Truly great songs with AWFUL lyrics

[PopTodd]

I was just singing

"Crazy Train"

to myself this morning and two things occurred to me:

1. The lyrics suck a big bag of wet pubic hair.

2. This is a truly great song, despite that fact.

 

I'm having a hard time thinking of other songs like that, but I'm sure that there are many. Maybe something by The Sweet? T. Rex? (Glam bands seem a likely target crowd.)

[lamradio]

This is a hard one.. Usually great lyrics combined with great music are what makes a song great. But there are a few MMJ songs that are some of my favorite tunes of all time, but the lyrics are terrible.. Bermuda Highway is one. "Your ass it draws me in like a Bermuda highway".. WTF?

[Maggie]

This is a hard one.. Usually great lyrics combined with great music are what makes a song so great. But there are a few MMJ songs that are some of my favorite tunes of all time, but the lyrics are terrible.. Bermuda Highway is one. "Your ass it draws me in like a Bermuda highway".

 

My Morning Jacket immediately came to my mind when I saw this thread.

 

The one that always gets me is "Anytime."

 

Things I could say to myself, I could never say to anyone else.

But what Madonna said really helped,

she said: "boy, you better learn to express yourself!"

 

I LOVED that song until the moment that I realized what he was saying. Changed the way I listen to the band.

[theashtraysays]

Andrew Bird's Effigy. The intro is so good, then the guitar is so good, then the lyrics kick in and it's really quite the letdown. Then the harmonies show up, and they're really good too. Then the lyrics get back in the way. Then the fiddle is nice, and then the lyrics are back... alas.

[Dude]

I was just singing

"Crazy Train"

to myself this morning and two things occurred to me:

1. The lyrics suck a big bag of wet pubic hair.

2. This is a truly great song, despite that fact.

 

I'd actually argue that for a metal song, it's actually "deep". I mean we're not talking Dylan here, but it's kind of endearing how it grasps for some deeper commentary on how society conditions us to either play by their rules, or "go off the rails" and eat our meals out of dumpsters. I especially like the line about the media selling predefined roles to us, a somewhat progressive idea considering this was written in the 70s:

 

All aboard! Ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaa!

 

Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay

 

Crazy, but that's how it goes

Millions of people living as foes

Maybe it's not too late

To learn how to love

And forget how to hate

 

Mental wounds not healing

Life's a bitter shame

I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

 

Let's Go!

 

I've listened to preachers

I've listened to fools

I've watched all the dropouts

Who make their own rules

One person conditioned to rule and control

The media sells it and you live the role

 

Mental wounds still screaming

Driving me insane

I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

 

I know that things are going wrong for me

You gotta listen to my words

Yeah

 

Heirs of a cold war

That's what we've become

Inheriting troubles I'm mentally numb

Crazy, I just cannot bear

I'm living with something that just isn't fair

 

Mental wounds not healing

Who and what's to blame

I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

[uncool2pillow]

I'd actually argue that for a metal song, it's actually "deep". I mean we're not talking Dylan here, but it's kind of endearing how it grasps for some deeper commentary on how society conditions us to either play by their rules, or "go off the rails" and eat our meals out of dumpsters. I especially like the line about the media selling predefined roles to us, a somewhat progressive idea considering this was written in the 70s:

 

All aboard! Ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaa!

 

Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay

 

Crazy, but that's how it goes

Millions of people living as foes

Maybe it's not too late

To learn how to love

And forget how to hate

 

Mental wounds not healing

Life's a bitter shame

I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

 

Let's Go!

 

I've listened to preachers

I've listened to fools

I've watched all the dropouts

Who make their own rules

One person conditioned to rule and control

The media sells it and you live the role

 

Mental wounds still screaming

Driving me insane

I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

 

I know that things are going wrong for me

You gotta listen to my words

Yeah

 

Heirs of a cold war

That's what we've become

Inheriting troubles I'm mentally numb

Crazy, I just cannot bear

I'm living with something that just isn't fair

 

Mental wounds not healing

Who and what's to blame

I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

Better than Stairway to Heaven, or does that belong in the blasphemy thread.

[lamradio]

These are probably the worst lyrics in the history of rock music. I know this goes against the topic, but Weezer's "We're All On Drugs" is also one of the worst songs in history.

 

When you're out with your friends

In your new Mercedes-Benz

And you're on drugs

And you show up late for school

'Cause you think you're really cool

When you're on drugs

And you put on your headphones

And you step into the zone

When you're on drugs

But the world don't care

If you are or are not there

'Cause you're on drugs

 

GIVE IT TO ME

 

We are all on drugs yeah

Never getting enough (never get enough)

We are all on drugs yeah

Give me some of that stuff (WOO)

 

And you twitch in your seat

'Cause you wanna hit the street

When you're on drugs

And you cause such a fuss

'Cause there's no one you can trust

When you're on drugs

And the best of your days

Will vanish in the haze

When you're on drugs

And you wish you could quit

'Cause you're really sick of it

But you're on drugs

 

GIVE IT TO ME

 

We are all on drugs yeah

Never getting enough (never get enough)

We are all on drugs yeah

Give me some of that stuff (WOO)

 

I want to reach a higher plane

where things will never be the same (ugh)

 

GIVE IT TO ME

 

We are all on drugs yeah

Never getting enough

We are all on drugs yeah

Give me some of that stuff (WOO)

[cryptique]

My first thought was "virtually the entire Jayhawks album The Sound of Lies."

 

Beautiful record. Inane lyrics.

[Knepps]

Anything by Foreigner?

[Degenerex]

My Morning Jacket immediately came to my mind when I saw this thread.

 

The one that always gets me is "Anytime."

 

Things I could say to myself, I could never say to anyone else.

But what Madonna said really helped,

she said: "boy, you better learn to express yourself!"

 

I LOVED that song until the moment that I realized what he was saying. Changed the way I listen to the band.

 

I actually love that part for some reason, but to each his own.

 

I think "Stairway to Heaven" falls into this category. Many Led Zeppelin songs probably do actually.

[Atticus]

lenny kravitz comes up with some great guitar riffs, tones, musical arrangements and sounds, and horrible, horrible lyrics.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

lenny kravitz comes up with some great guitar riffs, tones, musical arrangements and sounds, and horrible, horrible lyrics.

 

Exactamundo...

 

I was born long ago

I am the chosen, I'm the one

I have come to save the day

And I won't leave until I'm done

So that's why we've got to try

We've got to breathe and have some fun

Though I'm not paid I play this game

And I won't stop until I'm done

(But what I really want to know is)

Are you gonna go my way

(Please baby) and I got to (please) got to know (I got to know) yeah

 

I don't know why we always cry

This we must leave and get undone

We must engage and rearrange

And turn this planet back to one

So tell me why we got to die

And kill each other one by one

We've got to hug and rub-a-dub

We've got to dance and be in love

(But what I really wanna know is)

Are you gonna go my way

(Please baby) and I got to, got to know (I got to know)

 

Are you gonna go my way

'Cause baby I got to know, yeah

[Aeglos]

pretty much anything by Interpol

[radiokills]

sonic youth comes to mind

[Ghost of Electricity]

My first thought was "virtually the entire Jayhawks album The Sound of Lies."

 

Beautiful record. Inane lyrics.

That's because it's their first record without Olson.

[Jesusetc84]

"Life on Mars?" by David Bowie

"Children of the Revolution" by T. Rex

"Outtasite (Outtamind)" by Wilco

"Ob-La Di, Ob-La Da" by The Beatles

[HungryHippo]

that one song by Bob Dylan, Like a Rolling Stone, is pretty juvenile. my 4 year old nephew could write something like that in 10 mins.

 

in all honesty, I can't think of any lyrics that rub me the wrong way. I tend to over analyze everything so lyrics never really bother me.

[Nobody Girl]

pretty much anything by Interpol

This is the first band I thought of when I saw this thread. But I still love love love Turn on the Bright Lights.

[cryptique]

That's because it's their first record without Olson.

Exactly.

 

It may be their best sounding record, overall. But I have a hard time listening to it.

[Lammycat]

"Suzy Greenberg"by Phish immediately comes to mind. Great beat/energy/music in the tune but horrible lyrics. A taste:

 

Little Suzy Greenberg, with her head caved in.

Soon to let me drown beneath the undertow.

Aughta put that woman in a looney bin,

Cause you know I'd really like to be a part of her show!

 

Suzy is an artist - she paints quite a lot.

An artist she may be, but a genius she is not.

She says she wants to be a sociologist,

But she better first get checked by a neurologist.

[mountain bed]

Obviously Phish is the first band that comes to mind for me. 90% of their tunes have the most inane lyrics you've ever heard - but that is part of their charm, if you ask me. I don't really listen to them for deep insight, I listen to them because they've written some of the most beautiful and powerful music this side of Zappa.

[Vacant Horizon]

lenny kravitz comes up with some great guitar riffs, tones, musical arrangements and sounds, and horrible, horrible lyrics.

 

Obviously Phish is the first band that comes to mind for me. 90% of their tunes have the most inane lyrics you've ever heard - but that is part of their charm, if you ask me. I don't really listen to them for deep insight, I listen to them because they've written some of the most beautiful and powerful music this side of Zappa.

 

Happy happy happy!

 

 

jay farrar has some bad lyrics like this gem from Automatic Society, 'Do you want fries with that?" Horrible.

[D-Dogg]

that one song by Bob Dylan, Like a Rolling Stone, is pretty juvenile. my 4 year old nephew could write something like that in 10 mins.

 

in all honesty, I can't think of any lyrics that rub me the wrong way. I tend to over analyze everything so lyrics never really bother me.

 

Your 4 year old nephew can write lyrics like this???

 

You've gone to the finest schools, alright miss lonely

but you know you only used to get juiced in it

Nobody's ever taught you how to live out on the street

And now you're gonna have to get used to it

You say you never compromise

With the mystery tramp, but now you realize

He's not selling any alibies

As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes

And say do you want to make a deal?

 

Oh, you never turned around to see the frowns

On the jumpers and the clowns when they did their tricks for you

You never understood that it ain't no good

You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you

You used to ride on your chrome horse with your diplomat

Who carried on his shoulder a siamese cat

Ain't it hard when you discovered that

He really wasn't where it's at

After he took from you everything he could steal

 

Princess on a steeple and all the pretty people

They're all drinking, thinking that they've got it made

Exchanging all precious gifts

You better take your diamond ring, you better pawn it babe

You used to be so amused

At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used

Go to him he calls you, you can't refuse

When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to loose

You're invisible now, you've got not secret to conceal

 

If so that is awesome!!!!

[stagerug]

Anything by RUSH.

[PopTodd]

Hear one over the weekend.

So brilliant, that it gives me chills.

But the lyrics really suck:

 

Thin Lizzy - The Cowboy Song