worst lyrics
an evening of fun in the metropolis of your dream
with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
i mean lyrics that are so lacking in originality, or so simplistic, or so
phony, or so forced, that they make you feel embarassed for whoever is
singing them.
some candidates of my own:
loverboy "gangs in the street" - a really bad band who usually has
really bad lyrics, but this one tops them all. i've only
heard this song a few times, but i can still remember some
of the couplets such as--
"put your hands in the air/ best take care"
"it's your money or your life/ don't think twice"
hooters "all you zombies".
this mortal coil "kangaroo" -i've often wondered if the lyrics to
this song are intentionally bad or what.
--
"I've eaten lots of cow chow, I've tasted egg pie.
I went and took the sow vow (please don't ask me why).
I'm getting sick of cow chow, I'm growing bored with sex.
I'm indisposed to plow now." ---Tyrannosaurus Rex
Daniel P. Barron
>
>with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
"Take me down to Paradise City
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty.
Oo, oo, take me home, yeah, yeah!"
Ugh. I don't know who this is but man, does this song stink!!
Flames to /dev/null
db
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Bryan Jensen
>
>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
>
>i mean lyrics that are so lacking in originality, or so simplistic, or so
>phony, or so forced, that they make you feel embarassed for whoever is
>singing them.
Neil Young's song "T-Bone" gets my nomination for 'worst lyrics'
"Got mashed potato"
"Got mashed potato"
"Got mashed potato"
"Ain't got no t-bone"
(repeat endlessly)
The guitar work in the song is quite good, however.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
u-bj...@ug.utah.edu >< "Don't you know we're headed down a one-way
u-bj...@sunset.utah.edu <> dead-end street. There's no way out
c-bj...@wasatch.utah.edu >< of this living Hell." - Tesla, Heaven's Trail
Adrian Leverkuhn
Anything by Bon Jovi. Except maybe "Runaway," which I still maintain is a
pretty good (albeit dumb) song.
--
say boss you seem to have upgraded from the old typewriter to a vt220 and so
correspondingly from a cockroach to a math undergrad but still eschewing the
shift key for old times sake i believe mehitabel the cat is now studying
business somewhere in the east and archy is being nathan or tektronix!reed!mojo
joseph t rohde
>
>i mean lyrics that are so lacking in originality, or so simplistic, or so
>phony, or so forced, that they make you feel embarassed for whoever is
>singing them.
Well, I nominate this because it is Rush. Normally this would not be too
bad, but for a group that is supposed to be so lyricly (sp?) advanced...
from the first album: _In_The_Mood_
Hey now, baby,
Well, I like your smile.
Won't you come and talk to me
For a little while?
.
.
Hey baby, it's a quarter to eight.
I feel I'm in the mood.
Hey baby, the hour is late.
I feel I've got to move.
.
.
Everything's getting hazy.
Now honey where'd you go?
I just want to find out baby,
Where'd you learn what you know?
.
.
Ooo, you drive me crazy.
Baby, you're the one.
I just want to rock and roll you woman
Until the night is gone.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yes i know, this is before peart arrived as drummer, but lets face it,
This is not the music normally associated with a good group!
Joe
ps. no offense intended to Rush Fanatics.
-=-
-----------------------------------
ro...@cis.ohio-state.edu
j...@eng.ohio-state.edu
George Harris
>
>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
>
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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! gha...@secola.Columbia.NCR.COM (George Harris) Have a nice day :-) !
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Jeghers
>In article <12...@reed.UUCP> eey...@reed.UUCP (an evening of fun in the metropolis of your dream) writes:
>>
>>with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
>>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
>>
>>i mean lyrics that are so lacking in originality, or so simplistic, or so
>>phony, or so forced, that they make you feel embarassed for whoever is
>>singing them.
Any and every lyrical phrase that Steve Miller has ever sung.
Lionel Wimpie get a close second with offerings like "Say You Say Me"
and "Dancing on the Ceiling".
Stephen M. Dunn
>"Take me down to Paradise City
> Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty.
> Oo, oo, take me home, yeah, yeah!"
>
>Ugh. I don't know who this is but man, does this song stink!!
discussion to my kill file; I'm sure that we can keep coming up with
songs with lousy lyrics until the cows come home.
To quote from Mr. Barron, "Flames to /dev/null".
Regards
--
======================================================================
! Stephen M. Dunn, cs3...@maccs.McMaster.CA ! DISCLAIMER: !
! I always wanted to be a lumberjack! - M.P. ! I'm only an undergrad !
======================================================================
Mark Alexandre
(an evening of fun in the metropolis of your dream) writes:
>with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
"
That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
...."
Everybody remember that one?
(Hint: It's enough to make you throw-up at sunrise.)
MarkInAustin
Dave Smith
>>
>>with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
>>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
>
"Dear God, is there somebody out there?
Is there someone to hear my prayer?
I'm a simple man with simple words to say."
Geez, I'll agree. Simple words. Sorry to ignite flames over bashing
Midge, but the lyrics to this song always made me think it was written
by a 10 year old with a rhyming dictionary.
--
=======================================================================
David D. Smith --- CompuGraphic Corp. --- Wilmington Mass.
"...now get this, we can feed the rats to the cats, and the cats to
the rats, and get the cat skins for nothin'..." HUSKER DU
Hobbes
>
>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
The Police:
Da Doo Doo Doo [whatever the rest of the title is...]
A waste of perfectly good music.
--
---
Chris Kinsella | ch...@igloo.UUCP
USSnail: P.O. Box 72, Waitsfield, VT 05673-0072
Scott W. Larson
>
>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
>
>i mean lyrics that are so lacking in originality, or so simplistic, or so
>phony, or so forced, that they make you feel embarassed for whoever is
>singing them.
"If I were a swan, I'd be gone
If I were a train, I'd be late..."
Yes, another Pink Floyd classic that I'd rather not recite.
It's pre-"Roger Waters' self-discovery".
ARPANET: scowl%cs.pd...@relay.cs.net
CSNET: sc...@cs.pdx.edu
UUCP: {ucbvax,uunet,gatech}!tektronix!psu-cs!scowl
C-$ERVE: 72106,1035
"One comment in NLQ is worth two in draft"--SWL
Bunny
>>In article <12...@reed.UUCP> eey...@reed.UUCP
> (an evening of fun in the metropolis of your dream) writes:
>
>>with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
>>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
>
>"
>That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
>That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
>
>Everybody remember that one?
>(Hint: It's enough to make you throw-up at sunrise.)
>
>MarkInAustin
Jeez, just about *any* KC and the Sunshine Band lyric will make you
throw up - anytime, anyplace.
"I'm your boogie man, that's what I am"
"Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight"
I guess "That's the way ...." is probably the worst, though.
Do you realize that KC and the Sunshine Band had *5* number 1 hits?
In "The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits", Fred Bronson ran out of
things to say well before their last number one hit. He got into
writing how one of their songs had an extremely repetitive title and
named some other songs with repetitive titles. Contrast that with
20 "real" articles about the Beatles...
I would say that the mid-to-late seventies era was a fertile ground
for this kinda thing. Look at "Fly, robin, fly - up, up to the sky" -
yuck.
I agree with the poster who said that Lionel Ritchie lyrics are truly
:-) awful. I think my least favorite is "You are the sun, you are the
rain that makes my life this foolish game. You need to know I love you so..."
Graham S. Orndorff
>with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
i would give a hearty vote for "yet another movie" by the new pink floyd.
i wish that i had the lyric sheet in front of me right no to transcribe
them... (anyone else have it?)
possibly the worst lyrics ever to bear the pink floyd name... earlier barrett
stuff were silly, but they were intended to be silly. this song is just
stupid, while trying to sound deep, i think.
any other votes?
Dan Gross
>
>>with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
>>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
Aw, come on, guys, you're missing some of the worst lyrics in existence.
Sure, you hit JBJ (exception noted), Steve Miller, and KC & the Sunshine Band, but what
about the Village People ("Y-M-C-A. It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A...",
"Macho, macho man. I want to be a macho man...", etc.) and the classic
Bay City Rollers ("S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y...Night!"). What about:
"Do the Hustle.
Do the Hustle.
Do the Hustle.
Do the Hustle.
Do the Hustle.
ETC."
Goodness, you can include just about anything that's been put on a K-Tel
compilation.
Just thought I'd get in my say...
--
-Der Labmeister-(Dan Gross)-fredonia!gros...@cs.buffalo.edu------------------
|decvax!sunybcs!fredonia!gros1530 ! . . !
|I'd rather have a bottle in front of me ! ___ !
|than a frontal lobotomy! ! "Have a Day"!
Maarten Litmaath
\>In article <12...@reed.UUCP> eey...@reed.UUCP
\ (an evening of fun in the metropolis of your dream) writes:
\>with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
\>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
\"
\That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
\That's the way, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I like it, UH-HUH, UH-HUH.
\...
\Everybody remember that one?
That's by "KC & the Sunshine Band", though from the lyrics one would guess
"KC & the Moonshine Band" :-)
--
Modeless editors and strong typing: |Maarten Litmaath @ VU Amsterdam:
both for people with weak memories. |ma...@cs.vu.nl, mcvax!botter!maart
Andy Tefft
>
>>eey...@reed.UUCP writes:
>>
>>>with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
>>>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
>
>Aw, come on, guys, you're missing some of the worst lyrics in existence.
>compilation.
>
>-Der Labmeister-(Dan Gross)-fredonia!gros...@cs.buffalo.edu------------------
>|decvax!sunybcs!fredonia!gros1530 ! . . !
>|I'd rather have a bottle in front of me ! ___ !
>|than a frontal lobotomy! ! "Have a Day"!
How about "Valley girl, she's a valley girl... OK fine, fer shure, fer shure"
(sorry Zappa fans)
Tom Wurtz
>
>And they sit in my jar and put bread in my jar and say man what are you
>doin' here. Billy Joel
Whoops, sorry that should read "And they sit at the bar and put ....."
Sounds even sillier the first way. Sometimes I've felt like I was sitting
in someone's jar though.
Prepare to receive mass amounts of corrections!!! Dive Dive Dive!
Tom Wurtz Sympathy, where can I get that?
Cadnetix At your local drug store.
5775 Flatirons Pkwy How much?
Boulder, Co. 80301 It's from Kansas. FZ
Norman S. Soley
>In article <12...@reed.UUCP> eey...@reed.UUCP (an evening of fun in the metropolis of your dream) writes:
>>
>>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
>
>How about "Push It" by Salt and Pepa
Which is genius when you compare it to crap like "The Cars that Go Boom" by
Le Trimm
--
Norman Soley - The Communications Guy - Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Until the next maps go out: moegate!so...@ontenv.UUCP
if you roll your own: uunet!{attcan!ncrcan|mnetor!ontmoh}!ontenv!moegate!soley
Gordon A. Runkle
> In article <12...@reed.UUCP> eey...@reed.UUCP (an evening of fun in the metropolis of your dream) writes:
>>
>>with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
>>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
>
> "Take me down to Paradise City
> Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty.
> Oo, oo, take me home, yeah, yeah!"
>
> Ugh. I don't know who this is but man, does this song stink!!
That's Guns n Roses.
A friend of mine had this to say about GnR:
"They need to take baths, get haircuts, and learn to sing!"
My nomination goes to some bubble-gum songstress who sings:
"Push me in the shallow water,
Before I get too deep."
Listening to the whole song, I get the impression she's singing about
how wonderful it is to be an airhead. Yech! :-(
Best lyrics:
"Stand up, look around, find yourself some fun,
No sense sitting around hating everyone"
--Jethro Tull
-=gordon=-
---
Gordon A. Runkle UUCP: uunet!men2a!1solaria!gordon
ARC Professional Services Group
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Tom Wurtz
>
>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
I solicited these a while back and came up with a good list....
Cool cat looking for a Kitty... Lovin' Spoonful
Bushy Bushy Blonde Hairdo... Beach Boys
Baby I'm a want you , Baby I'm a need you. ?
A Churnin' urn of Burnin' Funk JT
And they sit in my jar and put bread in my jar and say man what are you
doin' here. Billy Joel
Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, I got love in my tummy. ?
They needed a songbird in heaven, so God took Caruso away. ?
Oh well everybody's heard about the bird, B-B-B-Bird Bird Bird Bird
is the word, etc... (Coasters?)
Sentimental Hygiene ?
I take no responsibility for truthfullness of the writers name, nor am I
particularly interested in seeing the corrected names, post if you wish.
Ian Finch
THE VERY WORST LYRICS EVER WRITTEN
The song is a Christmas carol called The Cherry Tree Carol and I will quote it
in its entirety so that you can revel fully in its awfulness. I know that it's
not a rock song, but ...
THE CHERRY TREE CAROL
---------------------
1. Joseph was an old man,
An old man was he,
He married Virgin Mary,
The Queen of Galilee.
2. As Joseph and Mary was walking,
Was walking one day,
`Here are apples, here are cherries,'
Mary did say.
3. Then Mary said to Joseph,
So meek and so mild,
`Joseph gather me some cherries,
For I am with child.'
4. Then Joseph flew in anger,
In anger flew he,
`Let the father of the baby
Gather cherries for thee.'
5. Jesus spoke a few words,
A few words spoke he,
`Give my mother some cherries,
Bow down, cherry tree!'
6. `Bow down, cherry tree,
Low down to the ground.'
Mary gathered cherries,
And Joseph stood around.
7. Then Joseph took Mary
All on his right knee,
`What have I done, Lord?
Have mercy on me.'
8. Then Joseph took Mary,
All on his left knee,
`Oh tell me little baby,
When thy birthday will be.'
9. `The sixth of January
My birthday will be,
The stars in the elements
Will tremble with glee.'
Made it this far? Well, as a reward I will tell you the source of this fine part
of the World's musical heritage. It is ``transcribed from a field recording by
John A. Lomax in the Archive of Folk Culture Library of Congress, sung by Jilson
Setters at Ashland Kentucky''. I am reminded of Tom Lehrer's words at this time:
``The reason most folk songs are so attrocious is that they were written by the
people''.
Ian Finch Janet: i...@uk.ac.liv.cs.mva
--------- Internet: ian%mva.cs.l...@cunyvm.cuny.edu
UUCP: ...!mcvax!ukc!mupsy!liv-cs!ian
================================================================================
Vila: I've got this shocking pain right behind the eyes.
Avon: Have you considered amputation?
- Blake's Seven
================================================================================
John Kawakami
Ok Ok, lets stop this thread now. I've seen some perfectly average lyrics
get dumped on for being unoriginal and dumb. The fact is, some tunes work
well with dumb lyrics.
Here's what I mean. REM's "Stand" Stupid, simple, single-messaged words;
dorky, goofy, noisy, annoying but catchy music. It's no great song, but
overall, the song is OK because you can point out that it's a dumb song and
there will be no arguments. It's true to itself.
Edie Brickell and New Bohemians' "What I Need" Single minded lyrics with
plenty of irony; "serious" pop music that's pretty catchy, but definitely
"Nu Folk"(aka 70's EZrock revival). The speaker points out that she is
not smart, but she "know[s] what [she] know[s] if you know what [she]
mean[s]." Then she points out that she doesn't want to be intellectual.
"Choke me in the shallow waters/Before I get too deep." I don't think
these oh-so-clever lines go well with the simple music and moron-boosting
lyrics. Maybe someone out there can go for this stuff, but if I want a
song about how stoopid==groovy, I'll listen to the Ramones or Aerosmith.
At least they don't look down on the stupid masses.
John Stupid
John Kawakami c60c...@web.berkeley.edu
"Oh it's a good feeling, to know your alive..." - Fred Rogers
Gregg Fielding Hinderstein
bad, something off his most recent album was not only a terrible song, but also
the stupidest lyrics I've ever heard
"Sittin' here la-la waiting on my ya-yas, uh-huh"
Another thing that comes to mind in Journey's
"When the lights, go down, in the city, and the sun shines on the bay, oh I want
to be there in my city by the bay, oh-oh-ohohohoh"
not sure if I have that exactly correct, but the stupidness is intact.
-CITC
Scott Galuska
"Only time will tell if we stand the test of time."
from Van Halen's "Why Can't This Be Love". I cringe every time I hear this!!!
=============================================================================
Scott Galuska
Dept. of Computer & Info. Science "Oh, you don't know
Univ of Delaware The Shape I'm In!"
-JRR
gal...@dewey.udel.edu
=============================================================================
Bryan Jensen
>
>Anything by Bon Jovi. Except maybe "Runaway," which I still maintain is a
>pretty good (albeit dumb) song.
>--
That's being mighty general! How about some examples or reasons WHY you
think their lyrics are bad...?
Michael C. De Masi
> In article <12...@reed.UUCP> eey...@reed.UUCP (an evening of fun in the metropolis of your dream) writes:
> >with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
> >what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
> How about "Push It" by Salt and Pepa
Please.
How bout "We Have Heaven" from Yes off _Fragile_.
Anderson should have been shot,
MikeD
- "Tell the Moon Dog, Tell the March Hare.
Tell the Moon Dog, Tell the March Hare." My Gawd!
Mark Alexandre
In article <3...@1solaria.ori-cal.com> gor...@1solaria.ori-cal.com
(Gordon A. Runkle) writes:
>
>My nomination goes to some bubble-gum songstress who sings:
>
>"Push me in the shallow water,
>Before I get too deep."
>
>Listening to the whole song, I get the impression she's singing about
>how wonderful it is to be an airhead. Yech! :-(
Talk about head in the sand! You and John Kawakami missed the
boat on this one. Edie Brickell was indeed singing about how
wonderful it seems to be an airhead TO THE AIRHEAD. The sarcasm
was implicit. Maybe she should have held up a little sign with
a smiley :-) on it for you guys. You must be the ones who think
Randy Newman really hates short people!
MarkInAustin
John Kawakami
>boat on this one. Edie Brickell was indeed singing about how
>wonderful it seems to be an airhead TO THE AIRHEAD. The sarcasm
>was implicit. Maybe she should have held up a little sign with
>a smiley :-) on it for you guys. You must be the ones who think
>Randy Newman really hates short people!
>
>
>MarkInAustin
WHAT, You mean Newman actually likes short people? As a stupid person,
I object to your intimation that I actually enjoy being stupid. Quite
the contrary; I yearn to be smart (If I only had a brain...) but I
accept the fact that I am stupid and get on with life.
When I hear Edie B. telling us how great it is to be stupid, I get
annoyed. Her lyrics are elitist, and meant for the elite. There's
nothing inherently wrong with this, but Edie B has no sympathy for
the Airhead. She's just looking down her (pretty) nose and laughing
up her sleeve.
( ( John Kawakami ) )
) ) c60c...@web.berkeley.edu ( (
( ( ) )
John Fereira
>>with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
>>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
>>
>>phony, or so forced, that they make you feel embarassed for whoever is
>>singing them.
There are a couple of song whose lyrics want to make me puke:
I don't remember who did this one (probably blocked it out) but it
was a female vocalist that sang"
"Let's here it for the boy" Urp...ack...gag
The other one, by, and I'm probably wrong on this one, "The Commodores"
is"
"She's Fresh (fresh), Exiting (exiting), she's everthing to me..."
Everytime I hear that think it sounds like a stupid tv commercial jingle
for feminine hygiene spray.
--
John Fereira
jo...@hpdsla.hp.com
Eykhout V.L.
''Yummie yummie yummie, I got love in my tummie''
????????
Surely that ranges high among bad lyrics.
Victor.
Jonathan Rosenberg
> particularly interested in seeing the corrected names, post if you wish.
I wish
> Baby I'm a want you , Baby I'm a need you. ?
Bread
> Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, I got love in my tummy. ?
1910 Fruit Gum Company
> Oh well everybody's heard about the bird, B-B-B-Bird Bird Bird Bird
> is the word, etc... (Coasters?)
No, originally the Trashmen.
JR
Thomas James Menner, Jr.
of the worst things I have ever heard. Kiss, in their day, had some
pretty stupid lyrics too (though at least they were funny). Come to
think of it, a substantial bit of metal comes with inane lyrics...
*************************************************************************
Thomas Menner || ARPA: tm...@andrew.cmu.edu
Carnegie-Mellon University || BITNET: tm11%and...@vb.cc.cmu.edu
Pittsburgh, PA || UUCP: ...!harvard!andrew.cmu.edu!tm11
*************************************************************************
"I've turned into a Martian, and I can't even recall my name..."
Victor Estrada
>
> "Take me down to Paradise City
> Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty.
> Oo, oo, take me home, yeah, yeah!"
>
> Ugh. I don't know who this is but man, does this song stink!!
The Chorus is admittedly stupid, but if you listen to the
rest of the song, you'll realize that it actually has a point
to it. It is not as mindless as it may seem.
Victor Estrada
Robert B Carroll
Anything by the Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Crosby Still & Nash(and
derivatives thereof) and any other band you like that I don't like,
so nah nah na nah nah. HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA.. what self centered individual
started this conversation anyway?
Fat Freddie's Cat
My Evil Twin
+My nomination goes to some bubble-gum songstress who sings:
+"Push me in the shallow water,
+Before I get too deep."
+Listening to the whole song, I get the impression she's singing about
+how wonderful it is to be an airhead. Yech! :-(
That's Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians. I somehow think you're
missing the irony.
--
How could I dance with another/when I saw him standing there
--Tiffany
Soren F. Petersen so...@cc.utah.edu
dadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadada so...@UTAHCCA.BITNET dadadadadada
Eli Messinger
> Goodness, you can include just about anything that's been put on a K-Tel
> compilation.
Zzzzzz. Another stereotype. KTEL is as good as the current top-40, since
that is primarily what they compile. I find KTEL albums (and others of this
ilk) to be a very cost-effective way to collect the hits-of-the-day. This
is especially good for collecting hit singles of the late-60's and early-70's.
These albums are especially good buys at used record stores where they can be
found for $3-$4.
--
"I used to think that [Radio Consultant Lee Abrams] was one of the most
evil men in America. Possibly, I still do." --Soren F. Petersen
CSNET: e...@ibm.com / UUCP: ...!uunet!ibmarc!ebm / VNET: ebm@almaden
O(x log x)
I know I already answered this, but then I heard "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"
and changed my mind.
Ugh.
"C'mon, guys, every thorn has its prick." -Rolling Stone, on Poison
--
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/
< If you choose, choose to choose, } The Black Angel: Nathan Tenny >
< Choose to go. - Lou Reed { {tektronix, ogccse}!reed!mojo >
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\
Bill Bretschneider
1. Last winter there was a song out by a guy by the name of Paul
Carrik (I think). Began like this:
"Cab fare
To nowhere
Is what you are."
2. Most anything by Bon Jovi, especially:
"These five words I say to you
When you breathe, I want to be the air for you
I'll be there for you."
It's preety neat to rhyme you with you with you.
3. "Every Rose has its Thorn" by Poison gets worst lyrics and vocals.
Bill Bretschneider (lafcol!bretschw)
Keeper of the Yack Shack
"I'm a timelord, I walk in eternity."
-Dr. Who
Jaakko Kankaanp{{
bygone group "The Bay City Rollers" from the mid 70's. There was one
song by them which featured the lyrics: "Bye bye baby baby goodbye bye bye
goodbye bye bye baby" almost ad infinitum.
Hans Huttel
[not in any specific order]
>
>2. Most anything by Bon Jovi, especially:
How about their "Born To Be My Baby" ? Has Jon Bon Jovi finally become
a midwife ? Or do the lines
"You were born to be my baby
And baby I was made to be your man"
indicate an unnatural relationship between a man and his daughter ??
Now for a new topic in the same context: Song lyrics and music videos
often have very little to do with each other. Examples:
"Living On A Prayer" by Bon Jovi. A better example (since the Bon Jovi
viedo can be seen as a sort of a "concert video") is "True Faith" by
New Order.
There are some notable exceptions; one is "I'm On Fire" by Bruce
Springsteen (OK OK, there's no fire in the video as such but then
again that's not what the song is about...). Another is "Walk Like an
Egyptian" by The Bangles. One could also name some of the expensive
videos by a certain Michael Jackson and one of my favourites,
"Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel.
Has anyone out there got other examples in these two categories ??
Regards
Hans
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hans H\"{u}ttel JANET: ha...@uk.ac.ed.lfcs
LFCS, Dept. of Computer Science UUCP: ..!mcvax!ukc!lfcs!hans
University of Edinburgh ARPA: hans%lfcs.e...@nss.cs.ucl.ac.uk
Edinburgh EH9 3JZ, SCOTLAND (the country with England holding on to its tail)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karen Valley
In article <12...@reed.UUCP> eey...@reed.UUCP (an evening of fun in the metropolis of your dream) writes:
>
>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
>
How about Sheena Easton's first British hit (called something like
'Morning Train') which has the immortal chorus:
My baby takes the morning train
He works from nine to five and then
He takes another home again
To find me waiting for him...
YUCK!!
Marshall Robin
they made this damn song, but I still don't see the point to it:
Was it you or was it me?
Or was it he or she?
Was it A or was it B?
Or was it X or Z?
Repeat a few times, then:
Whodunit?
I..I..I didn't do it
I..I..I didn't do it......
You get the point. Does someone know the purpose of this song? I like Genesis
a lot, but this song is pointless. God, I miss Gabriel Genesis.......
--
Bitnet: |"When they turn the pages of history
cyg...@wpi.bitnet | When these days have passed long ago
Internet: | Will they read of us with sadness
cyg...@wpi.wpi.edu | For the seeds that we let grow?" -Rush
David A. Pearlman
>Dan Gross discussing bad lyrics...
>
>> Goodness, you can include just about anything that's been put on a K-Tel
>> compilation.
>
>Zzzzzz. Another stereotype. KTEL is as good as the current top-40, since
>that is primarily what they compile. I find KTEL albums (and others of this
>ilk) to be a very cost-effective way to collect the hits-of-the-day. This
>is especially good for collecting hit singles of the late-60's and early-70's.
>
>These albums are especially good buys at used record stores where they can be
>found for $3-$4.
There were really two distinct eras at KTEL. The first lasted from their
inception (early '70's) until about 1977. During this era, KTEL albums
were usually generous in the number of cuts (typically 20-22), but
often featured abbreviated versions. Additionally, the fidelity
was only so-so due to the long running times.
The second era lasted from 1977 until KTEL filed for bankruptcy (1984?).
The number of cuts per album decreased, but fidelity increased, as did
the overall quality of the cuts (i.e. fewer filler cuts from obscure
labels that could licensed cheap).
As Eli notes, though, some of these collections contain pretty good
samplings of hit music.
And some of them are better than that. For example, one KTEL album
I recently pulled from my "archives" was a collection of 22
Kooky Favorites (or something like that). It contains such greats
as The Trashmen's "Surfin' Bird", the "Beep Beep" song, "Ahab the Arab",
several bubblegum hits ("Yummy Yummy Yummy, 123 Red Light, etc.),
"The Name Game", and many more !!!
Add some liner notes, improve the fidelity a bit, and you'd have an album
worthy of Rhino (respected reissuers).
It's important to remember that until about 1980, about the only place
you could get a lot of the essential one-hit-wonder type material was
on albums from such vendors as KTEL, Pickwick, Springboard, and so on.
Since the turn of this decade, more "respectable" labels have reissued
some of this stuff. But at a much greater cost to the consumer.
dap
David A. (DAP) Pearlman
BITNET: d...@ucsfcgl.BITNET
A legend in his own room UUCP: ucbvax!ucsfcgl!dap
A rumor in his own mind. ARPA: d...@cgl.ucsf.edu
Erland Sommarskog
>>with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
>>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
>
>"
>...
If we think that a rock text should convey a message of a very
serious kind, this lyric fails terribly. That's true. The question
is only: was the piece meant to do that? Hardly. I think there
is some sort of message in this disco tune, as in many other,
and that is: be happy and stay merry. A dance tune with a careless
lyrics far away from everyday trouble works much better that one
that tells us that Earth is dying and that. I think that when
selecting worst lyrics one has to look at what the lyricist wanted
to say and compare with the result. Not that I'm very impressed by
K.C. & the Sunshine Band, but they reach their fairly low aims.
No, to look for real bad lyrics, one should look at those who had
too high an ambition and failed. Yes, for instance, is a group
I seldom can take really seriously just because of their lyrics.
There are many groups that have quite poor lyrics, but it seldom
disturbs me unless they are just too simplistic, or when they get
involved too complex and meaningless word cascades.
My anti-favourite in terms of lyrics though, must be Blind Faith.
Their single album is a good musical product, but the words are
really poor. "Take a look at an open book" is one phrase from Ginger
Baker's "Do What You Like". The only good thing you good say is
that they don't pretend that they have anything to say.
--
Erland Sommarskog - ENEA Data, Stockholm - som...@enea.se
I used to say "It could have been worse, it could have been Pepsi",
then I drank a Diet Coke...
Torkel Franzen
>How about Sheena Easton's first British hit (called something like
>'Morning Train') which has the immortal chorus:
>
> My baby takes the morning train
> He works from nine to five and then
> He takes another home again
> To find me waiting for him...
>
>
>YUCK!!
This is very puzzling. I mean, these are just ordinary pop song
lyrics, no worse than thousands of others. No doubt sensitive souls
find them nauseating, but then they shouldn't listen to this kind of
stuff in the first place. As I see it, Sheena Easton's songs, however
inane, are not even in the running, and I'm surprised that so few
people have managed to come up with anything at all striking. So let me
have a stab at it..hmm..Unfortunately, one of the finest examples is not
in English. There was, quite a few years ago, a song called "The Ballad
of the Green Berets" or something similar: no doubt gruesome stuff, but
what I have in mind is what I believe was a Swedish version of this song.
Since Sweden wasn't actually involved in any war at the time, the lyrics
had to be switched around a bit for the translation, and the soldiers
came out as Swedish UN soldiers, in blue berets rather than green ones.
The line from the resulting horror that sticks in my mind is (translated)
In the light of a hand grenade,
In blue beret,
Stands a Swedish soldier.
In Swedish it actually rhymes, which may be the reason for invoking a luminous
hand grenade. Then again I recall a song from the sixties, from a period when
Swedish bands wrote songs in English (of sorts) - one of the hits by the
Hep Stars, extolling the virtues of a girl in very peculiar terms: "She's
domestic, she is property...". The Hep Stars, by the way, was the band
in which Benny Andersson, of later ABBA fame, started out. I like to think
about these songs sometimes just to remind myself that there has been
actual progress in the world.
Charles L. Thresher
>
so... how good IS the current top-40. PFFFFFFFTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!
--ct
Charles L. Thresher
>My nomination goes to some bubble-gum songstress who sings:
>
>
>
>
>
>---
Although I totally agree that this song is nerve-racking...
Edie Brickell was actually TRYING to sound like an air-head...
THAT WAS THE POINT OF THE SONG...
I'd say she came across just fine...
(it is said that some of her other songs have decent lyrics...
but, me find out???? SHUDDER!!!!)
--ct
Brett D. Shepard
hey les -
Charles L. Thresher
>--
>
> How could I dance with another/when I saw him standing there
> --Tiffany
^^^^^
> Soren F. Petersen so...@cc.utah.edu
HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These are classic Beatle lyrics, mutilated by some teenage mall-hopping bimbo
trying to make a buck. How could you quote them as her own???????
And you can stick Rick Majerus up your *ss ... (but he probably won't fit!!!)
(;^7
-ct
Colin Dente
>
>How about "Valley girl, she's a valley girl... OK fine, fer shure, fer shure"
>
>(sorry Zappa fans)
Flame flame flame
(O.K. - so they are bad lyrics, but I couldn't let a slight at our Frank go by
un-flamed).
While on the subject, how about:
oooh-eee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep, chirpy chirpy cheep cheep chirp.
From the imaginitively titled song _Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep_
by a group called Middle of the Road - it was a hit in the UK - those of you
elsewhere might have been spared it. It came out in 1970-something-rather-too-
small-for-comfort, and was the first record I ever owned (cringe) - I've still
got it (God what an admission!).
Colin
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
| Colin Dente | JANET: EC...@UK.AC.MAN.EE.V1 |
| Dept. of Electrical Engineering | ARPA: ECAD%UK.AC.M...@UKACRL.BITNET|
| University of Manchester | UUCP: ...!mcvax!ukc!man.cs.ux!s2!dente |
| England | |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Anybody want to buy a Starfighter?..... Buy an acre of ground, and wait... |
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Erland Sommarskog
>> How could I dance with another/when I saw him standing there
> ^^^
>These are classic Beatle lyrics, mutilated by some teenage mall-hopping bimbo
>trying to make a buck. How could you quote them as her own???????
Although I vaguely recall there were some fuzz a year ago about
the slight change Tiffany had made in her adaption a year, I said
to myself, this guy is having his cheek in his toungue; his has just
left out the smileys. Next posting from the same person was however
in the same vein, without any traces of staire this time. (A stupid
follow-up to a K-tel article by Eli.) So I must conclude, this guy is
perfectly serious in his flame.
One flamer could be ignored, but I was always puzzled that some
people thought that Tiffany had commited a sin when she changed
"her" to "him". What else would she do? Sing as she were a lesbian?
Ray Trent
>In an article, gor...@1solaria.ori-cal.com (Gordon A. Runkle) writes:
>+"Push me in the shallow water,
>+Before I get too deep."
Don't know if this changes your mind or not, but it's "Choke me in the
shallow water," and the deep is not underwater deep, but philosophical
deep.
>That's Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians. I somehow think you're
>missing the irony.
Talk about an understatement. But then, my sister thought that the
Police's "Every breath you take" was a love song...go figure.
(I almost gagged when she said "oh listen, they're playing our
[she and her boyfriend's] song". She was not amused when I explained
the song to her.)
--
"When you're down, it's a long way up
When you're up, it's a long way down
It's all the same thing
And it's no new tale to tell" ../ray\..
Slash
How about that song, "Hooked on a feeling"? You know, the one that
starts off:
"OOga chucka ooga ooga ooga chucka ...."
Slash
Paul L Tomko
manager, according to Rolling Stone, has her by the short hairs. The girl
doesn't get any say at all in what she sings or records. The article, in
case you're interested, is called "The selling of Tiffany". I can't
remember what issue, sorry.
I do realize the point you're trying to make. People are shamelessly
ripping beautiful classic rock songs in order to make a short term buck. But
it does have a good side: some people who listen to the remakes actually
go out and buy the old version to hear what it sounds like. The new artists
don't usually try very hard to let you know who originally wrote something,
though.
My point is that many of the young rock groups running around these days
are totally manipulated by managers. The kids figure that all managers are
the same and so they stay. Such is life.
In reference to an earlier article. Tiffany is VERY talented. She's got
a very good voice, and she can sing the hell out of almost any song. BUT,
put paper and pencil in front of her, and she won't write one note of music.
She is a singer, not a writer. She'll continue to rip other artists until
she gets with a band that CAN write.
Ok. Enough preaching.
Disclaimer : Who me?
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& Kletnieks
Anybody know of several song titles that sound just AWFUL once the DJ
puts them next to each other?
Either actual incidents or stuff you've thought of yourself is acceptable..
Valdis Kletnieks
Dean Tanikawa
'Madness to the Method':
'A rock through a window, never comes with a kiss/rhyme and reason,
never argue with a fist/theres a time for discussion and a time for
a fight/it's the time of the season/ for a maniac at night'
'Spy in the House of the Night':
'I made love in halls/I fell in love in malls'
'When the War Comes':
the infamous 'Oooo-gah-cha-ka, oooo-gah-cha-ka'
'Shadow Warrior':
'Body of an angel/with the strength of ten men'
'Perfect Water':
'Do you know Jacques Cousteau?/I heard him say on the radio...'
Not what many BOC freaks (like me) be real proud of :-)
Dean
Griff McClellan
>>--
>>
>> How could I dance with another/when I saw him standing there
> ^^^
>> --Tiffany
> ^^^^^
>> Soren F. Petersen so...@cc.utah.edu
>
>
>HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>These are classic Beatle lyrics, mutilated by some teenage mall-hopping bimbo
>trying to make a buck. How could you quote them as her own???????
>
Soren is probably getting tired of having people throw tantrums over his
.sig file. However, I would like to remind Soren that he has an
obligation, nay, a duty, to continue using that .sig file.
His .sig has the property that it quickly identifies sanctimonious
people with no sense of humor. Knowing this about people is helpful
in dealing with them in the future.
Soren, yer beautiful babe.
m
a
i
l
f
o
d
d
e
r
--
Griff McClellan
gr...@reed.bitnet
"How could I dance with another, when I saw him standing there"
-Soren Peterson (quoting Tiffany, I think)
chocolate power is so crisp / the atomic open house is really here
>In article <66...@bsu-cs.bsu.edu> thre...@bsu-cs.UUCP (Charles L. Thresher) writes:
>>In article <15...@wasatch.utah.edu> c-speter%sunset.uta...@wasatch.utah.edu (My Evil Twin) writes:
>>> How could I dance with another/when I saw him standing there
>>> Soren F. Petersen so...@cc.utah.edu
>>HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>>These are classic Beatle lyrics, mutilated by some teenage mall-hopping bimbo
>>trying to make a buck. How could you quote them as her own???????
>Soren is probably getting tired of having people throw tantrums over his
>.sig file. However, I would like to remind Soren that he has an
>obligation, nay, a duty, to continue using that .sig file.
>His .sig has the property that it quickly identifies sanctimonious
>people with no sense of humor. Knowing this about people is helpful
>in dealing with them in the future.
>Soren, yer beautiful babe.
> gr...@reed.bitnet
i agree with griff. soren has, without a doubt, the best .sig ever.
it is perfection, and needs no explanation. it serves to educate and inform,
as well as to entertain. it serves to annoy. it serves to locate the people
who actually believe that high school students are asking "did paul mccartney
sing for another group before he sang with michael jackson?" it serves
to weed out those among us who have taken it upon themselves to be self-
designated "guardians of the classic rock," even though most of them were
four years old or younger when the beatles broke up.
besides which, i am not going to sit here silently while the future
mrs. eeyore is called a "mall-hopping bimbo."
fodder
mudder
--
"I've eaten lots of cow chow, I've tasted egg pie.
I went and took the sow vow (please don't ask me why).
I'm getting sick of cow chow, I'm growing bored with sex.
I'm indisposed to plow now." ---Tyrannosaurus Rex
John J. Wood
>In article <15...@wasatch.UUCP> u-bjense%ug.utah....@wasatch.UUCP (Bryan Jensen) writes:
>>In article <12...@reed.UUCP> eey...@reed.UUCP (an evening of fun in the metropolis of your dream) writes:
>>>
>>>with all the talk about what constitutes good lyrics, i'd like to know
>>>what are the worst rock lyrics you've ever heard?
>>>
>>>phony, or so forced, that they make you feel embarassed for whoever is
>>>singing them.
>
>Any and every lyrical phrase that Steve Miller has ever sung.
Hi, Mark.
Sorry, but I disagree with you a bit here. "Take The money And Run" is a
well-written "on the lam" story. "The joker" is a fine example of
self-parody ("Some people call me the space cowboy").
Now, Steve Miller is not the songwriter in the league of Bob Dylan, Peter
Townshend, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, but I'll listen to what he
has to say before clowns like Bon Jovi, Journey, Guns 'n' Roses, Rick
Astley, Madonna, Debbie Gibson and Tiffiny ANYTIME! :-):-)
Catfish John W.
"This is the story of Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue,
Two young lovers with nothing better to do..."
John J. Wood
>
>Anything by the Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Crosby Still & Nash(and
>derivatives thereof) and any other band you like that I don't like,
>so nah nah na nah nah. HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA.. what self centered individual
>started this conversation anyway?
>
>
> Fat Freddie's Cat
I don't know who started the "worst lyrics" theme, but the individuals
mentioned have put out many more great songs than most of the artists
today COMBINED!!!
That, of course, is my not-so-humble opinion.
Catfish John W.
"There is a road, no simple highway,
Between the dawn and the dark of night..."
Scott W. Larson
Supposedly, that chant slowly changes to
"Who got sucked off? Who got sucked off?"
zan...@mva.cs.liv.ac.uk
> in which Benny Andersson, of later ABBA fame, started out. I like to think
Pedantry time again, trivia fans. I thought it was the Hep CATS he was from.
Incidentally, aren't both the women from the Hootenanny Singers?
Peter Anderton
(aka Zanussi)
Michael A. Scheele
In article <14...@ur-cc.UUCP>, jo...@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (John J. Wood)
writes:
>>Any and every lyrical phrase that Steve Miller has ever sung.
>
>Hi, Mark.
>
>Sorry, but I disagree with you a bit here. "Take The money And Run" is a
>well-written "on the lam" story. "The joker" is a fine example of
>self-parody ("Some people call me the space cowboy").
Your response was fine up to here. However, the following:
>Now, Steve Miller is not the songwriter in the league of Bob Dylan, Peter
>Townshend, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, but I'll listen to what he
>has to say before clowns like Bon Jovi, Journey, Guns 'n' Roses, Rick
>Astley, Madonna, Debbie Gibson and Tiffiny ANYTIME! :-):-)
Was not very enlightening. You defend Steve Miller, a perfectly fine action,
but you did not need to put down how he pales in significance with "great
songwriters."
Also distinguish between songwriters and non-songwriters please.
Bon Jovi writes their own material, may not be the most memorable stuff ever
created, but at least it innocuous and often catchy.
Journey has made quite a lot of pleasant love songs along with some stirring
rock songs over the years. At least the lyrics usually are coherent and
tell the story of the song.
Guns N Roses, I don't know if they wrote their lyrics, but some of their
songs are rather catchy. The intelligence level varies widely here.
Rick Astley does not write his own lyrics, so I believe that he should be
placed in a different category.
Madonna writes or co-writes most of her songs. They are generally coherent
and understandable lyrics--nothing generally profound, but are a cut above
standard pop fare. Her most recent album, _Like a Prayer_, if you dismiss
the controversy, has very good lyrics reflecting her life. They are very
revealing of her recent experiences with divorce and dealings with family
and of her childhood. Unfortunately, the dance material usually over shadows
the more serious songs.
Debbie Gibson writes all of her songs. Her first album reflects a 13-14
year old's expectations and hope about love. Keep in mind it was also
a mainly dance oriented album. Her second album reflects her growing up.
She espouse a more mature view of life and offers a positive message to
her fans.
Tiffany does not write her own songs and should be refered to the same
category as Rick Astley: singers who use other's material.
Have a nice day,
Michael
| Michael A. Scheele -- MIT '91 Internet : pers...@athena.mit.edu |
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feedback
I once had the misfortune to hear the local top-40 station, about 5 years ago,
segue from "Beat It" into "Lick It Up"...never been sure if they meant it or
not.
--
..............................................................................
....Nathan Tenny........................tektronix!reed!mojo...................
.....................mojo@reed.UUCP.............mojo@reed.BITNET..............
.........don't forget to feed the mule........................................
-for inetd server command
>>My nomination goes to some bubble-gum songstress who sings:
>>
>>"Push me in the shallow water,
>>Before I get too deep."
>>
As I was driving down the road, flipping through my car radio dial, I
came across one of those "Top 40" countdown shows. It said this song
was hastily written while they (Edie Brickell et. al. ?) were in the
studio. I suspect that many candidates for "worst lyrics" fall into
this class.
Someone mentioned the Genisis song "whodoneit" from the "ABBACAB"
album, it's likely that it was also composed "on the fly" to fill up
the album. In fact, the story behind the name (ABBACAB is the chord
progression for the title song, I think) seems to indicate the whole
album was loosly concieved. Perhaps the album was one of those
"contractual obligation" things.
stank
US Mail: Stan Kalinowski, Tektronix, Inc.
Information Display Group, Interactive Technologies Division
PO Box 1000, MS 61-028, Wilsonville OR 97070 Phone:(503)-685-2458
uucp: {ucbvax,decvax,allegra,uw-beaver}!tektronix!orca!stank
Dennis J. Kosterman
>Someone mentioned Steve Miller, and while I disagree that much of his stuff is
>bad, something off his most recent album was not only a terrible song, but also
>the stupidest lyrics I've ever heard
>
>"Sittin' here la-la waiting on my ya-yas, uh-huh"
By the way, this is not an original Steve Miller song. It's a cover
of Lee Dorsey's hit from the 50's (or was it early 60's?). And I think
it's a great song. So what if the lyrics are dumb? This is rock & roll
we're talking about, not Shakespeare! In most good R&R, the lyrics are
secondary, anyway.
Dennis J. Kosterman
stu...@astroatc.UUCP
Torkel Franzen
No, there was never any such band as the Hep Cats, as far as I know. Neither
of the ABBA female singers had anything to do with the Hootenanny Singers; it
was Bjorn Ulvaeus who began his career in that group. It, too, was pretty
awful.
Andrew M Meister
"You rember Uncle Joe he was afraid to cut the cake"
I can't recall anymore but as soon as I heard the song I though to myself Bob's
really searching. A truly bogus song.
B4E
John Kawakami
>Charles L. Thresher (thre...@bsu-cs.UUCP) writes:
>>> How could I dance with another/when I saw him standing there
>> ^^^
>
>people thought that Tiffany had commited a sin when she changed
>"her" to "him". What else would she do? Sing as she were a lesbian?
>--
>Erland Sommarskog - ENEA Data, Stockholm - som...@enea.se
>I used to say "It could have been worse, it could have been Pepsi",
>then I drank a Diet Coke...
Well, why not? Brian Ferry did a great cover of Leslie Gore's classic
"It's My Party (And I'll Cry if I Want To)" and kept the gender the
same.
"How can I smile when he's holding her hand/When he's supposed to be
mine!"
"It's my par-ty and I'll cry if I wan-to...
You would cry too if it happened to YOU. Bum-pa-ba-ba-bahmp"
( ( John Kawakami ) ) Death by co-opt
) ) c60c...@web.berkeley.edu ( (
( ( ) )
Anthony A. Datri
>of the worst things I have ever heard. Kiss, in their day, had some
>pretty stupid lyrics too (though at least they were funny).
I've always found it amusing that PMRC types have traditionally denounced Kiss
have usually done so on a devil-worship basis, when in reality almost every
song they (or what's left of them) have ever done has been about sex....
"Rocket Man" is pretty hilarious. I still can't figure out the lyrics to
"Ladie's Room".
>Come to
>think of it, a substantial bit of metal comes with inane lyrics...
Certainly. Lots of great old Black Sabbath tunes have inane lyrics.
But then, a substantial bit of any music form comes with inane lyrics.
"Whatcha gonna do
Whatcha gonna do brother?
We need a hero
Whatcha gonna do
Whatcha gonna do brother?
Zero the Hero"
--
@disclaimer(Any concepts or opinions above are entirely mine, not those of my
employer, my GIGI, my VT05, or my 11/34)
beak is@>beak is not
Anthony A. Datri @SysAdmin(Stepstone Corporation) a...@stepstone.com stpstn!aad
ZIM...@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu
>In article <44...@enea.se> som...@enea.se (Erland Sommarskog) writes:
>>>> How could I dance with another/when I saw him standing there
>>> ^^^
>>
>>people thought that Tiffany had commited a sin when she changed
>>"her" to "him". What else would she do? Sing as she were a lesbian?
>
>"It's My Party (And I'll Cry if I Want To)" and kept the gender the
>same.
some artists.
Let's see... Joni Mitchell sang "I was a free man in Paris" (but she
changed the gender of that Corinthians passage she sang. ("....But
when I became a woman, I put away childish things...")). Bob Dylan
kept the female perspective when he covered "House of the Rising Sun",
but the Animals changed the gender (and the meaning of the song).
I suppose the problem of gender in covers would mostly be experienced
by women, since most popular music has been from the male perspective.
Would Tiffany have felt really uncomfortable singing the Beatles'
original words? I mean, I feel a _little_ uncomfortable singing along
with Aretha Franklin/Carole King when I hear "You Make Me Feel Like a
Natural Woman."
I've always been curious as to whether women have a problem singing
along with predominantly male-oriented rock/pop. Any comments?
Ken Chasse
TROUSER MINNOW, Rapeman from Two Nuns And A Pack Mule:
I swear I didnt say anything
You just followed me in there
It was like what the...?
And she just took my shirt off[A
A
And we just went at it right there at the sink
I was so drunk I was dizzy
And she was in the kitchen
While we were downstairs fucking
And she called me a bitch
And I tried to tell her it was nothing
(chorus obscured TOTALLY by guitar)
I'm really drunk
There's nobody over
Why dont you come by
If you feel like it
Do you want to stay up with me
We can buy a pizza
(chorus 2 obscured TOTALLY by guitar)
Remember what it used to be like
When we'd just eat and fuck
I let you shave my pssy
You let me paint your dick
You were always late for work
you said it didnt matter
And after a while I guess it did really start to matter...
Thats it. THere is worse I suppose...try some LYDIA LUNCH...
/kc
br...@hcx1.ssd.harris.com
Worst song lyric? NOOOOO Question.
From "Heat of the Moment", by Asia:
"One look from you and I would fall from grace
And that would wipe the smile right off my face"
COME ON! What were these guys THINKING of?
Paul Hudson
> Worst song lyric? NOOOOO Question.
>
> From "Heat of the Moment", by Asia:
No way. From some Yes song or other .... ;-)
"Battleships confide in me and tell me where you are"
--
Paul Hudson MAIL: Monotype ADG, Science Park, Cambridge, CB4 4FQ, UK.
PHONE: +44 (223) 420018 EMAIL: pa...@moncam.co.uk,
;" FAX: +44 (223) 420911 ...!ukc!acorn!moncam!paul
`"";";" "/dev/null full: please empty the bit bucket"
Jason Bold
Examples:
For who can escape what he desires - Genesis from The Lady Lies on
And then there were three.
How about some Frank Zappa quotes? Any comments. Input welcome!
Mike Janson
>Let's be positive for awhile. Anyone out there have any favorite lyrics?
Can anyone answer "no" to this question? A few of my faves:
"Lord, here comes the flood
We'll say goodbye to flesh and blood
If again, the seas are silent
in any still alive
It'll be those who gave their island to survive
Drink up, dreamers, you're running dry."
--Peter Gabriel
"Y'see it's a frightening thing when it dawns upon you,
That I know as much as the day I was born..."
--Paul Weller, The Style Council (from _Our Favourite Shop_)
"If a double-decker bus
crashes into us
to die by your side
such a heavenly way to die"
--Morrissey, The Smiths (from _The Queen Is Dead_)
"Next time we have sex
Just pretend I'm Ed Meese"
--Jello Biafra, Lard (from _The Power Of Lard EP_)
"Anger is an energy"
--John Lydon, P.I.L. (from _Album_)
:-)
+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+
|Mike Janson jan...@garnet.berkeley.edu c9d...@seymour.berkeley.edu|
|"Politics is for the moment. An equation is for eternity." --Albert Einstein|
+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+
Laura La Gassa
Sure, I'll bite. At one point in my life, "Secret Journey" (by the Police,
off of _Ghost in the Machine_) was my favorite song -- because of it's
lyrics. The end went something like:
You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
You will find joy in this sadness
You will find the love you've missed
And when you've made your secret journey
You will be a holy man
When you've made your secret journey
You will be a whole man
I was feeling pretty awful at the time -- couldn't stand myself, school,
my life, anything. This song really spoke to me: it made me think that
once I got through the crap I thought I was in, everything would turn out
okay. I did, and it did. Such is life at age 18 . . . . (I'm 24 now).
Laura
lau...@cs.utexas.edu
John M. Relph
I don't know if these are my favourite lyrics, but they certainly rank
somewhere near the top. Loads of good puns, and the metaphors are
great. And the music is fun island pop music, vaguely reminiscent of
Jimmy Buffett. The song is "Desert Island", by XTC.
Cast away on a desert island
Me and poor Crusoe are sharing the same fate
Cast away on a desert island
With Great Britain written on its name plate
With my umbrella I go walking
Through all the sands on a building site
Across the shopping malls and motorways
Birds from Heathrow fill the
Night with people flying to escape
Friday comforts me and says it's pay day
Cast away on a desert island...
The game and coconuts is plentiful
You pick 'em right off of a supermarket shelf
And all the man-eaters are parked away
Down in garages
While their selfish owners drinking to escape
Lord of flies with cocktails in his conch shell
Don't rescue me, no
This is my home sweet home dear
Don't rescue me, no
I am far from alone here
Cast away on a desert island...
I think the contrast between the island and city imagery is fun and
well done, and the reference to boy Friday is hilarious.
-- John
--
If you are interested in the joining an XTC mailing list, drop a line
to chalkhill...@presto.ig.com.
John Rauser
>
How about some Pink Floyd?
One of my personal favorites:
"Everything under the sun is in tune
But the sun is eclipsed by the moon"
-Pink Floyd
From Eclipse
Off _Dark_Side_Of_The_Moon_
henseler
>How about some Pink Floyd?
>
> But the sun is eclipsed by the moon"
>
> -Pink Floyd
> From Eclipse
> Off _Dark_Side_Of_The_Moon_
How about some McCartney?
"Everything is under the sun
But nothing here is for keeps"
Mac
However Absurd from Press To Play
objects in the mirror are realer than they appear
yes. i do.
from wire's "on returning"
"on returning with a third language --
tucked into your suitcase, next to your toothbrush,
along with a copy of la nouvelle observateur.
from your sons and daughter who registered naught
under intensive electronic scanning,
you regard your body with regard to events
which, with nothing planned,
never lacked a sense of theatre. . .
an evening of fun in the metropolis of your dream. . ."
i have no idea what the words mean, i just love the language.
and i'd never thought of passing throught baggage scanner as
"registering naught under intensive electronic scanning" before.
--
"WARNING -- Failure to Observe Proper Loading Procedures Could Result in
Serious Injury -- OR DEATH!
-- as seen on numerous bathroom towel dispensers around Portland
Jeff Dauber
>In article <3...@richsun.UUCP> bo...@richsun.UUCP (Jason Bold) writes:
>>Let's be positive for awhile. Anyone out there have any favorite lyrics?
>
Yeah, I have some personal faves...
Splat Splat Splat
Dead squirrel dead cat
Blood's nice and dry
Skin's nice and flat
Ooh, scrape me off that road pizza... - Spit
Yeah I'm the one who gave the sandwich to Mama Cass - Foetus
/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\
- -
\ Jeff /
- dauber @ berlioz.nsc.com -
/ \
- That's senseless...... -
\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/
Thomas James Menner, Jr.
They taught you how to touch your cap;
Through strikes and famine and war and peace
England never closed this gap..."
--- The Clash, "Something About England"
"I'm dirt, and I don't care..."
--- Iggy & The Stooges, "Dirt"
"But something comes along that changes our minds
Though I don't know what and I don't know why --
We seem to grow up in a flash of time
As we helplessly watch our ideals unwind..."
--- Paul Weller (The Jam), "Thick As Thieves"
*************************************************************************
Thomas Menner || ARPA: tm...@andrew.cmu.edu
Carnegie-Mellon University || BITNET: tm11%and...@vb.cc.cmu.edu
Pittsburgh, PA || UUCP: ...!harvard!andrew.cmu.edu!tm11
*************************************************************************
"No one will be watching us -- why don't we do it in the road?"
Colin Dente
Hows about:
And if California slides into the ocean,
like the mystics and statistics say it will,
I predict this motel will be standing,
Until I've paid my bill.
- Warren Zevon
'Desperados under the eaves'
> How about some Frank Zappa quotes? Any comments. Input welcome!
Well, for starters, someone's gotta say:
Girl, you thought he was a man, but he really was a muffin.
- I know *who* this is,
but what's it from???
And then we must have:
Evelyn, a modified dog
viewed the quivering fringe of a special doily (sp?)
draped across the piano with some surprise.
In the darkened room, where the chairs dismayed,
and the horrible curtains muffled the rain
she could hardly believe her eyes.
A curious breeze, a garlic breath which sounded like a snore
somewhere near the Steinway, or even from within
had caused the doily fringe to waft and tremble in the gloom.
Evelyn the dog, having undergone further modification
pondered the significance of short-person behaviour in
pedal-depressed(?) pan-chromatic resonance,
and other highly ambient domains.
'Arf', she said.
- Evelyn the modified dog
(From one size fits all)
- this is definitely my
favourite song of the
moment
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
| Colin Dente | JANET: de...@uk.ac.man.ee.els |
| Dept. of Electrical Engineering | ARPA: de...@els.ee.man.ac.uk |
| University of Manchester | UUCP: ...!mcvax!ukc!man.ee.els!dente |
| England | These might work now, but then again... |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Well I know how to behave in the restaurant now, |
| I don't tear at the meat with my hands. ....Well, not always.... |
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
William M. Bumgarner
_Clutching at Straws_ or _Misplaced Childhood_. Both tell excellent
stories.
_Script for a Jester's Tears_ and _Fugazi_ have excelent lyrics also.
b.bum
wb...@andrew.cmu.edu
Abhay Sawant
If you listen very hard,
the tune will come to you at last Stairway to Heaven
When i was a child, i caught a fleeting glimpse
out of the corner of my eyes,
i turned to look but it was gone,
i cannot put my finger on it now,
the child is grown, the dream is gone
I have become comfortably numb. Comfortably Numb
If you've been bad, lord i bet you have
and you've not been hit by flying lead
You better close your eyes, bow your head,
Wait for the richochet. Child in Time
The things in this life change very slowly
if they ever change at all
No use in asking why,
it just turned out that way Sad Cafe
Just rambling...
Alan McNeely
Take a knife
Cut out this heart of ice
Hold it high
Walk into the sun...
-Joe Jackson
The song is "Heart of Ice," from the album Body and Soul (1984?).
Highly recommended.
Alan McNeely
N.SCHUMAN
> In article <60500094@hcx1>, br...@hcx1.SSD.HARRIS.COM writes:
> > Worst song lyric? NOOOOO Question.
> >
> > From "Heat of the Moment", by Asia:
>
> No way. From some Yes song or other .... ;-)
>
> "Battleships confide in me and tell me where you are"
The Yes lyric quoted is from the song "Yours is No Disgrace" from the Yes
Album. While this lyric may seem dated and silly to some, it was right in
step with the times back in the early 70's, and actually quite innovative.
While Jon Anderson's lyrics may be considered by some to be too "cosmic"
to make sense, they could be considered to be the forerunner to today's
newage music. Take this as either good or bad, depending on your view
of newage music, but at least these lyrics took some imagination and
creativity to come up with.
Asia's lyrics on the other hand were nothing but overused cliches, in fact
everything about this band was cliche-ridden, right down to the titles of
just about all of their songs.
For example: Heat of the Moment
Sole Survivor
Wildest Dreams
Time Again
Only Time Will Tell
...and many more
Asia was a pale attempt to recreate the magic of bands like Yes. Now
Yes has become a pale attempt to recreate the magic of bands like Yes.
Neil Schuman
53151-R.LOVE
While it is true some of Jon Anderson's lyrics seem silly, they are not
meant to be analyzed in this manner. Anderson (at least back in the 70's
heyday of Yes) chose his lyrics by the *sound* of the words, not their
literal meaning; much the same way a musician chooses what notes to play
by their sound rather than if they're C# or A minor or whatever. On
occasion he threw in what he called one-liners. A good example of this is
in "Starship Trooper"; the line 'loneliness is a power that we posess to
give or take away forever' makes sense and has a certain meaning Anderson
wished to convey. The very next line, however, was written for purely
aural reason; 'As I see a new day in me I can also show that you and you
may follow'. Sounds kinda silly unless you are familiar with his style
and why he writes this way. I got this information from some interview
with J.A. a few years back in some music rag. Gave me a whole new
perspective when listening to my old Yes albums.
..
w
David Ewing
>In article <10...@mtfmi.att.com> n...@mtfmi.att.com (N.SCHUMAN) writes:
>This brings up a related question I have....
>"Tales From Topographic Oceans" ...
>But anyway, I was wondering if anyone knows if this work was ever performed
>IN ITS ENTIRETY live. Was it?
Yes toured North America at the time of Tales' release in early 1974.
On the east coast they played the entire album but by the time they
got to California (where I saw them at the Forum in LA) they had dropped
side two ("The Remembering") because the show was too long.
The song list:
Siberian Khatru
And You And I
Close to the Edge
The Revealing Science of God
The Ancient
Ritual
(encores)
Roundabout
Starship Trooper
Note to Richard Fox: Did you ever get my mail regarding this show
and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway ? If not, let me know.
Dave Ewing
ew...@se-sd.sandiego.ncr.com
Mike Janson
>> br...@hcx1.SSD.HARRIS.COM writes:
>> > Worst song lyric? NOOOOO Question.
>> "Battleships confide in me and tell me where you are"
>
>to make sense, they could be considered to be the forerunner to today's
>newage music. Take this as either good or bad, depending on your view
>of newage music, but at least these lyrics took some imagination and
>creativity to come up with.
>
>Yes has become a pale attempt to recreate the magic of bands like Yes.
Perhaps, but as we know, there will be a "new beginning" of sorts--that
lying in the (hopeful) resurrection of their older style by Anderson,
Howe, Wakeman, and Bruford.
This brings up a related question I have. I got rid of my copy of
"Tales From Topographic Oceans" a couple of years ago when I dumped the
last of my vinyl, and just recently finally picked up a copy on CD (for
$13.99 no less!). I'm amazed that I forgot how great an album it is.
But anyway, I was wondering if anyone knows if this work was ever performed
IN ITS ENTIRETY live. Was it?
Also, has a Yes reunion ever been considered? I know Genesis did it
a couple of years ago (w/Hackett & Gabriel). True, it would be a bit
more difficult to do, but wouldn't it be cosmic to see Anderson along with
Bruford and White pounding away at the set; Wakeman, Kaye, and Moraz
tickling the ivories; Squire jamming on bass, and Howe and Rabin playing
their life out?
downloads 'r' us
>While it is true some of Jon Anderson's lyrics seem silly, they are not
>meant to be analyzed in this manner. Anderson (at least back in the 70's
>heyday of Yes) chose his lyrics by the *sound* of the words, not their
>literal meaning; much the same way a musician chooses what notes to play
>by their sound rather than if they're C# or A minor or whatever.
Bah... excuses, excuses! While this might be a valid argument if you are
talking about the artistic value of a song, we *are* discussing LYRICS here
and hence your argument doesn't hold. (Okay, I guess I'll be the target of
a thousand Yes fans' flames now... )
byron c go | "Don't look at me... I'm just a lowly undeclared
c60a...@web.berkeley.edu | L&S undergrad... people step on my toes all the
c9b...@dorothy.berkeley.edu | time! Major? WHAT major??? Um... I'll have
AB who-knows-what '9? | one by October, Mom... I *promise*!"
Mike Markley
They blind your eyes and steal your dreams its Heaven and Hell"
Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
"Tell me people am I going Insane..."
Black Sabbath - Am I Going Insane
"And He got religion and she got a God. Its on his back
and its in her job. And it costs lots of money honey, Oh No!!!"
Cheap Trick - On Top of The World
All of the lyrics to Emotion Detector by Rush.
Mike Markley
University of California, San Diego
mar...@celece.ucsd.edu
mar...@kubrick.ucsd.edu
markley@ucsd
Ray Shea
>
> Bah... excuses, excuses! While this might be a valid argument if you are
> talking about the artistic value of a song, we *are* discussing LYRICS here
> and hence your argument doesn't hold. (Okay, I guess I'll be the target of
> a thousand Yes fans' flames now... )
Or Captain Beefheart fans. You've got a pretty narrow view of what
makes good lyrics if you think meaning is always more important than
sound.
"Ice cream for show? No! Ice cream for crow."
--
Ray Shea ...!amdahl!bnrmtv!shea
(415) 940-2527 amdahl!bnrmtv!sh...@ames.ARC.NASA.GOV
"Revolution: It's not just for leftists anymore." -- Clayton Cramer
Clive Williams
"Sitting in a park in Paris, France
Readin' the news, and it sure looks bad..."
-- Joni Mitchell, "California"
--
>>> Clive Williams - cl...@csisles.UUCP ; ..!mcvax!ukc!csisles!clive <<<
>>> cl...@compsci.bristol.ac.uk <<<
James Preston
>"And He got religion and she got a God. Its on his back
>and its in her job. And it costs lots of money honey, Oh No!!!"
> Cheap Trick - On Top of The World
Hey, speaking of misunderstood lyrics, I always heard that as "gun"...
Well, it could have explained why he got religion...
--James Preston
Carl Torsten Stenholm
There is one thing that never stops bugging me; In the Pogues song
"Sally Mclennane" they sing:
We walked him to the station in the rain,
and we kissed him as we put him on the train,
and we sang Annies (?) song of times long gone
though we new that we'd be seeing him again.
I'm sad to say -- I must be on my way
so bring me Beer and Whiskey 'cause I'm going far away,
I'd like to think of me returning when I can,
to the ________ little boozer and to Sally...
^^^^^^^^
I just can't figure out that word.
If there is something wrong in the lyrics above it is because I
just wrote them as I remeber them at this very moment.
If anyone has more Pogues lyrics -- please mail them to me.
Thanks,
Ctrl-C.Stenholm
s32...@taltta.hut.fi
Killer
> to the ________ little boozer and to Sally...
> ^^^^^^^^
>
> I just can't figure out that word.
I think the line is:
to the greatest little boozer and to Sally...
Ken
Jeff Benjamin
> "Sally Mclennane" they sing:
>
> We walked him to the station in the rain,
> and we kissed him as we put him on the train,
> and we sang Annies (?) song of times long gone
him a
> though we new that we'd be seeing him again.
>
> I'm sad to say -- I must be on my way
> so bring me Beer and Whiskey 'cause I'm going far away,
> I'd like to think of me returning when I can,
> to the ________ little boozer and to Sally...
> ^^^^^^^^
>
> I just can't figure out that word.
Neither can I...
-----
Jeff Benjamin {ucbvax,hplabs}!hpfcla!benji
Graphics Technology Division benji%hpf...@hplabs.HP.COM
Hewlett Packard Co. Fort Collins, Colorado