re: Good songs with lyrics that bug you

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Sure but what does the frost have to do with a blizzard? And what did the frost kill?

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Kafka
That line right there is the reason I always felt the song was supposed to be by a lying con-man. It's wrong on purpose. I like it for that reason.
He easily could have come up with something closer to right.

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didn't Leadbelly write that one?

I think he's from somewhere up around Shreveport area.
He may just be referring to the point where the 3 states meet, and not necessarily the town of Texarkana.

Amazing Rythm Aces- The End Is Not In Sight..
man I love the song, but one of the lines: The nights are getting cold- the days are getting longer... arse backwards

I've gone on this rant before and it doesn't REALLY fit in this thread because it's not a good song. It sucks. But the lyrics still infuriate me to no end. "Sounds like life to me" by daryl worley. Here's the lyrics

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Got a call last night from an old friend’s wife
Said I hate to bother you
Johnny Ray fell off the wagon
He’s been gone all afternoon
I know my buddy so I drove to Skully’s
And found him at the bar
I say hey man, what’s going on
He said I don’t know where to start

Sarah’s old car’s about to fall apart
And the washer quit last week
We had to put momma in the nursing home
And the baby’s cutting teeth
I didn’t get much work this week
And I got bills to pay
I said I know this ain’t what you wanna hear
But it’s what I’m gonna say

[Chorus]
Sounds like life to me it ain’t no fantasy
It’s just a common case of everyday reality
Man I know it’s tough but you gotta suck it up
To hear you talk you’re caught up in some tragedy
It sounds like life to me

Well his face turned red and he shook his head
He said you don’t understand
Three kids and a wife depend on me
And I’m just one man
To top it off I just found out
That Sarah’s 2 months late
I said hey bartender set us up a round
We need to celebrate

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Ok so right off the bat, this friend is getting overwhelmed and he's in a major tough spot right now. He needs a buddy or a companion or SOMEONE to lend him an ear and a shoulder. But badass daryl over here basically tells him "suck it up, that's life!". Frick you pal.

But that's not where the madness ends. Johnny Ray is clearly a recovering alcoholic, it's the first thing Sarah says on the phone. They presumably have 2 cars, 1 of which is on its last leg. Their washing machine quit, so that's another popup expense that is also a necessity. His aging mother is now in a home. They have 3 kids, one of which is about to be hell on the parents. Come to find out they now have a FOURTH little one on the way...oh not to mention this guy hasn't had much work. This is a major issue here as this guy's world is practically crumbling all around him. So what is this supposedly good friend's solution? HE ORDERS A ROUND...FOR AN ALCOHOLIC. That's not a cause to celebrate you dumbass, it's pretty much the worst thing you could actually do in that situation!!!

FRICK YOU WORLEY

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You're so Vain by Carly Simon

"You're so vain (you're so vain)
I bet you think this song is about you
Don't you don't you?"

Of course he does, because it is.

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Yeah, but the point is that she knew he would assume any song she wrote was about him, whether it was or not.


My submission for this thread is "Subdivisions" by Rush. Great song, but I have always hated these lyrics:

Drawn like moths, we drift into the city
The timeless old attraction
Cruising for the action
Lit up like a firefly
Just to feel the living night



Cruising for THE action???? Why not cruising for SOME action?

Only if it's your younger brother.

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My submission for this thread is "Subdivisions" by Rush. Great song, but I have always hated these lyrics:

Drawn like moths, we drift into the city
The timeless old attraction
Cruising for the action
Lit up like a firefly
Just to feel the living night



Cruising for THE action???? Why not cruising for SOME action?

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A couple points-
First is that "the" seems to fit better. All but one of the listed lines contains "the." The cut off of "the" is more abrupt than that of some, this makes it fit better into the cadence of the singing.

Second is that the fits into the songs theme better. The song is about a homogenized social world. Having "the action" reinforces the conformity the song is about as it suggests a singular action that everyone is chasing after. Some action would suggest some level of difference that isn't consistent with the song's message.

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A single point: "cruising for some action" is an actual thing someone might say. "Cruising for the action" is not.

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Meh. I have no idea how they might say that in Canada, eh?

I think some musicians have songs with "complex" lyrics which are actually just a bunch of arty/cool sounding phrases blended together (as Robert Plant has suggested with Stairway to Heaven").

I cringe a little at lyrics that refer to underage girls. Dad listened to some Grand Funk song that talked about "she was only 14." Streetheart "Baby's Got A Gun" has a sixteen year old babysitter fantasy (old band, good album, came out about 15 years before I was born LOL).

The great movie "Singing in the Rain" has 29 year old Jimmy Thompson singing (quite well) "Beautiful Girl" which talks about the girl being "sweet 16." I am being a little hypocritical since I'd go to clubs when I was 15.

Unrelated, but I think this 20's outfit from Singing in the Rain kicks butt.