to).

Each Australia Day, I like to spend it enjoying the lifestyle, landscape and loved ones to which it plays host. 

 Australia Day is also Triple J Hottest 100 Day to me (I'm kinda shallow like that). And around this time I like nothing better than to reflect on the best phrases to music for the year prior. Of course it’s not just the lyrics that make the song. Sometimes it’s a mix of words and melody, tempo, delivery. Or simply the way it makes us feel or the memory it conjures up.

Here are mine for 2013:

Get Lucky
Daft Punk (feat. Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers)

Like the legend of the phoenix
All ends with beginnings
What keeps the planet spinning
The force of love beginning

Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High

 Arctic Monkeys

…Gets harder and harder to get you to listen

More I get through the gears

Incapable of making alright decisions

And having bad ideas

Royals

Lorde

But every song's like gold teeth, grey goose, trippin' in the bathroom

Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room,

We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams.

But everybody's like crystal, Maybach, diamonds on your time piece.

Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash.

We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair.

You Don’t Know Me

Polyphonic Spree

Don't let the people think they know you

They don't know

You move around, you say goodbye to them

There's always more to you than there are of them

Monster

Eminem

I wanted the fame, but not the cover of Newsweek

Oh well, guess beggers can't be choosey

Wanted to receive attention for my music

Wanted to be left alone, public excuse me

Been wanting my cake, I need it too

Wanting it both ways

Fame may be a balloon cause my ego inflated

When I blew seep it was confusing

Cause all I wanted to do is be the Bruce Lee of loose leaf

Abused ink, used it as a tool when I blew steam

The Wire

Haim

You know there's no rhyme or reason for the way you turned out to be

I didn't go and try to change my mind. not intentionally

I know it's hard to hear me say it but I can't bear to stay and

I just know I know I know I know that you're gonna be OK anyway

Counting Stars

One Republic

Old, but I'm not that old

Young, but I'm not that bold

And I don't think the world is sold

I'm just doing what we're told

I feel something so right

By doing the wrong thing

And I feel something so wrong

By doing the right thing

I couldn't lie, couldn't lie, couldn't lie

Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

Afterlife

Arcade Fire

And after this

Can it last another night?

After all the bad advice

That had nothing at all to do with life

I’ve gotta know

Can we work it out?

If we scream and shout ’till we work it out

Can we just work it out?

Scream and shout ’till we work it out?

Desert Night 

Rufus

And when the sun comes out, in the morning light 

It can feel you there 

Oh, look at me now, look at me now 

I'm right here 

And as the light spills out and the sleep is here 

You see me there, don't go anywhere 

Go anywhere, wait right here. 

Only One

John Butler Trio

I keep on reading the same chapter

I cannot breathe, holding hiding truth

You always know when just to say let go

To me you are the only one

Who can help unwind my tangled mind

I am the seed but you're the sun

I'm telling anybody tell everybody

There Will Come a Time

Noah and the Whale

One day she'll look at you and say

I never thought I could feel this way

But it's not tonight, no not tonight

There will come a time

Where you will need your friends tonight

There will come a time

Where you will need someone tonight