Lambchop is an American alt-country band from Nashville, Tennessee, the cap… Read Full Bio ↴Lambchop is an American alt-country band from Nashville, Tennessee, the capital of country music. Originally called Posterchild, the band (which formed in 1986) cannot easily be classified into a genre and certainly not into that of traditional country music. The collective around frontman Kurt Wagner has a fluid membership, at times including as many 18 musicians, and is frequently associated with alternative country. Lambchop’s music combines wryly ironic lyrics that are complex in form and content with harmonious tunes and soulful background vocals. It is indebted to folk and country as much as to the smooth soul of Barry White, Curtis Mayfield or Marvin Gaye and can be seen as a fine exemplification of Kris Kristofferson’s famous line: “country music is the white man’s soul”.

Magnificent Obsession
Lambchop Lyrics

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We all know love is free
But gets you fried chicken
I hear those people ring
Conversation listen
A false security
Breezes of the past
Impossibility
Reminds us of what's best

Lost in topography
Each with our possessions
Those difficult days
A butcher of our conscience
A public enemy
That reaches for our guts and heart

A possibility
A magnificent obsession

Overall Meaning

In Lambchop's song "Magnificent Obsession," the lyrics describe the complexity of love and its various forms. The opening line, "we all know love is free, but gets you fried chicken," suggests that love may come without a price tag, but it often involves exchanging favors and doing things for one another. The next line, "I hear those people ring, conversation listen," seems to acknowledge the pressures that come with societal norms and expectations around relationships. The lyrics continue to ponder the nature of love and how it can be both a source of security and vulnerability, as well as the ways in which it can be complicated by past experiences and possessions.

Throughout the song, Lambchop uses rich imagery and metaphors to address the emotional complexities associated with love. The idea of topography suggests a sense of being lost or overwhelmed, while the metaphor of a butcher of the conscience feels like a reference to overcoming personal fears and insecurities. The notion of love being a public enemy that "reaches for our guts and heart" is a testament to its power and often all-consuming nature. Ultimately, however, the lyrics suggest that while love may be difficult and fraught with uncertainty, it is still a magnificent obsession that is worth pursuing.

Line by Line Meaning

We all know love is free
Love doesn't come with a price tag

But gets you fried chicken
But love can make you do things you wouldn't normally do

I hear those people ring
I hear people talking about love all the time

Conversation listen
Listen closely to what people say about love

A false security
Thinking that love will always be there can be a false sense of security

Breezes of the past
Memories of past loves can come back like a gentle breeze

Impossibility
Thinking that love is impossible can hold you back from finding it

Reminds us of what's best
Love reminds us of what really matters in life

Lost in topography
We can get lost in the details of love and lose sight of the big picture

Each with our possessions
We all have our own baggage and issues when it comes to love

Those difficult days
Love can be hard and take work